7 - Balogun 6.5 - Pulisic 7 - Zendejas 6.5 - Arfsten 6 - Adams 6.5 - Roldan 6.5 - Freeman 6.5 - Ream 5.5 - Richards 5.5 - Blackmon 7 - Freese 6.5 - Dest 6.5 - Luna 6.5 - McGlynn 5.5 - Luca NR - Downs NR - Harriel Classic uninflated rating scale, 5 is neutral.

Final xG: 2.01 🇺🇸 1.08 🇯🇵

Japan may have shifted into a 442 on D

xG at half .78 USA .88 Japan

If nobody in the press directly asks Poch if he is letting guys stay in Europe to prioritize their club seasons then what are we even doing here. They should also ask if he’s sending a message to players based on past performances too but I’ll take what I can get.

Club and Country minutes per year: Donovan (14.5 years) 37,888 Club + 12,872 USMNT = 3,500.7 minutes per year. Dempsey (15 years) 38,944 Club + 11,074 USMNT = 3334.5 minutes per year. Pulisic (10 years) 24,249 Club + 5,572 USMNT = 2,982.1 minutes per year.

Poch’s initial shape worked and then Turkey adjusted and the USMNT didn’t. Is it because our players are too dumb to figure out their own counters? I haven’t ruled it out.

GC first XI Lineup graphic:

If FIFA is competently evil the 64 team 2030 WC will include a bunch of inter-confederation playoff games for the last 16-32 teams who qualify. FIFA then gets to sell the TV rights for those games.

Wilfried Nancy and the Columbus Crew are absolutely elite at building freedom and improvisation out of a well-drilled structure. It's spectacular to watch.

The truth is that this generation of players are on the path to not mattering much to Americans and American soccer beyond erasing the stigma our players had in Euro boardrooms.

Pretty conservative lineup from Poch. Career these guys put up 1.52 G/90 in international play against competition that is, on average, a bit weaker than Panama.

Lineup graphic:

If 3/4 of our wide players are Ream, Scally, and Musah that is a pretty poor attacking group.

If you are a member of the USMNT press corps you have a solemn duty to ask Gio Reyna if he is physically capable of sprinting.

🎙️NEW POD @bobmorocco.bsky.social, longtime friend of the pod and multi-decade battle-hardened BigSoccer poster, joins Belz and Watke to discuss the key takeaways from the first two months-and-change of 2025 scuffed.simplecast.com/episodes/573...

This is basically how valuable the stats USMNT players are posting in leagues FBref covers

This is how I would play Panama in March. First the lineup/defensive shape. I would also look at dropping into a 3 man CM with Gio at RCM in the low block to let Musah slide out and cover for Pulisic:

Pepi chests one down, quite well, for an assist.

Tim Ream on @scuffed.bsky.social talking about the differences in Poch’s approach to buildup:

Textbook pen

Good overview by @rwohan.bsky.social but I think he gets a little slippery at the end. How good the USMNT is, relative to the competition at the time, is what matters. www.espn.com/soccer/insid...

Gio playing 8 out of possession and 8/10 in attack:

My least controversial opinion is that the Serie A goal ball bag should be made out of a more luxurious fabric

Gio Reyna is about the worst example of “player who should have started in MLS to be on a better trajectory” possible. His only real problem is his injury. Without that he has 100+BL starts. It’s not like he could start games in MLS on a busted hamstring.

Some Ridiculous Yellows

Nice move

Cross posting from the Mauricio Pochettino Coaching Philosophy thread:

At this point, I have compiled a very detailed spreadsheet of individual match data for all active and a few select retired USMNT players. After the November window, here are the numbers. It is interesting to see how productive players are and compare it to the difficulty of their opponents! #USMNT

When them balls go in, whoa baby

Like to see Musah go for it

USMNT in possession shape has been like something Nagelsmann would do.

Predictions for the home USMNT match against Jamaica in the NL: In possession:

One thing I’m watching for over the next few years for the USMNT is Christian Pulisic’s production compared to the historical production of Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey. At about the halfway mark of their caps, Puli is running ahead of Dempsey and with Donovan on goal contributions.

USMNT predictions. Lineup Graphic:

Just to cover all my bases the USMNT largely defended in a back 4 in Poch’s first window. Watch weakside defensive positioning (especially when deeper) and who steps to the ball wide in midfield and when.

Pulisic is having a good season but he is not consistently creating enough danger. In 10/18 of his starts (where he makes it past halftime) he is hitting .2 or less xG+xA*. Leao is at 3/17. *According to FBref’s match logs

If T&T drop this is the base attacking shape I want. Serge and Brendo swapping. Gio playing free.

Prediction for the USMNT match:

Wes with a good cutback from the endline, Vlahovic whiffs and the trailing runner hits his shot into a defender.

Juve building out with more of a 4 allowing Weah to stay higher. Wes at RCM but sometimes switching with Tim.

Pretty good game from Paredes.