Massive win for the U.S.! The stats may show we were outplayed, but we did dominate the first half as we had roughly 50% of the possession and six shots, three on target, compare to El Tri's one shot which sailed well over the bar. Both teams turned it up in the second half. Mexico took over the match in the final 20 minutes, but it was the U.S. who scored the winner through Bobby Wood against the run of play. Kenny Saief was credited with the assist, as he was the man who put in a perfectly placed cross between the two center backs, which Wood redirected into the side netting just out of the reach of the keeper. Mexico did have their chances right before the goal. Horvath made one class, diving save on a free kick. Carlos Vela missed a great chance on a counter attack, but his shot wide of the net. The U.S. is off to the finals!!
A second half red card cost Honduras as we face our neighbors to the north in the finals. Former Burnley midfielder, Scott Arfield scored the winner.
We got our first trophy! The match was a lot closer than most would have thought. We did make six changes from the Mexico match. Kellyn Acosta was brought in and struggled. Looking at the positives, Efrain Alvarez was handed his first start and recorded his first international assist. The goal came on the counter attack. He picked up the ball in his own half, dribbled into the to the attacking third and put in a cross to an unmark Weston McKennie who finished with his first touch. It was all USA up to that point. Canada answered just four minutes later (FM goal for sure). It started with a poor clearance by Jorge Villafana who had plenty of space to control it, but instead headed it to Osorio on the right winger. The winger put in a cross which hit Tyler Adams on the back and it fell perfectly to Cyle Larin and the Besiktas striker placed it in the right corner from about ten yards out. Nothing Ethan Horvath could do. Canada had a few good chance to take the lead before the first half whistle, but Horvath was on his game. We came out in the final 45 much better and we were rewarded with our second. Our star man, Christian Pulisic, put in a low cross to Bobby Wood who directed it home with his right peg. That's his seventh goal in his last eight international matches.
We are off to a great start to the year! The U.S. were able to hold off their bitter rivals, Mexico to reach the finals of the CONCACAF Nations League and then beat Canada to lift the trophy. Bobby Wood has been in flying form for the U.S. and as Aron Johannsson struggles in a U.S. shirt, its clear at this point Wood is the first choice striker for his home nation. In net there has been a bit of a competition between Ethan Horvath and Zack Steffen. Both were called in this month, but Steffen had to withdraw through injury. Horvath won the Man of the Match in the Finals, which makes him the front runner to be the keeper going forward.
In other news, 17-year old Efrain Alvarez could be on his way to the red half of Manchester his summer. This would obviously be a signing for the future, but European experience for the youngster would be great for his future.
Up next is the 2020 Copa America in June and the U23 team gets together for the Olympics. Stay tuned!
View attachment 13732 Two friendlies have been announced for June. It's going to be a busy June and July with these two matches, the B team taking part in the Copa America, and then the U23 team playing in the Olympics. To save time the assistant coach will be in charge in South American for the Copa America tournament. Their goal should be to not get run off the pitch by Brazil and Uruguay and maybe get a point against Mexico? Well see what happens.
Dave Sarachan has announced a very youthful team that he will be bringing with him to Brazil in June. This is interesting as the U23 team has two friendlies during the same time to prep for the Olympics in July and a good chuck of the players on this roster will be in Japan. That does allow for tbuc to call in some fringe youth players to face Morocco and Honduras in those two matches on June 11th and 15th.
May 2020 Update
The month of May was all about getting really for a busy June which will see the senior team get together for two matches, the B Team take part in the Copa America, and finally the U23 team play in two Olympic tune up matches. Here is a look at what's to come in June and July:
Senior Team: View attachment 13726 These two matches were announced last month and are games we should be winning. There isn't anything at stake as far as results, but the World Cup qualifiers start this years, so I'm sure the players will want to make a good impression on their manager. DeAndre Yedlin, who missed out in March through an injury, is back in training and should be available. Outside of him, the only other player who could miss these matches is Julian Green.
I think it's safe to assume that these will be the only three matches the U.S. will be playing in. I'm interested to see who Sarachan elects to run out in these matches as there are a few youngsters on the roster that still have a shot at making the U.S. senior by 2022. Guys like Jonathan Amon and Timothy Weah have already played for the national team. This is also the first time we'll be seeing Reggie Cannon in a U.S. shirt since 2018.
U23 Team: View attachment 13719
The players you see called in for the friendlies in June will be a little different from what's we'll see in July. Guys like Amon and Weah will surely be in Japan. Brady Scott will likely be the starting keeper at the Olympics as well. Keaton Parks, who has broken into the first team at Benfica, could play his way into the team as well.
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No surprises here. Fringe center back, Tim Parker, gets a call for the first time since October of last year, however the last time he saw the pitch was last March. In the middle we see the return of Emerson Hyndman who will be looking for a move away from Premier League side, Bournemouth, where he just isn't getting any minutes. The youngster Efrain Alvarez is becoming a regular as this is his three straight call in. He recorded his first assist in a U.S. shirt the last time the team go together. Jozy Altidore is also back in the team as is Aron Johannsson, who can't seen to duplicate his club success in a national team shirt.
Most of the exciting prospects are with the B team which will take part in the Copa America tournament this month. Although, there are still a few guys with some promise who will play in these two friendlies. Carlos dos Santos has been getting minutes in the Benfica youth setup. He's still only 19 and is still very much growing as a player. At the back Auston Trusty has a very strong chance of making the World Cup roster and George Bello, just 18, has drawn interest from some top European clubs. Up front Josh Sargent has 12 caps and six goals with the senior team. He will play a big part for this U23 team in the Olympics next month.
View attachment 13501 I think it's far to say we were unlucky in this one. We dominated the first half and our goal via a incredible solo effect by Pulisic. He showed why he's labeled a world class player in this match. We hit the bar five, yes five times. A few inches in the other direction we could've score seven goals. Michael Bradley showed why he's still the captain of his country. He scored a brilliant free kick goal from about 25 yards out. Aron Johannsson yet again put in a poor performance in front of goal. Has tbuc seen enough of the Icelandic-American?
View attachment 13500 One way traffic in this one. Oddly enough after the three goals in the first half, it seemed Honduras decided to sit back and just absorb all the pressure. It seemed like all the highlights in the second half were of the U.S. in possession making sideways passes before their shot was blocked. All the excitement came in the first 45. John Brooks capped off his 50th U.S. appearance with a goal from a set piece. He's always a major threat with his head in the final third. Efrain Alvarez become the third American to score his first U.S. senior team goal before his 18th birthday. His teammate on the pitch, Christian Pulisic remains the youngest, while Alvarez missed becoming the second youngest by four days. Regardless, even at 17-years old, he's been showing he deserves to play at this level. He's played in five matches, three of which he's played enough minutes to earn a rating and those number have been 6.7, 6.8, and he earned a 7.9 today. After Antonee Robinson struggled against Morocco, Jorge Villafana started today and picked up two assists from his left back position. Bill Hamid became the first keeper not named Ethan Horvath or Zack Steffen to play in a match under tbuc. Could he be the front runner to be the third choice keeper? Tim Parker also played well in this one. His stock could be on the rise as the center back spot behind Brooks is still pretty open.
View attachment 13498 The U.S. pick up two wins in their two matches. Josh Sargent scored three. Josh Emmanuel played well at right back. He will be competing with Reggie Cannon for a spot on next months roster. Marco Farfan was given a chance and struggled. It's safe to assume George Bello and Antonee Robinson will make the Olympic squad.
View attachment 13496 The U.S. failed to make it out of the group stage, but there were no expectations going in. We lost 1-0 to Mexico, 1-0 to Uruguay, and the finale 2-1 to Brazil. I would actually say that a -3 goal differential is very impressive. The Schalke striker, currently on loan in the German second division, Haji Wright, bagged the only U.S. goal of the tournament. Credit also must go to the keeper, Brady Scott, who played well very in net scoring a 6.8, 7.0, and a 7.2 respectively in the three matches. He surely will be the starting keeper at the Olympics.
View attachment 13495 The U23 team has been announced. And with only 18 spots available, not only was talent evaluated, but versatility was key. Each nation was allowed to name three players over the age of 23 as well. tbuc took advantage by calling in Jordan Morris who is a natural striker that has the ability to play on the left. Also, in the middle of the pitch we see Kellyn Acosta who can play at either fullback position as well as an emergency center back.
Quickly looking at the roster, we see the youngster Brady Scott and JT Marcinkowski called in as the two keepers. Scott followed up a successful loan stint in the third division of Germany with an impressive display at the Copa America tournament. Marcinkowski has been a backup for MLS side, San Jose, for the past three seasons managing just eight appearance.
At the back we see senior team regulars Tyler Adams and Antonee Robinson. Where Adams will play is a big question. With just 16 outfield players on the roster he may be needed in the midfield. Also on the roster is 18-year old right back George Bello who established himself as a starter for MLS side, Vancouver last year. Josh Emmanuel will be the starting right back if Adams is needed elsewhere. The English-born full back spent two seasons as a starter on loan in League One for Rotherham and then Shrewsbury before breaking onto the first team at his parent club, Ipswich, in the Championship this past season. After a successful first season in the English second division, he is being linked with a move to Premier League side Wolverhampton.
In the middle of the defense we see a familiar name in the shape of Cameron Carter-Vickers. He just finished his third season on loan in the Championship away from his parent club, Tottenham. With just one year left on his contact a permeant move away from London could be in the cards as Bundesliga side, Hoffenheim have major interest in the center back. Justen Glad and Auston Trusty also made the team. Glad is in his third season as an MLS starter and is following up a strong 2019 season (7.06 rating) with impressing 2020 display (6.89). Will he start over Trusty is the question. Trusty just finished his first of a two year loan deal away from Borussia Dortmund. He established himself as a starter at 2. Bundesliga side Erzgebirge Aue from the go managing 29 starts in the middle of the defense managing a 6.85 rating.
The team will run out in a 4-2-3-1 formation which mean we'll see two center middlers in the starting lineup. One with be senior team regular Kellyn Acosta and Weston McKennie the other. Tyler Adams is another option as is Gianluca Busio. Acosta is coming off a disappointing club season. He joined Ligue 1 side Saint-Etienne on January 1st and only managed eight starts (6.32 rating) while missing a month through injury. He's still listed as a first team player, so he should still get his chance to impress. Adams is another who left the MLS in January. He went to Belgium side Club Brugge where he started 15 matches totaling a 7.19 rating. Like Acosta, Weston McKennie had a rough 2019/20 season. He only managed seven Bundesliga starts (eight appearances off the bench) with Schalke. Even with a tough year he will start and be vital for this team. Busio, who just turned 18 a month ago which allowed him to joined Liverpool last month. He has a ton of promise and will be the backup to the equally as young, Efrain Alvarez.
Further up the pitch we will see Christian Pulisic starting on the right and Jonathan Amon on the left. Pulisic has been nothing but brilliant. He just finished up his sixth season with Dormund and averaged a 7.28 rating in the Bundesliga, scoring ten goals and added five assists to his name. In eight Champions League matches, the right winger managed a 7.22 rating scoring three and assisting on two as well. The backups will be Timmy Weah on the right and Jordan Morris on the left. Weah is still stuck in the PSG ranks, He did manage 18 appearance with the reserve team and averaged a 7.62 rating. Morris, who is a fringe senior team player has managed 17 MLS appearance (14 starts) for New England scoring six times so far this season.
Lastly, the striker will be Josh Sargent. He has six senior team goals in 12 appearances for the U.S. and scored three goals in the two tune up games for this U23 team last month. This season at club level he was loaned out to Bundesliga side, Union Berlin where he scored two goals in nine appearances.
View attachment 13410 Well... It was very much a bad day at the office. We had the first five shots of the match with two very good chances. Unfortunately, a Josh Sargent header and Weston McKennie blast were hit right at the keeper. After that it was all downhill, or more like it dropped off a cliff. Portugal scored their goal off a deflection and Tyler Adams picked up a straight red. We had our fair share of the possession, but every time we brought the ball into the opponents half our passing was very sloppy. We did have two good opportunities to grab a late consolation goal, but a Timmy Weah free kick sailed just wide and Sargent hit one off the bar.
South Korea beat Ghana 1-0 in the other match in the group.
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We needed three point to have any chance of advancing and thats exactly what we did. With the red card to Tyler Adams in the last match and a tired Cameron Carter-Vickers and Antonee Robinson we made three changes at the back and they all played extremely well. Ghana only had three shots throughout the entire match and Brady Scott didn't have to make a single save. To their credit, George Bello and Josh Emmanuel also did a great job of getting forward and putting in their share of matches. Christian Pulisic was the the Man of the Match with his assist to McKennie and a goal of this own.
Portugal beat South Korea 2-0 in the other match. If we beat the Koreans in our next match we'll be through to the next round.
We survive and advance! This one wasn't much of a match. Weah scored a goal in the first five minutes from a Pulisic cross, but it questionable ruled offsides. About twenty minutes Weah did find the breakthrough. It came from a cross to the far post from the right back, Josh Emmanuel which Weah head across goal and inside the net. Just four minutes later our big center back, Cameron Carter-Vickers made it two off a free kick. Weah bagged his second for measure right before the halftime whistle. Gianluca Busio blasted one off a cleared header which banged straight down off the cross bar. And with the keeper diving for the initial shot, Weah just tapped in the rebound with ease. Both sides scored a second half consolation goal.
Portugal beat Ghana 3-0. The U.S. will face Italy in the Quarterfinals
View attachment 13406 This one was an instant classic. We were outplayed for the majority of the first half yet went into halftime with a 2-0 lead. Our first goal came off a set piece. Cameron Carter-Vickers won the header, which he directed to the far post and his partner in the middle of the defense headed it into the net. Carter-Vickers was dragged down on another set piece and the ref pointed to the shot. Sargent stepped up and found the top right corner. The second 45 was pretty even, but it was Italy who were able to find two goals of their own. Their first came out a set piece and the second a PK. They must've really liked what we did and followed suit. The extra time different much, both team had one good chance, but Brady Scott made a brilliant save and Jordan Morris put a header but six yards wide of the net. It went into penalties and after both sides made their first six, Antonee Robinson made it seven for seven for the U.S. before Scott made a game winning save. Off to the semi's!
View attachment 13369 The boys left it all out on the pitch today. France were pretty sloppy with their passing in the first half, gifting us a few chances, but we had nothing to show for it. Things opened up in the scored and France were able to get on the board first. McKennie lost possession in the center circle and a quick long ball down the left was retrieved by the wing Willem Geubbels in plenty of space. He played in a simple near post cross, which was directed in by the Lyon striker, Amine Gouiri. Less than ten minutes later we leveled the scoring through a Kellyn Acosta curler from 25 yards out and it was game on again. Both sides had a couple chances, but it was France who found the winner in the dying moments of the match. It started with a French defender clearing the ball out of his own box. Auston Trusty was outmuscled in the center circle and France had a 3 v 2 in the counter attack. Two passes later and Odsonne Edouard was through and smashed one home with just one minute left of added time.
We now face Argentina and Leo Messi for a chance to bring home bronze.
View attachment 13131 After failing to even qualify in 2012 and 2016, the U.S. bounce back and finish third this time around. It must be said the U.S. did play pretty much the entire match with an extra man. Thirty three seconds into the match Argentina attempt a long ball over the top and their striker, Nicolas Gonzalez, looked to win the ball with a slide, but he was a second late and took out Justen Glad from behind instead. It was a clear red card if you ask me. The U.S. had twelve shot in the first half to Argentina's one, yet had nothing to show for it. Finally in the second half the American's got their goal and it was all they needed. It was a simple far post cross from Tyler Adams which Weston McKennie met with his head and into the net it went. Finally frustration took and a second red card was handed out and the game was over from there. We had our chances to bag a second, but the PSG keeper, Geronimo Rulli was class today. If only Argentina was able to keep all eleven men on the pitch, who knows what the outcome would've been.
Congratulations to Portugal for knocking off France 2-1 in the Finals.