Old North State Soccer

 This is where it all comes together; building an 11 that can dominate any team in CONCACAF and secure the first qualification in two cycles. I can't help but feel optimistic due to the level of talent across the board. Hopefully looking at these players from a statistical perspective provided depth that wouldn't be there otherwise. Some players can fade in media discussion because they aren't quite as glamorous, but their actual production is solid and worth recognizing. Other times media darlings aren't quite what they're made out to be. It's worth taking a closer look. Of the U20 eligible players (13 of the 55) the only one who is ready now is Efrain Alvarez. The rest need more time, and to work on gaps in their game. The remaining players are a quite strong group and the selection decisions are difficult. Aside from talent and ability, which is the first consideration, there are other issue to take into account. For that reason I will post my preferred 17 (2...

  In the tactical setup preferred by Berhalter and Kreis, strikers are the point of the lance - the players who get onto balls, finish attacks, and press defenders hard for 90 full minutes. It's not an elegant role, and it doesn't need a profoundly technically skilled player. In many ways, the player pool is built for this. In general there aren't a lot of smaller, quicker forwards developed by the USA, and those that might be become wingers or 10s. Berhalter's system fits the player pool and produces goals from players such as Zardes, which is the best you can hope for from this group. Shooting Akinola has had a hot start to the season, absolutely blowing up the MLS is back tournament before bowing out due to a muscle injury. The production may not continue like this, but the key to his performance has been shooting a lot of high quality shots. If the quantity goes down a bit and the quality does as well, he's still a top MLS striker, just not ...

 In the Berhalter system, and in many modern possession systems, the classic 10 is phased out in favor of a player that can play comfortably in any position of the middle third. Combined with wingers that invert and cut inside with the ball (think how Pulisic moves in from the left on his right foot) it allows for frequent overlapping and constant movement on the front line with and without the ball. When Berhalter talks about disorganizing an opposing defense with the ball, this movement is a key component. I’m going to look at the wingers and the 10s together as they are asked to do fairly similar things with the ball. The days of a winger driving to the endline and lofting a hopeful cross time and again are at an end. Instead, smart passes into the penalty area and shot creation for CMs and strikers will dominate wide play.  The uncomfortable truth is that the USA has a big depth problem when it comes to the wing positions; even more so when you consider that three of the e...

 Soccer formations aren’t real. Everyone pretty much knows that at this point, but it’s still inexplicably pleasing to see a formation chart tweeted out with each player in their nice box. Our brains want to make order out of the chaos. I really appreciate what ESPN has been doing in their broadcasts, showing average positions some time after kickoff and how it relates to the "starting lineup". As viewers, instead of asking if players are in a 4–2–3–1 or 4–3–3, it’s better to ask questions about what specific players do in relation to each other and what their jobs are on the pitch. One of the key questions is the three or 2 man midfield, and whether or not a double pivot is used. Berhalter has been more slow to use a double pivot, instead preferring to use a single defensive midfielder such as Bradley, Trapp, or the U23 eligible Jackson Yueill to take on the distributive load while covering in front of the CBs. Based on the talent pool, my opinion is that a double pivot woul...

In the modern era, there are few positions that have undergone radical change as much as the fullback. Modern fullbacks must have the defensive ability to challenge target forwards, the athleticism to stretch up field and overlap their wingers, and the technical ability to take on defenders. Though there are individual differences, like the skill and quick combination of Dani Alves or the laser accurate crossing of Trent Alexander Arnold, the keys to the position remain the same. The golden example of fullbacks in the USA is recent Barcelona signee Sergiño Dest, but there are capable options stateside as well that will contribute for the USA. Offense vs. Defense The fullbacks playing in MLS that could represent the USA run the gamut from more attacking types, to defenders who rarely go forward. Bryan Reynolds, the FC Dallas right back making his case for the starting position after Reggie Cannon's departure, is the most aggressive fullback in the pool. Of cours...

     The foundation of any successful team is in the back, with the center backs and fullbacks. The Berhalter system has used overlapping fullbacks, as well as fullbacks the fill the midfield space and allow a central midfielder to push further up the field in possession. The center backs are expected to contribute to the buildup, but the chief impetus of progress in possession is a defensive midfielder such as Michael Bradley or the U-23 eligible Jackson Yueill. Whether that is a set in stone approach based on coaching philosophy, or based on the lack of individual on-ball ability in the player pool remains to be seen.      Also, an important note: the challenge of using numbers to evaluate soccer players, especially defenders, is how to properly rate them when they are not interacting with the ball. That said, an effective USA team at the CONCACAF level is not going to be forced into many positions where the individual defending ability of a player is of ...