NewlyRetired
Footballguy
Richards. Ream is having an awesome gameGod what a hit by Reyna. And the dink over the defender was fantastic.
I've been watching for almost 30 mins and still don't know who's partnering Ream at CB. Good sign!
Richards. Ream is having an awesome gameGod what a hit by Reyna. And the dink over the defender was fantastic.
I've been watching for almost 30 mins and still don't know who's partnering Ream at CB. Good sign!
I may be mistaken, but I think this happens more in the US than in MexicoGonna be a real shame when they pull this crap during the 2026 opener
I kinda hope they do. Mexico isn't FIFA's money maker and I doubt they'd have any issue throwing the hammer down on them.Gonna be a real shame when they pull this crap during the 2026 opener
The US was the better team from start to finish. Very complete performanceNice performance
Mexico has not beaten the US since 2019, 8 games ago.I love the fact that dominating Mexico doesn't feel unusual. Another strong performance against El Tri.
Tomorrow, kicks off at 7:00pmWhen's the game?
Agreed.I love the fact that dominating Mexico doesn't feel unusual. Another strong performance against El Tri.
That and Wes going from surplus to a major part of Juve's game plan.How about Christian Ironman Pulisic playing 210 minutes after putting in a ton of minutes for Milan? His health might be the biggest surprise of the season.
And this is why GGG's job is secure.Mexico has not beaten the US since 2019, 8 games ago.I love the fact that dominating Mexico doesn't feel unusual. Another strong performance against El Tri.
US has 5 wins and 2 draws since that loss.
Edit: This is the longest streak ever against Mexico with out a loss
I've always thought club form was way over rated when it comes to USMNT, especially when you are talking about the big clubs. We saw it with Pulisic, Weah, and Dest, now Gio and Adams are in that situation. I also think the reverse can be true where a guy like Sargent can play well for his club but flounders on the national team.That and Wes going from surplus to a major part of Juve's game plan.How about Christian Ironman Pulisic playing 210 minutes after putting in a ton of minutes for Milan? His health might be the biggest surprise of the season.
Oh and Gio not being good enough to see the field for a relegation level club.
Ummm...It was on USA soil. What exactly is Mexico supposed to do about American residents misbehaving?Hey CONCACAF, just forfeit Mexico 0-3 every game they do this **** or STFU and admit you don't really care.
And rightfully soMan, Jesse is pretty much all in to criticize Gregg.
I think you are on to something.Agreed.I love the fact that dominating Mexico doesn't feel unusual. Another strong performance against El Tri.
Why can't the US dominate against other teams in CONCACAF? Does the USMNT just play to the level of the competition? Or is MEX simply unwilling to cede possession, bunker, and counter like Canada or Jamaica? Maybe MEX doesn't have the personnel to run that way even if they were able to psychologically get past the fact that the US is more skilled than they are.
Agree with everything except Weah. He is no where near the level of top US guys when at club. He is mostly just a squad guy. He could be replaced instantly at Juventus and no one would notice. He plays so much better for US than club.Was thinking about this last night, and our program is just not where the public perception has us right now.
There's zero question that CP, Weah, McKennie are among the best players to ever put on the US jersey. Legit top-5 league players who matter for their teams.
I'd put Adams in that category too, but he's been hurt so long it feels like there's an asterisk. I'd also put Jedi in that group, but I think he's underrated by most people. Ream too, but he's 36.
So that's 3 legit and 3 maybes by my reckoning.
On the flip side...
We don't have a 9 getting minutes that's proven he can score in a top league. Balogun arguably, but he's not playing right now. The rest are doing it in 2nd tier leagues. Certainly not better than we've had in the past.
Our 2nd CB spot is weak, compared to historical US quality. I love Miles, but he's limited. Richards is not that guy IMO. Quality drops after that.
Our best GK is ok, but also limited and a spot starter on a bad team. Huge step down from the Trinity of Friedel, Keller, Howard.
Dest is sexy, but gets cooked in almost every 1v1 defensively. Which is kind of a problem for a defender. Scally is a mystery right now. And at this point I'm not sure RB is the strength we thought it was in general.
Reyna is so talented, but we have a lot of coaches now all telling us... something. YMMV on what that is, but the "it's a Berhalter thing" ship has sailed.
Musah does some good things really well, but is not well rounded and offers nothing in the final third. I'm biased in favor of physical tank shuttlers, but IMO you still need something in the G/A column from an 8. And he's not a 6.
Cardoso may have some promise, especially if the US switched formations.
Bottom line is that I'm not sure this team is as good as the hype from a year ago, and may not really be all that much better than past versions of the USWNT. And suggesting we should be top-10 in the world is a pipe dream right now.
When everyone is healthy and in form, we can beat anyone in the world without fluky stuff -- we have some ballers -- but it won't be consistent until we have CP, McKennie level players at every position and they fit together as a front 7 in clear roles. Compared to the quality and depth of the actual top 10 teams, we're a long way off right now.
And from the coaching.While there are always some surprises, one thing that concerns me is that, well, this is pretty much it for 2026.
We do have the luxury that the players, outside of Ream, are at a great age for 2026 but the flip side is that we don't have many age correct prospects that can push and or unseat players to improve the team. Improvement is going to have to come from the core players themselves.
I sort of agree, but I think you're also underestimating how much things can change in a year or two.While there are always some surprises, one thing that concerns me is that, well, this is pretty much it for 2026.
We do have the luxury that the players, outside of Ream, are at a great age for 2026 but the flip side is that we don't have many age correct prospects that can push and or unseat players to improve the team. Improvement is going to have to come from the core players themselves.
And from the coaching.While there are always some surprises, one thing that concerns me is that, well, this is pretty much it for 2026.
We do have the luxury that the players, outside of Ream, are at a great age for 2026 but the flip side is that we don't have many age correct prospects that can push and or unseat players to improve the team. Improvement is going to have to come from the core players themselves.
At this point I agree. GGG's challenge is going to be to find a replacement for Ream, make sure the CB pairing is right and strong, and find the depth in case something happens and for rotation.
But that is not a major surprise to me. He was at his peak at 28 in 2022, and got a lot out of his limited skill set (not quite to the level Jedi does but still very good). It is not a surprise that as he starts to age, that younger CB's are pushing him out. This happens all the time. Zimm and Miles not getting to Europe may have limited their upside.I sort of agree, but I think you're also underestimating how much things can change in a year or two.While there are always some surprises, one thing that concerns me is that, well, this is pretty much it for 2026.
We do have the luxury that the players, outside of Ream, are at a great age for 2026 but the flip side is that we don't have many age correct prospects that can push and or unseat players to improve the team. Improvement is going to have to come from the core players themselves.
Just went back to a random part of this thread from June 2022 to see whether there were any major surprises from then to now. On the first page, I found this:
"So while obviously no one is ever going to confuse Zimmerman as a world class CB, I don't think I am overstepping when I say he is our most consistent player. Game after game after game is just steady, solid play."
You'll never guess who said it! [and I didn't notice the author till after I cut-and-pasted it in here]
Very true, especially if he is still playing well for the next year and needs to be called in. Feels like we do have a lot of CBs playing overseas that could still develop, but like you said, may be unlikely. Something to watch for.And from the coaching.While there are always some surprises, one thing that concerns me is that, well, this is pretty much it for 2026.
We do have the luxury that the players, outside of Ream, are at a great age for 2026 but the flip side is that we don't have many age correct prospects that can push and or unseat players to improve the team. Improvement is going to have to come from the core players themselves.
At this point I agree. GGG's challenge is going to be to find a replacement for Ream, make sure the CB pairing is right and strong, and find the depth in case something happens and for rotation.
The Ream replacement is going to be a hard nut to crack I fear.
Richards came up with the tag of being good on the ball but he is no where near Ream at this skill. CCV, McKenzie, Miles etc are all decent CB's but none command the ball in possession and passing like Ream does.
Having a player emerge at CB with this skill set in the next two years would be fabulous, but also unlikely imo.