USMNT - 2026 Cycle - "Early Days"

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Wed Mar 15, 2023 11:26 am

ANNOUNCE BALOGUN!!!

(He'd look good slotted behind Sargent, Morris and Zardes on the depth chart.)

Post by **Shirley** » Wed Mar 15, 2023 11:57 am

I don't watch the USMNT as much as some of you, but from what I've seen, Gio is on the very short list of our best players. I put him right there with Pulisic, McKennie, Aaronson, and Adams. I probably wouldn't have included Adams on that list before the WC.

The manager of a team, especially a team like ours, has to find a way to get his best talent on the field as much as possible. You don't have to watch much soccer to see Gio is super talented.

All that said, if he's a problem off the field or at practice, that's different. The manager also has to maintain control and standards, even if it's a star who's fucking around.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Wed Mar 15, 2023 12:01 pm

During the WC, GGG said Reyna wasn't starting because he wasn't fully fit, then Reyna came out and saying he was 100%. Granted there must have been issues before, but I think that's what blew up the whole thing. Either GGG lying about Gio's health to make the second guessing go away or Reyna being a petulant brat and taking an attack at his coach. Whatever the truth is, GGG didn't handle this well, especially speaking out at the leadership conference, and the Reyna parents both seem like horrible people after this. Such a shame, as I always held Claudio in such high regard.

Post by **Shirley** » Wed Mar 15, 2023 12:04 pm

Well, Gio's on the current roster. Must be a little awkward right about now.

I'd love to see Dike get a run or two.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Wed Mar 15, 2023 12:05 pm

Shirley wrote: ↑Wed Mar 15, 2023 11:57 am I don't watch the USMNT as much as some of you, but from what I've seen, Gio is on the very short list of our best players. I put him right there with Pulisic, McKennie, Aaronson, and Adams. I probably wouldn't have included Adams on that list before the WC.

The manager of a team, especially a team like ours, has to find a way to get his best talent on the field as much as possible. You don't have to watch much soccer to see Gio is super talented.

All that said, if he's a problem off the field or at practice, that's different. The manager also has to maintain control and standards, even if it's a star who's fucking around.

I think Gio has the highest ceiling on this team, but he is still young and not fully developed as a player. I think Adams is the most important player in the pool and arguably the best. He doesn't have the flashy skills or creativity of the others you named, but that isn't his role. He is the clear cut captain in how he plays and carries himself, and his unreal work rate provides cover for the rest of the midfielders to take chances. Plus, we don't have anyone who can replace what he brings. I mean, the next best option is what, Kellyn Acosta? I do like Acosta, but he lacks the class to play against the best nations.

Post by **Shirley** » Wed Mar 15, 2023 12:07 pm

Yeah, I was really impressed with Adams at the WC. I hadn't really noticed him much before. Of course, it was his mistake that led to the first Netherlands goal.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Wed Mar 15, 2023 12:13 pm

His stock is only rising at Leeds. He is an absolute rock for that team and is clearly a leader. To come in and fill that role at his age and his tenure is pretty remarkable.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Wed Mar 15, 2023 12:22 pm

He's got so much motor and was trying to cover so much ground that it hurt him against the Dutch midfield.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Tue Mar 21, 2023 2:53 pm

Looooooots of Balogun chatter on twitter today.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Tue Mar 21, 2023 4:00 pm

mister d wrote: ↑Tue Mar 21, 2023 2:53 pm Looooooots of Balogun chatter on twitter today.

I'm not on Twitter, but my rough equivalent are the relevant YouTubers and... yeah.

And man, Henry would be a lot of fun.

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Fri Mar 24, 2023 5:46 pm

Pretty interesting line-up for the game tonight

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Fri Mar 24, 2023 7:24 pm

Grenada isn’t very good.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Sat Mar 25, 2023 6:42 am

mister d wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 7:24 pm Grenada isn’t very good.

Not sure if the team or the pitch was worse. I did like watching (at least one team) high level soccer from those camera angles.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Sat Mar 25, 2023 9:34 am

Not Spicy Boyz.

Also, I thought that was Barbados' nickname?

Anyways, good to see the usual result against this minnow. Will be nice to see all of this talent on a non-cow pasture field on Monday.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Mon Mar 27, 2023 10:15 am

* First time since something like 1996 that the US played an international game without an MLS player being involved.

* Most goals scored outside of the US. I guess ever?

* That win cemented their spot in the 2023 Gold Cup. Because... CONCACAF?? I dunno, whatever.

* Taylor Booth, Zendejas and Johnny Cardosa were all cap-tied after playing on Friday.

* I had never heard of Auston Trusty. He, apparently, plays for Birmingham. He seemed... fine? Really not much you can take from a game against Grenada.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Mon Mar 27, 2023 10:22 am

Trusty was signed by Arsenal, loaned to Birmingham and apparently playing very well, so not completely out of the blue. MiB have been calling for him to get a look for a while.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Mon Mar 27, 2023 10:42 am

Yeah, and I've fallen off the slew of YouTubers I had been following leading up to the WC.

phxgators · Post by **phxgators** » Mon Mar 27, 2023 2:11 pm

The Sybian wrote: ↑Mon Mar 27, 2023 10:22 am Trusty was signed by Arsenal, loaned to Birmingham and apparently playing very well, so not completely out of the blue. MiB have been calling for him to get a look for a while.

Trusty played well for the Rapids. The defense definitely took a step back when he left.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Mon Mar 27, 2023 8:45 pm

Oh my god, when they said Turner and special announcement I thought it was happening but he’s just having a stupid baby.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Tue Mar 28, 2023 9:15 am

Kind of an uneventful game and uninspired first half, but job done. Some moments of brilliance that were fun, but a lot of sloppy play. US were in complete control the entire game and came out on fire in the second half. Biggest impression for me was Mile Robinson. He looked great. Zendejas adds a spark and some flair, look forward to seeing more of him in the future. Gio was almost invisible against Grenada and for large parts of the El Salvadore game, but he showed he only needs a second to make an impact. He is so quick with the ball at his feet and always a threat to score. Pulisic was just off. Poor first touch and his shots were bad. And Pepi once again looks like the real deal. He looked so confident and his finish on the goal was impressive. Made a great run and showed his speed, then showed power to hold off the defender attempting to pull him down, and the finish was slick. He made it look easy, but that is a damned difficult chip to pull off, especially running at full speed and fighting off a defender.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Tue Mar 28, 2023 9:49 am

Not much to add, other than I thought at times the kids were kind of bored or aimless in the first half. They are so incredibly talented, and they showed it in flashes, but they were often just kind of standing around watching their buddy dribble around to no real end.

Agree, second half the coach lit a little fire and they started attacking with a lot more purpose.

One cool thing on the goal, Aaronson makes a great little run from the middle of the park, back towards Musah (the guy with the ball), and that draws a defender off the back line who follows. Pepi runs right into that space and Musah puts it on a platter. Great fucking finish, too. Lots of guys fuck that up.

I thought Gio had a pretty good game. That's just his style. CP... it's hard to judge him in CONCACAF because he spends half the game hopping out of shitty late tackles. My biggest thing, and this is across the squad, is these guys looked engaged and into it. Playing a Grenada/ElSal fixture set... It would be easy for these guys to phone it in... And they were in danger of that in the first half. Second half was a good sign.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Tue Mar 28, 2023 10:20 am

I really wish he hadn't rang that one off the post because the celebration could have been pretty revealing.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Tue Mar 28, 2023 10:36 am

Nonlinear FC wrote: ↑Tue Mar 28, 2023 9:49 am Not much to add, other than I thought at times the kids were kind of bored or aimless in the first half. They are so incredibly talented, and they showed it in flashes, but they were often just kind of standing around watching their buddy dribble around to no real end.

Agree, second half the coach lit a little fire and they started attacking with a lot more purpose.

One cool thing on the goal, Aaronson makes a great little run from the middle of the park, back towards Musah (the guy with the ball), and that draws a defender off the back line who follows. Pepi runs right into that space and Musah puts it on a platter. Great fucking finish, too. Lots of guys fuck that up.

I thought Gio had a pretty good game. That's just his style. CP... it's hard to judge him in CONCACAF because he spends half the game hopping out of shitty late tackles. My biggest thing, and this is across the squad, is these guys looked engaged and into it. Playing a Grenada/ElSal fixture set... It would be easy for these guys to phone it in... And they were in danger of that in the first half. Second half was a good sign.

Good point on the guys being dialed in, this generation managed to keep the pride and fight despite having all the individual skill and talent. That was a fear of mine seeing the talent pool move from raw athletes trying to compete on grit and conditioning to moving into higly skilled technical players coming from the top clubs in Eurpore. I feared they wouldn't be able or willing to play physical games in shithole stadiums. Hell, I see it on youth travel when the kids are used to playing on beautifully maintained turf fields then have to play on a less than ideal grass field, they can't cope. Even a meticulous grass field causes problems as the ball moves slower and bounces differently.

Musah's ball was perfect and not easy to get right. Just a great move all around. We are starting to build some additional depth with Zendejas, Booth, Trusty and Chris Richards. I'd like to see a more defensive CM step up as cover for Adams. We can get away with Weston (or Acosta) against weaker CONCACAF sides, but I want to see a better option in the 6 role. I'm feeling confident that at least one of Pepi and Dike will step up and serve as a good option up top. And hey, maybe there is something to the Balogun trip to Orlando? If nothing else, he is getting his ego massively stroked by US fans on social media. Seems like a long shot, but I never would have expected Musah to choose the US, and from my impression of him, I think Balogun would gel with the crop of young talent in our corp. Come on, Folarin!

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Tue Mar 28, 2023 11:02 am

I tend to not like getting into these games (like, I pay ZERO attention to Michigan recruiting until they have formally announced), but...

Apparently Balogun wiped all of his English U23 pics from Instagram.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Sat Apr 01, 2023 7:17 am

Okay give him the full job

HaulCitgo · Post by **HaulCitgo** » Sat Apr 01, 2023 7:42 am

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Sat Apr 01, 2023 7:48 am

Did you think all three were shitting too?

rass · Post by **rass** » Sat Apr 01, 2023 8:02 am

That’s pretty easy to root for.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Tue Apr 11, 2023 6:32 am

No Gold Cup games in the Baltimore/DC area. So no world cup and no gold cup games. Doubt we will get a Copa America game either. This region usually has the highest TV ratings for soccer in the nation. You have M&T, FedEx, and could have minnows play at Audi field....and yet nothing. Wonder if the sportacrats are doing little things to jab after going after FIFA corruption. On the other hand it is more likely just pure $.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Tue Apr 11, 2023 10:09 am

wlu_lax6 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 11, 2023 6:32 am No Gold Cup games in the Baltimore/DC area. So no world cup and no gold cup games. Doubt we will get a Copa America game either. This region usually has the highest TV ratings for soccer in the nation. You have M&T, FedEx, and could have minnows play at Audi field....and yet nothing. Wonder if the sportacrats are doing little things to jab after going after FIFA corruption. On the other hand it is more likely just pure $.

Villa against Brentford and Chelsea against Fulham on July 30 at Fed Ex. Games between 6 EPL teams in Atlanta, Red Bull Arena, and the Linc
https://www.espn.com/soccer/english-pre ... tour-in-us

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Sun Apr 16, 2023 8:26 am

DIke achilles injury...Been playing well and was fighting for a spot on the team. Stinks.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Sun Apr 16, 2023 5:57 pm

It’s awful and the only good that can come of it is a certain someone seeing a depth chart even more wide open. Perhaps a sense of responsibility.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Sun Apr 16, 2023 8:01 pm

No Paul A or Roldan for the US v.Mex friendly. Replaced by Paxton P. Dest is the only Euro released.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Tue Apr 18, 2023 6:46 am

So will the game go a full 90+ minutes? Will it matter if the US or Mexico is winning?

That three-step process -- which has been used for several years -- details that fans will hear a warning to cease the discriminatory chant as a first step, in conjunction with play being suspended for two minutes. If chanting continues, players will be sent to their respective locker rooms for 10 minutes accompanied by another warning. Finally, as a third step, the match will be abandoned if chanting does not cease.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Tue Apr 18, 2023 9:56 am

So I used google to see what dual nationals we were still chasing (not sure I would have named anyone other than Balogun off-hand) and there are several between us and Mexico: Brandon Vazquez (MLS striker option, meh), Jonathan Gomez (LB depth), Mauricio Isais (supposedly also a LB), Richy Ledezma (MLS mid), Alejandro Alvarado (CM in Portugal)

Probably not the worst thing if Mexico fans decide to embarrass themselves tomorrow in terms of those chases.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Wed Apr 19, 2023 9:52 pm

Sean Johnson is not good playing with his feet. A few shaky back passes to him already.

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Sun Apr 23, 2023 7:36 pm

This is a good read

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Sun Apr 23, 2023 7:45 pm

Makes me even more certain GGG needs to not be back.

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Mon Apr 24, 2023 5:33 am

For you development types, click through to this thread…

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Mon Apr 24, 2023 9:15 am

That certainly seems promising, especially with the young core we have now. There's not the usual urgency to find better options for 75% of the roster so this will allow him to build up the next wave.