USMNT Thread: Wandering in the Wilderness

[rcon14]

Just now, LeeEvans said:

Totally agree. He's an average player at best on the international level but we don't really have any other options and he's been better that most of the crap that has been trotted out there for a long time. I like Villafana against the lower CONCACAF teams but the bigger national teams are going to eat him alive. The only option that is an improvement is Johnson though and they have, rightly, decided to play him where he is best. 

And I'm not even sure Johnson is actually that good of a defensive fullback. People talk about the Barcelona links after the 2014 WC (which were major BS IMO), but he got roasted pretty often in that tournament. None of Villafana, Greg Garza, DMB, or Tim Ream are particularly great options.

[LeeEvans]

1 minute ago, rcon14 said:

And I'm not even sure Johnson is actually that good of a defensive fullback. People talk about the Barcelona links after the 2014 WC (which were major BS IMO), but he got roasted pretty often in that tournament. None of Villafana, Greg Garza, DMB, or Tim Ream are particularly great options.

I think he (Johnson) is the best option but it's a waste of his true talent which is certainly still something the US need going forward. LB is going to be a problem certainly through the WC and probably after that. There isn't much you can do about it though, might as well utilize the players that you do have. 

[rcon14]

1 minute ago, LeeEvans said:

I think he (Johnson) is the best option but it's a waste of his true talent which is certainly still something the US need going forward. LB is going to be a problem certainly through the WC and probably after that. There isn't much you can do about it though, might as well utilize the players that you do have. 

Yeah, I like Arriola as a try-hard winger, but we really don't have a ton of wing talent on the senior team.

[PAW]

Pretty awful showing. If Mexico gets upset tonight, we are in big trouble. 

[amac]

Didn't see the whole game but from what I saw both Ream and a Cameron were awful and Howard probably could've saved first goal

Edited September 2, 2017 by amac

[PAW]

Down at half, might be in 5th place after tonight.

[LeeEvans]

What a soulless performance so far. 

[LeeEvans]

Bobby Wood, best wood.

[LeeEvans]

USA? 

Ends 1-1 but another worrying display. It's a much needed result but definitely not one that inspires confidence. 

[SalvadorsDeli]

God what an awful performance. Great finish from Bobby though.

Win our last 2 games and we're still ok but that requires us among other things to win away from home which we haven't done yet in the Hex. Lot of pressure to win that home game vs. a Panama side that has given us tons of trouble as well.

Likely playoff opponent is Australia which is no gimme. All-around difficult spot for us, six points to close this out is essential. 

[drd23]

21 minutes ago, BaltimoreTerp said:

Likely playoff opponent is Australia which is no gimme.

I wouldn't worry too much about us, we've been pretty poor over the past year or so outside of a couple of performances (like against Chile at the Confed Cup), partly because we don't have the quality of players and partly because our manager wants to play a style of game we don't on the whole have the technical ability to play

Most Australian soccer fans are dreading having to play either Honduras or the USA in a play-off

[rcon14]

A big problem for the US (aside from awful fullbacks aside from Yedlin) is that the back line and front line get too far apart and leave the MF wide open to get passed through. Our forwards want to press (because pretty much anyone with a proactive gameplan is trying to press relatively high) but our backline sits so deep trying to not allow players in behind that it leaves MB90 and whoever his partner is that game in a ton of 3 v 2 or 4 v 2 situations. To me, that's the main problem with the US right now. Either we are going to press teams, push our backline higher, and run an offside trap (which means never playing Omar or Zusi) or we're going to sit deep, be very defensive, and concede a lot of possession.

[SalvadorsDeli]

Sort of hokey but mostly on point from Lalas.

In other news, Erik Palmer-Brown is joining Man City in January. Won't get a work permit so he'll get his first of many loan moves right away. 

[LeeEvans]

I think he has a right to call out the lack of intensity in some of the performances but overall I think only Bradley is the one who deserves major criticism. He's been a shadow of himself and just lacks any of the energy and fight that once defined him. The other guys he called out are all in the final stretch of their careers, Dempsey, Howard and Cameron are 34, 38 and 32. Dempsey and Howard have been stalwarts for a decade and the talent just isn't there to replace them, to criticize them for getting old is a bit harsh. Cameron has never been anything more than an average defender and I don't think he's been any worse than he's been over his entire national team career. 

Basically the core of our national team Donovan, Dempsey, Bradley, Howard and Beasley have either retired, are near retirement or have taken a major step backwards and there is not the talent in the squad to replace it. Out of those guys we have one player who can truly claim to match their talent and even some of our less talented players who have recently retired, like Jones and Beckerman, we lack a replacement at the same talent level. The talent level in the squad is the lowest it has been in a long time. I think that can be a bit negated with a manager who instills discipline and passion but the lack of talent is also an issue. 

[PAW]

So the USMNT now has CBs signed with Man City, Chelsea, and Tottenham.  Now if only we can get some mids and forwards signing with clubs of that caliber. 

The fact that the talent level in the squad is so low shows how big of a failure the whole academy system has been.