MNT's 2021

[businesslawyer]

Tottenham dodged a bullet if they actually wanted to sign him.

I watched him enough last season at Juve. He doesn’t have the ball skills to keep up with top flight serie A players. He’s very athletic and can score some highlight reel goals but he’s not going to be an offensive catalyst, at best a destroyer that can get the ball to a playmaker. For MNT purposes he’s good for Concacaf but Tyler Adams does what he does better than Weston at the moment.

Tottenham didn't dodge a bullet. No comment on what he's worth in dollars, but he's much better as a box to box destroyer than either Winks or Skipp.

 

[LIuconn]

The 3 of them aren’t at the level Tottenham needs to get back to top 4 status. Winks is the British Wil Trapp

 

[CardiacAndre7]

The 3 of them aren’t at the level Tottenham needs to get back to top 4 status. Winks is the British Wil Trapp

Skipp is a good player for the future

 

[ZooCougar]

Tottenham didn't dodge a bullet. No comment on what he's worth in dollars, but he's much better as a box to box destroyer than either Winks or Skipp.

If Tottenham signed him he would suck. Pretty sure Weston will have a great career now. This is the way.

 

[Waquoit]

He needs to mature a bit without losing his youthful enthusiasm.

 

[Viet Vet]

Most IMPACTFUL on their team's success (not "best", "valuable" or "popular") player in the history of the US Women's National Soccer Team?

I am torn between two........Abby Wambach and Hope Solo.

 

[upstater]

Most IMPACTFUL on their team's success (not "best", "valuable" or "popular") player in the history of the US Women's National Soccer Team?

I am torn between two........Abby Wambach and Hope Solo.

Mia Hamm or Michelle Akers. I know Wambach has more goals (& Wambach is a local favorite where I am and also played for the same local club as my girls currently do) but back when Akers was setting records, women's soccer was not the phenomenon it is now. They didn't play all these games. She did score at roughly the same rate Wambach did (.70 g per game) but it was at a time when US women were not yet a dominant force. Of course, the competition wasn't what it is today either, but that also is true for Wambach's era.

I only list Hamm because she was impactful as the face of the women's soccer, she drew so many American girls into the sport. I'm not sure that 99 team would've had anywhere near the same success if it didn't lean on her to be the superstar. There were not many options at that point, and Akers was only a shell of herself.

 

[upstater]

Sargent had another good game in the premier league, but his team is awful. He's playing with a bunch of old guys up top and all his brilliant moves and passes are going into dead space. Not his fault. But he's beating his guys consistently and doing the right things, aggressive in closing people down.

Berhalter has to figure out how to use Sargent properly because he really is our most talented person up front. It is clear and obvious to me by now. He needs the ball at his feet--not going to make the plays as a physical presence up top.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Sargent had another good game in the premier league, but his team is awful. He's playing with a bunch of old guys up top and all his brilliant moves and passes are going into dead space. Not his fault. But he's beating his guys consistently and doing the right things, aggressive in closing people down.

Berhalter has to figure out how to use Sargent properly because he really is our most talented person up front. It is clear and obvious to me by now. He needs the ball at his feet--not going to make the plays as a physical presence up top.

He isn‘t a target striker, yet that’s what Gregg wants. It goes back to what I said several pages back, too many of our guys are similar in the positions they can play and skills they have.

 

[Waquoit]

He isn‘t a target striker, yet that’s what Gregg wants.

Then Gregg should want something else, the putz.

 

[businesslawyer]

Given that Pulisic, Reyna and Aronson are the people behind the striker, in this case Berhalter wants exactly what he should want from a striker. He wants someone who is physical, can hold the ball to let the others get shots and, when given a shot, puts a decent percentage in the nets. A striker in a 4-2-3-1 more than a striker in a 4-3-3.

Sargent is not nearly so great at what he does that we should be building the team around his skills. The skills of Pepi and Pefok are a better fit at making Pulisic, Reyna, Aronson, Weah, etc. better. Period. None of that is a knock on Sargent, who is a good young player and I have no problem having start if he makes the team better than the others. But knocking Berhalter because he seems to want a Lukaku type forward is smacks of desperation. To the level that I expect Wisky to explain now how this all relates to what Donovan failed to do.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Mia Hamm or Michelle Akers. I know Wambach has more goals (& Wambach is a local favorite where I am and also played for the same local club as my girls currently do) but back when Akers was setting records, women's soccer was not the phenomenon it is now. They didn't play all these games. She did score at roughly the same rate Wambach did (.70 g per game) but it was at a time when US women were not yet a dominant force. Of course, the competition wasn't what it is today either, but that also is true for Wambach's era.

I only list Hamm because she was impactful as the face of the women's soccer, she drew so many American girls into the sport. I'm not sure that 99 team would've had anywhere near the same success if it didn't lean on her to be the superstar. There were not many options at that point, and Akers was only a shell of herself.

I played against Hamm in a friendly, co-ed scrimmage in college once as a CDM. I was a fair HS player and could have made a DIII team if I went that route. In College, I was in really good shape and could run with her and thought my strength would at least allow me to reamin on the pitch with her in a friendly. Nope. He ball skills were wild, but I was used to that. Whet put her at the next level was her field vision, which I always thought was a strenght of mine. It was like going straight from high school to MLB. Her timing on plays was insane. I would think we had her contained one second and then suddenly she was in a scoring postion with or wihout the ball. It was humbling. Oh, and she never really understood the idea of a friendly

PS - While they were different players, I always felt that Sarah Whalen was right-up with Hamm in quality and skill, but her crazy knee injury derailed her from reaching the same heights.

 

[ZooCougar]

I played against Hamm in a friendly, co-ed scrimmage in college once as a CDM. I was a fair HS player and could have made a DIII team if I went that route. In College, I was in really good shape and could run with her and thought my strength would at least allow me to reamin on the pitch with her in a friendly. Nope. He ball skills were wild, but I was used to that. Whet put her at the next level was her field vision, which I always thought was a strenght of mine. It was like going straight from high school to MLB. Her timing on plays was insane. I would think we had her contained one second and then suddenly she was in a scoring postion with or wihout the ball. It was humbling. Oh, and she never really understood the idea of a friendly

PS - While they were different players, I always felt that Sarah Whalen was right-up with Hamm in quality and skill, but her crazy knee injury derailed her from reaching the same heights.

That’s a cool story.

 

[ZooCougar]

Given that Pulisic, Reyna and Aronson are the people behind the striker, in this case Berhalter wants exactly what he should want from a striker. He wants someone who is physical, can hold the ball to let the others get shots and, when given a shot, puts a decent percentage in the nets. A striker in a 4-2-3-1 more than a striker in a 4-3-3.

Sargent is not nearly so great at what he does that we should be building the team around his skills. The skills of Pepi and Pefok are a better fit at making Pulisic, Reyna, Aronson, Weah, etc. better. Period. None of that is a knock on Sargent, who is a good young player and I have no problem having start if he makes the team better than the others. But knocking Berhalter because he seems to want a Lukaku type forward is smacks of desperation. To the level that I expect Wisky to explain now how this all relates to what Donovan failed to do.

It’s totally fair to hammer Berhalter for this. He’s wasting precious time and resources on something that we don’t have. And it’s verging on a fireable offense. Brian McBride isn’t walking through that door. And it took quite a while for McBride to get productive for us.

This guy sticks with failed ideas for way too long.

We need to keep Donovan and his negativity away from this team as much as possible. He did a few good things for the team but he’s not a steely eyed killer.

 

[ZooCougar]

Mia Hamm or Michelle Akers. I know Wambach has more goals (& Wambach is a local favorite where I am and also played for the same local club as my girls currently do) but back when Akers was setting records, women's soccer was not the phenomenon it is now. They didn't play all these games. She did score at roughly the same rate Wambach did (.70 g per game) but it was at a time when US women were not yet a dominant force. Of course, the competition wasn't what it is today either, but that also is true for Wambach's era.

I only list Hamm because she was impactful as the face of the women's soccer, she drew so many American girls into the sport. I'm not sure that 99 team would've had anywhere near the same success if it didn't lean on her to be the superstar. There were not many options at that point, and Akers was only a shell of herself.

I’m going with Hamm and Lloyd.

 

[businesslawyer]

It’s totally fair to hammer Berhalter for this. He’s wasting precious time and resources on something that we don’t have. And it’s verging on a fireable offense. Brian McBride isn’t walking through that door. And it took quite a while for McBride to get productive for us.

This guy sticks with failed ideas for way too long.

We need to keep Donovan and his negativity away from this team as much as possible. He did a few good things for the team but he’s not a steely eyed killer.

Sorry, I'm not sure what your point is. That he stuck with Sargent for way too long or he's stuck with not committing to Sargent for way too long? I'm not sure whether you're agreeing with me (but knocking Berhalter anywaybecause, you know, American soccer) or disagreeing with me

 

[Waquoit]

(but knocking Berhalter anyway because, you know, American soccer)

That's pretty close to what we call a freescooterism here on the Yard. The problem is American soccer blows but they they think they are doing it right. Reminds me of California pizza.

 

[ZooCougar]

Sorry, I'm not sure what your point is. That he stuck with Sargent for way too long or he's stuck with not committing to Sargent for way too long? I'm not sure whether you're agreeing with me (but knocking Berhalter anywaybecause, you know, American soccer) or disagreeing with me

He sticks to an idea that isn’t working for too long.

 

[ZooCougar]

That's pretty close to what we call a freescooterism here on the Yard. The problem is American soccer blows but they they think they are doing it right. Reminds me of California pizza.

Or middle school basketball players.

 

[businesslawyer]

He sticks to an idea that isn’t working for too long.

So you're saying that he stuck with Sargent for too long? (This really isn't a trick question. It shouldn't be so hard to just be clear.)

I'm not a huge Berhalter fan, but given the U.S.'s overall record since he took over, as well as the fact that we won our last game after an absurd starting lineup but the right changes having been made at halftime, it's a little hard to really make that case at this stage.

 

[ZooCougar]

So you're saying that he stuck with Sargent for too long? (This really isn't a trick question. It shouldn't be so hard to just be clear.)

I'm not a huge Berhalter fan, but given the U.S.'s overall record since he took over, as well as the fact that we won our last game after an absurd starting lineup but the right changes having been made at halftime, it's a little hard to really make that case at this stage.

And Zardes, and Adams at RB for starters

 

[ZooCougar]

Cut from an MLS team.

Starts against Real Madrid

MLS MLS MLS MLS MLS!

 

[upstater]

Cut from an MLS team.

Starts against Real Madrid

MLS MLS MLS MLS MLS!

He was actually cut from the academy after just one season. Not even MLS. This is worse because they saw no future in a kid who would one day go on to score a hat trick in the Bundesliga. These academies are loaded with kids who will one day go on to become bench players at lower D1 colleges.

 

[ZooCougar]

He was actually cut from the academy after just one season. Not even MLS. This is worse because they saw no future in a kid who would one day go on to score a hat trick in the Bundesliga. These academies are loaded with kids who will one day go on to become bench players at lower D1 colleges.

The Academy kinda is MLS. The play and practice together periodically or so they say.

 

[upstater]

The Academy kinda is MLS. The play and practice together periodically or so they say.

Eyeroll not at you, but at that claim.

Our club plays in the MLS leagues against the academies, and players get picked off to go play at the clubs all the time. They're told they're at that level, but it's a good recruiting mechanism to move halfway across the country when you're in your mid-teens. That being said, I have no doubt it's the highest level of soccer in the USA, and there are indeed world class players there. BUT--the fact that Hoppe got cut at one of the academies when there are so so so many average players--less than average--is startling. And by average I mean guys that don't see the field at lower D1. One D1 coach up here grabbed 2 kids sight unseen outside video (a D1 soccer coach travel budget isn't what you think it is) and then firmly planted them on the bench.