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Fear and Loathing (USMNT 2018)


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1 hour ago, markjazzbassist said:

pulisic sold to chelsea, 57m pounds.  sarri is a great manager for him, attacking all out, hope he gets playing time.  maybe this means they will sell Hazard to Madrid now.

Unless Sarri ends up sacked between now and the summer, which is always a possibility with Chelsea, then he won’t play under him at all and could end up stagnating.

Got a feeling Hazard will renew his contract with Chelsea. I hope he does too, he’s a lovely player to watch. 

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18 minutes ago, Romey 1878 said:

Unless Sarri ends up sacked between now and the summer, which is always a possibility with Chelsea, then he won’t play under him at all and could end up stagnating.

Got a feeling Hazard will renew his contract with Chelsea. I hope he does too, he’s a lovely player to watch. 

I'm actually worried about this move for Pulisic. Chelsea isn'tt exactly known for giving youngsters a chance. This move just feels... commercial.

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2 hours ago, Romey 1878 said:

Unless Sarri ends up sacked between now and the summer, which is always a possibility with Chelsea, then he won’t play under him at all and could end up stagnating.

Got a feeling Hazard will renew his contract with Chelsea. I hope he does too, he’s a lovely player to watch. 

yeah i thought the same thing, they are a machine over there, i would have preferred him at Spurs or Arsenal, he'd be more likely to get playing time there.  i think Hazard is gone because he doesn't like how Sarri uses him as a false nine, sure he went back to the wing last match but i think philosophically they just aren't compatible.

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22 hours ago, Romey 1878 said:

Unless Sarri ends up sacked between now and the summer, which is always a possibility with Chelsea, then he won’t play under him at all and could end up stagnating.

Got a feeling Hazard will renew his contract with Chelsea. I hope he does too, he’s a lovely player to watch. 

isn'tt he staying in Germany until the end of the season anyway?

Agree on Hazard

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1 hour ago, aaron said:

I feel Pulisic will be a Pedro replacement if anything, Willian will likely drop to the bench which accommodates Pulisic to start with Hazard on the other wing, they will go all out for a striker in the summer I think.

I guess if there is a position at Chelsea up for grabs, it would most likely be that right wing spot.

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  • 4 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

New manager, new system, new players coming in and out, lots of tinkering - which I don't really have a problem with. However, one result is that our MF has been hot garbage under Berhalter so far. The forwards aren't getting service because we're floundering around in the middle of the pitch, and the backline is getting put under pressure from sloppy giveaways. It will be interesting to see the starting 11 tomorrow night, and their positions for Berhalter's first competitive game in charge - even if we're playing a minnow, which is fortuitous.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 17/06/2019 at 10:49, Ghoat said:

New manager, new system, new players coming in and out, lots of tinkering - which I don't really have a problem with. However, one result is that our MF has been hot garbage under Berhalter so far. The forwards aren't getting service because we're floundering around in the middle of the pitch, and the backline is getting put under pressure from sloppy giveaways. It will be interesting to see the starting 11 tomorrow night, and their positions for Berhalter's first competitive game in charge - even if we're playing a minnow, which is fortuitous.

It may be poor form to quote one's self, but after last night, it seemed simpler that cutting and pasting the exact same thoughts. A win, but utterly uninspiring.

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4 minutes ago, Ghoat said:

It may be poor form to quote one's self, but after last night, it seemed simpler that cutting and pasting the exact same thoughts. A win, but utterly uninspiring.

Agreed. Curacao has been decent this tournament but in no way should we be struggling against them like last night. I can see Jamaica beating us and them facing Mexico in the final.

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Here is a rant for you.  Every time I tune in and see Michael Bradley in the starting lineup I am tempted to just turn the TV off.

I mean what is the thinking there?  He would be like... what? 34? For the Qatar World Cup? No one will care about a Gold Cup if we do not qualify for the World Cup... again.  I mean he hasn't retired so he must be thinking he will be a part of the squad in 2022.  If he can't run a midfield that can beat Trinidad and Tobago (yes I know they beat them in the Gold Cup this year....) when something real is on the line what in the world makes you think he can do it four years later at 34? I swear, a 15 year old kid with experience playing Football Manager might have more vision in regards to the future than the USMNT setup / Berhalter.

Also and unrelated, someone ate my lunch out of the office refrigerator.

End rant.

Edited by plaidharper
typo
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I'm of two minds on Bradley. One is like you, what's the point? I have buddy who just goes off when either he or Jozy play - kinda comical. But on the other hand, he was of the only, and THE only mid, who seemed composed on and off the ball and in control the majority of the game to me. Aside from a few passages, we were shambolic in the middle. Maybe when Adams is healthy it's different. I like Trapp as a compliment sub, but can't seem to take the next step and run the middle. I think I'd be okay if Bradley is around in 2022 if he provides experience and leadership, but I sure hope we're not counting on a 34 year old number 6 in Qatar......

 

Sorry about the lunch. Post a note that you just tested positive for mono, so whoever took your lunch is going to wanna wash the tupperware really good.

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I have the same thoughts on Bradley: mixed.

He used to be a key cog, but I find myself more disappointed in him with each appearance. I can't see him sticking around for 2022 nor do I see the point of him being there besides maybe a veteran presence (same with Jozy). I think the midfield two should be Adams and McKennie with someone in front of them (not sure who at the moment). I would suggest Pulisic but he really makes the wing his on out there.

 

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2 hours ago, plaidharper said:

Here is a rant for you.  Every time I tune in and see Michael Bradley in the starting lineup I am tempted to just turn the TV off.

I mean what is the thinking there?  He would be like... what? 34? For the Qatar World Cup? No one will care about a Gold Cup if we do not qualify for the World Cup... again.  I mean he hasn't retired so he must be thinking he will be a part of the squad in 2022.  If he can't run a midfield that can beat Trinidad and Tobago (yes I know they beat them in the Gold Cup this year....) when something real is on the line what in the world makes you think he can do it four years later at 34? I swear, a 15 year old kid with experience playing Football Manager might have more vision in regards to the future than the USMNT setup / Berhalter.

Also and unrelated, someone ate my lunch out of the office refrigerator.

End rant.

See England when they took Steven Gerrard to Brazil, you'll be out in the group stages playing old fogies in the heat.

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Jozy and Bradley should have been forced to retire like hummels and mueller for Germany.  Tell them they won’t get picked anymore and let them announce it.

 

i liked the berhalter pick because he plays attractive football and did well with small market teams.  It’s going to take time to play his way, like it did with Klinnsman.  We finally were playing well under JK and then they fire him and go back to punt and run arena and defend for your lives old school USMNT.   2 steps forward 10 back. Sadly Gregg has to get them back to the JK days and then more!  Sadly I think the fan base is too fickle and could see him fired before that happens.

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Donovan made a good point post game, it seems that typically his goals are usually spectacular, great one-on-one skills... These were neither. These were more poacher goals, being in the box, reacting first, following the play... pretty encouraging. And boy does McKinnie have the potential for a bright future.

 

I'm cautiously optimistic

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 04/07/2019 at 15:31, markjazzbassist said:

mexico didn't dominate on their way to the finals, they got through pens and extra time, squeeking through.  I think the US might actually have a chance.  Mexico are missing Lozano and Vela who are very good players, let's hope Berhalter has the big game mentality.

At least I got to take part in the Gold Cup celebrations, I happened to watch the game at a bar in Cancun 🤣

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On 20/07/2019 at 02:53, Romey 1878 said:

I find it hard to keep up with our youth teams, and I only caught one game of the U-20WC, the 2-1 loss in the quarterfinals to Ecuador. The best player I saw on the pitch was the RB bombing forward for crosses, and knocking wingers off the ball or making tackles/blocks in the box. I texted a buddy across town that, and asked him "who the hell is the Dest kid?"  Then the Gold Cup started, the WWC was going, I went on holiday...and I forgot about him.

Our system is improving, but mostly the best prospects we have are the ones who have stayed out of the US system, or left in their teens for Europe. And frankly a lot of the dual-nationals who aren't quite good enough for their "home" country are better or have better potential than what's in our existing "domestic pool".  Alas, if we had a large military presence in Brazil, we might have already won a World Cup or two by now 😁😁

Thanks for sharing that Romey, good read on the kid and his story.

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12 hours ago, Ghoat said:

I find it hard to keep up with our youth teams, and I only caught one game of the U-20WC, the 2-1 loss in the quarterfinals to Ecuador. The best player I saw on the pitch was the RB bombing forward for crosses, and knocking wingers off the ball or making tackles/blocks in the box. I texted a buddy across town that, and asked him "who the hell is the Dest kid?"  Then the Gold Cup started, the WWC was going, I went on holiday...and I forgot about him.

Our system is improving, but mostly the best prospects we have are the ones who have stayed out of the US system, or left in their teens for Europe. And frankly a lot of the dual-nationals who aren't quite good enough for their "home" country are better or have better potential than what's in our existing "domestic pool".  Alas, if we had a large military presence in Brazil, we might have already won a World Cup or two by now 😁😁

Thanks for sharing that Romey, good read on the kid and his story.

hah basically the same for me, the minute i hear "he's been in portugal since he was 12" i think this guy could actually be good lol.  when i hear "he came through the dallas academy" i think this guy will probably be crap.  biased, yes completely, the MLS game doesn't interest me and the quality still isn't great.  old ass wayne rooney is lighting the league up says it all

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1 hour ago, markjazzbassist said:

hah basically the same for me, the minute i hear "he's been in portugal since he was 12" i think this guy could actually be good lol.  when i hear "he came through the dallas academy" i think this guy will probably be crap.  biased, yes completely, the MLS game doesn't interest me and the quality still isn't great.  old ass wayne rooney is lighting the league up says it all

I present to you: Weston McKennie.

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McKennie is an great example of our system getting better - as is Tyler Adams. But both cases, when it was time for "finishing school", where did they go? Our better prospects, and in some cases players, are under 21 in Europe. The problem, IMO, is the players we have that come up in our system are mid-20's before they ever get their call up and even then have limited experience against world class players/leagues. 

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  • 1 month later...
22 hours ago, Ghoat said:

News flash - we're awful

Mexico is miles ahead of us at the moment. Pulisic is the only one completely ready for internationals, and even he still has a lot to learn.

Hopefully Sargent gets the starts from now on at striker, because Zardes has absolutely no business leading the line.

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We were insisting on building out of the back and had no answer for Mexico's pressing. We completely disrupted everything in the back which means it never flowed into the midfield, and we couldn't  transition smoothly to offense. It look somewhere between a laborious task and sheer chaos to start possession. 

Dest does look a player, he might have been the bright spot.

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7 minutes ago, Ghoat said:

We were insisting on building out of the back and had no answer for Mexico's pressing. We completely disrupted everything in the back which means it never flowed into the midfield, and we couldn't  transition smoothly to offense. It look somewhere between a laborious task and sheer chaos to start possession. 

Dest does look a player, he might have been the bright spot.

Yep, and the CBs had way too much work to do early on and you could see they were tiring. If we're going to play short passes out of the back like then you actually need a CB that can pass out of the back. It's a shame that Brooks is always injured as he'd be up for it and is by far our best defender.

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  • 1 month later...

the talent pool is awful, the last generation was truly our golden generation (yes i know they weren't that good but that is how bad we are as a country).  the solid pros like tim howard, dempsey, donovan, fabian johnson, bradley in his prime, we don't have anything like that now.  our reserves back then were tim reams and eric lichaj guys playing the championship week in and out.  now we have some kids who play in europe but aren't great, we have MLS stalwarts who simply by playing in MLS prove they aren't good enough.  our best player rides the pine at chelsea never seeing the pitch.  we don't have talent.  they will let berhalter fail, then next cycle maybe these kids will come good and the next manager will look like a genius.  

 

the bob bradley and bruce arena (the good years) methods of managing are missed, i get you on that.  we are not technical, not skilled.  instead of trying to look like Barca just because it's on trend, play like Fat Sam because that's the only thing that has brought us success.  defend with blood and guts and kill em on corners and counter attacks.  so in that sense, yeah maybe berhalter is in over his head.  that's what bradley did so well, he saw what he had and made the system to adapt.  physical gritty performances and the fans would get us over the line.  

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12 minutes ago, markjazzbassist said:

the talent pool is awful, the last generation was truly our golden generation (yes i know they weren't that good but that is how bad we are as a country).  the solid pros like tim howard, dempsey, donovan, fabian johnson, bradley in his prime, we don't have anything like that now.  our reserves back then were tim reams and eric lichaj guys playing the championship week in and out.  now we have some kids who play in europe but aren't great, we have MLS stalwarts who simply by playing in MLS prove they aren't good enough.  our best player rides the pine at chelsea never seeing the pitch.  we don't have talent.  they will let berhalter fail, then next cycle maybe these kids will come good and the next manager will look like a genius.  

 

the bob bradley and bruce arena (the good years) methods of managing are missed, i get you on that.  we are not technical, not skilled.  instead of trying to look like Barca just because it's on trend, play like Fat Sam because that's the only thing that has brought us success.  defend with blood and guts and kill em on corners and counter attacks.  so in that sense, yeah maybe berhalter is in over his head.  that's what bradley did so well, he saw what he had and made the system to adapt.  physical gritty performances and the fans would get us over the line.  

Like you said, we don't have the players to play like Berhalter wants, but I also don't think he's better than a Bradley, Arena, or even Klinnsmann. His team selections are also terrible despite our weak pool.

I disagreed we played like Fat Sam. If anything, we look more like that now (uninventive). Counter-attacking football isn't necessarily my favorite, but that's what we played, and it made sense given our players when played under Bradley/Arena. Klinnsmann had a go at playing more possession, but his problem was inconsistent call-ups.

Our team should be beating Canada. No doubt in my mind on that. Credit to Canada for having the desire to win, but player-for-player we are definitely the better team.

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3 hours ago, Romey 1878 said:

Thoughts on Dest's move to Barcelona?

he was supposed to be good not great for Ajax so it's a little surprising.  i can't tell if this is budget barca since they are financially struggling, or if they really want/need him.

 

side note: i read an article the other day about americans in the bundesliga and apparently there is little to no fee for americans to move abroad, so german teams are stockpiling these americans as a cheap way to take a punt and find the next pulisic so to speak.  if it doesn't work out they still sell them back to MLS for a profit.  the german coaches like the american player because most are extremely fit and they conform well (ie. they just keep their head down and work hard).  they lack the technicality, but that's the germans specialty, so they are able to teach that and mold them.  pretty interesting.

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4 hours ago, Romey 1878 said:

Thoughts on Dest's move to Barcelona?

He's a good player. He's a great attacker but needs to work on his defending some if he plans to stay at the fullback position. Even if he doesn't make it a Barca he'll play for a top team at some point. With the way Barca expects there fullbacks to attack I can see him getting some minutes. Right now they're playing Roberto at RB who is naturally a midfielder. 

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  • 2 months later...
6 hours ago, Romey 1878 said:

I'll believe it when we start performing against top sides. I don't take too much stock in our last two wins as a sign of progress. They're teams we should be beating. 

We have a lot of more players in Europe actually getting minutes, but there are still a lot of questions around the team as a whole. 

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  • 5 months later...

Wasn't a huge fan of the 343 formation for starters. But to your point on Jimenez, we are also missing our best/2nd best CB in Aaron Long, our backline, especially when 3 ATB looked a bit shaky. Not having our best holding mid (Tyler Adams) matchfit to shield the back line for a full 90' didn't help either. At least he got the last 8' and extra time.  All that being said, to finally have most all the young kids available competitively for the first time... It was good win, especially after going down a goal twice, something to build on.

I still don't get how a player can grab another player's throat and not see red. Or even yellow. CONCACAF ref's are the worst.

 

4 minutes ago, markjazzbassist said:

We beat a Mexico side but it took their best player being injured (Raul jimenez) and added extra time to do so.  I’m still not convinced by these kids.

 

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