I know he wasn't being serious but I did chuckle when Rob Stone mentioned Klopp or Pep as possible replacements for Berhalter.
Euros and Copa America 2024 soccer thread
OrangeBlue98
- Des Moines, IA
I was hoping that tweet led to a “Berhalter has been fired” link, but I’ll keep hoping I see that sometime this week.
OrangeBlue98
- Des Moines, IA
I know people will mention those names, whether serious and uninformed or joking like Rob Stone was.
International management really isn’t about those flashy names. When you look at the international landscape, there are very few big names like that. Lionel Scaloni was hired because of his upbringing in the Argentina youth coaching system and because he had a good relationship with Messi. However, he’s proven himself to be very good at putting the pieces together.
I know this will absolutely not be a sexy name, but I think the US needs to consider someone like Seattle head coach Brian Schmetzer. He’s been successful in knockout events before, and he has had a knack for figuring out how to take what’s given to him and get the team to play more than the sum of its parts. Sure, the casual fans will go nuts. But that type of skill set is what we need in the US program. We’re at the point where most players are at clubs with defined identities. It’s hard to tell these players “no matter what, this is how we’re playing”.
The most overachieving team at the Euros-Switzerland-has been doing this all tournament.
Am I wrong in thinking that the Friday quarterfinal matchups in the Euros are going to be the more marquee ones?
Bracket for the knockout stage in Copa America:
Argentina/Ecuador
Venezuela/Canada
Uruguay/Brazil
Colombia/Panama
Tournament resumes Thursday night with Argentina/Ecuador at NRG Stadium in Houston.
Argentina/Ecuador
Venezuela/Canada
Uruguay/Brazil
Colombia/Panama
Tournament resumes Thursday night with Argentina/Ecuador at NRG Stadium in Houston.
OrangeBlue98
- Des Moines, IA
While the Friday Euro games have the marquee names, I’m actually more intrigued by the Saturday games. Switzerland has been the most impressive team relative to expectations, and Turkey isn’t far behind. A Turkey-Switzerland semi is a very real possibility, and I’d like to see that. Plus, it wouldn’t be a major tournament without the usual drama and teeth-gnashing from England.
Jesse Marsch says it was a lack of discipline that caused the early exit by the U.S. in Copa America.
Yeah, punching a guy for the red card and playing most of the match down a man did them in…
They looked fatigued later in the Uruguay match
OrangeBlue98
- Des Moines, IA
Been a hallmark of the team ever since Berhalter came back to be honest. Dest had that inexplicable meltdown at Trinidad and Tobago, then the Weah moment of madness.
I fully understand that these are professionals and they have a level of accountability that doesn't have to come from the coach. But when you see different players undertake actions like this, you have to start wondering if it's a more systemic issue. I've heard a number of people say that McKennie's comments about being "comfortable" underlies that the US team may not have had the level of accountability that a team should have from the coaching staff.
I'm not the biggest Jesse Marsch fan, and I'm pretty sure he found a chance to twist the knife in this particular case. But I also don't think he's off base with his comments. He probably could have waited until after Canada's tournament was done, but I also think he knew he had a platform and took advantage of it. He's more than a little arrogant, but he's also not dumb.
OrangeBlue98
- Des Moines, IA
Didn't see them, but did hear about them. I'm certainly not equating talent levels, but Spain's an example of a team that has changed its playing style from a really boring, "stalling" type of play. I feel like the US could play in a similar manner given they have speed on the outside. But the US team has consistently been very conservative and slow playing under Berhalter.
OrangeBlue98
- Des Moines, IA
Amazing game just finished in Stuttgart. Spain defeats 2-1 after extra time. But Spain will have (by my count) 4-5 players out for yellow card accumulations suspensions.
Really a shame this game couldn't be the final or at least a semifinal. Entertaining and dramatic all the way around.
Really a shame this game couldn't be the final or at least a semifinal. Entertaining and dramatic all the way around.
TentakilRex
- Land O Insects between Quincy-Macomb-Jacksonville
Right on Spain, though I could give more background on Spain's old system. The system Spain used in their Golden Era was Tika-Taka which was the system that the best team (in Spain at the time and maybe of all time) Barcelona used and something like 8 of Spain's players either played for Barcelona or would even playing for Barcelona. It would like Team USA used the triangle offense. Also Spain's stalling is more a result of personnel, Barcelona's version was far more exciting due to having Lionel Messi while Spain did not have him.
OrangeBlue98
- Des Moines, IA
I get where you're coming from. I know "Tiki-Taka" was the hallmark of Pep's Barcelona of 2009-2011, which was likely the greatest club team of all time. The big issue is that if you don't have a generational talent like Messi, that style of play can be pretty tedious. Even when Spain won the 2010 World Cup, they weren't an overly enjoyable or entertaining team to watch. They just controlled games to death with their possession. and I say that being a fan of Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez.
I always think of the old Ray Hudson quote - "Possession without penetration equals m*****tion." (I blocked out the word to protect the post). That was a lot of Spain's M.O. during much of 2010-2022.
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With Germany's loss today, Toni Kroos' football career, both club and international, is now over.