Arena The Old Title Was Way Too Long: USMNT/MLS Discussion

:-(

Man, do I hate Rafa Marquez

 

The US had a bad start due to the formation, they got many chances in the 2nd half but couldn't bury, especially that Bradley one why can't you PASS it to Wood?

 

is this kid even that good or is it just typical hype? liverpool expected to buy him in january or the summer window

 

He was ok, just need to build up more experience, but JK needs to improve his tactic greatly or go.

 

Alright. After a few days to cool down ...

That was still a terrible loss. And I put it squarely on Klinnsman. Heels, I know you like him, but I think he lacks situational awareness. The US has must win games, and the US has games you can be experimental in. WCQ, at home, vs. Mexico will never be a game fit for experimenting.

I know he's fascinated with a three-man back and a 3-5-2 / 3-4-3 set-up. I know he thinks the US has the right personnel for that. He may be right. But a two-day camp is not the time to institute that look/formation. It's simply not. Especially not coming off of what has been, by most regards, a successful year for the National team. Players were playing in comfortable positions and having success doing so. That game was lucky to be just 1-0 when Klinsmann decided to get away from the three-man back. Mexico could have (and probably should have) easily scored at least one, if not two more. That was just a terrible decision.

And some of the personnel choices were equally as bad. Jermaine Jones has played in exactly three games for his club in the last four months (I know, I have season tickets to that club). Why is going to start and go 90 at this level? Christian Pulisic is a football god, but he has never played as a top-roamer-doyothang on club or national level? And, most egregiously of all - have we finally seen enough of Timmy Chandler to declare the man is not good at International football? There are some players who are magnificent for their National Teams and can't - for whatever reason - seem to put it together for club teams. And there are players that are masterful at the club level, but simply can't get it done at the international level. For whatever success Chandler has in Germany for his club, it doesn't translate to the National Team. End the experiment.

I think there's a real chance the US is sitting on zero points and at the bottom of the hex over the winter. Costa Rica is a good team, and that's a tough place to play. This isn't crisis mode, as far as qualifying for the World Cup. The Hex is fairly forgiving - we can finish behind CR and Mexico and still directly qualify. But just about all the safety net is gone.

 

No - they moved to a new National Stadium before the last hex. Didn't change results for the USA. That game against Costa Rica was the one where Michael Bradley injured his ankle warming up. That lead to him losing his starting spot at Roma, and instead of playing in Champions League for Roma, he ended up transferring to TFC. Sure, he hasn't dropped, but I can't say he's developed any further. The ghosts and demons in Costa Rica are real.

 

Schweinsteiger is actually being more closely linked to Chicago. Doesn't mean he'll go there - Drogba was also linked to Chicago before going to Montreal. But I'd actually be surprised if he ends up in NYC. If you think they'll continue to chase names, I'd look for Rooney to be the target from United, in all honesty. Though, if they're smart, they'll try to find the next Giovinco. So, it'll probably be someone like El Nino Torres.

 

Watching the US-CR match. Freaked by how they pronounce the football God's name.

 

The camera seems like it's 7 miles away.

 

Bye Bye JK. You sucked it big time. Just catch a flight back to Germany from Costa Rica.

 

Bradley looked old and couldn't pass wind much a soccer ball.

 

This is a disaster of US soccer.

Time to fire JK and get a better coach.

 

Looks like the US came all the way down to Costa Rica four nothing.

 

Regardless of how you feel about Klinsmann, he needs to go after that loss. If only to show that the US is actually developing as a footballing nation. In no other country where you have aspirations would those two losses be allowed to go without consequences.

That was embarrassing. I expected to lose in Costa Rica (though, honestly, given the talent available to both teams that shouldn't be the case), but I didn't expect THAT. Jurgen appears to have no idea how to motivate this team, how to assemble pieces that work well together, and how to utilize a strategy to get results. It's time to move on.

I never want to see Timmy Chandler in a US kit again. I don't want to see Jermaine Jones or Kyle Beckerman, either, though they've at least played well in the past. I don't want to see Timmy Howard again, either.

You want to know why this team is stagnant? Because the present and future - Pulisic - wasn't given real game time against lesser opponents to get his feet wet and find a comfort zone. That's a failing of the manager. I was happy to see him start against Mexico. But he should have been starting for the past six months in games that meant a whole lot less, so that players can have more comfort playing off each other.

In the end, I don't know that Klinsy will go. In the end, for this cycle, it probably won't matter. Five wins is almost certainly enough to qualify in the top three of the Hex. Home vs T&T, Panama, Costa Rica, and Honduras is four. A road win against either Panama or T&T gets the other. Meaning we can lose in Honduras and Mexico and be in the World Cup. But, honestly, shouldn't this team be aspiring higher.

If you just want someone to get you through the next World Cup, I say bring back Bruce Arena. The Galaxy would probably do well to refresh, anyways. If you're looking at a six-year commitment to a new man in charge, I'd think you can go with any of these (in approximately this order of preference)

Peter Vermes (SKC)
Dom Kinnear (Houston Dynamo)
Caleb Porter (Portland Timbers)
Sigi Schmid (Golden Corral)
Greg Berhalter (Columbus Crew)
Jason Kreis (Orlando City)

United St4tes 0f America

 

What do you have against Vermes? Also, I should have included Oscars Pereja from Dallas.

 

Hire Robert Mancini.

 

The problem with Klinsmann is that he's a very good GM, not really a very good tactical coach. People, Klinsi included, need to accept that.