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There are many things out there I miss. You'll remain anonymous.
The Olympics starts tomorrow. You might not know much about these American players you're going to be rooting on during the coming weeks.
Here is a short overview of each player to learn some more. Ordered by kit number.
Gregg Berhalter's second tenure has been a disaster so far:
1. Eliminated GC SF's to 🇵🇦
2. 3-1 Loss to 🇩🇪 in crisis that had lost 3 of it's last 5 at the time
3. Loss to 🇹🇹 and 🇸🇮
4. Needed stoppage time equalizer and ET to beat 🇯🇲 at home (also tied at home 8 months prior)
I try to be neutral in these debates.
However:
It was stark how much the MLS players struggled for us in that game.
If Berhalter doesn’t adjust, he’ll be going home after 3 games.
Berhalter’s return has been a disaster so far.
I don’t know why he would’ve started his second tenure with much job security either.
You can wait until after the Copa America to fire him, but we’re probably just wasting the next six months. Never should’ve been rehired.
*USMNT rant*:
This Copa America is very important, but that’s not for the USMNT. That’s for teams like Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia. This is a luxury tournament for the USMNT. Yes, they will face much worse competition in upcoming windows and lack of competitive games is
Bad look for the USMNT that their games this window are only watchable in English in the USA on a streaming service while an England-Brazil friendly is on National TV.
Does Ricardo Pepi (‘03) now play in the U-20 World Cup with him missing the USMNT WC roster?
That’s a big stage where he can stamp his authority as one of the best players in his age group in the world.
The final should be held at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
FIFA should care more about the history of the sport. There's a storied history of that stadium hosting the World Cup Final. It's one of the most iconic stadiums in the sport.
A shame.
This Zimmernman stuff drives me crazy.
How he "earned" an XI spot/spot on team is exactly what we should've learned years ago is not way to go. The Wondolowski lesson.
Played well vs. weak teams in CONCACAF. Has lacked games vs. top teams.
Panics in a key moment. It cost us.
PSV is looking like the anti-Leeds. 3 USMNT players on the same team. All having pretty good seasons.
PSV has won every domestic game they’ve played & are through to next round of the UCL after 5 games.
Stewart likely now has a mandate to bring in more 🇺🇸.
Who should be next?
Tyler Adams was a 19 year old MLS player at the time of this goal. He's now a core USMNT player.
Why am I bringing this up? I feel it's important that we not neglect calling our best MLS talents into the USMNT. Yes, USMNT.
You have to recognize when a player is playing at a
Big USMNT takeaways from tonight:
1. This is who Dest is & why he’s failed at 2 big clubs. Don’t pencil him in for 2030.
2. Turner is average. Investing the house in him is making a big mistake.
3. Berhalter should now be on the hot seat. Results/performances since return=BAD.
On the rumors of Balogun being unhappy w/Berhalter:
You wanted to rehire him? Very uninspiring, but I won't throw a fit.
Another issue with one of his best players? Can't happen. He must go, if a big issue. He's on thin ice, at best, with fans. We'll back top players over him.
If you don't know much about US U-17 World Cup team that you are going to start watching and investing in tomorrow, here is a short description of every player on the team in 280 characters or less.
Ordered by jersey number.
🚨 USMNT international Malik Tillman for PSV today
☑️ 72 min
⚽️ 1 goal
🔑 2 chances created
🔀 2 dribbles won
🔥 6 duels won
🎯 81% passing
👏🏻 8 ball recoveries
✅ 8.2 fotmob rating
Really starting to assert himself as a starter on this strong PSV side 🔥
(Rant Warning):
This is the tipping point that has made me officially BERHALTER OUT. He must go. This is essentially a waste of a roster. Will accomplish virtually nothing that will help the USMNT in the next year. 25 players in a league where we have limited USMNT talents, and
A lot of American fans are now excited about the next generation.
Stated emphatically: A 15 year old Lebron James of American soccer doesn’t exist. Don’t expect the American Messi or Ronaldo to pop up by 2026.
Some very good players will emerge, but keep expectations realistic.
Mexican National Team’s decline in recent years is partly due to coaching, but it’s also due to lack of players LigaMX is bringing through. It’s become indisputable that MLS is producing better players between the two leagues, and the products are having more success in Europe.
Gregg Berhalter has recruited the following players:
Sergino Dest
Johnny
Yunus Musah
Malik Tillman
Folarin Balogun
Ricardo Pepi
That's 6 of our ~10 best players right now. His legacy as 🇺🇸 coach will be his recruiting.
When he departs as coach, make him Head of Recruitment.
If the USMNT didn’t have all these established American born players like Pulisic, Adams, McKennie, Reyna, would Robinson be looked at as a bigger star?
He’s one of the best fullbacks in the best league in the world.
Dual-nats who were provisionally cap-tied to the USA today:
Antonio Carrera: 🇺🇸/🇲🇽
Alejandro Alvarado: 🇺🇸/🇲🇽
Cade Cowell: 🇺🇸/🇲🇽
Diego Luna: 🇺🇸/🇲🇽
Noah Allen: 🇺🇸/🇬🇷
Rokas Pukstas: 🇺🇸/🇱🇹
Tyler Wolff: 🇺🇸/🇵🇭
Quinn Sullivan: 🇺🇸/🇩🇪
Jack McGlynn: 🇺🇸/🇮🇪
All can eventually still switch.
Joe Scally:
-Younger than Reyna
-Didn't see field at the WC. Didn't complain. Might've had as big of a playing time complaint as Reyna.
-Has played better than Reyna at club level last season and a half.
-His "less prestigious" club is 3 points off Reyna's club in league table.
It’s clear off all available metrics and just the eye test that Joe Scally is turning into SOME player already. My
#USMNT
question this morning is: Is Scally relegated to a bench role as long as Jedi and Dest are healthy this next cycle? (poll below)
Joe Scally still has yet to see the field this World Cup.
Given Yedlin and Moore have both played, and not well, I don't see how there's any excuse left for Berhalter to not play Scally the next time he subs in a fullback.
@USMNTTAKES
He did his job. Not much more or less. Not very different than Sargent on Monday.
Would be nice if we had an unbelievable striker that could score goals out of nothing, but I don't have any real complaints about how either have done. Chance creation for them is lacking.
Not promising anything as I stress I am not sure about it, but I heard there will be a surprise name on the January USYNT rosters, a player from a big academy that wasn’t previously suspected as being American.
We shall see if it happens.
@DanielSmith1022
You know what that says to me?
We had a lot of the ball in attacking areas, and then we didn’t know what to do with it.
As much as I think we’re getting better, final third creativity lacks. Much easier to cross the ball than find a creative avenue to maneuver your way to goal.
Repeating this for those that missed: Football Manager (a video game) lists Camarda as possessing US-eligibility.
It is not an official source. However, they have been right before about some players not previously known to be US-eligible.
Ex: they "discovered" Jedi Robinson.
The coolest thing is not that they got promoted. It's that they LED them to promotion.
When has that ever been said about an American player over the years, let alone a set of teammates?
At the weekend, Venezia defeated Cremonese 1-0 in the Serie B playoff, which means USMNT midfielders Tanner Tessmann and Gianluca Busio will be in Serie A next season.
They've been two of Venezia's top three highest rated players this season, per SofaScore 🇺🇸📈
Beck was a real prospect at one point with a chance to make it in MLS or potentially higher. He chose another career thats very lucrative, but he's not the average celebrity when it comes to soccer. He's better at soccer than 99.9% of the human population.
Some of you may know my posts from big soccer (ussoccer97531). I follow the USYNT pool closely. I have decided its time to expand my reach to twitter because I think the youth game at the lower levels doesn't receive enough coverage. This is a big platform with a broad reach.
Everton are reportedly interested in USMNT player Cade Cowell.. transfer talks ongoing with his agent but apparently they see him as a possible first team option. 👀🇺🇸
(Via TransfersToffee)
This account will stick mostly to YNT eligibles, but can I give a USMNT hot-take? Chris Richards is up there with our top NT players. He has been really solid for ~12 months in a top league, has started almost every week, has every part of the game for a CB, and is only 21.
I have no issues with how Berhalter handled the Reyna situation.
Probably made us worse on the field, but unlikely to have altered results.
Coach can lose locker-room if he lets it go. Need to have a culture of accountability within USMNT. Better for player in the long term.
I've decided to return. The capacity, still to be determined. There needs to be independent analysis though of the youth player pool. While I am far from the only source, I want to do my part.
19 year old CB choosing USL over MLS.
Why? Probably because he thought he wouldn’t play in MLS right away, and preferred USL to MLSNP.
MLS needs to take note and course correct. You might have to throw these CB’s in a little earlier than you want.
Sources: USL's Phoenix Rising is finalizing a deal to sign Clemson CB Pape Mar Boye.
Pape Mar Boye, 19, was offered GA deal before MLS SuperDraft & would have been in mix for top pick. Won NCAA title.
Big move for Phoenix. Pape Mar had interest abroad too. PHX made strong offer
Bajung Darboe ('06) is leaving Philly Union. They've been trying to sign him all year, but MLS territorial rules have gotten in the way. Currently subject of a territorial dispute between Chicago-Minnesota-Philly.
Player recently got a 🇫🇮 passport. Europe likely the destination.
I've started to think right coach for USMNT is a French coach. We need a coach that can work with varying styles of players we have. French coaches will have seen all that.
Coach can't be coming in and deciding Adams buildup game isn't strong enough to play.
Top 2 Candidates:
I'm sick of hearing how USMNT 9's can't score. How many chances have they gotten?
Fullbacks haven't provided any clear cut chances. Midfield is a defensive-minded 6 and two 8's. Weah has moments, but not a consistent creator. Pulisic can't carry a team.
We lack chance creation.
Jack Mize ('08) has now started integrating into the Borussia Dortmund U-16's, as seen in the picture below. He started the season with the U-15's.
Season stats with the U-15's: 25 G/A in ~10 games.
In regards to my last RT, Weston McKennie is also better than Paul Pogba. It's time we start putting some faith in our players, and not be scared that they have to compete with big names for playing time.
Gregg Berhalter is 'looking to extend a first-time invitation to a young dual national who has yet to play at the senior level' 👀
(via
@SoccerInsider
)
Huge win for the USA and also a loss for Argentina.
Don’t know the Argentine program in the way I know the US one, but I’d be shocked if they had 5 05’s at his level.
That’s not an insult to them. It speaks to how high his level is. We like to think all our players developed
Benjamín Cremaschi recently revealed the conversation he had with Argentina U-20 coach Javier Mascherano 🗣️
“He was very honest, he told me what was best for me.”
“I understood it perfectly and that’s why I chose to go with the U.S.”
“I hope to go to the Olympics.”
#USMNT
Not gonna respond to all the haters in the comments, so I'll just give me thoughts here about all the controversy this is generating.
There is a reason this player is unanimously rated as a top talent. Those that watch him play regularly (not just 1 min of clips) agree he's a
No core USMNT field players from current group will start next WC older than 28. Top few GK options will be early 30's.
Need to keep producing talent, but it should continue to get better. 2022 should be the floor. Ceiling much higher. How high, TBD, but exciting times ahead.
People don't want to hear this but it's true: Everyone is always looking for the next Pulisic/Reyna. Pepi is one of those. He just took a different path. Didn't have the EU passport they did.
For club and country, he's put up historical goal numbers for an American CF by age 20.
I haven't given much thought to this before, but it's occurred to me that Ricardo Pepi is my favorite USMNT player.
He is a fellow Mexican American. He has a great story. I respect his attitude. I admire his talent. There is just something about a clutch player that I love.
Here's my Michael Bradley take: I won't honor his career. He underachieved. He and Jozy were the leaders of the failed generation that missed the World Cup. They made early-retirement transfers back home over doing what every player around the 🌐 does & grinding it out in Europe.
There’s a perception problem with American fans and media about the level of players we are producing. They expect our best young players to be playing at Borussia Dortmund at age 17 like Pulisic or Reyna, otherwise they aren’t young stars.
That is very much an unrealistic
Hi, I’m back! Only to own this clown.
There’s a bigger audience for fans to want to know who is coming up next in American soccer than to see you trash your friend’s teammates or see your sourced news w/ a 10% hit rate.
Youth soccer isn’t for you? Then stay in your own lane.
🇭🇷| İddialara göre Emile Smith-Rowe'un uzun vadeli halefini arayan Arsenal, bu hafta sonu Gorica maçında Hajduk Split'in 19 yaşındaki flaş yeteneği Rokas Pukstas' için scouting ekibi yollayacak.
While every USMNT fan is a Haji Wright fan for a few days, I want to make a point that I'm not sure most know.
Wright a long time ago was one of the most hyped American youth players. He had the US U-17 goal record (27 in 34 games) until Josh Sargent broke it two years later (30
In addition to the names already mentioned on twitter for the Olympic team,
@BrianSciaretta
mentioned the following on big soccer:
-Miles Robinson is the third over-age player
-Yow, McGuire, Tessmann, Aaronson, Booth, Schulte Pulskamp all made it
-Not part of the group:
correction: Jonathan Gómez is with Real Sociedad's first team for their La Liga match with Mallorca, after impressing in his first three starts with the reserves.
Found my early ‘22 US WC Roster prediction (from 4/03/18)
Go ahead. Rip it apart.
GK: Hamid, Steffen, Garces
DF: Yedlin, Scally, EPB, Glad, CCV, Brooks, Adams, Bello
MF: Trapp, McKennie, Booth, Parks, Durkin, Carleton, Pulisic, Pomykal, Nyeman
FW: Agudelo, Wright, de la Fuente
This is how it’s done.
22 and 100+ first team appearances before leaving to Europe. Ready to step right in and start.
Too many leave after one season. They get there and aren’t ready.
I get players have many things to consider, but this is the ideal path for young players.
USMNT Captain Tyler Adams is a month younger than the youngest player on this squad.
It is difficult for USA to compete with Mexico for dual-nats, but Mexico unwillingness to give opportunity to youth, including Mexican-American players, is a big advantage for USA in recruiting.
A few more USMNT points from tonight I want to make:
1. That goal Turner gave up was completely weak. His last number of USMNT games have not been good. Do not get at all why anyone would think his
#1
spot is safe.
2. Weah can't start anymore, unless it's as a RB/RWB. He's
If Josh Wolff wants to be USMNT coach eventually, it’s quite damning that he can’t find playing time for an MLS-ready player that’s one of best American prospects out there. Austin FC’s CB’s are trash. The idea Brandan Craig can’t get on the field isn’t on Craig, it’s the coach.
Call him up next camp. If he says no, he says no.
Don't want to hear the "who loses their spot?" question. Reality is that we have 7-8 players that are core players. The rest can be rotated in/out of the roster easily. USMNT isn't a club. Squad choices should constantly evolve.
Tessmann and Busio have to be getting up there on the “USMNT players abroad to watch this weekend” list.
-Two of them at the same club. Both start every game.
-Both showing good improvement.
-Their club is in-form and chasing promotion.
They probably don’t get enough publicity.
We don't talk enough about this.
First pro deal:
Uly Llanez ('01)-Wolfsburg. 0 GP's
Kobe Hernandez-Foster ('02)-Wolfsburg. 0 GP's
Alejandro Alvarado ('03)-FC Vizela. 9 GP's
What do they have in common? The agent at the time.
Kids: Please get an agent that knows the business.
I seriously don’t understand what’s wrong with this.
This country doesn’t have a very developed club culture.
For many of us, that’s likely a big reason why we grew up as National Team fans.
He's WAY WAY better than Zendejas (another galaxy)
He's WAY better than Aaronson
He's better than Weah and Paredes
If we play a 4-2-3-1, Tillman should be starting along with Pulisic and Reyna. NT form iffy, I know. Don't care. Will change over time. Tillman is a real weapon.
#1
: Patrick Schulte ('01 GK Columbus Crew): Most likely the starting keeper. He's a very steady player. Now in his second season as the starting keeper for Columbus Crew. He won an MLS Cup during his first season as the starter. Capped for the USMNT for the first time in January.
I’d like to congratulate US Soccer Twitter for releasing the three youth rosters before the federation did. They are too slow with almost everything they do. We’ve started taking this stuff into our own hands, and not waiting for their press releases. That’s how it should be.
I'm going to be starting a series of threads tomorrow ranking the US MLS academies.
Among the categories in the criteria will be first team products, current first team players '04 and later, prospects within the organization, how well run I view the academy, and style of play.
@jtbatson
I love the subtle “let me group two teams into one so I can muddy your individual complaints about one” tactic.
If you seriously think fans are happy with the Men’s program right now, I don’t even know where to begin. Doesn’t instill confidence into your leadership.
Berhalter has been willing to fast track some of our better prospects like Musah, Reyna, Dest, Pepi into the starting lineup when they earned it.
How much longer with Scally? By club form, it’s hard to argue he’s not a USMNT starter. Shackles have to come off at a certain point.
Tillman was not a German National Team caliber player at 19/20, but it’s possible by 22/23 he is.
He has all the talent needed for that level. He lacks consistency, but the improvements are slowly starting to show.
Tillman could be one of our key attackers headed into 2026.
American fans have high expectations (a good thing).
Our players like Pulisic, McKennie, Robinson, Musah, etc are hitting higher heights this season and the response is that we still don’t have any world class players.
Let’s just enjoy this stretch. We’ve not seen it before.
The biggest reason Pulisic is succeeding at Milan is because there’s no real competition and he’s the type of player that needs mental security.
He’s not ruthless. Also injury prone. Ask him to stand out with crazy competition, probably not happening. Give him a run, likely.
Wouldn’t mind him as an over-age player for the Olympics.
-Has the ability for the USMNT. Injuries have held him.
-Could be a reintroduction to US set-up
-Likely to have even greater success against younger, less physically developed CB’s.
Going to upset USMNT Twitter with this one.
My lineup for tomorrow against Iran.
(4-2-3-1):
GK: Turner
RB: Dest
RCB: Zimmerman
LCB: Ream
LB: Robinson
DM: Adams
DM: Musah
LM: Pulisic
CAM: Reyna
RM: McKennie
CF: Ferreira
Brandan Craig ('04) finishes his loan to Austin FC having not played once.
I have no connection to Austin FC, but I'm issuing a formal apology on behalf of the club to Brandan. Very sorry this happened.
J. Wolff has disqualified himself from ever being a USMNT coach candidate.
Ricardo Pepi (‘03): By far the biggest and most talked about snub from the USMNT WC team. You won’t find many who agreed with the decision, but Pepi has found recent success on loan in Eredivisie. If he continues that success, he has potential to make USMNT CF spot his own soon.
Gaga Slonina (‘04): Nearly made the USMNT WC team. Based on the training camp selection, he was likely the 5th GK. Earned a move to Chelsea. How his adaption process to the top levels of the game goes will determine how quickly we see him integrated into USMNT on regular basis.
Juventus is acting completely unprofessional. McKennie’s not signaled he wants to leave. He was a starter for you last season.
Just because you need money and your other assets aren’t salable doesn’t entitle you to treat an accomplished player for your team like that.
USMNT fans take McKennie for granted. He's started 14 games in a row for one of the biggest clubs in the world and played every minute the last 9 games.
When have we ever been able to say that about an American player?
@__Jordan72
Some of you need to get a grip.
They are all meeting with their National Team manager. He’s the other one sitting at their table.
This isn’t a friendly dinner organized by them after the game. The coach of the National Team has come to watch them play and organized this.
Can someone that watches more of this team tell me about this player?
7th goal of the season (has 2 assists too). Only 23 years old.
He's less than 3 months older than Duncan McGuire (November '00).
Cherundolo doesn’t suit the current needs. We need to go with a manager with more experience coaching at higher levels.
We’ve had an “MLS guy” for too long and now we need to try a different route.