Jamaica 3/25/21

Doubleheader Sunday!  Senior team at 9:00 on Fox and U23s at 3:00 on FS1!!!

I thought the match was more of a challenge than the recent spate of Trinidad and Tobago, El Salvador and Panama.  Jamaica was more organized with obviously professional players.  (Sidebar: Their pursuit of all these English dual-nationals is going to make them dangerous for WCQ when their regulars come back from their strike.)  That said, after settling in our boys looked really good taking control and dictating play.

Before I get to my player breakdowns I have to mention that Daryl Dike wasn't in the 23 because he was hurt.  There's also been a lot of chatter on Twitter about Gregg Berhalter (GGG) going with a 3-5-2 or 3-4-3 against Northern Ireland.  I can see why people are saying that since Sergiño Dest and Antonee Robinson can both play wing-back.  However, so much of what GGG preaches is his "system."  The U23s are even playing it now too.  So while I think that formation is worth exploring some time, I'm really not sure Sunday is the best time.  If GGG was going to do that an experimental Jamaica side makes more sense than N. Ireland does.  But in the bigger picture, we have so few games left before things start counting that we need to iron out the kinks in our 4-3-3 first before trying new things.

Zack Steffen - Took a bad angle on the goal and misplayed an early back pass out of bounds with a poor touch.  Other than that he was solid and made 2 very nice reaction saves late in the match to keep the Reggae Boyz to 1 goal.

Dest - Man of the Match.  So smooth and creative on the ball, just scary talented.  I'm usually one to want guys playing in their natural and most comfortable position.  But when I saw the chemistry Christian Pulisic and Serge were developing as the match went along my mind started changing.  I mean if our left side is Dest, Weston McKennie and CP....DAMN that's going to be dangerous.

Reggie Cannon - Easily the worst player of the day for me.  He was just bad all over.  After yesterday I'm fine with Dest at LB, but not for Reggie anymore.  I think it's time to bring DeAndre Yedlin in one more time and see how he looks.  If you remember my roster predictions I had Yedlin on the team over him.  There's also Bryan Reynolds too.

John Brooks - Not his best outing at all.  He was my third worst player as his distribution was WAY off for most of the match.  His positioning was also bad more than a few times.  This is just who he is for the USMNT.  Occasionally brilliant, mostly solid yet sometimes his head or heart just isn't into it and he looks like this.  If you need a reminder just think back to the Costa Rica match that got Jügen Klinsmann fired.  John wasn't that bad yesterday, but he certainly has it in him.  

Aaron Long - He didn't really do anything too bad, but he also didn't stand out in any way.  I'm perplexed as to why he got 45 minutes still?.  If GGG wanted to do that Sunday is the day.  Not when you only have Brooks for one match and NEED to see how the Brooks-Chris Richards partnership looks for the first time.  I'm fine with Aaron being in the mix, he just isn't starting material anymore.  He's a nice bench piece.

Sebastian Lletget - This is going to be where my take differs from most people.  Before he scored his first goal I had him as the second worst player on the day.  His set piece delivery was crap all game long and he was where our attack went to die.  He doesn't offer much defensively either.  My final take on him is that he had a "Rapinoe Game."  Mostly bad throughout then he popped up in the box with 2 nice finishes out of nowhere.  Then everyone forgets about the rest of the game and focuses only on the 2 goals.  I mean I blame the goal we conceded partly on him because the corner kick was so awful.  He also almost had an own goal too (nice save Zack!) that I see no one mentioning.  I'm not anti-Sebastian or anything.  I like him off the pine but much like Long he's not a starter.

Kellyn Acosta - With how Johnny, Andrés Perea and Jackson Yueill are playing in Olympic Qualifying I'd say the backup #6 behind Tyler Adams is wide open.  When you look at Kellyn's performance through that lens he put himself right back in the mix.  He is only 25 after all so he fits in with this group very nicely.  He put in a very nice shift ending Jamaican chances before they could happen.  Nice to see him back.  

Yunus Musah - He was good, very good.  His ball control in tight spaces is great and the way he glides through the midfield is something to see.  He is such a great connector between the backline and forwards.  Like an extremely wealthy man's version of Darlington Nagbe.  I was impressed how he still showed out with Adams and McKennie not by his side.  I'd say if all 3 are healthy the MMA midfield is here to stay for quite a while.  One question I had though is does Valencia watch how he plays as a #8?  For all his quality the final third isn't in his bag yet.  So I wonder why Valencia continues to try and make him a winger?

Gio Reyna - He had a lot of good ideas that didn't come off.  He was obviously pressing and frustrated too.  I've said before that I don't like his ball-hogging tendencies and bad body language toward teammates.  Both were on display yesterday unfortunately.  He's so good already that sometimes I forget he's only 18.  With the way Yunus played I don't think we are ever seeing Gio in that dual-8 role.  The biggest positional battle we have going forward is Reyna versus Timothy Weah at RW.  

I know a lot of people won't agree with me putting Gio on the bench, but I prefer Weah at this moment.  Timo just offers more defensively and does the little things better than Reyna at this time.  I wish GGG would play a system with a true #10 but that obviously ain't happening on his watch.  Our four best attackers are CP, Josh Sargent, Timo and Gio.  I guess having three guys that can defend in the midfield is more important than having four attack minded players.  But another tactical option if we ever want to add the 4-2-3-1 to our bag.

CP - He fell into his own trap where he's just trying and pushing so hard that he botches easy plays.  One I can think of where the ball fell to him and the net was wide open and he missed it wide.  That said, as he settled into the match and found some understanding with Dest he was super-dangerous to my eyes.  There wasn't a Jamaican defender that could stay in front him.  He just needs to get out of his own head and find his zen.  Like Magneto it can't be all rage or all happiness.  He has to find the balance between.  Once he is able to calm his mind like that there will be no stopping him.  Or our left side of Dest-Wes-CP!!!  

Sargent - I don't blame anyone for not watching Bremen.  But if you do watch Bremen Josh did all the things he does week in and week out there.  Hold up play, linking with teammates and defensive work rate.  The assist to Brenden Aaronson was a thing of beauty.  I know he missed all of his 3-4 half-chances and that is really frustrating (especially when he doesn't recognize the run into space until it's too late).  But I see the tide turning and more and more people coming around to my point of view on him.  He's still only 21.  The goals will come, and in bunches once they do.

Aaronson - As I said pregame I wanted him in the dual-8 role rather than Lletget. But I never thought of him as a winger. Maybe he is? Anyway, he came on at halftime for CP and made an immediate impact with a crazy-good through ball that Gio botched. His finish of Josh's assist was nothing fancy, but he still megged the keeper. It's hard to see him pushing into the MMA midfield or on the wing over CP, Weah or Gio. But when WCQ comes around and we are playing 3 matches in a window built for 2, we are going to need depth like this. I mean we can't start the same XI in all 3 matches when the time comes. A good problem to have.

Richards - Still mystified as to why he didn't start? Things like that are always going to bug me about GGG. I thought he was generally good and much better with the ball at his feet than Long. That said, there was a Jamaican set piece where the ball went all the way through the box with no one touching it. The soccer analysts I trust all say Chris should have cleared that. So there was his main negative. He also played a part in Jamaica's counterattack goal, but so did half the team.

Nicholas Gioacchini - At first I wondered why GGG called him in, but it makes sense now. We kind of lack wingers and Nico proved he can play there. He looked very lively, made several good passes and popped up in good shooting spots. His assist to Lletget was something I didn't think he had in his bag. I will admit to never watching Caen. After my experience with Sebastian Soto and the Dutch second division I'm off all second divisions except the Championship. Holland, France, Germany, whatever. If you are in a second division in Europe you are better off in MLS (yes, I really just said that). That's the next move for him, to a better league or club. Otherwise he's going to get passed by other players in the pipeline.

Robinson - I liked that when he came on that he only had eyes for Josh. I think his first 2 touches (maybe) where to fire crosses right at Sargent. The Jamaican goal was such a mess I have no idea who to really blame. After the match Taylor Twellman said in that situation you need to take a professional foul, get a yellow and stop the attack. I agree, and when watching the replay Jedi has not 1 but 2 chances to take a yellow. I'd still like to give him more shots at LB, but the more mistakes he makes the more likely we'll have Dest on the left.

Luca de la Torre - Where have you been my man! To me he's the player that most made his case to get more looks. On Lletget's second goal peep the control, patience and vision he displays. Beyond that moment of brilliance he was good all around. Making good runs into space and smart passes too. He kind of seems like more of a winger to me because I'm not sure has the bite for the dual-8 role. Obviously I'm intrigued and need to see more of him Sunday.

Jordan Siebatcheu - First things first, his Mom's maiden name is Pefok.  So that explains the jersey.  He had a very short stint but he still managed to get a soft header on goal.  I don't see him ever overtaking Josh, but I could see him as a late game sub for his prowess in the air on set pieces.  The issue for him will be can he beat out Dike for that job?  Because Jordan and Daryl are the same player, and Dike is 4 years younger too (20-24).  I'm glad he was able to get his first cap though, an interesting player for sure.