Copa América

[SubbaBub]

I thought they played pretty well last night and for the group tbh but there are some glaring shortcomings some player related and some coaching.

1. Reyna needs to play 90 every game. Don't care who suffers. The kid creates opportunities. Between him and Pulisic we should be able to generate chances. Which leads me to...

2. No one on this freaking team has any idea what to do when the ball gets close to the box with the exceptions of CP and Robinson and those guys have 2.5 moves combined. AR runs down to the 6 and fires a mediocre cross hoping it hits a teammate. CP dribbles in from top left of the 18 looking for a right footed shot, except sometimes he slides the ball into the feet of an oak tree wearing a USA kit.

3. Not a single forward looks like they know what to do to position themselves to receive the ball in scoring position. Every one of them seemed shocked when the ball actually comes to them.

4. Same for set pieces. CPs placement is inconsistent and really only looking to bounce it off someone's head. See #3 above. Zero creativity in getting open.

5. Every midfielder, some worse than others, insist on holding/dribbling the ball for far too long, especially in the defensive and middle third. Last night was Exhibit A. That may work moat nights in Concacaf, but Uruguay was having none of it. Musah in the middle of the field and McKinnie down the right side were the ones I noticed most. Our best attacks were direct early balls in transition. This is GG"s fault. No reason this couldn't be fixed.

4. Scally played better than I've ever seen him play and still wasn't good enough to play that spot. I'd start playing Weah there immediately. Richards, I'm sorry, is horrible right now. Find someone else. Tim Ream has been a stud but is unlikely to maintain this form until 2026.

5. Turner has regressed since 2022, he needs to step it up, especially his distribution. His team needed him to do better on the goal last night. One of the Panama goals was gettable too.

6. Tactics. We still have a ton of box to box holding midfielders who contribute little to the build ups. Our best attacks bypass them completely and they are pretty interchangeable. I feel like this is another area a better coach could improve. Also, GG's very predictable clearly preplanned everyone get some minutes substitution patterns are a disservice. Balogan and Pepi have a combined expected goal rate of .47 and 1.3 respectively. Neither come.close to hitting that. FWIW, Sargent xG is .67 but he scores at a rate of .72. Wright hits his .49 number on the nose. You tell me who should be playing more. GG's pile of 80th minute subs aren't good enough for the WC. I'd rather see some specialists get s shot paired with guys who can play multiple spots for depth.

I don't think Marsch is necessarily much of an upgrade. The US in a home WC campaign should be able to find a big hitter looking for a two year WC campaign if they think the there is enough talent and the money is right. Klinsmann wasn't a good enough program manager to get the buy in from the American based players. Most of these guys play in Europe now for real managers. I feel they would fall in line for a big name.

 

[meyers7]

Not quite 20 years ago, when I was working in Westchester, my son (soon to 29) was first playing rec league soccer and there was a training facility that had a sign quoting Johan Cryuff that said something like "I didn't learn football skills playing for the junior national team, I learned playing in the streets". When I was a kid, we played baseball all day, every day during the summer. Most of the best (American) football players and basketball players learn the sport playing pickup games in yards or on pavement courts. I really don't believe there are many kids who get together and start playing soccer without coaches and parents supplying orange slices every fifteen minutes when a break is called.

I have a laundry list of fundamental flaws within the US system of developing a national soccer team, that this sport has the exclusivity it has (which among other things eliminates players becoming dedicated as a path out of poverty) in the dfevelopmental stages is very high on the list.

You know we say that a lot, but I don't think I've seen that in 10-15 years. Ok maybe, maybe at the U5 / U6 age levels. But nowadays, kids under about 10ish aren't allowed to run around by themselves throughout the neighborhood anyway.

 

[SubbaBub]

True, this group may not be much better, but then "lesser" teams did more. We may not have always looked "pretty" doing it, but back in the day, we got results (some). 2010 we topped the group with England/Slovenia/Algeria. 2014 we got out of a group with Germany/Portugal/Ghana. 2002 , we were a handball away from a semi-final. And now, we can't get out of a group with Uruguay/Panama/Bolivia. (Panama and Bolivia - that's not Slovenia/Algeria/Portugal/Ghana).

What's disappointing is this group has more talent. Those teams won on grit alone and simple gameplay to put hustle everyone and hope for a set pieces or a moment of quality from a very few individuals (Donovan, Dempsey, McBride) or a crash of bodies into the penalty area to ping pong one in.

The group can actually play out of the back and move the ball up field. They fail to create and finish chances in the final third, turn the ball over in bad spots and lose their man too often but some of that is going to happen, the aren't a top 5 side. But they are a top 15 side. They should be better.

 

[SubbaBub]

Marsch and Jim Curtin are the best American managers.

But according to the Athletic there are only two jobs Jurgen Klopp will consider.

One is obviously Germany and the other is USA.

Federation needs to make this happen.

I was thinking Klopp would do it if he thought he has enough talent to make the quarterfinals at least. He's not coming if losing before the round of 32 is a possibility.

 

[businesslawyer]

Marsch and Jim Curtin are the best American managers.

But according to the Athletic there are only two jobs Jurgen Klopp will consider.

One is obviously Germany and the other is USA.

Federation needs to make this happen.

Per Charley Stillatano this morning on Sirius XM, Klopp walked away from about $15M a year at Liverpool because he was burned out, and the U.S. pays Berhalter about $2.3M. Don't hold your breath. Same with the other big name Europeans who we know are on your list.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Not quite 20 years ago, when I was working in Westchester, my son (soon to 29) was first playing rec league soccer and there was a training facility that had a sign quoting Johan Cryuff that said something like "I didn't learn football skills playing for the junior national team, I learned playing in the streets". When I was a kid, we played baseball all day, every day during the summer. Most of the best (American) football players and basketball players learn the sport playing pickup games in yards or on pavement courts. I really don't believe there are many kids who get together and start playing soccer without coaches and parents supplying orange slices every fifteen minutes when a break is called.

I have a laundry list of fundamental flaws within the US system of developing a national soccer team, that this sport has the exclusivity it has (which among other things eliminates players becoming dedicated as a path out of poverty) in the dfevelopmental stages is very high on the list.

I tend to agree but I don't know how we fix this. No organization can fix that. It's cultural. That's where creativity and skill are created. I'm sure our guys get the basics, obviously they make money professionally. But we don't seem to generate players who have that extra something. CP is closest, but not really. Reyna flashed some of that which is why I agree with @SubbaBub he needs to play.

As to our national identity, we need to find something and stick with it. Instill it early on.

 

[Waquoit]

Per Charley Stillatano this morning on Sirius XM, Klopp walked away from about $15M a year at Liverpool because he was burned out, and the U.S. pays Berhalter about $2.3M. Don't hold your breath. Same with the other big name Europeans who we know are on your list.

So pony up! They have the money. Consider it an investment.

 

[Chin Diesel]

The passing is atrocious. The ability to cleanly receive balls is atrocious. Balls bouncing off guys' feet, balls delivered to nobody or to the other team. I

Admittedly, I don't watch but a few games a year, but that observation seems to smack me in the face every time I watch the US play. They can't pass worth a damn. It is very rare for an attacking US player to receive a pass in stride.
Heck the goalie kicked one or two out of bounds last night with no pressure on him. All that green grass and all those players and he kicks it out of play.

 

[businesslawyer]

So pony up! They have the money. Consider it an investment.

To be clear, the USSF is a non-profit. It's not like they simply have to cut dividends. Presumably they have to not fund other things in order to pay the delta. It's great you have the knowledge to know it's not a problem. I don't have that knowledge.

 

[ZooCougar]

I was thinking Klopp would do it if he thought he has enough talent to make the quarterfinals at least. He's not coming if losing before the round of 32 is a possibility.

It’s literally one of two jobs he is willing to get off the couch for.

 

[ZooCougar]

To be clear, the USSF is a non-profit. It's not like they simply have to cut dividends. Presumably they have to not fund other things in order to pay the delta. It's great you have the knowledge to know it's not a problem. I don't have that knowledge.

At $500 a ticket and a huge pile of cash in the bank that’s an awfully profitable non profit.

 

[LIuconn]

Brutal loss for Canada and Tajon

Canadian midfielder Buchanan suffers injury in training at Copa America - TSN.ca

Team Canada midfielder Tajon Buchanan was taken away in an ambulance after a suffering a lower-leg injury at practice on Tuesday ahead of the team’s quarter-final match at Copa America.

www.tsn.ca

 

[ZooCougar]

Per Charley Stillatano this morning on Sirius XM, Klopp walked away from about $15M a year at Liverpool because he was burned out, and the U.S. pays Berhalter about $2.3M. Don't hold your breath. Same with the other big name Europeans who we know are on your list.

I heard that too.

But Gregg Berhalter is not Jurgen Klopp. And coaching two matches a week in a club is a different thing than being a NT manager.

The USSF is literally printing money. Do you realize how much they rob families each year?

They have it. It’s just a matter of them being willing to spend it.

 

[ZooCougar]

Admittedly, I don't watch but a few games a year, but that observation seems to smack me in the face every time I watch the US play. They can't pass worth a damn. It is very rare for an attacking US player to receive a pass in stride.
Heck the goalie kicked one or two out of bounds last night with no pressure on him. All that green grass and all those players and he kicks it out of play.

He is literally the worst starting keeper we have ever had. Were used to having near world class keepers.

If our players couldn’t receive passes in stride then they wouldn’t be playing in Europe.

The problem lies in the manager and the players not being comfortable in this “system”.

 

[ZooCougar]

I thought they played pretty well last night and for the group tbh but there are some glaring shortcomings some player related and some coaching.

1. Reyna needs to play 90 every game. Don't care who suffers. The kid creates opportunities. Between him and Pulisic we should be able to generate chances. Which leads me to...

2. No one on this freaking team has any idea what to do when the ball gets close to the box with the exceptions of CP and Robinson and those guys have 2.5 moves combined. AR runs down to the 6 and fires a mediocre cross hoping it hits a teammate. CP dribbles in from top left of the 18 looking for a right footed shot, except sometimes he slides the ball into the feet of an oak tree wearing a USA kit.

3. Not a single forward looks like they know what to do to position themselves to receive the ball in scoring position. Every one of them seemed shocked when the ball actually comes to them.

4. Same for set pieces. CPs placement is inconsistent and really only looking to bounce it off someone's head. See #3 above. Zero creativity in getting open.

5. Every midfielder, some worse than others, insist on holding/dribbling the ball for far too long, especially in the defensive and middle third. Last night was Exhibit A. That may work moat nights in Concacaf, but Uruguay was having none of it. Musah in the middle of the field and McKinnie down the right side were the ones I noticed most. Our best attacks were direct early balls in transition. This is GG"s fault. No reason this couldn't be fixed.

4. Scally played better than I've ever seen him play and still wasn't good enough to play that spot. I'd start playing Weah there immediately. Richards, I'm sorry, is horrible right now. Find someone else. Tim Ream has been a stud but is unlikely to maintain this form until 2026.

5. Turner has regressed since 2022, he needs to step it up, especially his distribution. His team needed him to do better on the goal last night. One of the Panama goals was gettable too.

6. Tactics. We still have a ton of box to box holding midfielders who contribute little to the build ups. Our best attacks bypass them completely and they are pretty interchangeable. I feel like this is another area a better coach could improve. Also, GG's very predictable clearly preplanned everyone get some minutes substitution patterns are a disservice. Balogan and Pepi have a combined expected goal rate of .47 and 1.3 respectively. Neither come.close to hitting that. FWIW, Sargent xG is .67 but he scores at a rate of .72. Wright hits his .49 number on the nose. You tell me who should be playing more. GG's pile of 80th minute subs aren't good enough for the WC. I'd rather see some specialists get s shot paired with guys who can play multiple spots for depth.

I don't think Marsch is necessarily much of an upgrade. The US in a home WC campaign should be able to find a big hitter looking for a two year WC campaign if they think the there is enough talent and the money is right. Klinsmann wasn't a good enough program manager to get the buy in from the American based players. Most of these guys play in Europe now for real managers. I feel they would fall in line for a big name.

The USSF is so bad that it will reject any big Coach who wants to shock the system.

To fix soccer they have to change the business model. And that means less profits.

 

[Kolumbo]

USMNT Only has some good posts.

 

[HuskyHawk]

USMNT Only has some good posts.

It's pretty clear we aren't going to get a fair shake in any competition in this hemisphere.

 

[Excalibur]

USMNT Only has some good posts.

Even better was Pulisic inviting the referee to join Uruguay's celebration . . .

 

[Kolumbo]

Ecuador ties Argentina 1-1 in stoppage time. Off to PK's. Argentina spends way too much time writhing on the ground. On the scoring play, an Argentina player was on the ground because his own player ran into him.

 

[LIuconn]

And they had a free header to win it too!

 

[Jaker]

Columbia has looked the best in this tourney so far.

 

[Palatine]