Patriots On The Pitch – Bolivia, Bollocks, and Belief

TAKE NOTICE:

The time has come for the US Soccer Men’s National Team to head out onto the pitch again, SO CRACK A COLD ONE AND STRAP THE F@#K IN FOR AMERICA!!!!!!!

Finally, Memorial Day has done its thing; it already got someone drunk AF, and they unlocked the f@#king pack n’ play and let the damn kids out so they could lose their minds and pop their international cherries all over Philadelphia. Our young patriots have been exceeding expectations and throwing that beautiful clean coal into the HYPE TRAIN’s engine, and now we’re full steam ahead to show the world, with reckless abandon, just how bright the future is for the USMNT.  This train cannot be stopped.

The US asked to be invited to the World Cup, but the entire World said “HAHAHAHA, NO!” So, instead, the USMNT kicks off their “NIT World Cup” tour with Bolivia on 5/28/18. In fact, this date and game are special because they are the exact two-year anniversary of Christian Pulisic‘s first USMNT goal at age 17, which made him the youngest US goal scorer ever, and that goal came against Bolivia.

In light of this special occasion, and much to our delight, Dave Sarachan has called in a very youthful squad that has a great deal of talent and could start to form the true nucleus of this team moving forward. While this is the roster for the match versus Bolivia, it will not be the roster for the two away friendlies upcoming in early June. That roster will have, what Sarachan has called, “numerous changes” as the USMNT head to Dublin, Ireland and then Lyon, France to take on The Boys in Green (Republic of Ireland) and Les Bleus (France), respectively. The current squad will likely see an injection of more experienced players such as Zack Steffen and Tyler Adams, as well as further European-based patriots such as DeAndre Yedlin, John Anthony Brooks, Bobby Wood and Kenny Saief (if not still injured with a bruised knee). With reinforcements incoming, we look at the current squad simply in the context of a one-match run-out versus a team which brought in, I’d say, a C-squad… but even that didn’t go so well last time. #T&Tcrushedourdream. The US squad is as follows:

GOALKEEPERS: Ethan Horvath, Alex Bono, and Bill Hamid.

DEFENDERS: Cameron Carter-Vickers, Matt Miazga, Antonee Robinson, Erik Palmer-Brown, Matthew Olosunde, Jorge Villafana, Walker Zimmerman, and Eric Lichaj.

MIDFIELDERS: Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Timothy Weah, Keaton Parks, Lynden Gooch, Alejandro Guido, Julian Green, Rubio Rubin, and Joe Corona.

FORWARDS: Andrija Novakovich and Josh Sargent.

To Sarachan’s credit, this is the youthful squad we have been clamoring for. It is great to see more youngsters getting their first call-up and hopefully their first minutes for the senior team. With Sarachan also noting that changes are coming, I believe that means we will see this as an experimental match, and one where Sarachan might actually remember you can make six subs in a friendly and that you SHOULD do that. If all six subs are not used, then…

My biggest concern here is more broad than anything: the institution of US Soccer and the guidance being provided to this backbone of a squad that we are cultivating right now. With no general manager and no permanent coach yet (although Earnie Stewart is reportedly close to be coming our GM and I think he brings a unique perspective as a dual national with a great deal of passion and heart for the USMNT and soccer as a whole), the question remains: is what these young lads are currently learning going to need to be altered greatly as a more permanent strategy is implemented? Is there greater harm being done than we think? Does the attitude being implemented now foster the hunger and determination we need US Soccer to return to? Perhaps this is looking too far into it and any experience is good experience for these young players, but the US needs an identity and a strategy so we aren’t just putting a team out on the pitch to run on hopes and dreams alone. Or what I like to call, The Bruce Arena Strategy (exemplification below).

Concerns aside, a slightly-overlooked and underlying story of this squad is the bit of redemption it is bringing to some players. I’ve seen people express concern over the likes of Eric Lichaj, Alejandro Guido, Joe Corona, and especially Julian Green being included in this squad. These players posted solid seasons for their clubs, they bring some experience, and some are getting second chances. Green and Guido especially are the redemptive players here. Guido was a U-17 World Cup starter for the US back in 2011. Since then he has been injured much of the time, and I’m guessing it is due to his dolphin-like post-goal celebrations…

Guido has been fighting his way back and has done well in Liga MX. He suffered a broken bone in his foot, followed by a groin injury that kept him off the US U-23 roster for the 2014 Olympic qualifying tournament. After that, a torn ACL in one knee, and then 7 months after returning, he suffered a torn ACL in the other knee.

This man has been stitched together more times than a patient of Dr. Frankenstein (yeah he was the doctor people, just accept it). He is a good talent, a dedicated player, and he can bring a great deal of heart to a side that honestly needs some at this point.

Julian “remember me from 2014” Green is back. Coming off a loan spell with SpVgg Greuther Fürth from VfB Stuttgart, Green started finding the form that he was being noticed for in previous years. Green has even found the back of the net three times since November 2017 for Fürth, including a goal in their final match of the season to keep his club in the 2. Bundesliga.

I think this call-up could be a great confidence builder for Green and can help him reestablish himself as a possible candidate for future US squads. Remember, this young man is still only 22 (turning 23 on June 6th… Happy Birthday!), so he has plenty of time to grow. But don’t worry, his hairline is still being relegated faster than Geoff Cameron… well maybe not that fast.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM THIS MATCH

Looking at this friendly, I think you can expect Sarachan to continue utilizing his favored 4-1-4-1 formation, likely with more movement from the wingers to create a bit of a 4-3-3. I think the squad, with only two outright Forwards, lends itself to that conclusion. I think you will see a lot of pace, high lines, and some hungry players in search of big moments to make a name for themselves. Look for Christian Pulisic to be a true creator here, possibly starting on the right wing, but also setting up in the middle to take that No. 10 role at times to give different looks and test out other midfielders.

As for the lineup to expect, my guess is you’ll see something along these lines.

4-1-4-1 with: Bono (G); Villafana (LB); Miazga (CB); Carter-Vickers (CB); Lichaj (RB); McKennie (DM); Weah (LM); Green (CM); Pulisic (CM); Gooch (RM); and Novakovich (F).

If you follow me on Twitter you already know that the lineup I REALLY want to see is the one I have dubbed the “USS Fireboarding Express“:

4-4-2 with: Horvath (G); Robinson (LB); Miazga (CB); Carter-Vickers (CB); Olosunde (RB); Weah (LM); McKennie (CM); Parks (CM); Pulisic (RM); Novakovich (F); and Sargent (F).

Almost too much firepower to handle there.

With all that being said, the POTP family expects you to dial your American up to an 11 this Memorial Day weekend. Thank a veteran you know for their service, grill all the foods like they’re screaming out of desire for those hot coals, eat like calories are scared of your stomach, blow at least three things up (one for you and two for America) and get ready to watch the future of the USMNT! If Bolivia wasn’t scared, they should be. No friendly in America is ever friendly, and these youngsters aren’t messing around. They’ve hit the gym and are ready to bring enough pain to relegate Bolivia in life, not just soccer. SO GET PUMPED AND BRING THE NOISE!

Comment below, and if you think you can handle more please follow me on Twitter @POTP_Silence

Your humble servant,

Mr. Silence Dogood