USMNT - The Berhalter Era (6 Viewers)

[efil4stnias]

Vidal....love him....for god sakes if we had a player like that at central mid, well, maybe we would be competitive with the better teams....Great take, total agree on above especially the McKinne part....



This is a bit harsh, and also untrue. He is one of the very few US players to play in the Premier League, the Bundesliga, and Serie A...in his prime he was good enough to start for Roma and he was an impactful player in a league that most US players only dream of playing in....he did not start for the US only because his Daddy was the coach, he started for the US because he was one of the best players and deserved to....Klinsman is probably the best soccer coach the US has ever had and he started for him as well....

That said, he is now clearly declining....

Ive watched Vidal for last several years but never appreciated his play.
Off a whim, i figured let me look at the ages of he and Bradley....Bradley younger. ( now, not by much- i think like 8 mo - 32 and 31 yrs old respectively)
But the decline of Bradley seems to have come much earlier and seems to be much more distinct in his play.
The way teams defend us is RIPE for a player to make the first defender miss, which then causes the back line to collapse in on that player. Bradley never, and i mean NEVER makes it past that first guy. So much so, he has resorted to never taking someone on off the dribble and instead side or back passes.

It just has to be that the US MNT dont see an heir apparent ( i think they hoped Nagbe or Trapp would assume role but never materialized ) and roll with him due to veteran leadership. But he is a full on liability in that mid.

Im still a bit on cloud 9 after the TnT match, even with tempering my excitement due to it being TnT. I think the youth infusion will continue, ( lookin at you Mihalovic ) and will serve the US well in 2022. Still need that bonafide goal scorer to get on the field. ( Josh Sargent )

 

[sfidc3]

Ive watched Vidal for last several years but never appreciated his play.
Off a whim, i figured let me look at the ages of he and Bradley....Bradley younger. ( now, not by much- i think like 8 mo - 32 and 31 yrs old respectively)
But the decline of Bradley seems to have come much earlier and seems to be much more distinct in his play.
The way teams defend us is RIPE for a player to make the first defender miss, which then causes the back line to collapse in on that player. Bradley never, and i mean NEVER makes it past that first guy. So much so, he has resorted to never taking someone on off the dribble and instead side or back passes.

It just has to be that the US MNT dont see an heir apparent ( i think they hoped Nagbe or that other kid would assume role but never materialized ) and roll with him due to veteran leadership. But he is a full on liability in that mid.

Im still a bit on cloud 9 after the TnT match, even with tempering my excitement due to it being TnT. I think the youth infusion will continue, ( lookin at you Mihalovic ) and will serve the US well in 2022. Still need that bonafide goal scorer to get on the field. ( Josh Sargent )

My son turned me onto Vidal (he has probably forgotten more about soccer than I'll ever know)....you are spot on about Bradley, to me he would be much better used when the team has the lead and needs to possess, he still has good field vision but actually, naw, how often does that occur for the USMT, a lead against a good team? Really almost never these days....

I'm tempering my optimism a bit, but I am really excited about the younger players...I just wish one of them could be a huge, dominant center back....

 

[efil4stnias]

For those interested.... Chile vs Uruguay on now. Telemundo

 

[superchuck500]

As I stated earlier in the thread, I haven't been a fan of Bradley since his first WC game where he only started because his Daddy was the coach. I've never seen anything to impress me.

Arriola is comparable to a what they say in football scouting reports a "High Motor Guy." He's not the flashiest or most talented, but he's relentless and always seems to get himself into a position for shots on goal.

Pulisic is probably the most talented player on the team, and is finally playing like it.

However, I think Boyd is currently a close second. His touch and ability to play balls into the middle are a revelation. Plus he plays with an edge and confidence that is much needed. I don't think that enough chemistry has been built yet with him and the rest of the players to result in the amount of goals that should have come by now. And I love how he is always looking to score. Eff setting up plays, either put the ball into the middle or take a shot!

Speaking of "Edge" McKennie is a BEAST! I love his style of play. Aggressive and ruthless. Always in the face of other players, letting them know he's coming and won't stop. It sets a tone.

It def showed that there is more chemistry when Harris and Altidore came into the game. There was an ease the front line played with that wasn't seen with Boyd and Zardes. I think the chemistry will come with Boyd, but Zardes just needs to get his head out of his arse and do more to set up plays for himself and others.

What I’m really liking about Boyd is his personality on the pitch. He has some swagger, some ego - he wants the ball, he wants to drop dimes across the box, he wants to take the shot. Pulisic is clearly the best player but he doesn’t (yet) have that swag that I think teams need in the attack. I think Boyd’s style is really good for this team right now - I hope it translates against stronger competition.

 

[efil4stnias]

What I’m really liking about Boyd is his personality on the pitch. He has some swagger, some ego - he wants the ball, he wants to drop dimes across the box, he wants to take the shot. Pulisic is clearly the best player but he doesn’t (yet) have that swag that I think teams need in the attack. I think Boyd’s style is really good for this team right now - I hope it translates against stronger competition.

I think Pulisics swag is his play/work rate. What I mean is he is a Bundesliga kid... It's highly technical. Not a ton of flare there. It's more job-like. His ball to feed Long on his first goal, he was the only one on that field that could make that pass. (skill wise). That's his swag.

Boyd is more free flowing in his movement. Has great positional awareness and seems to understand what defensive players do when he does certain things on and off the ball. That skill is rarely spoken about but such a huge part of the game. All the great ones had/have it. Put them anywhere on the field, make them close eyes and tell em to kick ball into goal. They do it.

I'm really excited about the youth we are seeing. I really wish Sargent would have been on this squad.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

haiti v costa rica has turned into a solid, fun match

 

[stevo3]

Vidal....love him....for god sakes if we had a player like that at central mid, well, maybe we would be competitive with the better teams....Great take, total agree on above especially the McKinne part....



This is a bit harsh, and also untrue. He is one of the very few US players to play in the Premier League, the Bundesliga, and Serie A...in his prime he was good enough to start for Roma and he was an impactful player in a league that most US players only dream of playing in....he did not start for the US only because his Daddy was the coach, he started for the US because he was one of the best players and deserved to....Klinsman is probably the best soccer coach the US has ever had and he started for him as well....

That said, he is now clearly declining....

All of what you say regarding his league career may be true, however, his play for the USMNT has been underwhelming at best throughout his career. I've just never seen anything from him that deserves the amount of praise he gets heaped upon him.

My only answer for why he started for Klinsman as well is that we didn't have a better option or that he (Klinsman) didn't want to disrupt the chemistry that existed between him and the other players. This is probably more of an indictment on the US Nat'l soccer association than Bradley since we didn't and still don't seem to have an upgrade at his position.

 

[sfidc3]

All of what you say regarding his league career may be true, however, his play for the USMNT has been underwhelming at best throughout his career. I've just never seen anything from him that deserves the amount of praise he gets heaped upon him.

My only answer for why he started for Klinsman as well is that we didn't have a better option or that he (Klinsman) didn't want to disrupt the chemistry that existed between him and the other players. This is probably more of an indictment on the US Nat'l soccer association than Bradley since we didn't and still don't seem to have an upgrade at his position.

May be true...LOL...OK

His play over the last few years has been underwhelming to some extent, mostly because he is getting older....You must not have watched him much when he was in his prime years for the USMNT....he was absolutely a key player.

Upgrade at his position? Really? I can give you a laundry list of greater needs than Bradley's position at center mid, even now, as he is underwhelming....like 2 consistent capable center backs for a start. Hell, other than Yedlin the whole back 4 needs upgrading desperately.....

You have changed your tune a bit to he only started because he was the coach's son (which is absolute and total BS) to Klinsman (a coach who is absolutely not reluctant to shake things up) keeping him as a starter because there is no better option? Quite a leap....

My problem with Bradley is his attitude, I think he is too passive and not a leader, he was a bad choice to be a captain, I believe he conceded it himself earlier this year....

 

[efil4stnias]

All of what you say regarding his league career may be true, however, his play for the USMNT has been underwhelming at best throughout his career. I've just never seen anything from him that deserves the amount of praise he gets heaped upon him.

My only answer for why he started for Klinsman as well is that we didn't have a better option or that he (Klinsman) didn't want to disrupt the chemistry that existed between him and the other players. This is probably more of an indictment on the US Nat'l soccer association than Bradley since we didn't and still don't seem to have an upgrade at his position.

May be true...LOL...OK

His play over the last few years has been underwhelming to some extent, mostly because he is getting older....You must not have watched him much when he was in his prime years for the USMNT....he was absolutely a key player.

Upgrade at his position? Really? I can give you a laundry list of greater needs than Bradley's position at center mid, even now, as he is underwhelming....like 2 consistent capable center backs for a start. Hell, other than Yedlin the whole back 4 needs upgrading desperately.....

You have changed your tune a bit to he only started because he was the coach's son (which is absolute and total BS) to Klinsman (a coach who is absolutely not reluctant to shake things up) keeping him as a starter because there is no better option? Quite a leap....

My problem with Bradley is his attitude, I think he is too passive and not a leader, he was a bad choice to be a captain, I believe he conceded it himself earlier this year....

the good news here is you both agree that NOW....he sucks. lolol.

He jumped in for Claudio Reyna and served us well. But he is on a steep backside of a very nice career arc.

 

[stevo3]

May be true...LOL...OK

His play over the last few years has been underwhelming to some extent, mostly because he is getting older....

So we agree then?? Cool.

You must not have watched him much when he was in his prime years for the USMNT....he was absolutely a key player.

I will admit that I was not an avid watcher of the USMNT other than the WC prior to around 2015 or 16, but I did watch all the WC matches since 90.
And in watching the last 3 WC's Bradley just never impressed enough to receive the hype or praise he was given. Always a meh player to me.

Upgrade at his position? Really? I can give you a laundry list of greater needs than Bradley's position at center mid, even now, as he is underwhelming....like 2 consistent capable center backs for a start. Hell, other than Yedlin the whole back 4 needs upgrading desperately.....

Okaaaay.... I never said he was the only player that needed to be upgraded.

You have changed your tune a bit to he only started because he was the coach's son (which is absolute and total BS) to Klinsman (a coach who is absolutely not reluctant to shake things up) keeping him as a starter because there is no better option? Quite a leap....

I was trying to give you credit that maybe I was a bit harsh with the "Daddy was the coach" reasoning for his being on the team as you seem to follow the USMNT and Int'l Soccer in general much more closely than I do. And that maybe the problem is more a symptom of the system than the player. Don't have to get all "YOU'RE A FLIP-FLOPPER!!" on me. I clearly stated that this as a matter of opinion. I never said it was an inarguable fact.

My problem with Bradley is his attitude, I think he is too passive and not a leader, he was a bad choice to be a captain, I believe he conceded it himself earlier this year....

Coulda just said this right here. Didn't need all of the other hoopla. For the most part we agree he is underperforming currently and don't agree that he always did.

Got it. Moving on.

 

[sfidc3]

So we agree then?? Cool.



I will admit that I was not an avid watcher of the USMNT other than the WC prior to around 2015 or 16, but I did watch all the WC matches since 90.
And in watching the last 3 WC's Bradley just never impressed enough to receive the hype or praise he was given. Always a meh player to me.



Okaaaay.... I never said he was the only player that needed to be upgraded.



I was trying to give you credit that maybe I was a bit harsh with the "Daddy was the coach" reasoning for his being on the team as you seem to follow the USMNT and Int'l Soccer in general much more closely than I do. And that maybe the problem is more a symptom of the system than the player. Don't have to get all "YOU'RE A FLIP-FLOPPER!!" on me. I clearly stated that this as a matter of opinion. I never said it was an inarguable fact.


Coulda just said this right here. Didn't need all of the other hoopla. For the most part we agree he is underperforming currently and don't agree that he always did.

Got it. Moving on.

Sorry you seem like a reasonable guy...I get very nit picky about soccer details....all good...

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

this thread all of a sudden

 

[mikaloyd]

Men vs Panama tonight for the group win

 

[efil4stnias]

All 11 players changed.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

All 11 players changed.

Interesting
I had to look to see if you were joshing
You weren’t joshing