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USMNT

jarntt

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My thoughts on what we need to do to take that next step forward. First off I think we are closer than everything that I’m hearing and reading this past week to being what many hoped. No, not winning the World Cup but being good enough to go a little deeper. It’s hard to play an entire match down a man and we IMO outplayed Uruguay for a large part of that next match. It was a very disappointing tournament on home soil but if Weah doesn’t get that red card we move on at a minimum.

the two positions we need to solidify are striker and Tim Reams center back spot. I really have been impressed with Balogun as the striker. He just gets involved and is a threat even if he doesn’t score. All of these other guys just seem invisible for 95% of the match but he gets involved in counters and has shown some ability to make things happen 1 v 1 and seems to get into space where he can be a target in the box. If he keeps improving it will be huge for us. When he plays versus when someone else is on the pitch it is evident. When he went out of the Uruguay match do to injury the change was obvious. The other spot is center back next to Richards. Ream played very well against Uruguay and has been better since he started playing regularly in the Premier League but he is older and slower and 2 years from now would just be an obvious liability. I hoped that guy was Miles Robinson and he was playing better and better before his injury but we really haven’t seen him since and he too is at a point where I’m not sure how much improvement can be expected from 27 years old to 29 years old. Someone needs to not only win the job but earn the job. Yes we have a lot of other positions where we aren’t great, but we are at least ok at all of them. For example What Dest lacks defensively he can make up for offensively and he is only 23. Turner isn’t great but he has been ok. He was better when he was playing regularly for his club team and I think that will happen again before the World Cup even if it means coming back to the US to play. We do also need to improve our depth. When other countries are bringing players who start in Europe off of their bench we are bringing some guys who couldn’t really make a top roster in those leagues.

the biggest and first issue to address is Berhalter. It’s time to move on. I think it is telling when Marsch comes out and says what he did. I wouldn’t be shocked if we make a run at Klopp. No we won’t pay him the $15 million he was making at Liverpool, but maybe we pay him the $5 million that Southgate is making as the England manager and possibly more than that and maybe that’s enough. I see some talented players who still don’t seem to make the sum of their parts better than their individual abilities. Two years is a long time for a young team to show improvement. I still feel this team is moving in the right direction even though they aren’t good enough to put out quality efforts on off days.
 
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No, not winning the World Cup but being good enough to go a little deeper.

Format of next World Cup is different... 48 teams now with round of 32. I think USMNT should get out of watered down group stage easily. Winning in rounds of 32 most likely should not be difficult, but after that not confident to expect anything more at this time... team has not improved vs 22 WC team (other than adding Balogun)... and some of the players I really liked at 22 WC seemed to have regressed some.

the two positions we need to solidify are striker and Tim Reams center back spot. I really have been impressed with Balogun as the striker. He just gets involved and is a threat even if he doesn’t score.

USMNT has little/no depth in addition to your comments (OK... see you added comment later now), I also question goalkeeping... US has had better in the past IMO.

I was not impressed with Musah vs Uruguary, he looked lost. I loved McKinnie in 22 WC, he is someone that needs to return to prior form... someone else that was disappointment vs Uruguary if we are expecting to win round of 16 match.

I really have been impressed with Balogun as the striker. He just gets involved and is a threat even if he doesn’t score. All of these other guys just seem invisible for 95% of the match but he gets involved in counters and has shown some ability to make things happen 1 v 1 and seems to get into space where he can be a target in the box. If he keeps improving it will be huge for us. When he plays versus when someone else is on the pitch it is evident. When he went out of the Uruguay match do to injury the change was obvious.

Agree 100%... I was impressed with Balogun. Plays well getting to space and can create opportunities... thought Uruguary struggled with trying to defend him early in match.

the biggest and first issue to address is Berhalter. It’s time to move on. I think it is telling when Marsch comes out and says what he did. I wouldn’t be shocked if we make a run at Klopp. No we won’t pay him the $15 million he was making at Liverpool, but maybe we pay him the $5 million that Southgate is making as the England manager and possibly more than that and maybe that’s enough. I see some talented players who still don’t seem to make the sum of their parts better than their individual abilities. Two years is a long time for a young team to show improvement. I still feel this team is moving in the right direction even though they aren’t good enough to put out quality efforts on off days.

Yeah... think Berhalter has to go... there is no improvement and maybe some regression vs 22 WC team (for same players on both squads). Team should be building towards 26 WC on home soil, but that is not happening.

Personally I think Klopp is a pipe dream... would love to have him, but do not think it is happening.
 

Beengay fudgepackers

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Blaming the Copa on Berhalter is stupid. They did what they should have given what that loser child did in the Panama game. Uruguay is way better than us.

The USMNT has a lot to do before they can contend regularly in these tournaments. That includes improving the roster drastically. The coach of the team is never going to do that.

American soccer annoys me. It’s like they have to force the attack forward no matter what. They have no ability to possess and create opportunities. They have no ability to even pull it back when a winger is doubled in the corner. They will force the cross. They just aren’t good, and pulisic’s behavior towards the referee after the game was juvenile.
 

jarntt

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Blaming the Copa on Berhalter is stupid. They did what they should have given what that loser child did in the Panama game. Uruguay is way better than us.

The USMNT has a lot to do before they can contend regularly in these tournaments. That includes improving the roster drastically. The coach of the team is never going to do that.

American soccer annoys me. It’s like they have to force the attack forward no matter what. They have no ability to possess and create opportunities. They have no ability to even pull it back when a winger is doubled in the corner. They will force the cross. They just aren’t good, and pulisic’s behavior towards the referee after the game was juvenile.
The ref sure looked like the juvenile first :scratch:

I'm very happy they got rid of Berhalter. Was a mistake to bring him back.
 

Beengay fudgepackers

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The ref sure looked like the juvenile first :scratch:

I'm very happy they got rid of Berhalter. Was a mistake to bring him back.
It’ll be interesting to see the results of the next big tournament. My guesses are the USA is going to suck, and we’re going to blame it on the coach. The problem with America is the system. Figure out how to bring the elite system over here and we might do well in 20 years. Until then, we’re going to stink.
 

jarntt

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It’ll be interesting to see the results of the next big tournament. My guesses are the USA is going to suck, and we’re going to blame it on the coach. The problem with America is the system. Figure out how to bring the elite system over here and we might do well in 20 years. Until then, we’re going to stink.
We absolutely don't "stink". It's silly that we were ranked above Uruguay in the FIFA rankings of course, but we were outplaying them until we lost our striker and Uruguay is a legit squad. More and more players each year are playing in Europe as time goes by. It doesn't happen overnight but the talent is clearly higher than it was a few years back. We don't play well together as a team, that's for sure, and that is at least part coaching. Our substitutions are often perplexing. Even at it's simplest, where are the quick give and go plays? Our set pieces still look like there is no plan and technically we are lacking.

None of this means we will win make a World Cup final in the next couple of decades of course with any coach but we are by a long ways the most talented CONCACAF squad (which is like being the tallest midget in the room) and should be able to draw with Panama even down a player.
 

Sparhawk

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US Soccer needs a total reboot.

Way too many MLS connections.
Pay to play youth soccer system misses out on elite athletes.
Too many hands in the cookie jar grabbing money that prevents the US from developing players with the most potential.

sigourney weaver michael GIF
 

jarntt

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A coach who may be interested, affordable and attainable and who I would like is Hervé Renard. He has stated his desire is to catch in the World Cup and has been mentioned as a possibility for Nigeria
 

jarntt

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jarntt

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StuUKWI

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redseat

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StuUKWI

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Good point. Can't see him having the same success with the men.
 
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Another international coach and former Newells Old Boys player.

- Scaloni - Argentina coach
- "Loco" Bielsa - Uruguay coach
- Pochettino - USA coach

Tata Martino was Mexico coach recently... and not very good results.
 

jarntt

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