1st Minute: Germany look to get the first attack underway. Bertelmann centers it to Klose. He takes a couple touches and tries to play in Aengenheyster. Edgar Castillo sticks out a leg and deflects it into the box!! It’s a foot race between the German striker, Fritzsch and the U.S. keeper who is rushes out off his goal line! Fritzsch sticks out a toe as Guzan stretches out! And the ball slides past the keeper and into the back of the net!! 23 seconds in and we have our first goal. 1-0 Germany.
4th Minute: Germany inbound the ball from right next to the corner flag. They work the ball to Klose at the top of the box. He send it back to the right. A quick pass finds Schwickert who filled Klose’s spot. He has a go from about 25 yards out! It’s tipped over the bar by a driving Brad Guzan for a corner.
4th Minute: The ensuring corner is played to Fritzsch on the edge of the box. He slips it into Birnbacher with his back to net. He turns and hits it! It’s wide left. Disappointing.
9th Minute: Germany set up for another corner kick and again it's played to Fritzsch at the edge of the box. He makes a run toward the end line and puts in a low, hard cross to the near post. Gadinger hit it first time! What a save by Guzan. He’s able to deflect the ball into the post. It’s not cleared yet...
9th Minute: ...The rebound falls to Fritzsch who hits it first time from a very tight angle. But it flashes across the face of goal and out for a goal kicks. It’s been all Germany early on.
14th Minute: Matt Belser plays a long ball over the top aimed toward Pulisic in the box. It’s won in the air by the German defender. The clearance loops to Timmy Chandler on the edge of the area who heads right to Pulisic who brings it down and puts in a cross to Nagbe at the far post. Nagbe heads to over the German keeper and in!! What a goal for the U.S. totally against the run of play. 1-1.
19th Minute: The U.S. seems to have gained some confidence after that goal. Emerson Hyndman lines up a free kick from deep. It over hit, but Matt Belser is able to cross it first time before it bounces out for a goal kick. The cross finds John Brooks at the far post!! But he headers it over. Big miss for the U.S.
27th Minute: Schwickert plays a short pass to Klose who turns and plays another pass to Bertelmann on the edge of the box. He plays it to Schwickert who hits it sweety form roughly 30 yards out! And Guzan is forced into a brilliant diving save!
30th Minute: Germany set up for yet another corner. And again it’s played to Fritzsch at the edge of the box. Bobby Wood is quick to close him down a wins a tackle. The ball rolls to Frenz who puts in a cross. It’s won by Bertelmann who head it down and Guzan it there again! Besler is quick to smack it out of danger.
33rd Minute: Germany has a great spell of possession going. The ball eventually is played out to left to Bertelmann who puts in a cross to the far post. Aengenheyster wins it! But, it’s right at Guzan. Germany could be up three or four goals if it wasn’t for the former Aston Villa keeper.
35th Minute: Fritzsch makes a long run with the ball at his feet and eventually plays it to Bertelmann on the left. He puts in a looping cross and it’s won by Aengenheyster! This time he’s able find the back of the net. Should Guzan have saved it? He did get his hand to it. Either way Germany deserves the lead. 2-1 German.
HALFTIME
47th Minutes: Besler plays a long ball over the top to Wood. With no support, he dribbles it out wide. He feels the pressure of the right back, Gerlspeck coming to close him down. Wood turns as Gerlspeck dives in. Oh my that was nasty. The German defender wipes out Wood with a slide tackle from behind. The ref sprints over and flashes a red card! Could this be a lifeline for the US. All they need is one goal and they win the group!
50th Minutes: Pulisic makes a long darting run down the right. He plays in a cross to near post toward Wood who is ahead of his defender! He hit it first time!! It deflects off the keeper and out for a corner.
70th Minutes: Pulisic brings the ball into the German half and plays the ball to Wood making a run down the right. He takes a touch and puts in a brilliant cross to the far post. Nagbe is unmarked! He tried to smash it!! And its wide. Wastleful.
84th Minutes: Frenz lines up for a free from deep. Appel wins it with his head on the edge of the box. It falls to Schwickert who hits it first time! It flashes just wide of the post! Guzman was left standing there on his heels.
86th Minutes: Danny Williams is in possession just inside the German half. He plays it to Bradley who plays it way out to the right for Arriola to run onto. The DC United winger centers it back to Bradley who lays it off to Williams. He smashes it toward goal from about 25 yards out and it sails over. Could that be it?
FULL TIME: It’s all over! Germany dominated the first half and could’ve easily been up three or four. An early red card in the second half gave the Americans some hope, but couldn’t capitalize. Germany win the group and the U.S. finish runners up.
Pulisic was subbed off in the match against Germany because of an injury and it now seems we will be without our star winger for the rest of the tournament. Darlington Nagbe has been a standout player for us coming off the bench, so it won't be too much of a let off. However, the Portland Timbers winger has solely played on the left side for his club. Nagbe is a natural left winger, but does have the ability to play on the right where has has played a few times for us on the international level. Let's hope the squad can cope well without the young Dortmund winger.
I would very much consider this a winnable match. We played Croatia and beat them in a warm up game just a few months ago on their home soil. They did dominate possession, but we played on the counter attack and in paid off in that match. If we are compact and remain organized like we did then, I don’t see why we can’t do the same in our upcoming one. We are without Pulisic in this one, but Darlington Nagbe has been one of our best players off the bench and has plenty of experience. He started in the match against Germany to give Fabian Johnson a rest and bagged our only goal. He’s loves to play as a inside forward and is a treat in front of goal. He is great with the goal at his feet and shows great pace as well. I don’t think we lose all that much by replacing the Liberian-born winger with Pulisic.
We will have to do our best to close down Ivan Rakitic whenever he has the ball. He picked up two man of the match awards in Croatia’s three group stage matches to go with his two goals and two assists. Croatia scored three goals in each one of their group stage wins and are flying high at the moment. Their attack comes from all over as, of their nine goals, no player scored more than two. Look for them to lineup in a 4-2-3-1 with Mario Mandzukic up front, Rakitic in the number 10 role, Ivan Perisic to the left, and Marko Pjaca to the right.
There are some exciting matches lined up for us. The one that really stands out is Argentina against Spain. Both are among the favorites to win the tournament. Lionel Messi has never won this tournament and is up against a very strong Spanish side who are loaded with talent and experience. This could be the last chance for the likes of Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, and Juan Mata to win one last World Cup.
Two European giants in the shape of France and Italy will also be matched up. France has only lifted the trophy once in their history and that was 20 years ago. Italy on the other hand have won four, which is one shy of Brazil who have the most all time.
This could also be Cristiano Ronaldo's last World Cup. His side will be up against a young Belgium team who are one of the favorites to win the tournament. His country did the impossible and won Euro 2016 just two years ago. Can he carry his side one last time?
Second Round View attachment 60669View attachment 60670 1st Minutes: The Round of 16 between the U.S. and Croatia is underway. The U.S. haven’t made it past this stage since 2002.
2nd Minute: Rakitic brings it into the U.S. half. He gives it up to Perisic who makes a sideway run and find Mandzukic on the edge of the box. The Juve man takes a touch and has a shot! It's right at Guzan who saves it. We have our first shot of the match.
8th Minute: Rakitic intercepts a pass in the center circle. He starts the attacks for Croatia and see Perisic on the left. The Inter Milan winger cuts inside and skips past Chandler. He has a shot! But it goes wide. Warning sides for the American’s.
12th Minute: Edgar Castillo lines up a free kick from the left. He decides to center it to Bradley. Bradley takes a touch and finds Altidore in the box. He takes a touch and has a go! It’s a goal!! Just like that the U.S. takes the lead! No one saw that coming. 1-0 U.S.
16th Minute: Modric lines up a free kick from the left corner of the box. He puts it in and Perisic wins a header which is guided to the far post. Mitrovic is there!! The Club Brugge loanee somehow puts it wide. How did he miss that!?
23rd Minute: Chandler inbounds it to Bradley who turn and finds Cameron on the edge of the box. He centers it to Johnson who quickly feeds McKennie. He sees Altidore in the box. Altidore lets the it run in front of him and has a shot!! It'***** right at Subasic who tips it over the bar. What a chance.
25th Minute: The U.S. have a corner which is headed clear by Vrsaljko. Modric picks it up on the edge of the box and Croatia are on the counter. The Madrid midfielder finds Pjaca who makes a long run down the right. He cuts in and enters the box. Pjaca puts in a low cross and Mandzukic is there to tap it home!! The U.S. were slow to get back and were punished. 1-1.
29th Minute: Vrsaljko has the ball after a throw in. He feeds Pjaca making a run on the edge of the box. He collects and dishes it to Kovacic in the middle who hits it first time! It deflects off Omar Gonzalez and into the net!! Tough break for the United States. 2-1 Croatia.
HALFTIME
47th Minute: Rakitic picks up a clearance by Chandler at the top of the box and lays it off to Kovacic. He quickly feeds Perisic inside the box and has a shot from a tight angle! Guzan is able to smother it. Croatia look to set the tone early in the second 45.
54th Minute: Mandzukic has the ball in the middle just outside the box. He decides to pass it back to Vida. The left back finds a cutting Perisic making a run into the box from the left. He’s through and has a shot! But it only finds the side of the net.
76th Minute: Vida receives a pass from Rakitic inside the center circles. He plays a long ball over the top to Mandzukic out on the left. He gathers and puts in a cross which finds his striking partner, Kalinic, who hits it harmlessly to Guzan.
82nd Minute: Vida brings it into the U.S. half and passes it up to Kalinic. He turns and plays a ball to Rakitic into the box. It’s slightly overhit and Rakitic is led just wide of the goal. He has a shot anyway! But, it sails wide. Chance wasted.
84th Minute: Gonzalez heads a pass to Hyndman who loses out right away just inside the Croatia half from a slide tackle by Modric. The Madrid man quickly gets up and plays it to Kalinic. He brings it into the box and has a shot, but its too close to Guzan.
90th Minute: The U.S. are running out of time as they lineup for a corner. Arriola sends it in. It’s headed out by Mandzukic, but only to Hyndman who hits it first time from 25 yards out. It’s high and wide. That sums up their day.
FULL-TIME: Croatia win 2-1. They had the majority of the chances and deserved it.
The second round had plenty of excitement. Diego Costa ended Leo Messi's chance of winning a World Cup in extra time. Spain were in control of the match and deserved to move on. France's pace could not match the strength of Italy. Belotti found his striking partner Immobile twice to send France packing. The Ivory Coast were the biggest surprise of the round. Brazil dominated the match, but were poor in the final third. The Liverpool forward, Firmino put his side up early, but the veteran winger, Gervinho, scored an absolute goalaso to level the scoring. Neymar was forced off through injury and Marcelo received his second yellow in the 68th minute. Jean Seri had the chance to end the match with a 90th minute penalty kick, but it was saved right before the final whistle.
It’s good to see the Football Association was pleased with our performance, as I felt the same way. We were the better team against Algeria and Wales in our opening two group stage matches. We lost Pulisic in the match against Germany which was disappointing. He was very active down the right and recorded two assists in three matches. Our defense was our weak point outside of DeAndre Yedlin. He had a strong season with Newcastle United and his success in the Premier League translated well in Russia. At 25-years old he’s entering his prime and he is the present and future at right back. I was also pleasantly surprised by Jozy Altidore’s performance. The U.S. really hasn’t had a star striker for quite some time. Altidore made his senior debut in 2007 and in the eleven years he’s been with the national team, he’s recorded 118 caps. He’s only 28-years old and has never reached, what many believe, his true potential. I ever considered bringing in Clint Dempsey over the Toronto FC striker, but decided against it. He ended up starting in two of our World Cup matches and came in as a sub in the other two. Altidore bagged two goals and recorded a 7.20 rating.
Now we have to look to the future. Did we see the last of our star captain, Michael Bradley? He’s now 30-years old. How about top keeper’s Brad Guzan and Tim Howard? They are 33 and 39-years old respectively.
His is a massive award for any American. Pulisic was brilliant for us on the right wing throughout the tournament. The Dortmund youngster collected two assist to go with his number of treating crosses. His talent was sorely missed in our final two matches against European giants, Germany and Croatia. Also on the right side of the pitch was right back, DeAndre Yedlin. He has electric pace and is also a major threat with his forward runs. Those two will play a major part toward our success in the future.
With the 2018 World Cup a thing of the past we now long ahead to the 2022 World Cup cycle. It’s time to replace the players who are now at the back end of their prime and look to some new, younger talent who will help us succeed in the coming years. As the coach it’ll be tough to decide who I want to replace. For example, Michael Bradley is 31-years old and it’s hard to picture him being a useful player in four year, but he still is this nations captain and a key player for his club team. His time may not be over yet. How about Brad Guzan? He’ll be 37-years old when the next World Cup comes around, but is still a leader in net for Atlanta FC. However, Ethan Horvath deserves a chance on the international level. He’s listed as a “key player” for Club Brugge and helped crown them Belgium Cup Champions last season and a runners-up in the Belgium Pro League two seasons ago. Finally, Edgar Castillo is another interesting case. He was the starter during the 2018 World Cup for us and continues to be a top quality left back in Mexico. But, he’s 30 now and left back has always been a position of weakness. It could be time to replace him with a younger talent who could help us long term. Looking ahead, we do have some quality youngsters who we can look to in the future. One being the aforementioned Ethan Horvath. Aside from him, we have Weston McKennie and Christian Pulisic who were apart of the World Cup squad. Here is a look at five others who are 21-years old or younger… View attachment 58063
Erik Palmer-Brown - Age 21 - Center Back The Ohio native left home at the age of 12 to join the Sporting Kansas City academy where it didn’t take long for him to prove himself. He made his first-team debut at 17 years-old and Juventus came in with a bid for the youngster which was rejected. Two years ago he was loaned out to Porto where he made 17 appearances for their B team before returning home. After his contract expired with Sporting KC in January 2018, he signed a contract with Premier League side Manchester City where he is now. The Sky Blues loaned him out this season back to the MLS and he currently plays for FC Dallas. Injuries have derailed his season as he’s only managed five starts this year. With eight games left in the MLS season lets hope he can stay healthy and prove himself before heading back to England.
Cameron Carter-Vickers - Age 20 - Center Back Another center back on the verge of cracking into the first team is Cameron Carter-Vickers. He was born in England to an American father, therefore Carter-Vickers can represent both the United States or his native England. He has represented the U.S. at the U20 level and seems set the wear the U.S. badge going forward, however. CCV joined the Spurs Academy at age of 11 and has worked his way all the up to the senior team. During the 2016/17 season the center back started two League Cup matches, two FA Cup matches, and was on the bench for a handful of Premier League matches, but never made an appearance. Last season CCV was loaned out to Championship side Sheffield Wednesday where he started all 46 league matches. Again this season it seems Tottenham are set to loan him out as Nottingham Forest and Leeds have “major interest” in the player.
Jack Harrison - Age 21 - Winger Like Carter-Vickers, Harrison was born in England, however, unlike CCV the left-footed winger moved to the United States at the age of 14. After being named the Gatorade National Player of the Year his senior year of high school, he played one year in college at Wake Forest where he was tied with a team high eight goals and led his school with 11 assists. His success as a freshman in college led him to becoming the first pick overall in the 2016 MLS draft by the Chicago Fire. The very next day he was traded to New York City FC where he’s spent the last three seasons.
Tyler Adams - Age 19 - Center Midfielder/Full Back A native New Yorker, Adams joined the NY Red Bulls academy at the age of 10 and has made his way up from their U13 team to the senior team where he plays now. Less than a month after turning 16 he was called up to the Red Bulls reserve team where he played in 11 matches. Three and a half months later he signed a professional contract with the senior team and joined the club on their 2016 preseason tour. He made one appearance with the senior team before spending the rest of the season with the reserves. He broke out in 2017 making 10 starts with the Red Bulls scoring two goals that campaign. Adams was also named to the U.S. preliminary World Cup roster earlier this year. The 19-year old can play as a central midfielder and full back positions.
Timothy Tillman - Age 19 - Winger The third duel national to make this list, Tillman can represent both Germany and the U.S. on the international level. Tillman, who was born and raised in Germany, has played for Germany all the way up to the U19 level, but has not cracked into the senior team. The U.S. continues to invite him to play for the stars and stripes, but Tillman continues to hold out in hopes to play for his native country. The winger was sold to Bundesliga giants, Bayern Munich in 2015 and has been playing in their reserves ever since. There are rumors linking him with a move to the MLS this transfer window. We’ll see what happens.
We’re gearing up for our first two friendlies since the World Cup. The U.S. called in mostly young and fringe players for these upcoming matches. This could be the beginning of the Ethan Horvath era, as there is no Tim Howard or Brad Guzan on the roster. I’ve talked plenty about Horvath in the past and at 23-years old and with experience in both the Champions League and Europa League, there is a lot of hype surrounding him. Behind him the backup job is wide open. This time around we see an experienced Bill Hamid and a much younger Zack Steffen. Hamid, now 27-years old, spent six and a half years as the DC United number one, winning the MLS Keeper of the Year award in 2015, before making the switch to Midtjylland in January 2018. He’s started this season as the Dutch Superliga side’s number one keeper and has started all seven Europa League matches recording six clean sheets thus far. Hoping to making his senior team debut is 23-year old Zack Steffen. More on him in a bit.
I think we have some exciting youngsters in the middle of the defense. Veteran John Brooks gets the call after a solid display in the 2018 World Cup. It’s crazy to think he’s play in two World Cups and he’s just 25 years old! The three other center back brought in have a combined 5 caps. 23-year old Matt Miazga, who was on the World Cup prelim. roster has four of those five caps. He’s been a highly rated prospect for many years now. He left high school after his freshman year to join the New York Red Bulls academy and worked his way up from their U14 team all the way up to the senior team. After one year as a starter he was sold to Chelsea of the Premier League in January 2016. He made two Premier League starts during the 2015/16 season before being loaned out to Vitesse for three seasons. He was sold to Feyenoord of the Eredivisie just three days ago and is listed as a rotation player. Next is MLS veteran, Walker Zimmerman. He was drafted 7th overall in the 2013 MLS Superdraft by FC Dallas and now has 153 caps in six season for his club. He has one U.S. cap which came in January 2017. Finally, 20-year old Cameron Carter-Vickers gets his first call to the senior team. He is eligible for both the U.S. and his native England.
At full-back DeAndre Yedlin looks to add to his 56 cap total. Fringe player, Greg Garza gets called in for the second time since 2015. He’s a pacy left back with strong mentals and deserves a chance at a position of weakness. Kellyn Acosta is labeled as a defender, but can play both full back positions and as a midfielder. He’s just 23-years old, but already as 168 caps with FC Dallas and 15 for the U.S. senior team. He’s no doubt one of the most promising young American talents. Another player called in looking to make his senior team debut is Keegan Rosenberry. The 24-year old was drafted 4th overall in the 2016 MLS Superdraft by the Philadelphia Union and has been their starting left back ever since.
In the middle of the pitch we call in five midfielders. Weston McKennie, Emerson Hyndman, and Danny Williams were on the World Cup roster and all now play for different club teams. 20-year old McKennie made 14 appearance, eight off the bench, for Schalke last season and was loaned out to Hertha Berlin this year to get first team minutes. Good to see him remain in the Bundesliga. 22-year old Hyndman made 11 appearances for Bournemouth last year was sold to Ligue 1 side, Rennes, where he is listed as a first teamer. Finally, Danny Williams joined newly promoted Huddersfield Town last year on a free transfer and started in 36 Premier League matches. However, after they were relegated he was sold to Marseille in France. Also called in is German born, Alfredo Morales. He has 13 caps for the U.S. national team, all coming under Jorgen Klinnsman. The 28-year old is set to start his sixth season with 2. Bundesliga side Ingolstadt. In those six years he did get regular minutes in the two years they were in the first division. Finally, Matt Polster is another player looking to record his first senior team cap. The 7th overall pick in the 2015 MLS Superdraft has been a regular starter for the Chicago Fire at both right back and as a defensive center mid.
On this wings we have Christian Pulisic and Paul Arriola returning from the World Cup. The other two called in are hoping to record their first cap. Jack Harrison has been on the radar for a little while now. The English born Jack Harrison has been rumored to be called up for some time now as he is also eligible to play for England. The most exciting player called in is Juan Pablo Torres. He is only 19-years old, but did make 16 starts for Lokeren in the Belgium Pro League last year and has four starts in the early going this year.
Up front we see Bobby Wood returning from the World Cup. Behind him is Jordan Morris and Andrew Wooten. Morris has been a very exciting prospect for many years. He made seven appearance for the U.S. before he was even playing professional football. He left college and signed with the Seattle Sounders in January 2016. Since that time he’s made 94 appearance scoring 35 goals for his club. Calling in Andrew Wooten may raise the most question marks. The German born, 28-year old has one previous U.S. cap, but is a goal scoring machine at club level. This season is his fifth year with Sandhausen in the second division in Germany and he’s scored 19 goals in 32 matches last season and has four in three this season.
There are six players called in for these two friendlies against England and New Zealand who could potentially make their senior team debut for their national team. Call it a coincidence or whatever you’d like, but two of those six could record their first cap against the nation in which they call home. New York City FC winger, Jack Harrison, was born in Stoke, England and Tottenham youngster, Cameron Carter-Vickers, was born in Southend, England. Here is a preview of the six players looking to step onto the pitch for the first time in a U.S. uniform. View attachment 56621 View attachment 56620
Zack Steffen - 23 y.o. - Columbus Crew - Keeper
The Coatesville, Pennsylvania native grew up playing youth soccer for FC Delco, an affiliate of the Philadelphia Union and even spend time with their academy team before he signed his letter of intent with the University of Maryland. He started every minute during his first year and led his team to the NCAA Championship game which they lost. He started every minute again his Sophomore year and lead his team to a Big Ten Championship title. He recorded 17 clean sheets during those two seasons. After two years at Maryland he left school early to join German side, SC Frieburg’s academy team. Before he left for Germany he started for the U.S. U20 World Cup team where he started all five matches and recorded three clean sheets before they were knocked out by Serbia on penalties. He left for Germany in 2014, but struggled and returned stateside and signed with the Columbus Crew in 2016. In 2017 he broke out, starting 24 matches in the MLS and recorded 10 clean sheets. He hasn’t been able to repeat his success this season, but he still remains one of the top young American keepers.
Cameron Carter-Vickers - 20 y.o. - Tottenham - Center Back
Born in England, Carter-Vickers can represent either the U.S. or England. His father was a standout college basketball player who spent two seasons in the NBA before heading to Europe where he met Cameron’s mother. Cameron’s father would return to the United States after his career ended and Cameron would spend a lot of time in the U.S. when he could. He joined Tottenham at the age of 11 and has been there ever since. On the international level Carter-Vickers has represented the U.S. at the U18, U20, and U23 levels. He make his debut with the U23 team at 16-years old. He started three of five matches for the U20 team during the 2017 World Cup in New Zealand. At club level, he made his first team debut for Tottenham in 2016 in a League Club match. Last season Carter-Vickers was loaned out to Championship side Sheffield Wednesday where he started 46 league matches. This year he has started the year with the U23 team and is currently loan listed.
Keegan Rosenberry - 24 y.o. - Philadelphia Union - Right Back
Rosenberry does not have the hype surrounding his name like Steffen and Carter-Vickers do, however he’s had success at every level. Born in Pennsylvania, Rosenberry help lead his high team win the state championship during his senior year. After high school, he attended Georgetown University were he made 90 appearance in four years. Those years were the most successful in the universities history. In 2012, Rosenberry’s freshman year, Georgetown won their first and only NCAA College Cup. As a junior he helped Georgetown reach the NCAA quarterfinals for the second time ever. In his senior year, Georgetown won their first and only Conference Championship. After his success in college, Rosenberry was the third overall pick in the MLS Superdraft in 2016. During his rookie season he started all 34 MLS matches and was second in Rookie of the Year voting. Last year he started 31 of 34 matches and recorded six assists, three goals, and a 7.13 rating. He’s had another strong season this year earning himself a call up to the national team. Believe it or not, Rosenberry has not represented the U.S. at any level.
Matt Posler - 25 y.o. - Chicago Fire - Right Back/Defensive Midfielder
Another guy with not a lot of hype tied to his name is Milwaukee, Wisconsin native, Matt Polser. He played division 2 soccer in college, and was a standout, being named to the NSCAA All-American team his season year. During his college career, he started 79 matches scoring six goals and registering 12 assists. The following year he was drafted 7th overall in the 2015 MLS Superdraft by the Chicago Fire. During his rookie season he started in 27 matches and was a nominee for the Rookie of the Year. In four years with the club, he’s made 115 appearances. On the international level, he’s made 11 caps for the U23 team and was apart the team which failed to qualify for the 2016 Olympics.
Jack Harrison - 21 y.o. - New York City FC - Right Winger
Harrison has really flown under the radar from a U.S. soccer standpoint. He was born in England and didn’t move to the United States until he was 14-years old. Before moving to the states he trained with both Liverpool and Manchester United’s youth teams where he played alongside Marcus Rashford. After moving to America he started his college career with Wake Forest University where he scored eight goals in 22 matches during the one season he played. After a breakout year in college he was the first pick in the 2016 MLS Superdraft. He missed the start of his rookie season because of an injury, but that didn’t slow him down as he was runner-up to fellow USMNT player Jordan Morris in the Rookie of the Year voting. He had a strong 2017 season as well and was named the Player of the Month in October of last year. He doesn’t have any international experience up to this point, but that could change very soon.
Juan Pablo Torres - 19 y.o. - Lokeren - Left Winger
Born in Georgia to Colombian parents, Torres has represented the U.S. at the U14, U15, U18, and U20 levels. He played his youth football with Georgia United and has trailed with the likes of Sevilla and Schalke in the past. On his 18th birthday he signed his first professional contract with Belgium Pro League A side, Lokeren. It didn’t take long for him to fit in. Last season, his first with the club, he made 16 appearance, scoring two goals and recorded three assists. During this very young season, Torres has made 4 appearances recording one assist and boasts a 7.32 rating.
This one was all England. But, if in fairness they did run out a very strong side against our inexperienced U.S. side. They dominated possession early and were awarded with a goal just two minutes in. Walker Zimmerman cleared a corner kick to the top of the box. Henderson won the second ball and played a little one-two with Harry Kane before blasting it toward goal. It looked to be going well wide, but the shot deflected off of DeAndre Yedlin and passed a hopeless Ethan Horvath. From there it was pretty back and forth, however, the U.S. could get nothing going in their final third. Their only chance came off a Yedlin cross which Jordan Morris won in the box. It was deflected to Pulisic at the far post, however, Morris’s header took all the pace off the ball and Pulisic’s header was weak and Hart had no problem gathering it. Kane was the only threat going forward for England. Before his first goal he did have one other opportunity to put the home side up two, but his shot was right at Horvath. His first half goal was poor from a U.S. standpoint. It started with a Dele Alli cross which Kane hit off the bar. Kane beat Zimmerman to the rebound, but the Spurs striker hit it right off Horvath’s leg. Again Kane was able to control the rebound and this time knock it home. You have to ask questions of Zimmerman there. Kane completed his hat trick in the second half. Poor closing down by Greg Garza led to Kane’s second and a nice near post run passed Matt Miazga lead to number three. Miazga needs to be more alert in those situations. There were some bright spots for the U.S. Emerson Hyndman showed some signs of his talent completing 94% of his passes. With Bradley at the back end of his career it’s encouraging to see the Rennes center midfielder step up. Also, Harrison hit the bar once and forced Hart into a great save. Torres showed his pace and the counter, as he made a great run down the left, but his finish was poor. Good to see our two young wingers make an impact late off the bench.
After the England game I was hoping we’d bounce back with a strong performance against New Zealand, however, we just didn’t get anything going. Our leader at the back, John Brooks, was poor and gave the ball away too many times. Andrew Wooten, who I wanted to give a chance up front, offered nothing in the final third. Weston McKennie had five shots in the first half, all from distance, all well over the bar. We had our chances, but settled for poor shots. We had 10 in the first half, none on net. Just two of the 10 shots were from inside the box. The New Zealand goal was poor on our end. Alfredo Morales won possession just outside our box and cleared it down field. The New Zealand left back won it with his chest on the halfway line and played a simple long ball over the top. Carter-Vickers was caught up field and Brooks couldn’t slide over in time. Hamid did get a hand to it, but it wasn't strong enough.
RECAP: Looking at the positives from these two matches, I thought our new comers played well for the most part. Keeper Zack Steffen was the only one of the six without a cap leading up to these friendlies who didn’t play. At the back, Carter-Vickers didn’t have his best outing in his debut against New Zealand. He was caught way up field and was at fault for the only goal of that match. Harrison and Torres played well in their brief stinks. Torres had a few nice runs with the ball, but has a lot of work to do on his finishing. His pace is very exciting. Harrison was active in the final third and got two great chances to score. Wooten, who has been great in the second division in Germany, showed me nothing. He was poor in the air and non exist in the final third. Both Hyndman and Morales played well in the midfield which is very encouraging. I also thought Keegan Rosenberry played well at right back, but he’s stuck behind DeAndre Yedlin and Timmy Chandler on the depth chart for now. Now we wait a month before we face Austria and Egypt.
This time the U.S. bring in a more experienced side compared to what we saw last time out. Horvath and Hamid return in net and William Yarbrough replaces youngster, Zack Steffen. Yarbrough does have three cap for the U.S., two coming in 2015 and the other in 2016. I did call in the Leon man in 2017, but he never made it onto the pitch. The Mexican born keeper has spent the last seven seasons playing first division football in his native country, this being his sixth year as the first choice keeper. He has helped lead his side to two Liga MX Championships and made his senior team debut for the U.S. against Switzerland on March 15, 2015. He is very much a strong candidate to be our second choice keeper behind Horvath moving forward. In defense we see Brooks, Miazga, Yedlin, and Acosta return from our two matches last month and Villafana, Chandler, and Gonzalez return for the first time since the World Cup. In the middle of the park we see McKennie, Hyndman, and Williams return from our last two friendlies as well. Our leader, Michael Bradley, is back and Mix Diskerud gets his first call since I’ve taken over as manager. The Norwegian born attacking midfielder made is national team debut back in 2010 and was on the 2014 World Cup roster, but has not progressed as a player like many has hoped. On the wings and up front we see the same seven who were apart of the 2018 World Cup team. View attachment 56359
Timothy Tillman is a young, talent prospect who American fans have been talking about for a while now. It’s been no secret the U.S. have reached out to him on several occasions, yet he still holds onto his dream of representing Germany on the international level. He’s played for the German U16, U17, and U18 team and currently holds a contact with Germany giants, Bayern Munich. Last season he made his first two appearance in cup matches for Bayern, but is yet to play in the Bundesliga. He was loaned out to Karlsruhe in August where Tillman will play this season. They are a 2. Bundesliga side who were just promoted at the end of last season. The left winger has made six starts so far this season and we can only hope he continues to get first team minutes and he will give up hope in playing for his native country.
This time around we only have one players looking to record his first cap. We have just four matches before the end of the calendar year and as we look to find new talent to replace the veterans we look at a young center back this time around. Last month it was Cameron Carter-Vickers who had the opportunity. Carter-Vickers did hold his own out on the pitch, but showed he still has a lot of work to do if he wants to be considered a regular.
Erik Palmer-Brown - 21 y.o. - FC Dallas (Loan) - Center Back
Palmer-Brown made our top 5 list of players 21-years or older. He joined Manchester City this past January and was loaned out to FC Dallas this season. He has spent the majority of the year dealing with injuries, but that hasn’t slowed him down. The 6’1” center back is in the same boat as Carter-Vickers. They are exciting young prospects who are getting regular minutes, but are still growing as players. This will be his first chance to show the nation what he can do on the international level. With Matt Besler and Tim Ream both in their 30’s we do need someone to step up to replace them.
This was a pretty boring match. Both keepers were forced into only one tough save each. In fairness, the Austrian keeper did make one world class save. No player really stood out in this match. Everyone played well, but no one really stood out. Our best chance came from a nice little diagonal ball from Diskerud behind the midfield to Weston McKennie who hit it sweetly from about 20 yards out. The keeper tipped it just wide of the post. The home side’s best chance came from a corner, which was redirected toward the far post. It looked to be looping in, but Yarbrough was about to make a nice diving catch.
That was a very strange match. I was forced to take off Arriola in the first half through injury. Three minutes after replacing the DC United winger, Pulisic went down through injury leaving me with four subs left. I used those remaining four substitutions at halftime because I had an agreement with those players club teams to take them off after 45 minutes. Just 11 minutes into the second half, Yedlin was forced off though injury as well. We were forced to play with 10 men for the remainder of the match. Was that poor management on my part? Maybe. The four I took off at halftime were MLS players who play for clubs preparing for the playoffs and this was just a friendly several months away from any international tournament. Regardless I thought the team played well. Palmer-Brown made his debut and played well. He was great in the air at the back which is very encouraging to see from the youngster. He does need to work on his composure as some of his passes from the back were poor. Yedlin was his typical self busting a gut to get forward and he put in a ton of crosses down the right side. The difference in this match came off the left foot of Fabian Johnson. It started with a Nabge cross to the far post and Johnson hit it sweetly on the volley into the top corner of the near post.
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