USMNT/ Honduras

[ZooCougar]

Most of the big guns are in camp for this one. Such as,Dempsey, Bradley, Zusi, Besler, Jones and it's stirred up controversy because some of these guys are in the hunt for the Supporter's Shield and some playoff spots/seeding.

I think to start out we'll see a shift back to the 4-4-2 Diamond Wide or a 4-2-3-1 to start the game and then maybe transistion back to the 4-3-3 if and when Dempsey gets subbed off. It's a tough one to predict because we are so narrow with so many attacking midfielders to choose from.

Altidore

Mix Dempsey Bedoya

Bradley Jones

Chandler Besler Gonzales Yedlin

Rimando

There has been a hint that JK might move Jones back to Center Back so don't be surprised if that experiment happens soon. JK is in love with the guy. He just makes teams better. New England has been a totally different team since he joined, having seen them in person, let me say that he pretty much runs the show on the field for them. He tells the keeper where to put the ball and everything and he still plays like he is 28.

 

[ZooCougar]

I think Gonzo went back to LA. So sub Orozco for Gonzo.

 

[SAMCRO]

Caught the 2nd half of this one....what a lackluster performance capped off by conceding yet another late goal for a draw. Was the 1st half any better?

 

[ZooCougar]

Caught the 2nd half of this one....what a lackluster performance capped off by conceding yet another late goal for a draw. Was the 1st half any better?

Not really, either Dempsey, Zusi, and a few others are exhausted or they just mailed it in. This was a total waste of a friendly. We don't play a competitive match until next June.

Basically we looked like hot garbage.

 

[BlueMAB]

We looked lively for 10 minutes. That's when we scored. From that point on, we basically mailed it in. It didn't help that JK is tinkering with position changes. Mix was the defensive midfielder with Bradley playing attacking center mid.

But Bradley is obviously not comfortable in that role. The one or two times he pushed up we nearly created a goal, I can see why JK wants him up there. Unfortunately, Bradley would much rather play defensive mid and he spent nearly the entire game showing that. He was practically a center back for much of the second half.

Jermaine Jones did surprisingly well, but if he is JK's long term plan for center back, I'm not sure he's got enough pace for that.

 

[Husky25]

Jones can't play midfield and make the World Cup squad in 2018. He'll be 36 by then and doesn't have the legs.

I don't recall if it was Darke or Twellman who mentioned Beckerman but he's in the same boat. The US loses a lot of experience by the time Russia roles around. Gotta get the youth some big time experience in there.

 

[meyers7]

We didn't look too bad in the first half. But pretty poor in the second. Didn't think Bradley had a very good game. Really don't like him in that #10 position. Diskerud was probably best player for USA. He seems to make a lot of things happen. Dempsey didn't look like he really wanted to be there. Zusi was a non factor. Bedoya played pretty well. Garza is starting to grow on me. An upgrade over Castillo and Co who we've tried out there at LB.

I think I could live with Jones as a B/U CB, but if he's starting for us, not so good.

 

[ZooCougar]

We didn't look too bad in the first half. But pretty poor in the second. Didn't think Bradley had a very good game. Really don't like him in that #10 position. Diskerud was probably best player for USA. He seems to make a lot of things happen. Dempsey didn't look like he really wanted to be there. Zusi was a non factor. Bedoya played pretty well. Garza is starting to grow on me. An upgrade over Castillo and Co who we've tried out there at LB.

I think I could live with Jones as a B/U CB, but if he's starting for us, not so good.

JK has some weird ideas. Mix/Bradley is like square peg/round hole. Both of those players looked uncomfortable last night.

I thought that calling up Bradley and company was a waste, probably could have gotten another evaluation in for the new guys. We already know what the old guys can do. And they clearly didn't want to be there. As intrusive as the international dates have become, MLS really should observe them.

 

[SAMCRO]

I'm fine with tinkering now, hopefully he is sorting out what needs to be sorted out. They've got Ireland in November, and that is an 8 day window to play for country, I'm guessing it is too late to schedule an additional friendly in Western Europe during that window. For 2015 the "Official or Friendly Matches" dates are March 23-31 and June 8-16, so an opportunity to schedule maybe 4 matches leading into Gold Cup action in July. Use November and March to tinker and June to gel.

 

[ZooCougar]

I'm fine with tinkering now, hopefully he is sorting out what needs to be sorted out. They've got Ireland in November, and that is an 8 day window to play for country, I'm guessing it is too late to schedule an additional friendly in Western Europe during that window. For 2015 the "Official or Friendly Matches" dates are March 23-31 and June 8-16, so an opportunity to schedule maybe 4 matches leading into Gold Cup action in July. Use November and March to tinker and June to gel.

I think Jones at CB makes sense. But the Mix/Bradley thing is just insane. Neither player looks natural in those slots. JK thinks Bradley is his best player but he is best playing behind the attackers.

So there is tinkering, and then there is foolery. Some of this is a bit of that.

 

[ZooCougar]

And Besler has a jacked up hamstring..Great.

 

[ZooCougar]

I'm fine with tinkering now, hopefully he is sorting out what needs to be sorted out. They've got Ireland in November, and that is an 8 day window to play for country, I'm guessing it is too late to schedule an additional friendly in Western Europe during that window. For 2015 the "Official or Friendly Matches" dates are March 23-31 and June 8-16, so an opportunity to schedule maybe 4 matches leading into Gold Cup action in July. Use November and March to tinker and June to gel.

USMNT will play Croatian at Craven Cottage on 12 NOV.

Also would be cool to see a few of our guys loaned to Fulham over the winter to help them out.

 

[SAMCRO]

USMNT will play Croatian at Craven Cottage on 12 NOV.

Also would be cool to see a few of our guys loaned to Fulham over the winter to help them out.

Sweet, did they just add that match or has it been scheduled for a bit?

 

[ZooCougar]

Sweet, did they just add that match or has it been scheduled for a bit?

Just added. Makes sense. Fulham was basically America's Premier League side for a while, American owner, there is a bar in the stadium named after some dude named Brian McBride, that same guy is on their search panel to hire a new manager.

 

[SAMCRO]

Just added. Makes sense. Fulham was basically America's Premier League side for a while, American owner, there is a bar in the stadium named after some dude named Brian McBride, that same guy is on their search panel to hire a new manager.

I like that JK is lining up WC or near WC quality opponants for these friendlies. He was trying to get a game with Colombia before settling on Honduras, now adding Croatia in addition to Ireland. He's raising the bar preparing for Russia. I expect to see a lot of "friendlies" played on european soil as the USMNT ramps up for 2018.

 

[ZooCougar]

I like that JK is lining up WC or near WC quality opponants for these friendlies. He was trying to get a game with Colombia before settling on Honduras, now adding Croatia in addition to Ireland. He's raising the bar preparing for Russia. I expect to see a lot of "friendlies" played on european soil as the USMNT ramps up for 2018.

Croatia can be really good. This will be a tough test. MLS will be observing that international break, so you can expect that he will cast a pretty wide net for those call ups.

 

[SAMCRO]

Croatia can be really good. This will be a tough test. MLS will be observing that international break, so you can expect that he will cast a pretty wide net for those call ups.

Be sure to order your drone and American flag to fly into the stadium. The Croatians love that.

 

[SubbaBub]

I think Jones at CB makes sense. But the Mix/Bradley thing is just insane. Neither player looks natural in those slots. JK thinks Bradley is his best player but he is best playing behind the attackers.

So there is tinkering, and then there is foolery. Some of this is a bit of that.

Definitely weird, but I don't discount the alignment as a mind game to remind both players of what they need to do to get better as players. During the game, both drifted to more familiar spaces on the field. Clearly, he want's Jones on the field, but I doubt he makes 2018. 2016 Copa America or even the 2015 Gold Cup (the important one) is his swan song. Also, a mind to Gonzo Cameron and Brooks.

 

[ZooCougar]

Don Garber attacked Jurgen Klinsmann today for his comments about the MLS. Clearly Don Garber had comprehension issues, because he wasn't bad mouthing league, he was just saying that that Dempsey and Bradley would be challenged in stay as sharp in what is basically a developmental league.