Naming a donkey like Berhalter to coach our national team is like Penn State BBall hiring Dunn and DeChellis
USMNT 2022 World Cup Qualifying Thread
- Thread starter LionJim
- Start date
Have a feeling it will be Marsch, eventually. Just hope we don't have to miss another WC in the meantime.
Perhaps after the game I'll regret speaking up, but I have no issue with Zack Steffen in the net. He's very good. If the US stubs their toe tonight, I doubt it will be due to Steffen.
It's nice to see a lot of changes to the starting lineup versus what Berhalter trotted out against Panama.
My issue is that Turner has been playing well, whereas Steffen isn’t really playing much at all…I understand the desire to get him some minutes, but think tonight is too important for it to be the right spot for it. Not like Turner needs rest.
But hoping it’s a moot complaint.
Ugh, Costa Rica scores at the 1 minute mark. 0-1.
FWIW, I think Costa Rica was offside about 30 seconds before the goal, on the header.
FWIW, I think Costa Rica was offside about 30 seconds before the goal, on the header.
lol, yeah, was on a Zoom meeting, and was also checking in for a flight, and also trying to watch the game. Trying to do too many things at the same time.
While I follow The USMNT and enjoy Soccer, I didn't play soccer, so from someone who has, can you please explain why our best players (especially offensive) don't start each game? Why sit your scorers while trying to qualify, especially after missing the last WC??
USA just dominating right now. Need to make sure that dominance is converted to a goal.
an impressive recovery in tonight's match against Costa Rica.
Three automatic and the fourth place team plays one team from another federation with winner going to the WC
Long way to go I believe the announcers said it was the 6 of 14 games but for some reason after the embarrassing Panama loss this game at cbus was a must win. No clue why coach doesn’t start some of the best players. But it was mentioned that it was 3rd game in 7 days and due to the Covid reschedule this particular WC qualifier tournament is 7 months instead of 14 so very compressed. Perhaps resting some or making sure they don’t get carded before bigger games?
I’d say that after Arriola dropped out, we basically started our strongest possible lineup at our disposal, with the exception of GK…I could see someone else for Richards, but I like him and was happy to see him (though his play was uneven)…who do you guys think should have started that is stronger?
Well, not sure it’s exactly the case tonight. For the players we had on the field and bench, I think the best team started. You can argue certain things, but those are generally opinion.
That being said, there are other issues I will explain it as I see it. So, as far as I see it, there are certain US coaches who have really close ties to the MLS. Bruce Arena certainly did but Gregg Berhalter also does. What that means, in my opinion, is that they seem to favor MLS players over European players. To do that is obviously completely absurd because MLS is a worse league than 50% of European leagues. Bruce Arena was even worse than Berhalter because he liked OLD MLS players or even just players he likes, like demarcus beasley, who was 90 years old and wasn't even a professional because nobody wanted him, when Arena called him. Berhalter at least is willing to go with youth but still, prefers MLS over European players. Josh Sargents coach at Norwich, an EPL team, said that he heard Sargent didn't get called up because berhalter wants more MLS players on the team. Its important to know, EPL coaches LOVE when their players don't go on international duty. So it wasn't sour grapes, it was said in a happy sort of way.
That being said, this particular team wasn't the worst of the worst. We have A LOT of injuries to specifically our top players.
It was the best of what was available with a couple of exceptions. (my opinion)
So all that being said, there are players who aren't int his squad, who would have been had they not been injured. Gio Reyna, Pulisic, John Brooks,
Players who should never get called up again.
Zardes, Lleget, Roldan, Walker Zimmerman,
Players who I am surprised werent in the squad
Josh Sargent, Matt Miazga, Julian Green (forgotten but I don't think he should be)
My biggest problem with Berhalter, is that he thinks he is smarter than he is. He is a manager who decides he has a brilliant idea that is really unorthodox, and then, when it isn't working, needs to use all of his subs at 45 minutes. Not to mention his preferred style is so conservative and boring, it opens a window for teams we should be dominating.
It ended up being more complicated than it needed to be…I’ve been saying for the past year that Costa Rica has taken a step back, and it really shows. They need to turn the page so badly, but keep trotting out the same old guys. Bryan Ruiz is now the 2nd slowest international player I’ve ever seen (no one will ever pass an aging Cuehtomic Blanco).
Really shaping up well for Mexico/US/Canada. 4th will be a fight (I wouldn’t count out Jamaica, though they all have huge flaws).
Really shaping up well for Mexico/US/Canada. 4th will be a fight (I wouldn’t count out Jamaica, though they all have huge flaws).
Your anti-Berhalter bias is showing when you make a comment like “he prefers MLS over European players”. It’s not remotely true. His meaningful squads are loaded with guys from Europe. Look at who we played in the Nations League final…look at the qualifiers. Tonight, we started 9 Euros and two guys from MLS (and at this point, Pepi is our best option at the 9, and I’d take Miles over any other CB in the pool).
Sarge didn’t get called in because Pepi is in better form right now, and Sarge was next to worthless in the last window, plus he wouldn’t have been able to play in one of the games. Doesn’t matter that Sarge is in the Prem and Pepi is in MLS when one is scoring for both club and country, and the other isn’t.
I'm hoping to see Joe Scally at some point.
A key comment on this team was made by the announcers. We had an average age of 22 last night. 22. Most of them are playing in major leagues in Europe.
Re. Zardes? He's a good goal scorer but also tracks back and picks up his defensive responsibilities. Both him and Zimmerman were good later subs to bring some maturity to the side as they closed out the match.
A key comment on this team was made by the announcers. We had an average age of 22 last night. 22. Most of them are playing in major leagues in Europe.
Re. Zardes? He's a good goal scorer but also tracks back and picks up his defensive responsibilities. Both him and Zimmerman were good later subs to bring some maturity to the side as they closed out the match.
The starting lineup and subs against Panama still baffles me. It was as if Berhalter was playing for a tie. He played more of his MLS players and we looked awful. One example. Walker Zimmerman was not bad but he wss not even called in for the initial roster. Yet he started the first two games and Chris Richards did not play at all even though he was on the initial roster. And why does Arriola keep playinf when he does not look good at all?
Arriola was playing because Reyna and Pulisic were injured. He did look good in the first game of this leg versus Jamaica and was taking the ball away from the back line and being a pest all night. He didn't stop running. McKinnie was banged up so he couldn't play in Panama. Musah had a bad night as did Acosta. I'm assuming he wanted to rest Adams which is silly to me with such a young team. Brooks was injured and you need someone who can win balls in the air at CB....which is why Zimmerman came in late last night to help there. If Brooks were healthy, he probably gets the nod at CB.
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