The Soccer Thread (Version 12) — Revenge of the Backup GK

And then there were three goals.

 

Darkest before the dawn, eh?

 

As long as you’re there, move Pepi to striker.

 

People who are smarter than me, as disappointing as the first two matches were, five points in three matches with two of those on the road isn't terrible in the math department, right?

 

Now trying for some goal differential stuff. Could have used one of those against Canada.

 

¡QUATRO! ¡QUATRO A UNO!

 

Looks like I avoided another disaster. I get better insight here anyway.

 

Right. Fans can get off the ledge after that second half. The five points isn't great but it beats the hell out of two, which is what I was expecting after that first half.

 

Yeah, five points is pretty much the baseline for acceptable. Anything more would've been gravy, despite what the USMNT hype machine would have us believe. Being joint-second and two points behind Mexico going into the next window of home to Jamaica, at Panama, and home to Costa Rica is definitely workable. Six points from that stretch and the US is on 11 points -- halfway to the expected cut-off line of 21 points (based on averaging 1.5 points per game being enough to qualify in previous cycles).

That said, 45 good minutes isn't strong enough deodorant to cover up the previous 225. The performances have got to improve -- the US will be more than one goal down if it sleepwalks against Costa Rica or Mexico like it did in the first half today -- and that starts with putting the right people in the right places. Adams and Acosta are not fullbacks or wingbacks, Dest isn't a reliable defender at the international level, and Sargent does not work in a three-striker system (one might question if he works in any other system, but that's a separate discussion). I'm sure Berhalter has some grand vision in his head for how all this fits together, but this mad scientist stuff has to stop. Brooks looks out to sea in a three-man back line and plays like it. He's a much better defender than the floundering visage we saw today, provided you don't ask him to do things that are beyond him.

Stop overthinking things. You have a bunch of good defenders who are used to playing in a back four, so play them in a back damn four. Adams is a rock in the middle of the field, so play him in the middle of the field. This team has the talent to succeed and the guts to get results when things get tight. Stop hamstringing them in pursuit of this notion of what "modern football" should look like.