USMNT Part IX

[Savant]

USMNT also has barely ever played its best 11 because of injuries.

Pulisic - Pepi - Reyna
Musah - Adams - McKennie
Jedi - Zimmerman - Robinson - Dest
Turner​

with Aaronson, Weah, Ferreira, Konrad, LDLT, Morris, Pefok, Moore, etc. all being bench options is a pretty damn good roster.

I’d argue that USMNT has no idea what their best XI is. And if they do, it certainly hasn’t played maybe minutes all on the field together.

 

[Savant]

He has faults. Thankfully, he slowly started dropping off some of his past favorites over the course of qualifying. But you give the the USMNT Cyle Larin and they're a different beast. A good striker would cover up a lot of his other faults. GGG got blessed with the best USMNT generation ever with the worst striker pool ever.

Again I don’t agree. There is talent at striker. You can’t tell me that what they have now isn’t better than like Hercules Gomez and Bobby Wood and Bring Ching etc.

They need someone who can unlock that talent, but instead we have a manager who has been criticized his entire career for not having good offensive game plans.

 

[Basement Cat]

A CB group of Zimmerman, Robinson, Richards, and take your pick is not worse than what they brought in 2014 when they got out of a group with Germany, Portugal and Ghana. Zimmerman and Robinson are both better than MLS-level at this point. Much like Besler was in 2014.

Also I disagree on Morris being a physical freak. He doesn't look nearly as fast anymore. Hoping it's just a matter of getting up to speed over time.

 

[Basement Cat]

Again I don’t agree. There is talent at striker. You can’t tell me that what they have now isn’t better than like Hercules Gomez and Bobby Wood and Bring Ching etc.

They need someone who can unlock that talent, but instead we have a manager who has been criticized his entire career for not having good offensive game plans.

It's not there right now. There is potential in the way of Sargent, Pepi, and Dike, but it's not good enough at all. It's going to be a bottom of the barrel striker group in Qatar. Just looking at the last two times we were there:

WC'2010 - Also a piss poor striker group that clearly wasn't enough to do damage at the WC (like the current one). At least they had Dempsey and Donovan who could be used in a support striker role if need be (I know they were rarely used like this at the time). Altidore was a good prospect that was a year (or two?) away from tearing up Holland. Hopefully one of the current guys is on that trajectory.

WC'2014 - By now, Dempsey was primarily used as a striker and he was far better than anything that GGG has had to work with in his tenure. The Jozy Altidore of 2014 would be the clear starter at striker on this current team, and that's despite a shit move to Sunderland. Aaron Johannsson would even be a breath of fresh air with the form he was coming in with from AZ Alkmaar. Hell, the Wondo of 2014 would have gotten a look in the current cycle.

Seriously, we have really had no one in form at the club level through all of qualifying, save for Pepi before his move.

 

[Gecklund]

A CB group of Zimmerman, Robinson, Richards, and take your pick is not worse than what they brought in 2014 when they got out of a group with Germany, Portugal and Ghana. Zimmerman and Robinson are both better than MLS-level at this point. Much like Besler was in 2014.

Also I disagree on Morris being a physical freak. He doesn't look nearly as fast anymore. Hoping it's just a matter of getting up to speed over time.

He’s looked more than fine in club play. Just snake bit as hell.

 

[Basement Cat]

He’s looked more than fine in club play. Just snake bit as hell.

Good to hear from someone who has watched him more closely than I. I loved what he brought before this injury and was hyped for him getting a chance at Swansea.

 

[Basement Cat]

It's not there right now. There is potential in the way of Sargent, Pepi, and Dike, but it's not good enough at all. It's going to be a bottom of the barrel striker group in Qatar. Just looking at the last two times we were there:

WC'2010 - Also a piss poor striker group that clearly wasn't enough to do damage at the WC (like the current one). At least they had Dempsey and Donovan who could be used in a support striker role if need be (I know they were rarely used like this at the time). Altidore was a good prospect that was a year (or two?) away from tearing up Holland. Hopefully one of the current guys is on that trajectory.

WC'2014 - By now, Dempsey was primarily used as a striker and he was far better than anything that GGG has had to work with in his tenure. The Jozy Altidore of 2014 would be the clear starter at striker on this current team, and that's despite a shit move to Sunderland. Aaron Johannsson would even be a breath of fresh air with the form he was coming in with from AZ Alkmaar. Hell, the Wondo of 2014 would have gotten a look in the current cycle.

Seriously, we have really had no one in form at the club level through all of qualifying, save for Pepi before his move.

Let me caveat, Pefok has been in form. Not really translating to the USMNT though. Slow as hell and mediocre hold-up play for a big guy. Rather small sample size though, so not totally writing him off.

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

A CB group of Zimmerman, Robinson, Richards, and take your pick is not worse than what they brought in 2014 when they got out of a group with Germany, Portugal and Ghana. Zimmerman and Robinson are both better than MLS-level at this point. Much like Besler was in 2014.

Also I disagree on Morris being a physical freak. He doesn't look nearly as fast anymore. Hoping it's just a matter of getting up to speed over time.

Agree with you on the CBs. I don't really get the Zimmerman hate. I can see a case for Brooks being included as well, but I watch him play every week and am not convinced when coupling his club performance with what we saw from him the last few cycles he was involved in.

 

[Basement Cat]

Agree with you on the CBs. I don't really get the Zimmerman hate. I can see a case for Brooks being included as well, but I watch him play every week and am not convinced when coupling his club performance with what we saw from him the last few cycles he was involved in.

If we had to name the roster tomorrow, I think I still take him. Zimmerman, MRob, Richards, and Brooks. Reason being, I still trust Brooks a ton when we play more compact and don't play a high-ish line. His recovery speed is bad these days, so he really hasn't been ideal for how GGG has had them playing for much of the Octagonal. At the World Cup, his experience and the fact I expect a slightly more conservative look than what we've gone with vs. CONCACAF opponents, I still value him quite a bit.

 

[John Price]

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

I'm predicting a competitive lineup and complaints that GGG is going to get our stars injured or a rotated lineup and complaints that GGG isn't "going for it."

 

[misterchainsaw]

Man, playing around with the draw simulators that are floating out there, and there is no such thing as an easy draw unless you get group A. Even if you do that takes AFC teams out of pot 3 and if the US is in there you likely end up with Wales from pot 4.

Probably the easiest draw for us would be: Qatar/US/Serbia (have to have 1 European team)/Cameroon

or if we're not in group A: Portugal/US/Iran/Cameroon

Ghana would work in place of Cameroon too.

I just drew a nightmare: England/US/Japan/UEFA playoff team
2nd try wasn't much better: Argentina/US/South Korea/UEFA playoff team

 

[Live in the Now]

Man, playing around with the draw simulators that are floating out there, and there is no such thing as an easy draw unless you get group A. Even if you do that takes AFC teams out of pot 3 and if the US is in there you likely end up with Wales from pot 4.

Probably the easiest draw for us would be: Qatar/US/Serbia (have to have 1 European team)/Cameroon

or if we're not in group A: Portugal/US/Iran/Cameroon

Ghana would work in place of Cameroon too.

I just drew a nightmare: England/US/Japan/UEFA playoff team
2nd try wasn't much better: Argentina/US/South Korea/UEFA playoff team

Unless we draw England or Qatar it’s going to be very hard. And then if we draw Senegal and England it’s still really hard.

 

[Basement Cat]

I'm looking forward to the USMNT's performance in the World Cup. I expect a return to the more traditional scrappy, defensive counter-attacking squad of USMNT past, but with more talent. It will be favorable to match up against teams that try to possess and attack more than most CONCACAF opponents do. Between the speed / quality on the counter (Pulisic, Weah, Reyna, Aaronson, Dest, ARob, etc.) and set piece threats (Mckennie, Zimmerman, MRob, and whoever is at striker), they pose a serious upset threat as long as Adams (Acosta too) and the backline hold up their end of the bargain. It's a tall order to get past the round of 16, but I am confident regardless of the group that this team can get out.

 

[kingsboy11]

Well we're clearly not f***ing around

 

[codswallop]

Looks like Costa Rica is going cautious. 5 or 6 starters from their last game are on the bench, all on yellows. Makes sense, don't want to risk too may guys getting suspended for the playoff.

Stupid freaking rule that it carries over to that game. But winning by 6 is close to impossible, so no fault to them for being cautious.

 

[Tryamw]

Goalie just stopped it short.
Pepi put it on frame Havas is coming up big.

 

[Tryamw]

Nice set piece position thanks to Musah. and the Wall won.
US being sloppy. Mexico up 1.

 

[Tryamw]

Pulisic getting fouled repeatedly. Adams' touch is rough...

Tied at the half about 0.00 of Extra time
Mexico up 2. We are tattooed for third.

 

[kingsboy11]

Not the best half, but they haven't conceded which is 10x better than where we were 4 years ago

 

[codswallop]

Was looking for a meh game, got that so far. Obviously don't like some of the sloppier moments and less than optimal decisions on the ball. But whatever.

CR will continue to be cheap if it stays like this; interesting decision of when to sub some guys out.

 

[Tryamw]

And Costa Rica scores... That's how you Set piece..

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

Not sure Turner (or our other keepers) save that either, but haven't been impressed with Steffen at all this window.

 

[Tryamw]

Not sure Turner (or our other keepers) save that either, but haven't been impressed with Steffen at all this window.

Agreed..

 

[kingsboy11]

Yeah Steffen looked really slow to react to that, plus it was definitely within his reach.