Good first step...did a great job as Director of Football Affairs (basically the GM) at AZ. American, but knows the value of getting American players with European club experience. I would wager he will select a coach that finds a balance between building squads using MLS and foreign league guys.
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Gut tells me next USMNT HC is going to be either Vermes from Sporting KC (heavy favorite) or Tata Martino from Atlanta United.
Tata is my pick far and away because quite frankly, he's the best HC the US can realistically get. He's managed at Barca, and the Paraguay and Argentina national teams.
His biggest sins...losing in the Copa America finals two years running, and more importantly, not kissing Maradona's ass every chance he could get. Cokeboy convinced the board that he had to go, that they only had one more chance to win a WC with Messi.
Iâm all for Tatas all the time every time.
Nice performance by the young kids last night vs. Bolivia's 2nd team.
Antonee Robinson (Everton, Bolton) at LB...WOW...kid is the best LB prospect we've had in a long, long time. Will be interesting to see if Everton recall him from Bolton Wanderers loan after a solid season. He has the size and recovery speed to be the starting LB. Soon.
Tim Weah (PSG), showed flashes of playmaking and speed...will be a nice compliment to Pulisic.
Pulisic...completely knackered from a tough season filled with knocks. Dead legs big time in a match that meant nothing.
Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen), best ginger prospect since La-lass. He hasn't had any first team matches with WB, but he's going to soon.
Andrija Novakovich (Reading, Telstar)...what a find. He's got a lot of potential with his size. You just don't see too many attackers with his size. He just needs meaningful reps...going to the Eredivisie was a great move for him.
Earnie Stewart's biggest challenge will be to find an HC that will commit to the best players making up the squad and not trying to force kids to choose MLS over Europe. If a kid is talented enough to be playing in Europe, he should be.
Agree on Robinson; loved his play. Solid, speedy and positioned well. For a back line that has been suspect for a long time, he should be starting there soon.
Sargent just has a knack for being in the right place at the right time in the box, and the speed and smarts to get there. He's one of those guys who the ball just seems to find. He just has to learn to keep his feet under him and position his body a bit better so he is in position to finish, but he could be one of those guys who just score but no one knows how he does it. I also liked that he arm-waved the crowd after a miss to encourage the cheers.
I agree Weah has flashes, and is one of the players who has the most potential. I think he just has to learn to be more consistent. Sometimes he looked a little lost, but he's got all the tools to be a good one.
Pulisic did look leg-tired last night. They left him in a long time to give the kids someone with experience who could deliver the ball, but I thought they should have taken him out earlier as they dodged an injury with him so obviously sluggish.
I also like the big center back, Zimmerman, who scored the header. Patient and a nice finish.
Bolivia sucked, but these young guys bring a lot to the table. I like their enthusiasm, some of their passing was really well done, they bring some speed (especially along the back line), and I like their confidence. Can't wait to see them against a tougher opponent.
Bolivia was the suckiest of sucks, however, it's a great opportunity for the young lads to get some caps under their belt with the senior squad. It's a dress rehearsal for everything from training to travel.
But it's not just the HC that needs an overhaul, it's the youth scouting as well. We should never lose American kids who want to play for the USMNT to Mexico, or Croatia.
This team has so much potential. Very exciting.
BTW, Andrija Novakovich is from Wisconsin.
Not specific to USMNT but interesting never the less...
USMNT loses to Ireland, largely because Bill Hamid is an awful keeper. France is gonna tear us a new one.
Very credible effort vs the Frogs #1 squad.
USMNT needs to invest heavily in the development of Zack Steffen as GK1 cuz it ain't Bill Hamid. Need to call up Jonathan Klinsmann also and get him cap tied. He's handling himself nicely at Hertha Berlin with their developmental squad.
Chongo posted:
Fascinating, although I think it tends to downplay the importance of playing in European leagues instead of jokes like MLS.
MLS has gotten an inflated sense of its quality in the last 3-4 years, fueled in large part by so many washed up European stars coming here and not doing as well people thought. There have been a handful of players who have done respectably well in MLS...Beckham, David Villa, Bastian Schweinsteiger...but by and large, most of sucked...Lampard, Gerrard, Pirlo, and Zlatan hasn't exactly been tearing it up either. It makes MLSers feel like it IS a good league...when in reality, it's a different game. The heat (compounded by artificial pitches) is quite hard for many of these guys to adjust to. Wayne Rooney will suffer the same fate should he end up at DC United.
Soccer on artificial turf is unwatchable. That ball bounces so much higher making it much more difficult to control. If MLS wishes to be taken seriously they will cut that **** out.
If any of the MLS sites want to host WC matches they will have to replace it.
Fukking LAFC had the finest pitch in America...$2M done by the finest turf company in Spain who builds pitches all over Europe.
3 hours and one Ted Nugent concert later it was thrashed. We are talking it looks like a goat pasture in Haiti now.
Goalline posted:Soccer on artificial turf is unwatchable. That ball bounces so much higher making it much more difficult to control. If MLS wishes to be taken seriously they will cut that **** out.
I dreaded games on turf and we played a lot of college games on it---usually a football stadium with a crown so severe, a pass from mid-field to the sides would run away like a mother...and the bounces, oy. I still have nightmares of long balls bouncing over my head.
Playing on a crowned field? They should haul the responsible parties to The Hague.
Brad Friedel (47) - Former USMNT GK1, former US U19 coach, in his 2nd season as New England Revs coach. Friedel has been rumored to be the USMNT HC in waiting, but it never really materialized. He has a big personality, and played and had success at the highest levels (he has more EPL appearances than Tim Howard) and is definitely considered a USMNT hero. Unfortunately, his body of work in terms of coaching is the most shallow in the pool. That in and of itself will probably eliminate him from serious consideration. Odds: 25-1
Jesse Marsch (44) - NY Red Bulls HC, former USMNT player - The new "sexy choice," among a lot of the MLS pundits because he's young, dynamic and has shown he can keep the train rolling with the NY Red Bulls when he took over in 2015. He served for one development cycle on USMNT but departed with the firing of Bob Bradley. Which is probably for the best because he is far from
Klinsmann's new age philosophy. In fact, Marsch is probably best known for his unbendable will when it comes to his system. He is very good with pre-match tactics but will stick with his plan no matter what. More often than not, it will yield favorable results. He is very clear...his players will know what is expected, they will know the system, and that may be what the USMNT needs most of all.
Odds: 4-1
Marsch took a job as an RB Leipzig assistant so he's off the list
Gerardo "Tata" Martinez (55) - Atlanta United HC, former HC Argentina, former FC Barcelona HC. IMHO, the best coach in the pool, but probably a long shot because he has zero ties to USMNT as a player or assistant. And post-Klinsmann, the decision makers will want someone with USMNT ties. He got Argentina to the 2014 WC finals where they lost to Germany. His critics said that any coach would have done the same because he had Messi. He took an injury-riddled squad to the Copa America finals and lost to Chile which was unforgivable to Argentina fans...mostly to it's most vocal fan, Diego Maradona, who convinced the AFA to fire him, but they allowed him to resign instead. In his 2nd season at ATL United, he has them at the top of the table. They are scoring a lot and playing smothering defense. But alas, it probably won't matter. US Chairman Earnie Stewart said HC must speak English. This makes Tata a long, long, long, long shot. Odds: 100-1
Juan Carlos Osorio (56) - Mexico coach, Colombian by birth - Another really great coach, but with zero USMNT ties probably a long, long shot. Mexico's best coach since 1986, for whatever reason he is hated among Mexico fans, largely because he is not Mexican. He will soon be fired by the Mexican federation. His style is one of high pressure and working for the counter. While this can be very appealing to watch, and largely effective in CONCACAF, it will probably not bode well once in the World Cup. But many will argue that as long as you get to the WC, that's a punchers chance, and that's all the US can ask for. Odds: 8-1
Osorio took the HC job of Paraguay
Tab Ramos (51) - US U20 HC since 2011, former USMNT star - Ramos has consistently impressed me with what he's been able to do with the U20's. He took a down squad in 2011 and got them to qualify for the last 3 U20 World Cups. Won CONCACAF Championship in 2017. Known as a real players coach, he has a lot of credibility with the guys he's coached in the system. Odds: 6-1
Pete Vermes (51) - Sporting KC HC since 2009, former USMNT player - Long rumored to be next USMNT HC, he's done a respectable job in the MLS. His team in MLS has been slightly above average, but never spectacular. But they've won 3 of the last 6 US Open Cups...now some may say that's because few squads care as much, but they've still won it thrice. Not only is he the manager, he's also the technical director. And this may be the real fly in the ointment. Klinsmann served in every capacity of the team...coaching, fitness, development, technical direction...and many feel that is a mistake. If Earnie Stewart can be convinced to allow him to serve as both coach and technical director, a deal could happen. If he insists on hiring his own technical director to pair with the HC, that could kill it. Odds: 4-1
Caleb Porter (47) - Currently unemployed, won an MLS Cup as HC of Portland Timbers. Coached at University of Akron, and also US U-23 squad trying to qualify for 2012 Olympics, which he did not do. To me, he's a much less proven version of Tab Ramos. Odds: 10-1
Gregg Berhalter (45) - Columbus Crew HC since 2013, and a defensive minded coach. He will park the bus, and play for the counter. Not sure this is what USMNT needs, but his name is picking up steam. Odds: 2-1
Ãscar Pareja (50) - FC Dallas HC since 2014, balanced tactician putting equal emphasis on offense and defense. Highly flexible with his formations, can sit back and play for the counter, or attack in waves. He speaks English and has pretty much been on American soil since 1998, working as a player or coach in MLS. Odds: 10-1
David Moyes (55) - This is a newly emerged name that is full of intrigue, however, that he has never coached or even played in the U.S. probably makes him a long shot. Earnie Stewart seems bent on getting someone with MLS ties. However, only Tata Martinez has a better coaching resume than Moyes. Moyes spend 11 years at Everton before he moved to Man United to replace legend Sir Alex Ferguson, where he lasted only one year, largely due to a dysfunctional club from the top down. Man U fans thought they could do better and he was sacked, but not out of work for long going to work as manager for mid-table La Liga squad Real Sociedad as a mid-season fill in but got the full time job. He was eventually sacked the following season after RS had a poor start, and many felt there was extreme bias against him for not speaking Spanish fluently. Moyes oversaw Sunderland in their relegation season of 2016-17...he was blamed for that, however, Sunderland continued their free-fall getting relegated from the Championship League to League One (3rd tier). Once again as a stop gap in 2017, West Ham hired him to replace Slaven Bilic who was fired in November when WH was in the relegation zone. Moyes managed to guide the squad out of relegation, and they stayed in the PL. Moyes and WH mutually parted ways after the 17-18 season, but those close to Moyes said he was the one who left since WH was not committed financially to building a competent squad. Moyes is known as a hard-ass who expects the same from his players having grown up in the streets of Glasgow. He is very detail oriented, and demands the same from his players. He was also the man behind getting Tim Howard to Everton where Howard saw his greatest professional success.
Odds: 20-1
Just cuz...
He is very good with pre-match tactics but will stick with his plan no matter what.
Ooh, Mike McCarthy for USMNT coach. 
Another guy's opinion on coaching candidates...that he lists Louis Van Gaal and Big Sam Allardyce tells me he didn't thoroughly research candidates.
Updated Juan Carlos Osorio to 8-1 odds...especially because now it's looking like Mexico will get Sampaoli, a dark horse the USMNT brass (Earnie Stewart) seemed to covet...why, I have no idea. Let Mexico deal with that coked out whack job.
Though Vermes is still the odds-on favorite, he seems pretty cool to the idea of leaving Sporting KC. Right now, I think Osorio, Tab Ramos and Vermes are the top 3. Osorio is the sexy choice, but I think Ramos would be a tremendous move. He's paid his dues, and you will find no one more dedicated to turning the squad around than him. As a former USMNT captain, it's killing him to see the state the senior team is in. And whatever youth level he's coached at for USA Soccer, those squads have excelled.
Friendlies coming up with Brazil, Friday Sept 7th at 7:30 PM ET on FS1
and vs Mexico on Tuesday, Sept 11th at 8:30 PM ET on ESPN
Not that these mean anything given HC Dave Sarachan is but an interim cog in the machine.
Maybe will watch Brazil..because it's Brazil...
....and Mexico because......wall.
http://www.espn.com/soccer/uni...coach-by-end-of-2018
Sounds like Tata is out because his Engrish no bueno.
These young Mexicans just abusing team USA. Trapp is going to have PTSD if this continues.
Better since Julien Green came in.
i turned it on I thought Jamaica was playing. Did Sarachen just go into the dressing room and say âok, every brother suit up, youâre starting.â
Glad to see Zardes back in action...local kid. He really was banished into obscurity by Klinsy.
Green starting to pull the strings. Fun second half.
Moore flubbed that beauty of a pass by Green
Game just turned nasty. Red card Mexico.
This might just wake Trapp up. Heâs looked overwhelmed by the occasion.
Yes!
Beautiful sweeping move.
Yup, after that nasty foul, Trapp has settled down. Heâs now bossing thing in midfield.
Not a huge fan of Taylor Twatman, but, he is spot on when he's calling out USMNT leadership (e.g. Earnie Stewart) for taking so long to name their manager, when everyone has told him off the record, it's Gregg Berhalter from the Columbus Crew.
And now everyone is speculating that since Sigi Schmid got canned at LA Galaxy, Berhalter wants that job more than the USMNT job, and thusly, Earnie may get pipped for the man he truly wants.
Oh, and to make matters worse, he comes out and lets the world know his timeline is the end of 2018 for the hire. WTF?! So now if you hire the coach in the next few weeks, you look like you're worried you were going to lose your guy and made a hasty change of course.
In 4 years, we will be talking about the USMNT in the same vein. This thing is shaping up to be one giant clusterfukk.
