under Klinsmann and under any coach will be debated, but I don't think I've ever seen as many players being put into positions that aren't their primary or best position. Klinsmann regularly has 3-4 people on the pitch who are playing out of position.
under Klinsmann and under any coach will be debated, but I don't think I've ever seen as many players being put into positions that aren't their primary or best position. Klinsmann regularly has 3-4 people on the pitch who are playing out of position.
That's just madness to me.
FMIC, these guys still can't keep possession. I thought of your comments during the first half.
was hired, I admit that I thought it was a good choice. I had bought into the idea he was going to change the culture of the team and take the US to the next level. And his initial moves made one think he would - more emphasis on training and some of the more sublime aspects of the game.
But as time goes on, it looks more and more like there's just a mad scientist experimenting without an endgame in mind. He seemed to put more effort into winning friendlies against the European powers instead of concentrating on domestic cups.
It is frustrating to know that US soccer has a large pool of talent to draw from and that Klinsmann is taking people and playing them out of position. Bradley being misused is criminal. Forcing certain guys to play out of position when there are better players at those positions not chosen to play or on the sidelines is also ridiculous.
I'm on the road so I missed the game entirely, but every knows my feelings since day one: Klinsmann is not a competent national team coach. The sins are too many to list, but along the most egregious are:
- Failure to properly use and understand MLS as a resource. A basic factor that is overlooked is that MLS's schedule is ideal for having players at peak fitness and sharpness for summer tournaments. People get hung up on the European leagues but forget that the Euro based players are usually exhausted by the time summer rolls around.
- Shoehorning players into incorrect positions. This has been pointed out ad maturation and needs no elaboration.
- Failure to land on a central CB pairing. Who the defenders will be is anyone's guess. Amateur level management in this area.
- Failure to establish any type of system or philosophy. This is the worst one because by now there should be in place a philosophy that permeates down to the youth levels.
If someone asked you what type of team the US is and what it seeks to accomplish, could you give a clear answer?
more or less over the Klinnsman debate. He isn't going anywhere, so there's no use in complaining about him.
I'd rather spend my energy being ecstatic about the 2h we had in dominating 12th ranked Ecuador. Nagbe was 33 of 33 in attempted vs completed passes yesterday. For those non math buffs out there, that's 100%. He didn't miss a single pass, and he also scored the winning goal.
The team had almost 60% possession in 2h, and Pulisic was a massive threat from all angles of the pitch. He may be our best attacking player right now.
I've been highly critical of Bobby Wood, but he looked excellent as well. I have yet to find something that Gyasi Zardes does better than Wood, who is now set to feature in the Budesliga.
Two players who got lost in the mix a little are John Brooks and Yedlin, who look like mainstays in the backline. With Cameron and Johnson already in the mix there, I think we have a steady, consistent back 4 that we can rely on.
If we field a:
Guzan
Yedlin-Cameron-Brooks-Johnson
Bradley
Nagbe-Bedoya(will probably be Jones)
Pulisic-Dempsey-Wood
I'd suggest checking out the interview Alexi Lalas did with Steve Sampson on his Mutant Gene podcast. All about the 1998 World Cup debacle from Sampson's perspective. Very informative, and I was left with the impression that though he'll never be considered Sampson would be an immediate improvement over Klinsmann.
I'd suggest checking out the interview Alexi Lalas did with Steve Sampson on his Mutant Gene podcast. All about the 1998 World Cup debacle from Sampson's perspective. Very informative, and I was left with the impression that though he'll never be considered Sampson would be an immediate improvement over Klinsmann.
That was a very interesting listen, as was Lalas' reaction to the interview in the subsequent podcast. A few thoughts:
-Alexi hits the nail on the head in regard to tactics. The National Team's play leading up the 98 WC was open and attacking, even against the big time South American teams. Sampson decided to change at the WC and adopt a defensive strategy and it was a complete disaster.
-On the Harkes/Wynalda affair issue. That's a tough situation for a coach to be put in. Sampson had to make a difficult choice but I'm not sure it was the right one for the team. Maybe he should have spoken to both players before determining how to proceed. It was a private matter but probably had a huge impact on team chemistry.
-Sampson's point about MLS was spot on. The early days of the league were ugly. The American stars had to come back for the league to survive but it caused many of them to regress as players and sustain injuries bc of poor fields and the rough style of play in the early MLS.
-Sampson should be blamed for the David Regis situation. I understand trying to have the best players possible but you can't just bring a new guy in a few months before the WC. Especially when he had the best LB in USMNT history already on the roster. Regis was not a huge upgrade over Jeff Agoos and I'm sure it pissed the players off that the guy who they have played next to for the entire cycle was ousted for a shiny new toy.
-The part about Iran's coach was hilarious. Jalal Talebi was told to play-up the political dislike between the two nations as motivation (not to mention the players passports being confiscated at half-time.) Did the Iranian players know their coach had been living in California since the 80's?
I don't love it, but I think it's best with Wood coming in for Dempsey late and Bradley box-to-box, with Pulisic coming inside often while Zardes is more of a true winger.
He did an admirable job there against Belgium if I'm not mistaken.
That said, for the sake of getting our best XI on the field, I think Cameron needs to play CB. Cameron is clearly our no. 1 CB when healthy, and we have other guys who can do thejob at CDM.
We have to have better wide options than Zardes and Zusi.
FFS.
He does like older. He will hopefully play there for 15 years.
I thought the played well the last 15
Get rid of Jones, get rid of Beckerman.
Also, Wood and Pulisic need to start over Zardes and Zusi, but that won't happen.
Get rid of Jones, get rid of Beckerman.
Also, Wood and Pulisic need to start over Zardes and Zusi, but that won't happen.
Absolutely agree. I'm willing to settle with Jones in over Bedoya as Klinsmann won't bench a healthy Jones.
Dempsey shouldn't be up to and should be the attacking midfielder.
That's just madness to me.
That's just madness to me.
FMIC, these guys still can't keep possession. I thought of your comments during the first half.
But as time goes on, it looks more and more like there's just a mad scientist experimenting without an endgame in mind. He seemed to put more effort into winning friendlies against the European powers instead of concentrating on domestic cups.
It is frustrating to know that US soccer has a large pool of talent to draw from and that Klinsmann is taking people and playing them out of position. Bradley being misused is criminal. Forcing certain guys to play out of position when there are better players at those positions not chosen to play or on the sidelines is also ridiculous.
- Failure to properly use and understand MLS as a resource. A basic factor that is overlooked is that MLS's schedule is ideal for having players at peak fitness and sharpness for summer tournaments. People get hung up on the European leagues but forget that the Euro based players are usually exhausted by the time summer rolls around.
- Shoehorning players into incorrect positions. This has been pointed out ad maturation and needs no elaboration.
- Failure to land on a central CB pairing. Who the defenders will be is anyone's guess. Amateur level management in this area.
- Failure to establish any type of system or philosophy. This is the worst one because by now there should be in place a philosophy that permeates down to the youth levels.
If someone asked you what type of team the US is and what it seeks to accomplish, could you give a clear answer?
I'd rather spend my energy being ecstatic about the 2h we had in dominating 12th ranked Ecuador. Nagbe was 33 of 33 in attempted vs completed passes yesterday. For those non math buffs out there, that's 100%. He didn't miss a single pass, and he also scored the winning goal.
The team had almost 60% possession in 2h, and Pulisic was a massive threat from all angles of the pitch. He may be our best attacking player right now.
I've been highly critical of Bobby Wood, but he looked excellent as well. I have yet to find something that Gyasi Zardes does better than Wood, who is now set to feature in the Budesliga.
Two players who got lost in the mix a little are John Brooks and Yedlin, who look like mainstays in the backline. With Cameron and Johnson already in the mix there, I think we have a steady, consistent back 4 that we can rely on.
If we field a:
Guzan
Yedlin-Cameron-Brooks-Johnson
Bradley
Nagbe-Bedoya(will probably be Jones)
Pulisic-Dempsey-Wood
lineup, we can be competitive in the Copas.
I think they can be great together.
That was a very interesting listen, as was Lalas' reaction to the interview in the subsequent podcast. A few thoughts:
-Alexi hits the nail on the head in regard to tactics. The National Team's play leading up the 98 WC was open and attacking, even against the big time South American teams. Sampson decided to change at the WC and adopt a defensive strategy and it was a complete disaster.
-On the Harkes/Wynalda affair issue. That's a tough situation for a coach to be put in. Sampson had to make a difficult choice but I'm not sure it was the right one for the team. Maybe he should have spoken to both players before determining how to proceed. It was a private matter but probably had a huge impact on team chemistry.
-Sampson's point about MLS was spot on. The early days of the league were ugly. The American stars had to come back for the league to survive but it caused many of them to regress as players and sustain injuries bc of poor fields and the rough style of play in the early MLS.
-Sampson should be blamed for the David Regis situation. I understand trying to have the best players possible but you can't just bring a new guy in a few months before the WC. Especially when he had the best LB in USMNT history already on the roster. Regis was not a huge upgrade over Jeff Agoos and I'm sure it pissed the players off that the guy who they have played next to for the entire cycle was ousted for a shiny new toy.
-The part about Iran's coach was hilarious. Jalal Talebi was told to play-up the political dislike between the two nations as motivation (not to mention the players passports being confiscated at half-time.) Did the Iranian players know their coach had been living in California since the 80's?
Fabian J - Besler - Brooks - Yedlin
Bradley - Cameron
Zardes - Nagbe - Pulisic
Dempsey
I don't love it, but I think it's best with Wood coming in for Dempsey late and Bradley box-to-box, with Pulisic coming inside often while Zardes is more of a true winger.
Link - ( New Window )
That said, for the sake of getting our best XI on the field, I think Cameron needs to play CB. Cameron is clearly our no. 1 CB when healthy, and we have other guys who can do thejob at CDM.