USMNT Talk

[ZYanksRule]

There's always an excuse with our national team. The field was too small. It was turf. We played well we just didn't score. It was too cold.

I just want our national team to play like they know they're the best team in CONCACAF. We haven't done that in a long time. Stop allowing excuses to infect the squad. Win a game you're not supposed to win.

 

[Schwallacus]

oh the rest of his press conference was as delusional, talking about how wonderful they played and how satisfied he was with the underlying play. Once Canada scored first the rest of the game was a breeze for them.

“we got the ball? Should we go forward?”
“Nah, let’s let Canada set their defensive lines and then pass it around the back and THEN we’ll go forward. They’ll never see it coming!”

I forget who tweeted it, but they (someone in the USMNT/MLS sphere) made a good point like yours that even when we did manage to get a turnover in the Canada half and had a chance to make a run/pass into space- our team felt the need to pass backwards to the CBs in order to start the "possession process" from the beginning. And then we would hold onto the ball, pass it around the back and to our midfield and then not do too much else. We never did anything with our possession and never really threatened the Canadian CBs/defense. Aside from Aaronsen (Aaronson? Son of Aaron?) having two maybe half chances at the top of the box, nothing else looked threatening. We barely tried to split their lines or take a risk to breakup Canada's block. Players looked lost and demotivated for most of the match.

 

[Antidote P. Smiley]

I guess I am in the minority, but I thought we played well, but the dynamics of the game made it really hard on us. We dominated possession, even if we moved the ball a bit slowly at times. We seemed to win most of the duals.

The issue is that once Turner, Robinson and Richards shat the bed in the 7th minute, Canada could sit back a bit and absorb pressure, and they made things very difficult. The last goal was in stoppage time when we were throwing numbers forward and not indicative of the state of play overall.

Lesson - don't gift a team an early goal, especially on the road. If there was on decisive difference in the game, it was that their strikers outclassed our centerbacks by a fair margin, while our striker didn't outclass their centerbacks even a little bit.

They did have basically an entire game to at least equalize.

 

[GratefulDawg]

I thought we dominated the game for multiple long stretches, but Canada punished us for the early mistake and then played very smart and composed throughout the remainder of the game. The narrow field played into their gameplan once they went up, as they were able to clutter the middle of the pitch and not give us any space from which to work effectively.

I'd guess that Gregg emphasized the home matches against El Salvador and Honduras over this Canadian game, and that's why Zimmerman was on the bench. Win against a shit Honduras team, and we're in a much better place.

Herdman is a good manager. He, Thomas Christiansen of Panama and Hugo Pérez of El Salvador have all done very good jobs during the Ocho. I wish we could poach Herdman.

 

[canchon]

I'd guess that Gregg emphasized the home matches against El Salvador and Honduras over this Canadian game, and that's why Zimmerman was on the bench.

Zimmerman was hurt. And now Chris Richards and Tyler Adams are also hurt.

Gregg tried to win this game, he could have gotten the same result by punting this one like he did the away game at Panama. Now we’re short handed with a ton of muscle injuries by playing two straight games in the freezing cold and the turf.

So much for prioritizing Honduras. Nice one gregggg.

 

[FredMertz]

There's definitely a problem. If the problem is the players, we're fucked. If the problem is GGG, we're fucked. But only one of those problems has a potential solution.

As much as he irritates me, BRING ON JESSE!

 

[Antidote P. Smiley]

I know Doyle can be annoying and gets a lot of flack on this forum but I think he did a good job distilling what we watched yesterday (which is basically an echo of what's been already said here)
Time after time after time, the US won the ball in good spots to transition forward. Time after time after time, instead of doing that they played backwards, seemingly more focused on getting into their attacking shape than actually exploiting space. It’s almost like the system has become an end unto itself, rather than a means to create the types of chances that win games like this one.

 

[mgarbowski]

I know Doyle can be annoying and gets a lot of flack on this forum but I think he did a good job distilling what we watched yesterday (which is basically an echo of what's been already said here)
Time after time after time, the US won the ball in good spots to transition forward. Time after time after time, instead of doing that they played backwards, seemingly more focused on getting into their attacking shape than actually exploiting space. It’s almost like the system has become an end unto itself, rather than a means to create the types of chances that win games like this one.

"Doyle is good, actually" I said unironically, and people should not apologize for referencing him.
Also, the idea he is biased against NYCFC is basically paranoid.

Meanwhile, I agree, this analysis is spot on. He also does a good job of summarizing how crap our attacking options are right now.

Christian Pulisic was poor for the US once again on Sunday, but this was not an outlier performance. He simply performs this way for both the US and Chelsea. There is no distinction between the two right now. ​

Ricardo Pepi, meanwhile, hasn’t scored in 12 hours of game time for Dallas, Augsburg or the US. He has struggled. Brenden Aaronson was a breath of fresh air for the US earlier in the Ocho, but Aaronson has just three goals in 2000 minutes for RB Salzburg this season . . . . Gyasi Zardes, Jesus Ferreira, Jordan Morris and Paul Arriola are out of season.​

Just about the only attacker who’s been in good form for the US recently is Tim Weah, . . . .​

It's pretty clear to me this is a both/and situation. The coach is devoted to his system which is paralyzing the players AND right now our attacking options suck regardless. And the system is a good system. It's basically the CFG/NYCFC system. But it might not suit a national team which plays together sporadically and by its nature has a lot of roster churn.

 

[canchon]

Doyle is right on. I spent the second half of the game screaming “FORWARD” as they continued to play laterally.

 

[moogoo]

If this doesn't light a fire under their asses to show they are the best in CONCACAF, nothing will and they deserve what they get, which could very well be a 4th place finish heading to a playoff where, at that point, who knows what could happen. Yes, any reasonable person would say, of course they'd qualify, but stranger things have happened.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1488200378902622217

 

[Revfugee]

I forget who tweeted it, but they (someone in the USMNT/MLS sphere) made a good point like yours that even when we did manage to get a turnover in the Canada half and had a chance to make a run/pass into space- our team felt the need to pass backwards to the CBs in order to start the "possession process" from the beginning. And then we would hold onto the ball, pass it around the back and to our midfield and then not do too much else. We never did anything with our possession and never really threatened the Canadian CBs/defense. Aside from Aaronsen (Aaronson? Son of Aaron?) having two maybe half chances at the top of the box, nothing else looked threatening. We barely tried to split their lines or take a risk to breakup Canada's block. Players looked lost and demotivated for most of the match.

Canada was really poor in possession. Every time they would turn it over in their own end (and it was a lot) I was yelling at the TV for them to bust through. But they lack the awareness and the killer instinct that other sides have. Like Canada, who pounced on a relatively minor mistake and spun it into a 1-0 lead, then mostly bunkered.

 

[Gotham Gator]

Forecast for kickoff tomorrow night from National Weather Service.

4 degrees, wind chill of -9.

 

[moogoo]

Forecast for kickoff tomorrow night from National Weather Service.

4 degrees, wind chill of -9.

View attachment 11835

Wind shouldn't be too much of a factor inside the Allianz. It's enclosed all around. Yes the roof is open, but it should limit the wind, I think. Will still be cold though! Looking forward to more excuses related to cold weather this time!

 

[moogoo]

just read some more quotes from GB about canada game...

how... fucking... delusional can you be?

"we dominated..."

"they couldn't handle our physicality"

 

[DeGrozz]

just read some more quotes from GB about canada game...

how... fucking... delusional can you be?

"we dominated..."

"they couldn't handle our physicality"

Dominating 98% of the game only matters when you get to the 2% chance of the game with opportunities.

The final third is just a shitshow right now.

It's all been said -- the attacking players aren't in form, we are not trying to turn an aggressive defense into quick offense, but the most frustrating thing to me is the complete lack of courage when our players do push forward.

Admittedly, I watched this game on a flight -- an SD broadcast stretched to a mini HD screen, with plenty of captain's and service interruptions (with 2 kids on top of that!) -- but the number of times we pushed forward by playing an easy ball into a winger only to attempt a cross across four flat defenders in the box was infuriating.

I honestly don't think the plan is to throw it in the mixer, but you have to have some confidence and courage to move the ball through the middle of the field and into the box, else you're playing into exactly how Canada is set up defensively.

I thought we looked good otherwise (especially for a game Canada was uglying up), but the 98% doesn't matter if you can't create the 2%.

 

[ZYanksRule]

Not for nothing, but how much of a crock of shit is it that the United States men's national team thinks its necessary to play a sub-zero game against Honduras? Are we that worried about the minnows of CONCACAF that we need to resort to stunts like this in order to win? It's a joke. If we're good enough, we should be able to play this game anywhere, not just in sub-zero temperatures in hopes it screws up our opponent. So weak.

 

[Gotham Gator]

 

[QuigrNYCFC]

Not for nothing, but how much of a crock of shit is it that the United States men's national team thinks its necessary to play a sub-zero game against Honduras? Are we that worried about the minnows of CONCACAF that we need to resort to stunts like this in order to win? It's a joke. If we're good enough, we should be able to play this game anywhere, not just in sub-zero temperatures in hopes it screws up our opponent. So weak.

This type of overthink/over-strategy definitely sounds like unadulterated and completely unfiltered Berhalter.

 

[moogoo]

This type of overthink/over-strategy definitely sounds like unadulterated and completely unfiltered Berhalter.

nail on the head.

the guy may have gotten enough results to keep from getting fired up to this point, but can anyone really say he's been a good coach? we have yet to see this squad utterly dominate even the worst teams in concacaf or play to their collective potential. I really hope he's not spewing the same bullshit to his players as he is to the media. Our guys need a wake up call. They're playing like they're too good to play anybody other than mexico. They keep that shit up, soon they'll be too good to play in the world cup.

 

[Antidote P. Smiley]

Good lawd, last night I finally listened to Greg's post game comments and hearing his voice makes it much worst than reading.
How delusional. Greg should go work for a MLM.