After two draws from the first two matches of the final round of Concacaf World Cup qualifying, the U.S. men’s national team heads into Wednesday’s trip to Honduras in dire need of a victory, and the latest episode of The SBI Show breaks down all angles of the all-important match.
Episode 327 of The SBI Show takes an in-depth look at the USMNT’s visit to San Pedro Sula, and what to expect from the matchup, as well as breaking down the lineup options Gregg Berhalter will need to consider.
Host Ives Galarcep also takes a look back at the USMNT’s 1-1 draw with Canada on Sunday, a match that saw the American defense struggle with Alphonso Davies, and the attack struggle to generate dangerous chances. We also hear some words from both Berhalter and Christian Pulisic about the U.S. attack, and other topics.
Weston McKennie’s suspension is also discussed in detail, as we hear from Berhalter on his decision to suspend McKennie, along with whether the Juventus midfielder still has a future with the USMNT.
You can listen to The SBI Show on Spotify, the Apple Podcast App, and Soundcloud, and you can listen to Episode 327 here:
I have to greatly disagree on the blame for Brooks on the goal. You follow the player you are marking (Larin), not watch the ball and assume your teammate is going to stop Davies. Nobody else was stopping Davies. Interesting that Ives criticizes Elis for not playing for Honduras because he just moved to a new club in France. Yet, Berhalter is always saying that he wasn’t going to call in some player because they just moved and they need to get established at their new club. Ives seems to accept it for US players, but not for Albert Elis. As for Roldan, I have always contended that he is good enough for CONCACAF, with the exception of Mexico and now Canada.
Help me out Gary, what key USMNT player skipped qualifiers to sort out a club move? Generally when Berhalter has talked about not calling a player settling into a new club, it’s been some young player, fringe player, not literally the team’s best player. And pointing out my surprise at him skipping the qualifiers isn’t the same as me “criticizing” Elis.
As for the Canada goal, I pretty clearly laid blame on all three defenders, so wasn’t absolving Brooks. They all could have done better on the goal, period.
Love having this site be all Ives all the time again, but I have to agree with Gary on the non-call for players like Moore, Cannon, or Hoppe. To me, the “settle in with their clubs” excuse does not fly during an international window… when players are cleared from their teams (who know the window is coming months in advance) to get training and game time with their nations. Is sitting in a hotel in anew country and going to your club’s training facility a better way to shake the rust off and get into match fitness? Also, these guys just played all summer. They needed a rest, but they should not be sooooo far off form that they can’t be ready to go for their country. Don’t understand why they could not try to get close to match fit (Pulisic apparently did while on COVID isolation).
This going to get lost in reaction to tonight’s game but wouldn’t Hoppe, Nico, Cannon, and others have needed to stay Europe because of pending transfer medicals? The team was in Nashville on the 30th and medicals were needed on 31st. They flew to El Salvador the 1st. Could have joined match 2 but likely would have caught Covid from wherever Steffen and the staff members got it in Nashville.
Fair enough. But, if true, then say that. The explanation offered made no sense. “Settle in with team” is not “can’t get him because of medicals and roster timing.”