News:

Use a VPN to stream games Safely and Securely 🔒
A Virtual Private Network can also allow you to
watch games Not being broadcast in the UK For
more Information and how to Sign Up go to
https://go.nordvpn.net/SH4FE

Main Menu


The lads and Klinsman

Started by YankeeJim, September 12, 2012, 07:12:45 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

YankeeJim

The victory last night was expected but looked a bit Fulhamish given the differences between the halves. The first half was a thing of beauty with total domination by the US. Most of it was in midfield, to be sure, but beautiful none the less. Danny Williams may be the answer to getting Jones out of the line up once Bradley returns. Torrez just doesn't have it at this level. He's too easily pushed off the ball and while he was OK last night, Mexico will eat his lunch. Dolo still has it and I'd like to think that his direction helped Zusi have a strong first half. He was a bit inconsistent but may be of help in getting Donavan back into the middle where I feel he belongs. Cameron may be the real deal. Lord knows we need central defenders. Fabian Johnson appears to be our current and future left back. Thank God no more Bornstein! I like Gomez. Certainly not the greatest talent but he does a lot of the dirty work and runs the back line ragged.
That brings me to Klinsman. When a team changes as much as it did after the goal, I have to fault the coach.  Bob Bradley fielded a boring team but it fit the talent level of the US players where athleticism and effort made up for a lack of world class skill. He fit the tactics to the players on hand ala Roy. Klinsman wants the US to play like Germany and I question if we have the ability to do so. We might be more entertaining but under Arena & Bradley I never questioned if we would qualify. The way the team backed off after Gomez's spot kick was alarming to me. One bad bounce and we drop two points. One need look no further than last Friday to see what happens when a squad takes their foot off the gas pedal. Why didn't Klinsman pull an obviously gassed Dempsey rather than Gomez and do it ten minutes earlier?
I liked the formation. Don't know if you could have called Williams a sweeper but he provided strong support in the middle, took away the counter and as a result Jamaica was forced outside into the good hands of Dolo & Johnson. Bradley in place of Jones should provide the link to the attack that we often miss and having a match fit Dempsey and a recovered Donavan should bring us to the hex with ease.
Wish I was now as confident about the Whites.
starsnstripes starsnstripes starsnstripes
Its not that I could and others couldn't.
Its that I did and others didn't.

jmh

Quote from: YankeeJim on September 12, 2012, 07:12:45 PM
Danny Williams may be the answer to getting Jones out of the line up once Bradley returns.
I'm confused, are we trying to get Jones out of the lineup?  Given your comment about Torres (which I agree with), wouldn't he be a more likely choice to sit?  Jones and Bradley in the middle are a formidable pair.  (I like Maurice Edu a lot too, but I wonder whether Klinsi maybe sees him as more of a center back at this point.)

YankeeJim

Quote from: jmh on September 14, 2012, 08:45:18 PM
Quote from: YankeeJim on September 12, 2012, 07:12:45 PM
Danny Williams may be the answer to getting Jones out of the line up once Bradley returns.
I'm confused, are we trying to get Jones out of the lineup?  Given your comment about Torres (which I agree with), wouldn't he be a more likely choice to sit?  Jones and Bradley in the middle are a formidable pair.  (I like Maurice Edu a lot too, but I wonder whether Klinsi maybe sees him as more of a center back at this point.)

As I said, I find Jones to be a walking redcard. I've never liked cheap shot artists and IMHO, that what Jones is. Drop Jones and utilize Williams in his spot.
Williams in frt of the back four with a midfield of Bradley, Donavan & Zushi with Dempsey and Gomez up top. In  short a 4-1-3-2. You could sub in Jozy for Zushi & drop Dempsey to the right if you are chasing the game. Might work. Jones is a liability.

That opinion is probably about as valuable as my vast experience as the US Nats head coach.  064.gif
Its not that I could and others couldn't.
Its that I did and others didn't.


jmh

Quote from: YankeeJim on September 14, 2012, 09:26:04 PM
As I said, I find Jones to be a walking redcard. I've never liked cheap shot artists and IMHO, that what Jones is. Drop Jones and utilize Williams in his spot.
Williams in frt of the back four with a midfield of Bradley, Donavan & Zushi with Dempsey and Gomez up top. In  short a 4-1-3-2. You could sub in Jozy for Zushi & drop Dempsey to the right if you are chasing the game. Might work. Jones is a liability.

That opinion is probably about as valuable as my vast experience as the US Nats head coach.  064.gif
Huh.  I've personally never found him to be quite so risky a player as you seem to, but maybe I'm just blinded to it by all the hype that surrounded his switch to play for the US.  I think we've had our share of players who fit the "walking red card" bill in the past (Pablo Mastroeni comes to mind) and it hasn't turned out TOO badly.

YankeeJim

#4
Part two

I don't think I have ever worked as hard watching a soccer match as I did last night. The field was pitiful and the camera work was no better then some fan with a video camera. The camera must have been mounted 50 yards off the side line. The far line was invisible and the weather terrible & the lighting was bad. The wind adversely effected the match. The Antigua keeper threw the ball further when he had the wind in the 2nd half then most keepers punt the ball.  At least the normal horrendous CONCACAF refs were not in evidence.

Jones didn't start but still managed to get his normal cheap yellow. I don't know if it was the weather & the pitch but the US left their passing game home. The back line looked like they were playing Brazil constantly giving up chances. Really, the US was bad. I mean Eddie Johnson had to score a brace to keep us in the hunt for the hex.

Which brings me to Klinsman. The US team seems not to put out the effort under Klinsman that we have always shown. There is little movement off the ball and a lot of walking back to position. This team lacks pace and Antigua exploited that fact often. Jozy leads his league in scoring and we bring in Alan Gordon who can't even consistently make first 11 for San Jose in MLS. That being said, he actually affected the game, putting out a lot of effort.

This team will quaify which speaks more to the quality of CONCACAF then the management skills of Klinsman. With a good draw we might even win a game in the group but I don't think we'll get to the knockout faze.   :002:
Its not that I could and others couldn't.
Its that I did and others didn't.

btings

A number of people looked like they were more concerned about avoiding ankle/knee injuries than in actually winning the game.  I'm not sure I've ever seen a slower attack.  The possession stats were dominant in the US's favor, but I'm skeptical of the value of that stat if the other side is just ceding the ball to you the way A&B ways.

Very few players showing any willingness to try anything - Zusi, Gordon, EJ, and to a lesser extent Bradley were about the only people I thought had positive performances.

I agree with the "walking red card" assessment of Jones.  I'm not sure what's going on, but the way he's played in the WCQs I consider it a positive development that he's suspended for the Guatemala match.

I wrote a bunch more about this here: http://legionofpog.tumblr.com/post/33481667487/this-was-the-text-i-sent-a-friend-in-brooklyn


YankeeJim

Can't argue with your post except that I believe that it was Bruce Arena who made the comment about Deuce.
Its not that I could and others couldn't.
Its that I did and others didn't.

btings

Quote from: YankeeJim on October 14, 2012, 07:35:46 PM
Can't argue with your post except that I believe that it was Bruce Arena who made the comment about Deuce.

Thanks, you're right!

McBridefan1

talented teams struggle against weak opponents especially on the road because they need to be free flowing like they were against guatemala... the pitch is a 12th man that hurts the US when they travel as they do any of the top teams, the fact that we won and finished with as many points this go round as we did last qualifying campaign means our angst was misplaced. In the early qualifying, the team was learning a new style, but I find this team able to win ugly but also win with style... style doesn't earn you many points directly but it does earn you respect from your opponents refs and fans, which can contribute to points. With a winning style, winning will beget winning. Now if we could just learn how to f'in defend... lol.


YankeeJim

Can't argue with you Dave. I'd add that we need a CB from somewhere. I think Gooch's knees are done and Goodson doesn't have it at this level much less against high quality teams. Boca for all that he has given has always lacked pace and is near his Social Security. Cameron has some possibilities. That leaves few other options. Omar Gonzales is finally back from injury but he needs to prove himself in the Hex to be considered for Brazil. Edu might be a possibility but going to Brazil with two grandfathers an uncertain and a guy out of position on the back line on the back line is scary indeed. I think Fabian Johnson should be the real deal and Dolo & Boca seem to have the fitness for another go round. Lets hope so.

I though we looked good against the 12 man Guats. How a guy that is being considered for Brazil can miss a clear handball and a clear penality (against Bradley) is beyond me. That's CONCACAF.  :035:   I'd love to see this forum if every match was refereed as if it was at Red Nose's house.

We have to go down to those crappy venues and win ugly like we did in Antigua. At lease in the Hex we won't have the Guats or El Salvadore to deal with. Panama. Costa Rico and Asstica will be bad enough.

On the positive side Klinsman had the lads ready and his subs seemed to work. BTW, who is this Eddie Johnson guy? We had a player by that name at Fulham once but this guy has to be someone different.  :027:
Its not that I could and others couldn't.
Its that I did and others didn't.

btings

Boca looked incredibly vulnerable to quick strikers last night -- not just on the Guatemala goal (which was a debacle), but on a few other instances where Ruiz just ran right past him.

I really hope Dolo stays healthy through 2014, as I don't know what the backup plan is.  (Beitashour?????)

YankeeJim

Lack of pace has always been the knock on Boca. When he gets beat it is almost aways by being caught out. Since we have no pace in the center someone has to stay back to cover. I'm not sure what Klinsman has them doing. I suppose either of the out backs could stay back if the other goes forward but what happens when one or the other misreads the situation. I'm sure Carlos the flopper could tell us. BTW, did you think Timmy mis-handled that one on one.
Its not that I could and others couldn't.
Its that I did and others didn't.


SCFulhmFan

Yes went down way to early but to see Boca jogging back boiled my blood.  Run!

btings

Howard could have done better.

YankeeJim

Quote from: SCFulhmFan on October 18, 2012, 12:35:32 AM
Yes went down way to early but to see Boca jogging back boiled my blood.  Run!

It's hard to run when your embarassed. BTW, is your avitar your location? I spent a tough three weeks there after Hugo. Charlestown was a mess.
Its not that I could and others couldn't.
Its that I did and others didn't.


McBridefan1

come on boys you can't even think timmy was at fault for that, the reason he is so good is because he plays on instinct... timmy thought he was going early, he didn't, and he went around. One on one with the keeper you can't blame him for that. We sometimes expect too much from our number 1.

YankeeJim

Well, when you have someone as good as Timmy, you expect perfection. He is always so consistant and I for one, do not want to give ANY credit to the skill of the THAT flopper. He is worse than Suarez.
Its not that I could and others couldn't.
Its that I did and others didn't.

SCFulhmFan

Quote from: YankeeJim on October 18, 2012, 07:06:57 PM
It's hard to run when your embarassed. BTW, is your avitar your location? I spent a tough three weeks there after Hugo. Charlestown was a mess.


Yes but in the Upstate.


YankeeJim

The American Nats have always used fitness, effort & a no quit demeanor when they have been successful. Yesterday, they looked a bit more like Fulham against the Ha-Ha's. They were flat and lacking any spirit. When Dempsey took his goal (a fine volley BTW) only two players went over to congratulate him.

Klinsman keeps trying to fit square pegs in round holes. The US will never be Barca and a 4-3-3 on the road isn't going to work, especially at a hostile, hot and very humid ground. He started three defensive minded mids so there was little continuity and no flow. He burnt his three subs, did I say it was hot & very humid, by the hour mark and none of them brought anything to the match.

I really fear that the US will be scraping for the third spot or even the play in for fourth. We won't beat Mexico either home or away. We won't win in Costa Rico and likely Jamaica plus Panama plays on a cricket pitch and is tough at home. If we slip up at home, we might be watching the next WC from somewhere other than Brazil. There is a reason Klinsman was canned at the German Nats and from the Bundesliga.   :026:
Its not that I could and others couldn't.
Its that I did and others didn't.

McBridefan1

Jimmy jimmy jimmy... you have been hangin with the english too long. It was the first game of the hex even the mex had a bad hex opener... and they were at home... honduras is a good team, especially at home, and let's be honest their first goal more often than not ends up in the stands... my only concern is if something happens to deuce where will our goals come from?