USMNT Thread V. 2.0

[pantherphan96]

Well we play Mexico for a trip to the confederation cup October 9th.  What needs to happen between now and then for us to win?  My hopes are not very high for this game.

One thing that would really help is if Jozy is in form.  He's absolutely terrific when he's in form.  2013 Jozy was a special thing to watch

keep him from the BPL and send him back to AZ Alkmaar to regain his Eredivisie form! Other good news is that Portland Timbers midfielder, 25 year old Darlington Nagbe, is apparently about to become a US citizen. per soccerinsider

https://twitter.com/SoccerInsider/status/625423482747228160

 

[FuFuLamePoo]

I like Nagbe a lot. Ethan Finlay too, both could be a big help

[FuFuLamePoo]

Huge game Saturday night, it has big implications on the future of the beautiful game in our country.

[FuFuLamePoo]

Bad

[pantherphan96]

I'm a huge Klinsmann supporter but his leash has to be shortening by now. If we do decide to part ways with him in the future, hopefully he can be kept on as a technical director.

[FuFuLamePoo]

I'm a huge Klinsmann supporter but his leash has to be shortening by now. If we do decide to part ways with him in the future, hopefully he can be kept on as a technical director.

we sure haven't progressed any in his tenure here.  many would argue we've gotten worse.  virtually any coach wold be fired at this point

[pantherphan96]

we sure haven't progressed any in his tenure here.  many would argue we've gotten worse.  virtually any coach wold be fired at this point

he would be fired in a country in which he would have a better pool of players to choose from. talent pool incredibly shallow in the US right now, and not getting any better with majority of players playing in the MLS, a league that would finish in the relegation zone of the English Championship. need better and more academies and players playing overseas against best talent in the world.

[FuFuLamePoo]

he would be fired in a country in which he would have a better pool of players to choose from. talent pool incredibly shallow in the US right now, and not getting any better with majority of players playing in the MLS, a league that would finish in the relegation zone of the English Championship. need better and more academies and players playing overseas against best talent in the world.

I agree our talent pool is far from where it needs to be right now, but Klinsmann has also been way too stubborn with his team selections.  There are two promising young wingers/mids in Darlington Nagbe and Ethan Finlay that are patiently waiting their number to be called to get a shot to play for the USMNT.  Instead of giving one of these guys a shot recently Klinsmann kept playing some of the older guys that don't have it anymore.  Jermaine Jones playing LM against the pace of Mexico?  What kind of poo is that.  I love JJ and I still think he could be a nice piece on the roster for the next cycle as a big strong DM, which is what his role is.  But he's not an LM.  Klinsmann just got too reliable on his old players.  One reason I'm handling the loss okay is because he said there will be significant roster turnover if we lose.  Well, we lost and now he has to make big changes to the roster.  If he makes the wrong ones he'll lose his job.  I'm not sure our talent pool is as "weak" as some may suggest right now, Klinsmann is just too scared to roll the dice and give younger players a chance.  It's not even giving younger players a chance even.  Even older guys like Feilhaber should have been on that team.  Our midfield is desperate for creativity, and Benny has veteran experience and is undisputedly one of the most creative players in the MLS.  Why isn't he getting callups?  Same with Lee Nguyen.  But yeah, out with guys like Beasley (thanks for everything big dawg), Beckerman, Zusi, Brad Davis, Rimando, Wondolowski, Gordon, etc.  Klisnmann needs to start giving looks to way more newer younger players such as Hedgers, O'Neil, Birnbaum, Sorto, KItchen, Gil, Serna, Trapp, Williams, Pelosi, Hyndman, Morris, Agudelo, Rubin, Finlay, Nagbe, Green, Morales, Shipp, even give Zelalem a cap already.  Klisnmann said one of his main goals when he took this job was to expand the player pool the USA has to choose from.  Well it's time he does something he said he was gonna do for once.  We need a influx of youth players, cause we won't even qualify for the world cup with that group of guys he put out there Saturday.  I'm serious.  I still say Bradley, Altidore, and Guzan are the core for this next cycle.  I would bet money on guys like Besler, Cameron and Fab sticking around too.  Now find the right young guys to plug in around them, we have promising young players.  Give them all looks asap.  We need huge roster turnover, he needs to light a fire under everyone's asses and let the guys know that no one is safe or guaranteed a roster spot.  Make them all work for it.  I'm just rambling at this point but you should get what I'm saying.

And again, Klinsmann, for the love of God get Benny back in a red white and blue shirt.  We're desperate for creativity from the midfield.

  

[pantherphan96]

I agree our talent pool is far from where it needs to be right now, but Klinsmann has also been way too stubborn with his team selections.  There are two promising young wingers/mids in Darlington Nagbe and Ethan Finlay that are patiently waiting their number to be called to get a shot to play for the USMNT.  Instead of giving one of these guys a shot recently Klinsmann kept playing some of the older guys that don't have it anymore.  Jermaine Jones playing LM against the pace of Mexico?  What kind of poo is that.  I love JJ and I still think he could be a nice piece on the roster for the next cycle as a big strong DM, which is what his role is.  But he's not an LM.  Klinsmann just got too reliable on his old players.  One reason I'm handling the loss okay is because he said there will be significant roster turnover if we lose.  Well, we lost and now he has to make big changes to the roster.  If he makes the wrong ones he'll lose his job.  I'm not sure our talent pool is as "weak" as some may suggest right now, Klinsmann is just too scared to roll the dice and give younger players a chance.  It's not even giving younger players a chance even.  Even older guys like Feilhaber should have been on that team.  Our midfield is desperate for creativity, and Benny has veteran experience and is undisputedly one of the most creative players in the MLS.  Why isn't he getting callups?  Same with Lee Nguyen.  But yeah, out with guys like Beasley (thanks for everything big dawg), Beckerman, Zusi, Brad Davis, Rimando, Wondolowski, Gordon, etc.  Klisnmann needs to start giving looks to way more newer younger players such as Hedgers, O'Neil, Birnbaum, Sorto, KItchen, Gil, Serna, Trapp, Williams, Pelosi, Hyndman, Morris, Agudelo, Rubin, Finlay, Nagbe, Green, Morales, Shipp, even give Zelalem a cap already.  Klisnmann said one of his main goals when he took this job was to expand the player pool the USA has to choose from.  Well it's time he does something he said he was gonna do for once.  We need a influx of youth players, cause we won't even qualify for the world cup with that group of guys he put out there Saturday.  I'm serious.  I still say Bradley, Altidore, and Guzan are the core for this next cycle.  I would bet money on guys like Besler, Cameron and Fab sticking around too.  Now find the right young guys to plug in around them, we have promising young players.  Give them all looks asap.  We need huge roster turnover, he needs to light a fire under everyone's asses and let the guys know that no one is safe or guaranteed a roster spot.  Make them all work for it.  I'm just rambling at this point but you should get what I'm saying.

And again, Klinsmann, for the love of God get Benny back in a red white and blue shirt.  We're desperate for creativity from the midfield.

  

can't disagree with any of the points you have raised, I think Klinsmann tried to do all his mixing and matching in the Gold Cup (mostly experimenting with the CBs) and then reverted to something similar to the WC lineup that worked well. I would like to see more of Ream at CB, along with Zardes out wide and Bradley in something close to an attacking mid position. I hate seeing us play with Altidore/Dempsey as a sole holding striker. Go with two up front, Dempsey and Johannsen or healthy/confident Altidore. Would be nice to see some of the young players like Bobby Wood and Morris and even Green get playing time in friendlies.

[pantherphan96]

I think Klinsmann is more of the big picture guy instead of tactics and formations. Would hate to lose him completely, but there is a need for him to tinker more with the lineup and formations instead of sending the same WC2014 vets out there again and again.

[FuFuLamePoo]

I think Klinsmann is more of the big picture guy instead of tactics and formations. Would hate to lose him completely, but there is a need for him to tinker more with the lineup and formations instead of sending the same WC2014 vets out there again and again.

All his ideas were cool.  When he got here he promised innovative and attacking soccer in which we held more possession than we ever have.  Against Mexico we had possession like 33% of the game.  He's promised building the player pool, which he's done to an extent but he's gone away from.  Like imo Jordan Morris is one of the most promising young players in our pool, no other American coach ever would have dreamed of giving a kid still in college first team caps.  But recently it's like he's just stopped all his plans.  He chose the same old vets who haven't shown much in awhile instead of continuing to bring in new young players.  And guys are being played out of position because of this.  He's still asking way too much out of Michael Bradley, he's asking Bradley to be superman and it's making Bradley look bad.  Bradley is best as a box to box mid, Klinsmann expecting way too much out of him. 

I still say our best CB pairing is two of Omar/Besler/Cameron.

Klinsmann has done good things but it's time we pull the plug on his big "project" which is looking more and more like a disaster every day.  He said in 2018 is when US would break out and make a serious world cup run, right now I don't even think we would qualify for the world cup.  The team just looks disinterested, and JK seems out of ideas.  If he doesn't get fired he has to start playing younger players, give new guys a chance to prove themselves.  We need big changes somehow, someway if we want to make something of this cycle.

Summer of 2013 things looked so promising.  We were dominating the hex and Jozy was looking like one of the best young strikers in the world.  Damn.

[pantherphan96]

All his ideas were cool.  When he got here he promised innovative and attacking soccer in which we held more possession than we ever have.  Against Mexico we had possession like 33% of the game.  He's promised building the player pool, which he's done to an extent but he's gone away from.  Like imo Jordan Morris is one of the most promising young players in our pool, no other American coach ever would have dreamed of giving a kid still in college first team caps.  But recently it's like he's just stopped all his plans.  He chose the same old vets who haven't shown much in awhile instead of continuing to bring in new young players.  And guys are being played out of position because of this.  He's still asking way too much out of Michael Bradley, he's asking Bradley to be superman and it's making Bradley look bad.  Bradley is best as a box to box mid, Klinsmann expecting way too much out of him. 

I still say our best CB pairing is two of Omar/Besler/Cameron.

Klinsmann has done good things but it's time we pull the plug on his big "project" which is looking more and more like a disaster every day.  He said in 2018 is when US would break out and make a serious world cup run, right now I don't even think we would qualify for the world cup.  The team just looks disinterested, and JK seems out of ideas.  If he doesn't get fired he has to start playing younger players, give new guys a chance to prove themselves.  We need big changes somehow, someway if we want to make something of this cycle.

Summer of 2013 things looked so promising.  We were dominating the hex and Jozy was looking like one of the best young strikers in the world.  Damn.

If only Jozy stayed at AZ...

I'm not one to really put much stock into how we look during friendlies, but the Gold Cup was terrifying to watch. We were routinely getting outworked by teams with less talent but greater pace and intensity. The passing is very sloppy which leads to dispossession and we end up playing to clear the ball and counterattack every 5 minutes or so. Most of these attacks end without a real attempt on goal due to poor passing, poor build up play, or someone trying to take on multiple defenders at once.

I find it weird how Klinsmann was able to give Alvarado as much playing time as he did in the Gold Cup despite the horrendous performances game in and game out, while he is reluctant to start Yedlin and at times Zardes. I would really like to see JK move on from players who will have little to no shot at 2018 (Jones, Beasley, Beckermann, Davis, Wondo, Gordon) and start using younger players who will be old and experienced enough to contribute 3 years from now, ideally: more Yedlin, Zardes, Wood, Kitchen, Gil, Rubin, and others.

Crazy how Jozy is still only turning 26 this year.

[FuFuLamePoo]

Sounds like Klinsmann has inquired about a Darlington Nagbe call up.  About time, this dude has been incredible in the MLS recently and he has skills maybe no other player in our pool has.  PLease, get him in asap.  Ethan Finlay next.

[pantherphan96]

Sounds like Klinsmann has inquired about a Darlington Nagbe call up.  About time, this dude has been incredible in the MLS recently and he has skills maybe no other player in our pool has.  PLease, get him in asap.  Ethan Finlay next.

get him as much experience before the 2018 WC qualifying period. 

in sobering news, US failed miserably in the U17 WC, finishing last in the group stage. also failed to auto qualify for (u23s) 2016 olympics, needing to beat colombia to qualify. at least the u20 team had a decent showing in the WC.