The Dawn of the Gregg Berhalter Era

After watching the January and now March friendlies it’s quite clear that Gregg Berhalter is as advertised as a manager.  The USMNT was more tactically aware than at any time I can recently remember.  What I mean by that is everyone knows the plan and what they are supposed to do now. 

Under Jürgen that changed every camp and match, and the further I get away from it the more I see how Klinsmann really didn’t have a clue about tactical football.  That was supposedly known about him when he was hired, but Jürgen was great at keeping players uncomfortable and never losing a dual-national.

I think it’s more damning to Bruce Arena honestly.  He was supposedly this master manager, but on the pitch his guys didn’t seem to have any more of clue than Klinsmann’s did.  To compound that Arena relied WAY too heavily on MLS guys he was comfortable with, and you see where that got us.

Dave Sarachan did a job, and he did it relatively well.  Tactics weren’t the most important part of his mandate, and while that was fine for a long while, it got annoying towards the end.  He blooded a bunch of new players, but he never really laid a solid foundation with a real plan (not that he was supposed to either).

Now back to Berhalter, last night was like a revelation.  When Chile was overrunning us, he made an IN-GAME tactical adjustment that worked like a charm!  He went from his preferred 4-3-3 to a 5-2-3.  We couldn’t beat Chile’s high press at all, so he put 5 in the back then had Bradley AND Trapp as the 2 in front of the 5.  Suddenly we could control the ball and actually hang with Chile.  That was a departure from his pregame directive to play out of the back (which we were TERRIBLE at all night long).  Just having a guy in charge that can read the game in real-time and adjust on the fly is a massive improvement.  Jürgen and Bruce NEVER did that, and it wasn’t Sarachan’s job to do so.

There was some downside with Berhalter though.  I felt like most of the players were thinking too much rather than just playing in all four matches.  I suppose that could be a good thing in that they are listening and trying to execute the plan, but too often there was that slight hesitation.  Like, am I in the right place or is this the play I’m supposed to make?  I assume that will all get ironed out over time, but overall thus far there has been more good than bad with Gregg.

Since I’m on the bad I might as well roll with it, but in both of these matches when Pulisic left the pitch so did our ability to hold the ball and create offense.  Further, without CP, Adams and McKennie (like the second half last night) we are still the same old USMNT against high quality competition.  Meaning, we can’t create squat on offense, can’t hold the ball when we get it and are exposed on defense due to lack of experience or pace or both.

When CP was in the game yesterday we looked like a real squad but as soon as he left it was more or less the same quality of the team that lost in Couva and was generally lackluster throughout 2018 WCQ.  It might be too much pressure, but he is our offense right now.  And yes, his health issues are worrisome, for country but especially for club.  I’m not totally sold that #10 is his best position either, but until someone else proves they can do it CP is the best man for the job.

(Sidebar: Gedion Zelalem please, Please, PLEASE pan out as a #10.  Make it happen Peter Vermes!)

Tyler Adams is pretty clearly our second-best player overall right now.  However, I don’t love this hybrid-RB role that Berhalter fancies him in.  Adams can play it, no doubt about it, but I think we need him in the middle more than roaming all over the pitch and hustling back after a change of possession.  Dude has an engine that won’t quit AND he can get the ball back AND hold onto it once he does.

Going with the same theme I think Weston McKennie is our third-best player and should be paired with Adams in the middle until both of them are into their 30’s.  McKennie is a work horse and can get the ball back, but his first touch and decision making aren’t on the level of CP and TA quite yet.  I guess Weston is also a little reckless in the air, but I’ll take that.  I really hope Schalke isn’t pissed at us over his ankle.

Overall with these 3 guys in the middle of the park I think we might be on to something at the highest level.  Then you add in Zack Steffen as keeper (clearly our #1 IMO) with John Brooks and Aaron Long in central defense and we the makings of a nice spine. 

One thing about Brooks that became clear to me over these last two matches is that he’s really our only CB that can pass out of the back and break lines with any kind of skill or consistency.  Long has seriously impressed me thus far and has passed Matt Miazga on my depth chart.  MM is still #3 right now but who #4 will be is anybody’s guess.  I know who it won’t be and that’s Omar Gonzalez.  Not sure why he was called back in to begin with, but last night should be his last performance in a USMNT kit.

(Sidebar: It just kills me that the Timbers drafted Long in 2014 only to release him later that year.  Now Portland needs a CB desperately and he’s MLS Defender of the Year in New York.)

Our fullback situation is completely up in the air right now on both flanks.  Tim Ream is a nice utility player off the pine, but starting at LB?  Hell no!  He’s too slow of foot and too mistake prone.  Unfortunately, it looks like DeAndre Yedlin has not progressed as we’d all have expected by now.  I guess he’s still our best option at RB, but this business about him being a winger is nonsense.  All he has is speed.  He has no touch on his crosses and doesn’t have the best football IQ either in terms of positioning and what play to make when.  I used to think he was a lock for 2022 but I’m not so sure anymore.

I already said how I’d rather have Adams in the middle and the only other guy to get minutes at fullback in March was Daniel Lovitz.  He’s nowhere near an international level player and I doubt he’s even CONCACAF quality.

(Sidebar: If we had Jonathan Gonzalez maybe Adams could play RB full time, but oh well.)

I’ve long been a basher of Wil Trapp, but he played his best minutes ever for the USMNT against Ecuador.  I still don’t want him on my 23 for a WC, but he at least finally showed me why he keeps getting called in.  Then there’s Mr. Michael “I Always Play the Ball Backwards” Bradley.  He’s lost a step or two, but if the choice is Trapp or him give me Bradley every time.  Bradley just knows how to play at the highest level, and it shows when he’s surrounded by other talent.  That said, neither of these guys should be starting.  For us to be a legitimate threat against the big boys it must be Adams and McKennie centrally and not Trapp and/or Bradley.

As for the other guys that played in the middle, I wasn’t impressed with either of them.  After watching Christian Roldan you can’t convince me that he’s a better option than Kellyn Acosta behind TA and WM.  Sebastian Lletget is supposed to be this #10 playmaking force that will allow us to move Pulisic out wide.  Umm, no, that’s not happening any time soon.  He’s yet another guy where the jump from MLS to high level international football seems too vast for him.

Wingers…ugh…where to start?  Paul Arriola continues to be our best option on the right, but when is he going to make the jump from hard worker to dangerous finisher/creator in and around the box?  I already said Yedlin as a winger is a no-go, and you can add Jordan Morris to that list as well.  For me Morris is a forward or nothing.  Jordan’s not creative or instinctual enough to play on the wing.  While Corey Baird was impressive in January, against Chile he was exposed as MLS or CONCACAF level only. 

This Jonathan Lewis guy might the answer on the left.  He’s quick as hell and can get a decent cross off.  I don’t see him play at the club level, but Taylor Twellman was saying how he’s big time inconsistent which is why he’s mainly used as a super-sub in MLS.  At this point I think playing Lewis from the start might be wise just to see what he can give over 60-70 minutes, rather than just 10 at the end.

(Sidebar: Can Lynden Gooch please get another look on the wing?)

Gyasi Zardes is the only guy to start all four matches in the Gregg Berhalter era, and he rewarded his manager with playing a part in both goals in March.  I still don’t want him starting up top, but I think I might be coming around to having him off the bench as a decent option.  Everyone knows Zardes isn’t the answer if we are really going to be taken seriously, and that’s why I think you’ll see Jozy Altidore in that spot come the Gold Cup. 

So, I’m going to keep harping on this until it happens, but Josh Sargent is ready NOW!  Yes, he’s not getting regular minutes at Bremen, but c’mon already!  He is our future striker, and everyone knows it.  So why not throw him into the fire now?  Ugh, whatever.

I think Ethan Horvath has established himself as our #2 keeper behind Steffen.  Sean Johnson, Bill Hamid and Brad Guzan aren’t really in the picture anymore for me.

I’m on record as saying that I see what US Soccer is doing with having guys like Cameron Carter-Vickers (Captain of U-23’s), Antonee Robinson, Djordje Mihailovic, Keaton Parks, Tim Weah, Sargent, etc. on the U-23’s.  They want to get them big match experience in Olympic Qualifying and fingers crossed the Olympics.  Then hopefully some of them will separate themselves through these competitive matches and earn their way to the USMNT.  But when I look at our current dearth of fullbacks, wingers and forwards I think getting these prospects into the senior team mix sooner is better than later.

Contrary to Berhalther’s preferred system, I think our best formation right now is the old standby 4-2-3-1 since it gets CP, TA, WM and Sargent all in the spots they need to be.  Our best XI though?  I’m not really sure, like at all…

        Sargent

  ??? Pulisic ???

  Adams McKennie

??? Brooks Long ???

         Steffen