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USMNT Summer Call Ups


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GOALKEEPERS: Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 7/0), Zack Steffen (Manchester City/ENG; 29/0), Matt Turner (New England Revolution; 16/0)

DEFENDERS: George Bello (Arminia Bielefeld/GER; 6/0), Reggie Cannon (Boavista/POR; 24/1), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic/SCO; 8/0), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls; 23/3), Erik Palmer-Brown (Troyes/FRA; 3/0), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 25/2), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 0/0), DeAndre Yedlin (Inter Miami; 73/0), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; 28/3)

MIDFIELDERS: Kellyn Acosta (LAFC; 51/2), Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig/GER; 27/1), Luca de la Torre (Heracles/NED; 7/0), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 31/9), Djordje Mihailovic (CF Montreal/CAN; 6/1), Yunus Musah (Valencia/ESP; 16/0), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders; 31/0), Malik Tillman (Bayern Munich/GER; 0/0)

FORWARDS: Brenden Aaronson (Red Bull Salzburg/AUT; 18/5), Paul Arriola (FC Dallas; 44/9), Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas; 9/3), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders; 46/10), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea/ENG; 48/21), Tim Weah (Lille/FRA; 22/2), Haji Wright (Antalyaspor/TUR; 0/0)

With just 7 matches left until the first World Cup match, Coach Berhalter is still trying to figure out his game plan.  Yes there are too many players injured or recovering from injuries, including Miles Robinson out for the year, Dest, Reyna, Pefok, Richards and Sargent.  Pepi, last year's hope for a dangerous striker, isn't on the call up list.  He hasn't scored since October and "is being given a rest".  So now it looks like Ferreira is our next great hope.  He currently leads the MLS with 9 goals.  Haji Wright just might get some match action in this window, and who knows, maybe he will surface as the answer. 

I'm concerned about our Keeper situation.  Steffen has not been good, hasn't been consistently playing, and Turner likely will be relegated to the bench when he transfers at the end of June. 

Brooks is still in the dog house, and with M. Robinson's injury, Coach B needs to find Zimmerman's partner for the WC. 

Interested to see Malik Tillman, recently switching to the USMNT from Germany, being called in, and Mihalilovic also.  Djordje has been playing well for Montreal with 6 goals and 4 assists.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Competitive match last night against the 13th rank Uruguay team.  Both teams missed goal opportunities, so 0-0 was fitting.

We don't have a reliable #9 now, and we won't have a reliable #9 for the World Cup.  Time for Plan B, whatever that may be.

Sean Johnson moved up on my list to GK #2, behind Turner.  He was the Man of the Match.

Zimmerman is just a stud.  He has come from a non-roster player to an absolute lock for the first XI.  Long was okay. Scally didn't look ready for Prime Time.  

Yes, the next two matches should be easy W's, but it is time for Coach B to start playing his starting XI and top subs.  Thank you Palmer-Brown, Scally, Tillman, but your seat will be on the bench the rest of this build up campaign.

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27 minutes ago, HoosierPal said:

Competitive match last night against the 13th rank Uruguay team.  Both teams missed goal opportunities, so 0-0 was fitting.

We don't have a reliable #9 now, and we won't have a reliable #9 for the World Cup.  Time for Plan B, whatever that may be.

Sean Johnson moved up on my list to GK #2, behind Turner.  He was the Man of the Match.

Zimmerman is just a stud.  He has come from a non-roster player to an absolute lock for the first XI.  Long was okay. Scally didn't look ready for Prime Time.  

Yes, the next two matches should be easy W's, but it is time for Coach B to start playing his starting XI and top subs.  Thank you Palmer-Brown, Scally, Tillman, but your seat will be on the bench the rest of this build up campaign.

Agree with this. Alexi said before the game Pulisic and Aaronson on the wings with Weah as what he called a fake 9. I Agee with the concept and stated earlier except that I’d swap Aaronson and Weah. I love Weah on the wing he’s putting himself in that top group of what I’d call stars if Gio, Pulisic, McKennie, Adams, and Dest. I also just think how disruptive Aaronson would be to an opponents back line. Either way we have to figure out a solution. 

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Key point made this morning about attempting to implement a new system or tactical change, is the team only has 5 or so games to put into practice in a live game.  We may think these guys are so good that they should be able to, but changes like this, while simple on paper create changes in responsibilities for several players on the field.   Additionally, who exactly is our false 9 then and do we know if we have someone to play there effectively against top holding mid talent.

Lastly it was also noted how many World Cup teams won it without a star striker in a 9 position. If I remember correctly, France won with Giroud in 2018 and scored no goals, Germany called up a 36 yr old Klose to play up top, and Spain won in 2010 without a traditional forward.  To be sure, these teams had insane talent at midfield - Pogba, Mbappe, Iniesta, Xavi, etc - but the point was even World Cup winners did not have strong 9s and still won.  

Some of the ball movement by the US out of the back was impressive last night. Back passes scared me a bit but the boys really looked more composed trying to build out of the back.

 

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34 minutes ago, SLUBALLS said:

Key point made this morning about attempting to implement a new system or tactical change, is the team only has 5 or so games to put into practice in a live game.  We may think these guys are so good that they should be able to, but changes like this, while simple on paper create changes in responsibilities for several players on the field.   Additionally, who exactly is our false 9 then and do we know if we have someone to play there effectively against top holding mid talent.

Lastly it was also noted how many World Cup teams won it without a star striker in a 9 position. If I remember correctly, France won with Giroud in 2018 and scored no goals, Germany called up a 36 yr old Klose to play up top, and Spain won in 2010 without a traditional forward.  To be sure, these teams had insane talent at midfield - Pogba, Mbappe, Iniesta, Xavi, etc - but the point was even World Cup winners did not have strong 9s and still won.  

Some of the ball movement by the US out of the back was impressive last night. Back passes scared me a bit but the boys really looked more composed trying to build out of the back.

 

You could make a real argument that Giroud is the best in the world at target man responsibilities - creating hold up play/winning aerial duels/etc.

 

Maybe I'm biased as someone who watches City every week, but you don't need a classic #9 anymore. We have enough talent that you can replace that with chance creating midfielders - something we also lack in our most talented players. I think you give Haji Wright a little more runout and see how that goes. You don't need one that scores goals in bunches imo - just one that helps retain possession and wins those aerial duels to win possession. 

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Okay, it was Grenada, a very much over matched Grenada, but Ferreria collected 4 goals last night.  He should have had a least 5, with a badly misplaced header in the first half.  His runs off the ball were pretty good, but again, this was against a team that wouldn't win much in any second division league.  Does this solve our 9 problem?  Not by any means.  But at least there is a small glimmer of hope. Hopefully actually hitting the back of the net will get Ferreria going.  He appears to be Berhalter's favorite 9, at least at this moment. 

It's hard to judge any players in this match.  Arriola and de la Torre as both made impressive runs with Arriola also hitting the net and providing a nifty assist to Ferreria.  I'm not sure Morris, Tillman or Bello punched their ticket for Quatar.  Roldan didn't get in until the match was decided and totally under control.

Berhalter commented that Wright and Horvath will play (start?) against El Salvador.  He rightfully said that the Grenada match wouldn't be a significant test for them.

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41 minutes ago, HoosierPal said:

Ethan Horvath, thank you and goodbye. Remember to return your jersey as you leave. 

That was a cluster f. The constant exaggerated falls and rolling around clutching whatever body part was barely touched is wearing me down. Every team does it to some extent even us, but Latin and South America is ridiculous. They are ruining the game I love  But, I guess if Lebron can do it why not everyone else. 

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1 minute ago, slufanskip said:

That was a cluster f. The constant exaggerated falls and rolling around clutching whatever body part was barely touched is wearing me down. Every team does it to some extent even us, but Latin and South America is ridiculous. They are ruining the game I love  But, I guess if Lebron can do it why not everyone else. 

Until embellishment starts to get penalized in whatever sport, Players will continue to do it because they are trying to win no matter what it takes. Period.

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7 minutes ago, RiseOfTheBillikens said:

Until embellishment starts to get penalized in whatever sport, Players will continue to do it because they are trying to win no matter what it takes. Period.

I understand why players do it & I understand it is extremely difficult for officials to police during the game.  Therefore, I'd be totally in favor of major professional sports leagues reviewing games after the fact for flopping / embellishment and issuing fines or even suspensions for multiple egregious instances by the same player.  

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14 minutes ago, slufanskip said:

That was a cluster f. The constant exaggerated falls and rolling around clutching whatever body part was barely touched is wearing me down. Every team does it to some extent even us, but Latin and South America is ridiculous. They are ruining the game I love  But, I guess if Lebron can do it why not everyone else. 

Mexico has been doing this same thing every time they play for as long as I can remember.

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