He already decided to go back to Stanford I thought. He turned down a "good" offer from Seattle. I'll worry if he doesn't turn PRO after this season. He needs make the jump soon
It seems like he has no interest in Seattle right now, but I thought that he played well enough in Toulon that he'd end up with some offers from Europe that would be enticing (as Toulon usually ends up being a "showcase" for a lot of these guys). I'd love to see him head to Scandanavia or Belgium or even a lesser team in the Netherlands or something like that. I just hate the fact that with NCAA rules, he'll be limited to such little practice this year when he could be somewhere developing at a much quicker rate (though it's his life and if he's happy, guess that's what matters).
It seems like he has no interest in Seattle right now, but I thought that he played well enough in Toulon that he'd end up with some offers from Europe that would be enticing (as Toulon usually ends up being a "showcase" for a lot of these guys). I'd love to see him head to Scandanavia or Belgium or even a lesser team in the Netherlands or something like that. I just hate the fact that with NCAA rules, he'll be limited to such little practice this year when he could be somewhere developing at a much quicker rate (though it's his life and if he's happy, guess that's what matters).
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Yeah, this is pretty much the point Doyle makes in regards to NCAA practice restrictions( mls soccer writer). He states we should start to worry if this guy isn't a professional by January 2016
Some random thoughts mostly in response to Tommy's long post #25...
1. To further comment on the US/AUS women's match, I obviously agree that it was our defense that needed to tighten up their marking and stop ball watching, but I'm confident this is something that can be corrected. As for the PSU/South Jersey connection (which for me is mostly non-existent although the lovely people of my adopted home of Florida don't seem to know that Penn is not Penn St), I've always liked both Krieger and Lloyd myself. I thought Krieger made more mistakes than usual, but again, I'm not worried. Lloyd actually has me a bit concerned, however, not because she's doing anything terribly wrong, but I haven't seen her making nearly as much of an impact in recent months as we're accustomed to. That may change on Friday, however. Check out the following the NY Times interview with Pia Sundhage (it was discussed at length on last night's Fox Sports World Cup Tonight show): http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/10/sports/soccer/for-pia-sundhage-swedens-itinerant-coach-its-old-home-week.html?_r=0
Amongst other seemingly out-of-character negative comments she makes about the USWNT, there was this...
“Carli Lloyd was a challenge to coach, by the way,” Sundhage said offhandedly at one point, her fork dangling as she considered Lloyd, who is a top midfielder for the United States. “When she felt that we had faith in her, she could be one of the best players. But if she began to question that faith, she could be one of the worst.”
If you believe in bulletin board material, the USWNT sure has some. The Fox Sports panel basically attributed it to Pia having diarrhea of the mouth during interviews but it definitely took me (and them) by surprise. But I digress...
2. Pretty sure I already told Tommy back channel how much I can't stand DiCicco as an analyst. I warned my wife and it took less than 15 minutes for her to agree with me. In addition to the know-it-all attitude, my other pet peeves are hearing "when I coached Syd" (he uses that line for others, but almost always mentions Leroux), and how he coaches from the commentator booth. During the run of play he'll start calling out who the player with the ball should pass to. Let me watch the damn game!
3. Back to watching the U-20's. It's halftime on my DVR as I type this (I needed coffee). So as not to spoil anything too specifically, very unfortunate incident in the very beginning and I hope it's not as bad as it looked. Beyond that, I thought it was a chippy, but well fought 1H and look forward to seeing how it plays out.
*********U20 Spoilers ahead if you haven't watched the game yet*********************
Another nice step forward for the U20's last night. The Jamieson injury was an awful start (I still haven't seen any update on him, but it looked to me like a broken collarbone or maybe just a separated shoulder). I don't think the dropoff from Jamieson to Jordon Allen is too bad (Allen probably isn't quite as good in the attack and doesn't have quite the same speed/size, but he does seem better at tracking back and with the ball at his feet). But, sucks that we'll move forward without both Jamieson and Tall, as we're becoming pretty thin up front. Here are some of my player thoughts...
Steffen - I'm gaining more and more confidence with him in goal. Even excluding the PK save (which obviously has some luck with him guessing the right way), he had a very solid game. Looks very composed, his distribution was great last night, came off his line when he needed to, etc. I'm thinking that he might have a future with the National team.
Carter-Vickers - I like him more every time that I see him. I said it before, but he's got a really bright future and I could see him starting multiple World Cups for us. He's just so composed for a 17 year old, has the physical tools, stays focused for 90 minutes and doesn't throw in any brain farts, seems to boot it out when he needs to, but keeps control and works it out of the back when there is time, and does a nice job getting forward when the time calls for it (and seems dangerous in the air on set pieces).
Miazga - Another solid game. He doesn't have near the ceiling as CCV, but was under pressure for a lot of the night and didn't seem to make any major mistakes.
Payne and Acosta - Not a big fan of either of them. That Acosta penalty was inexcusable, whether he actually fouled him or not, you can't be wrestling with a guy in the box like that. I don't think that either of them are great defenders, and also don't think that either offers a whole lot in the attack. Payne was better than Acosta, and I'm not sure what we'll do with the back line with Acosta out on Sunday (Shaq Moore looked fine in prior games and seems to be a good option , but not sure if either he or Payne can shift over to the left so that we can get both of them on the field)
Delgado - Disappointed in him last night, he seemed to get dominated in the midfield (albeit by some pretty good midfielders)
Hyndman - Another guy that impresses me every time out. Seems like a real "box to box" midfielder that gets back when we need it, and can attack when needed. Does a good job relieving pressure and controlling the ball when he's got some space. Some of his free kicks seem to leave something to be desired, but I guess Ramos has faith in him because he keeps taking them.
Arriola - He's been the biggest surprise to me in this tourney. I really like his game, and think he'll make an impact at the USMNT level some day. Tons of speed, willing to take guys on 1v1, does a good job getting back, and never seems to give up on a ball. The announcers also commented on this, but he seems to win way more balls in the air than would be expected for someone his size. I just love the way he plays.
Zelalem - Continues to show flashes of greatness, along with flashes of being very young/inexperienced and trying to make more difficult passes/plays than needed.
Rubin - Awesome. I have trouble figuring out the right comparison for his game from prior USMNT players. I think the closest comparison is like a Brian McBride (though if the chips fall right, he'll be much better than McBride). That finish was world class, but he also did a great job all night and kept possession even when he'd get it all alone up top and needed to control it and wait for options. He's good both facing goal and with his back to goal, good both doing things himself and distribution, good in the air and on the ground. I see him playing minutes in the Gold Cup this summer, and even though he'll only be 20, he should be starting in the Olympics next summer.
I figured you'd have an extensive write-up so I took the lazy way out and just waited for you to post it.
As usual, I don't have much to add and don't really disagree with anything either.
Not to take anything away from anyone else (Rubin's goal was a world-class strike off a ball he had maybe one second to prepare for, Arriola was excellent, Zelalem showed more flashes, Hyndman was quiet by his standards IMO but still solid, etc.), but the CB's and Steffen probably stood out to me the most in this one.
I've only heard that Jamieson was taken to the hospital but collarbone was my guess.
As much as I agree with your assessment of Acosta, they're obviously better off with as many options as possible, but shit happens so we'll just have to see how Ramos deals with his absence. I don't know this team well enough to know/guess who can play on which side.
United States preliminary roster for the CONCACAF Gold Cup
Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake), William Yarbrough (Club Le?n)
Defenders: Ventura Alvarado (Club Am?rica), DaMarcus Beasley (Houston Dynamo), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders), Greg Garza (Club Tijuana), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Michael Orozco (Pubela), Tim Ream (Bolton Wanderers), Brek Shea (Orlando City), DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham Hotspur)
Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (New York City FC), Fabian Johnson (Borussia M?nchengladbach), Perry Kitchen (D.C. United), Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt), Lee Nguyen (New England Revolution), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
Forwards: Juan Agudelo (New England Revolution), Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders), Alan Gordon (LA Galaxy), Aron J?hannsson (AZ), Jordan Morris (Stanford University), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
didn't get see the game, and forgot to DVR it. Pretty impressive 5 days for the USMNT.
Just read a review of the game. The writer said that Bradley was probably the best player on the field (that includes Germany). Also said that the Mix goal with the build up was one of the best in USMNT history ( 30 straight passes before the goal, is that right?)
As for the list some quick thoughts
-Why isn't Zelalem on the roster, doesn't he need to get cap tied to us. Plus I thought JK said months ago he would step right in to the senior team once FIFA approved him playing for the USA.
-Guess Feilhaber's national team days are over. Choosing Nguyen over him is pretty much the writing on the wall.
-Alan Gordon is interesting to say the least.
-Where is Bobby Wood ( I know he needs to find a team so that could be a reason)
-Beasley? I thought he retired from the USMNT.
Also read that you can change your roster after the group stages of the Gold Cup, which I forgot about. That does open the door for Jones to enter the team at a later stage if healthy.
To answer a few of your questions braves, based on what I read or heard...
- The exclusion of Wood was indeed so he can find a team.
- I think Williams was supposedly left off to finish fully recovering from whatever his most recent injury was.
- Beasley did declare his retirement from international play after the WC but supposedly came to JK and told him he was available if needed.
- You can only add players after the group stage from that preliminary list of 35 I posted above (so no Jones).
- While Zelalem still isn't cap-tied, I don't really think JK is worried about it and doesn't see him as quite ready yet despite past comments.
Bradley had a great game and the build up to Mix's goal was something special (as was Bradley's final pass and the finish) but I can't confirm there were 30 passes involved. USSoccer.com should have the highlights up on their site and YouTube by tomorrow. They have the goals right now but usually add full highlights later. Sorry you missed it. The US was actually dominated for the first 35 minutes or so (I think Germany had about 62% possession) then it was like they flipped a switch.
To answer a few of your questions braves, based on what I read or heard...
- The exclusion of Wood was indeed so he can find a team.
- I think Williams was supposedly left off to finish fully recovering from whatever his most recent injury was.
- Beasley did declare his retirement from international play after the WC but supposedly came to JK and told him he was available if needed.
- You can only add players after the group stage from that preliminary list of 35 I posted above (so no Jones).
- While Zelalem still isn't cap-tied, I don't really think JK is worried about it and doesn't see him as quite ready yet despite past comments.
Bradley had a great game and the build up to Mix's goal was something special (as was Bradley's final pass and the finish) but I can't confirm there were 30 passes involved. USSoccer.com should have the highlights up on their site and YouTube by tomorrow. They have the goals right now but usually add full highlights later. Sorry you missed it. The US was actually dominated for the first 35 minutes or so (I think Germany had about 62% possession) then it was like they flipped a switch.
Thanks, didn't realize it had to be off the 35. Hope Jones recovers. I like watching him in the MLS
I like Beasley. I think he is a really smart player, and you can trust him for the most part. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it seems to me that JK is saying he doesn't trust Chandler yet.
Do you guys think Zelalem will have a role with the u23 in qualifying and the Olympics ( if we make it)
Do you guys think Zelalem will have a role with the u23 in qualifying and the Olympics ( if we make it)
Qualifying, probably not. Olympics, quite possible. As for qualifying, it's not something that club teams need to release their players for, so I'd be surprised if anyone from Europe comes over for it. However, should we make the Olympics, I'd think that while still young, Zelalem would still be one of top 20 guys to take there (along with the 3 overage players).
Mali just knocked off Germany in PKs to advance to the semis. If we can get by Serbia tonight, we'd face a Mali squad coming off a 120 minute battle with the tournament favorite. (and I guess if we can't, at least my future on Serbia is looking better)
Tough loss for the US. They played hard. Defense remained solid and Steffen continued to impress me. Sure they didn't generate much offense but given how shorthanded they were and Serbia's defense (which seemed pretty stout, I've only seen the US matches so never saw them before), I'm not gonna complain too much. Also not going to nitpick PK's. Obviously a couple were terrible and Steffen could have had the one that got under him but it is what it is.
Not too many thoughts on the US Women. Terrible first touch in the offensive third, lack of creativity in the attack, poor finishing, etc. As long as we can beat Nigeria, it'll be a blip on the radar and won't really matter, but still some obvious concerns. Based on my projections, I think we'll end up with Columbia in the round of 16.
Goats kinda summed it up for me on the U20s. It was an admirable effort considering how shorthanded we were. The fact that Tab only used 1 sub in 120 minutes shows you how short the bench was. Zelalem had a horrible game, and Hyndman has the worst game that I've ever seen him play. I'm developing a man-crush on Carter-Vickers, he could be paired with Brooks anchoring our back line for a few cycles if all of the chips fall right (just have to hope that CCV never has to take another PK). Steffen also appears to me to be the best of the bunch of our young GKs (and I'm including Hamid/Johnson as well). He likely won't see any playing time in important games this cycle, but could easily be our starter for the 2022 cycle. And yet again, I was impressed with Arriola. I was shocked the Rubin missed his PK (well, maybe not just that he missed it, but how poor it was), but he ran his ass off for 120 minutes with very little support up top. Could have been a totally different game with just one of Tall, Allen, or Jamieson up there helping him (don't think that Tommy Thompson played all that well, plus he was playing a lot deeper than I've seen any of those other 3 play). I certainly feel better about this group of players coming out of the tourney (and see a lot more pieces than I saw on the squad that I saw in 2013), as there are several guys here (Hyndman, Rubin, CCV, Steffan, Arriola, and Zelalem) that should have an impact on the USMNT for a long time.
Not too many thoughts on the US Women. Terrible first touch in the offensive third, lack of creativity in the attack, poor finishing, etc. As long as we can beat Nigeria, it'll be a blip on the radar and won't really matter, but still some obvious concerns.
One of my biggest concerns at the moment is how little Lloyd and Holiday have contributed and it hasn't just been the two WC games. I've kind of felt this way for a while now. I know Holiday (or at least one of them at all times) is being used out of position since we don't have a suitable DM to start, but that's not enough of an excuse for them both to be so much less involved in the attack than they historically have been. Running the offense through Rapinoe and the outside backs (who are running their asses off, especially Krieger last game) is fine, but at some point your CM's have to play a role.
All that said, I'm not benching either of them and I don't have a strong opinion as to what the answer is. The most common suggestion I'm seeing is to start an actual winger at RM instead of an out of position Press or Brian. That would have to be HAO or Heath and Ellis hasn't given HAO minutes in forever so I don't see that happening. Ellis clearly has her favorites and seems to prefer playing them out of position rather than benching them. I've mostly been fine with Press playing there out of position leading up to the WC and I think the call to play her at forward or not at all is overblown, but I'd also be OK giving Heath a shot. Nothing against HAO, I'd just be shocked to suddenly see her given a start based on Ellis' preferences over the past year.
Looking increasingly likely that the women will be meeting up with Columbia in the round of 16 (Only other possibility now is Costa Rico, and that would take several things happening with tonight's game). Anyways, I mention it now because the Columbia GK just picked up her 2nd yellow card of the group stage in the 85th minute, and will be suspended for their next game. I mentioned it in my soccer picks thread, but it looks like we'll have Columbia and then China on our road to the semis, while Germany will have Sweden and France. Certainly a nice break for us.
Not the same thing of course since the women were just about favored going in and will be large favorites in the next two, but I'm having flashbacks to South Africa and the seemingly winnable path to the semis the men had.
That said, this really should be about the easiest path to the semis the women will ever see.
As for the U.S. Women , just no creativity centrally in the midfield,( basically what goats said)they need a Mike Bradley type player
Unfortunately, they really don't have one. They finally seemed to go back to having Lloyd play the more defensive role and Holiday higher up vs. Nigeria (which is how they were used in the 2012 Olympics) and I think that helped some (lesser of two evils at least). I never really understood why they had switched. I guess Ellis just had a different opinion and hasn't struck me as too eager to make changes (last game notwithstanding when she benched Press for like the first time ever to give Heath a shot and then decided to go to the weirdest lineup of players playing out of position late in the game I have ever seen).
The good news is she now has several days and an inferior opponent to re-assess things (and Morgan gets more time to rest/recover).
EDIT: I was watching Fox's World Cup Tonight on DVR as I was posting and just heard DiCicco say "Ellis feels Holiday is their best #10" which leaves me even more confused.
As for Besler, Carlisle wrote this last week on ESPN when talking about the potential roster..."The loose roster rules -- up to six players (from the original 35-man roster) can be added after the group stage -- mean that the bubble is a bit larger than it is normally. For that reason, I think you might see some of the MLS players like Besler and Gonzalez left with their clubs to start the tournament."
I'm not sure what to take from the roster, since those 6 additions (if we use them all) could really change things heading into the Knockout Stage. I'd think we want our strongest 23 playing when it matters, so maybe a few of these guys made the cut for now, but will head back to their clubs at crunch time.
If you’ve ever criticized Jurgen Klinsmann or his USMNT, you don’t understand soccer
Andy Edwards Sep 3, 2015, 4:20 PM EDT
32 Comments
Jurgen Klinsmann, USMNT
Jurgen Klinsmann, USMNT
That was a fun headline to write, probably because saying something so outlandish as the above must have given this writer the briefest glimpse of what it must feel like to wake up and get to be Jurgen Klinsmann, a man eternally above criticism and accountability, every single day.
[ FOLLOW: All of PST’s USMNT coverage ]
Yes, US national team fans’ longest-running nightmare — Klinsmann himself, that is — is at it again. Speaking ahead of the USMNT’s final set of friendlies before their massive CONCACAF Cup playoff against Mexico on Oct. 10, Klinsmann had a few things to say about his side’s fourth-place finish at the 2015 Gold and the ensuing criticisms lobbed Klinsmann’s way (examples of criticism found HERE, HERE and HERE):
“[The semifinal loss to Jamaica] was definitely our best game, [but] there were these [officiating] calls. Everybody was saying, ‘Yeah, that’s true, it’s crazy.’ Three days later, it was a loss against Jamaica, two mistakes on two set pieces, and suddenly it was bad coaching. People see the result and they think, ‘That must have been really bad.’ ”
Criticisms of the USMNT’s performance at this summer’s Gold Cup began long before they bowed out to Jamaica in the semifinals (HERE, HERE and HERE), so let’s get that out of the way first and foremost. It doesn’t take a great deal of intelligence to look at the final score and get all up in arms over a defeat. You can lose while playing well — as they did against Jamaica — just as you can obtain positive results while playing poorly — as they did in three of four games before the Jamaica defeat.
We don’t, however, hear Klinsmann pointing to the constructive conversations so many attempted to engage in during the tournament’s early stages as a sign of understanding the game and attempting to push it forward. Instead, Klinsmann insisted day after day in July that his side was playing well and coming along quickly, despite every evidence to the contrary, simply because they were winning. But, that sounds like what Klinsmann just criticized everyone else for doing, is it not? Is Klinsmann a hypocrite, or increasingly desperate for excuses?
[ RELATED: Previewing USA vs. Peru | How will the USMNT line up vs. Peru? ]
Would it be unfair to ask Klinsmann why he’s failed to deliver on a number of his promises and objectives when he took the job in 2011? For instance, why does the USMNT still play a reactive style of soccer when he promised a progressive, possession-based style? Why is his team’s fitness, so long the USMNT program’s calling card, suddenly an issue under his guidance? Why, with a larger player pool (his own doing, admittedly), more power as head coach and technical director and a huge investment of money, has the program plateaued on the accomplishments of his predecessors, and in some instances, regressed?
These are issues we would love to talk about, for Klinsmann to impart his infinite knowledge upon us, if only he would accept them as legitimate queries.
“It’s a good thing you have so much comments and opinions because it shows you that a lot more people care. They care about the game, they care about the national team. They care about saying their opinion. Do they understand really what happened in the Gold Cup? Some of them absolutely do and a lot of people don’t. I take it, it’s not a big deal. But it also explains we have a long way to go to educate people on the game of soccer still in this country.”
Also apparently too dumb to understand soccer: Bayern Munich fans, who wanted Klinsmann out halfway through his first (and only) season in charge; Phillip Lahm, a World Cup winner, a UEFA Champions League winner, a seven-time Bundesliga winner and the harshest critic to date of Klinsmann’s coaching abilities; and an entire team’s worth of current and/or former USMNT players.
“I am having fun being measured by every game and judged by every game.”
Except in his mind, his work, no matter the results — the program’s worst Gold Cup finish in 12 years be damned — Klinsmann remains above judgment and criticism as he shuns responsibility and blame, scapegoating anyone and everyone around him. In his 48 months in charge of the USMNT, the following groups or individuals have been at fault for his side’s shortcomings at various times: American soccer’s youth development setup, his own players, Major League Soccer, referees, and now, the fans.
Complete list of people not once responsible for the USMNT’s shortcomings over the past 48 months: Jurgen Klinsmann.
Thanks for the article, certainly an interesting one. Talking to another Penn State football/US Soccer fan a few weeks ago, I compared him to James Franklin (Penn State's coach) in that he seems to be a fantastic "recruiter", but I'm still not sure if he's a great tactical coach when it comes to making adjustments and putting guys in the right position. I stick with him because he's raising the talent level through his ability to lock down all of these dual nationals, but I do question a lot of his decisions.
Comments
It seems like he has no interest in Seattle right now, but I thought that he played well enough in Toulon that he'd end up with some offers from Europe that would be enticing (as Toulon usually ends up being a "showcase" for a lot of these guys). I'd love to see him head to Scandanavia or Belgium or even a lesser team in the Netherlands or something like that. I just hate the fact that with NCAA rules, he'll be limited to such little practice this year when he could be somewhere developing at a much quicker rate (though it's his life and if he's happy, guess that's what matters).
Yeah, this is pretty much the point Doyle makes in regards to NCAA practice restrictions( mls soccer writer). He states we should start to worry if this guy isn't a professional by January 2016
1. To further comment on the US/AUS women's match, I obviously agree that it was our defense that needed to tighten up their marking and stop ball watching, but I'm confident this is something that can be corrected. As for the PSU/South Jersey connection (which for me is mostly non-existent although the lovely people of my adopted home of Florida don't seem to know that Penn is not Penn St), I've always liked both Krieger and Lloyd myself. I thought Krieger made more mistakes than usual, but again, I'm not worried. Lloyd actually has me a bit concerned, however, not because she's doing anything terribly wrong, but I haven't seen her making nearly as much of an impact in recent months as we're accustomed to. That may change on Friday, however. Check out the following the NY Times interview with Pia Sundhage (it was discussed at length on last night's Fox Sports World Cup Tonight show): http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/10/sports/soccer/for-pia-sundhage-swedens-itinerant-coach-its-old-home-week.html?_r=0
Amongst other seemingly out-of-character negative comments she makes about the USWNT, there was this...
“Carli Lloyd was a challenge to coach, by the way,” Sundhage said offhandedly at one point, her fork dangling as she considered Lloyd, who is a top midfielder for the United States. “When she felt that we had faith in her, she could be one of the best players. But if she began to question that faith, she could be one of the worst.”
If you believe in bulletin board material, the USWNT sure has some. The Fox Sports panel basically attributed it to Pia having diarrhea of the mouth during interviews but it definitely took me (and them) by surprise. But I digress...
2. Pretty sure I already told Tommy back channel how much I can't stand DiCicco as an analyst. I warned my wife and it took less than 15 minutes for her to agree with me. In addition to the know-it-all attitude, my other pet peeves are hearing "when I coached Syd" (he uses that line for others, but almost always mentions Leroux), and how he coaches from the commentator booth. During the run of play he'll start calling out who the player with the ball should pass to. Let me watch the damn game!
3. Back to watching the U-20's. It's halftime on my DVR as I type this (I needed coffee). So as not to spoil anything too specifically, very unfortunate incident in the very beginning and I hope it's not as bad as it looked. Beyond that, I thought it was a chippy, but well fought 1H and look forward to seeing how it plays out.
*********U20 Spoilers ahead if you haven't watched the game yet*********************
Another nice step forward for the U20's last night. The Jamieson injury was an awful start (I still haven't seen any update on him, but it looked to me like a broken collarbone or maybe just a separated shoulder). I don't think the dropoff from Jamieson to Jordon Allen is too bad (Allen probably isn't quite as good in the attack and doesn't have quite the same speed/size, but he does seem better at tracking back and with the ball at his feet). But, sucks that we'll move forward without both Jamieson and Tall, as we're becoming pretty thin up front. Here are some of my player thoughts...
Steffen - I'm gaining more and more confidence with him in goal. Even excluding the PK save (which obviously has some luck with him guessing the right way), he had a very solid game. Looks very composed, his distribution was great last night, came off his line when he needed to, etc. I'm thinking that he might have a future with the National team.
Carter-Vickers - I like him more every time that I see him. I said it before, but he's got a really bright future and I could see him starting multiple World Cups for us. He's just so composed for a 17 year old, has the physical tools, stays focused for 90 minutes and doesn't throw in any brain farts, seems to boot it out when he needs to, but keeps control and works it out of the back when there is time, and does a nice job getting forward when the time calls for it (and seems dangerous in the air on set pieces).
Miazga - Another solid game. He doesn't have near the ceiling as CCV, but was under pressure for a lot of the night and didn't seem to make any major mistakes.
Payne and Acosta - Not a big fan of either of them. That Acosta penalty was inexcusable, whether he actually fouled him or not, you can't be wrestling with a guy in the box like that. I don't think that either of them are great defenders, and also don't think that either offers a whole lot in the attack. Payne was better than Acosta, and I'm not sure what we'll do with the back line with Acosta out on Sunday (Shaq Moore looked fine in prior games and seems to be a good option , but not sure if either he or Payne can shift over to the left so that we can get both of them on the field)
Delgado - Disappointed in him last night, he seemed to get dominated in the midfield (albeit by some pretty good midfielders)
Hyndman - Another guy that impresses me every time out. Seems like a real "box to box" midfielder that gets back when we need it, and can attack when needed. Does a good job relieving pressure and controlling the ball when he's got some space. Some of his free kicks seem to leave something to be desired, but I guess Ramos has faith in him because he keeps taking them.
Arriola - He's been the biggest surprise to me in this tourney. I really like his game, and think he'll make an impact at the USMNT level some day. Tons of speed, willing to take guys on 1v1, does a good job getting back, and never seems to give up on a ball. The announcers also commented on this, but he seems to win way more balls in the air than would be expected for someone his size. I just love the way he plays.
Zelalem - Continues to show flashes of greatness, along with flashes of being very young/inexperienced and trying to make more difficult passes/plays than needed.
Rubin - Awesome. I have trouble figuring out the right comparison for his game from prior USMNT players. I think the closest comparison is like a Brian McBride (though if the chips fall right, he'll be much better than McBride). That finish was world class, but he also did a great job all night and kept possession even when he'd get it all alone up top and needed to control it and wait for options. He's good both facing goal and with his back to goal, good both doing things himself and distribution, good in the air and on the ground. I see him playing minutes in the Gold Cup this summer, and even though he'll only be 20, he should be starting in the Olympics next summer.
As usual, I don't have much to add and don't really disagree with anything either.
Not to take anything away from anyone else (Rubin's goal was a world-class strike off a ball he had maybe one second to prepare for, Arriola was excellent, Zelalem showed more flashes, Hyndman was quiet by his standards IMO but still solid, etc.), but the CB's and Steffen probably stood out to me the most in this one.
I've only heard that Jamieson was taken to the hospital but collarbone was my guess.
As much as I agree with your assessment of Acosta, they're obviously better off with as many options as possible, but shit happens so we'll just have to see how Ramos deals with his absence. I don't know this team well enough to know/guess who can play on which side.
Johnson finally returns to left back! :clapup:
Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake), William Yarbrough (Club Le?n)
Defenders: Ventura Alvarado (Club Am?rica), DaMarcus Beasley (Houston Dynamo), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders), Greg Garza (Club Tijuana), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Michael Orozco (Pubela), Tim Ream (Bolton Wanderers), Brek Shea (Orlando City), DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham Hotspur)
Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (New York City FC), Fabian Johnson (Borussia M?nchengladbach), Perry Kitchen (D.C. United), Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt), Lee Nguyen (New England Revolution), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
Forwards: Juan Agudelo (New England Revolution), Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders), Alan Gordon (LA Galaxy), Aron J?hannsson (AZ), Jordan Morris (Stanford University), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
didn't get see the game, and forgot to DVR it. Pretty impressive 5 days for the USMNT.
Just read a review of the game. The writer said that Bradley was probably the best player on the field (that includes Germany). Also said that the Mix goal with the build up was one of the best in USMNT history ( 30 straight passes before the goal, is that right?)
As for the list some quick thoughts
-Why isn't Zelalem on the roster, doesn't he need to get cap tied to us. Plus I thought JK said months ago he would step right in to the senior team once FIFA approved him playing for the USA.
-Guess Feilhaber's national team days are over. Choosing Nguyen over him is pretty much the writing on the wall.
-Alan Gordon is interesting to say the least.
-Where is Bobby Wood ( I know he needs to find a team so that could be a reason)
-Beasley? I thought he retired from the USMNT.
Also read that you can change your roster after the group stages of the Gold Cup, which I forgot about. That does open the door for Jones to enter the team at a later stage if healthy.
- The exclusion of Wood was indeed so he can find a team.
- I think Williams was supposedly left off to finish fully recovering from whatever his most recent injury was.
- Beasley did declare his retirement from international play after the WC but supposedly came to JK and told him he was available if needed.
- You can only add players after the group stage from that preliminary list of 35 I posted above (so no Jones).
- While Zelalem still isn't cap-tied, I don't really think JK is worried about it and doesn't see him as quite ready yet despite past comments.
Bradley had a great game and the build up to Mix's goal was something special (as was Bradley's final pass and the finish) but I can't confirm there were 30 passes involved. USSoccer.com should have the highlights up on their site and YouTube by tomorrow. They have the goals right now but usually add full highlights later. Sorry you missed it. The US was actually dominated for the first 35 minutes or so (I think Germany had about 62% possession) then it was like they flipped a switch.
Thanks, didn't realize it had to be off the 35. Hope Jones recovers. I like watching him in the MLS
I like Beasley. I think he is a really smart player, and you can trust him for the most part. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it seems to me that JK is saying he doesn't trust Chandler yet.
Do you guys think Zelalem will have a role with the u23 in qualifying and the Olympics ( if we make it)
Qualifying, probably not. Olympics, quite possible. As for qualifying, it's not something that club teams need to release their players for, so I'd be surprised if anyone from Europe comes over for it. However, should we make the Olympics, I'd think that while still young, Zelalem would still be one of top 20 guys to take there (along with the 3 overage players).
Goats kinda summed it up for me on the U20s. It was an admirable effort considering how shorthanded we were. The fact that Tab only used 1 sub in 120 minutes shows you how short the bench was. Zelalem had a horrible game, and Hyndman has the worst game that I've ever seen him play. I'm developing a man-crush on Carter-Vickers, he could be paired with Brooks anchoring our back line for a few cycles if all of the chips fall right (just have to hope that CCV never has to take another PK). Steffen also appears to me to be the best of the bunch of our young GKs (and I'm including Hamid/Johnson as well). He likely won't see any playing time in important games this cycle, but could easily be our starter for the 2022 cycle. And yet again, I was impressed with Arriola. I was shocked the Rubin missed his PK (well, maybe not just that he missed it, but how poor it was), but he ran his ass off for 120 minutes with very little support up top. Could have been a totally different game with just one of Tall, Allen, or Jamieson up there helping him (don't think that Tommy Thompson played all that well, plus he was playing a lot deeper than I've seen any of those other 3 play). I certainly feel better about this group of players coming out of the tourney (and see a lot more pieces than I saw on the squad that I saw in 2013), as there are several guys here (Hyndman, Rubin, CCV, Steffan, Arriola, and Zelalem) that should have an impact on the USMNT for a long time.
One of my biggest concerns at the moment is how little Lloyd and Holiday have contributed and it hasn't just been the two WC games. I've kind of felt this way for a while now. I know Holiday (or at least one of them at all times) is being used out of position since we don't have a suitable DM to start, but that's not enough of an excuse for them both to be so much less involved in the attack than they historically have been. Running the offense through Rapinoe and the outside backs (who are running their asses off, especially Krieger last game) is fine, but at some point your CM's have to play a role.
All that said, I'm not benching either of them and I don't have a strong opinion as to what the answer is. The most common suggestion I'm seeing is to start an actual winger at RM instead of an out of position Press or Brian. That would have to be HAO or Heath and Ellis hasn't given HAO minutes in forever so I don't see that happening. Ellis clearly has her favorites and seems to prefer playing them out of position rather than benching them. I've mostly been fine with Press playing there out of position leading up to the WC and I think the call to play her at forward or not at all is overblown, but I'd also be OK giving Heath a shot. Nothing against HAO, I'd just be shocked to suddenly see her given a start based on Ellis' preferences over the past year.
Not the same thing of course since the women were just about favored going in and will be large favorites in the next two, but I'm having flashbacks to South Africa and the seemingly winnable path to the semis the men had.
That said, this really should be about the easiest path to the semis the women will ever see.
As for the U.S. Women , just no creativity centrally in the midfield,( basically what goats said)they need a Mike Bradley type player
Unfortunately, they really don't have one. They finally seemed to go back to having Lloyd play the more defensive role and Holiday higher up vs. Nigeria (which is how they were used in the 2012 Olympics) and I think that helped some (lesser of two evils at least). I never really understood why they had switched. I guess Ellis just had a different opinion and hasn't struck me as too eager to make changes (last game notwithstanding when she benched Press for like the first time ever to give Heath a shot and then decided to go to the weirdest lineup of players playing out of position late in the game I have ever seen).
The good news is she now has several days and an inferior opponent to re-assess things (and Morgan gets more time to rest/recover).
EDIT: I was watching Fox's World Cup Tonight on DVR as I was posting and just heard DiCicco say "Ellis feels Holiday is their best #10" which leaves me even more confused.
Dempsey suspended just 3 MLS games. He is available for Gold Cup
Goalkeepers (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake), William Yarbrough (Club Leon)
Defenders (7): Ventura Alvarado (Club America), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Tim Ream (Bolton Wanderers)
Midfielders (9): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (New York City FC), Alfredo Morales (FC Ingolstadt), DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham Hotspur), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
Forwards (4): Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
Davis is a surprise addition , but it was also a surprise when he was on the roster last year
Morris also not being on the roster is a little surprising
I'm not sure what to take from the roster, since those 6 additions (if we use them all) could really change things heading into the Knockout Stage. I'd think we want our strongest 23 playing when it matters, so maybe a few of these guys made the cut for now, but will head back to their clubs at crunch time.
If you’ve ever criticized Jurgen Klinsmann or his USMNT, you don’t understand soccer
Andy Edwards Sep 3, 2015, 4:20 PM EDT
32 Comments
Jurgen Klinsmann, USMNT
Jurgen Klinsmann, USMNT
That was a fun headline to write, probably because saying something so outlandish as the above must have given this writer the briefest glimpse of what it must feel like to wake up and get to be Jurgen Klinsmann, a man eternally above criticism and accountability, every single day.
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Yes, US national team fans’ longest-running nightmare — Klinsmann himself, that is — is at it again. Speaking ahead of the USMNT’s final set of friendlies before their massive CONCACAF Cup playoff against Mexico on Oct. 10, Klinsmann had a few things to say about his side’s fourth-place finish at the 2015 Gold and the ensuing criticisms lobbed Klinsmann’s way (examples of criticism found HERE, HERE and HERE):
“[The semifinal loss to Jamaica] was definitely our best game, [but] there were these [officiating] calls. Everybody was saying, ‘Yeah, that’s true, it’s crazy.’ Three days later, it was a loss against Jamaica, two mistakes on two set pieces, and suddenly it was bad coaching. People see the result and they think, ‘That must have been really bad.’ ”
Criticisms of the USMNT’s performance at this summer’s Gold Cup began long before they bowed out to Jamaica in the semifinals (HERE, HERE and HERE), so let’s get that out of the way first and foremost. It doesn’t take a great deal of intelligence to look at the final score and get all up in arms over a defeat. You can lose while playing well — as they did against Jamaica — just as you can obtain positive results while playing poorly — as they did in three of four games before the Jamaica defeat.
We don’t, however, hear Klinsmann pointing to the constructive conversations so many attempted to engage in during the tournament’s early stages as a sign of understanding the game and attempting to push it forward. Instead, Klinsmann insisted day after day in July that his side was playing well and coming along quickly, despite every evidence to the contrary, simply because they were winning. But, that sounds like what Klinsmann just criticized everyone else for doing, is it not? Is Klinsmann a hypocrite, or increasingly desperate for excuses?
[ RELATED: Previewing USA vs. Peru | How will the USMNT line up vs. Peru? ]
Would it be unfair to ask Klinsmann why he’s failed to deliver on a number of his promises and objectives when he took the job in 2011? For instance, why does the USMNT still play a reactive style of soccer when he promised a progressive, possession-based style? Why is his team’s fitness, so long the USMNT program’s calling card, suddenly an issue under his guidance? Why, with a larger player pool (his own doing, admittedly), more power as head coach and technical director and a huge investment of money, has the program plateaued on the accomplishments of his predecessors, and in some instances, regressed?
These are issues we would love to talk about, for Klinsmann to impart his infinite knowledge upon us, if only he would accept them as legitimate queries.
“It’s a good thing you have so much comments and opinions because it shows you that a lot more people care. They care about the game, they care about the national team. They care about saying their opinion. Do they understand really what happened in the Gold Cup? Some of them absolutely do and a lot of people don’t. I take it, it’s not a big deal. But it also explains we have a long way to go to educate people on the game of soccer still in this country.”
Also apparently too dumb to understand soccer: Bayern Munich fans, who wanted Klinsmann out halfway through his first (and only) season in charge; Phillip Lahm, a World Cup winner, a UEFA Champions League winner, a seven-time Bundesliga winner and the harshest critic to date of Klinsmann’s coaching abilities; and an entire team’s worth of current and/or former USMNT players.
“I am having fun being measured by every game and judged by every game.”
Except in his mind, his work, no matter the results — the program’s worst Gold Cup finish in 12 years be damned — Klinsmann remains above judgment and criticism as he shuns responsibility and blame, scapegoating anyone and everyone around him. In his 48 months in charge of the USMNT, the following groups or individuals have been at fault for his side’s shortcomings at various times: American soccer’s youth development setup, his own players, Major League Soccer, referees, and now, the fans.
Complete list of people not once responsible for the USMNT’s shortcomings over the past 48 months: Jurgen Klinsmann.
http://grantland.com/features/jordan-morris-soccer-usmnt-stanford-cardinal-jurgen-klinsmann/