USMNT - 2026 Cycle - The Next Chapter

[Nonlinear FC]

Feels about like the right time to kick this... We clearly no longer in the "Early Days..." I dropped in a few choice posts to carry over from the previous thread.

I sure as hell don't want Tuchel anywhere near my club team, but these are valid points about his strengths. Klopp is obviously choice #1 for me.

[sancarlos]

Any of Klopp, Tuchel, Bielsa, or even Marsch, would be such an improvement over GGG, right? Now, to get the folks in charge to drop the stupid English and PR requirements.

[mister d]

Getting this into the right thread ...

Because I'm a turbo-nerd on this, I watched 5 or 6 different panel discussions this week (ESPN, Fox, CBS and some YouTube channels I follow. Every single one of them made points that a) this was the same thing they did before they fired the WNT coach after their shitty WC results and b) you just don't make an announcement that you are reviewing and will make an announcement if you weren't going to shit can him.

I also heard from Meola that there was a meeting of the top dogs last Friday where this decision was probably made. Regardless of when it was made, the writing has been on the wall in neon leading up to yesterday.

As we've discussed, this wasn't an easy thing for Crocker to admit. He fucked up re-hiring the guy, leaning way too much into the player's strong feelings of support. You don't fucking ask the guys that this coach has decided are "his guys" whether they should bring that guy back.

=-=-=-=-=-=

Two years is an eternity. They will try and get someone in prior to the Canada and New Zealand matches in September.

But, this team doesn't need some massive overhaul. The talent pool is pretty much set. What this team needs is someone with more tactical flexibility and maturity. It also needs someone that just stiff arms all the suits and clingers within Soccer House and just does his thing. Berhalter was too enmeshed in that culture to pivot when necessary.

These folks get way too wrapped up in the big picture of developing the sport when that's NOT the fucking point of the job. The point is to get results. We are long past the days when we need to worry about "building the sport"... That's simply not the job of the USMNT coach anymore.

I assume you're right about being past the build, but there's still a long way to go in terms of growing the audience. Someone like Klopp coming in with massive attention would be huge before he even holds his first camp. Anyone remotely casual would be all in and I would assume with some results others would come on board.

[degenerasian]

Ted Lasso, obviously.

I'm actually curious how much Jason Sudeikis learned about soccer tactics in his role.

[Nonlinear FC]

Getting this into the right thread ...

Because I'm a turbo-nerd on this, I watched 5 or 6 different panel discussions this week (ESPN, Fox, CBS and some YouTube channels I follow. Every single one of them made points that a) this was the same thing they did before they fired the WNT coach after their shitty WC results and b) you just don't make an announcement that you are reviewing and will make an announcement if you weren't going to shit can him.

I also heard from Meola that there was a meeting of the top dogs last Friday where this decision was probably made. Regardless of when it was made, the writing has been on the wall in neon leading up to yesterday.

As we've discussed, this wasn't an easy thing for Crocker to admit. He fucked up re-hiring the guy, leaning way too much into the player's strong feelings of support. You don't fucking ask the guys that this coach has decided are "his guys" whether they should bring that guy back.

=-=-=-=-=-=

Two years is an eternity. They will try and get someone in prior to the Canada and New Zealand matches in September.

But, this team doesn't need some massive overhaul. The talent pool is pretty much set. What this team needs is someone with more tactical flexibility and maturity. It also needs someone that just stiff arms all the suits and clingers within Soccer House and just does his thing. Berhalter was too enmeshed in that culture to pivot when necessary.

These folks get way too wrapped up in the big picture of developing the sport when that's NOT the fucking point of the job. The point is to get results. We are long past the days when we need to worry about "building the sport"... That's simply not the job of the USMNT coach anymore.

I assume you're right about being past the build, but there's still a long way to go in terms of growing the audience. Someone like Klopp coming in with massive attention would be huge before he even holds his first camp. Anyone remotely casual would be all in and I would assume with some results others would come on board.

I'd be over the moon to have Klopp, but I don't really care about casual fans giving a shit about soccer at this point.

As is well chronicled, I'm getting old. I've watched this sport during the NASL hey days. More specifically I've been following this team closely for over 35 years... I was right there when Paul Caligiuri fired the Shot Heard Around the World down in Trinidad.

We are so far past those days that it's an almost unrecognizable landscape. We can watch just about every top league in the world on something like 6 or 7 easily accessible platforms. The fact that you are saying Klopp would be a huge draw is actually making my point.

We just don't need to worry about the marketing and development of soccer when it comes to building the team and/or naming a new coach.

(I could go off about the fact that, to his credit, GGG got the national team out of the cycle of feeling the need to drag unqualified MLS players into the pool... Which, trust me, was very much a political act highly encouraged by the unhealthy financial and structural linkages between MLS and USSF. That's kind of what I'm getting at with all of this... We need to think bigger and be much more purposeful about results... None of this "growing the sport" shit matters to me. We are absolutely fine where we are and shitting the bed at the Copa will be nothing compared to shitting the bed at WC26.)

[The Sybian]

So can we all thank Tim Weah for taking (giving?) the hit and making this possible? If we beat Panama, got out of the group and lost to Colombia, GGG probably keeps his job.

[mister d]

[The Sybian]

Too good to be true. We are getting more of the same. If I was a betting man, I’d say Cherundolo. USMNT insider, MKS coach (I think I heard that). I loved him as a player, seems to have the right mentality and demeanor, also seemed to really like an intelligent player, but I don’t know what he’s like as a coach or game manager. I don’t want to prejudge him based on GGG, but they gave the sane resume which worries me.

[mister d]

I assume they'll land with someone inside the system and controllable but even reaching out to Klopp (assuming it was sincere) is a step forward.

[Nonlinear FC]

This is an absolutely massive hire, which is why so many of us were livid when GGG was hired.

Hiring Jurgen was a relatively outside the box move that was praised by many for getting outside of the Soccer House orbit. Now, there were plenty of knowledgeable folks shooting off flares that Klinsmann was not what he had been cracked up to be... Water under the bridge.

Hopefully, Crocker is fresh enough AND has learned his lesson with GGG to the extent that he looks at guys like Tuchel... and I'm on board with a dude like Wilfred Nancy.

[mister d]

I don't think Southgate would be very much fun at all.

[The Sybian]

I don't think Southgate would be very much fun at all.

I wonder how much the England vacancy will affect the US hiring process. Some overlapping names, but I’m sure US Soccer will only hire an insider or MLS coach anyways.

[govmentchedda]

I don't think Southgate would be very much fun at all.

You are correct. Although, maybe the tactical discipline he seems to provide will get us that elusive knock out round win in a major tournament. Maybe the fact that the knockout rounds for the next WC include 32 teams instead of 16 will take care of that on it's own.

[degenerasian]

I don't think Southgate would be very much fun at all.

You are correct. Although, maybe the tactical discipline he seems to provide will get us that elusive knock out round win in a major tournament. Maybe the fact that the knockout rounds for the next WC include 32 teams instead of 16 will take care of that on it's own.

I don't think a negative manager is what the US needs. They need to score goals and win the group. Even more key to win the group heading into in a 32 team knockout. Winner of Group D gets a 3rd placed team. Runnerup D vs Runnerup G. Third place D, you're probably in trouble.

[garyclark]

Eddie Howe would be tremendous for this team. Front-footed, known for developing confidence among talented players (like Gordon, Livramento, Hall), and finding gems in mid cast-offs (i.e. Schär, Murphy).

But I doubt he'll take the England job, let alone this one (and I sure hope he doesn't as a Newcastle man).

[DSafetyGuy]

Eddie Howe would be tremendous for this team. Front-footed, known for developing confidence among talented players (like Gordon, Livramento, Hall), and finding gems in mid cast-offs (i.e. Schär, Murphy).

But I doubt he'll take the England job, let alone this one (and I sure hope he doesn't as a Newcastle man).

Who are you?

[garyclark]

Eddie Howe would be tremendous for this team. Front-footed, known for developing confidence among talented players (like Gordon, Livramento, Hall), and finding gems in mid cast-offs (i.e. Schär, Murphy).

But I doubt he'll take the England job, let alone this one (and I sure hope he doesn't as a Newcastle man).

Who are you?

I ask myself this question every day.

[mister d]

Its weird the swamp has been around so long that the most famous Gary Clark when your name started is likely now the second most famous Gary Clark.

[garyclark]

Its weird the swamp has been around so long that the most famous Gary Clark when your name started is likely now the second most famous Gary Clark.

Ha.

[mister d]

#goodstuff

[tennbengal]

All sorts of rumors at the moment that they are talking with Patrick Vieira and that negotiations are on-going. Would we like that?

[mister d]

I was disappointed when he left NYCFC but I feel like he's been mostly shitty since?

[tennbengal]

I was disappointed when he left NYCFC but I feel like he's been mostly shitty since?

The replies to the Twitter posts about the rumor are pretty damn negative for sure.

[garyclark]

I was disappointed when he left NYCFC but I feel like he's been mostly shitty since?

The replies to the Twitter posts about the rumor are pretty damn negative for sure.

I think it's not who we want, but no one we want likely wants the job.

Vieria has a mixed track record, but I don't know Ligue 1 well enough to know if he ever really had the talent to compete. At Strasbourg he had a super young team, I think. And there was a lot of drama with ownership. Palace showed some promise at times, and finished midtable.

The thing I like about him is that I am confident he will be feared and respected by the players, and I believe the team will be more resilient and legitimately tougher (in lieu of the fake bravado I felt like the team has had under Voldemort).

What I don't love is that the style of play he has adopted to date is more methodical than I'd like to see us play.

[mister d]

Maybe we should just play our (club released) U20s from now on.

[HaulCitgo]

They broke Adams.

[The Sybian]

They broke Adams.

Fuck. Back surgery, will miss the start of the season. Out fur several months.

[sancarlos]

Poor guy can’t catch a break. Southampton probably isn’t pleased he chose to play Copa America with an injured back.

[wlu_lax6]

US U-20s getting the job done at the Concacaf U-20 championships. 14 Goals for and 0 against. Thumped Jamacia 9-0, beat cuba 4-0 and costa rica 1-0. Get Guatemala or El Salvador on Tuesday in the Quarterfinals.

[The Sybian]

US U-20s getting the job done at the Concacaf U-20 championships. 14 Goals for and 0 against. Thumped Jamacia 9-0, beat cuba 4-0 and costa rica 1-0. Get Guatemala or El Salvador on Tuesday in the Quarterfinals.

I believe they only need to win one more to qualify.

[garyclark]

Saw something today where USMNT spox said they were "talking to the coaches you hope we are talking to."

This gives me hope it won't be a Cherundeloesque hire.

[mister d]

I think it was the tactical manager account. Seems maybe somewhat insider but also a huge self-promoter and they way it was phrased was very self-focused. I bet I post it below in the next few minutes …

[mister d]

[Nonlinear FC]

Tac is one of the guys I tend to tune into on a regular basis. He often teams with 11 Yanks for postgame thoughts. While I can't vouch for him having super insider info, what I will say is he has ZERO inclination to carry any water for the Fed. He is one of the most straight-shooting guys out there and he is HIGHLY critical of the Fed on many issues. He was shouting that they needed to fire Berhalter during his first run, before/during/after the last WC... Rehiring him sent this dude into a tailspin.

So, self-promoter or not... This guy isn't someone that's going to paint Soccer House in a positive light to gain more access or get on their good side for whatever reason.

=-=-=-=-=

The issue with both of those guys (11 Yanks) is that they REALLY hammer home the same points and they tend to wind each other up about certain players/topics. They both absolutely hated GGG, so it got old listening to them bash him, even when they were saying a lot of what I felt.

[Nonlinear FC]

Not for nothing, but MiB has some cryptic stuff out on their social... Pretty much in line with what Tac is hinting at.

[sancarlos]

Not for nothing, but MiB has some cryptic stuff out on their social... Pretty much in line with what Tac is hinting at.

This?

[Nonlinear FC]

Yes.

[wlu_lax6]

US U-20s getting the job done at the Concacaf U-20 championships. 14 Goals for and 0 against. Thumped Jamacia 9-0, beat cuba 4-0 and costa rica 1-0. Get Guatemala or El Salvador on Tuesday in the Quarterfinals.

I believe they only need to win one more to qualify.

Game on FS2 righgt now. Not sure what has less people. This game or the US Olympic game.

[Nonlinear FC]

Whoa. WTF. Is that a closed door game??

[Nonlinear FC]

I'm trying to remember what game/competition it was... Either Olympic or for U20... When El Salvador sucker punched at least 2 guys off the ball and played one of the dirtiest games I've ever seen... And that's saying something in CONCACAF.

I worry that Guatemala is going to go that route if things aren't going their way.