US Mens Soccer

[JSeahawks]

Darlington Nagbe called up to the National team. Pretty cool. I like watching him play.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2015/11/0 ... d-now-what

[youtube]2naoSiNRQ1w[/youtube]

 

[Uncle Si]

Darlington Nagbe called up to the National team. Pretty cool. I like watching him play.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2015/11/0 ... d-now-what

Type of player I feel they need.. pacey attacking winger that can stretch the width.

One day we will get away from target strikers and narrow play

 

[Sgt. Largent]

No Clint, but not surprising..........if we can't beat St. Vincent & the Grenadines without him then Jurgen has bigger problems.

I love seeing Jordan Morris on the roster, hopefully he'll sign with the Sounders soon. Been some rumors he might go back to Stanford for his senior year, but also rumors he might finally accept the Sounders offer.

http://www.sounderatheart.com/2015/11/5 ... ers-update

 

[Uncle Si]

We can hope that Ngabe and even Morris are the types of players Klinmann starts relying on. Clint's days should be numbered, and even that's a stretch.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

We can hope that Ngabe and even Morris are the types of players Klinmann starts relying on. Clint's days should be numbered, and even that's a stretch.

I think deep down Jurgen would LOVE to start moving away from the older players like Clint (at least in the starting 11), but he's just too damn productive.

Jurgen knows if he's ever going to take the next step with the US Soccer program it'll be predicated on the potential of his younger players maturing and producing. What does "take the next step mean?" Idk, good question.

 

[Uncle Si]

We can hope that Ngabe and even Morris are the types of players Klinmann starts relying on. Clint's days should be numbered, and even that's a stretch.

I think deep down Jurgen would LOVE to start moving away from the older players like Clint (at least in the starting 11), but he's just too damn productive.

Jurgen knows if he's ever going to take the next step with the US Soccer program it'll be predicated on the potential of his younger players maturing and producing. What does "take the next step mean?" Idk, good question.

Taking the next step would mean having dynamic, pacey players like Ngabe on your squad making meaningful impacts. I don't see Dempsey offering that much anymore, not the USMNT, atleast not through the next World Cup

 

[knownone]

Dempsey and Howard are entering the twilight years, Donovan is retired... This is gonna be a tough cycle.

As much as I like Altidore, Johannsson, Nagbe and Zardes, none of them can lead an attack. We don't have a single proven goal scorer in the pool, other than Dempsey.

 

[Uncle Si]

Agreed.... But Bobby wood and Jordan Morris have shown they can score goals. They need time on the field.

 

[Smurf]

Really like that Dempsey was left off.

I agree that its a tough cycle to go through with our player pool (I won't go into who is to blame for that) and tactical set up. I agree with Si, we are far to narrow of a team, and we lack team speed.

I feel that we have an up swing of players on the way, its just a matter if JK will ever get to field them. He has to win with what he has now, and with back to back failures (Gold Cup, CONCACAF Cup) I'm not sure he can afford to squeak by in qualifying.

I want to see more of Morris, Wood, Hyndman, Palmer-Brown and less of Jermaine Jones, Clint Dempsey and Kyle Beckerman.

There is youth in the program, we need to incorporate it at a better pace. We also need our youth getting club games. Going to big clubs means little if you can't see the field. I'm looking at your Julian Green.

 

[SeatownJay]

Klinsmann has named 26 players to the squad for the WC qualifiers against Guatemala.

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION (Club; WCQ Caps/Goals)
GOALKEEPERS (4): David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes; 0/0), Brad Guzan (Aston Villa; 9/0), Tim Howard (Everton FC; 30/0), William Yarbrough (Club Leon; 0/0)
DEFENDERS (9): Ventura Alvarado (Club America; 0/0), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City; 8/0), Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United; 0/0), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin; 0/0), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City; 15/1), Edgar Castillo (Monterrey; 4/0), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca; 8/0), Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana; 4/1), DeAndre Yedlin (Sunderland; 0/0)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake; 6/0), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes FC; 3/0), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC; 26/5), Mix Diskerud (New York City FC; 3/0), Ethan Finlay (Columbus Crew SC; 0/0), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Monchengladbach; 11/1), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers FC; 2/0), Lee Nguyen (New England Revolution; 0/0)
FORWARDS (5): Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC; 28/12), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC; 34/13), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes; 0/0), Bobby Wood (Union Berlin; 2/1), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy; 2/1)

 

[Uncle Si]

One good CM... what is it with this country that we've yet to develop a creative central player.

Morris, Acosta and Cropper should be on this squad. I understand that with the 23s they will start. But you have to imagine they will miss out on the Copa America as well. Shame

 

[SeatownJay]

The U-23s have a 1-0 lead over Colombia at halftime of the first leg of their Olympic qualifier.

 

[SeatownJay]

So the U-23s manage a 1-1 draw against Colombia while the senior team craps the bed in Guatemala and loses 2-0.

 

[SeatownJay]

So if the US loses on Tuesday, should Klinsmann lose his job?

 

[Uncle Si]

So if the US loses on Tuesday, should Klinsmann lose his job?

Is it his fault?

You can fault his selection if you want, but no coach should be held completely liable for that. The issue here is again, the team is short on quality. They lack invention going forward, have yet to control a game with possession (although I suppose you can say they did that the other night) and haven't had a consistently strong back 4 in decades. This is a national problem, not a coaching issue.

But yes, if the US does not make the Hexagonal I believe Klinsmann should be moved on. Who takes over is another thing all together. I'm sure the USSF is happy to distance itself from him. He's contentious, combative and independent. He's exactly the character the USMNT needs leading its charges. However, he himself does not seem to have the acumen to make this work.

Will see I guess. I think the US wins easily on Tuesday. But, I think that just prolongs what will be inevitable at the end of the Summer.

I do not think Klinsmann will be leading the USMNT in the World Cup in 2018 when/if they make it.

 

[Trenchbroom]

Pretty nice game tonight!

 

[Uncle Si]

Pretty nice game tonight!

Nice scoreline... i'd beg to differ on the quality of the game. 3 of the 4 goals were near accidents. But will say this.. better with the ball, and more concerted, attacking runs from the likes of Zardes (whose "assists" were just flukes but had some nice quality aside from that) and Wood, who just struggled to finish but was dangerous all night.

Result though, and great to see Pulisic make his debut.

Also, the U23s lost, so no Olympics. Bad for the younger players but I imagine that means we will see Morris back with the main team (as well as Acosta and hopefully Cropper)

 

[SeatownJay]

Pretty nice game tonight!

Nice scoreline... i'd beg to differ on the quality of the game. 3 of the 4 goals were near accidents. But will say this.. better with the ball, and more concerted, attacking runs from the likes of Zardes (whose "assists" were just flukes but had some nice quality aside from that) and Wood, who just struggled to finish but was dangerous all night.

Result though, and great to see Pulisic make his debut.

Also, the U23s lost, so no Olympics. Bad for the younger players but I imagine that means we will see Morris back with the main team (as well as Acosta and hopefully Cropper)

It's amazing what can happen when the coach plays people in their natural positions.

 

[Uncle Si]

Good players can play anywhere, something Klinsmann is probably used to in Germany.

However, he has a limited squad and assuming they can perform roles outside of any niche isn't playing to their strengths. It makes the USMNT very one dimensional. (I should edit... JK is very poor at setting lineups and tactics for games. Definitely not in doubt. My point is it should not have mattered against Guatemala, or any of the CONCACAF teams)

I admire what Klinsmann is atleast trying to do (In that he really believes he can upgrade development and create the nation's first Messi, Pogba and Ozil). Not sure he's the right guy going forward for this program at match level. But atleast he's attempting to be inventive at the developmental phase, something the nation has lacked since it started playing soccer.

a stern yet fair assessment of last night's matches:

http://screamer.deadspin.com/last-night-showed-why-the-usmnt-still-sucks-1767973651

 

[JSeahawks]

Think Nagbe may have just broken his ankle on a dirty tackle. Pretty nasty looking sprain at the least.