Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Panama has the U.S. men’s national team heading into Wednesday’s home Concacaf World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica needing a win, and the latest episode of The SBI Show previews the big match while also looking back at the loss in Panama CIty.
Episode 333 of The SBI Show breaks down Sunday’s defeat, and the lineup options Gregg Berhalter went with that ultimately doomed the Americans to their worst performance in a competitive match since Berhalter became coach.
Host Ives Galarcep also breaks down the USMNT’s lineup options heading into Wednesday’s qualifier in Columbus, Ohio, including the young players he believes deserve their chance to start.
You can listen to The SBI Show on Spotify, the Apple Podcast App and Soundcloud, and you can listen to Episode 333 right here:
What did you think of the show? Agree with the lineup suggestions for Wednesday?
Share your thoughts below.
Berhalter wasn’t “overconfident in his bench”…he was overconfident about the quality of his MLS lifers who he just can’t seem to see past.
One of the main problems as highlighted by the guys over at “Football Americas” is that there is no other No. “6” in the USMNT pool besides Tyler Adams. Tyler Adams has become the heartbeat of the team, and is most indispensable player. Now, if Berharlter has to sit him for a game here and there, then he needs to bring in another No. 6. I know this won’t go over great with the rest of the fan base, but the only player at this time that can step in and help steer the ship when Adams is out is none other than Michael Bradley. His experience alone would be very beneficial and help provide cover for when Adams needs to sit. Berharlter needs to consider this as an alternative option because without a true No. 6, this team is a mess.
As your name suggests, DC you went MB over Chris Durkin?! Wow! Servania & Andres Perea would be 2nd & 3rd in my opinion at the 6, depth chart. It would be a diff story if GB consistently uses Acosta as a 6, but Acosta continues to be used a lot at the 8. GB gotta stop playing around.
Here and in article comments there is a lot of talk about how bad our lineup was vs. Panama. While Berhalter did not pick anywhere near the best lineup, I think the bigger problem was attitude and effort. As a reminder, here’s the starting lineup the US used to start the Gold Cup final vs. Mexico: 1-Matt Turner, 2-Reggie Cannon, 7-Paul Arriola (capt.), 9-Gyasi Zardes, 12-Miles Robinson, 13-Matthew Hoppe, 16-James Sands, 17-Sebastian Lletget, 19-Eryk Williamson, 21-George Bello, 23-Kellyn Acosta. Even given that this GC game was in the US, if this lineup could beat Mexico, the lineup in Panama should not have lost. I hope Berhalter uses Ives’ preferred lineup. It’s the one I prefer of all the proposals I’ve seen.
Attitude and effort? Ever think about the other side?
In the Gold Cup final I would say that the Mexicans were into it but not all that much. They had lost Chucky and Jimenez was still injured, so the putrid Funes Mori was their attacking spearhead and he’s not exactly hot stuff.
Overall El Tri gave it a good old college try but just weren’t that into it. It was a B team tournament and the Mexicans gave it the respect it deserves, which is not much. El Tri knows that what really matters is what is happening now, WC qualification.
The USMNT facing Panama was another universe entirely for the two summer Cup Finals. Those Cups were like the American League winning the MLB All Star game. That wasn’t for real. WC qualifying is for real.
1. All of Panama were there to their team put one over on the Great Satan.
2. Panama have been playing very well in the Octagon
3. Christiansen is a superior manager to the guy who manages the USMNT.
If you don’t think the other managers haven’t figured out how to attack our
team then you might want to pay more attention. They know Lleget is a
back and sideways passing traffic cone. They know that if the ball gets to
Ariolla it will most likely bounce off of him and then out of touch. They
know Turner can’t distribute to save his life. Going forward you’re going
to see more players taking a run at him when he is in possession.
These managers watch the same games you and I do. If you all could tell
from the starting lineup that the USMNT were there for the taking, then
Christiansen could too.
4.Panama were willing to die to win this. Our guys took their cue from the
manager. If the manager was more interested in Costa Rica that gets
transmitted to the players.
5.This was for entry to the World Cup not the final of some low rent JV Gold
Cup tournament that everyone will forget about once the WC qualifying
results are announced. Other than the fans of this manager who are grasping
for straws looking for something positive to say about him, no one gives a
shit about those two Cup finals.
Our manager doesn’t get it. All the other teams have their intensity meters turned up to 10 and he’s still at 5 talking about “learning” from this.
In WC qualifying you do not willingly drop points unless you’re already qualified. This manager was willing to drop 2 points in this game.
It’s a long tournament and dropped points can easily come back to haunt you.
No learning, there is. Only results, there are. Time, you are out of.
You seem to be saying that the US losing should have been expected and the US team in that game wasn’t as good as the Panamanian team. This whole thing about how a team like Mexico doesn’t care about winning a competition reminds me when the US got to the final in the Confederations Cup and took an early lead but lost to Brazil, after beating Spain in the semis. People then were saying, oh Spain didn’t care and Brazil didn’t care about winning the final either. Spain had a long streak of positive results broken and when Brazil won their players were jumping around li8ke it was a World Cup final. In brief, I don’t buy the they didn’t care explanation. Any professional is exceedingly competitive and are going to always want to win in a final of a competition.