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Official US Soccer / World Cup '26 Thread (USA vs. Mexico 3/24 in Dallas)

Acosta is one of the first names on the team sheet imo. His corners weren't good last night but he's a critical piece of the midfield.
 
So what is the best starting XI assuming everyone is healthy (and reinstated)?

Matt Turner

Sergino Dest
Miles Robinson
John Brooks or Tim Ream or Mark McKenzie?
Antonee Robinson

Weston McKennie or Kellyn Acosta?
Tyler Adams
Brenden Aaronson

Gio Reyna
Ricardo Pepi
Christian Pulisic


(obviously won't be starting the same 11 each WCQ match, so the depth is crucial as we saw last night)
 
BubbaJean said:
So what is the best starting XI assuming everyone is healthy (and reinstated)?

Matt Turner

Sergino Dest
Miles Robinson
John Brooks or Tim Ream or Mark McKenzie?
Antonee Robinson

Weston McKennie or Kellyn Acosta?
Tyler Adams
Brenden Aaronson

Gio Reyna
Ricardo Pepi
Christian Pulisic


(obviously won't be starting the same 11 each WCQ match, so the depth is crucial as we saw last night)
Click to expand...

Looks right. Musah might be in the mix, when healthy. We'll see next cycle. But I don't think you can pencil him as a starter just yet. My current best XI is:

----------------Turner----------------
Dest--Robinson--Brooks--Robinson
---------Adams---McKennie---------
---Aaronson----Reyna----Pulisic---
-----------------Pepi-----------------
 
Screamindemon3 said:
---------------Sargent---------------
---Pulisic----Reyna----Aaronson---
-------Adams-------McKennie-------
Robinson--Brooks--Robinson--Dest


Maybe try that for starters? Could be convinced to move Puli to the 10, Reyna right, Aaronson left as well.
Click to expand...

Which is only one player off from my preferred XI back on 8/6/21, before Pepi had committed to the US. Make me coach, you cowards.
 
BubbaJean said:
So what is the best starting XI assuming everyone is healthy (and reinstated)?

Matt Turner

Sergino Dest
Miles Robinson
John Brooks or Tim Ream or Mark McKenzie?
Antonee Robinson

Weston McKennie or Kellyn Acosta?
Tyler Adams
Brenden Aaronson

Gio Reyna
Ricardo Pepi
Christian Pulisic


(obviously won't be starting the same 11 each WCQ match, so the depth is crucial as we saw last night)
Click to expand...

On the assumption that Berhalter sticks with his 4-3-3 which I think is likely, then this makes sense to me:

---------------Turner-----------------
-----Yedlin-Robinson--Brooks--Robinson
---Adams------Acosta----McKennie-----
Aaronson/Reyna---Pepi---Pulisic-------

Steffen's distribution would improve the team if he gets enough games and shows he's in form, but until that happens, Turner deserves to start.

As good as Dest can be, he's a defensive liability, and while Yedlin isn't a great defender, he's far more positionally disciplined than Dest.

You could flip a coin for Reyna and Aaronson imo. I kind of like Aaronson's energy coming off the bench but I'd be good with either guy starting.
 
Screamindemon3 said:
Looks right. Musah might be in the mix, when healthy. We'll see next cycle. But I don't think you can pencil him as a starter just yet. My current best XI is:

----------------Turner----------------
Dest--Robinson--Brooks--Robinson
---------Adams---McKennie---------
---Aaronson----Reyna----Pulisic---
-----------------Pepi-----------------
Click to expand...

I like that but Berhalter doesn't seem interested in that formation.
 
if you play a 4-2-3-1 like sd3 is suggesting, that sorta deeper lying double pivot approach should alleviate some of the concern about brooks needing to step up into midfield, which was obviously a huge issue last night in the first half. i also thought mark mckenzie was really solid all game. when he was beat by a ball over the top or in behind, he always recovered well. i don't think there's a visible dropoff from brooks to mckenzie defensively, but brooks is probably still the first choice for his ostensible threat on set pieces. he's so big, he needs to be getting more goals.

will reyna take set pieces when he's back? neither pulisic nor acosta seemed great at them. i'd rather it be antonee robinson at this point if not reyna.

good adjustments last night from coach. really hope that flips the switch for the guys for the rest of qualifying. the pitch in terrible shape, pulisic going off, no dest/mckennie/reyna down that side, and still the team put 4 past in the second half should be reason to get back to pre-WCQ excitement about the direction of this young core. my big concern is still that we look to rely too much on crossing the ball to create chances; we won't be playing shrimpy teams past the octagonal.

i was also really frustrated with sands in the first half, though reading he was playing out of position or his usual role makes total sense to me now. in the second half i thought he really settled in, still gave the ball away too much, but put in some really good stopping tackles against the break and got into way better positions in the middle of the park.
 
siff said:
Let's talk about Turner's feet. They scare me. He's an excellent shot stopper, however.
Click to expand...

He didn't really start playing soccer until he was 16 and it shows with his touch. That said it is something he's improving and Arena makes him play more and more from the back with New England. But he'll never be the modern ball playing keeper.
 
Screamindemon3 said:
Looks right. Musah might be in the mix, when healthy. We'll see next cycle. But I don't think you can pencil him as a starter just yet. My current best XI is:

----------------Turner----------------
Dest--Robinson--Brooks--Robinson
---------Adams---McKennie---------
---Aaronson----Reyna----Pulisic---
-----------------Pepi-----------------
Click to expand...

I forgot about Musah, definitely excited about him as well. He can play in the middle so at a minimum he can probably provide relief for Tyler Adams unless GGG plans to play him 90+ minutes every match for the next 15 months.

And speaking of Adams, I'd say playing him at right back instead of center mid to start last night was the worst of many bad decisions that thankfully got fixed.
 
So, everyone good with Greg Berhalter now? Seemed like there was a movement to dump him after the first two games. Thought that he had a good Summer, but that seemed to be dismissed quickly.
 
Pilchard said:
So, everyone good with Greg Berhalter now? Seemed like there was a movement to dump him after the first two games. Thought that he had a good Summer, but that seemed to be dismissed quickly.
Click to expand...

I still don't think he has much tactical acumen, but we have loads of talent to cover that up if he keeps things simple and stops fiddling. I do like his attitude and demeanor and players seem to respect him as far as I can tell, so barring us losing our next two I think its his cycle to fail.
 
Also, can we talk about Miles Robinson? The kid played every minute in this window. His closing speed makes up for so much. There haven't been many quicker rises to USMNT stardom than his.
 
siff said:
Also, can we talk about Miles Robinson? The kid played every minute in this window. His closing speed makes up for so much. There haven't been many quicker rises to USMNT stardom than his.
Click to expand...

Yep. He went from ATL UTD blocking his Olympic qualifying call up (probably a blessing in hindsight) to first name on the team sheet lock for the NT in a matter of months
 
siff said:
Also, can we talk about Miles Robinson? The kid played every minute in this window. His closing speed makes up for so much. There haven't been many quicker rises to USMNT stardom than his.
Click to expand...

Berhalter deserves credit imo for developing meaningful depth this summer with Robinson, Acosta, and Turner emerging as critical pieces.
 
BTB said:
Berhalter deserves credit imo for developing meaningful depth this summer with Robinson, Acosta, and Turner emerging as critical pieces.
Click to expand...

Should we attribute that to Berhalter though? Honest question.

Another question is this.

Berhalter clearly put forth the worst lineup/positioning possible for the first half. But, he changed it at half, and that may have been his best coaching maneuver yet. Do we think he understands that his early >10 subbing season fine and the matches speak to how hard the “Hex” is or do we think he realizes he had a trash ass XI and had to make changes and maybe he doesn’t need to outsmart the fans. Obviously you know where my answer lays, but I think that’s a reasonable question to ask.
 
Screamindemon3 said:
Looks right. Musah might be in the mix, when healthy. We'll see next cycle. But I don't think you can pencil him as a starter just yet. My current best XI is:

----------------Turner----------------
Dest--Robinson--Brooks--Robinson
---------Adams---McKennie---------
---Aaronson----Reyna----Pulisic---
-----------------Pepi-----------------
Click to expand...

Yep that's the one, especially against lesser CONCACAF competition. So we will never see it.

Although I wouldn't hate Richards or McKenzie instead of Brooks if its on the road in a tough spot, because JAB can't hang in those conditions.
 
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