Bruce Arena Era 2: Electric Boogaloo. USMNT Super Thread

[USABlue]

Weah had a good game and that assist from him was magnificent. Thought it was bonkers to take him off when we did. Sargent also showed a lot of potential.

Disappointing not to get at least a draw.

I have no problem with the players, we have a good young group. Just skeptical of USSF making the right decisions to bring us to the next level

 

[Rook]

As one of Bradley's biggest critics I thought he did a decent job wearing the armband last night. Lots of silly giveaways in our midfield.Just thankful Miazga didn't absolutely smash in that own goal.

He's a solid player w/o the ball.

He's an awful player when by default he has to distrubute.

The lack of a distrubutor has been the US's most glaring need ever since Nigel DeJong broke Holden. Even having someone on the lines Joe freaking Allen would improve the USMNT tremendously.

 

[upthetoffees]

He's a solid player w/o the ball.

He's an awful player when by default he has to distrubute.

The lack of a distrubutor has been the US's most glaring need ever since Nigel DeJong broke Holden. Even having someone on the lines Joe freaking Allen would improve the USMNT tremendously.

Wil Trapp is the clearest choice in that role for me, but he obviously needs more development to get to that level. We will probably need to wait for another Euro-born Army brat to ascend the ranks, who plays in that number 6 role.

 

[BillBrasky]

Wil Trapp is the clearest choice in that role for me, but he obviously needs more development to get to that level. We will probably need to wait for another Euro-born Army brat to ascend the ranks, who plays in that number 6 role.

Chris Durkin, young CM for DC United. Gonna be a stud in that position.

 

[upthetoffees]

Chris Durkin, young CM for DC United. Gonna be a stud in that position.

Honestly Darlington Nagbe plays well in all areas of the midfield; would not be opposed to seeing him there. Christian Roldan also could play deep.

I'll have to watch some of Durkin's reel.

 

[Rook]

Honestly Darlington Nagbe plays well in all areas of the midfield; would not be opposed to seeing him there. Christian Roldan also could play deep.

I'll have to watch some of Durkin's reel.

I want to like Nagbe. However while he's good in MLS, he's terrible on the national team. I can't count the times he's tried to dribble out of trouble got dispossessed and created a counter chance for the opposition.

 

[Rook]

I just tuned in at 50 min. Apparently we are winning.

Acosta just hit a corner that made me ask "did everton ever have a corner that bad" The answer is no, which is a rare feat.

 

[BillBrasky]

Not sure has the athleticism to ever be world class but GD does Josh Sargent have a sexy first and second touch for a CF. Especially for an 18 year old.

 

[TheBigIguana]

I'd already rather have Sargent than Jozy or Wood. If it were up to me I'd be starting Sargent Weah and Pulisic with Adams and McKennie in midfield. I'm done with these players who seemingly have a lifetime pass. As backward as it is to ignore the domestic league, playing in MLS should be a non starter for national team selection.

 

[carolinablue232]

I'd already rather have Sargent than Jozy or Wood. If it were up to me I'd be starting Sargent Weah and Pulisic with Adams and McKennie in midfield. I'm done with these players who seemingly have a lifetime pass. As backward as it is to ignore the domestic league, playing in MLS should be a non starter for national team selection.

League itself should matter. Quality of player and path forward should. At this point though, everything should be about 2022 qualifying and ultimately that WC. As such, the players you mentioned should be playing as many games together as possible. Also, Adams is an MLSer still. Just so we’re clear.

 

[TheBigIguana]

League itself should matter. Quality of player and path forward should. At this point though, everything should be about 2022 qualifying and ultimately that WC. As such, the players you mentioned should be playing as many games together as possible. Also, Adams is an MLSer still. Just so we’re clear.

Forgot Adams was still in MLS. My point is more guys who are in their "prime" years need to be in a better league than MLS if we are going to have any shot against top nations. I think Altidore, Dempsey and Bradley all lost the ability to play at that level by moving back.

 

[carolinablue232]

Forgot Adams was still in MLS. My point is more guys who are in their "prime" years need to be in a better league than MLS if we are going to have any shot against top nations. I think Altidore, Dempsey and Bradley all lost the ability to play at that level by moving back.

Unless your a Landon Donovan who in his prime years was an MLSer and still proved he could compete at the top, I agree with you. There’s an exception to every rule, but by in large, yes, our best players need to go abroad to reach their highest potential.

 

[Rook]

I'd already rather have Sargent than Jozy or Wood. If it were up to me I'd be starting Sargent Weah and Pulisic with Adams and McKennie in midfield. I'm done with these players who seemingly have a lifetime pass. As backward as it is to ignore the domestic league, playing in MLS should be a non starter for national team selection.

Sure a bunch go to germany and yes germany develops players well most coming from that league can't really translate that into national team success. A big reason is that the national team never really played the style that Germany has played since 2005. Hell, Germany is having trouble playing German football these days.

MLS is also fine until you are say 23. American players have traditionally been late bloomers (and also have stuck around well into their 30s).The competetion is pretty good, playoffs mean that you can get days off during the regular season. Also international duty doesn't add matches onto your body. So you aren't going to be a broken mess by the time you hit 29.

Dunno for over a decade now there's been this desire from the people who run the national team all the way down to the fans to clone the style of football that another very successful national team/league plays. And if this is what everyone wants, that's fine. After all Spain didn't invent tiki-taka. But its not Germany you have to look to, its Italy. When we've been our best we've always played a passable imitation of Italian football (strong on free kicks, direct, effective counters, and even if we aren't defensively sound we usually had a good keeper and kept our shape). Also if you ever watched us play Italy, we've given them fits even when we lost. Only problem is that there is (to my knowledge) no US players in Italy (we'll there was Rossi). Unfortunately, no one is really good enough (pulisic excepted) to start for the handful of teams who could pay them.

You want to make the national team better, go break the bank for Conte. Sure he isn't going to work miracles (w/ a ton of luck a QT finish if they get a favorable group of 16 matchup) but by the time he leaves after the 2022 WC we will have at least an idenity the US can work with for the future, and they'll work their behind off every minute of every match. He's also a good enough manager to find out what our limited talent players can do well and put them in a position to succeed.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Sure a bunch go to germany and yes germany develops players well most coming from that league can't really translate that into national team success. A big reason is that the national team never really played the style that Germany has played since 2005. Hell, Germany is having trouble playing German football these days.

MLS is also fine until you are say 23. American players have traditionally been late bloomers (and also have stuck around well into their 30s).The competetion is pretty good, playoffs mean that you can get days off during the regular season. Also international duty doesn't add matches onto your body. So you aren't going to be a broken mess by the time you hit 29.

Dunno for over a decade now there's been this desire from the people who run the national team all the way down to the fans to clone the style of football that another very successful national team/league plays. And if this is what everyone wants, that's fine. After all Spain didn't invent tiki-taka. But its not Germany you have to look to, its Italy. When we've been our best we've always played a passable imitation of Italian football (strong on free kicks, direct, effective counters, and even if we aren't defensively sound we usually had a good keeper and kept our shape). Also if you ever watched us play Italy, we've given them fits even when we lost. Only problem is that there is (to my knowledge) no US players in Italy (we'll there was Rossi). Unfortunately, no one is really good enough (pulisic excepted) to start for the handful of teams who could pay them.

You want to make the national team better, go break the bank for Conte. Sure he isn't going to work miracles (w/ a ton of luck a QT finish if they get a favorable group of 16 matchup) but by the time he leaves after the 2022 WC we will have at least an idenity the US can work with for the future, and they'll work their behind off every minute of every match. He's also a good enough manager to find out what our limited talent players can do well and put them in a position to succeed.

I agree staying in MLS is fine to a point but when someone like Adams or Acosta has hit a point where they are a top level MLS player they need to try to move on and develop further abroad. Likewise if someone like Bradley is abroad and playing reasonably well at 27 or 28 he shouldn't come back to MLS and spend most of the year playing at half pace. It really isn't as much about development as it is staying somewhere where you are playing at a high level all year and not trying to step up every couple of months for national team games.

It's funny you should mention Conte because I really think the 343 system, whether under Conte or someone else, would be our best bet. It allows us to step up the pressure and really go after teams that we are much better than and also drop off and play more counter attacking against the teams that are better than us without switching the system too drastically. Also it would better hide the deficiency that the fullbacks have defensively and allow Pulisic to play in sort of a Hazard role from when Conte was at Chelsea. It would be my preference but the candidates mentioned don't seem to fit that style.

 

[Rook]

I agree staying in MLS is fine to a point but when someone like Adams or Acosta has hit a point where they are a top level MLS player they need to try to move on and develop further abroad. Likewise if someone like Bradley is abroad and playing reasonably well at 27 or 28 he shouldn't come back to MLS and spend most of the year playing at half pace. It really isn't as much about development as it is staying somewhere where you are playing at a high level all year and not trying to step up every couple of months for national team games.

It's funny you should mention Conte because I really think the 343 system, whether under Conte or someone else, would be our best bet. It allows us to step up the pressure and really go after teams that we are much better than and also drop off and play more counter attacking against the teams that are better than us without switching the system too drastically. Also it would better hide the deficiency that the fullbacks have defensively and allow Pulisic to play in sort of a Hazard role from when Conte was at Chelsea. It would be my preference but the candidates mentioned don't seem to fit that style.

Bradley probably would be the best US player right now if he stayed at Genoa. However, I can't really fault Bradley and also Altidore for coming back. Bradley was making 1M year at Roma, TFC is paying him 5M/year. Same for Altidore who was I think making less than Bradley was at Roma and got a 5M/year payday.