USMT ideal formation

US men’s team

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Pepi

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Woah... I'm firmly on the Pepi bandwagon, but how about we let him make his USMNT debut before we pencil him in the XI. Did we not learn our lesson from doing the same with Dike 4 months ago?

The USMNT striker depth chart and how fans approach the "new guy" is exactly how LSU fans treated its backup quarterbacks from 2008-2018. Basically we're pumping up the alternative because we assume he has to be better than the starter right now.

Pepi may be the savior, but lets relax.

As shocking as this sounds, if we had a World Cup qualifier tomorrow, I'm starting Zardes... can't believe I just said that.

I really want to see Hoppe get a chance though as well.

ETA: Also, if we're putting Reyna in the midfield, our next best winger option behind him is a healthy Jordan Morris. Put him on the right with Pulisic on the left.



With all that said:

Steffen
Dest-M. Rob-Brooks-A. Rob
Adams
McKennie-Musah
Reyna-Zardes-Pulisic

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With all that said:

Steffen
Dest-M. Rob-Brooks-A. Rob
Adams
McKennie-Musah
Reyna-Zardes-Pulisic

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Reyna is a versatile player, but he rarely plays in a high-and-wide winger position with Dortmund. Not sure why we keep insisting he do so for the national team (and on the wrong side of the field, at that). One of Berhalter's more curious lineup choices, IMO.

Also Zardes -- pass.

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Also Zardes -- pass.

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Kinda of the case for all of our strikers right now. Zardes right now fits the mold the best.

Pepi may be the guy in the future, but he needs to actually get capped before we put him in our best XI.

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I’m sorry for the noob question, but is Altidore still on the team?

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He's been perpetually injured since he got stretchered off in the World Cup match against Ghana.

If he gets healthy and starts bagging goals with Toronto, then yeah, I'd take him back in a heartbeat. That's how shallow we are at striker.

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If he gets healthy and starts bagging goals with Toronto, then yeah, I'd take him back in a heartbeat. That's how shallow we are at striker.

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He's also a very good player with his back to goal. Or at least was. It's funny to watch Altidore turn some Spanish players in the 2009 Confed Cup so easily and not think he couldn't just body anyone in world football. Even if he doesn't bag goals but plays well otherwise, you would think he could be in contention just for the ability to be the focal point of a very particular low-block, counter-attacking type of team that also which generally works better in international football.

I have a love/hate relationship with that goal against Spain because at the time I thought we were witnessing the beginning of our first ever world-class American player.

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sarget

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Not hating because I don't think at this point there is a "right" answer on who should be the starting striker, I'm just curious what you've seen of Sargent for both club & country that has you picking him.

To me, he just seems like a high-energy guy who isn't good with the ball at his feet like Zardes, but unlike Zardes, Sargent's positional awareness and off-ball movement are shite.

If Jozy went to France instead of the Netherlands, I think his career takes a different track, as France is both a more physical league and a better technical league than the Netherlands. He could have had a long life as a striker that just bodies people. He suffered from a bit of the Lukaku disease, which is when a striker wants to play on the half-turn on the shoulder instead of playing with his back to goal. Lukaku finally learned how much he could bully CBs just from his post-up game, but it took time for him to learn he's strong enough that CBs will let him receive on the half-turn rather than deal with the possibility of getting drawn-in so high they were in no-man's land. Jozy was so good when CBs let him post-up.

Excuse me while I go day dream about building a time travel machine telling Jozy not to go to Hull or England ever, and telling Charlie to not get in that car.

I think Pefok is best utilized as a sub. He’s not able to press like Sargent but I love having him as a target man against a tired back line.