Commentary

Canada-USA: Men's Concacaf Nations League Player Ratings

1. Dennis O'Connell, October 16, 2019 at 2:47 a.m.

   Thank you, Mike Woitalla, for your lead sentence, calling this performance exactly for what it was, one of the worst in national team history.  Even worse, US Soccer most likely does not even care or see it as a disaster.  I love this sport and I love my country, but I do not recognize either one of them in what I watched this evening.  Where has the American fighting spirit gone? 

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2. Santiago 1314 replied, October 16, 2019 at 7:20 p.m.

   Coach "Gumby" Got to Go... His Lack of Personality and Failure to Re-Instill "American Exceptionalism" is Evident... Bring on Peter Vermes... Now before it's too Late.!!!... I hope everyone at USSF is Healthy... Hate to see another Delay in Firing a Coach, because One of the Muckity Mucks is Un-Well... (see Sunil Gulati article on USSF website)

3. Kevin Leahy, October 16, 2019 at 6:58 a.m.

   What Berhalter knows about attacking play could fit on the head of pin. Despite Pulisic having a terrible game, he was involved in every oppurtunity the team had to score. I also wonder about the relationship between coach and player because, it was obvious he wasn't happy to be yanked. Bradley was beaten off the dribble all night and is a defensive liability @ this point in his career. Really thought I was watching a high school game for the most part. What sense did it make to bring Zardes in to that mess. Roldan would have been the first player I yanked from that match. The turnovers were astounding for players that, get paid to play this game. If you go back 30 years on the national team, you could @ least count on the fighting spirit. I did not see that in all the players on the field last night.

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4. beautiful game replied, October 16, 2019 at 5:41 p.m.

   Kevin L; well put...GB is a disaster that the USSF hand-picked.

Santiago 1314 replied, October 16, 2019 at 7:23 p.m.
We have Sadly gone from slipping Backward 30 years, under Klinsmann...
To 40 Years under Berhalter...
Stop the Bleeding NOW.!!! Change Coach, NOW.!!!
Garrett Isacco, October 16, 2019 at 7:11 a.m.
Dreadful performance totally lacking in any concept of offense. If things don't improve quickly the US is going to be in real trouble when it comes to World Cup qualifying next year. A good goalie can cover up a lot of problems and Zach Stephen is clearly a good goalie. However, if the defenders don't defend in the strikers and midfielders can't score the best goalie in the world can't help you win. The jury is still out on the current coach, but I'm not hopeful.
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David Gee, October 16, 2019 at 7:13 a.m.
Your ratings are normally spot-on, but these should be at least a digit lower across-the-board for the field players. Berhalter deserves a 1 -- not just for the match but for his tenure. Too harsh? Okay. Give him a 2. A manager equal to a national team job would not still be seemingly clueless at this stage. It's time for a change. However, that probably can't happen while brother Jay remains a power at USSF. Right now, it looks quite possible that USA won't be at Qatar.
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Wooden Ships, October 16, 2019 at 8:02 a.m.
Don't really like to make comparisons but, would Tabs team beat Canada? Greg was never going to be the guy in my mind and if we were not going outside, how could it have not been Ramos? 
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Bob Ashpole replied, October 16, 2019 at 9:59 a.m.
Nepotism.
Sam Bellin replied, October 16, 2019 at 2:06 p.m.
Good question.  To me the answer is this:  With Tab coaching and the current U-20 roster playing, we would quite likely beat Canada today and would own them completely in 2 years and for the next 10 running.  With Berhalter's system and this group of players, I'm not sure when (or if) we'll beat Canada next.
Peter Bechtold, October 16, 2019 at 9:45 a.m.
Agree with other posters. In addition, it seemed obvious to me that US players seemed scared to make mistakes,i.e. to violate GB's pattern system. Instead of free-flowing soccer, they were "tight" which led to simple mistakes by most, and physical overreaction by McKennie. This performance was more on the manager than the players.
Remember a few years ago when Mexico had 6 different coaches in less than 2 years ? Now they have settled on a good one and the results follow. Did you see Almeyda's (ex-Chivas, now SJE) comments about American talents? We can do much better with the right people in charge.
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Goal Goal replied, October 16, 2019 at 9:56 a.m.
Peter, this country has talent up the kazoo.  What we don't have is coaches that can develop the talent that we have at the younger ages.  Then when what we have identified as top talent get to the National Team level we have the same thing.  In this country we use MLS play as the example.  MLS in my humble opinion is lacking in every aspect of the game except individual player endurance.  Look at the U17's that we are taking to the world cup.  Loaded with MLS academy players and some players who play at the lower levels.  They play sometimes or ride the bench the majority of the time while we have many players in Europe including Spain and the Dutch who are playing in top teams everyday and starting and playing excellent soccer and they are left out of the equation.  It's crazy.  I am babbling I know.  I am just so dissappointed in our play last night that I think I may have lost it.  I have said this before so I have no problem saying it again as it pertains to our soccer program as it stands now.  LAST ONE OUT TURN OUT THE LIGHTS!!
beautiful game replied, October 16, 2019 at 12:19 p.m.
No excuses amigo.


Bob Ashpole, October 16, 2019 at 9:54 a.m.
If Berhalter continues as coach and continues to play Roldan and McKennie in the midfield, better get used to losing and get used to the idea of not qualifying. Both players think a reckless tackle is good defense and neither one can maintain possession (by passing) well enough to succeed internationally. We will be dominated by our opponents with those two in our midfield.

I don't want to hear about hat tricks. The hat trick is a symptom of the problem. He is supposed to be supporting in the midfield line not playing striker. When he is playing as a 4th forward, there is a hole in the midfield. Runs forward are fine and create problems for the defense, but when you are already in the box, it isn't a run forward.



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Ginger Peeler replied, October 16, 2019 at 10:59 a.m.
McKennie is too hotheaded! Challenging opponents for what he perceives to be unfair tackle, or whatever, shouldn’t be tolerated by the U.S. coaches. All I could see was McKennie jumping up and getting in the other guy’s face, as if to say, “Where’s  the respect?  Don’t you know I scored a hat trick last week?”
This isn’t the first time he’s almost started a fight. 
Ginger Peeler replied, October 16, 2019 at 11:12 a.m.
Was Sargent covering for McKennie and that’s the reason he had so few touches himself?  My TV reception was terrible for ESPN2 last night (screen freezes, sound garbled and syllables repeating multiple times, and then sound dropping out altogether). I heard Twellman say something about Josh being out of position, but couldn’t make out the rest of it. 
Bob Ashpole replied, October 16, 2019 at 11:47 a.m.
Ginger, the US play was so poor that I quit watching at halftime, but I know what Twellman was referring to.

Pulisic was dribbling through crowds of defenders with no support because the whole team including Sargent had fallen back to defend the box. The extent to which Sargent defended deep I don't know because I stopped watching.

Part of what upset me was that the US positioning was horrible. I believe that is what beautiful game was referring to as "sub-par Soccer IQ". The key to soccer is being in the right place at the right time. Generally speaking most of the US players were not in the right place most of the time. "Sub-par Soccer IQ" implies 2 things: 1) the players lack knowledge of fundamentals (principles of play) and 2) the players haven't been well coached (or they would know). There is a third explanation: The players know what they should do, but they were following a flawed game plan. 

A good coach brings out the players' best performance. That isn't what happened last night. 

 
beautiful game, October 16, 2019 at 10:21 a.m.
Coach and some players need to be unloaded. Game plan was horrible and dysfunctional. Let's face it amigos, too many players have sub-par Soccer IQ on this squad. The decision-making process and efficacy remains problematic.
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schultz rockne, October 16, 2019 at 10:25 a.m.
Hey Mike! Has SA ever given a '1' to a U.S. player? Might make for a more intriguing topic...
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Dennis Peterson, October 16, 2019 at 10:39 a.m.
Out coached again!
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beautiful game replied, October 16, 2019 at 12:21 p.m.
Outcoached? GB is not suited at this level before, now, and in the future.
frank schoon, October 16, 2019 at 12:33 p.m.
 We all agree GB is not good enough as a coach and as far as I'm concerned if GB goes than Earney Stewart must resign as well and Cruzeiro must be called upon to answer this whole fiasco.
So much for that, but it is not all the coaching fault but how we play and what we  teach our players. For example, I felt so bad for Christian Pulisic after he sat down. Here is talent that has not been taught properly regardless of what he learned in America or in Germany. This kid does not even know how to play wing, and I blame that directly to what he's learned in the past 3 years in Germany, which is not much. First of all, Germany does not have wingers, the last one could have been Pierre Litbarski and before that 'Stan' Libuda, nicknamed after Stanley Matthews.
As Beckenbauer once stated, we don't produced 'artists' in German soccer, meaning no tricky,technical players ,or players who are good in small spaces. What they produce a lot of is runners and fighters. So what I"m saying here is Pulisic in the wrong to learn the finer elemenst of wing play for it doesn't fit the German psyche or style of play.

Here are the basic things Pulisic does wrong as a winger. One, when we have ball possession he makes the field small instead making it spread out, wide ; instead he comes by comes back to wanting the ball. 
Two, wingers should position himself as far downfield as possible, which he never does.
 He breaks both rules each time so often for he always comes back to the midfield line or in his own half receiving the ball from his left back. 
 Three, never ever receive a pass from your back. Rinus Michels during those Ajax glory days would bench you automatically for this type of play. To Johan Cruyff it is one of the worse passes you can make in soccer and ironically we see it continually made today. This is why Johan Cruyff states soccer today has gone down in the quality of play as compared to 50 years, for it was much more sophisticated. Square passes were basically outlawed then,  but today they are made left and right, all over the place. Today you'll see a pass from the goalie to his centerback with his back facing downfield. Stuff like this would never happen 50years ago. NEXT POST


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frank schoon, October 16, 2019 at 12:50 p.m.
Wim Rysbergen,who played for the NY Cosmos and the famous dutch team of WC'74, stated when he began to play pro-ball in Holland, he attempted a square pass that went across the length of the penalty box in the back, he was yelled at by his teammates to never ever to do that ,again....and today it is normal pass and ofcourse with  all the consequence that go with it.
You were taught at Ajax a square pass that is intercepted beats 3 players, the passer, the receiver and receiver that should have gotten the ball. The pass from the back vertically up to the wing means the wing will receive the ball with his back facing downfield which means he has no view of attacking options, has his back facing downfield, slows the tempo of attack because he either has to pass back to his back or has to turn with the ball next to the sidelines and then look. This is such BASIC stuff which today  players have little understanding or no clue  of and neither do the coaches for if they knew they wouldn't be teaching this or allowing it to happen. 
That is why it amazes Cruyff how poor soccer today is played. Each time I watch Pulisic with making these basic mistakes there is totally no reaction , CLUELESS!! 

 There are many basic playing mistakes made on the field that 14year olds make. Let's take the first 5 minutes. At min 1:47 we have 5men, Pulisic, Sargent, McKennis, Yedling and Morris all in a straight line in right on the edge of the penalty box, all waiting for a cross. But here is the kicker the team basically is divided into two halves of which the next line is 20 yards further back. In other words we have noone positioned to retrieve any secondary balls to come out of the penalty due to the huge gap. Furthermore ,because we have committed so many players in front of the ball, it is of the utmost to quickly defend and pressure the opponents in their third but we can't because our next line is so far away.  Why is this allowed to happen? We need and every good team has a regulator or someone at mid-field who organizes and keeps the team well positioned. He is the one who is responsible to make sure to fill the gaps or watch for weaknesses and call players back if necessary. You would think MB would be the one because he's the oldest and most experienced, but by the looks of it he's clueless too for he was in the next the was 20 yards back.
NEXT POST.....



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frank schoon, October 16, 2019 at 1:31 p.m.
Next, in the first 3min. of play Pulisic made all the mistakes of poor wing play. Pulisic drops back to the midfield line, and eager beaver McKennie runs towards the sideline 10yards behind Pulisic. Here is the problem the lefthalfback McKennie as he runs has no view of the field, like Pulisic and worse McKennie's back is facing the field. But that is all due to Pulisic faulty position of going back up to midfield. This whole situation is awkward and messed up on the left flank which is suppose to be our strongest flank. 
Also note how far defensively Pulisic comes back to defend. He does way too much running. By coming back so deep on defense, he burns energy, something he does too much of it even on offense.
The next problem is Sargent who has a habit of coming to the area of the ball, and if you look at his overall positioning , he basically stays in that center lane of the field. His positioning off the ball in the centerlane makes it easy for the centerback to guard him in two ways: one for he can see Sargent and the ball at all times coming  and two  Sargent, in that position, will usually have his back facing the goal. Sargent is not quick with his turns and not very good with back facing an opponent as seen when he falls down twice around midfield when he has man on. 
Sargent needs needs to move and position in a manner that he always at angle ,able to see his opponent and the goal, which is about 10yards either to his left or right depending where the ball is at that moment.
Sargent also tends to come back way too far on defense. Again ,watch Zlatan, he does it perfectly.
To me, Sargent does not connect with Morris, McKennie , or Pulisic. The latter three are more out for themselves, they have a drive for the goal ,which is fine but it is not balanced. All are so similar in many ways. For example, if you ask Pulisic the moment he gets the ball, "what are going to with it ?" He will answer , I'll beat my man and go towards goal.  What he should say,  I have to beat this particular opponent because when that happens a shift will result in the defensive alignment meaning  I either have created 2v1 give and go with McKennie or one of the centerbacks is forced to shift allowing Sargent more space and perhaps a shot.  But that the latter does not happen and that characterized by McKenna, Pulisic and Morris as well.  
We have to many runners and eager beavers on or near the front line , excluding Sargent who is basically a centerforward #9 who is combinational players, that means he tends pass the ball off to his teammates but with these other eager beavers that is difficult for their is a lack of balance .
 
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frank schoon, October 16, 2019 at 1:53 p.m.
Watching Pulisic ,I see this guy is crying out for help. He needs a "Legend" to work with for he certainly didn't get good advice in Germany and neither will he get any in England, he's on his own. He's played, learned, trained in Germany at a top club, Dortmunt, but you see him still do things like a 14year old. In the early minutes of the game, he takes the ball in his own third and runs full speed into 4 Canadians and loses it. I mean ,considering where has been in the past 3-4 years learning the game and does that tells me besides not having him taught how to play wing properly , but taught him that you can't outrun everybody but instead he should have waited for support which was nearby. 
Guys watch Dortmunt on Amazon; Netflix might have it too, but you will not notice in the beginning of the video the present German coach states , 'emphatically' what he deems important, RUN ,RUN ,RUN, "LAUFEN , LAUFEN ,LAUFEN.
 It reminds me how different it was when Johan Cruyff told the Brazilian, Romario when he came to Barcelona, and stated "You run too much". Romario stated my other coach , told me , I'm lazy for I don't run enough.  Cruyff told Romario, "I got you to score goals and nothing else, that's what you're good at, so just hang around the penalty area and we'll get you the ball". Another anecdote from Cruyff was, the more you run the dumber you are and it is not how fast you are but how fast and quick your are in handling a ball in small spaces." Sorry to say, Pulisic needs a readjustment in his game.... 
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Santiago 1314 replied, October 16, 2019 at 10:12 p.m.
Frank,,,, Cruyff is Dead... My Hero also... Berhalter intention to play some Bastardization of Ajax 3-4-3 is Farcical... Think of Pulisic as Iniesta. and then there is Hope... But that is about all CP is Good for... Do we have a team that can Play Tiki-Taka.???... I think NOT... Time to go back to American Athletisism and Running thru Brick Walls... Bring on Peter Vermes.
Brad Matheny, October 16, 2019 at 1:58 p.m.
What did you like Mike?

Sargent's will to get stuck in and try win a tight battle for possession in midfield; I like that!

Lima's getting forward immediately upon entry and service into the area; I like that!

Morris getting into position to play a forceful power header on frame and require a save by opposing keeper, I like that!

What I'm questioning is why I pay for a subscription to this email when you make your money on critiquing our soccer soldiers and creating discord among these "cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat".

So many ways to write the article and shape the perception of the readership, shame soccer America repeatedly takes the negative approach. 
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Bob Ashpole replied, October 16, 2019 at 2:33 p.m.
I follow everything you said except the view that Mike created the discord and "soccer soldiers"?

I have been a soldier, I have played on a military soccer team, but I have never been a "soccer soldier". The phrase offends both soldiers and players at the same time.
R2 Dad replied, October 16, 2019 at 8:04 p.m.
I don't need my perceptions shaped, just reporting of the facts. This article conveys the general dismay with the current situation--the player ratings accurately convey this. Readers come here to avoid the typical Sunshine-Up-Your-Backside we get from other sources when reporting USSF and I for one am sick of giving them a free ride.
Santiago 1314 replied, October 16, 2019 at 10:05 p.m.
Brad, you seem to have missed the last 30 years of US Soccer... The program has Regressed, to be worse than 1980... Bob, what do you call a team that was Pissed On, Warned by the CIA, to not leave the Hotel,  because there are people outside who want to Kill you... Landing on Tarmacs with Tanks Lining the way... Nacional Guard trucks infront and Behind your Bus...Soldiers on your Floor,  with m-16s, Bonfires in the Stadium,  Flaming Frisbees  thrown at you...Food Poisoned.!?!?!?...Is that a "Soccer Soldier".???
Goal Goal, October 16, 2019 at 2:55 p.m.
Sargent is an opportunist.  He has a knack for being at the right place at the right time.  If it works it works but it didn't work last night.  Sometimes you have to make it happen instead of waiting for it to happen.

Lima is a starter-he should have been in there from the get go.

Morris is a fighter-he has to stay.

Mckinnie needs to participate in anger management.

However, no matter who you are or where you play you are only as good as your last effort.  This team that played last night is as flat as road kill.
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Ginger Peeler replied, October 16, 2019 at 4:22 p.m.
Agreed! With all of it!
Peter Bechtold, October 17, 2019 at 11:53 a.m.
Santiago: You have said repeatedly on 2 threads that the last 30years have been terrible. That would take us to 1989 when we had not qualified in 4 decades. Do you mean that, or are you just frustrated like most of us ?
You also bashed Klinsmann. Do you remember that he was the first--AND ONLY--coach to defeat Mexico at the Azteca ? To win away at Italy,to win away at Germany, to win away at Amsterdam? At this level,he has been the most successful coach the US has ever had; noone has come close against these opponents. Was he still successful in 2016 ? Probably not because the players needed a fresh voice. But let us not be blinded by poor results at the end.
Poster Frank--son of Cruyff(:-)--always writes about successful players. Well,Klinsmann won player of the year in Germany twice, in France(Monaco),in Italy(Inter) and top scorer in EPL while at Tottenham. He also has lived in SoCal for two decades, his children have played in the US soccer system and he speaks 5 languages fluently. Why was he opposed at the end? For leaving out an over-age Landon Donovan who would have been a cancer in the locker room as a substitute? 
No, we need better answers than most posters offer. The real question has always been: Do we just want to qualify for WC Finals and drop out like Australia? Or do we want to aim higher like Klinsmann tried, but make an awful lot of folks uncomfortable here ?
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Bob Ashpole replied, October 17, 2019 at 1:25 p.m.
Peter, I agree generally with your point made to Santiago but you exagerate Klinsmann's success as USMNT coach. Winning friendlies is nice, but not meaningful. Arena has a better record than JK as US MNT coach. The US only won 1 match at the 2014 finals. Ironically, Donovan lead the team that won the 2013 Gold Cup.

JK deserves our respect and his record doesn't need puffing.
Philip Carragher, October 17, 2019 at 6:02 p.m.
I'm intrigued by the idea of having great soccer minds infiltrate US Soccer. And not just one mind. Bring a bunch. I know I was strongly effected by watching a great Yugoslavian soccer coach (it may have been Todor Veselinovic) handle two high school practices. I was coaching at that high school and his lessons were unforgetable. For US players to be mentored by great international players and to have coaches get coached by international coaching legends, well, I just don't know what that would lead to but it would certainly be energizing. If I was still playing and having a great player mentoring me, yikes! Great players love great coaching.
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