Comments on: What We’ve Learned From the USMNT European Adventure

By: Joey Clams

Joey Clams — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:25:26 +0000

What about Phil Brown? I heard he might be available soon… we would have to kick Jozy off the team though.

UN:F [1.6.7_924]

I don’t consider Jozy a lock for a spot. Even Bradley might drop him.

By: Joey Clams

Joey Clams — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:23:51 +0000

You’d be for that, Kartik? Wow.

By: goquakes

goquakes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:31:31 +0000

What about Phil Brown? I heard he might be available soon… we would have to kick Jozy off the team though.

By: Kartik Krishnaiyer

Kartik Krishnaiyer — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:00:14 +0000

Trap, who I consider the best coach in the world over the past 25 years is still under contract with the FAI until the Euros in 2012. But at his age, with this week’s heartbreak, maybe just maybe he’ll want a change in scenery? Well, we can always hope, can’t we?

By: CleartheBall

CleartheBall — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:21:10 +0000

No big surprise. U.S. is not deep. Between injuries and players not available, we were missing 4 of our top five players. I wasn’t expecting much. Unfortunately, we didn’t learn much from these opportunities. The only new thing we learned was that Cunningham may still deserve a look. Holden was solid, Guzan is still number 2, Bornstien, Frankie and EJ SUUUUUUCK, Spector’s not a CB and this team doesn’t make the WC without Donovan. I think we already knew all these things. I would have loved to see more Torres and Marshall, but it wasn’t to be.

The U.S. team is a good team. Our A team has the ability to beat almost anyone in the world, but we can also struggle against most solid teams. Our B/C team can probably compete with Grenada and the minnows, but will struggle with anyone average to good. I believe our depth is better than it was 12 years ago, but it will still be a while before we have 2 world cup class teams.

By: Joey Clams

Joey Clams — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:24:13 +0000

Trappatoni is now available. He won’t allow players to wear headphones while he addresses them. He’ll enforce curfews. He’ll convert the chummy group into a competitive team. He’ll know which formation and personnel to employ. He’ll know when to make substitutions. He won’t be sentimental with call-ups.

A team like the US needs a better coach. It’s good enough to benefit from strong coaching but not good enough to put up with bad coaching.

Between the horrendous losses and the Davies thing, the year has demonstrated Bradley’s limitations. Fire him and hire Trap. What’s the big deal?

By: Joey Clams

Joey Clams — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:14:51 +0000

Can’t anyone be rightly critical without a smart ass dusting off that line?

By: REALTALK

REALTALK — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:01:21 +0000

I think a realistic goal for this world cup would be to not finish last in the group.

after seeing the strength of the field and the pot that the US is in, it’ll be unlikely that we win a game let alone get to the knock out stage.

i really thought this might be the year we break throught but after recent events and looking at the projected squad for the world cup. We’ll be lucky to get a point…..

By: The Ghost of Josimar

The Ghost of Josimar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:09:37 +0000

These games were instructive.

Miscellaneous:

Brad Guzan impressed. Stuart Holden showed well. Jonathan Bornstein showed for the n’th time why should not be on the field. Donovan’s absence was enormous.

The big take aways:

1. Michael Bradley is neither a very good defensive player, nor a technical player, nor anything more than a very mediocre passer.

2. We need Jermaine Jones to shield the back four.

3. Jose Francisco Torres has qualities we are desperately missing and deserves to play.

4. A realistic midfield would consist of Jones in a central defensive role, Bradley in front of him, Torres set up as a pinched in left midfielder, and Donovan wide right.

5. A sensible federation would do *everything* in its power to secure the services of a Hiddink or Trappatoni.

6. I don’t like to descend to the ad hominem. But Bob Bradley embodies the paradox of the focused and smart idiot. You bring Castillo across the ocean to play him for 30 minutes as a left midfielder in front of Bornstein? In a match that is completely out of hand? This is just the latest in a long series of inspired decisions — stretching back to the experiment with Sasha Kljestan, the adventures with Beasley, and Ching’s selection against Mexico. Bradley’s big failure, in my view, not geting Jose Francisco Torres integrated in side. Bradley should have been gone ages ago.

By: andy in ohio

andy in ohio — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:56:50 +0000

Look, I’m no Bradley fan, but what some fans expect out of him is outrageous. WE ARE NOT THAT GOOD! Switching players around does no good if the team isn’t that talented. We don’t make the right attacking runs, our first touch as a team is bad, our defenders can’t pass, our attack lacks a threat from distance ( don’t say Clark, I mean a CONSISTENT shot), and so on. We are a few players away from being a good side, and one injury away from being a bad one. Stay healthy Landon!

We need a good draw to get out of the groups AGAIN, because the rate of international level players being produced by the USSF has stagnated. The only thing we can truly control about our players is their mental development, and the teams we play against are always thinking one or two steps ahead of us. It isn’t Bradley’s fault the USSF runs such an overrated self promotion shop, and I feel bad that people can’t have any perspective on where we stand. Go USA! Boo USSF and youth soccer! Get it together and teach our future generations of nats to do something besides run around on defense and boot the ball up the field!