ES GK runs into his own player on a FK by the USA, and both guys are down at the 75 minute mark.
USMNT 2022 World Cup Qualifying Thread
- Thread starter Tom McAndrew
- Start date
I didn't get to watch a ton, but I agree. US players look confident in possession. Still got a way to go, but definitely improved from years past.
USA 1-0 El Salvador (Jan 27, 2022) Game Analysis - ESPN
Expert recap and game analysis of the United States vs. El Salvador Fifa World Cup Qualifying - Concacaf game from January 27, 2022 on ESPN.
www.espn.com
I’m legit concerned about Pulisic. The PA kid does not look 100%, physically. His movement is slower than what it has been and he’s cheaply giving the ball away far too often. While I think confidence in light of his club situation is playing a role, I’m concerned the injuries are also still playing some kind of lingering role to his detriment. He just does not look right and may be missing some burst, as some have pointed out.
Panama's loss to Costa Rica takes a bit of the pressure off our boys. Still, a win in Hamilton on Sunday would all but seal the deal.
Some interesting insight on Pulisic....https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/the-...-learned-from-el-salvador-what-to-expect-at-c
@Grant Green, you'd be doing us all a favor if you posted these post-game breakdowns on a regular basis. Excellent link. (Even I knew that.) Gracias.
Yeah, it was really good. This one was retweeted by Paul Carr. He is a great follow on twitter. @PaulCarr
Twitter gets a bad rap due to the testboard-like commentary that goes with a lot of posts, but it can be so great if you just follow the right people.
Oh, absolutely. I follow some really sharp people. As long as I avoid the downtweets, it's a total positive.
I want to amend what I said based on player quotes and commentary I’ve heard. It seems as though Pulisic’s struggles are more on the mental side than physical. His lack of burst may stem from a confidence issue given his club situation. Him almost always being played out of position at Chelsea might also play into his lack of form in playing the role Berhalter wants. Pulisic certainly does not sound happy with how he’s being used in London. Sometimes he looks like he’s trying to do too much (dribbles for too long and gets dispossessed). He’s not playing quickly enough and really needs to improve on recognizing when to pass more effectively. He certainly should not feel as though he has to carry this team on his back with the level of talent now in the team. Can he benefit from a film room study with Berhalter like Tim Weah did?
A lot of times our guys struggling with form at their clubs get a lift in confidence after playing with the national team (see Weston’s quotes on what the previous international window did for him now at Juve). For Christian, it is not quite as straightforward since his national team form has been down for multiple windows at this point.
Canada 2-0 USA (Jan 30, 2022) Game Analysis - ESPN
Expert recap and game analysis of the Canada vs. United States Fifa World Cup Qualifying - Concacaf game from January 30, 2022 on ESPN.
www.espn.com
I think we are seeing the ceiling with Berhalter's system working with this pool of players. I just do not think we have the players to run his system effectively at a high level. There is talent within this pool and its strengths can be, and should be I think, maximized with other approaches. The players are also to blame for not performing well when they do get create potential opportunities in the attack. Berhalter cannot control McKinnie's too heavily-weighted pass for Pulisic inside the area, or Pulisic taking one too many touches, or Ferreira choosing the wrong foot and flubbing a golden opportunity, or multiple players putting free-headers over the crossbar. However, any tactical system that regularly fails to actually create chances is not a successful system. Berhalter may be pleased with the progress they have made in terms of dominating possession and players achieving certain concepts he is big on, but in the end where does that even get you if you consistently do not even create many chances? I think they've hit their ceiling under these concepts and it is not worth pursuing this system after this amount of time trying to develop it; it is time to brainstorm new ideas. Good coaches can develop great tactical systems, but the best coaches know how to mold tactics to maximize the talent on their roster.
McKennie: U.S. 'held back' in loss to Canada
Midfielder Weston McKennie said the U.S. needs to take better advantage of transition opportunities when it faces Honduras in World Cup qualifying.
www.espn.com
McKennie header 1-0. We're carrying the play.
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I think it's a matter of interpretation. I don't think they're claiming a "must win" in terms of you have to win to qualify. I thought their use of the term dealt more with the fact that Honduras is pretty weak (in CONCACAF), and that the USA had to take advantage of the opportunity.
Win all your home games and try to get away with minimum of a point on the road.
Pulisic makes it 3-0, off of a corner, in the 67th minute.
Just a thought. At some point they are going to have to have enough confidence in the program to start playing qualifiers in stadiums that are destination worthy. They are doing squat to increase their fan base. We would consider traveling to a home match qualifier if it wasn’t Columbus, Denver, Kansas City in the winter.
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