Thoughts on the game? I thought there were a lot of positives.
- The center of midfield was great. We dominated possession for long stretches. We won the ball back quickly. We had good passing sequences. All three center mids showed more individual ability than I'm used to seeing from that position group, and all three guys played their roles very well.
- Best passing from our center backs in ages. Maybe ever.
- Dest probably played the best game I've seen from one of our outside backs in a friendly. Very involved going forward, most of his skillful plays were well done and served a purpose. No notable mistakes defensively.
- We built out of the back better than in the past. I don't think this should be our strategy for every situation in every game, but having Brooks, Miazga, and Dest in the lineup not to mention 3 center mids who were all good at relieving pressure makes that strategy seem much more viable.
- We pressed more effectively in the past. In the last Gold Cup, we couldn't press effectively even against Curacao... or build out of the back against Curacao for that matter. Not the case yesterday.
- Obviously it was just a friendly, but I thought that McKennie, Adams, Dest, Brooks, and Miazga all looked probably the best they've looked in a US shirt.
- Reyna was a little quiet but he also had a few exceptional plays. People who hadn't seen him play before were probably blown away by a few of his better moments. But he's had some even better performances for Dortmund. It was awesome seeing him out there for the US. He's obviously a key player for us already.
- We obviously lacked a little bit of bite in the final third. Not a shock with Pulisic out of the lineup and no real forward in the lineup. I though Lletget played his role pretty well in the first half and was involved in some good buildup play, but it was noticeable that we didn't have a true #9 out there. No one should be shocked by the lack of goals from a team without Pulisic, Sargent, Altidore, Morris, Zardes, etc.
- Konrad was probably the least impressive starter, but he had some promising moments. I wasn't disappointed with his play, but I would've loved it if he had looked like a guy that just needs a chance to get on the field at Barcelona for him to turn some heads. He doesn't look like that, yet. He had some good moments, though.
- Of the subs, I thought that Cardoso and Uly both looked good in the tiny bit that they played. None of the other subs had much of a chance to do anything notable.
It's easy to see this team growing into a really, really good team. We gotta get Pulisic healthy long term and it would be great if someone who's too young to be on most people's radar right now develops into a great striker. And it would be so huge if we can keep Musah. I cannot wait to see these guys in action again on Monday and in some games that count in 2021.
- The center of midfield was great. We dominated possession for long stretches. We won the ball back quickly. We had good passing sequences. All three center mids showed more individual ability than I'm used to seeing from that position group, and all three guys played their roles very well.
- Best passing from our center backs in ages. Maybe ever.
- Dest probably played the best game I've seen from one of our outside backs in a friendly. Very involved going forward, most of his skillful plays were well done and served a purpose. No notable mistakes defensively.
- We built out of the back better than in the past. I don't think this should be our strategy for every situation in every game, but having Brooks, Miazga, and Dest in the lineup not to mention 3 center mids who were all good at relieving pressure makes that strategy seem much more viable.
- We pressed more effectively in the past. In the last Gold Cup, we couldn't press effectively even against Curacao... or build out of the back against Curacao for that matter. Not the case yesterday.
- Obviously it was just a friendly, but I thought that McKennie, Adams, Dest, Brooks, and Miazga all looked probably the best they've looked in a US shirt.
- Adams, for whatever reason, looked quicker more confident on the ball than some of the times I've seen his games with Leipzig.
- McKennie and Dest looked like they have improved a ton since the last time they put on a US shirt, which should come as a surprise to no one.
- I think it's easier to appreciate Brooks and Miazga's great passing when they're surrounded by guys who can keep possession this well.
- Reyna was a little quiet but he also had a few exceptional plays. People who hadn't seen him play before were probably blown away by a few of his better moments. But he's had some even better performances for Dortmund. It was awesome seeing him out there for the US. He's obviously a key player for us already.
- We obviously lacked a little bit of bite in the final third. Not a shock with Pulisic out of the lineup and no real forward in the lineup. I though Lletget played his role pretty well in the first half and was involved in some good buildup play, but it was noticeable that we didn't have a true #9 out there. No one should be shocked by the lack of goals from a team without Pulisic, Sargent, Altidore, Morris, Zardes, etc.
- Konrad was probably the least impressive starter, but he had some promising moments. I wasn't disappointed with his play, but I would've loved it if he had looked like a guy that just needs a chance to get on the field at Barcelona for him to turn some heads. He doesn't look like that, yet. He had some good moments, though.
- Of the subs, I thought that Cardoso and Uly both looked good in the tiny bit that they played. None of the other subs had much of a chance to do anything notable.
It's easy to see this team growing into a really, really good team. We gotta get Pulisic healthy long term and it would be great if someone who's too young to be on most people's radar right now develops into a great striker. And it would be so huge if we can keep Musah. I cannot wait to see these guys in action again on Monday and in some games that count in 2021.
