Watching some pundit clips about the game….I’m probably done with this golden generation team. I’ve been cynical on them for a while but still was willing to try to maintain positivity but this game tonight just further reinforces my belief that we are seeing their level.
I think they’re a golden generation paper tiger. They seem to, and not everyone obviously but most of them, lack resolve, lack heart, lack want, and most definitely, lack awareness.
They only seem to consistently show up against Mexico, which isn’t in any great shakes either these days. This is not the team to make any great home run in two years.
Hopefully everything I just said comes back to fully bite me, but I highly doubt it will, sadly.
Its a combination of the individual players not being as great as we'd hoped for AND then coaching holding them back as a unit that functions far below potential productivity. Very frustrating,
I'd argue Pulisic, Adams and Robinson have met or come close to their potential and expectations, and even those three still need more consistent, injury free periods or another turn higher on the performance ladder to achieve global talent level (Puli probably there) and not just be very good players.
McKennie, Dest, Musah, Weah, Reyna, (and now Flo) have all flashed at times but are largely just average if not under performers who have not risen to the heights they were projected to. Then there's the group of solid role players like Ream, Richards, CCV, Sargent, Turner, Aaronson etc who can earn minutes or bench time on top flight teams but do not blow you away.
The only lever to pull is coaching and hope a new guy with ne tactics and ideas can jump start player development in national team camps that carries over to their professional team. I still believe in these players and their capability, but something has to change soon or you're take will be the correct one.