Comments

1. Leon Bailey not called in for Jamaica due to a disciplinary issue. Apparently last window missed 10 pm curfew and did not return to the hotel until the next day. Trivante Stewart also suspended for same incident. Demari Gray and Shamar Nicholson out with card accumulation. The Jamaica attack will be without both first choice wings, 2nd and 4th strikers. They’ll also will be without Luton LB Amari’i Bell.

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   • i asked myself why weren’t they punished at the time for their transgressions but if you think about it, they probably like me elevate the copa over this, and not punishing the players at the time helped them get in the copa. you then have them serve a “suspension” for the first part of what we probably both see as a somewhat redundant series of games.

     but we should probably send them a gift basket as it probably makes our road easier.

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     • Yeah I didn’t understand that either unless they didn’t find out until later.

     • JR: i assume they weren’t enforcing curfew “after” the games were done. my guess between games. at the time they are down 2-1 going to the away fixture that they somehow (a) win and (b) get away goals for the tiebreak. they don’t win that second canada game none of this happens. canada gets this NL game and the clinched copa slot. jamaica misses NL and is playing someone like TnT for the last copa slots.

       it’s a different attitude towards discipline. we would send the adulterer home or put reyna in the doghouse or weston on a plane. immediately. regardless the event. to me it looks like they got where they wanted and then prioritized when to punish. they can trial some new people at NL then mix back in the suspended and unhealthy for copa in a few months. i still don’t get the point to running out the same basic roster twice. you have to be very, arrogantly sure you are right to say that we are about to see the conservative, status quo first choice set, twice, for about 10 games in a row.

2. no Aaronson, a guy who sells out for this team, always has, can play multiple positions in GB’s system, never complains and just goes 110%. Yes, he’s not playing much, but that doesn’t stop other callups in that situation. says a lot about how GB rates BA, and after what he’s done for GB and this team when called, I’m surprised

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   • something no one has noted is the lack of wing depth on the roster. not sure if aaronson has earned it, but if you look close at the list it’s christian and weah and then what. suggests either reyna will play some wide, or malik and perhaps sargent will be used as wings.

     someone below was like is sargent going to start, we have overloaded at striker so i doubt it, it’ll be pepi and balogun, if you wanted to try things you’d leave one or both out. no, he won’t be more than a short sub at striker, but he might get some wing time, i think.

     i wouldn’t mind them trying that, but, heck, at that point i’d also be trying dest or musah up there.

     anyhow point re BA was i could take or leave that choice but it’s not like he balanced that omit with more wingers off the bench. malik’s league appearances this year are all “spinal” and he’s never struck me as incredibly speedy or brad-davis-technical. now sargent is fairly technical (can drop a cross on a dime) if slow. that makes more sense.

     if we frontrun the starters are fine but if we need bench help he has reyna double-booked as AM and went weird on the wings. the fact a guy can play 2 spots doesn’t mean he can both same time. he does this roster-double-accounting all the time, including with BA in past years. he can’t be both your starting AM and your christian-sub.

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     • There is no lack of wing depth. Of a 20 man field player roster they have 5 players with significant playing time as a wing. That is 25% of the roster. He also has McKennie, Arob, Dest (available le 2nd game), Scally, and Lund that can play wings. Gregg’s wingbacks spend more time as wingers than fullbacks against CONCACAF opponents. That 50% of the field players.

     • “Interesting. Not really any surprises besides no Aaronson, and there’s no Zendejas or Paredes either. Instead we bring 3 strikers and list a guy who plays 10 for his club team – Tillman – as a winger. That leaves Pulisic as the one winger on the roster who actually plays as a winger for his club.” -Quozzel March 13, 4:10 PM

     • tele, that’s not the way that soccer works. it’s even worse double bookkeeping than GB does. 1/2 of those theoretical wings “must” be playing wingback in a formation that has 2 separate wide layers. weston will be playing mid. so you could redeploy 2 of them higher up and they would also be the rostered subs for the wingbacks.

       maybe you’re suggesting just throw the wingbacks way high to compensate for the lack of wing subs. that’s a good way to get countered for the killer goal, and the normal coaching process is not “undercall” some positions then “overcompensate” with aggressive tactics to fix it. it’s call some actual wings and use the players normally. and if you want to get clever call some “slash” types who can be used variously.

       but GB’s mistake is he will undercall a position — LF without pulisic was one he would badly botch — and then like aaronson is supposed to be both AM and the starting LF. just because some guys are versatile doesn’t mean you can not call enough people for a few different positions.

     • IV, that is exactly how soccer works. You’re entitled to your opinion, but luckily the people who pick the rosters don’t agree with you. Here are the players that Gregg thinks are better wingers than any un-injured player that didn’t make the roster (with possible exception of Luna who is with the U23s): pulisic, weah, Reyna, Sargent, mcKennie, Tillman, Pepi, Balogan, LDLT, Dest. No need to bring another winger. Here are the people on the roster that Gregg thinks are better 10s than any uninjured player left off the roster (again with the possible exception of Luna): Reyna, Tillman, pulisic, McKennie, LDLT, musah. No need to bring another 10. Here are the 8s: mckennie, musah, pulisic, LDLT, Tillman, weah, cordosa, Sargent. No need to bring any more 8s. For 6s: musah, cordosa, adams, LDLT, richards. No need to bring more 6s. You only get 20 field players, only 10 can play at a time, and you get 5 subs in 90 minutes. That is the way soccer actually works; those are facts not opinions. Who specifically would you have included on the roster and in whose place? And don’t waste your time saying Green and Holmes because everyone will stop reading as soon as you mention their names.

   • I agree he should be there over Gio. I’m not happy at all what’s going on with Gio. Aaronson did score couple weeks ago and it was winning goal.

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     • Adams is another I just don’t get including this time

3. mckenzie? as in the guy who same tournament 3 years ago handed mexico a 2′ goal plus a 119′ penalty that nearly lost the tournament? how is that reliable “experience” or “playing to win,” if you’ve actually paid attention.

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   • Just going to throw this out there. Maybe he’s improved in those three years.

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     • when you say he improved are you referring to him being a healthy omit from the world cup roster, most of WCQ before that, 3/4 of the NL games this cycle except grenada, both summer tournaments last year? are you talking about how “well” he played in the panama WCQ and japan friendly debacles? the latter of which probably sealed his fate for qatar even as the roster was decimated by injury ahead of him, such that CCV, Z, and ream made the plane? that the improvement you are speaking of?

       c’mon, you don’t have to white everything i say is black. this is bruce arena going in circles on cameron/omar/besler because he can’t admit to himself he has a better shot outside the usual suspects. i’d throw in ream as well but then i’d hear how the 60 year old looked good 1-1/2 years ago on that fluke, despite how trinidad away went “the other day.”

       reality is ream probably starts and mckenzie is harmlessly stowed on the bench as last option, but GB’s pattern is guys like this are some hard luck away from seeing the field. it’s how ream made it last time. and to me it’s like if we have as many as 10 serious games this spring/summer to test widgets, maybe try some now who haven’t already failed under pressure.

       and setting aside vague stat type stuff, guy is a little slow, heavy legged, sloppy on the ball. you go back and watch japan or panama and you can play a throughball past him just a few feet either side, and when we need help he’s a step slow to get over and cut someone off.

       but but but something about he’s amazing now 3 years later…ok, sure, boss…..

     • Well, I know I have.

     • Noticed I said “maybe”. I have only seen him play 3 times in the last 18 months. Grenada, Uzbekistan, and Oman, all adequate performances against weaker opponents. Beyond that Zimmerman, Neal, CCV, EPB all hurt. So do you want your favorite player Brooks? Miazga has been shaky for the NT as well. Sometimes you’ve just got to pick the lesser of evils.

     • i knew EPB was out and this would likely have been his shot. CCV doesn’t help. but beyond that some of the problem is you’re just reciting usual suspects which is how we get to mckenzie. yeah, i can see how a blinkered coach looking at brooks, miazga, z, and the awful neal goes, “ok, mckenzie plays in a decent league” and surpresses his memories how it went last time. but this is precisely the bruce arena mentality i was talking about.

       there are several other guys we could call, sands is apparently a forgotten man, dietz (who we sent U23), sandler and pierie dual nationals. heck, i’d have weston in the back before i’d be playing mckenzie. the deal is we are on whatever anti-sands snit we have gotten on, we want weston in MF, and we are so hellbent on taking every game super serious we don’t take risks, and we see experience as outranking anything.

       here is the deal. if you nearly lost me the last version of this tournament you played in, i am lost how you are the experienced hand to help me win this even if i used it as a hyperconservative exercise in “playing to win” with a roster of regulars. how do you help win when what you really do is nearly lose me games. this makes no sense.

       as with several other things, the US has become ossified with “start the regulars” and lost the old sensibility that the best way to push this forward and win more often was to go about 80% regular 20% risk. if you take no chances this just stays in the same place. and that will maybe be enough for NL, but it won’t get copa or the world cup done, which i thought was closer to the big picture point.

4. I wonder he gets the start at Striker? I have a feeling Sargent gets the nod.

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   • I am really interested in that u-23 roster, now.

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     • My guess
       I’m 90% sure will be on it: Slonina, Dietz, Thomkinson, Jon. Gomez, Reynolds, Tessmann, Busio, McGlynn, Paxten, Paredes, Esmir, Kamungo, Luna, AMorris
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       Likely 75%: Schulte, Johan Gomez, Che, McGuire, Pukstas, Wiley, Tolkin
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       Maybe50/50: Jackson, Gutierrez, Cowell, Varges, Bello, Craig
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       The Philly, Columbus, and Orlando guys have had a busy schedule so I could see guys like McGlynn, Schulte, Morris, McGuire left to rest. I guess Cade Cowell in this group too.
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       I hope for but not optimistic: Hoppe, Jose Gallegos, Bryang Kayo, Z. Booth, Downs (that’d be a surprise)
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       Interested to see on Cole Campbell obviously there’s a reason to file the paperwork does he go with U23s or U20s (supposed to be camping too).
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       It’s late I’m sure I’m forgetting someone.

     • JR: campbell went weird. i thought we announced because he had been FIFA approved not just applied. if he just applied that might explain some. otherwise he’s cleared and we could use help either level wide up top. heck, he could probably play striker U23. his U19 team is off for a month. he’s either nursing something or we made a deal to wait til the summer to move forward. otherwise on the horse you get.

     • IV: see U23 thread he’s with the U19s that will be next years U20 WC team.

     • JR: if that’s the case then they have underestimated or sandbagged what they just got. i explained the other day where, say, his technical ability and shooting should make him an upgrade on some of the marginal types who made U23 this time and are B team level for the senior team. he is precise right when they get sloppy. if he’s then ticketed not to senior, or even to U23, but to U20, we either go through the motions or lack a clue.

       to me it’s absurd like when we had about a half dozen WCQ starters down on U23 who never saw the regional olympic qualifying. we either can’t evaluate right or are like the baseball GM telling himself the new signing has to dutifully spend no less than 200 AB in A ball, a year in AA, etc.

     • IV: Serious question did you watch a full match or just highlights? The highlights I saw the producers were clearly messing with video speed (movements were jerky). There’s a full match against Leverkusen from August and their match Saturday was supposed to be on the Junior A YouTube channel.
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       I agree he’s good but I’m not going to put my reputation that he’s that good based on a 4 min highlight video. You could make Brek Shea look like a Ballon d’Or candidate if you cut two years down to 4 mins.

     • IV: you seem to always forget Olympic qualifying was delayed a year by Covid so certainly the roster was going to change. Guys like Bradley, Altidore, and Zardes aged out of the NT so Weah, Sargent, or Wright had room to move into by 2021 when Olympic qualifying took place. Cody Gakpo was on The Netherlands U23 playing against the US in 2019. Several others that saw the field for The Netherlands in WC played for their U21s in Euro U21 Championship in 2021 (Euros U21 is what UEFA uses as Olympic qualifiers). By Nov. 2019 Berhalter had realized this and Brenden Aaronson was the only eventual Qatar WC player on the U23 roster. Then a year with no matches for U23 and only Ferreira played in Olympic Qualifying when it final took place in 2021 and then played in WC. If it’s an indictment on Berhalter it’s an indictment on Van Gaal.
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       What about the WC winners, you ask?
       Alvarez, Li.Martinez, Romero all played on Argentina’s U23 in 2019 and then at WC along with N. Gonzalez who played in 17 WCQ but was hurt for Qatar. MacCallister joined their U23s in 2020 and missed Copa America and all but WCQ to play for U23s. Thiago Almada played in the WC and last month he was with their U23s for Olympic qualifying. For all but a very special few that is the process. Play for the YT, make your pro debut, then play for the NT. It’s very rare to get guys like Pulisic or Reyna that skip multiple levels.

   • I’ll prove to IV I don’t disagree with everything he says. I don’t think Sargent starts as a CF if everyone is healthy against Jamaica.

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5. Clubs can deny call ups if a player is injured. The medical teams for the NT and individual clubs are in contact ahead of these windows. If the people who actually are medical professionals and have access to the player and all testing data approve these call ups then who are we to argue about it.

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   • you’re conflating medical clearance with physical fitness, which are two different things. in recent years he seems fine with calling people he won’t be denied for injury — they are cleared and will be released if requested — but whose fitness is questionable and therefore risk is unusual.

     to be fair, mckennie went 88′ with 2 assists which matched what he did the week before he got hurt. ok, fine.

     adams, different story, long term injury he keeps reaggravating, 19′ of first division play. we get a few days of practice then games. see if he holds up for 2 months and builds minutes back up. pass.

     whether that decision puts the coach under pressure or risks losing a piddly tournament shouldn’t be the deciding factor. you re-injure him rushing this and you are then DEFINITELY shopping DM and this becomes more holden/o’brien every day. so quit rushing it like a kid with a toy.

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     • If Adams fitness was questionable then Bournemouth wouldn’t play him. Bournemouth is pretty safe from relegation at this point they don’t need him if there’s a concern. If they didn’t play him they would deny the call up. Also Adams can deny a call up, if he thinks his leg is still unfit he can say no.

     • JR: GB”s job is to be the adult in the room, not encourage players to take risks.

       i think part of the disparity here, to me, is we need starting DMs — or to be trialing them — and he’s sub minutes. presumably not as a performance choice but instead as a fitness approximation.

       if adams “should be” 20-minute adams, do i need 20-minute adams? no. should i be risking adams as 90′ guy when he hasn’t played more than 19′ in first division ball? no.

       to me a lot of this is GB listens to the chatter and is like a kid in the candy store who has to see. the smart adult play here is you resist the fanboy impulse to kick the tires first time he could theoretically be ready. you get him healthier and fitter. you play that guy and hope he doesn’t grab his leg again. i do not get taking championship-intensity risks on a guy with few minutes coming off a hammy issue.

     • IV: Bournemouth is playing their 27 million euro investment. If they weren’t sure he’s fine they wouldn’t risk him. They could have easily said we’re going to keep him out until after the break. They think he’s good, they have access to the scans. I’ve said this before it’s easy to say Gregg should do this or that when it’s his job on the line not yours. If he’s that delicate he’s just as likely to reinjure it in the club friendly Bournemouth will have next week.

6. I wonder if Berhalter is trying to make up for ignoring Reyna in the past. Reyna has done practically nothing with Nottingham Forest and did very little with Dortmund. He has hardly played at the club level this season. I also don’t see how you can ignore a player who has scored 14 goals so far. The English Championship is probably close to equal to Holland where Pepi plays. And Bologun has been dead in the water this year. Zendejas would seem to be a good option for one of these guys. What is one thing Jamaica has always been known for? Speed. It’s time to cut the cord on Tim Ream. He has generally been limited to 2nd string at Fulham. There has to be a CB in the pool who will be better. I vote for Auston Trusty.

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   • “ I wonder if Berhalter is trying to make up for ignoring Reyna in the past”, quit spreading IVs nonsense. Started 8 of his first 9 matches coming off the bench for fourth match in 12 days in June 2021. Started 1st qualifier before being injured. Played all 3 of final qualifying window when he came back from injury. Reinjured, then started in both pre WC tuneups subbing off injured against SA in first half. He’s started all 4 since Gregg rehired.

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     • I was being facetious on that point, but the serious point is that Reyna has hardly played at all this season. That is undeniable. In a more recent article, it is mentioned that he has played a total of 38 minutes since joining Forest. Berhalter felt the need to defend his selection. It used to be that playing regularly was a major consideration in being selected for the national team.

     • Sorry, I missed the subtlety. Did it used to matter when guys weren’t playing for their clubs? John O’Brien before the injuries didn’t always play a ton. Claudio had some years where he wasn’t playing a lot but still would get called in. Landon couldn’t get minutes at Leverkusen or Bayern but still got called. Bradley had periods with Villa and Mochengladbach but still was a regular, Jozy during down times still played. He had 6 appearances for Villarreal the season before he scored in the Confed Cup. I don’t know what’s happening with Gio at Forest, but I do know when healthy he’s always shown up for the NT. The US needs someone in the middle that can combine with Weah, Pulisic, and Balo so we are not one dimensional. Gio can do that, Malik can maybe do that too. Until Gio shows he can’t do it anymore (or his attitude becomes a problem) then he should be there.

     • JR – Ya know who is doing well combining with forwards these days and is arguably the USMNT player at the moment? Good ol’ Weston. There doesn’t need to be a roll of the dice with a player who can’t get time when the other options are balling. Your examples are really good except the pool back in those days wasn’t close to what it is now. Let’s get the MMA back together and stop over thinking things. Give Adams 45-60 and then bring in Reyna and drop one of the Ms deeper. Let Reyna back up in the midfield until he earns a starting role or let him start on the right since Weah’s form is off and he hasn’t played forward since the last camp. Actually, I’d say considering the match up, Weah and Dest are a toss up at RB….did you see Malen torching Dest for pace in the last two CL games (my vote is start Weah at RB and Ryena at RW)? Sub out Adams at predetermined time, move Musah to the six, rotate Reyna from RW to CM, bring Weah forward and a fresh Dest off the bench for the final 30 while swapping whichever nine didn’t start for the one that did (anyone got a dart board)

     • Dang, I shouldn’t be let near a keyboard when freshly caffeinated. That comment was rambling and contradictory…real time external processing. Welcome to my mind – lol. My conclusion stands though.

     • MoB: somewhat like my comment on injured players, Berhalter has information we don’t have as to why Reyna isn’t playing. Yes, Wes is in good form, however, we’ve never seen him do the things Gio can do. When he’s on Gio is our most talented player (see NL Final Four ‘23).
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       Likewise with Tim, he played as a FB for most of last season with Lille and had no problem playing as an attacker for the US.
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       As for Dest, he’s always more comfortable on the right but PSV needs him on the left. The risk with Serge is always is his ability to pin the opponent in their own end with his offense more valuable than his risk being beaten. Typically in Concacaf it is. I believe Dest is suspended for the first match but maybe cards don’t carry over I could be wrong.

     • Yeah it’s the fact Reyna plays a position of need for the team in a way that no one else has proven able that forces his selection. Honestly though, it’s really hard to imagine him going 90 min or even close when I’m pretty sure he hasn’t been more than a 15-20 min sub since his latest injury, seems a real stretch physically for him to start. I would go with Tillman to start at the 10, or else it’s use McKennie there and De le Torre as 6.

     • JR – totally forgot about the red card on Dest. I agree with everything you said (usually do). I know that post was all over the place – I started with Reyna on the bench and ended with him starting at RW. If Dest is in fact suspended then I like the idea of Weah at RB even more. It allows for the line up to accommodate all of the best available players. Let Reyna do his RW act like he has done will in the past at both Dortmund and with the Nats.

   • “I wonder if Berhalter is trying to make up for ignoring Reyna in the past. ”

     Let’s say that notion has any merit. It has none, but let’s imagine it does.

     So Gregg starts him vs Jamaica cause Gregg owes him one. Now because he has not played in a while he gets turned inside out and looks like a college player. In other words he looks like shit.

     Tell me how that is good for Gio? The people at Forest will think he is even less manly and more of a diva shitbag than SBI people think he is.

     Gregg is just like every other football manager you ever met. More than anything he wants to win. He wants to look good. So he’s going to play the guys he thinks will get him there.

     I don’t know if Gio is the best choice but Gregg thinks he is. Gregg does not think Gio is some half ass college player. Gregg think Gio an help him win.

     I would leave both Tyler and Gio at home.

     Tyler because he’s made out of spun glass and, I’m no doctor, but Tyler is almost certainly trying too hard to come back too soon. And I want to find out what I can about Johnny.
     And Gio because he needs to do whatever he can to steal minutes at Forest instead of farting around with Uncle Gregg and his buddies at the USMNT.

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     • I couldn’t get past the part “trying to make up for ignoring Reyna in the past”! When did Greg ever ignore Reyna? The man was called in and started pretty much every game he was healthy and available for under Greg lol

   • Speed? Cutting the cord on Timmy is one thing. But doing it because he’s slow? Hah! When was he fast? Even as a sub for Fulham he’s still a better center half than most of our guys and certainly good enough to handle CONCACAF teams. I have no problem moving on from him but let’s not pretend that Trusty who is playing for a Championship team that just so happens to be in the EPL is a better player or a better center half.

     If Trusty wants to fill Ream’s shoes then he needs to play for a much better team than the dead man walking Blades.

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   • i assume trusty is gone because the blades suck and are getting relegated. this is precisely where i find club form unhelpful. he’s going down, reyna’s in a mess, it’s not entirely their fault. but they are trusted to be in a tougher league than most. how has that been factored in vs. say how MLS or belgian league is going.

     i think we need a couple fresh faces in the mix and not ream or mckenzie. he should have been one on reputation regardless of this silly club form business. CB lately is a mess with no one seizing the job, not even the supposed starters. so this should really be an open audition tournament with the better performers brought back for the copa.

     anyhow, you mentioned reyna, there is a fake, moralistic debate here. you look at the actual roster and he had to make it because there is so little on here who could either start 10 or sub wide and be a true wing. there’s a bunch of “8 mush” on the roster including some who seem intended to sub wide. if that’s the filler behind weah and pulisic, and we need a 10 too, it kind of had to reyna, regardless of supposed form.

     my 2 cents a guy not being used has “no form,” not “bad form.” he’s a big question mark. we will see what we get. it’s not ideal but this roster is weird so i think the coach had to call one of 2023’s better producers behind the strikers.

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7. Just looking at the roster for european club penetration — it’s just amazing what we’ve done in ten years. I am thankful for this and will not quibble about inclusions for a single Jamaica game.

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   • And Mexico or Panama. Two matches this window.

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8. Interesting. Not really any surprises besides no Aaronson, and there’s no Zendejas or Paredes either. Instead we bring 3 strikers and list a guy who plays 10 for his club team – Tillman – as a winger. That leaves Pulisic as the one winger on the roster who actually plays as a winger for his club.

   I’m distinctly iffy on the decision to include Adams. I really don’t want to see him hurt again, and I’d have personally taken Trusty over Miles Robinson, but aside from that there’s not a whole lot many folks could really argue with. Though of course we will. 😉

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   • Q, one injured player (Gio), one just back from long injury with almost no game time (Adams), and one just back from short term injury (McKennie). I think that says a lot about Gregg’s opinion of depth in the player pool, which I actually agree, although I am probably one of the few. I thought he was going to take Adams when Maloney got hurt; I just don’t think he trusts anyone else left in the pool to help close out a game in the last 20 minutes more than Adams. Hopefully, he doesn’t t need him. Maybe like carrying an umbrella so it doesn’t rain instead of to keep you dry. Gio surprised me considering he is hurt but maybe 20 minutes if he needs a goal or NF has been lying about him being injured. Gio got hurt against ES in first qualifying game and missed the rest of qualifying, got hurt against Japan pre WC tuneup, and got another long term injury against Canada last Nations League. I hope they don’t need him; if he gets hurt a fourth time on international duty I can’t imagine it wouldn’t deter some teams interest in him.

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     • Hasn’t Malik started at LW for PSV the last two matches? Also played there at other times this season. Not his best spot, but he’s going to be lost.

   • Have to think Paredes going with U23s, especially with their matches in Europe.

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     • correct, along with the other Aaronson as well!

9. Berhalther just forever gonna have beef with Brooks. Miles should not have been called up after that lackluster performance against Slovenia B team 🤦‍♂️

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   • Trusty should be called up over Miles. I am concerned over Tyler Adam’s against phy Jamaica we will see.

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   • Brooks got a straight red really early in the game over the weekend. The timing was very unfortunate. Not sure that hurt Brooks’ chances but I’m sure it didn’t help them any.

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   • I like Brooks, truly, but watching Bundesliga…he’s kinda cringey like every other game…

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10. But, but Haji is so good, he can play winger and he has no first touch. I am glad the spare was left off. That train has left the station… Fantastic roster selections

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    • clown comment….we get it, you don’t like Haji, but don’t act like a child and Greg actually name dropped him as one of the last cuts from the roster so he’s not far off

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      • Ronnie, maybe he is a child? I don’t think there are age restrictions to post on this site.

      • Ronniet,

        Owen could be anything, a child, an AI construct, Brandon Vasquez, Joe Corona, who knows.

      • Vac, I was disappointed I was unable to illicit a response from you with my references to Ed King in a back and forth I was having with JR; I threw those in just for you. An incredible story of how a Gibson player will forever be known for playing a strat; a guy Al Kooper called a virtuoso. Now is that a fact or an opinion? I think I might be on the wrong blog …

      • fair point guys, and one I hadn’t thought of LOL! I just don’t understand the need of some to talk negatively about a player that wasn’t even called in, who is one of the top scorers in the Championship btw, and then boast about it after the fact like there was never any doubt that said player should have been called in because of their own biased opinion of him. Haji has 14 goals in the Championship, and I don’t another American player has ever had that many goals in that division with a plethora of games still to go this season. What are people gonna say if/when he scores 20+ goals this season?

      • Ronniet: I think we’ve all fired off responses based on emotion we probably shouldn’t have. I know I erase a couple week that I’m like I shouldn’t send this.
        ——————
        Haji is having a good season and he’s had a good career so far, successful in Denmark, Turkey, and now Championship. He may well get to 20 goals. In 2005 he’d be a lock everytime for the NT. Unfortunately, in 2024 he’s got competition he wouldn’t have had 15-20 yrs ago. Sargent is matching him for goals in same league despite missing several months. Pepi is scoring at a rate of a goal every 80 minutes, after 13g in Netherlands last year. Balo is having a down year with a new club but had 22g last season in Ligue 1. I don’t have BeIn so I don’t know for sure what’s going on but when I see his strike partner with 15g 1a on the season that leaves me with questions about how well Ben Yedder plays with others. Monaco keeps starting him so he must be doing something right. That’s a long way to say with that much talent and often only using 1 CF at a time that someone has to be left out. In Qatar it was Pepi, next week it’s Haji. The guys are so close in talent it’s often personal preference as to what you like.

      • @Johnnyrazor, I can’t disagree with your first sentence, been there done that for sure, but I’ve matured from that LOL! I’m not even mad or frustrated Haji isn’t on the roster, I get that there are levels to this thing called “international call ups”. I was only making the point that I don’t think anyone can infer that Haji had no business being on the this roster with the season he is having, Owen trying to make a mockery of the thought of him being called in is just silly, it was unprompted to even bring him up. He clearly got his wish and still couldn’t help himself, that I don’t get!

      • Ronniet: it’s the social media culture it’s not enough to be right you have to strut.

      • JR, repeatedly posting derogatory comments about a specific player through the anonymity of this site is hardly what I would call strutting.