To me, goalie is a massive issue that no one seems to want to talk about.
Even when the US had lackluster talent in previous decades, they had elite goalkeeping.
Matt Turner was a disaster this year, but for some reason carries himself like he’s a lot better than he is… And having an elite GK can be huge in international tourneys.
Hindsight now obviously, but no Dest and Adams on a lengthy injury layoff proved to be pretty huge problems for this squad this month.
I think people are hoping that Gaga Slonina will be that guy, but I think his team got relegated in Belgium this year? As a goalie, I guess he got a lot of practice at least.
Just need some new ideas out there and I have zero confidence in the USSF making a good hire. Even though the shine is completely off Curtin in the past year, I could still be talked into that as a positive at this point. At least would mix up the attack.
Gregg has been completely propped up by a terrible Mexico and I cannot agree with him feeling anything like Harbaugh pre-COVID. GGG has done nothing as a manager prior and his record against top 30 ELO squads was putrid.
Got so many miles out of Mexico being terrible and drawing vs. Southgate in a group stage which isn’t any type of feat. When you remove Mexico from the list, really paints a clear picture. It’s just not working at all.
Maybe, but again he’s 20 years old and playing in Belgium. It feels a long way off from being the sort of elite stand-on-your-head GK in a major tournament we used to have every year.
BIg picture, it doesn’t really feel like there are any obvious young guys at any positions that are going to play their way into the main pool by '26. It’s going to come down to this core improving significantly.
Not that Pulisic, Jedi, Adams, Reyna, Balogun, McKennie, Dest is a “bad core” to build around, but I think there are some big gaps too.
I think the fact that our entire attack needs guys like Reyna/Dest who have a very specific gift but also very obvious weaknesses that keep them off the field in Europe… is telling.
I just don’t think “tactics” end up playing into international football that much, given the etch-a-sketch nature of lineups. International managers seem to need to:
I’m not going to bother defending Gregg, he was a reluctant choice when he was retained, and failed here, but I will die on the “this team isn’t THAT good” hill (though they should have done better than this), but when you play 80 minutes man-down against a team you absolutely must beat (or at least draw), your margins suddenly get really really slim
I think a national team coach can make a big difference. He chooses the roster, so he needs to identify who is in good form, and then has to sell everyone on their role. Watching the Euros, Austria and Switzerland look like well-oiled machines, with everyone on the same page. They’re going to be a tough out. And then there have been teams like Italy and Belgium that seemed to have no chemistry at all and no fluidity to their game. Switzerland beating Italy would normally be a shock but the Swiss were completely in control of that match.
Even if they don’t matter that much, they are the only lever you can really pull.
And I do think they matter more than you are making them out to make. But yeah it is very different than watching a club team where they can actually change the players (and the manager).
I think Gregg never figured out a “best 11” or whatever (some injuries factor in there as well admittedly) - that would be my main problem with him from a managerial standpoint.
Like, we see England, with a preponderance of attacking talent, repeatedly adding up to be less than the sum of their parts because they’re playing 3-4 guys who all want to be in the same place on offense
We obviously don’t have the “how do we make all these awesome players fit” issue in that way, but it seemed like our team rarely coherently fit
Not sure about that – there’s pretty clearly a best 11 right? You’ve gotta start your best players for the most part.
I don’t think his XI has been particularly controversial has it?
I’d probably play Musah over Wes (who is talented, but…I think has a lot of problems)
at least one fullback spot has always rankled with me (Dest and Scally are coherent choices in that they play the way Gregg seemed to want, but I also just don’t think they’re any good)
you have to play Adams for many reasons defensively, but I think our inability to string together progressive passes falls on him to a great degree too
Obviously prior to basically right now, Gregg also had an MLS-guy fetish (admittedly, we’re just getting to the point where we don’t need to rely on that caliber of player, and the MLS-guy fetish has often been USA soccer driven too)
haven’t scored more than a single goal against anyone except a dreafully struggling mexico… yikes. willing to admit i don’t have the knowledge to have a sophisticated opinion but:
FIFA ranking has always been inflated, but we did manage to look the part of a top 12-15ish team in the recent decades. GGG’s version is probably closer to 30-35.
I think it’s hard to argue the version of the team at the WC was outside the top 20, right. obviously, it’s always hard when you don’t score goals, but that team also didn’t have a striker, which I can’t really blame Greg or even USA soccer for
Thought Musah was pretty bad, especially last night.
Jedi is probably like the 2nd or 3rd best player in the pool. So I don’t think you can complain at all about him on the other side.
I can’t stand Dest really, but you it is hard to say you don’t like him in the lineup and then complain about how there are no progressive passes in the midfield. Dest brings a lot to the attack and they need him for that reason.
The next RB after Dest/Scally is … Shaq Moore?
This was also basically an all-Euro roster and one of the most disastrous performances for the USMNT under GGG. MORE MLS?!?!?!
I just think there are quite clearly guys that the USMNT has to rely on a lot that are clearly limited in their own ways (Reyna, Dest, Adams, etc.) that aren’t really a tactical thing as much as a roster reality.
Both, mostly.
You are just hoping to hire a new manager who gets things just right for 24 months, notably a month in 2026, and the USMNT wins a game in the knockouts.
It’s not like this should be a top-10 team in the world or something based on talent.
Pulisic is awesome, but he isn’t like a world class star.
Depends on how much stock you put into that England match. Iran was probably his best win as manager, but even that was really dicey in the 2nd half when we dropped completely back too early.
Things just need a reset much in the way M basketball needed a reset this past year. Hard to point to one thing in particular, it’s just not working and whether we were ranked 20th-ish two years ago doesn’t change the fact we’re closer to 40 now with a proper striker.
I don’t think Turner was the problem in this tourney. He wasn’t the one that allowed the 2nd goal to Panama.The first goal against Panama maybe but that might be more about just getting him out after getting hit.
yeah and i think the problems go way beyond the manager. the US soccer federation is as sclerotic, impotent, and nepotistic as our political system.
Turner is shockingly bad with his feet. Last night was appalling. He also had a horrific season overseas.
Need to work Miles Robinson and Zimmerman back into the fold too. Can’t have CCV starting and Ream is going to be 38 by the WC.
