• The KillerFrogs

2023-2024 European Football Thread

Purp

Active Member

Kinda silly to think about, but I'm not sure Beas would have been able to start for the Nats if he'd come up with the current crop of talent. Dude's one of the all-time best for the USMNT, but if he was born 20 year later we might have never heard of him.

We really have to get the federation fixed. It would be a crime to waste the next three WC cycles with the lot of incompetents running the program. The only thing they've done worth doing in the last decade is engage the legal battle with the women's team over "unequal" pay. We really need to start over from scratch.
 

Chongo94

Active Member
Kinda silly to think about, but I'm not sure Beas would have been able to start for the Nats if he'd come up with the current crop of talent. Dude's one of the all-time best for the USMNT, but if he was born 20 year later we might have never heard of him.

We really have to get the federation fixed. It would be a crime to waste the next three WC cycles with the lot of incompetents running the program. The only thing they've done worth doing in the last decade is engage the legal battle with the women's team over "unequal" pay. We really need to start over from scratch.

Totally agree.

Also, Jonathan Bornstein actually got capped during Beas’ time so there’s that...
 

Moose Stuff

Active Member
Kinda silly to think about, but I'm not sure Beas would have been able to start for the Nats if he'd come up with the current crop of talent. Dude's one of the all-time best for the USMNT, but if he was born 20 year later we might have never heard of him.

We really have to get the federation fixed. It would be a crime to waste the next three WC cycles with the lot of incompetents running the program. The only thing they've done worth doing in the last decade is engage the legal battle with the women's team over "unequal" pay. We really need to start over from scratch.

Understand there is more to it than just the coach, but I'd love to see Jesse Marsch coaching this team.
 

Moose Stuff

Active Member
Kinda silly to think about, but I'm not sure Beas would have been able to start for the Nats if he'd come up with the current crop of talent. Dude's one of the all-time best for the USMNT, but if he was born 20 year later we might have never heard of him.

We really have to get the federation fixed. It would be a crime to waste the next three WC cycles with the lot of incompetents running the program. The only thing they've done worth doing in the last decade is engage the legal battle with the women's team over "unequal" pay. We really need to start over from scratch.

Are we looking at having to move some of these kids to other non-midfield positions to get them all on the field? The young depth at that spot is absurd.
 

Purp

Active Member
Totally agree.

Also, Jonathan Bornstein actually got capped during Beas’ time so there’s that...
I think a more telling illustration of a dearth of quality depth in the player pool back then is the extent to which Sacha Kljestan was capped in those days. Though I think that had as much to do with lack of talented options, bad injuries to guys like Stu Holden, and a love affair with BoOB Bradley.

Also, we took Edson Darning Buddle to the WC in South Africa for crying out loud.
 

Purp

Active Member
Are we looking at having to move some of these kids to other non-midfield positions to get them all on the field? The young depth at that spot is absurd.
I think there will be a lot of interesting options for the formation. I won't be shocked to see one of the outside mids drop into a wing back role and I also won't be shocked if we give a kid like Gio a hybrid center mid/striker role in a 4-5-1-1 type formation. You can't leave that type of talent off the pitch, but you also don't want to play it out of position so much that it can't realize its potential. Given our still obvious lack of depth at striker I'd expect a capable manager to go with a high midfielder to compliment a target forward.
 

Moose Stuff

Active Member
I think there will be a lot of interesting options for the formation. I won't be shocked to see one of the outside mids drop into a wing back role and I also won't be shocked if we give a kid like Gio a hybrid center mid/striker role in a 4-5-1-1 type formation. You can't leave that type of talent off the pitch, but you also don't want to play it out of position so much that it can't realize its potential. Given our still obvious lack of depth at striker I'd expect a capable manager to go with a high midfielder to compliment a target forward.

So just for the hell of it.... WC starts today.... who are the 11? I'll go with....

Steffen
Brooks
Dest
Long (would prefer Richards)
Robinson
Adams
McKennie
Pulisic
Reyna
Sargent
Morris????

please no Jozy
 

Purp

Active Member
Understand there is more to it than just the coach, but I'd love to see Jesse Marsch coaching this team.
I'd be okay with that, but still feel we could do better. Maybe I want to make a big, sexy splash hire, but I'm very leery of anyone playing or coaching in the program when BoOB and Arena were there. They were the guys we needed at those times to advance American international soccer, but there is a very real ceiling to their potential on the international stage, IMO. Marsch was still very young then and has good experience in Europe too so maybe he's less capped by that ceiling than others.

I think a real breakthrough only happens if we bring in a guy with success in Europe who also has success developing young talent. The reality is that the majority of the best sides in the world are in Europe so understanding how to play that game and navigate through those nuances is critical. Not sure if Jesse has enough of that understanding yet.
 
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Purp

Active Member
So just for the hell of it.... WC starts today.... who are the 11? I'll go with....

Steffen
Brooks
Dest
Long (would prefer Richards)
Robinson
Adams
McKennie
Pulisic
Reyna
Sargent
Morris????

please no Jozy
Steffen in goal for sure.

Back line from left to right:
Dest - Carter-Vickers - Brooks - Cannon

I admit the Reggie Cannon inclusion is probably reckless, but I really love what I saw from him in the Nats shirt. I also considered Yedlin there simply because the guy has so much speed and experience, but I think he's limited offensively a bit. Also intrigued with Robinson on the wing here, but want to see more still. Richards and Morales are other intriguing options.

Long, Miazga, and Cameron are also still options at center back. I feel better about that position than I maybe ever have.

Midfield is silly:
Reyna - McKennie - Bradley - Adams

Obviously tons of great quality and depth here, but if we're playing today I think I want the work rate and experience of a Bradley around all that young talent in midfield. I think they'd make him play younger too. Not ready to give up yet on Julian Green as another possible midfield option, but he's been awfully quiet lately. I probably should give up by now, but there was so much potential last cycle I can't let myself believe it's all a mirage. Lletget is maybe my next option in midfield behind these starters.

Attacking Midfield: Pulisic

I want him to have freedom to roam anywhere he wants to go in the forward 2/3 of the pitch. I'd consider swapping him and Gio between this role and left mid.

Striker: Weah/Sargent/Boyd

Give me Sargent flipping a coin with Boyd b/c I think he has more upside and more flexibility in his style than Boyd and Weah is still rounding into form. Boyd is in great form, but doesn't quite have the upside IMO. Boyd's experience might be a more important factor here, though. I'm genuinely torn on this one.

Please no on Morris. He needs to be on the roster and he may well be a good option at striker with all the young talent behind him to set him up (he's a great goal poacher), but I think we need someone with a better holding game for the kids to run off of if we're going with his talent level. I'd honestly be interested to see how Jozy performed in that role if he had Pulisic, Adams, Reyna, and McKennie running off of him.

Super-sub is Brenden Aaronson. That's just b/c the WC starts today and he's a great story on a great run of form. Let's catch lightning in a bottle.
 

Moose Stuff

Active Member
Steffen in goal for sure.

Back line from left to right:
Dest - Carter-Vickers - Brooks - Cannon

I admit the Reggie Cannon inclusion is probably reckless, but I really love what I saw from him in the Nats shirt. I also considered Yedlin there simply because the guy has so much speed and experience, but I think he's limited offensively a bit. Also intrigued with Robinson on the wing here, but want to see more still. Richards and Morales are other intriguing options.

Long, Miazga, and Cameron are also still options at center back. I feel better about that position than I maybe ever have.

Midfield is silly:
Reyna - McKennie - Bradley - Adams

Obviously tons of great quality and depth here, but if we're playing today I think I want the work rate and experience of a Bradley around all that young talent in midfield. I think they'd make him play younger too. Not ready to give up yet on Julian Green as another possible midfield option, but he's been awfully quiet lately. I probably should give up by now, but there was so much potential last cycle I can't let myself believe it's all a mirage. Lletget is maybe my next option in midfield behind these starters.

Attacking Midfield: Pulisic

I want him to have freedom to roam anywhere he wants to go in the forward 2/3 of the pitch. I'd consider swapping him and Gio between this role and left mid.

Striker: Weah/Sargent/Boyd

Give me Sargent flipping a coin with Boyd b/c I think he has more upside and more flexibility in his style than Boyd and Weah is still rounding into form. Boyd is in great form, but doesn't quite have the upside IMO. Boyd's experience might be a more important factor here, though. I'm genuinely torn on this one.

Please no on Morris. He needs to be on the roster and he may well be a good option at striker with all the young talent behind him to set him up (he's a great goal poacher), but I think we need someone with a better holding game for the kids to run off of if we're going with his talent level. I'd honestly be interested to see how Jozy performed in that role if he had Pulisic, Adams, Reyna, and McKennie running off of him.

Super-sub is Brenden Aaronson. That's just b/c the WC starts today and he's a great story on a great run of form. Let's catch lightning in a bottle.

Time to move in from Bradley IMO. Carter-Vickers has always been underwhelming for me.
 

Purp

Active Member
Time to move in from Bradley IMO. Carter-Vickers has always been underwhelming for me.
I'm ready to move on from Bradley. I really am. My issue is with who from the younger group fills that defensive center mid role and I don't see that player unless you use McKennie there. I just feel like that would be a waste to put him in that position. I filled out a starting 10 fairly quickly (spent way more time on the back line than I ever thought I would balancing all of the options there), but that single position gave me the most trouble. If we're playing today I think Bradley would be my first option there. I don't have any expectation whatsoever that he'll be that guy in 2022. But by then I'm thinking we'll have more clarity on who that guy should be.

I'm going Carter-Vickers solely b/c of everyone else. Brooks is obvious here, but everyone else isn't. Of the 2nd tier I think he's as good as anyone else currently and has greater upside. That's why I went with him. You're right that he's been underwhelming, but he's still young and only recently settling into regular playing time with good showings. Granted, it's in the Championship, but I think he'll keep developing and prove to be an important part of a club that may secure promotion.

Somewhat related, I'd really like to see Reading, Bournemouth, and Millwall secure promotion. I know it won't all happen this year, but a guy on the Yahoo Finance message boards in college was a life-long Millwall fan and turned me onto them. I've never watched a game, but have always followed them periodically and they're off to a promising start in the Championship. Back then they were in League Two so they're on a nice trajectory over the last decade or so. I've liked Reading since they earned promotion with Bobby Convey and Marcus Hahnemann and one of my better friends from college lived near their stadium for a few years when he worked near London so he (an artist and non-sports guy at all) became a fan with me.

Also, I'd like to see Nottingham Forest figure things out and work their way to the top of the Championship in the next few years. Another guy I worked with a decade or more ago was a Forest supporter back before the Premier League became corporatized and shifted the balance of power with all of the money in the top flight. Forest was one of the more storied clubs in England back then and they're also on a fairly steady march upward. I'd like to see them secure some of their old glory.
 
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