Bruce Arena Era 2: Electric Boogaloo. USMNT Super Thread

[Rook]

The tastefully named Everton is on for Brasil

 

[USABlue]

Bit of a meh game. Don't think the young guys played all that badly. Brazil gifted a goal on the dive and think that took the wind out of their sails a bit. Just fell asleep on their first

 

[Hellerad]

Brazil was better. The US Youth Team didn’t embarrass itself.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Thought that would go worse. The backline looked solid enough but absolutely zero quality going forward. Not sure that was a full speed Brazil which helped us.

 

[johnnydawg68]

Interesting that Sarachan singled out Antonee as having a good game after his early nerves

 

[johnnydawg68]

Thought that would go worse. The backline looked solid enough but absolutely zero quality going forward. Not sure that was a full speed Brazil which helped us.

Without Pulisic we're going to struggle creating chances.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Without Pulisic we're going to struggle creating chances.

It's a sad truth. Stu Holden trying to convince us that Altidore and Guzan need to be brought back was cute. Guzan probably won't make the next World Cup so what's the point and Jozy doesn't have any use against sides better than Antigua.

 

[johnnydawg68]

It's a sad truth. Stu Holden trying to convince us that Altidore and Guzan need to be brought back was cute. Guzan probably won't make the next World Cup so what's the point and Jozy doesn't have any use against sides better than Antigua.

Play Josh Sargent upfront. He's the future. And the ginger scores when he wants.

 

[Rook]

It's a sad truth. Stu Holden trying to convince us that Altidore and Guzan need to be brought back was cute. Guzan probably won't make the next World Cup so what's the point and Jozy doesn't have any use against sides better than Antigua.

Dispatch from the tree of woe:

There is a bunch of hurdur out there among the USMNT fans that we need to cast out the vets like Bradley, Altidore and the like. I mean I'm all for it, its just, uncomfortable truth time fellas: there is no one currently out there that's better. Its not as if the next gen isn't getting a chance (they are) and they for the time being aren't proving they are better than the group that lost to friggin T&T. The ceiling for most of these players are quality MLS starters. Even Pulisic while yes is a 19 year old who right now that just about any national team would love to have is no better a prospect than Ross Barkley was at the same age, and how'd that turn out (well to be honest, quite good for Barkley's.......bank account)?

Whether or not we keep our current intern manager Who Whatshisname, or break the bank England FA style for some superstar manager its not going to change much, the talent isn't there. Right now we're Scotland only with the good fortune to play in a confederation on a major downturn.

On a positive note, I guess the youth team (or B team or is this our A team now?) did alright. Brasil wasn't too arsed though, they really didn't even bother closing anyone down and were just there for a light kickabout and short rest/NYC vacation.

 

[Hellerad]

Dispatch from the tree of woe:

There is a bunch of hurdur out there among the USMNT fans that we need to cast out the vets like Bradley, Altidore and the like. I mean I'm all for it, its just, uncomfortable truth time fellas: there is no one currently out there that's better. Its not as if the next gen isn't getting a chance (they are) and they for the time being aren't proving they are better than the group that lost to friggin T&T. The ceiling for most of these players are quality MLS starters. Even Pulisic while yes is a 19 year old who right now that just about any national team would love to have is no better a prospect than Ross Barkley was at the same age, and how'd that turn out (well to be honest, quite good for Barkley's.......bank account)?

Whether or not we keep our current intern manager Who Whatshisname, or break the bank England FA style for some superstar manager its not going to change much, the talent isn't there. Right now we're Scotland only with the good fortune to play in a confederation on a major downturn.

On a positive note, I guess the youth team (or B team or is this our A team now?) did alright. Brasil wasn't too arsed though, they really didn't even bother closing anyone down and were just there for a light kickabout and short rest/NYC vacation.

Believe me, I’m a pessimist about the near future, but the bit about Barkley/Pulisic is a bit off. Pulisic is already better than Barkley was because Pulisic can read a game and has a footballing brain. Barkley was a physical beast who made the wrong decision half the time.

Where I find most hope is the chance that a core from this group may get to play together for several cycles. That is what the US has been missing since Klinsmann came in: continuity.

 

[dublinbluenose]

 

[Rook]

Believe me, I’m a pessimist about the near future, but the bit about Barkley/Pulisic is a bit off. Pulisic is already better than Barkley was because Pulisic can read a game and has a footballing brain. Barkley was a physical beast who made the wrong decision half the time.

Where I find most hope is the chance that a core from this group may get to play together for several cycles. That is what the US has been missing since Klinsmann came in: continuity.

Barkley's 1st season w/ Martinez was a better season that what Pulisic has accomplished so far. Yes if you watched that season closely, it was probably unsustainable because everything he touched just worked out that year but it was better.

He's a bit protected at Dortmund (and rightly so he's just 20) surrounded by good players who take the pressure off him. However for the USMNT even against what will be really lousy competetion he's going to be a marked man. Its a whole new set of responsibilites, you have to carry a club at a young age. You'll get man marked and the tackles will come in harder and dirtier. Go back to that T&T match, a bunch of semi-pros totally frusturated him. Plus any day now he's going to be on a 125K/week contract and I've seen that change a footballer (uh Barkley?). So let's pump the brakes a bit. Now I'm not saying he's not going to be a star, I think anyone can look at his talent and hypothetically say that there is a 20% chance he becomes Gareth Bale and leads a bunch of nobodies to success. However there is probably an equal 20% chance he ends up as Bareth Gale (injuries, money, signing w/ Man City and becoming a squad player, peaking too soon, etc). Luckily hes got 4 years to figure it out.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Dispatch from the tree of woe:

There is a bunch of hurdur out there among the USMNT fans that we need to cast out the vets like Bradley, Altidore and the like. I mean I'm all for it, its just, uncomfortable truth time fellas: there is no one currently out there that's better. Its not as if the next gen isn't getting a chance (they are) and they for the time being aren't proving they are better than the group that lost to friggin T&T. The ceiling for most of these players are quality MLS starters. Even Pulisic while yes is a 19 year old who right now that just about any national team would love to have is no better a prospect than Ross Barkley was at the same age, and how'd that turn out (well to be honest, quite good for Barkley's.......bank account)?

Whether or not we keep our current intern manager Who Whatshisname, or break the bank England FA style for some superstar manager its not going to change much, the talent isn't there. Right now we're Scotland only with the good fortune to play in a confederation on a major downturn.

On a positive note, I guess the youth team (or B team or is this our A team now?) did alright. Brasil wasn't too arsed though, they really didn't even bother closing anyone down and were just there for a light kickabout and short rest/NYC vacation.

The problem is the group of players aged 23-27 has given us Yedlin and that's about it. So while yes the older players are still better they also may or may not still be useful come 2022. For me there is no point in anything but building for 2022 so Altidore maybe could be still around as he's 28 but Bradley at 31 is less likely. My problem with Altidore is he doesn't score or offer anything else against good teams. Bradley could easily be this cycle's Jermaine Jones in that we rely on him until the year before and then his legs go after a series of injuries and we don't have anyone ready to step in.

 

[johnnydawg68]

The problem is the group of players aged 23-27 has given us Yedlin and that's about it. So while yes the older players are still better they also may or may not still be useful come 2022. For me there is no point in anything but building for 2022 so Altidore maybe could be still around as he's 28 but Bradley at 31 is less likely. My problem with Altidore is he doesn't score or offer anything else against good teams. Bradley could easily be this cycle's Jermaine Jones in that we rely on him until the year before and then his legs go after a series of injuries and we don't have anyone ready to step in.

Exactly. Everything should be centered around giving the young players the experience before World Cup qualifying.

 

[obc]

our young players might not look to be equal to the vets they'd be replacing, but game time and experience might show a few ready to step up. at least they might be hungrier. we've got a couple years to develop them before we start over for Qatar.