Top Stories

Pulisic, Zusi join USMNT camp ahead of rematch with Guatemala

ChristianPulisic-USU17MNT-2014England-Getty-Images

Christian Pulisic has impressed as a member of Borussia Dortmund and the U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team, but the 17-year-old playmaker is now set to make the jump to the highest level to join a team in need of a result.

U.S. Soccer announced on Sunday that Pulisic and Graham Zusi have been added to the U.S. Men’s National Team squad ahead of Tuesday’s World Cup qualifying clash with Guatemala in Columbus. In addition, Fabian Johnson and Matt Besler have each returned to their clubs due to a groin injury and concussion, respectively. The pair join John Brooks, who left camp last week with a knee injury.

The clash between the U.S. and Guatemala serves as the second in four days after the Chapines picked up a 2-0 win in Guatemala on Friday night.

Pulisic joins the USMNT after breaking into the Borussia Dortmund’s first team earlier this season. The 17-year-old prospect, who stood out at last year’s U-17 World Cup, has made four Bundesliga appearances for the German powerhouse.

Zusi joins the USMNT for the first time since the UMSNT’s defeat to Panama in the third-place match of the 2015 Gold Cup.

Here’s a closer look at the full USMNT roster for Tuesday’s match:

GOALKEEPERS: David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes), Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), William Yarbrough (Club Leon)

DEFENDERS: Ventura Alvarado (Club America), Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Edgar Castillo (Club Tijuana), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana), DeAndre Yedlin (Sunderland)

MIDFIELDERS: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Mix Diskerud (New York City FC), Ethan Finlay (Columbus Crew SC), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), Lee Nguyen (New England Revolution), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City).

FORWARDS: Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Bobby Wood (Union Berlin), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy)

What do you think of Pulisic’s call-up? Expect him to contribute on Tuesday? How will the USMNT fare against Guatemala?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Its fairly evident who the best CB in the USMNT pool is when he isnt available to play. A lot of people on here before the injuries werent putting Besler in their ideal 11, lol.

    Reply
    • Auto correct must have put Besler in when you meant to type Brooks. Love Besler, but if you’ve watched any of Hertha this season JAB has been outstanding. Either one would have made the play on the Ruiz goal, but then again so would most high school defenders.

      Reply
      • It seems that Brooks will certainly be the choice CB for years to come, but Brooks hasn’t put in consistent performances for the national team and club team for years. I am not a huge Besler fan or anything, but I do watch everyone of his games (I am an SKC fan), and consistency seems to be grossly underrated by fans/commentators and I think it really important for a CB.

        Gonzo has reportedly being playing well in Mexico, which wasnt worth a hill of beans to his performance on Friday because he isnt a consistent player that can be trusted, a bad trait for a center back

      • not for years, no, he has only been playing for them consistently this season. I have no knowledge of his games etc, but clearly stated he hasn’t been doing it for years.

        Gather around kids, let someone else read comments because some of your piers have trouble with reading comprehension.

      • it lists minutes, appearances, etc.. Are you debating that this is the first year that he is a regular starter doing well game to game? I dont watch his games or anything like that. The point is that consistency is very important and he is just now showing some, while Besler has for a while; big picture, Orozco and Gonzalez have shown they are not consistent and cannot be trusted. In Gonzalez’s case, he has been playing well for his club (like Brooks, according what is being published/posted) but that didn’t automatically translate to a good showing for the national team, which comes back to the point about Besler having more proven consistent performances than the very green Brooks.

        Ideally Brooks is paired with Besler in the middle of our back line, we can agree on that, right?

  2. so we need to call in a 17 year old on a must win game? Who exactly is he better than that is already in camp? Oh wait a minute… he plays in Germany so he must be better. Klinsmann is such a fool. It’s no wonder that he’s lost the team

    FIRE KLINSMANN on WEDNESDAY.

    I will personally send in a $20 donation to help cover the cost to fire this fool. Start a fund, I bet people would be surprised how many would follow this.

    Reply
    • Have you seen him play or are you just assuming because he plays in Germany that he’s not good? Go back and ask the twelve teams that passed on 18 year old Kobe Bryant or the Hornets who drafted him and traded him to the Lakers if they wish they would have put there hopes on a teenager. People we can bash Klinsman without bashing our players.

      Reply
  3. Klinsmann should have replaced Dempsey, also. His workrate is poor, which, if the US is chasing a goal, is not going to help. His temper gets in the way, yes, He’ll pop up once in a while to score a goal, or draw a foul, but, on average, he’s poor.

    Jorge Vilafana should have made this camp. Yedlin, has zero clue what He is doing out there, His only weapon is his speed, which, does him zero good, if he has no clue what to do with the ball, if he gets into an advantageous situation. Also need to stop putting players in positions they are not comfortable in, Bedoya is right footed, very right footed. Perhaps, play him on the right and Lee Ngyun on the left?

    Thirdly, can someone, anyone besides Howard and Guzan play in goal please? Howard cheats like He still has the reflexes he did, 2 summers ago, which He doesn’t, and Guzan has zero confidence. Being Battered at Aston Villa isn’t helping any.

    Reply
  4. Unrelated, but according to CAFonline, Tony Tchani did not dress in either game for Ghana this weekend, so he is still eligible to play for the US in the future as he is not cap tied with either team.

    Reply
  5. Zusi..lmao. But I get it, I do. JK is feeling the pressure. Tuesday is a must win. Call back in someone you have depended on and feel like you can count on to make that happen. I disagree, but Zusi has been a Kilinsy favorite all along.

    For Tuesday, I would like to see this lineup. I don’t really like it, but it’s the best of what was called in.
    4-2-3-1:
    GK: Guzan
    RB: Yedlin
    CB: Cameron
    CB. Birnbaum
    LB: Castillo
    CM: Bradley
    CM: Nagbe
    RM: Finlay
    CAM: Nguyen
    LM: Bedoya
    ST: Wood

    It’s an attacking side. Speed on the flanks with Yedlin and Finlay. Nagbe and Nguyen can help keep possession and unlock what will probably be a bunker defense. Cameron has to anchor the backline.

    If we need a goal, Pulisic, Jozy, Zardes, Dempsey good options to deploy off the bench
    If we need to protect a lead, throw Beckerman.

    Reply
    • I know my lineup won’t be close to Klinsy’s, but I’d like to see it. Chances are Cameron will be at RB, Gonzo/Orozco as the CB pairing. Heck Bedoya may move back to CM. Zusi will probably start. Wondo may get the start. There’s no telling what he will trot out

      Reply
    • I agree that this would be a good line-up, but would suggest 1 change. I’d start Zardes over Finlay due to him having more experience. Finlay to come on around the 60 minute mark.
      Zardes & Bedoya both track back well defensively. Bradley & Nagbe can both pick opportunities to go forward to support the attack. Overall something I’d like to see used.

      Reply
  6. This Team is sorely missing LD’s ability. Opponents feared his speed and ability to stretch their defenses. The USA does not have any player with his combination of speed, skill and vision. The USA has a deeper pool with quality players than it did during Bob’s or Bruce’s Era. The problem is the preparation, tactics and most importantly coaching. Unless they get rid of JK the USA will not be able to address the other two areas. Other Countries have changed their Coaches during qualification and done okay. Why is the USA afraid to pull the plug on JK? Sunil was quick to pull the plug on Bob and Bruce but not his chosen one. I guess if he did he’d confirm that he made the wrong choice. Sunil, this is bigger than you. You are holding this Program hostage due to your bloated ego. Dude, I still support my Team but I’m no willing to invest my time and money in this Team until you get rid of that Clown masquerading as a Coach/Team Manager. He was a failure before he arrived here and 5 years later he remains what we knew he is, a failure.

    Reply
    • First, I agree with your overall premise that Klinsman should be let go Wednesday morning. I think firing him Saturday morning would have been too much shake up before a must win qualifier on Tuesday.

      Second, you are also right Donovan’s speed and skill provided us with the ability to bunker against good teams and to get behind the defense of bunkering teams. I think McBride’s ability to win balls in the air is also and maybe even more missed. Although lesser players like Ching and Wolf filled in here too, we have no real player that has that skill set today.

      Where I think we differ is JKs problem is that he believes too much in the American player’s ability to play attractive one and two touch soccer. However, the current group of 23 to 33 year old especially in the midfield are not equipped for that, there is no John O’Brien or Claudio Reyna that can collect a pass and pick out the next on in that split second. So often our guys get the ball and think I’ve got to get rid of it, so they pass it back where the ball came from. Defenses don’t have to move or lose their shape because they know the ball isn’t going up field, theirs no fear. And because this often leads to turnovers at midfield or deeper, JK was too afraid to keep FJ at wing were he provides some of that fear that LD could. Its the same reason he tries Yedlin at wing, he’s so fast and its like having an extra defender if it breaks down, but instead it causes more break downs and again the defense keeps its shape because D’Andre doesn’t have the ability to cut inside, they know he’s just going to the end line. He’s sees the problem he just can’t make the current players we have fix it no matter how he adjusts his pieces. I think the answer may well be in that group from the U17s with both Pulisic and Perez in the midfield or wing and a couple tall ball winning forwards, but the forwards aren’t close to being ready for full international soccer.

      Arena coached a full two cycles which is longer than almost all international managers so I’m not sure how you can classify that as a quick pull and his 2006 team had many of the same problems over reliance on aging players despite their form for club and country. Bradley as well reliance on aging players and teams that had little fight and looked bothered that they had been asked to show up just like the current squad. Gulati was right to pull the trigger each of those times and he’d be right to do it again.

      Reply
      • It’s funny, I agree with a lot you say but it leads me to the opposite conclusion. I’d say jurgen is right to try and install that one touch style. And you’re 100% that most of our players are in capable of that. But that says it’s the players not the coach and that as long as the youth continue to push hems elves and grow it will eventually pay dividends. BUT I do feel JK could step down as coach but stay as technical director; whether now or after the WC– preferably after the WC imho

      • I don’t think there is anyway that he can stay long enough to get to the generation of players that can play that style. And I think the only way he can stay on as TD is if we make it to the qrtrs or even semis of the WC in Russia and that seems like a pipe dream as of now. You can’t have a guy replace because of your insufficient results and then still be his boss, its just ripe for disaster.

  7. We lose two CBs in training. OK, no prob, play Cameron at CB, who STARTS in BPL (with experience at position. Or Birmbaum who impressed in Jan. No, let’s start Orozsco, who hadn’t played CB since who knows and is on his clubs bench. Perfect sense.

    Ok, is what it is, we lose. Players fault. OK, his guy to bring in is zusi?! No CB cover?
    And why did u waste Fabian’s time?

    Sorry, I just boarded the fire JK train. All in. Guy has no sense as a coach. Or seems like no common sense at all.

    Excited if Pulisic gets capped.

    Reply
    • Groin issue healing times are tough to predict. Sometimes they take a feel days, some times they take months its a lot harder to predict than other injuries and when you need to make a decision a day after it occurs its hard. He called in 26 guys for a 23 man roster in which only 14 can play on any given night so taking a chance it would be healed by Tuesday when he’s your best player is worth his time. Put FJ in at Wing, drop Yedlin to RB, and move Cameron to CB and we might have gotten a different result, it was worth FJ taking a flight to Miami. Once it was clear it wasn’t going to be healed by Tuesday they sent him home. I hope not calling in a new CB means Yedlin will move to RB as he did in the 2nd half with Cameron in the middle. Fire Klinsman Wednesday morning.

      Reply
  8. I have said since the gold cup last year that they need to bring the younger guys up now, let them play together for the next 2 years and learn to gel together. The copa is the perfect time to do that. That would give them at least three games together until the next round of wc qualifiers. Need Brooks and miazga playing together and yedlin at right back need nagbe and Hyndman in the middle and need to find some actual wingers cuz FJ can’t play on both sides and find a formation and stick with it. Yarbourgh is looking like our best goalie and let’s hope Wood can stay in form cuz Dempsey is past international level. Just go young And ride the roller coaster till 2018. There is a lot of talent that is young, and I hope CP22 gets on the pitch and others do to this summer. Need a some what new fresh start

    Reply
    • I’ve made this statement on other articles/boards as well. Move on from the OLD players and use the Copa to inject some of the youth and newer players into the team. The Copa has no significance to the US besides bragging rights…as it doesn’t effect WC Qualification. By going young at the Copa you give these players roughly a month of training together and 5 matches of excellent competition experience (Ecuador 5/25, Bolivia 5/28, Colombia 6/3, Costa Rica 6/7, Paraguay 6/11). Drop Beckerman, Wondo, Orozco, Dempsey, Jones, Howard and any of the truly poor performers of the March WCQs (Diskerud, Castillo, etc….) and give the time and experience to worthy younger players……
      Williams, Morales, Nagbe, Nguyen, Lleget, Finlay, Zardes, Yedlin, Pulisic, or whomever….

      If you want to give the older guys a send off….send them to the Olympics (if we qualify).

      Reply
  9. Not Enough JK. As usual, you have no idea why we lost on Friday. Zusi is not going to fix it. Start with the 2 stiffs you started in center D

    Reply
  10. The blame for the atrocious performance Friday can be equally balanced between the Coach and the players. The players appeared to be completely disinterested in the match. There was no heart or desire from any of them. On talent alone the players fielded/used were good enough to win or at least get a result. This is where the failing of the coaching staff came into play. The coaches failed to select a balanced team (Limited wide options both on defense & midfield), played players in the appropriate positions (Yedlin at RB & Cam at CB), and have a tactical game plan (or if they did they failed to convey it to the players).
    JK is falling into the same trap that Arena and B. Bradley did in their 2nd cycles…namely holding onto players too long because they did well for them in the past. Wondo, Beckerman & Orozco should be put out to pasture…we have younger players every bit as good (if not better). They may lack the experience but they are never going to get it if they are not called in and used. Jones, Dempsey, & Howard need to be subs/bench options at this point. They can still contribute, but cannot be the focus of the team. Let them be mentors & impact subs for the next 12 months than send them on their way.
    Generally speaking the peak age for soccer players is between the age of 26-31/32. There are exceptions (Goal Keepers & CBs to an extent) and some freaks of nature, but this is the range in which players have their peak physical ability and have the experience & consistency needed to succeed.
    We cannot continue to rely on players who are past their sell by dates….
    Dempsey-33 (35@WC), Howard-37 (39@WC), Jones-34 (36@WC), Beckerman-34 (36@WC), Wondo-33 (35@WC), Orozco-30 (32@WC), Evans-31 (33@WC)…Even Cameron-30 (33@WC), Bedoya-29 (31@WC), Castillo-29 (31@WC) Zusi-29 (31@WC), and Nguyen-29 (31@WC) are Bordering on questionable inclusions much longer.
    The team needs an infusion of young players. Even If these younger players are only nearly as good as their older counterparts they need to be brought in and given time on the field in order to gain the experience they’ll need to move forward. Now if the younger players are given the chance and “Crap the Bed” (nothing positive at all in their appearance) then they should be dropped for a while as well (looking at you Mix) to give a chance to someone else.
    International soccer isn’t about what a player did for the team 2 years ago…or even last year. Its about what you did the last game (or three). Poor performances in matches, lack of playing for your club side, etc…means that you are dropped/not considered. PERIOD!

    Entitlement has no place in professional/international sport.

    While I don’t have all the answers, nor can I give you endless lists of players who should be called in to replace those above (I’m sure everyone has their own suggestions) the fact remains that things need to change, and the first change (because its the fastest & cheapest) needs to be the players. If that doesn’t work than its time for a new coach.

    Reply
    • Not just Bradley and Arena, look at Spain with del Bosque and France with Domenech second times around seldom work for the reasons you stated. Could even argue that happened with Chelsea this year with Mourinho.

      Reply
      • After seeing Germany vs England over the weekend that might be coming to end too. Germany looked pretty disinterested. A lot like the US friendly last year, if they don’t show well in the Euros this Summer Low might be in trouble too. To be fired they’d have to fall out of the group stage and probably not even then, but certainly will get some heat if they don’t make the semis.

    • I love rational debate!!!!!! Facts, evidence, hypothesis, all in support of our country rather than threats to not watch ….

      Well said sir.

      Personally I’d keep Howard Dempsey Cameron and bedoya all as the veteran role players /subs and inject the better of the youth we’ve seen into the starting lineup. Miazga, brooks, fj (not youth really), yedlin, Williams, nagbe, Bradley, wood, jozy and the last spots up for grabs to determine the formation (Finlay? Shea? Pulisic? Morris? K Sweat? Etc).

      Point being realistically I want jozy, Bradley, brooks, Miazga, Williams and nagbe as the main starters by 2018 with the others filling in due to form and normal factors

      Reply
      • I have no problem keeping Dempsey, Jones & Howard around a little longer as mentors and super-subs. I just don’t believe that they should be the focus of the team (90 min game in, game out). Bedoya, Cameron & Nguyen are still capable contributors to the team and should continue to be a part of the starting XI or 1st options off the bench until such time as there are better options, or their play indicates that they need to become subs/replaced.

        I just happen to believe that this team needs to be shaken up and that what a player did 2 years ago needs to count less. I’m tired of seeing players who feel that they are entitled to be a part of the team because of what they’ve done in the past.

    • I see come complain about a lack of consistency in line ups. Well that’s not going to happen with injuries ect. However you can have real depth in each position and players knowing there role coming into camp. Players knowing who they need to beat out and preform over to keep a spot.

      Right now it just feels like, well we have to get Yedlin Cameron and Zardes on the field somewhere.

      Reply
    • JK has been overly reliant on new players too often changing things for change’s sake. He has not stuck with aging players who are clearly past their prime. Well maybe Howard and Dempsey and even Jones are past their prime, but I am not sure Guzan is better than Howard, no US player can defend in the midfield as well as Jones, Dempsey has always been a player who has great games and so-so games, while i was disappointed with his effort Friday, he still is probably the best scorer at a high level the US has, and no US player has more composure on the ball and works harder to give teammates an outlet option than Bradley

      What continues to baffle me is the refusal of JK to start Wondo and leave him in for a full 90. The only times he was given 90 minutes, he scored. He still scores more goals than any other US player in MLS, year after year. The only player with a better recent record of scoring t=goals is Wood and that is a pretty short record and it is in Bundesliga-2, not better than MLS.

      I do doubt Wondo can continue at the high level he has had over the last 5 years for another 3 so do not expect he will be in Russia, but he could score goals the US needs to qualify (much like Connor Casey and Frankie Hejduk did in qualifying for WC 2010).

      Reply
      • Are you kidding me with this Dennis? “JK has been overly reliant on new players too often changing things for change’s sake. He has not stuck with aging players who are clearly past their prime.” JK continues to call up and/or use a number of players who are past their prime. Orozco (bench player at club), Wondo (a 33 yr old player w/ 31 caps, 10 goals, averaging 37 min per game, for a strike rate of 31%…who couldn’t beat out a just returned from injury Jozy as a sub), Jones (a 34 yr old player who just found a club and seeing out a long term suspension), Beckerman (a 34 yr old player who couldn’t beat out the worst player on the field Friday for minutes – Diskerud).
        And who are these new players selected for changing things for change’s sake? Wood (23 yr old w/ 15 caps, 4 goals, averaging 40 mins per game, for a strike rate of 28%), Zardes (24 yr old w/ 22 caps, 3 goals, averaging 75 mins per game in his 1st year as an International). What other new players has JK relied upon??? Alverado, 23 yr old who hasn’t seen the field since Club America benched him? Brooks, 23 yr old who is a starting CB for a German club in Europa position and been playing for the Sr. National team for 2 yrs? Yedlin, 22 yr old who is a starting RB in the BPL and been playing for the Sr. National team for 2 yrs?

        Who exactly are these young players JK has been so reliant on? The only young players who have consistently been a part of the team have all been pretty damn good contributors IMO.

    • If you are a USMNT player and look disinterested in a WC qualifier or can’t get fired up b/c of the coach then you need to stop playing. I think JK needs to go, but to say the players aren’t motivated is pathetic on behalf of the players.

      Reply
  11. We have been getting worse and worse since Landon was left off the WC squad. Is it possible we were a bit more dependent on him than we realized?

    Reply
    • Most people will just say Landon scored most of his goal against weak sides like Guatemala….Well wouldn’t that be nice right now?

      Reply
    • Please go back and watch Landon’s last few international games, if we were still depending on him we would be even worse. LD’s the greatest, but he was a shell of what he was even in 2010. Put it this way if Howard throws the ball out to 2014 LD it rolls helplessly out of bounds 5 yards in front of him and we lose to Algeria. Players get old and their skills fall away it happens to them all, that’s why LD retired he new it was time, why can’t you see that.

      This team isn’t bad because it depended on Donovan alone, its bad because the other core players Dempsey, Bradley, Jones, have all fallen off due to age and or club choices. The generation who should now be in their prime never materialized many due to injury or poor club choice, but to even hint one player is the primary reason, come on man get over it.

      Reply
      • Preach.

        Additional perspective: how much sense would it make to say Kobe could lead the U.S. To a gold medal in this summers Olympics? He’s an all time great yes, but also a shell of his former self; much like MJ became and all the greats. I’ve seen iverson try to cross some one over and lost the ball….. Age hits all players. It hit LD at an inopportune time for the NT but to say having him right now would do any good is laughable josh

    • Umm… Slight miss on my point. I am not saying LD should still be playing. I am saying that perhaps a lot of our success was because we had a player like Donovan. Not just that he was good, but he was perfectly suited for our (lack of?) style as a team. Now we have the same skill level without a special player, and are getting exposed. And also my point is that some among us were not giving him enough credit for our success.

      Reply
      • Bedoya who a lot of people generally rate pretty well, only has 2 goals, 5 assists in 45 matches. At that rate it’s take him well over 1000 matches to reach the kind of numbers LD put up. So yes that’s not something you replace that easily.

      • I’ve been saying this for some time. Not having a player of LDs ability is exposing our true quality. Say what you will about him, but the guy pulled the strings for our offense for over a decade. That is not easily replaced and it should not surprise people our offense has declined drastically since LD retired.

      • Sorry I misunderstood your original post there are a lot of posters on here that would start Landon on Tuesday with no reservations.

        Certainly he was a savior for much of the years between 2002 and 2012. You are correct the much beloved defensive style that people bring up in the Arena and Bradley eras was made possible because Landon had the speed to break out and counter defenses with speed and the skill to finish or cross on the other end (also McBride’s ability in the air, that we are missing now allowed us to play this style). When we tried this strategy against Mexico in the Cup playoff we had neither the talented winger or the hold up forward. Fabian comes closest to LD in the current group, but he isn’t the scorer LD was and has had to play in the back four to cover for a weaker CB group. Yedlin has the speed, but not the offensive abilities. I am not sure Pulisic is as fast, but from what I’ve seen at the youth level his finishing and ability to pick out passes isn’t far off LD at a similar age.

    • Just because he happens to be a teenager doesn’t mean that everyone is labeling him our savior. On the other hand there are few players within the entire USMNT pool…regardless of age…that have been receiving minutes for a Top 4 club, in a Top 4 league. Nor have his minutes come in matches where the game has already been decided. Pulisic is not an Adu or Green….getting minutes in a poor league or with a major club’s reserve team. Nor are most saying he should be starting for the USMNT. But if BVB have enough respect for his abilities to play him in real matches than I see no reason why he shouldn’t be brought into a camp to meet the coaches & players. Especially considering that the players directly ahead of him in the US depth chart (Bedoya, Zusi, Zardes, Yedlin, Finlay, etc…) are not significantly better than him.

      Reply
      • I’ve seen a decent number of people saying he should start actually. He will be the story going into this match.

    • Because Zusi plays on the left and can replace FJ, Lletget primarily plays on the right and couldn’t even break into the starting 11 for Galaxy in their first two games.

      Reply
      • All but 30 minutes on the right this year at least according to Soccerway, I haven’t watched much LAG yet this season. Lletget’s production really slowed last season after all the CONCACAF Internationals returned how much of that was scouting, competition of better players, or Gio hogging the ball I don’t know.

      • Lletget was injured (groin) during preseason, it’s why he didn’t start in preseason & first couple games. He is a beast on the left, was last season as steal of the year. Gio has gotten the run out at the start of the season, but he has been dropped to the bench. Bruce has been trying inverted wingers with Gio on right & Gyasinho on left, but I am doubtful long term.

  12. To avoid inevitable embarassment, we need an excuse……a big one
    Fire Klinsmann (not enough)
    Get rid of everyone except Dempsey and Cameron. Excuse? They all came down with the Flu (is it still Flu season??? lol). Field:

    —————————-Clint Demspey———————-

    Sebastian Lletget——Sasha Klesjan——-Graham Zusi

    ———Danny Williams———–Geff Cameron————

    Beasley————Hedges————Miazga———–Lichaj

    —————————–Rimando——————————-

    and wait for results

    Subs:
    Jonathan Spector (as a midfielder), Perry Kitchen, Dax McCarthy, Tim Ream, Mike Grella, Clarence Goodson, Brad Davis, Quincy Amarikwa

    No camp or training Necessary
    No Chemistry Necessary
    No coach necessary (coaches are overrated anyway).
    At Least this way we would have an excuse to be clueless and Toothless

    Reply
  13. The lack of success last year against CONCACAF teams has lead me to believe that
    JK is the problem. Individually the players are skillful, so I see it either as a lack of ability to
    get them motivated, or lack of ability to identify the best line-up or formation. Ending up
    statistically (shots on goal), next to last in front of Cuba at the Gold Cup, was an indicator
    that things were not right with the USA. At the rate they are going, it will not surprise me
    to see the USA NOT make it to the final round of WC qualifying. Beating Guatemala this
    coming Tuesday is an absolute must if the US is to move on. The U. S. is looking a lot
    like Mexico was in 2014 WC Qualifying before the U S bailed them out with a road win.

    Reply
    • We have gotten away from our strengths, speed, athleticism, team defense, and are imitating some sort of European finesse side.

      Reply
      • The odd thing is our coach is German, as opposed to Dutch, French, Spanish, etc. Germans tend to play with an emphasis on attributes our players have (though to lesser degree), or at least had, before we went out and got ourselves our own German coach.

        Maybe the problem is our German coach was a striker instead of a defender or midfielder. Strikers mostly live in lala land, from what I’ve seen. They are not too different from wide receivers in American football. How many wide receivers become head coaches? I can’t think of any. But how many wide receivers cause locker room problems because 1) the team fails to make their game plan about those wide receivers, 2) the team wastes time running the ball, 3) they’re just nuts in general?

  14. Didn’t Brooks get sent back to Germany too? That was the report from before the last game.

    Oh well, I guess the bright side is when the USMNT is losing late, they at least bring on Pulisic in a cap-tyinjg sub. *eyeroll*

    Reply
    • I think replacing JK is not a bad idea. You can see the that the players were not motivated in their last game. They’ve stopped buying into his ever changing tactics and his “let’s try everything, anything and see if maybe it works” approach. The USMNT feels ungrounded right now. They also don’t have that tight defensive rugged quality that detracted other opponents in the past.

      I’m not a fan of the constant changing line-up and I feel that this lack of cohesion inhibits the team from having a stong identity. I say it’s time to make the change and I would start by looking at options to replace JK.

      Reply
      • If you need your coach to motivate you in a wc qualifier then you aren’t the right guy for our team.

      • JK has erred on the side of making too many changes. I am no fan of his, but to be fair, he was pretty well hampered by losing likely starters after they came to camp as well as the other more predictable missing players (Jones, Johannsonn) and Miazga who is with the U-23s.

        Still I expected a team that would come together to beat Guatemala.

        Is it just me or did Dempsey look disinterested?

        So many of the US players seemed to look to make a pass back to Bradley who was mostly too deep to even try to orchestrate an attack. Those back passes took away more scoring opportunities than the Guatemalan defense did.

      • I didn’t think that Dempsey had one of his better games, but ESPN rated him as a 7 out of 10 and by far our best player. Dempsey needs a lot of the ball to really get going and he didn’t get it for stretches. And I think his facial expressions pretty much always look that way. I know a lot of American fans hate who he embellishes fouls, but those embellishments have led to a lot of American goals over the years.

      • That is the way Dempsey plays, he will fall at contact, complain, do the same, give a puzzling look like saying “I didn’t do it”. In this last game, he did give Bedoya an excellent pass for a score that Bedoya couldn’t convert. Dempsey is not a high energy type of a guy but he has a knack for getting into a scoring situation but this time, his shot failed him.

    • he has a lost the players/team, they have no confidence in themselves or their leadership from him, there is nothing else to be done

      Reply

Leave a Reply to Jack Cancel reply