23 for March Nations League Window

FYI Turner started 2/28...Ream's last appearance was 2/17. VITRIOL

 

Not the greatest news, but at least Berhalter has a plan this time.

Assuming cover for Adams and maybe Reyna. Acosta is like my 60th player on the 60-Man, but removing the injured guys, and the guys with the U23s, it's basically Acosta or T.Tillman or Zendejas.

 

No matter how static still better than Richards with the MNT. Richards so far is a promising young player that doesn't play well. Not what you want to have on the NT as a CB.

 

Tillman has played CM. Even with Reyna, we've rarely played a true 10. I'd argue that even when we've had a double pivot behind Reyna ... it's not always played traditionally.

I think that's the big issue with Tillman as 10. Berhalter has 3 midfielders because he wants numbers in the midfield, and Tillman has yet to show he can be a midfielder and not just a fourth attacker. He has the physical tools, but does he have the mentality?

I don't think there's any way, especially with Adams limited, that we send out a CM with minimal defensive role. Pretty much everyone here says dominating the midfield is the key; I have no urge to try and ask McKennie + Musah or McKennie + Cardoso to do that. I need a third guy willing to work, run and not just sit up top.

Will Tillman do that? He's physically capable, but even when he's played CM, he's not been a CM for us.

 

It doesn't help the receding hairline and face make him look kind old. Dude's a decade younger than me and I swear he looks older.

But that said, I agree with you.

 

I think Kellyn Acosta has been done a bit dirty by the fanbase. Sure, he's wildly inconsistent with the ball. But his tactical yellow on Gareth Bale in the Wales game got us to the second round. I'm not sure anyone else on the team recognizes the situation and does that.

I'll always have a soft spot for Kellyn for his IQ in these kind of things (along with psyching out Guardado on that PK).

 

fun stuff:

American Soccer Analysis' algorithm rates Acosta as 30th out of 50 dmids in MLS.
American Soccer Analysis | App
Incredibly, Wil Trapp is rated dead last at #50. The algo says he costs his team 1.04 goals per game. It's early days but I thought the haters would be thrilled with this tidbit.

I wonder why Berhalter doesn't call his son Sebastian in. He's not a bad player and I'd take him over Acosta 8 days a week.

 

Acosta had a strong match at the weekend.

 

fotmob had 5 players rated over 8.0 for Chicago in that game. I was checking to see their formation because I was surprised to see him classified as a dmid.His partner in the 4231 formation shown on fotmob(Herbers) is rated as MLS's #1 dmid out of 50 rated by American Soccer Analysis.
Chicago Fire FC vs CF Montreal - live score, predicted lineups and H2H stats (fotmob.com)

Chicago is Acosta's 4th club. He'll have lotsa good games and get traded next January.

 

The program is, fortunately, past players like Acosta and Trapp absent some serious injury problems.

Adams, Musah, McKennie, LDLT, Cardoso, Reyna comprise the central midfield pool now and Tessmann probably is the next dude to force his way in there.

 

It seems like there were some concerns on social media about whether Cardoso would make the trip or not and this may have been cover for that.

He now has though, but if they do make a replacement they have till 7 pm tonight.

 

Acosta is there "in case of emergency."

No need to over-react.

Maybe just there in case one of these semi-injured midfielders like Johnny can't go.

A player isn't coming over from Europe to train with the team "in case of emergency."
But Acosta is willing to do that.

And maybe if we didn't have the U23 camp going right now, one of those guys like Morris or Tessmann or McGlynn would be there instead.

Need I remind people that Kellyn Acosta played in both wins against Mexico in the summer of 2021. In fact, went the full 120 minutes in the Gold Cup final.

Kellyn Acosta is fine at the CONCACAF level.
In fact, would be a good choice as a late game sub to kill a game.
The guy's an athlete and has a great motor. Maybe that's a good choice against Jamaica.

When we talk about active caps leaders on the USMNT...........................Kellyn is second behind only Pulisic. [Assuming Yedlin is done. Maybe that's not the case.] He's played a lot in these types of games in CONCACAF. No worries there..........................

2nd most active caps leader is Acosta, FCD academy player. 3rd is Arriola. Currently on FCD. 4th is Weston Mckennie, FCD academy player. 5th is Walker Zimmerman, former FCD draft pick/player.

You're welcome America.

 

The only thing strange about Acosta being with the USMNT as a training partner is that he plays for Chicago... so I assume they were forced to let him leave... even if he isn't currently on the official roster. Because we know Chicago would never willingly let a player go on Intl Duty.

 

I'm kind of impressed that Acosta would fly in from Chicago just to train with a team that he has mostly already been phased out of, on the off chance that someone gets injured and he needs to warm the bench at the Nations League.

 

I think if they don’t replace someone tonight they’ll send him back. So for Chicago he wouldn’t miss any games.

And if they do add him to the roster the release is mandated so not anything they can do about it.

 

I think alot of the guys like Acosta and others similarly situated (like a Roldan or Jordan Morris) are very much committed to the national team, even if they are more fringe roster guys at this point in the cycle.

 

do you think the guys who pushed them out of the national team are less committed?

 

Well they just released Brady to the U23's so maybe we (I) were wrong about them or maybe they changed.

 

Its funny. We discuss all the time about how we don't really have any #6 depth, and are lucky to have guys like Johnny coming thru. Maloney is dealing with an injury.

Then when we need to find a warm body "in case of emergency," we act surprised that its somebody like Acosta.

The guys from January camp (Morris and McGlynn) are with the U23s. They're in France. As are other CMs like Tessmann and Busio.

Maybe Josh Atencio?

.............but does it surprise anybody that Berhalter is more comfortable with Acosta "in case of emergency" than Atencio?

For Pete's sake, Kellyn Acosta has played in 5 games against Jamaica. I think that's 4 wins and a draw.

 

He's also rather skilled in penalty dark arts hi-jinx.

On the one hand, him being here is ridiculous, he's not remotely close to the top 23 or top 30 or whatever, otoh, your argument isn't all that crazy, we have guys with the olympic squad, it's a short Thursday-Sunday set of games, they probably flew in on Sunday-Monday, so it's a long slog for such a short camp/window of games. I don't disagree, you've just got to note that after slowly being weaned off his binky players from '19-'22, he then produced a series of self-own stupid decisions on the edge of the roster that likely caused some serious damage at the WC, so when he does wtf?!?! moves like this it makes people wonder what his depth chart in Central Midfield actually looks like. Is he crazy, and is it totally moronic? Or is this just simply spackle for a tight spot with limited availabilities? If it's the latter, cool, if it's the former, oh, ----, give me a break egg, please.

That's what the concern is about, at least in my view.

 

I think that's self interest more than anything. Get Brady in front of more eyes in Europe, maybe the Olympics on top, if he provides a star turn, wow, they can get a big transfer fee. Or maybe that's just nonsense, I just don't trust Chicago about releases period at this point, Brady is the first time in quite a while they've been reasonable about anything. And they still suck.

 

Is anyone really complaining about Acosta? Given all the U23s are in Europe if there’s any issue with Adams or Cardoso he’s the only one from the provisional roster who really makes sense.

 

Wouldn’t this also be the case for Gutierrez?

Brady seems behind both Slonina and Schulte with the U23s so is it even that much of a showcase. I’m more ok with Chicago not releasing him if all he’d do is sit the bench.

 

Well. What is your complaint?

We've been talking for ages about how weak our #6 depth is.

Berhalter has integrated Johnny and Maloney. Its not like he hasn't been working on it. Maloney is hurt. Johnny is has a little bit of a knock. Adams is a question mark.

We literally were still calling in Jackson Yueill to the 2023 Gold Cup.

I suspect that if we KNEW somebody was needed, we might select one of the guys with the Olympic group (McGlynn, Morris, Tessmann, and Busio). As it is, this is just somebody there to train with the team "in case of emergency."

I don't really know what the problem is.

Kellyn Acosta has played 5 times against Jamaica. 2017 Gold Cup final. 2021 Gold Cup quarterfinal. Two 2022WC qualifiers. Then the post COVID friendly. That would be...................zero losses for the USMNT. Kellyn Acosta will be just fine against Jamaica if we need him.

Kellyn Acosta has also played 7 times against Mexico. Again...........zero losses for the USMNT. He'd be just fine if we need him.

Now we find out everyone is fine, and Acosta has left. No more whining needed.