OT: USMNT

[HoosierPal]

Time for a new thread on the USMNT, as a new cycle has begun.  Last night's friendly against Serbia's B team wasn't all that significant.  Yes, a win or draw would be better than a loss, but with 13 new players on the squad and only two full practices, you get what you get. Seven starters earned their first cap for the US.   I was looking more at individual effort than team flow.

For my two cents, Cade Cowell was Mr. Excitement.  He was fearless going 1 v 1, hit each post and sent a screamer of a cross that should have been netted.

Julian Gressel's pass to Brandon Vazquez was what I wish we had seen in the WC.  Yes, our #9 actually scored!  Gressel is 29, in November became a US citizen, so I don't know what his future is with the USMNT. Vazquez 20 yard header was with pace and perfectly timed.

Zendejas looked like he was playing for himself in the first half, constantly out of position, but in the second half he showed what the hype is all about.

18 year old Gaga Slonina was in goal (the youngest goalie to ever appear for the USMNT) and had some nice moments, including one sequence in which he was kicked in the head while pushing a ball off the line -- and wasn't really to blame for either of Serbia's goals. Will he rise to our #1 goalie by 2026?  Too early to tell.

Cowell, Vazques, Zendejas and Gomez (he was shaky) are all dual eligible for Mexico and US.  All four started, which seems to me a message sent, "Yea, we want you".  Whoever takes the reigns as Coach needs to anchor these four down to the US.

 

 

 

[Taj79]

Suggest you start this thread on the USMNT Web Page or elsewhere.

[Cowboy II]

10 minutes ago, Taj79 said:

Suggest you start this thread on the USMNT Web Page or elsewhere.

-lmao, you giving grief to someone on starting threads

[wgstl]

27 minutes ago, HoosierPal said:

Time for a new thread on the USMNT, as a new cycle has begun.  Last night's friendly against Serbia's B team wasn't all that significant.  Yes, a win or draw would be better than a loss, but with 13 new players on the squad and only two full practices, you get what you get. Seven starters earned their first cap for the US.   I was looking more at individual effort than team flow.

For my two cents, Cade Cowell was Mr. Excitement.  He was fearless going 1 v 1, hit each post and sent a screamer of a cross that should have been netted.

Julian Gressel's pass to Brandon Vazquez was what I wish we had seen in the WC.  Yes, our #9 actually scored!  Gressel is 29, in November became a US citizen, so I don't know what his future is with the USMNT. Vazquez 20 yard header was with pace and perfectly timed.

Zendejas looked like he was playing for himself in the first half, constantly out of position, but in the second half he showed what the hype is all about.

18 year old Gaga Slonina was in goal (the youngest goalie to ever appear for the USMNT) and had some nice moments, including one sequence in which he was kicked in the head while pushing a ball off the line -- and wasn't really to blame for either of Serbia's goals. Will he rise to our #1 goalie by 2026?  Too early to tell.

Cowell, Vazques, Zendejas and Gomez (he was shaky) are all dual eligible for Mexico and US.  All four started, which seems to me a message sent, "Yea, we want you".  Whoever takes the reigns as Coach needs to anchor these four down to the US.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[wgstl]

22 minutes ago, Taj79 said:

Suggest you start this thread on the USMNT Web Page or elsewhere.

considering how much SLU has done for the USMNT...

[HoosierPal]

5 minutes ago, wgstl said:

 

WOW.  So is Ms. Reyna taking over?

 

 

[Littlebill]

33 minutes ago, HoosierPal said:

Time for a new thread on the USMNT, as a new cycle has begun.  Last night's friendly against Serbia's B team wasn't all that significant.  Yes, a win or draw would be better than a loss, but with 13 new players on the squad and only two full practices, you get what you get. Seven starters earned their first cap for the US.   I was looking more at individual effort than team flow.

For my two cents, Cade Cowell was Mr. Excitement.  He was fearless going 1 v 1, hit each post and sent a screamer of a cross that should have been netted.

Julian Gressel's pass to Brandon Vazquez was what I wish we had seen in the WC.  Yes, our #9 actually scored!  Gressel is 29, in November became a US citizen, so I don't know what his future is with the USMNT. Vazquez 20 yard header was with pace and perfectly timed.

Zendejas looked like he was playing for himself in the first half, constantly out of position, but in the second half he showed what the hype is all about.

18 year old Gaga Slonina was in goal (the youngest goalie to ever appear for the USMNT) and had some nice moments, including one sequence in which he was kicked in the head while pushing a ball off the line -- and wasn't really to blame for either of Serbia's goals. Will he rise to our #1 goalie by 2026?  Too early to tell.

Cowell, Vazques, Zendejas and Gomez (he was shaky) are all dual eligible for Mexico and US.  All four started, which seems to me a message sent, "Yea, we want you".  Whoever takes the reigns as Coach needs to anchor these four down to the US.

I haven't watched the game yet, but I know they really like Vasquez in Cincinnati. Cowell has been "up next" for the last couple years. Already has 81 apps for SJ before turning 20 AND he doesn't turn 20 until the end of the regular season

[BC1764]

31 minutes ago, Taj79 said:

Suggest you start this thread on the USMNT Web Page or elsewhere.

This isn’t Billikensmen’sbasketball.com

[brianstl]

59 minutes ago, wgstl said:

 

 

 

Like I said when the investigation was announced, the USSF investigation of the USMNT is about much more than just the 30 year old Berhalter stuff.  Far more recent stuff.  The Reynas aren't the only people that were bringing stuff to the USSF and not all of it revolved around Berhalter.  Berhalter was just smart PR wise and made sure the one thing that paints him as a sympathetic figure got out there in the media.

[HoosierPal]

MLS website says Stewart is returning to Netherlands with PSV. And he will remain for a couple more weeks. So is his departure voluntary? Also same article, new coach timeline is the end of this summer. 

[HoosierPal]

https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/gregg-berhalters-time-as-usmnt-coach-could-be-over-ussf-president-cindy-parlow-cone-calls-for-clean-canvas/

A couple of interesting issues in this article.  

U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone said that Gregg Berhalter remains a candidate for the current U.S. men's national team coaching vacancy, but hinted that the upcoming cycle should be viewed as a "clean canvas."

Yeah.  Berhalter is toast.

Parlow Cone shared that she was aware of McBride's decision to step away prior to the World Cup while Stewart's was an opportunity that he couldn't refuse to return home to his birth country, so he was released from his contract to take that opportunity. 

You have to read this as both wanted out.    @brianstl how deep does this go if everyone is bailing?

USMNT interim coach Anthony Hudson, who coached the team in the 2-1 loss to Serbia on Wednesday night, will remain in charge until the coach is picked.

Good luck with this.  They better be paying Hudson big bucks for him to stay.

Parlow Cone expects the coaching vacancy to be filled "by the end of the summer."

There are one or two games in March that are important to get back to the CONCACAF League of Nations finals.  Berhalter and Hudson both will have other jobs by the end of the summer. 

 

 

[someoneelse]

I don't know anything, but I can't rule out McBride and Stewart jumped before they were pushed, and upper management was ok with that. They wanted a clean canvas and they got one.  Pure speculation, of course.  

[brianstl]

2 hours ago, HoosierPal said:

https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/gregg-berhalters-time-as-usmnt-coach-could-be-over-ussf-president-cindy-parlow-cone-calls-for-clean-canvas/

A couple of interesting issues in this article.  

U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone said that Gregg Berhalter remains a candidate for the current U.S. men's national team coaching vacancy, but hinted that the upcoming cycle should be viewed as a "clean canvas."

Yeah.  Berhalter is toast.

Parlow Cone shared that she was aware of McBride's decision to step away prior to the World Cup while Stewart's was an opportunity that he couldn't refuse to return home to his birth country, so he was released from his contract to take that opportunity. 

You have to read this as both wanted out.    @brianstl how deep does this go if everyone is bailing?

USMNT interim coach Anthony Hudson, who coached the team in the 2-1 loss to Serbia on Wednesday night, will remain in charge until the coach is picked.

Good luck with this.  They better be paying Hudson big bucks for him to stay.

Parlow Cone expects the coaching vacancy to be filled "by the end of the summer."

There are one or two games in March that are important to get back to the CONCACAF League of Nations finals.  Berhalter and Hudson both will have other jobs by the end of the summer. 

 

 

Supposedly, multiple players filed official complaints against multiple staff members.  Don't know if Stewart and McBride had complaints filed against them.  Berhalter wasn't the only one, but supposedly Reyna wasn't the only person that filed against Berhalter.   Verbal and mental abuse was what I heard the complaints were about.  Don't know if there is anything to it or if it is what happens at youth soccer programs across the country when things don't go the way some people want just happening with the national team.  Could be a toxic environment or it could just be the program having way too many divas.  Either one isn't exactly great.

[Lord Elrond]

9 minutes ago, brianstl said:

Supposedly, multiple players filed official complaints against multiple staff members.  Don't know if Stewart and McBride had complaints filed against them.  Berhalter wasn't the only one, but supposedly Reyna wasn't the only person that filed against Berhalter.   Verbal and mental abuse was what I heard the complaints were about.  Don't know if there is anything to it or if it what happens at youth soccer programs across the country when things don't go the way some people want just happening with the national team.  Could be a toxic environment or it could just be the program having way too many divas.  Either one isn't exactly great.

Or both a toxic environment and way too many divas…

[HoosierPal]

46 minutes ago, brianstl said:

Supposedly, multiple players filed official complaints against multiple staff members.  Don't know if Stewart and McBride had complaints filed against them.  Berhalter wasn't the only one, but supposedly Reyna wasn't the only person that filed against Berhalter.   Verbal and mental abuse was what I heard the complaints were about.  Don't know if there is anything to it or if it is what happens at youth soccer programs across the country when things don't go the way some people want just happening with the national team.  Could be a toxic environment or it could just be the program having way too many divas.  Either one isn't exactly great.

Geez.  My coaches always let me know when I screwed up.  I ran many extra laps, did countless extra sit ups and pushups as punishment, in my athletic career.  Is that now abuse?

Separately, what do you know about Cindy Parlow Cone?  

[brianstl]

9 minutes ago, HoosierPal said:

Geez.  My coaches always let me know when I screwed up.  I ran many extra laps, did countless extra sit ups and pushups as punishment, in my athletic career.  Is that now abuse?

Separately, what do you know about Cindy Parlow Cone?  

Nothing.

[brianstl]

15 minutes ago, HoosierPal said:

Geez.  My coaches always let me know when I screwed up.  I ran many extra laps, did countless extra sit ups and pushups as punishment, in my athletic career.  Is that now abuse?

Separately, what do you know about Cindy Parlow Cone?  

There is no need for the Junction Boys to ever happen again.  It just seems we swung so far the other way.  A little bit of that stuff helps you build character and mental toughness.  Who knows if we will ever find out what really happened.  

[HoosierPal]

Now Reyna stepping out as Sporting  Director  at Austin FC but will remain as an advisor.  A lot of smoke today coming from the US Soccer world.  Where is the fire?

This is really getting weird. 

https://www.si.com/soccer/2023/01/27/claudio-reyna-austin-fc-steps-down-sporting-director-gio-usmnt-berhalter

[Lord Elrond]

Is this the US Men’s National Soccer Team, or is it the setting for a cheap soap opera?  We need to move away from the off field stuff, and concentrate on the what we put on the field. 

[Pistol]

35 minutes ago, Lord Elrond said:

Is this the US Men’s National Soccer Team, or is it the setting for a cheap soap opera?  We need to move away from the off field stuff, and concentrate on the what we put on the field. 

Maybe the best way to get rid of the soap opera and start operating like a business focused on the on-field product is to get rid of the nepotistic club that has been running the program. Too much nonsense lately. This generation can't be squandered. It was time to clean house.

[Lord Elrond]

9 hours ago, Pistol said:

Maybe the best way to get rid of the soap opera and start operating like a business focused on the on-field product is to get rid of the nepotistic club that has been running the program. Too much nonsense lately. This generation can't be squandered. It was time to clean house.

Very logical! A housecleaning was due, and maybe overdue.

[TheA_Bomb]

Pumped for this game tomorrow.  I will invite some local friends/coworkers to do the American thing to grill hamburgers and hot dogs to then watch the game. 

I considered watching at a local Sports bar but it's safer not to. They kinda take this very seriously RIP Andres Escobar. 

 

I'll still represent at the gym in my USMNT shirt.

[wgstl]

8 minutes ago, TheA_Bomb said:

Pumped for this game tomorrow.  I will invite some local friends/coworkers to do the American thing to grill hamburgers and hot dogs to then watch the game. 

I considered watching at a local Sports bar but it's safer not to. They kinda take this very seriously RIP Andres Escobar. 

 

I'll still represent at the gym in my USMNT shirt.

The Colombians here that go to the Amsterdam are the friendliest bunch. 

[Slu let the dogs out?]

1 hour ago, TheA_Bomb said:

Pumped for this game tomorrow.  I will invite some local friends/coworkers to do the American thing to grill hamburgers and hot dogs to then watch the game. 

I considered watching at a local Sports bar but it's safer not to. They kinda take this very seriously RIP Andres Escobar. 

 

I'll still represent at the gym in my USMNT shirt.

Last thing you need is a Colombian necktie over a friendly. As you know, this isn't Salina, KS.

[HoosierPal]

15 hours ago, Pistol said:

Maybe the best way to get rid of the soap opera and start operating like a business focused on the on-field product is to get rid of the nepotistic club that has been running the program. Too much nonsense lately. This generation can't be squandered. It was time to clean house.

Do you trust the USSF and their NY consultant, Sportsology, to 'get it right'.  I know very little about the USSF.  But looking them up, the President is Cindy Parlow Cone, 6 yr on the USWNT, served a two year term as Pres, and then voted into a 4 year term in 2020.  VP is Bill Taylor, Pres of the Idaho Youth Soccer Association, and then CEO/General Counsel JT Baston who played, coached and reffed youth soccer in Georgia.   There are Council members with USWNT and USMNT vets sprinkled in.  The MLS and NWSL are both represented.