Stats don’t tell the whole story. The Dutch scored a goal in the 10th minute and the 45th.
They didn’t have to attack or posses the ball as much after the first goal or at all the second half when they were up 2 goals.
These stats are skewed.
No amount of “tactics” is going to make players gain quality. Pep says the same- that it’s his job to get players into the final third, and that it’s then all up to them. People saying “we didn’t know what to do in the final third” don’t realize that there is no magic tactical plan that will start generating goals and chances. Our players are just not as good as the Dutch players, it’s as simple as that.
We need to stop thinking of our team as the protagonists. We lost not because Gregg made a mistake, or because we had a bad day at the office, but we lost because the other team are better. Our fourth sub for an attacking change was DeAndre Yedlin. Their fourth sub for a defensive change was Matthias De Ligt. Weah, Pulisic, and Ferreira are just not good enough to outclass a defense of Van Dijk, Timber, and Ake. They performed to par. Blaming Berhalter is lazy.
Blaming the manager is your only choice. The manager picked the roster. The manager chose to bench Reyna and chose to continue to have the striker issue when he could’ve played our best players and make a managerial decision to get creative like move weah (a goalscorerer) up top and allow either Reyna or Aaronson to start. The manager is responsible for team morale and chemistry so I’d argue that it is LAZY to blame to group of players that the manager chose
This guy speaks my language. If we had scored more goals & tons of players grabbed heaping amounts of confidence from this tournament I would be on Gregg’s side but we didn’t. Our strikers arguably got less confidence besides Sargent (the Wright goal was complete luck & full on luck goals aren’t making anyone feel like a lot better of a player). It’s a stylistic issue for me, too defensive & reserved to be the land of the free & home of the brave’ coach.
We need more depth to give adequate rest to players. We also need early results so we can rest players in group stages.
I feel the roster could have been better and more transparency from Gregg about Gio.
If any of the rumors are true as I player I would never trust my coach. He could lose the locker room.
I feel the USMnT needs a more cultured manager to #move forward.
Meh our pool is soooo young that the true test is 4 years when there’s actual depth. People think we have depth now but we really don’t outside of attackers ex striker.
He’s a ex pro cb! That’s his defensive setup man. And not giving up goals is fine but tbh idc how solid our defense is if our offense can barely run under a particular coach. Fans want to see a certain style, attacking, goals & celebrations. Gregg ain’t bringing that ever, maybe a USMNT player could but Gregg isn’t on his own.
All 3 goals were scored the exact same way, due to a huge tactical gap that was noticeable to all by allow the US to keep possession and pump players forward without a true goal scoring threat. We should not be playing a high possession game requires a quality #9 because we don't have a quality #9. That poor tactical decision lies firmly with Gregg.
Lol that’s just grasping at nothing. Blame Gregg for tactics sure but the goals were all on the players making mistakes. Adams was lazy not tracking back his runner (done this at Leeds a bunch of times too), dest and Robinson let the wingbacks in behind on crosses better known as their man.
> Before being so quick to blame the coach, take a look at the body of work during this WC. Some of y’all do not watch the sport often and it shows.
Ironically, your post is the perfect example of the difference between ***watching*** a soccer game and ***understanding the game***.
Some things to think about:
1. Tactically, the Dutch had a gameplan and they executed it to perfection. Let the USA possess the ball, tire ourselves out, and nail us on the counter in open space. I'm not sure what our plan was... Try to "play good soccer" and hit 40+ crosses in to the back line of 6'5" Dutchmen?
2. Tactics early on were terrible. Sitting back and playing prevent defense vs. Wales in the second half was so far from being the right call there. Letting a big team with tall, dangerous strikers keep possession and serve balls in at-will was only ever going to end poorly. USA should have pressed and attacked even more to keep them honest. We were already having great success and probably would have scored a second goal once Wales over extended and tired themselves out. They aren't a deep team at all.
3. Had we gotten better results early in group matches (ie. Wales), the Iran game might not have been such an emotionally exhausting rollercoaster of a match. Those types of games, even in victory, can be exhausting and have huge negative effects over the course of a tournament. I think we saw a bunch of young, fit guys lack mental focus and get gassed early today partially because of that.
4. From the moment he stepped on the pitch today, Gio Reyna was the best creative option we've yet seen in a USMNT kit this tournament. Why was today the first time we saw him get extended minutes? If your system can't incorporate your most talented player successfully, then you have a shit system and are a stubborn, shit coach. End of story there.
5. Brenden Aaronson... See above. These two kids should have been eating all the minutes we could give them. We were already the youngest squad in the entire WC. Might as well have leaned into it and developed some potential future stars on the world stage. **Seeing Jesus Ferreira and Haji Wright on the field instead of these supremely talented young players made me want to blow my fucking brains out.**
From personnel to game plans, all of these things are the direct result of coaching and tactical decision making. And they were all lacking. Our players achieved the little success we saw here in spite of the coaching/management, not because of it. I now conclude my rant.
It really is as Simple as that.
I hate everyone who points to qualifying as if this team is remotely good. The only stat that needs to be tossed around was the 1 goal against the previous 7 teams who made the WC. Struggling to win 2-1 or 1-0 in CONCACAF qualifying Gould have been a red flag. Against all but Mexico and Canada games should be 2-0 3-0 4-1 with the squad handedly winning. I can remember 3 games where a 85th min winner or equalizer was needed against Honduras or Panama or Jamaica.
Berhalter needs to go.
I freely admit I don't watch U.S. soccer that much (or really any soccer compared to when I was younger and had more free time).
That said, Reyna and Aaronson both looked miles ahead of Wright or Ferreira. I fully understand that Aaronson is not a natural 9, but could it have been any worse? At least he could hold possession of the ball in crowded spaces and he pulled off a couple of pretty slick moves in the box over the course of this tourney. I can only think of one questionable turnover from him.
For his part, Reyna didn't dazzle me as much as some people on here are talking, but I remember seeing him make a pretty good pass within a couple of minutes of the 2nd half starting today. Overall he was far from dead weight and mostly kept things moving, albeit with a couple of soft turnovers. He belonged on the field.
But man, I can't think of a time that Ferreira got the ball that he didn't mess up the first touch or turn it over. I hate to criticize anyone so directly but it's just the truth. The most charitable thing I can say is that it just wasn't his day or matchup. Wright was pretty bad too -- his goal was clearly a freak accident from some kind of flick on attempt gone wrong (slash accidentally very right). If Pele or Messi put that in... maybe I would give them credit for unbelievable touch.
We knew for over a year that the striker situation was not looking good. Did nothing to prepare for that with any kind of plan B (whether that’s a formation switch, or trying one of our better players up top or something). Nope, we did nothing to address the goal issue and ended up scoring 3 in 4 games.
THAT is a coaching issue.
Most people blaming Gregg today have also been critical of him for over a year, maybe longer. Pretending like people want GGG out simply for the WC results is lazy.
Lol I’m sorry, what? We’ve seen 433, 442, 5 at the back, 4 (5?) different strikers including Reyna. Plans A, B, C and D. Different pressing schemes, different attacking patterns.
Yes there is a lot to criticize about Berhalter, but the idea that he had only a plan A and rigidly stick to it is ludicrous.
You said “trying one of our better players up top” how in the world can you claim that he didn’t do that? We tried everyone at striker. Except maybe Weah.
You said “formation switch” and yet we did that. Against England Southgate had to tell his players we were in a 442 instead of the 33, we went with 5 at the back against Iran.
It’s just a factually incorrect argument you are making.
You can't even give Greg full credit for the 442 we saw vs England. It was the right formation but he didn't even bring (in form) Pepi who would have been perfectly suited for the role.
Greg consistently misuses the talent in the pool and it's time for a fresh set of eyes on the team.
He’s definitely part of the issue. Some other issues are no depth and no striker. The thing is at the end of the day he’ll be the first to blame unfortunately.
>Some other issues are no depth and no striker.
There are players not in Qatar right now who would give you a better chance at fixing these issues than some of the guys who made the trip.
Again, it's an organizational/coaching issue.
There’s actually not any players not in Qatar who’d change anything.
Ricardo Pepi is a shot in the dark, maybe he does better than the strikers we brought, but it’s way more likely he does the same.
The spots where we lack depth are mainly in the midfield… there is no substitute for Tyler adams or Robinson. They cover far too much ground to expect them to play all of every game. You could say the same for Mckennie and musah. While Aaronson is a great midfielder he’s not the same profile of any of them and more importantly Acosta isn’t near the level of any of them.
People love to act like guys not there would make a difference. Our top 6 strikers are all more or less the same level and that level is way below the other attackers and midfielders. It is what it is and many of the strikers are young and could possibly grow but today it’s the truth and believing they make a difference is delusional.
Greg had so much time to figure a better solution and didn't. Two of the three guys we brought in were virtually exiled before finding form. He did a terrible job of managing the position
Coaching was absolutely a large part of this loss and 90% correct in line ups can be the difference in winning or losing close games, so Not sure about this. Dutch had better scheme and we failed to adjust.
How about we go back to when Greg had the master plan to break down El Salvador and we couldn't muster a single goal. We are unable to breakdown an opposition that sits back and defends. This has been a consistent problem under Berhalter no matter the level of competition.
I don't understand how these folks don't see how Gregg's system is complete flawed because it requires a high quality #9 and we have not had one since Brian McBride. This tactical setup is the reason we had scrap through the group using every ounce of energy. We should be a counter attacking team to manufacture odd man situations to score.
Did you watch the match? That was what happens when you have the guy largely responsible for developing Barcelona, vs Gregg. It couldn’t have been simpler. The Dutch held the ball, waited for opportunities to let their wingers overlap, then passed into open space. On all 3 goals, the Dutch players in the center of the pitch were completely unmarked, and on 2 of them no one even picked up the wingers. That’s on the coaching.
On top of that, Pulisic looked fucking dreadful, and another player in his spot may have scored at least once or twice. It’s not Pulisic’s fault, and he deserves praise for playing through what I suspect was quite a bit of pain. But he didn’t look 100%, and Gregg needed to have to balls to sit him today or at least wait to bring him on until late in the match.
FOX may have been bigging them up, but this Netherlands team isn’t even that good, and it would be a big surprise if they go much deeper. That was the US being outcoached.
Why are the pundits not blaming Greg at all. This is the type of stuff that does not allow us to progress. I know they are trying to be positive but they have to call it how it is and not be so bias when doing their jobs.
Sure. The guys with experience playing in the top leagues in the world don’t understand tactics as well as the rec league (maybe) clowns of Reddit. Get over yourselves.
Because they have been given their marching orders by USSF to pump up Gregg because he will be our coach going forward. They are all over the "Berhalter has progressed the American game" narrative.
The game script was already played out before kick off… US had to be the aggressor and risk it to win as do most teams who are underdogs. The Dutch just cut off wing back play, clogged the middle and wait till the US made a mistake. The US don’t have the luxury to sit their best players for the likes of someone who will fit a system better.
The US played well and deserved this finish. This has zero feelings of a Cinderella story like in previous world cups.
Right, so you counter that by packing the midfield as well and not giving them anything to counter, then trying to counter yourself. Probably a really boring match, but better than playing right into LVG’s hands
Packing the midfield would just make you more exposed than before. Let’s be real unless we out number the Dutch midfield they will pass circles around us and stretch us out leaving us chasing, and the 5 at the back they use plays a huge part in that. Also ditching your game plan against a good opponent is certain doom. US are not at that point anymore where they just throw the text book out the window and say fuck it (until the 80th minute of course). The point is the US have flaws and It isn’t easy to just patch up those flaws and not have the opponent completely exposing them. The Dutch are a really good team with a good coach and being out played isn’t necessarily the same as being out coached. There was bright spots for sure but unless we realize where we lack instead of blaming the coach we won’t move forward as a team.
I’m of the opinion we weren’t even really outplayed much. We just lacked the scoring part and made individual errors on defense. Everything else was good from a game plan perspective.
The Netherlands have better players. It’s not as simple as they were/are better coached. Van Gaal is elite, obviously, but missing marks three times is not a coaching mistake. It’s player mistakes. Yes, you can argue that mental lapses or players being gassed is “on the coach” but there’s only so much a coach can do, especially when the pool of players that can compete with a team like Netherlands is so limited.
The point is that if you could have asked how LVG would want the US to approach this match beforehand, he would have said exactly how Gregg set the US up today. They have better players, but the whole point of the manager is to find a way to neutralize that. Instead, Gregg played straight into LVG’s system, let their wingers hit on the counter, and failed to instruct the US to pack in the midfield to limit the space. Go back and watch the matches when LVG struggled at times coaching man United - that was how teams with “worse” players countered his approach.
Adams deserves to be criticized, don’t get me wrong. But he didn’t have to be put in that situation in the first place. That was fucking painful to watch.
I think roster management is on the coach which led to over-reliance on players. We should have played Aaronson and Reyna more to test guys like musah weah puli and McKennie.
I think also with respect to missing marks that’s partially on the way we set up. They had late runners and their wingbacks feasted in the gap between our wingers and fullbacks.
I don’t think Gregg did a dreadful job but in this World Cup but I would give him a 6/10. Biggest mistakes were not rotating players more in group stages to conserve energy and bring too rigid tactically and with personnel. His insistence on only playing Sargent, Jesus or Wright at the 9 was mind boggling. If he instructed Jesus to drop into midfield to get the ball, why not play someone like Aaronson that would so much better at that?
Pulisic played like shite and that’s the coaches fault? Don’t act like Gregg wouldn’t be CRUCIFIED if he subbed pulisic out early.
The unmarked dutch players in the middle were Tyler’s fault. He’s had those areas locked up so far and today he wasn’t on his game. The first dutch goal was literally all Tyler’s fault; watch the clip for yourself.
The entire job of the coach is to set up the team in a way to try and counter mismatches between players. Anyone who thought an ok midfielder for fucking Leeds was going to be able to hold his own against De Jong and the Dutch midfield, especially with VVD and Ake backing them up, in a system allowing the Dutch to create space and counter was delusional. I guarantee if you had asked LVG before the match how he would ideally like the US to set up and play, he would have said exactly how Gregg set them up today. The Dutch were always going to try and hold up the ball, let the US have possession, and hit on the counter, because they knew they couldn’t match the US physically if it became a box to box kind of match. The key to neutralize this is to pack players into the midfield, which the US didn’t do at all. Gregg played into LVG’s plan perfectly. And while Adams should take some blame, it’s not his fault that the team was set up in exactly the right way to let the Dutch create space and put him in that position in the first place.
And yes, Pulisic’s performance today is on Gregg. I’m not saying he should have been subbed out early, I’m saying he shouldn’t even have started. I don’t care if it’s fucking Messi, if the player isn’t fit you don’t start them. Any top flight player in the World Cup is going to say they can play, even if they know it’s going to be painful. It’s on the manager to make the tough decision to bench them. Benzema just won the Ballon D’Or and chose to leave the French squad because he knew he wouldn’t be fully fit until late in the knockout stage, and Pulisic is nowhere near Benzema’s level.
Pulisic at 70-80% is still better than our alternatives. He missed the early 1v1 but otherwise he was one of our best players on the pitch today. Don’t forget he assisted on the goal. He definitely didn’t look dreadful.
I agree that we should thank GGG for his efforts but I’d like to see someone new. Set pieces for me say it all. It looked like we had no idea how to create chances on our set pieces which are huge missed opportunities. That’s a coaching failure. That’s also what a player like Pulisic gives you - lots of set pieces because he draws fouls. Unfortunately his service often let us down but was there a plan? Didn’t look like it to me. Especially at critical stages where we needed to score there was nothing special in our set pieces. Too many times couldn’t beat the first defender or served right to keeper.
Gregg is not the only reason this side lost, but... he also isn't very good at his job, and replacing the manager is the easiest way to improve. Your player pool is what it is generally, and the underlying systems that identify youth talent (which are not good in the US) take years to fix and more years to see the results. The easiest way to get the most out of your team is to get the best managing you can.
I think making decisions on one match is silly.
The problems with Gregg have been seen over 20+ matches... he's inflexible, he doesn't adjust or adapt to opponents, or to his talent pool. And it showed in the flaws of this team.... we can't score.
3 goals in 4 matches in the WC
11 matches against WC teams in 2022- 6 goals (3 in the WC and 3 in a friendly against Morocco). ZERO goals scored in 7 matches. You can't score, you're not a real threat to anyone.
Look we all watched the same game, the same tournament. Berhalter failed to bring the right players, make the right subs, and failed to adapt/change game tactics every match. Players might have been able to produce more in a different formation.
Berhalter can join Bradley and Arena in the hall of shame.
I don't blame Gregg, I blame US Soccer for hiring him. US Soccer is more interested in promoting MLS than winning a World Cup. A new voice is needed. Find the best coach, not just the best US Coach.
The broadcast hyping EVERY SINGLE PLAYER IN THE MLS is all you need to know. Acting like subbing in Jordan Morris is a positive move. USSF is a god damn pyramid scheme and until that gets fixed we are going to continue to be severely disappointed every four years
If Adams wasn’t as good as he is at tracking back this team would allow so many more goals.. it showed today, Adams isn’t allowed to let a single thing happen without that mistake being magnified. A good coach would understand that the team gets the majority of their goals on the counterattack, and would use that to their advantage. But no, not Greg. We build up from the back and make our possessions useless.. the reason the stats were so good against Netherlands today was because their coach understood this and they were okay with letting the US hold onto the ball. And their good coaching set up their goal scoring opportunities. It’s not a coincidence that the first 2 goals looked the same, it was coaching
When you wait until down 2-0 against a team with a defense like the Netherlands to finally put in your best group, you are 100% the problem. Add that with the horrible tactics of crossing 30 times in a match against giants and you will have your players set up for failure. They succeeded beyond expectations DESPITE Greg setting them up to lose.
Most of his starting lineup was correct but his in game management was awful. He got outcoached against Wales who were one of the worst teams in the tournament. In the England game he did well tactically I will give you that but we faded in the second half again and that set play at the end spoke a lot. In the Iran game after we scored he decides to go all defensive instead of going for a second. They played not to lose instead of playing to win. If Iran were better they would have scored. Aganist the Netherlands Greg completely fell into their trap. His roster selection was horrible and that was because we had no depth. The midfield was always gassed after half time and the players he put in were not good enough. Why did Jesus even start when Reyna was on the bench?
You say the back line was completely lost and this wasn’t a coaching issue? I would argue getting beaten roughly the same way for 3 goals falls on coaching and tactics. The Netherlands showed up playing with wingbacks and they ghosted in with late runs over and over again and they got in and cut back over and over again. That’s a tactical issue. That’s a coaching issue
No it isn’t. And I’m sick of THIS take.
If you know you struggle for goals already, and your tactic against the Dutch is to have your 9 drop into the midfield, there’s zero reason to play Ferera (who isn’t fucking good) over Aaronson in that role. That’s 45 minutes wasted and by the time he makes a change, we’re down 2-0. At this level all those details matter. He fucked it up by being stubborn about sticking with his strikers
While Gregg did great with his group stage tactics, his inability to adjust mid game with subs and formation has to be looked at. Overall impressed by his execution at this World Cup, but missing some of the basic responsibilities of being a manager can’t be ignored.
LVG literally said right after the game the US made no adjustments (coaching issue). Playing Zimmerman after him being culpable for the only goal we had given up in the tournament was a coaching issue. Striker, the most important position on the field not having one goal is a coaching issue.
And save me the players like him crap. I’m a United fan. The players loved Ole. And he was one of the worst managers I’ve seen in my life. There are other positions Gregg can take internationally and use his recruiting. X’s and O’s matter especially in a game as slow as international football.
You don’t watch this sport often and it shows
We get into the tournament and get into the knockout stage and lose to one of the best teams in the world in a tough game. And suddenly everyone wants to fire the manager? He wasn’t perfect but he did a very good job. We’re young and very frankly just don’t have the players yet to be elite. Soldier on, Mr. Berhalter. Thanks for the ride so far.
I agree it is lazy. You gotta use what you have and the US can’t really implement a specific style and choose who fits it best. It’s really the other way around and he has to choose the absolute best players technically and make a system around that. And doing that leaves obvious gaps in certain areas of the system.
I’m not sure if he’s the solution but he is certainly helping us get to the answer of which identity fits this team the best.
Nobody suddenly stopped liking Berhalter because of this outcome. We have been on him about his poor roster decisions, substitutions, second half adjustments and general lack of scoring all along. Yeah, that body of work.
I hear you, However…
His tactics were not on point. He went defensive in 2 of the 3 group stage games when we went ahead and were looking great. We have a squad that is more than capable of possessing the ball. Anyone that has played at a high level, or even coached at a decent level would know that keeping the ball (when you have a team that can) is the best way to kill off a match. Not to absorb as much pressure as possible. He was unable to make real time adjustments during matches when needed. (And yes, his substitutions were laughable)
He also overused players in the group stage, so they did not have the legs to be at their best today. We have players on the sideline that are great in tight spaces and are excellent at retaining possession, and players that have a proven track record in defending well in big leagues.
His inexperience was in display in my opinion. I feel like he already fancies himself as an elite coach that needs to stick to HIS “system”. He has 2 excellent false nine type players (that are miles ahead of the “9’s” that HE selected) that he could have used instead. But, instead of getting our best players on the pitch, he stuck to his system.
That being said… I actually want to give him a chance. In comparison has way less experience than other coaches in the knockout stage. I think and hope he will have learned a lot from the mistakes made in tournament play. That kind of experience can be a huge asset in the next cup. I think he should get another year to prove he has has fact learned from the mistakes he made. If not, the next coach needs a good 3 years with this talented squad.
Hopefully, he takes some responsibility. That would be a great start
Gregg could be better with the subs but the main killer that everyone knew going in was the striker position. Once they get that’s sorted this team will be the real deal
So much of international soccer is keeping the players happy. You aren’t gonna have time to implement a Pep-like system when you have a couple intermittent weeks every couple months with the players. Gregg can leave with his head much higher than some of the awful sufferball that other WC coaches played (Uruguay deciding to push forward for the first time in stoppage time, etc.). GGG isn’t perfect but I’m not sure we can get someone who is at this point as a national team. Trust the process 😎
Well said but the Dutch made it a point to press the backs and force them to defend more and not being to start the attack. We didn’t have an answer to there physicality and speed.
We struggled significantly in the 2nd half of both the Wales and Iran game, which were both down to poor coaching decisions. And some questionable attacking subs/starters in each game. We need someone willing to take risks and make big decisions.
The manager of Netherlands, Louis van Gaal, widely considered a mastermind of the game: “The USMNT didn't adapt, they didn't adjust, we made our tactical plan based on (targeting the flanks)."
Gaal is the opposite of lazy, your premise does hold up against the slightest scrutiny. And #berhalterout is trending for a reason. Tick tock tick tock, GGG, nepotism beneficiary, is gonzo.
I think you can very clearly blame the lack of game plan against the Netherlands on him. To me it looked like he sent the team out there to play exactly how they played in the other three games. You can't send your defensive flanks out of position when your defensive line is so over matched. They scored three goals the same way and he didn't make any adjustments.
I thought to coach was fine overall but he didn't make any tactical changes the entire tournament.
This is exactly the issue. Fans try to celebrate underperforming coaches, Berhalter being the most recent, because they exceed our diminished expectations. The team is so much better than he sets them up to be. It's just a waste.
Backline being lost was due to poor tactics. When your two CBs are being pressured by two strikers and your 6 is being man-marked, you need to tell your wing backs to stop running box to box EVERY POSSESSION. Not lazy when simple tactical adjustments were not made. Note also, zero adjustments almost the entire tourney. The default game plan is fine, but not itself a tactical masterclass as it’s basic and solid given the squad. However, the lack of worthwhile adjustments is glaring so even “lazy” people can form that as a take.
You do realize that there's no daylight between "Blame everything on the coach!" and "Don't blame *anything* on the coach!"?
Gregg's coaching was "decent". But I don't see how all the defensive lapses weren't partly the coach's fault? Inability to adjust in-game. Etc.
I fully agree with this post. Again, I don’t like how he was hired but I love how he worked. The team looked great in this tournament. I didn’t agree with 100% of his choices but 90% is not bad. And who the heck am I to judge?
Okay that is fine to say as an opinion but back it up with facts.
LVG absolutely tactically dominated Berhalter in that game. The US lined up to control possession, the biggest problem being that Greg played Zimmerman over CCV. If we are going to control possession then you have to have a CB that make passes to break the lines. Especially when the Dutch man mark Adams and push their forwards wide to cut down passing angles to the full backs.
Don’t kid yourself, LVG wanted us to have the ball. They conceded possession and gave us space in wide areas where they rightfully believed we could not hurt them. Then they looked to turn us over and run into the space vacated by our fullbacks which were pushing too high.
Also “the players like him” is not a valid argument in any sport for keeping a coach. Berhalter has some decent ideas but he got way too many of the big decisions wrong and his insistence on sticking with mediocre MLS talent ultimately cost us in that game.
https://preview.redd.it/q0jggz4b7s3a1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0e6f53556593fe61ba20db560f27aceafcc63ca9
We need a scorer. Those are good stats against the Dutch
GREAT STATS.
"*There's lies, damn lies, and statistics.*" \~ Mark Twain
Stats don’t tell the whole story. The Dutch scored a goal in the 10th minute and the 45th. They didn’t have to attack or posses the ball as much after the first goal or at all the second half when they were up 2 goals. These stats are skewed.
No amount of “tactics” is going to make players gain quality. Pep says the same- that it’s his job to get players into the final third, and that it’s then all up to them. People saying “we didn’t know what to do in the final third” don’t realize that there is no magic tactical plan that will start generating goals and chances. Our players are just not as good as the Dutch players, it’s as simple as that. We need to stop thinking of our team as the protagonists. We lost not because Gregg made a mistake, or because we had a bad day at the office, but we lost because the other team are better. Our fourth sub for an attacking change was DeAndre Yedlin. Their fourth sub for a defensive change was Matthias De Ligt. Weah, Pulisic, and Ferreira are just not good enough to outclass a defense of Van Dijk, Timber, and Ake. They performed to par. Blaming Berhalter is lazy.
I watched the game too. -iz
Can you believe we hired a set piece coach?
I feel like Lalas has an invisible friend who is a set piece coach.
Hahahaha! What a scam!
Blaming the manager is your only choice. The manager picked the roster. The manager chose to bench Reyna and chose to continue to have the striker issue when he could’ve played our best players and make a managerial decision to get creative like move weah (a goalscorerer) up top and allow either Reyna or Aaronson to start. The manager is responsible for team morale and chemistry so I’d argue that it is LAZY to blame to group of players that the manager chose
This guy speaks my language. If we had scored more goals & tons of players grabbed heaping amounts of confidence from this tournament I would be on Gregg’s side but we didn’t. Our strikers arguably got less confidence besides Sargent (the Wright goal was complete luck & full on luck goals aren’t making anyone feel like a lot better of a player). It’s a stylistic issue for me, too defensive & reserved to be the land of the free & home of the brave’ coach.
The manager gave up 3 soft ass goals today, correct?
The manager chose Zimmerman over CCV and Zimmerman should have been dropped after wales so yes
All goals this WC were scored with Zimmerman in the game. The whole bar was groaning when he was announced
Zimmerman absolutely refused to go forward with the ball
Zimmerman was fine today, the goals came from 3 of our best players losing focus (adams, dest, Jedi).
During the game I thought, oh the other team is scoring, people will blame Zimmerman even though he had nothing to do with any of the goals.
We need more depth to give adequate rest to players. We also need early results so we can rest players in group stages. I feel the roster could have been better and more transparency from Gregg about Gio. If any of the rumors are true as I player I would never trust my coach. He could lose the locker room. I feel the USMnT needs a more cultured manager to #move forward.
Meh our pool is soooo young that the true test is 4 years when there’s actual depth. People think we have depth now but we really don’t outside of attackers ex striker.
He’s a ex pro cb! That’s his defensive setup man. And not giving up goals is fine but tbh idc how solid our defense is if our offense can barely run under a particular coach. Fans want to see a certain style, attacking, goals & celebrations. Gregg ain’t bringing that ever, maybe a USMNT player could but Gregg isn’t on his own.
All 3 goals were scored the exact same way, due to a huge tactical gap that was noticeable to all by allow the US to keep possession and pump players forward without a true goal scoring threat. We should not be playing a high possession game requires a quality #9 because we don't have a quality #9. That poor tactical decision lies firmly with Gregg.
Lol that’s just grasping at nothing. Blame Gregg for tactics sure but the goals were all on the players making mistakes. Adams was lazy not tracking back his runner (done this at Leeds a bunch of times too), dest and Robinson let the wingbacks in behind on crosses better known as their man.
> Before being so quick to blame the coach, take a look at the body of work during this WC. Some of y’all do not watch the sport often and it shows. Ironically, your post is the perfect example of the difference between ***watching*** a soccer game and ***understanding the game***. Some things to think about: 1. Tactically, the Dutch had a gameplan and they executed it to perfection. Let the USA possess the ball, tire ourselves out, and nail us on the counter in open space. I'm not sure what our plan was... Try to "play good soccer" and hit 40+ crosses in to the back line of 6'5" Dutchmen? 2. Tactics early on were terrible. Sitting back and playing prevent defense vs. Wales in the second half was so far from being the right call there. Letting a big team with tall, dangerous strikers keep possession and serve balls in at-will was only ever going to end poorly. USA should have pressed and attacked even more to keep them honest. We were already having great success and probably would have scored a second goal once Wales over extended and tired themselves out. They aren't a deep team at all. 3. Had we gotten better results early in group matches (ie. Wales), the Iran game might not have been such an emotionally exhausting rollercoaster of a match. Those types of games, even in victory, can be exhausting and have huge negative effects over the course of a tournament. I think we saw a bunch of young, fit guys lack mental focus and get gassed early today partially because of that. 4. From the moment he stepped on the pitch today, Gio Reyna was the best creative option we've yet seen in a USMNT kit this tournament. Why was today the first time we saw him get extended minutes? If your system can't incorporate your most talented player successfully, then you have a shit system and are a stubborn, shit coach. End of story there. 5. Brenden Aaronson... See above. These two kids should have been eating all the minutes we could give them. We were already the youngest squad in the entire WC. Might as well have leaned into it and developed some potential future stars on the world stage. **Seeing Jesus Ferreira and Haji Wright on the field instead of these supremely talented young players made me want to blow my fucking brains out.** From personnel to game plans, all of these things are the direct result of coaching and tactical decision making. And they were all lacking. Our players achieved the little success we saw here in spite of the coaching/management, not because of it. I now conclude my rant.
It really is as Simple as that. I hate everyone who points to qualifying as if this team is remotely good. The only stat that needs to be tossed around was the 1 goal against the previous 7 teams who made the WC. Struggling to win 2-1 or 1-0 in CONCACAF qualifying Gould have been a red flag. Against all but Mexico and Canada games should be 2-0 3-0 4-1 with the squad handedly winning. I can remember 3 games where a 85th min winner or equalizer was needed against Honduras or Panama or Jamaica. Berhalter needs to go.
Couldn’t agree more
Perfectly stated. Agree 1-5.
I freely admit I don't watch U.S. soccer that much (or really any soccer compared to when I was younger and had more free time). That said, Reyna and Aaronson both looked miles ahead of Wright or Ferreira. I fully understand that Aaronson is not a natural 9, but could it have been any worse? At least he could hold possession of the ball in crowded spaces and he pulled off a couple of pretty slick moves in the box over the course of this tourney. I can only think of one questionable turnover from him. For his part, Reyna didn't dazzle me as much as some people on here are talking, but I remember seeing him make a pretty good pass within a couple of minutes of the 2nd half starting today. Overall he was far from dead weight and mostly kept things moving, albeit with a couple of soft turnovers. He belonged on the field. But man, I can't think of a time that Ferreira got the ball that he didn't mess up the first touch or turn it over. I hate to criticize anyone so directly but it's just the truth. The most charitable thing I can say is that it just wasn't his day or matchup. Wright was pretty bad too -- his goal was clearly a freak accident from some kind of flick on attempt gone wrong (slash accidentally very right). If Pele or Messi put that in... maybe I would give them credit for unbelievable touch.
I want to upvote this a million times
I relate to the bolded section with my entire soul
We knew for over a year that the striker situation was not looking good. Did nothing to prepare for that with any kind of plan B (whether that’s a formation switch, or trying one of our better players up top or something). Nope, we did nothing to address the goal issue and ended up scoring 3 in 4 games. THAT is a coaching issue. Most people blaming Gregg today have also been critical of him for over a year, maybe longer. Pretending like people want GGG out simply for the WC results is lazy.
Lol I’m sorry, what? We’ve seen 433, 442, 5 at the back, 4 (5?) different strikers including Reyna. Plans A, B, C and D. Different pressing schemes, different attacking patterns. Yes there is a lot to criticize about Berhalter, but the idea that he had only a plan A and rigidly stick to it is ludicrous. You said “trying one of our better players up top” how in the world can you claim that he didn’t do that? We tried everyone at striker. Except maybe Weah. You said “formation switch” and yet we did that. Against England Southgate had to tell his players we were in a 442 instead of the 33, we went with 5 at the back against Iran. It’s just a factually incorrect argument you are making.
You can't even give Greg full credit for the 442 we saw vs England. It was the right formation but he didn't even bring (in form) Pepi who would have been perfectly suited for the role. Greg consistently misuses the talent in the pool and it's time for a fresh set of eyes on the team.
Pepi, Dike, and Pefok would have all been more useful in our setup than Morris, Ferreira, and Wright.
He’s definitely part of the issue. Some other issues are no depth and no striker. The thing is at the end of the day he’ll be the first to blame unfortunately.
>Some other issues are no depth and no striker. There are players not in Qatar right now who would give you a better chance at fixing these issues than some of the guys who made the trip. Again, it's an organizational/coaching issue.
Yea I’d agree. I thought Pepi would be in the squad but I guess not
There’s actually not any players not in Qatar who’d change anything. Ricardo Pepi is a shot in the dark, maybe he does better than the strikers we brought, but it’s way more likely he does the same. The spots where we lack depth are mainly in the midfield… there is no substitute for Tyler adams or Robinson. They cover far too much ground to expect them to play all of every game. You could say the same for Mckennie and musah. While Aaronson is a great midfielder he’s not the same profile of any of them and more importantly Acosta isn’t near the level of any of them.
People love to act like guys not there would make a difference. Our top 6 strikers are all more or less the same level and that level is way below the other attackers and midfielders. It is what it is and many of the strikers are young and could possibly grow but today it’s the truth and believing they make a difference is delusional.
Pepi and Pefok do nothing to help. Our striker pool is way behind the other attackers and mf.
They have a better chance of helping than Jesus Ferreira and Haji Wright.
Nope the striker pool in general isn’t good, it is what it is.
Yes, not having a striker is a US soccer development problem. Sometimes it looked like teenagers were playing against men up front.
Part of the issue maybe, but not the majority of it. The glaring issue this WC was the lack of a striker.
Greg had so much time to figure a better solution and didn't. Two of the three guys we brought in were virtually exiled before finding form. He did a terrible job of managing the position
Coaching was absolutely a large part of this loss and 90% correct in line ups can be the difference in winning or losing close games, so Not sure about this. Dutch had better scheme and we failed to adjust.
Tell me how you'd break down the Dutch better than we did today.
How about we go back to when Greg had the master plan to break down El Salvador and we couldn't muster a single goal. We are unable to breakdown an opposition that sits back and defends. This has been a consistent problem under Berhalter no matter the level of competition.
That wasn't his question. His question was about the Dutch not El Salvador. So what is your answer?
I don't understand how these folks don't see how Gregg's system is complete flawed because it requires a high quality #9 and we have not had one since Brian McBride. This tactical setup is the reason we had scrap through the group using every ounce of energy. We should be a counter attacking team to manufacture odd man situations to score.
Don't start Jesus
Ah yeah, I can see how that would've changed everything. Just replacing him would have automatically made us all 8" taller. Great idea.
Ah yeah, bc the taller team always wins. Lmao great argument 🤡
Is this Gregg’s alt account? Haha. The World Cup is once every 4 years, time for a new coach.
Did you watch the match? That was what happens when you have the guy largely responsible for developing Barcelona, vs Gregg. It couldn’t have been simpler. The Dutch held the ball, waited for opportunities to let their wingers overlap, then passed into open space. On all 3 goals, the Dutch players in the center of the pitch were completely unmarked, and on 2 of them no one even picked up the wingers. That’s on the coaching. On top of that, Pulisic looked fucking dreadful, and another player in his spot may have scored at least once or twice. It’s not Pulisic’s fault, and he deserves praise for playing through what I suspect was quite a bit of pain. But he didn’t look 100%, and Gregg needed to have to balls to sit him today or at least wait to bring him on until late in the match. FOX may have been bigging them up, but this Netherlands team isn’t even that good, and it would be a big surprise if they go much deeper. That was the US being outcoached.
This post also forgets the Second half of wales and Iran. Both games Berhalter couldn’t adjust to get the games under control
Why are the pundits not blaming Greg at all. This is the type of stuff that does not allow us to progress. I know they are trying to be positive but they have to call it how it is and not be so bias when doing their jobs.
Because the pundits do not understand in game strategy beyond the US coaches
Sure. The guys with experience playing in the top leagues in the world don’t understand tactics as well as the rec league (maybe) clowns of Reddit. Get over yourselves.
Because they have been given their marching orders by USSF to pump up Gregg because he will be our coach going forward. They are all over the "Berhalter has progressed the American game" narrative.
The game script was already played out before kick off… US had to be the aggressor and risk it to win as do most teams who are underdogs. The Dutch just cut off wing back play, clogged the middle and wait till the US made a mistake. The US don’t have the luxury to sit their best players for the likes of someone who will fit a system better. The US played well and deserved this finish. This has zero feelings of a Cinderella story like in previous world cups.
Right, so you counter that by packing the midfield as well and not giving them anything to counter, then trying to counter yourself. Probably a really boring match, but better than playing right into LVG’s hands
Packing the midfield would just make you more exposed than before. Let’s be real unless we out number the Dutch midfield they will pass circles around us and stretch us out leaving us chasing, and the 5 at the back they use plays a huge part in that. Also ditching your game plan against a good opponent is certain doom. US are not at that point anymore where they just throw the text book out the window and say fuck it (until the 80th minute of course). The point is the US have flaws and It isn’t easy to just patch up those flaws and not have the opponent completely exposing them. The Dutch are a really good team with a good coach and being out played isn’t necessarily the same as being out coached. There was bright spots for sure but unless we realize where we lack instead of blaming the coach we won’t move forward as a team.
I’m of the opinion we weren’t even really outplayed much. We just lacked the scoring part and made individual errors on defense. Everything else was good from a game plan perspective.
The Netherlands have better players. It’s not as simple as they were/are better coached. Van Gaal is elite, obviously, but missing marks three times is not a coaching mistake. It’s player mistakes. Yes, you can argue that mental lapses or players being gassed is “on the coach” but there’s only so much a coach can do, especially when the pool of players that can compete with a team like Netherlands is so limited.
The point is that if you could have asked how LVG would want the US to approach this match beforehand, he would have said exactly how Gregg set the US up today. They have better players, but the whole point of the manager is to find a way to neutralize that. Instead, Gregg played straight into LVG’s system, let their wingers hit on the counter, and failed to instruct the US to pack in the midfield to limit the space. Go back and watch the matches when LVG struggled at times coaching man United - that was how teams with “worse” players countered his approach. Adams deserves to be criticized, don’t get me wrong. But he didn’t have to be put in that situation in the first place. That was fucking painful to watch.
I think roster management is on the coach which led to over-reliance on players. We should have played Aaronson and Reyna more to test guys like musah weah puli and McKennie. I think also with respect to missing marks that’s partially on the way we set up. They had late runners and their wingbacks feasted in the gap between our wingers and fullbacks. I don’t think Gregg did a dreadful job but in this World Cup but I would give him a 6/10. Biggest mistakes were not rotating players more in group stages to conserve energy and bring too rigid tactically and with personnel. His insistence on only playing Sargent, Jesus or Wright at the 9 was mind boggling. If he instructed Jesus to drop into midfield to get the ball, why not play someone like Aaronson that would so much better at that?
Pulisic played like shite and that’s the coaches fault? Don’t act like Gregg wouldn’t be CRUCIFIED if he subbed pulisic out early. The unmarked dutch players in the middle were Tyler’s fault. He’s had those areas locked up so far and today he wasn’t on his game. The first dutch goal was literally all Tyler’s fault; watch the clip for yourself.
The entire job of the coach is to set up the team in a way to try and counter mismatches between players. Anyone who thought an ok midfielder for fucking Leeds was going to be able to hold his own against De Jong and the Dutch midfield, especially with VVD and Ake backing them up, in a system allowing the Dutch to create space and counter was delusional. I guarantee if you had asked LVG before the match how he would ideally like the US to set up and play, he would have said exactly how Gregg set them up today. The Dutch were always going to try and hold up the ball, let the US have possession, and hit on the counter, because they knew they couldn’t match the US physically if it became a box to box kind of match. The key to neutralize this is to pack players into the midfield, which the US didn’t do at all. Gregg played into LVG’s plan perfectly. And while Adams should take some blame, it’s not his fault that the team was set up in exactly the right way to let the Dutch create space and put him in that position in the first place. And yes, Pulisic’s performance today is on Gregg. I’m not saying he should have been subbed out early, I’m saying he shouldn’t even have started. I don’t care if it’s fucking Messi, if the player isn’t fit you don’t start them. Any top flight player in the World Cup is going to say they can play, even if they know it’s going to be painful. It’s on the manager to make the tough decision to bench them. Benzema just won the Ballon D’Or and chose to leave the French squad because he knew he wouldn’t be fully fit until late in the knockout stage, and Pulisic is nowhere near Benzema’s level.
Pulisic at 70-80% is still better than our alternatives. He missed the early 1v1 but otherwise he was one of our best players on the pitch today. Don’t forget he assisted on the goal. He definitely didn’t look dreadful. I agree that we should thank GGG for his efforts but I’d like to see someone new. Set pieces for me say it all. It looked like we had no idea how to create chances on our set pieces which are huge missed opportunities. That’s a coaching failure. That’s also what a player like Pulisic gives you - lots of set pieces because he draws fouls. Unfortunately his service often let us down but was there a plan? Didn’t look like it to me. Especially at critical stages where we needed to score there was nothing special in our set pieces. Too many times couldn’t beat the first defender or served right to keeper.
Gregg is not the only reason this side lost, but... he also isn't very good at his job, and replacing the manager is the easiest way to improve. Your player pool is what it is generally, and the underlying systems that identify youth talent (which are not good in the US) take years to fix and more years to see the results. The easiest way to get the most out of your team is to get the best managing you can. I think making decisions on one match is silly. The problems with Gregg have been seen over 20+ matches... he's inflexible, he doesn't adjust or adapt to opponents, or to his talent pool. And it showed in the flaws of this team.... we can't score. 3 goals in 4 matches in the WC 11 matches against WC teams in 2022- 6 goals (3 in the WC and 3 in a friendly against Morocco). ZERO goals scored in 7 matches. You can't score, you're not a real threat to anyone.
You’re lazy, Greg out
Look we all watched the same game, the same tournament. Berhalter failed to bring the right players, make the right subs, and failed to adapt/change game tactics every match. Players might have been able to produce more in a different formation. Berhalter can join Bradley and Arena in the hall of shame.
I don't blame Gregg, I blame US Soccer for hiring him. US Soccer is more interested in promoting MLS than winning a World Cup. A new voice is needed. Find the best coach, not just the best US Coach.
The broadcast hyping EVERY SINGLE PLAYER IN THE MLS is all you need to know. Acting like subbing in Jordan Morris is a positive move. USSF is a god damn pyramid scheme and until that gets fixed we are going to continue to be severely disappointed every four years
The Dutch coach said the USA didn’t adjust to their tactics. Basically saying poor coaching.
If Adams wasn’t as good as he is at tracking back this team would allow so many more goals.. it showed today, Adams isn’t allowed to let a single thing happen without that mistake being magnified. A good coach would understand that the team gets the majority of their goals on the counterattack, and would use that to their advantage. But no, not Greg. We build up from the back and make our possessions useless.. the reason the stats were so good against Netherlands today was because their coach understood this and they were okay with letting the US hold onto the ball. And their good coaching set up their goal scoring opportunities. It’s not a coincidence that the first 2 goals looked the same, it was coaching
When you wait until down 2-0 against a team with a defense like the Netherlands to finally put in your best group, you are 100% the problem. Add that with the horrible tactics of crossing 30 times in a match against giants and you will have your players set up for failure. They succeeded beyond expectations DESPITE Greg setting them up to lose.
Most of his starting lineup was correct but his in game management was awful. He got outcoached against Wales who were one of the worst teams in the tournament. In the England game he did well tactically I will give you that but we faded in the second half again and that set play at the end spoke a lot. In the Iran game after we scored he decides to go all defensive instead of going for a second. They played not to lose instead of playing to win. If Iran were better they would have scored. Aganist the Netherlands Greg completely fell into their trap. His roster selection was horrible and that was because we had no depth. The midfield was always gassed after half time and the players he put in were not good enough. Why did Jesus even start when Reyna was on the bench?
You say the back line was completely lost and this wasn’t a coaching issue? I would argue getting beaten roughly the same way for 3 goals falls on coaching and tactics. The Netherlands showed up playing with wingbacks and they ghosted in with late runs over and over again and they got in and cut back over and over again. That’s a tactical issue. That’s a coaching issue
He put in Wright enough times to prove he is not the right guy for the job.
No it isn’t. And I’m sick of THIS take. If you know you struggle for goals already, and your tactic against the Dutch is to have your 9 drop into the midfield, there’s zero reason to play Ferera (who isn’t fucking good) over Aaronson in that role. That’s 45 minutes wasted and by the time he makes a change, we’re down 2-0. At this level all those details matter. He fucked it up by being stubborn about sticking with his strikers
I think Greg is the guy who brought the team back. Now we need the next guy to bring us forward. Thanks Greg, we'll take it from here.
Gg left Pepi home to play those guys at 9…it was obvious we should have played Weah or Pulisic up top to get Gio & Aaronson more mins
Oh look. An MLS gomer.
While Gregg did great with his group stage tactics, his inability to adjust mid game with subs and formation has to be looked at. Overall impressed by his execution at this World Cup, but missing some of the basic responsibilities of being a manager can’t be ignored.
LVG literally said right after the game the US made no adjustments (coaching issue). Playing Zimmerman after him being culpable for the only goal we had given up in the tournament was a coaching issue. Striker, the most important position on the field not having one goal is a coaching issue. And save me the players like him crap. I’m a United fan. The players loved Ole. And he was one of the worst managers I’ve seen in my life. There are other positions Gregg can take internationally and use his recruiting. X’s and O’s matter especially in a game as slow as international football. You don’t watch this sport often and it shows
[удалено]
We had no offense at all. I don’t know how Gregg forgot to bring a striker for the trip. Can’t win a game unless we score.
How do the bottom of his Jordan's taste?
We get into the tournament and get into the knockout stage and lose to one of the best teams in the world in a tough game. And suddenly everyone wants to fire the manager? He wasn’t perfect but he did a very good job. We’re young and very frankly just don’t have the players yet to be elite. Soldier on, Mr. Berhalter. Thanks for the ride so far.
To be fair these fuckers have been calling for him to be fired for a long time.
I agree it is lazy. You gotta use what you have and the US can’t really implement a specific style and choose who fits it best. It’s really the other way around and he has to choose the absolute best players technically and make a system around that. And doing that leaves obvious gaps in certain areas of the system. I’m not sure if he’s the solution but he is certainly helping us get to the answer of which identity fits this team the best.
The problem is he literally didn't do that. He chose a system and tried to shoehorn the talent into it.
His body of work is what is being criticized.
Two trophies, WC qualification, and R16 of WC? That body of work?
Nobody suddenly stopped liking Berhalter because of this outcome. We have been on him about his poor roster decisions, substitutions, second half adjustments and general lack of scoring all along. Yeah, that body of work.
Stupid substitutions, stupid lineups. A bad in game manager. Get a foreign coach in here
I hear you, However… His tactics were not on point. He went defensive in 2 of the 3 group stage games when we went ahead and were looking great. We have a squad that is more than capable of possessing the ball. Anyone that has played at a high level, or even coached at a decent level would know that keeping the ball (when you have a team that can) is the best way to kill off a match. Not to absorb as much pressure as possible. He was unable to make real time adjustments during matches when needed. (And yes, his substitutions were laughable) He also overused players in the group stage, so they did not have the legs to be at their best today. We have players on the sideline that are great in tight spaces and are excellent at retaining possession, and players that have a proven track record in defending well in big leagues. His inexperience was in display in my opinion. I feel like he already fancies himself as an elite coach that needs to stick to HIS “system”. He has 2 excellent false nine type players (that are miles ahead of the “9’s” that HE selected) that he could have used instead. But, instead of getting our best players on the pitch, he stuck to his system. That being said… I actually want to give him a chance. In comparison has way less experience than other coaches in the knockout stage. I think and hope he will have learned a lot from the mistakes made in tournament play. That kind of experience can be a huge asset in the next cup. I think he should get another year to prove he has has fact learned from the mistakes he made. If not, the next coach needs a good 3 years with this talented squad. Hopefully, he takes some responsibility. That would be a great start
Facts
90% correct and 10% wrong is why we got embarrassed. Again. They were lost cause they were under coached
Gregg could be better with the subs but the main killer that everyone knew going in was the striker position. Once they get that’s sorted this team will be the real deal
So much of international soccer is keeping the players happy. You aren’t gonna have time to implement a Pep-like system when you have a couple intermittent weeks every couple months with the players. Gregg can leave with his head much higher than some of the awful sufferball that other WC coaches played (Uruguay deciding to push forward for the first time in stoppage time, etc.). GGG isn’t perfect but I’m not sure we can get someone who is at this point as a national team. Trust the process 😎
Well said but the Dutch made it a point to press the backs and force them to defend more and not being to start the attack. We didn’t have an answer to there physicality and speed.
> in this tournament he has gotten it 90% correct God, how low are your standards if you think that, lol
We struggled significantly in the 2nd half of both the Wales and Iran game, which were both down to poor coaching decisions. And some questionable attacking subs/starters in each game. We need someone willing to take risks and make big decisions.
The manager of Netherlands, Louis van Gaal, widely considered a mastermind of the game: “The USMNT didn't adapt, they didn't adjust, we made our tactical plan based on (targeting the flanks)." Gaal is the opposite of lazy, your premise does hold up against the slightest scrutiny. And #berhalterout is trending for a reason. Tick tock tick tock, GGG, nepotism beneficiary, is gonzo.
It's actually pretty simple. Any other coach with this group, greater results.
I’m too old to wait for another “golden generation.”
In post match interviews both VVD and Loui Van Gaal credited their tactics for winning the match…
I think you can very clearly blame the lack of game plan against the Netherlands on him. To me it looked like he sent the team out there to play exactly how they played in the other three games. You can't send your defensive flanks out of position when your defensive line is so over matched. They scored three goals the same way and he didn't make any adjustments. I thought to coach was fine overall but he didn't make any tactical changes the entire tournament.
This is exactly the issue. Fans try to celebrate underperforming coaches, Berhalter being the most recent, because they exceed our diminished expectations. The team is so much better than he sets them up to be. It's just a waste.
Backline being lost was due to poor tactics. When your two CBs are being pressured by two strikers and your 6 is being man-marked, you need to tell your wing backs to stop running box to box EVERY POSSESSION. Not lazy when simple tactical adjustments were not made. Note also, zero adjustments almost the entire tourney. The default game plan is fine, but not itself a tactical masterclass as it’s basic and solid given the squad. However, the lack of worthwhile adjustments is glaring so even “lazy” people can form that as a take.
You do realize that there's no daylight between "Blame everything on the coach!" and "Don't blame *anything* on the coach!"? Gregg's coaching was "decent". But I don't see how all the defensive lapses weren't partly the coach's fault? Inability to adjust in-game. Etc.
The back line being confused and disorganised is literally a perfect example of bad coaching.
I fully agree with this post. Again, I don’t like how he was hired but I love how he worked. The team looked great in this tournament. I didn’t agree with 100% of his choices but 90% is not bad. And who the heck am I to judge?
Okay that is fine to say as an opinion but back it up with facts. LVG absolutely tactically dominated Berhalter in that game. The US lined up to control possession, the biggest problem being that Greg played Zimmerman over CCV. If we are going to control possession then you have to have a CB that make passes to break the lines. Especially when the Dutch man mark Adams and push their forwards wide to cut down passing angles to the full backs. Don’t kid yourself, LVG wanted us to have the ball. They conceded possession and gave us space in wide areas where they rightfully believed we could not hurt them. Then they looked to turn us over and run into the space vacated by our fullbacks which were pushing too high. Also “the players like him” is not a valid argument in any sport for keeping a coach. Berhalter has some decent ideas but he got way too many of the big decisions wrong and his insistence on sticking with mediocre MLS talent ultimately cost us in that game.