(09-07-2017 02:32 PM)GrayBeard Wrote:  

(09-07-2017 01:22 PM)aTxTIGER Wrote:  

(09-07-2017 11:48 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(09-07-2017 10:44 AM)aTxTIGER Wrote:  

(09-07-2017 09:21 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  The more I think about it, the more I hope that if we do qualify we just wipe this team out and start with the next generation. It is obvious from us getting run out by Costa Rica, tying Honduras at home, and legitimately in risk of not auto-qualifying in the easiest Confederation that we're not going to do anything in the WC with this team...so we may as well get the next group some worthwhile experience (a la 1990 WC). I also think the 4-5-1 or 4-3-3 is the formation of the future with us, so we may as well run with it now.

A team like...

---------------------------Horvath---------------------
-----Yedlin------Brooks-----------Miazga------Garza
---------------Bradley--------------Acosta----------
---Arriola---------------Pulisic---------------Johnson
-------------------------Wood-------------------------

Substitues:
Tyler Adams
Brandon Vincent
Chris Polster
CCV
Walker Zimmerman
Perry Kitchen
Brooks Lennon
Sebastian Lletget
Jesse Gonzalez
Bill Hamid
Jordan Morris
Jose Altidore

This cycle reminds me so much of 2002. We struggled in WCQ that cycle too as the older guard started to lose a step and a really good younger generation started to get closer to their primes.

I'm hoping it all comes together next year like it did in 2002.

That's a great comp actually...situationally. Unfortunately from a roster composition perspective, their best position group was defense with Pope, Hejduk, Sanneh, and Agoos in the back with Friedel in his prime starting every game at Blackburn...and our worst is defense now. We've got an over the hill keeper that's stunting development/experience for any keepers coming up, no solid center backs outside of Brooks who has a knee issue every week it seems, and our outside backs are converted wingers, one of whom was on that team (good lord ).

I honestly think a back three of Brooks/Cameron/Besler is where we should be and that is strong. Not Pope/Agoos but not a trainwreck either.



------------------------------Altidore------------------------------------
-----------Wood-------------------------------------------Pulisic-----------(Wood vacilating between the lines and making runs behind their fullbacks)
-----------------------Bradley-------Acosta----------------------------------
--F.Johnson------------------------------------------------------Arriolla------
------------Besler----------Brooks---------------Cameron-------------------
----------------------------Howard(ugh)---------------------------------------

I dont think this is awful, and pretty much where we ended the Honduras game when we actually started giving them problems.

I would like to see one of Gonzalez/Hamid/Horvath move forward as at worst the number 2.

Also, would like to see Lleget healthy, Yedlin healthy and playing, and any of the young Bundesliga kids take another step to push that Starting XI.

Yuck, those wingbacks are not good. Fabian is a turnover machine, and I'm not an Arriolla fan yet and playing in MLS won't help him progress. Cameron has been crap this cycle as well as Altidore (who has the body size and skill but just seems to be lazy).

The one thing that we will have going for us if we make the WC, is that we won't be subjected to the Central American "Hack-a-Pulisic" that we have seen the last 2 games. He might actually get an opportunity to create.

I didnt say our wingback options were good. LOL

Without Yedlin, that's the best we got.