SMF,
Brooks is done with the USMNT for now. He was consistently bad.SMF,
I’m reposting what he did vs Panama the last time they played when he didn’t have McKinnie. If they would have won this game, they’d be qualified by now.
obviously this lineup below blows, but it probably means that Berhalter would stick with a 4-3-3 again. You’re idea with Pulisic at the 10 is a good one. But my fear is he will be hurt by then. He’s due for another one of his muscle injuries. And one thing Tuchel has shown is he’s going to stick with the hot hand and overplay him. Ziyech has been Chelsea’s best player of late and he pulled up with a muscle injury yesterday. I think Pulisic starts the Moose Cup final vs Liverpool on Sunday. So he’s gonna continue to get run.
back to the Berhalter lineup. It’s a 3 game window so his lineups are going to be different. But which lineup is his best one? Right now I’d play Aaronson, Pefok and Weah, with Pulisic sitting underneath, with Musah and Adams at MF, and I’d have Brooks and Zimmerman in the back with whoever at outside back. I’d like to see Shaq Moore back in the lineup.
acosta should be in the mix too.
Panama 1-0 United States (Oct 10, 2021) Lineups - ESPN
Starting lineups for the Panama vs. United States Fifa World Cup Qualifying - Concacaf game from October 10, 2021 on ESPN.www.espn.com
Brooks is in great form right now. Was man of the match recently in a champions league game or other Wolfsburg game of significance. The guy has had consistency issues but who doesn’t it’s soccer. Hell even Pulisic had a dreadful match vs Crystal Palace this weekend and then was great yesterday. Not to mention Pulisic was in such bad form that he was benched in the last qualifying window. If Brooks had played vs Canada, I’d argue they don’t score that first goal against us. That was Berhalter striking again by playing center backs who aren’t even in season. Brooks is in mid season form.
When CP has the ball at his feet and just full on with space, you just feel like a goal is coming. His speed puts him past the opposing teams midfield and instantly having multiple options and nobody really knowing if they stop him or stop runs. He just makes it so difficult. And he makes great runs off the ball. Him and Kante just play at an entirely different speed.
Soccer management is about identifying and picking the players who are currently in form. We know it’s a sport where players are constantly in and out of form. Picking players who are in their offseason is not ideal playing against players who are In mid season form. There are certain qualities that a manage needs when managing a pool of players like we have. And it doesn’t seem like Berhalter has them.
Yeah. I thought about that too. But I think he played the 10 for the USA once and it didn’t go well. But nothing goes well unless it’s done continuously.
You are hung up on this US players in Europe thing worse than Pittpoker is hung up on 65 degree days in March. 🙂So USA is toast? So we have all this Europe playing talent and we'll lose to Panama and Costa Rica who probably start USL Players?
We're always told that we have better players than our CONCACAF opponents, right? And the proof is that we have so many playing in Europe, right?
We don’t have the number of players contributing in the top leagues than we have in the past. But we do have two, Pulisic and McKinnie who are at a higher level of form currently. The problem is Mckinnie is out, and now a few others, and we have a manager who struggles with selections and tactics.
Golden generation is still young, and the players that head the group like Adams and McKennie are hurt. And at the time this thread started, Reyna was out too. You’re talking about 3 of our top 5 AND potentially the top 2 keepers.
Derphalter and US Soccer. If this proves to be true, well what can you say? They'll get a pass though
Yes and instead of telling them to build a roof on their stadiums, they allowed them to move the event to the winter which greatly interferes with the club seasons. Its going to be like Olympic hockey, you show up a few days before your first game with no real camp. Stupid.
Why? Because injuries, poor selection in past windows will now make qualifying challenging. I think they get it done but it's not gonna be the way it should.
Zardes MLS team is now shopping him because even they have better options.
Panama has no talent. They are horrible. Doesn't mean they cant beat us 1-0 though
Dude your the guy who said that moving to this format assures us that the USA qualification is just a formality. And yet here we are going into the final window needing results in two places we’ve never won, and 3pts vs a team that already beat us and is breathing down our necks.
Interesting moment in the Chelsea/Lille match. Pulisic’s goal gave them a 2 goal cushion but the win wasn’t sealed yet. Then Mason Mount received the ball in the left corner and flighted a ball into the box. Pulisic (from the right side) made an inside run into the box and took a back with him, thus opening space for Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea’s right wing back) to run into behind him. Tim Weah was slow to pick up Cesar and Cesar scored the goal to seal the match. Unfortunate moment. I thought it was odd that Pulisic didn’t celebrate as he usually does. Then I saw the replay and realized maybe why.
With the Junkyard Dawg out indefinitely, we need Adams to plug that midfield in front of the Robinson and Zimmerman. I think De La Torre was so bright last window and if he doesn't start that would be criminal. From what I have heard, he is in a solid run of form with his club team Heracles in the Eredivisie.
