Call For USMNT Technical Director

For anyone not yet fatigued with USMNT news, or simply a masochist like myself when it comes to the Yank-footie:

http://www.yanks-abroad.com/get.php?mod ... nt&id=5174

I think Latham has been reading our posts around here...

 

I tend to not be a fan of Latham's - he either strikes me as too reactionary in his opinions or too consciously controversial in search of a reaction from readers. But I have to agree with him here. The unexpected emergence of these technically more gifted players does allow for a change in tactics - which I think we can all agree is not Bradley's strong point. But Bradley seems like a bit of a controlling taskmaster and I'm not sure he'd be open to someone coming in an usurping part of his position. But I do like the theory presented.

 

"Just as the player pool has improved, tactical evolution is now a necessity for the Americans to reach their potential."


The Hatter will hate that article, as in case you don't know, he feels the U.S. player pool is stuck somewhere between mediocre and marginal for the forseeable future. On the other hand, I must be wearing the same rose tinted spectacles as Latham.

 

Does Latham mean something like a little yoda that tells Bob how to use the Force?

Excellent

 

Thank you, Mo - that was outstanding!! :banana:

 

I'm in the same boat. The player pool is in the top 15 in the world. Anytime you can call on a Donovan-Davies-Altidore attacking trio, you're doing pretty good.

 

Well, now... I became a Latham fan!

Economics like Life like Soccer ...

Tru DAT!

Only thing I can quarrel with is in the last part when he switches from Economist to Accountant. That's where the 'unexpected intervenes when you apply the unknown', specifically human element, on the pitch.

 

Given the economics metaphor, can we expect the title to be Soccer Czar?

 

FFC24. Top 15 player pool in the world? Seriously!?!?!? Look, I'm as big a USMNT fan as anyone, but I wouldn't place our player pool in the top 25 in the world. We win by being better than the sum of our parts, not because our parts are that good.

Yeah, Donovan-Altidore_Davies is a good attacking lineup, for us, but they'd be lucky to make the bench on a top 16 Champions League side.

Heck, I would argue that we don't even have the best attacking trio in CONCACAF - I'd have to give that to Mexico's DiSantos-Villa-Sabah combination.

Sorry, but we win because our guys plays in a system in which everyone knows their role, understands how to support each other defensively, maintaining the team shape...and because our guys, most of the time, leave it all on the pitch.