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Another underwhelming game last night against Carriacou… and the one constant is Michael Bradley -- who had another uneventful game.   No leadership.   No defensive plays.   No offensive plays.  No creativity.   When can we replace this guy?   Feels like we are playing 10 against 11 with him on the field.

 

 

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2 minutes ago, Clock_Tower said:

Another underwhelming game last night against Carriacou… and the one constant is Michael Bradley -- who had another uneventful game.   No leadership.   No defensive plays.   No offensive plays.  No creativity.   When can we replace this guy?   Feels like we are playing 10 against 11 with him on the field.

 

 

I think MB gets more unfair criticism than he should. Who else do you want trapp? no thanks.   USMNT lacks finishers if anything.  The game last night was a poor performance, not denying last night, but this isnt our 1st team for about half the positions. So I expected there to be a lot lacking. 

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52 minutes ago, wgstl said:

I think MB gets more unfair criticism than he should. Who else do you want trapp? no thanks.   USMNT lacks finishers if anything.  The game last night was a poor performance, not denying last night, but this isnt our 1st team for about half the positions. So I expected there to be a lot lacking. 

"Because he's the best option" doesn't make him immune to criticism. Adams is the answer there long term, but that doesn't help us now for the Gold Cup. Bradley had a howler last night. Couldn't cover enough ground defensively. And couldn't maintain possession offensively, much less be able to break lines. Disaster.

 

They lack finishers because Berhalter continues to trot out Zardes, who is an unmitigated disaster. Can't hold up play to save his life. At least Altidore can put the wings in positions to succeed.

#BerhalterOut

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Adams Is obviously the answer, but with that being said, No one on the team has played well consistently yet. Weston and pulisic have Showed signs, but no one else on the roster can play the 6 as well as Bradley. I’m not giving Bradley a pass yesterday, and what I am referring to is peoples views on him over the last year or two.  Last, berhalter and his homerism with zardes is killing us, The only thing he has over Jozy is speed, nothing else. 

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2 hours ago, wgstl said:

I think MB gets more unfair criticism than he should. Who else do you want trapp? no thanks.   USMNT lacks finishers if anything.  The game last night was a poor performance, not denying last night, but this isnt our 1st team for about half the positions. So I expected there to be a lot lacking. 

I watched the game in its entirety but admit that I left to go the fridge and bathroom - and may have missed the best plays of Bradley -- but in the other 88 minutes, I watched a guy who did NOTHING !!   He yelled and encouraged others but he appeared slow and lazy.    When he did get the ball, he was quick to give it to someone else to make the downfield pass, the send it the corners, to dribble and try to make a play.   Having success is one thing.   Not trying is another -- and I saw no effort or attempts to impact the game.

And sure - we were without our full roster --- I get that.   Fair point for the team.    But without your full team, should not your captain have an even larger role?   Should not the guy in the middle of the field be more involved?   We had minimal ball control against Carriacou.   40% possession?  Why?   Should not our mid field captain have had a greater impact?

Fine, Altidore over Zardes.   Fine, we should have had Seargant.   But at least the forwards hustled.   Don't believe Bradley every sprinted or broke a sweat.  Finishing will come with increased talent - Pulisic, McKennie, etc.   But ball control.... Hard to finish when the other team has the ball. Again, ball possession is based upon your guys up the middle.   How do we beat Mexico, Spain,, England, Germany except for a favorable bounce for us and incredible goal tending -which we don't have yet - when we cannot    148 caps and failure to qualify for last Wold Cup is enough.   Jones and Donvan could use some help commenting on the future of this program.

PS    Carli Lloyd (in her 30's and now 36) was out best player 4 years ago and cannot even crack the lineup 4 years later as the women's team (defending Champs) has gone with younger players.   Michael Bradley, now in his 30's (though only 31) has never had the success of Carli Lloyd ever with him in the lineup...  the men's team has never had the success of the women's team and yet we keep going with the same failed players?? Only a partial youth movement??  At least give me 9 guys who give the effort of a 4th line NHL team and then we can talk about finishing and goal keeping.

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Weston is a great young star, but he killed our possession last night, and Boyd was many factors worse. I am not a huge Bradley fan, but I think he is still OK in the 6 role. The biggest problem last night was being sloppy, outhustled, and outworked the last 65 minutes of the game.

I watched every minute of our U-20s earlier this summer, and I can think of at least 5 of those guys who should be getting playing time for the senior team right now. I would take Sargent (who didn't play for them this time) or Soto over Zardes. Weah could already give Boyd a run for his money. Paxton P. should start over Bradley in the midfield and Weston could slide to the 6. Mendez would be the best shooter from range on this team right now and would be a nice offensive option off the bench. Gloster could certainly compete for the left back spot.

I think the challenge is that Berhalter is a "system" manager, so he will always favor guys who know and can play in the system he is trying to run. For the USMNT, that means Zardes and Trap will have advantages over everyone else. 

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1 minute ago, davidnark said:

Weston is a great young star, but he killed our possession last night, and Boyd was many factors worse. I am not a huge Bradley fan, but I think he is still OK in the 6 role. The biggest problem last night was being sloppy, outhustled, and outworked the last 65 minutes of the game.

I watched every minute of our U-20s earlier this summer, and I can think of at least 5 of those guys who should be getting playing time for the senior team right now. I would take Sargent (who didn't play for them this time) or Soto over Zardes. Weah could already give Boyd a run for his money. Paxton P. should start over Bradley in the midfield and Weston could slide to the 6. Mendez would be the best shooter from range on this team right now and would be a nice offensive option off the bench. Gloster could certainly compete for the left back spot.

I think the challenge is that Berhalter is a "system" manager, so he will always favor guys who know and can play in the system he is trying to run. For the USMNT, that means Zardes and Trap will have advantages over everyone else. 

Sargent isn't playing for them because he was a part of the senior team until the final cuts.  That made it impossible for him to be on the U-20 roster.  Now Sargent isn't getting game time with either team and he needs game action to become the player he can be.

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Just now, brianstl said:

Sargent isn't playing for them because he was a part of the senior team until the final cuts.  That made it impossible for him to be on the U-20 roster.  Now Sargent isn't getting game time with either team and he needs game action to become the player he can be.

Sargent needs to solve his playing time issues with Werner this season. I think the bigger issue is whether Paxton--who has been a far better MLS midfielder than Bradley this season--gets the minutes going forward with the USMNT.

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2 hours ago, davidnark said:

Weston is a great young star, but he killed our possession last night, and Boyd was many factors worse. I am not a huge Bradley fan, but I think he is still OK in the 6 role. The biggest problem last night was being sloppy, outhustled, and outworked the last 65 minutes of the game.

I watched every minute of our U-20s earlier this summer, and I can think of at least 5 of those guys who should be getting playing time for the senior team right now. I would take Sargent (who didn't play for them this time) or Soto over Zardes. Weah could already give Boyd a run for his money. Paxton P. should start over Bradley in the midfield and Weston could slide to the 6. Mendez would be the best shooter from range on this team right now and would be a nice offensive option off the bench. Gloster could certainly compete for the left back spot.

I think the challenge is that Berhalter is a "system" manager, so he will always favor guys who know and can play in the system he is trying to run. For the USMNT, that means Zardes and Trap will have advantages over everyone else. 

We need some of the guys from Mendez to really start getting first team minutes. Berhalter will never call them up while they’re playing for German Fourth Division reserve sides or U19s. 

Gloster has interest from PSV and Soto should get serious minutes for Hanover in the 2 Bundesliga, if he doesn’t move on.  Mendez needs to start getting minutes for Freiburg or a loan to 2 Bundesliga. 

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2 hours ago, Bills_06 said:

For those who have watched, how is Ream looking?  I am a casual follower so am I missing anybody from SLU/St. Louis that is on the team other than Ream?  

Generally a big fan of Ream, but he hasn’t been very good with the USMNT lately. 

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Ream did exactly what Coach B wanted him to do, be a stay at home defender.  (Lima is given the green light to go upfield, with the other three staying back.)  Ream's release feed to Pulisic started the play that led to the goal.

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1 hour ago, HoosierPal said:

Ream did exactly what Coach B wanted him to do, be a stay at home defender.  (Lima is given the green light to go upfield, with the other three staying back.)  Ream's release feed to Pulisic started the play that led to the goal.

I agree that Ream has been fine. He has played a key role as a defender in a back line that hasn't given up a goal, and his distribution from the left back spot is good. He isn't flashy, but he has been solid. He isn't a good long-term solution for the MNT, but he is fine for this tournament. 

 

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25 minutes ago, davidnark said:

I agree that Ream has been fine. He has played a key role as a defender in a back line that hasn't given up a goal, and his distribution from the left back spot is good. He isn't flashy, but he has been solid. He isn't a good long-term solution for the MNT, but he is fine for this tournament. 

 

hasnt had to do much yet. 

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MB 90 better tonight - step in right direction.

Game changed dramatically when Zardes came in for Jozy. It all went horribly wrong, plus him walking in the game and blowing the one on one so unbelievably bad certainly couldn’t have boded well for the rest of the game. Fully expect 17 to start again on Sunday.

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8 hours ago, Littlebill said:

MB 90 better tonight - step in right direction.

Game changed dramatically when Zardes came in for Jozy. It all went horribly wrong, plus him walking in the game and blowing the one on one so unbelievably bad certainly couldn’t have boded well for the rest of the game. Fully expect 17 to start again on Sunday.

Admittedly, I watched only half the game but, yes, MB did play much better.   At the same time, he is not the answer for our team.  And yes, Zsrdes is a big drop off from Jozy -- but Jozy had got a yellow card and with a 2 goal lead and prior injuries, best to take him out of the game.   

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22 hours ago, Clock_Tower said:

Admittedly, I watched only half the game but, yes, MB did play much better.   At the same time, he is not the answer for our team.  And yes, Zsrdes is a big drop off from Jozy -- but Jozy had got a yellow card and with a 2 goal lead and prior injuries, best to take him out of the game.   

I didn't say any of those things you're saying I said

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On 7/2/2019 at 12:50 PM, davidnark said:

I agree that Ream has been fine. He has played a key role as a defender in a back line that hasn't given up a goal, and his distribution from the left back spot is good. He isn't flashy, but he has been solid. He isn't a good long-term solution for the MNT, but he is fine for this tournament. 

 

A guy who plays in the English Premier League isn't a good long term solution for the USMNT?

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1 hour ago, cgeldmacher said:

A guy who plays in the English Premier League isn't a good long term solution for the USMNT?

Ream is a step slow and he’s been uncharacteristically sloppy with the ball.  The latter he will likely clean up; the former won’t get better with age.

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