There is no sports team I love more than #USMNT. And I’ve never been less excited for a World Cup, because of Gregg Berhalter’s arrogance & stubbornness. 3 years in & he’s still basing player selection around his system & not the other way around. Setting this team up to fail. 🇺🇸
Insistence on playing a “high line” w/o the players to do it. Even worse, an adherence to “playing out of the back” long after we assumed we were done with that. Long/ Zimmerman are not the CBs for that. If you insist on it, call up Brooks & Ream. What a disaster this close to WC
Jordan Pefok’s the most obvious case in point. For an entire qualifying cycle the narrative has been “we don’t have a 9 who can score.” Suddenly, an American is lighting up the Bundesliga but GB won’t call him. Doesn’t fit his “system.” All he does is score goals & assist on them
The stunning part of the Japan fiasco was a complete unwillingness to switch tactics when they were failing. Japan knew we were playing out the back & let the first ball go to our CBs. No change to long ball & fighting for 2nd balls. Like any non-rigid coach would’ve done. 😩
Berhalter is smart enough to have a system. But not smart enough to abandon his system and take what the game is giving him. Like all world class coaches do. He equates rigidity of thinking with genius. And it’s just maddening.
Berhalter doesn’t rate John Brooks. Or doesn’t like him. Or doesn’t fit his rigid high line criteria
But right now, we need a CB who can hit line splitting, long diagonal & over the top passes to break our pressure and place it on others
Know who does that? John Anthony Brooks
But right now, we need a CB who can hit line splitting, long diagonal & over the top passes to break our pressure and place it on others
Know who does that? John Anthony Brooks
The In Soccer We Trust guys were even more mortified than I am. Namely, they assumed we gave up on this play out of the back nonsense years ago. Now here’s Berhalter bringing it back with only 90 minutes of play left before WC. You should have a system & roster by now.
All we’ve heard for 2 years: when it comes to a number 9, take the hottest hand at club heading into the tourney
Jordan Pefok is 6th in the Bundesliga in goals AND assists
We actually do have an American striker lighting it up at the highest levels
And Gregg doesn’t rate him
Jordan Pefok is 6th in the Bundesliga in goals AND assists
We actually do have an American striker lighting it up at the highest levels
And Gregg doesn’t rate him
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