February 17, 2026 • 45 mins
Tab Ramos and Matt Doyle break down the USMNT depth chart at the No. 9 position. With Haji Wright coming off a hat-trick and Patrick Agyemang reaching double-digit goals in the Championship, they analyze how each striker fits into Mauricio Pochettino’s system along with Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi — both for the upcoming March friendlies and the 2026 World Cup.
Doyle unveils his projected Starting XI for the friendlies, while Tab explains the potential role Noahkai Banks could play for the national team moving forward. The episode also features an in-depth tactical discussion focused on the partnerships and positional balance that could define the U.S. team’s World Cup success.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
And let's not forget that. You know how creative Christian
Polisic is. He's so creative that he he doesn't know
what he's gonna do next. And because of that, and
this is totally normal for creative players, and because of that,
you need, I believe a player like Baligan who understands
that type of player, who's playing at that type of
(00:22):
level with players who are also like that.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Greetings, folks, and welcome to Inside American Soccer. I'm Matt Doyle,
the armchair analyst, and I'll be filling in for new
dad Tom Bogert for a couple more weeks. And I
am joined as always by my friend and yours, one
of the greatest soccer players in US men's history, a
veteran of three World Cups. Tab Ramos Todd, How.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
You do pretty good?
Speaker 1 (00:51):
I mean, you know, I was just thinking, is the
snow ever gonna stop here on these cuz I mean
I feel like I haven't seen grass in two months.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
Yeah, but spring is right around the corner.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
The MLS season kicks off this weekend, Like I think
we're gonna be seeing it, at least on our TV screens.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
I threw my back out shoveling last month.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
I hadn't shoveled shoveled in twenty five years, so like
I'm out of I'm out of the habit, I'm out
of practice.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
It's been pretty rough, dude.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Yeah, it certainly has been because I've had some back
issues myself.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
With all the snow.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
I usually shovel everything myself, and I'm okay with it,
by the way, because I'm you know, obviously, I'm an
go to the gym guy every day. So the day
it snows, I skip the gym and I use the
uh sort of the snow shoveling for to take over.
But unfortunately it's been rough.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
I prefer the gym to shoveling, and I prefer talking
soccer to talking about shoveling.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
So let's do that.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
We have some topics today that I think are of
real interest to US national team fans as we close
in on the World Cup it's just four months away.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
Now there's some, honestly, some real discussion.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Had about what's going to happen up top. Pat Agimon
scored another goal in the Championship. Haji Wright finally getting
back on the board with a hat trick for Coventry City.
Then I'm gonna give my starting eleven for the men
for this summer, and we'll debut a new segment called
Tactics Time, where we'll get into the details of how
the US could and should play coming into the March Friendlies.
(02:24):
We talked about this a couple of weeks ago when
Marcello was here. He's the one who really opened the
box on this, talking about how the three four two
one becomes a four to four to two, and I
think that's an important thing for us, for US and
for fans to understand. Plus, we're going to go into
the locker room with Tab talking about that twenty nineteen
(02:44):
US U twenty national team, which produced so many great players,
guys like Chris Richards, Erginio Desk, Tim Waya for the
US and Richieldesmo for l Tree. So there's a couple
of different pathways to this summer's World Cup out of
that team, which I have to admit was my favorite
of the four twenty teams you coached. But let's get
(03:06):
into the US national team news first. Hoagi Wright had
that hat trick to take Coventry to the top of
the championship. He has had a really streaky, really up
and down season. But now he's on thirteen goals, which
is second place in the championship. It's tough to figure
out where he fits in Pascha's eyes. But you keep
(03:28):
scoring goals, you're going to be on the ross.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Well, I mean, and this is this is unfortunately where
we all are in terms of the forwards, right, because
we go week to week, we go from saying one week, well,
you know it was by the way, I blame myself
for saying last week, well, you know what, Hodgi's really
falling behind. He's only scored two goals in about two months.
How is that going to take him on the team?
And after yesterday, I'm thinking I think he's fighting for
(03:53):
a starting spot. So that's kind of where we are.
But you know, this is this is all great to say,
and it goes to show that, you know, in that
forward spot, I think we're going to be likely waiting
until the last couple of weeks before we can actually
say Marisa Buchetino is going to pick these guys because
I think there's legitimately four guys that have a chance
(04:14):
to go maybe even five.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Yeah, and right, if he keeps scoring, is one of them.
But he's not really a traditional number nine. If you
look at the way he scores his goals, he almost
seems more comfortable coming in from the wing, working off
of the movement of maybe a more traditional center forward.
Now that would lead you to say, well, maybe you
know a two forward setup, but it's not going to
(04:39):
be like that. So I guess my question is, if
you were coaching him and using Pascha's system, are you
comfortable with how Haji fits?
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (04:49):
You know that that's interesting what you're saying, because you know,
I look back at all of the the the pre
the youth national teams of a few years back, in
all the depth charts and every depth chart where I
see Hajji right, I see him on the left right,
So he was sort of like a left winger coming inside.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
And that's what you're saying.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
So but with our national team, you know, and every team,
you always have to consider the talent that you have.
That's how you build a team because what you have
is what you have, regardless of.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
How you want to play.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
If we were ever going to play a two forward system,
it's likely that it's going to be. At this point, again,
speaking today, it's likely that it's going to be Balligan
with a Christian polistic playing that second forward type of position.
So to answer your question, would I see Hajji playing
that nine role, I have to tell you. I have
(05:41):
to see in the goals he scored this just yesterday
or you know, a couple of days ago. I think
he can. I think he can. I think he can
be that nine because he scored the goals he scored.
Obviously one was a penalty, but the other two goals
are number nine goals. You know, just see the way
he handled you know that long bow that I think
game it might have come from the goalkeeper, that long
(06:02):
bowl where he pushes the player off with one hand
like nothing, And yeah, I mean these are number nine goals.
Obviously the header he hits the post about a couple
of minutes into the game with a header. So to
answer your question, I think he can do either. He
could be wide, he could be a second forwarded, he
could potentially be the nine.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
Yeah, it's good to see from him.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
I think it's one of the has to be one
of the priority things that Punch looks at in next
month's friendlies. The final camp before the World Cup is
to get Hodgi a run in that true number nine spot,
because the guy it feels like everybody is chasing is
follering Balligan, who I think is still the starter. And
(06:42):
if you look back at the last half dozen friendlies
that the US played, the last five, I guess you
know he started three of those games. He scored in
every one of those games. Meanwhile, he's gone ice cold
I for Monica. At the club level, how do you
balance that if you're the coach a guy that you
rely upon, like I think Brian McBride is famously like
(07:05):
this for Bruce Arena back in the two thousand and
two cycle. He went twenty odd games without scoring for
his club. Bruce obviously took him and started him anyway,
and that paid off with a couple of goals.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
So I would say this so a couple of different ways.
Looking at it from the outside, I would say, first
of all, Baligan, you know his next game is against
PSG in the Champions League, right, So no disrespect to
Middlesbrough in the Championship, but you're playing against PSG in
the Champions League. You're playing you're fighting for a Champions
(07:38):
League spot in your own league, and you're playing games
at the absolute top level that you can play, So
I think we couldn't avoid measuring using that as a
measuring stick. The next thing, looking from the outside would
be for me is his coach is still playing in them.
So as long as your coach is playing you, that
(07:58):
means that the is just not going in, but he
has confidence in you. I'd be worried if Baligan was
not scoring and now all of a sudden he's not
playing much, that's a concern rate, But as long as
he's on the field, I'm not concerned with that because
I'm measuring him by the quality of the games he
participates in.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Yeah, Balligan, I think, unquestion, is playing against the toughest
competition of anyone in the center forward pool. And you
make a good point, he's still playing even though he's
not putting the ball in the back of the net.
And it's because he adds so much value off the ball.
And it's not just the threat of his speed and
he's not the fastest player in the world, but he
has good pays.
Speaker 4 (08:37):
But it's how he is.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Constantly making those sort of penetrating off ball runs, attacking
the space behind the opposing defense, and that always gives
opposing center backs something else to think about, so they
can't just sort of focus on the play in front
of them. They have to always be calculating what's happening
in behind them. It's how a good forward comes a
(09:01):
playmaker without even touching the ball. You just give space
to the guys around you. And you played as a playmaker.
You played sometimes outside, sometimes inside, and sometimes he had
forwards like that, and sometimes he did sometimes he had
guys who would attack the space and behind and sometimes
you didn't talk about the difference. How it impacts the
(09:21):
game when you have a forward who is always going
to be unselfish with those off ball runs trying to
get in behind, and how it makes life easier for
the midfielders.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Yeah, I mean, you know this is this is a
good point to look at because for the players behind,
and this is why teams require time to develop. You
need to obviously get to know everyone and their their
strengths within the team. When you have a forward who
can stretch the field the way Baligan can stretch the field,
it gives everyone behind them a lot more room because
(09:56):
number one, you know, teams.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Are are a lot more.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Uh, let's i don't want to say scared, but there
are a lot more apprehensive in terms of playing that
high line, right, so they they're a little bit more careful.
By being a little bit more careful, they do take
those three or four steps behind, and by taking those
three or four steps back, it creates a little bit
more room in that in that spot between what.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
Would be the the.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Ford defenders and the defensive midfield area, and that's areas
where you create. So I think players like Balligan can
do all of that. But let's not let's not forget
that ballogn He can stretch the field, but he can
also come back and receive. He's a good connector and
that's something that is difficult to find those type of forwards.
(10:47):
Let's say, like you know, reminds me a little bit
of like a McBride. So McBride could come in, knew
his exact role, he knew how to hang around the box,
he could come back and receive, defeat, play it off
and get into the box. And he's a little bit
similar to the way McBride used to play. And McBride
obviously was to me one of the perfect nines that
we had. So it does as as a playmaker. It
(11:10):
gives you a lot of different possibilities and it makes
it really difficult for the two center backs.
Speaker 4 (11:17):
Yeah, in those sacrificial runs.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
A guy that we saw in MLS five years ago
doing them all the time was Tati Castianos, and he
was a guy who would go hot and cold in
terms of his goal scoring, but he did everything else
so well. He got that move to Lazio. Now he's
scoring goals for West Ham in the Premiership. Twenty five
million dollar player. There's a lot of similarities I see
between him.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
And flow Ball.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
Again, he plays selflessly, which is not a word you
usually associate with the center forward. These guys are supposed
to be goal hungry all the time, which is not
to say he isn't, but he does think about it,
or he does play the position in a way that
sort of works for the team. Honestly, I see that
in Patagimon as well. His movement is not as refined,
(12:03):
but he has physical gifts that he brings to bear
and is willing to use for the good of the team.
And he scored another header this weekend for Derby County.
Of Derby County ten on the season. He was, of
course the starting center forwards for the US last summer.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
At the Gold Cup.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
I thought he did some good work there. He was rugged,
his hold up play was useful. He also played through
a pretty significant injury, which I think scores in points
in Mauricio Pochettino's book It's for Me, he is number
two on the depth chart. I think that he has
proved his toughness. I think he's now showing goal scoring chops.
His movement has become more refined, and those are all
(12:43):
things that I think are going to matter to this team.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Yeah, I think you know you're not wrong there. I
think he's certainly. I think, regardless of what happens over
the next few months, it seems like Agimon is gonna
end up being number two. I don't know who number
one will be, but it seems like he will be
number too. Right, it looks like Baaligan would be number one.
But if Haji Right keeps doing what he you know,
what he did over the last couple of days, I
(13:07):
think you know, maybekji right move, but I you know
that with with what Aljiemn has done so far, And I.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
Think you're right about a lot of the things that
you say.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
Although I tend to disagree a little bit on the
on the hold up play part of his game. I
I think that he's not sort of the perfect match
for for like a Polisic to play off of.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
But I do think that his.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Play is certainly coming along and I and I do
think that he will be a key part of the
World Cup team.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Let's let's tease out those thoughts on the hold up play, because,
like if I think back to last summer the US,
by the end of that tournament, the only way we
had to progress the ball was long bolster to Pat Ajimon,
like there was nothing happening through central midfield. But obviously
that was a team that did not have Christian Poulisic
on it. That was a team that was missing a
(13:58):
lot of the other top attackers. So what did you
see from Azimon there that makes you a little wary
of the potential fit with Polistic and presumably the rest
of the A squad.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
I think, you know, if I were to look at
Azimon and compare him to Baalogan, I see Baligan as
as someone who understands the game a little bit better.
I see Azimond a little bit behind. And I think
for a player like Christian Polisic who comes inside and
let's not forget that. You know how creative Christian Polisic is.
(14:34):
He's so creative that he he doesn't know what he's
going to do next. And because of that, and this
is totally normal for creative players, and because of that,
you need, I believe, a player like Baligan who understands
that type of player, who's playing at that type of
level with players who are also like that.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
And so this is why.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
And by the way, take nothing away from Azimon because
even though if we look at last summer, he's a
different player today than he was last summer. I mean,
he's he's likely made more strides than any player on
the team. I mean you could argue that, you know,
you look at every single player we have in our
roster and look at and compare him to Azimund in
his progress over the last you know, eight or nine months,
(15:18):
and it's hard to argue that he hasn't come along
more than everyone else. And so that's positive, and let's
see where he is going into the summer. But having
said that, I still think that he is still a
little bit behind in terms of game understanding and giving
Christian Polisic different options, and by the way, some of
the options sometimes are just getting out of the way
(15:40):
and so and so. I think this is something that
Baligan at this point still understands a little bit better.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
Yeah, faster processor, I don't think there's any doubt about that.
But I just I love Agimon's upside. I love the
way he's willing to use his body. And we saw
it again this weekend with the way he scored that goal.
I think that is going to make for the US certainly.
Speaker 4 (16:02):
You know, if the US.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
End up trailing late in a game, there is like
he is the a one obvious attacking sub to bring
on if they're just launching it into the box because
he's so good at winning those balls in the air.
A guy who's been really good at winning balls in
the air. On the other side of the field, nineteen
year old Nogai Banks, playing really well in the Bundesliga,
(16:26):
could end up maybe being a starter in the World Cup.
He's been brought to a couple of camps, hasn't played
a ton for the US, but he is fully committed
to the group by all accounts, and he has really
turned a corner. This nineteen year old kid frankly type
at a position of neat because I don't think any
of the potential partners for Chris Richards have stood out
(16:49):
to the point where it's like the partnership is unassailable,
Like this job seems open to me.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Yeah, there's no question.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
I'll give Tom Boger a lot of credit for that,
because a couple of months ago we put our prediction
of our teams together, and he put them on the
team and I did not.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
I do believe at this.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
Point, if I had to pick a team, I can't
imagine not picking him because if he's not you know,
and I don't think he will be a starter this summer,
and I know that other people are starting to believe that.
I don't think he will have enough experience by this
summer to be a starter for a team. But I
do believe that for many reasons, one of them being
(17:27):
that he would likely be the center back of the
future for the team. I think he needs to be
on this World Cup team. You know that every time
I watch him play, he impresses me a little bit more.
He's calm on the ball, he's calm using his He's
a big boy. I mean He's pushes people around, he
wins everything in the air, and you know, and he
(17:48):
knows how to use his body well, which for a
center back sometimes being that toll is difficult because forwards
can man. You know, it's difficult sometimes for a six
foot I think he's almost six foot four. For a
player that big, to play against forwards that are much
smaller is very difficult. And he's handling that really well.
Speaker 4 (18:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
So it would be nineteen years old this summer, he
which would make him the youngest center back I think
the US has ever brought to a World Cup. Landon
Donovan on his show, penciled him in as a starter
last week. Landon was twenty. Landon and DeMarcus both we're
twenty years old back in two thousand and two and they,
you know, they were starters part time, and well, I
(18:32):
think Landon actually started every game, DeMarcus started a couple.
Speaker 4 (18:36):
It's different.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
For attackers, it's I'm not gonna say less responsibility, but
it's responsibility comes I think in waves as an attacker,
whereas for center backs, you are you have to be
responsible for the whole ninety minutes. I mean, it's it's
the famous saying like you could have eighty nine great
minutes as a center back, if you have one bad one,
you hat a terrible game. Whereas for a striker especially,
(18:58):
you could have eighty nine terrible you have one good one,
you got a great game.
Speaker 4 (19:02):
So it's a.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
Different sort of mental and emotional skill set. We're seeing
this kid do it every single week in the Bundesliga.
What would he have to do between let's say the
March friendlies and the rest of this Bundesliga season for
you to come back on June first on this show
and say, you know what he actually should be the starter?
Speaker 1 (19:21):
Well, I think there's not much more, not much different
than what he's doing now. So he's doing all the
things he has to do. He plays all the time,
he plays well all the time, he's consistent.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
Of course, we're going to see some mistakes.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
Between now and May, because that's normal for every defender,
in particular when you're that young.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
And I think he needs to continue to play.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
I think the issue is going to be, even if
he's playing every game, is a little bit of that
lack of experience, you know, when it comes to those big,
big moments at the World Cup, you're representing your country
at home, there's going to be a lot of pressure
on the guys to do that. Let's not forget he's
playing for Augsburg right now, which the pressure is really
let's you know, not to get relegated. You know, it's
(20:04):
it's it's a much different scenario. I do find it
difficult to think that he's going to be a starter
by by June because of all of those things, and
by the way, not because he's not one of the
best defenders that we will have at that point. So
I think that even if he is one of the
best defenders, I find it hard to believe that Musio
(20:25):
Pochettino is gonna go to a nineteen year old to
start the World Cup.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
But it may happen.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Yeah, it's definitely on the board. At this point, we
will see. It's gonna be tough. You know, he's as says,
he's just nineteen year old kid. You don't see a
lot of center backs anywhere at that age starting games
at the World Cup four months away at this point,
and for us, it's time.
Speaker 4 (20:48):
For a break.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
We'll be back with my World Cup starting eleven for
the US men's national team and a deep dive into
the tactics we expect to see from Mauricio Pochettino. Please rate, review,
and subscribe to Side American Soccer with Tom Boger and
tab Ramos.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
Wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
Okay, welcome back to Inside American Soccer. Mettal here with
tab Ramos and tab I'm calling it an audible supposed
to give you the World Cup starting eleven, and I'm
not gonna do that. I'm going to give the March
Camp starting eleven because I like, I can't stop focusing
on this, because it is the last time for Mauricio
Pochettino to really learn something about the guys on this roster,
(21:38):
the guys like Noahai Banks who could be pushing into
a starting role, the guys like Pat Agimon who you know,
might be pushing into the second role, or you know,
the backup striker role, and the balance in the midfield.
Because we've had guys on the past couple of weeks
and some people want to use Weston mckenniy a little
bit deeper. Some guys want to use him pushed up
a little bit more. We've seen him both spots. We've
(22:01):
seen the team play without him, so I think this
is a chance for Pachaccino to get what is potentially
his best eleven onto the field while conducting some I
think targeted experiments that can tell us a little bit
more about the team. So I'm gonna start at the back,
Matt Freeze in goal, We're going to go Jedi Robinson
(22:22):
at left back. We're gonna use Chris Richards and Noahkai
Banks in central defense together, and we're going to use
Alex Freeman as my overlapping right back. Then across midfield
left to right, we're gonna have Christian poolisic, We're going
to have Tanner Tessaman and Tyler Adams, and then we're
(22:46):
gonna have Weston McKenny at the ten, which is what
he's been playing for Juventus. And then I want to
see Tim Weya at right midfield for at least one
of the games, right on the right wing, because he
does provide a good final ball and can come in,
he can pinch inside as Alex Freeman overlaps. And then
I want to see pat Azimon with the first team.
(23:08):
So I want pat Ajimon to be the starter for
this camp. So let's let's rip it apart.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
Bud Well I mean, you know, I have to start
with the obvious that you went to four in the back,
and we can get into that conversation that when Muricio
Bortisino still says that you're four in the he's four
in the back anyway, right, So yep, But I would
I would answer that with okay, where's the ball? And
because it could be seven in the back, right, So yeah,
(23:38):
I would say four in the back. You know, obviously
Freeman can play that right back role and do well,
and I think he and Waa together would be a
handful for any team, right and in particular, you know,
I'm I mean, you're putting this together for the March camp.
But if I'm projecting a little bit more towards the
World Cup, I would like this a little bit better
(23:59):
in the World Cup. And we're likely going to have
the ball more, you know, with the friendlies that we
have coming up in March. I don't I don't know
how much more how much of the ball we will have,
And if we're going to be falling into a defensive
shape anyway, it's likely that he's gonna go with a
five back then then with a three. But this is
what you have you have Polistic all the way on
the left side right with Testament and Adams in the middle.
(24:22):
You know, in this situation, obviously Polisic would be free
to to to go forward and he'd have McKenny getting
into the box, and you have Algiemond being hold up
play getting into the box, you know, being the you know,
the one that will receive the crosses from the other
side coming from Weea or Freeman potentially, and then Testament
(24:43):
and and and Adams just really holding because that's what
we have right because you have everybody else will likely
be going forward. You have Robinson on the left side too,
who as we know, goes forward really well, yeah, this
could potentially work. I I'm not I'm not a fan
of this lineup for March camps, considering the strength of
the opponents that we have and I think and how
(25:04):
much they're going to have the ball. But it certainly
will be It certainly will be a test, and it
will be another experiment. If this is what happens in
terms of, you know, what the team could look like
in the summer, it could answer likely a lot of
questions that I think. I think it's what you're trying
to do I think you're trying to answer some questions
with this lineup people together?
Speaker 2 (25:25):
Absolutely, yeah, I'm concerned about about center back. I'm concerned
about the balance on that back line. And so the
way I'm seeing it is sort of the classic in
this case, two fullbacks taking turns overlapping, and that's something
we've seen less and less of, both for the US
national team and in the in the world of soccer
(25:47):
in general. More often it's been one fullback gets licensed
to push forward and overlap on the attack, while the
other fullback sort of slides inside and becomes a back three.
It's what Pachettino started doing. I think about halftime of
that South Korea friendly back in September, where it's like
(26:08):
it's just asymmetrical. They defend against the ball, you know,
you know banks of four, but then when they have
their foot on the ball, it looks more like a
three four two one or you know three two five
if you want to call it. There, and it's it's
influenced strongly by positional play by Pep Guardiola and the
way he always has certain players in certain positions in
(26:32):
order to spread out the opposing back line and create
attacking balance. In this instance, though, I do think the
US should try going away from that and going back
to kind of a Pulley system where Okay, Freeman overlaps,
then Jedi is going to stay deep. If Jedi overlaps,
then Freeman has to stay deep. And that chemistry between
(26:54):
the fullbacks is as important in its way as the
chemistry between the center backs, because tab if they get
that wrong and then suddenly it's two center backs defending
on an island.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
Yeah, and it's and you know, to be fair, it's
an easy concept, right that I think all these players
have they've played and I'm sure for coaches who have
done that in the past. You know, when full bet goes,
the other one stays, it's pretty you know, in general,
it's a pretty it's a pretty easy concept that I
think that I think they'll get and easy to accomplish.
I'd be a little bit more concerned on Jedi's side
(27:25):
when you know it's likely a both way and Freeman
will attack on one side and and don't forget, Polisic
will likely be in the box at the time when
those guys are attacking. And I'm you know, so our
defensive left side of the field there's going to be
some huge holes for for potentially testament uh or or
atoms to try to cover when there's a turnover right,
(27:46):
So I'd be concerned a little bit about the defensive
transition and the shape our team will be in when
the bolt turns over more than anything else.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
So how do you fix that in this roster? Do
you do you go back? Like do you go to
having Jedi as a left back but never overlapping? And
then if you're going to do that, where do you
do you use a more two way sort of left midfielder,
Because I think one thing we can all agree on
is like, we don't want Christian Polistic to have too
(28:16):
many defensive responsibilities. We want him in a position where
he doesn't have to worry about what's behind him. He
could be free to attack. So what is your fix
for it with this?
Speaker 1 (28:26):
Well, I think where you need to get help from
is in this case you're using McKinney as your ten
right and McKinney also gets into the box. So I
think you don't necessarily want to be in this situation
where you have as an example, and this may be
an exaggeration, but something that could potentially happen. Happen according
to the qualities that the players that you have on
the field right now. So you have potentially Way and
(28:49):
Freeman gone on that right side, you have McKinny getting
into the box, Pullicit getting into the box, and you
have Auguman obviously in the boxes. He's your nine lot
of field to cover for two guys that are in
the middle for recovery, right, that's the concern. So I
think you're asking how do you fix that? You fix
that likely by having you're using, you know, McKinney as
(29:12):
at ten, by having that third player being a little
bit more conservative and watching the play develop and sort
of getting in the box a little bit later rather
than early like McKinny likes to do.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
Yeah, he has been really dynamic off the ball with
those sorts of runs for Juventus over the past month.
He's in the best form of his life. One of
the things that we talk about with managers is you
kind of build the team around your star a little bit,
not entirely, but you want to make sure that your
(29:45):
best players are in the right spots to win you games.
At this point, does that mean building around Weston mckennie's
strengths or Christian Polistics or is there a way to
do both.
Speaker 3 (30:01):
Well.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
You know, this is a tough choice for Maricio Porsatino
because we haven't seen the best of Polisic on the
national team, but we have seen it at AC Milan,
and i'd like to see us. If we're gonna build
around someone, I'd like for us to build it around
Christian Polisic. And what is the best way to do that.
The best way to do that is by using Polisic.
(30:23):
It's sort of like a second forward, which is where
he seems to be most comfortable, you know, playing in Italy,
and where he gets you know, he gets on the
end of plays all the time, he creates, he scores,
He makes a big difference for his team. So I
would say you build around Christian Polisic because also we
have to remember that McKinney is much more adaptable. I mean,
(30:47):
he can do anything, so you could you know, you
don't have to build around McKinney. He will adapt to
however you build a team. And I think that would
that would potentially be a good combination.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
So if we go for a two up top of
Agiman and Polistic, because I do want to see Agimon
and Polistic together in this camp, so you're not gonna
break me on that one. But we drop Weston into
a three man midfield. It's the same three man midfield
with Adams, Tessaman and Weston, but Christian just playing is
more of a true forward. Then we put Max Arpsten
(31:20):
back in at left wing back. Right wing back. Will
make it Tim Weaia and then a back three of
Jedi Robinson as a left center back. I want to
see that, Chris Richards and Noahkai Banks. It's in a
lot of ways, it's almost the same exact lineup. We're
just dropping one wing back in Alex Freeman for another
(31:43):
in in Max Arpsten and Arsten we've seen over the
past year can handle himself as a two way player
on that left side.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
Yeah, I mean I think on paper that look that
looks good, you know.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
I like that.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
I think the issue is that, I would say, is
the same issue that you have when you're a coach
and you're on the sideline and you want to make
a substitution. How can you make a substitution without affecting
too many people? So what you don't want to do
is okay, let's let's bring in a left back so
that I can move my left back into the left
center back position, and then my left center back goes
(32:18):
into the right center back and so on. And now
you're affecting the team in so many ways and having
guys in a way play at a position. Can they
do that, Yeah, of course they can do that, but
it's not where they're most comfortable.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
It's not what they do all of the time.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
And so I would be a little bit concerned with
having Jedi played that third center back role only because
that's not what he normally does.
Speaker 3 (32:42):
Not that he couldn't do it.
Speaker 1 (32:43):
I think he can, and I think again, I see
it on paper, and if you gave him Recio Pogatino
a couple of months to train with him there, I
think he would be great because he has all of
the tools to be able to do that.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
But I'd be concerned.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
You know, in the national team, sometimes you don't have
a lot of time to train to put someone in
a position where they're usually not playing.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
The last one hundred and eighty minutes to train coming
up next month for the US men's national team at
the end of March, they'll be playing against Belgium and
then against Portugal in a couple of very big Friendly
is going to learn a lot from those two, both
in terms of how the US are going to play
and who is going to be playing this summer in
(33:26):
the World Cup for US.
Speaker 4 (33:28):
It's time for one more break.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
We'll be right back to talk about Tabs twenty nineteen
U twenty World Cup team, one that has put a
lot of players into this current roster. Thanks for listening
to Inside American Soccer. Please rate, review and subscribe. All right, folks,
(33:54):
welcome back to Inside American Soccer. I meant to all
here with Tab Ramos as always, and we're going to
take advantage of Tab's intimate knowledge of this current US
or the current US player pool, because, as you probably know,
he was the head coach for the USU twenty national
team for most of the twenty tens, four straight cycles.
(34:16):
I think it was three straight quarter final appearances for
you guys time. Some great players came through that program.
My favorite of those U twenty groups was the twenty
nineteen group had that incredible win over for I thought
the world was at our feet when you guys beat
Friends in that game. That was the round of sixteen,
(34:37):
if I remember correctly, and that team has produced a
lot of players for this group. Chris Richards was huge
in that tournament. Sir Genio Desk had a breakout tournament
for the US. Mark McKenzie I think wore the armband.
We saw Tim Weaya scored a stunner, and Richieldesma, who
was a backup number ten for that US team and
(34:59):
is now in attacking fullback for L three. Tap take
us inside that locker room, because these guys are the
age now or the age then that Noakhai Banks is now.
And there's some elements of you were talking earlier about
like who's ready, who's not? What did you see in
those young guys at that particular time, and what has
(35:22):
surprised you when the year six.
Speaker 1 (35:23):
Yeah, I mean, and first of all, thanks for picking
this team because this this was truly a fun team
to coach. You know, I believe that on this team,
and you talked about the France win in the second round,
I truly believe we were gonna win the World Cup
with this team. You know, we started that World Cup
by losing two to one two Ukraine. You know they
were the eventual World Cup champions, and I remember telling
(35:47):
the team after the game in the locker room, we're
gonna meet those guys again in the final. We're gonna
beat them, because I remember the game. We dominated the game.
Ukraine beat us on a corner head in the second
half on a game that you know, obviously we we
were better. And I really had all the trust in
this team that we were gonna be okay regardless. I
(36:10):
can start by saying that, you know, it was Uh,
these were fun guys. I felt like I had a
lot of captains on the team, a lot of guys
who felt like they wanted the responsibility to be winners
and to take this US team somewhere had never been before.
And uh, and I really felt like we we had
a chance to do it.
Speaker 3 (36:29):
You know, you go player by player.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
You mentioned Mark McKenzie had the captain's band. You know,
Mark is one of the most professional people that I
have ever met. First of all, he's a He's a
wonderful person and and that's a great quality to have
because Mark is one of those guys, you know. I
remember Jurgen Klinsman used to say, you know, on teams,
(36:51):
there are givers and there are takers and and Mark
is certainly a giver. Being around Mark McKenzie, Mark McKenzie
makes other players better. That's the type of person that
he is, and that's the type of player that he is.
And of course as a player, he does have some limitations,
but he understands them and plays around them, which is
nice to know that a player is smart enough to
(37:13):
know what he's good at. Then we had obviously Chris
Richards and Chris Richards. It's you know, it's interesting because
Chris Richards. I had people from FIFA come to me
after games and ask me who is that player? Because
they thought that was the absolute best center back at
the World Cup at the time, So he was getting
(37:35):
a lot of attention.
Speaker 3 (37:36):
Again. You know, if you know Chris Richards, he's.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
From Alabama, super nice.
Speaker 3 (37:41):
I mean, you would never know.
Speaker 1 (37:42):
I'm sure he's still the same today, although I haven't
seen him in a few years. But but he he
is also a giver, also cares about his teammates, He
cares about how people treat each other. And I'm telling
you these little things because I think these are the
things that people don't see, uh and these are these
how this is how these personalities have become so big
(38:03):
because they truly are great people. And then obviously he
was a great player. You know, physically he was a beast.
He would win every bowl in the air. He has
good feed, he was fast, he had all of those qualities.
But I think the fact that you know, having Mark
McKenzie and Chris Richards in the back sort of securing
the back with with the type of effect that they
(38:25):
had on the rest of the guys.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
On the team, was absolutely huge.
Speaker 1 (38:28):
And then other guys you mentioned, obviously Tim Way. I
was already playing at Celtic at the time and this
is you know, and I hate to use the word
the word interesting so much, but this was interesting at
the time. You know, Celtic was getting ready to go
play their Cup final at the time when when Tim
was supposed to come to US. I called Tim and
I said, Tim, look, I understand you have your Cup
(38:49):
final and I think that you know your coach is
obviously going to want you there, so I understand if
you have to come in late for the World Cup,
as long as you come for the second game. I
was okay with that. Tim said, absolutely not, I'm coming
in from the beginning.
Speaker 3 (39:02):
And his coach. I actually spoke to his coach. I
forgot who it was.
Speaker 1 (39:06):
It was a big personality at the time, but the
coach was really upset. But Tim didn't want to say
that was the end of it. He left Celtic to
come play for US. So it was a big, big commitment.
Missed the Cup final in Scotland to come play for US.
And obviously you know the respect that all the guys
already had for Tim Way at the time, he had
already been a PSG, so he's already he was already
(39:27):
a big player. And then there were interesting situations like
you're mentioning Richie Ledesma and we can speak about Richie,
but also let's not forget Io Quino lot right, because
Io ended up going to play for.
Speaker 3 (39:39):
Canada eventually Canada.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
Yeah, so Io played for Canada and Richie Ledesma ended
up playing for Mexico.
Speaker 4 (39:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:46):
So the way you described a lot of those guys,
nice guys, nice guys, nice guys. Was there too much
of that in that group? And does US Soccer the
production line of players coming through now a lot of
skillful guys. Are there too many nice guys coming through
the academy system?
Speaker 3 (40:07):
No, but you guys didn't.
Speaker 2 (40:09):
You guys didn't make the World Cup in nineteen ninety
because you were a.
Speaker 4 (40:12):
Bunch of nice guys.
Speaker 2 (40:14):
You know, you guys broke that forty year streak because
you were sobs on the field to play against.
Speaker 4 (40:20):
Right.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
No, And this is why I mentioned, as I said
nice guys. I mentioned that that the other guys on
the team looked looked at them as guys who wanted
to win. So although they were great guys off the field,
on the field, they wanted nothing but to win and
they would do anything to win the game. So I think,
I think this is this is where that line is course,
and this is why, honestly, Matt, I had been surprised
(40:44):
with our national team over the last four or five
years and the lack of desire that we saw on
the field over that period of time, because I felt like,
these are not these are not the guys I coach.
You know, if there was anything, and I will, I
won't limit it to only these guys. But if there's
there's one thing I can tell you from having coach
in four World Cups and in four qualifying events with
(41:05):
you twenties, American players will run through the wall for you.
If you're the coach and you stay and you put
your arm around an American player and you say things
the right well the right way, they will run through
the wall for you. And I always felt like that
was an advantage for us. These players will do anything,
and that was surprising to me. But I think these
(41:26):
guys that we mentioned on this particular team, they're true
leaders of that philosophy.
Speaker 2 (41:32):
A guy that we mentioned both of us, Richard Ledesma.
He was one of my favorite players for that team,
number ten, who had what I called easy speed. I
remember his ability to just like turn away from pressure
and get out within one stride. He was near top
speed carrying the ball and then able to play runners
through and hit the final ball while at a sprint.
(41:55):
It's a skill set you don't see come around.
Speaker 4 (41:58):
Often.
Speaker 2 (41:59):
Had some ups and downs on his career path. He
is now the starting right wing back for achiev US
down in League Amaki's. He has filed a one time
switch to El Tree. It looks very likely he's going
to be on that team this summer. It is not
something that career path that I think anybody saw tam.
Speaker 1 (42:21):
Nos certainly not because you know Richie was a great
player always. You know, there were guys that I like
to call slippery in the middle of the field, so
you play him a ball and regardless of where they are,
they're slipping out and they're getting out. And on that
team we had three so we had Richie Ledesma, we
have we had packs and Pomacoll at his best before
all his injuries, and we had Alex Mendez. These guys
(42:44):
just would not lose the ball. And there's nothing better
than you being able to play the ball inside. Let's
let's recognize that those inside positions, that number six, number eight,
number ten role on the field, they are the most
difficult position to play on the field bar none. I
don't care what anybody says. It's really difficult to play
when you have people coming from every which way to
(43:07):
pressure you. And those guys were slippery and would never
lose the ball. And I'm surprised to see Richie now
play on the right side because I think, you know,
for me, he was going to be a great player
inside for the rest of until he was thirty six, and.
Speaker 3 (43:21):
So I'm surprised to see him there.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
But you know, in the end, he's he's still playing,
and he found a position at right back, which I'm
sure it's incredibly easy for him to play there after
having played inside, and I'm not surprised he's having success there.
Speaker 2 (43:36):
Yeah, he's shown some real fortitude a kid who was
never really given a chance to play inside, but PSV
moved him outside. I think under Ernie Stewart a year
and a half ago, was a pure attacking right back
and he's parleyed that into a big future at the
club level down in Liga MCKIS and with l Tree.
(43:59):
It's one of those tab where with all the Mexican
Americans now so many of them choosing to represent Mexico,
I have almost a little bit of American pride about
watching the team in green. It's it's something that if
you had told me this twenty years ago, I would
have said, you're absolutely crazy.
Speaker 1 (44:18):
Yeah, because I and I live that, because I lived
having to fight recruiting, you know, our American players with
Mexican background to stay with us to justin you know,
we had to we had to go to homes to
do that. You know, I've been to Uli Yanya's home,
I've been to you know, Alex Mende's home, to meet
with his mom, like I, you know, these are all
players that we were fighting to keep on our youth
(44:40):
national teams, and it seems like the tables are turned now,
right they It seems like it's the other way around.
Speaker 2 (44:47):
Yeah, it seems like we're helping them out, which is
I think a good thing for Conca CAF as a whole,
and I think it's probably a good thing for US
soccer as a whole. It means that there's a lot
of talent suddenly coming through the ranks. Tab obviously played
a huge part of that as the face of the
U twenty program for a long time last decade. And
(45:08):
we'll be back next week to talk much more about that,
much more about the March friendlies. I think we'll probably
pick apart some performances around the world, maybe a little
bit about the first weekend of MLS action as well,
and I hope you'll join us. So thank you for
listening to Inside American Soccer. Please rate, review and subscribe,
(45:29):
and please continue to leave your questions and comments on
all our platforms, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Speaker 4 (45:37):
We'll see you all next week.
And let's not forget that. You know how creative Christian
Polisic is. He's so creative that he he doesn't know
what he's gonna do next. And because of that, and
this is totally normal for creative players, and because of that,
you need, I believe a player like Baligan who understands
that type of player, who's playing at that type of
(00:22):
level with players who are also like that.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Greetings, folks, and welcome to Inside American Soccer. I'm Matt Doyle,
the armchair analyst, and I'll be filling in for new
dad Tom Bogert for a couple more weeks. And I
am joined as always by my friend and yours, one
of the greatest soccer players in US men's history, a
veteran of three World Cups. Tab Ramos Todd, How.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
You do pretty good?
Speaker 1 (00:51):
I mean, you know, I was just thinking, is the
snow ever gonna stop here on these cuz I mean
I feel like I haven't seen grass in two months.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
Yeah, but spring is right around the corner.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
The MLS season kicks off this weekend, Like I think
we're gonna be seeing it, at least on our TV screens.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
I threw my back out shoveling last month.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
I hadn't shoveled shoveled in twenty five years, so like
I'm out of I'm out of the habit, I'm out
of practice.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
It's been pretty rough, dude.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Yeah, it certainly has been because I've had some back
issues myself.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
With all the snow.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
I usually shovel everything myself, and I'm okay with it,
by the way, because I'm you know, obviously, I'm an
go to the gym guy every day. So the day
it snows, I skip the gym and I use the
uh sort of the snow shoveling for to take over.
But unfortunately it's been rough.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
I prefer the gym to shoveling, and I prefer talking
soccer to talking about shoveling.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
So let's do that.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
We have some topics today that I think are of
real interest to US national team fans as we close
in on the World Cup it's just four months away.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
Now there's some, honestly, some real discussion.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Had about what's going to happen up top. Pat Agimon
scored another goal in the Championship. Haji Wright finally getting
back on the board with a hat trick for Coventry City.
Then I'm gonna give my starting eleven for the men
for this summer, and we'll debut a new segment called
Tactics Time, where we'll get into the details of how
the US could and should play coming into the March Friendlies.
(02:24):
We talked about this a couple of weeks ago when
Marcello was here. He's the one who really opened the
box on this, talking about how the three four two
one becomes a four to four to two, and I
think that's an important thing for us, for US and
for fans to understand. Plus, we're going to go into
the locker room with Tab talking about that twenty nineteen
(02:44):
US U twenty national team, which produced so many great players,
guys like Chris Richards, Erginio Desk, Tim Waya for the
US and Richieldesmo for l Tree. So there's a couple
of different pathways to this summer's World Cup out of
that team, which I have to admit was my favorite
of the four twenty teams you coached. But let's get
(03:06):
into the US national team news first. Hoagi Wright had
that hat trick to take Coventry to the top of
the championship. He has had a really streaky, really up
and down season. But now he's on thirteen goals, which
is second place in the championship. It's tough to figure
out where he fits in Pascha's eyes. But you keep
(03:28):
scoring goals, you're going to be on the ross.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Well, I mean, and this is this is unfortunately where
we all are in terms of the forwards, right, because
we go week to week, we go from saying one week, well,
you know it was by the way, I blame myself
for saying last week, well, you know what, Hodgi's really
falling behind. He's only scored two goals in about two months.
How is that going to take him on the team?
And after yesterday, I'm thinking I think he's fighting for
(03:53):
a starting spot. So that's kind of where we are.
But you know, this is this is all great to say,
and it goes to show that, you know, in that
forward spot, I think we're going to be likely waiting
until the last couple of weeks before we can actually
say Marisa Buchetino is going to pick these guys because
I think there's legitimately four guys that have a chance
(04:14):
to go maybe even five.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Yeah, and right, if he keeps scoring, is one of them.
But he's not really a traditional number nine. If you
look at the way he scores his goals, he almost
seems more comfortable coming in from the wing, working off
of the movement of maybe a more traditional center forward.
Now that would lead you to say, well, maybe you
know a two forward setup, but it's not going to
(04:39):
be like that. So I guess my question is, if
you were coaching him and using Pascha's system, are you
comfortable with how Haji fits?
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (04:49):
You know that that's interesting what you're saying, because you know,
I look back at all of the the the pre
the youth national teams of a few years back, in
all the depth charts and every depth chart where I
see Hajji right, I see him on the left right,
So he was sort of like a left winger coming inside.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
And that's what you're saying.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
So but with our national team, you know, and every team,
you always have to consider the talent that you have.
That's how you build a team because what you have
is what you have, regardless of.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
How you want to play.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
If we were ever going to play a two forward system,
it's likely that it's going to be. At this point, again,
speaking today, it's likely that it's going to be Balligan
with a Christian polistic playing that second forward type of position.
So to answer your question, would I see Hajji playing
that nine role, I have to tell you. I have
(05:41):
to see in the goals he scored this just yesterday
or you know, a couple of days ago. I think
he can. I think he can. I think he can
be that nine because he scored the goals he scored.
Obviously one was a penalty, but the other two goals
are number nine goals. You know, just see the way
he handled you know that long bow that I think
game it might have come from the goalkeeper, that long
(06:02):
bowl where he pushes the player off with one hand
like nothing, And yeah, I mean these are number nine goals.
Obviously the header he hits the post about a couple
of minutes into the game with a header. So to
answer your question, I think he can do either. He
could be wide, he could be a second forwarded, he
could potentially be the nine.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
Yeah, it's good to see from him.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
I think it's one of the has to be one
of the priority things that Punch looks at in next
month's friendlies. The final camp before the World Cup is
to get Hodgi a run in that true number nine spot,
because the guy it feels like everybody is chasing is
follering Balligan, who I think is still the starter. And
(06:42):
if you look back at the last half dozen friendlies
that the US played, the last five, I guess you
know he started three of those games. He scored in
every one of those games. Meanwhile, he's gone ice cold
I for Monica. At the club level, how do you
balance that if you're the coach a guy that you
rely upon, like I think Brian McBride is famously like
(07:05):
this for Bruce Arena back in the two thousand and
two cycle. He went twenty odd games without scoring for
his club. Bruce obviously took him and started him anyway,
and that paid off with a couple of goals.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
So I would say this so a couple of different ways.
Looking at it from the outside, I would say, first
of all, Baligan, you know his next game is against
PSG in the Champions League, right, So no disrespect to
Middlesbrough in the Championship, but you're playing against PSG in
the Champions League. You're playing you're fighting for a Champions
(07:38):
League spot in your own league, and you're playing games
at the absolute top level that you can play, So
I think we couldn't avoid measuring using that as a
measuring stick. The next thing, looking from the outside would
be for me is his coach is still playing in them.
So as long as your coach is playing you, that
(07:58):
means that the is just not going in, but he
has confidence in you. I'd be worried if Baligan was
not scoring and now all of a sudden he's not
playing much, that's a concern rate, But as long as
he's on the field, I'm not concerned with that because
I'm measuring him by the quality of the games he
participates in.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Yeah, Balligan, I think, unquestion, is playing against the toughest
competition of anyone in the center forward pool. And you
make a good point, he's still playing even though he's
not putting the ball in the back of the net.
And it's because he adds so much value off the ball.
And it's not just the threat of his speed and
he's not the fastest player in the world, but he
has good pays.
Speaker 4 (08:37):
But it's how he is.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Constantly making those sort of penetrating off ball runs, attacking
the space behind the opposing defense, and that always gives
opposing center backs something else to think about, so they
can't just sort of focus on the play in front
of them. They have to always be calculating what's happening
in behind them. It's how a good forward comes a
(09:01):
playmaker without even touching the ball. You just give space
to the guys around you. And you played as a playmaker.
You played sometimes outside, sometimes inside, and sometimes he had
forwards like that, and sometimes he did sometimes he had
guys who would attack the space and behind and sometimes
you didn't talk about the difference. How it impacts the
(09:21):
game when you have a forward who is always going
to be unselfish with those off ball runs trying to
get in behind, and how it makes life easier for
the midfielders.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Yeah, I mean, you know this is this is a
good point to look at because for the players behind,
and this is why teams require time to develop. You
need to obviously get to know everyone and their their
strengths within the team. When you have a forward who
can stretch the field the way Baligan can stretch the field,
it gives everyone behind them a lot more room because
(09:56):
number one, you know, teams.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Are are a lot more.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Uh, let's i don't want to say scared, but there
are a lot more apprehensive in terms of playing that
high line, right, so they they're a little bit more careful.
By being a little bit more careful, they do take
those three or four steps behind, and by taking those
three or four steps back, it creates a little bit
more room in that in that spot between what.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
Would be the the.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Ford defenders and the defensive midfield area, and that's areas
where you create. So I think players like Balligan can
do all of that. But let's not let's not forget
that ballogn He can stretch the field, but he can
also come back and receive. He's a good connector and
that's something that is difficult to find those type of forwards.
(10:47):
Let's say, like you know, reminds me a little bit
of like a McBride. So McBride could come in, knew
his exact role, he knew how to hang around the box,
he could come back and receive, defeat, play it off
and get into the box. And he's a little bit
similar to the way McBride used to play. And McBride
obviously was to me one of the perfect nines that
we had. So it does as as a playmaker. It
(11:10):
gives you a lot of different possibilities and it makes
it really difficult for the two center backs.
Speaker 4 (11:17):
Yeah, in those sacrificial runs.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
A guy that we saw in MLS five years ago
doing them all the time was Tati Castianos, and he
was a guy who would go hot and cold in
terms of his goal scoring, but he did everything else
so well. He got that move to Lazio. Now he's
scoring goals for West Ham in the Premiership. Twenty five
million dollar player. There's a lot of similarities I see
between him.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
And flow Ball.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
Again, he plays selflessly, which is not a word you
usually associate with the center forward. These guys are supposed
to be goal hungry all the time, which is not
to say he isn't, but he does think about it,
or he does play the position in a way that
sort of works for the team. Honestly, I see that
in Patagimon as well. His movement is not as refined,
(12:03):
but he has physical gifts that he brings to bear
and is willing to use for the good of the team.
And he scored another header this weekend for Derby County.
Of Derby County ten on the season. He was, of
course the starting center forwards for the US last summer.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
At the Gold Cup.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
I thought he did some good work there. He was rugged,
his hold up play was useful. He also played through
a pretty significant injury, which I think scores in points
in Mauricio Pochettino's book It's for Me, he is number
two on the depth chart. I think that he has
proved his toughness. I think he's now showing goal scoring chops.
His movement has become more refined, and those are all
(12:43):
things that I think are going to matter to this team.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Yeah, I think you know you're not wrong there. I
think he's certainly. I think, regardless of what happens over
the next few months, it seems like Agimon is gonna
end up being number two. I don't know who number
one will be, but it seems like he will be
number too. Right, it looks like Baaligan would be number one.
But if Haji Right keeps doing what he you know,
what he did over the last couple of days, I
(13:07):
think you know, maybekji right move, but I you know
that with with what Aljiemn has done so far, And I.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
Think you're right about a lot of the things that
you say.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
Although I tend to disagree a little bit on the
on the hold up play part of his game. I
I think that he's not sort of the perfect match
for for like a Polisic to play off of.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
But I do think that his.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Play is certainly coming along and I and I do
think that he will be a key part of the
World Cup team.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Let's let's tease out those thoughts on the hold up play, because,
like if I think back to last summer the US,
by the end of that tournament, the only way we
had to progress the ball was long bolster to Pat Ajimon,
like there was nothing happening through central midfield. But obviously
that was a team that did not have Christian Poulisic
on it. That was a team that was missing a
(13:58):
lot of the other top attackers. So what did you
see from Azimon there that makes you a little wary
of the potential fit with Polistic and presumably the rest
of the A squad.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
I think, you know, if I were to look at
Azimon and compare him to Baalogan, I see Baligan as
as someone who understands the game a little bit better.
I see Azimond a little bit behind. And I think
for a player like Christian Polisic who comes inside and
let's not forget that. You know how creative Christian Polisic is.
(14:34):
He's so creative that he he doesn't know what he's
going to do next. And because of that, and this
is totally normal for creative players, and because of that,
you need, I believe, a player like Baligan who understands
that type of player, who's playing at that type of
level with players who are also like that.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
And so this is why.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
And by the way, take nothing away from Azimon because
even though if we look at last summer, he's a
different player today than he was last summer. I mean,
he's he's likely made more strides than any player on
the team. I mean you could argue that, you know,
you look at every single player we have in our
roster and look at and compare him to Azimund in
his progress over the last you know, eight or nine months,
(15:18):
and it's hard to argue that he hasn't come along
more than everyone else. And so that's positive, and let's
see where he is going into the summer. But having
said that, I still think that he is still a
little bit behind in terms of game understanding and giving
Christian Polisic different options, and by the way, some of
the options sometimes are just getting out of the way
(15:40):
and so and so. I think this is something that
Baligan at this point still understands a little bit better.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
Yeah, faster processor, I don't think there's any doubt about that.
But I just I love Agimon's upside. I love the
way he's willing to use his body. And we saw
it again this weekend with the way he scored that goal.
I think that is going to make for the US certainly.
Speaker 4 (16:02):
You know, if the US.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
End up trailing late in a game, there is like
he is the a one obvious attacking sub to bring
on if they're just launching it into the box because
he's so good at winning those balls in the air.
A guy who's been really good at winning balls in
the air. On the other side of the field, nineteen
year old Nogai Banks, playing really well in the Bundesliga,
(16:26):
could end up maybe being a starter in the World Cup.
He's been brought to a couple of camps, hasn't played
a ton for the US, but he is fully committed
to the group by all accounts, and he has really
turned a corner. This nineteen year old kid frankly type
at a position of neat because I don't think any
of the potential partners for Chris Richards have stood out
(16:49):
to the point where it's like the partnership is unassailable,
Like this job seems open to me.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Yeah, there's no question.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
I'll give Tom Boger a lot of credit for that,
because a couple of months ago we put our prediction
of our teams together, and he put them on the
team and I did not.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
I do believe at this.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
Point, if I had to pick a team, I can't
imagine not picking him because if he's not you know,
and I don't think he will be a starter this summer,
and I know that other people are starting to believe that.
I don't think he will have enough experience by this
summer to be a starter for a team. But I
do believe that for many reasons, one of them being
(17:27):
that he would likely be the center back of the
future for the team. I think he needs to be
on this World Cup team. You know that every time
I watch him play, he impresses me a little bit more.
He's calm on the ball, he's calm using his He's
a big boy. I mean He's pushes people around, he
wins everything in the air, and you know, and he
(17:48):
knows how to use his body well, which for a
center back sometimes being that toll is difficult because forwards
can man. You know, it's difficult sometimes for a six
foot I think he's almost six foot four. For a
player that big, to play against forwards that are much
smaller is very difficult. And he's handling that really well.
Speaker 4 (18:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
So it would be nineteen years old this summer, he
which would make him the youngest center back I think
the US has ever brought to a World Cup. Landon
Donovan on his show, penciled him in as a starter
last week. Landon was twenty. Landon and DeMarcus both we're
twenty years old back in two thousand and two and they,
you know, they were starters part time, and well, I
(18:32):
think Landon actually started every game, DeMarcus started a couple.
Speaker 4 (18:36):
It's different.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
For attackers, it's I'm not gonna say less responsibility, but
it's responsibility comes I think in waves as an attacker,
whereas for center backs, you are you have to be
responsible for the whole ninety minutes. I mean, it's it's
the famous saying like you could have eighty nine great
minutes as a center back, if you have one bad one,
you hat a terrible game. Whereas for a striker especially,
(18:58):
you could have eighty nine terrible you have one good one,
you got a great game.
Speaker 4 (19:02):
So it's a.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
Different sort of mental and emotional skill set. We're seeing
this kid do it every single week in the Bundesliga.
What would he have to do between let's say the
March friendlies and the rest of this Bundesliga season for
you to come back on June first on this show
and say, you know what he actually should be the starter?
Speaker 1 (19:21):
Well, I think there's not much more, not much different
than what he's doing now. So he's doing all the
things he has to do. He plays all the time,
he plays well all the time, he's consistent.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
Of course, we're going to see some mistakes.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
Between now and May, because that's normal for every defender,
in particular when you're that young.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
And I think he needs to continue to play.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
I think the issue is going to be, even if
he's playing every game, is a little bit of that
lack of experience, you know, when it comes to those big,
big moments at the World Cup, you're representing your country
at home, there's going to be a lot of pressure
on the guys to do that. Let's not forget he's
playing for Augsburg right now, which the pressure is really
let's you know, not to get relegated. You know, it's
(20:04):
it's it's a much different scenario. I do find it
difficult to think that he's going to be a starter
by by June because of all of those things, and
by the way, not because he's not one of the
best defenders that we will have at that point. So
I think that even if he is one of the
best defenders, I find it hard to believe that Musio
(20:25):
Pochettino is gonna go to a nineteen year old to
start the World Cup.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
But it may happen.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Yeah, it's definitely on the board. At this point, we
will see. It's gonna be tough. You know, he's as says,
he's just nineteen year old kid. You don't see a
lot of center backs anywhere at that age starting games
at the World Cup four months away at this point,
and for us, it's time.
Speaker 4 (20:48):
For a break.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
We'll be back with my World Cup starting eleven for
the US men's national team and a deep dive into
the tactics we expect to see from Mauricio Pochettino. Please rate, review,
and subscribe to Side American Soccer with Tom Boger and
tab Ramos.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
Wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
Okay, welcome back to Inside American Soccer. Mettal here with
tab Ramos and tab I'm calling it an audible supposed
to give you the World Cup starting eleven, and I'm
not gonna do that. I'm going to give the March
Camp starting eleven because I like, I can't stop focusing
on this, because it is the last time for Mauricio
Pochettino to really learn something about the guys on this roster,
(21:38):
the guys like Noahai Banks who could be pushing into
a starting role, the guys like Pat Agimon who you know,
might be pushing into the second role, or you know,
the backup striker role, and the balance in the midfield.
Because we've had guys on the past couple of weeks
and some people want to use Weston mckenniy a little
bit deeper. Some guys want to use him pushed up
a little bit more. We've seen him both spots. We've
(22:01):
seen the team play without him, so I think this
is a chance for Pachaccino to get what is potentially
his best eleven onto the field while conducting some I
think targeted experiments that can tell us a little bit
more about the team. So I'm gonna start at the back,
Matt Freeze in goal, We're going to go Jedi Robinson
(22:22):
at left back. We're gonna use Chris Richards and Noahkai
Banks in central defense together, and we're going to use
Alex Freeman as my overlapping right back. Then across midfield
left to right, we're gonna have Christian poolisic, We're going
to have Tanner Tessaman and Tyler Adams, and then we're
(22:46):
gonna have Weston McKenny at the ten, which is what
he's been playing for Juventus. And then I want to
see Tim Weya at right midfield for at least one
of the games, right on the right wing, because he
does provide a good final ball and can come in,
he can pinch inside as Alex Freeman overlaps. And then
I want to see pat Azimon with the first team.
(23:08):
So I want pat Ajimon to be the starter for
this camp. So let's let's rip it apart.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
Bud Well I mean, you know, I have to start
with the obvious that you went to four in the back,
and we can get into that conversation that when Muricio
Bortisino still says that you're four in the he's four
in the back anyway, right, So yep, But I would
I would answer that with okay, where's the ball? And
because it could be seven in the back, right, So yeah,
(23:38):
I would say four in the back. You know, obviously
Freeman can play that right back role and do well,
and I think he and Waa together would be a
handful for any team, right and in particular, you know,
I'm I mean, you're putting this together for the March camp.
But if I'm projecting a little bit more towards the
World Cup, I would like this a little bit better
(23:59):
in the World Cup. And we're likely going to have
the ball more, you know, with the friendlies that we
have coming up in March. I don't I don't know
how much more how much of the ball we will have,
And if we're going to be falling into a defensive
shape anyway, it's likely that he's gonna go with a
five back then then with a three. But this is
what you have you have Polistic all the way on
the left side right with Testament and Adams in the middle.
(24:22):
You know, in this situation, obviously Polisic would be free
to to to go forward and he'd have McKenny getting
into the box, and you have Algiemond being hold up
play getting into the box, you know, being the you know,
the one that will receive the crosses from the other
side coming from Weea or Freeman potentially, and then Testament
(24:43):
and and and Adams just really holding because that's what
we have right because you have everybody else will likely
be going forward. You have Robinson on the left side too,
who as we know, goes forward really well, yeah, this
could potentially work. I I'm not I'm not a fan
of this lineup for March camps, considering the strength of
the opponents that we have and I think and how
(25:04):
much they're going to have the ball. But it certainly
will be It certainly will be a test, and it
will be another experiment. If this is what happens in
terms of, you know, what the team could look like
in the summer, it could answer likely a lot of
questions that I think. I think it's what you're trying
to do I think you're trying to answer some questions
with this lineup people together?
Speaker 2 (25:25):
Absolutely, yeah, I'm concerned about about center back. I'm concerned
about the balance on that back line. And so the
way I'm seeing it is sort of the classic in
this case, two fullbacks taking turns overlapping, and that's something
we've seen less and less of, both for the US
national team and in the in the world of soccer
(25:47):
in general. More often it's been one fullback gets licensed
to push forward and overlap on the attack, while the
other fullback sort of slides inside and becomes a back three.
It's what Pachettino started doing. I think about halftime of
that South Korea friendly back in September, where it's like
(26:08):
it's just asymmetrical. They defend against the ball, you know,
you know banks of four, but then when they have
their foot on the ball, it looks more like a
three four two one or you know three two five
if you want to call it. There, and it's it's
influenced strongly by positional play by Pep Guardiola and the
way he always has certain players in certain positions in
(26:32):
order to spread out the opposing back line and create
attacking balance. In this instance, though, I do think the
US should try going away from that and going back
to kind of a Pulley system where Okay, Freeman overlaps,
then Jedi is going to stay deep. If Jedi overlaps,
then Freeman has to stay deep. And that chemistry between
(26:54):
the fullbacks is as important in its way as the
chemistry between the center backs, because tab if they get
that wrong and then suddenly it's two center backs defending
on an island.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
Yeah, and it's and you know, to be fair, it's
an easy concept, right that I think all these players
have they've played and I'm sure for coaches who have
done that in the past. You know, when full bet goes,
the other one stays, it's pretty you know, in general,
it's a pretty it's a pretty easy concept that I
think that I think they'll get and easy to accomplish.
I'd be a little bit more concerned on Jedi's side
(27:25):
when you know it's likely a both way and Freeman
will attack on one side and and don't forget, Polisic
will likely be in the box at the time when
those guys are attacking. And I'm you know, so our
defensive left side of the field there's going to be
some huge holes for for potentially testament uh or or
atoms to try to cover when there's a turnover right,
(27:46):
So I'd be concerned a little bit about the defensive
transition and the shape our team will be in when
the bolt turns over more than anything else.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
So how do you fix that in this roster? Do
you do you go back? Like do you go to
having Jedi as a left back but never overlapping? And
then if you're going to do that, where do you
do you use a more two way sort of left midfielder,
Because I think one thing we can all agree on
is like, we don't want Christian Polistic to have too
(28:16):
many defensive responsibilities. We want him in a position where
he doesn't have to worry about what's behind him. He
could be free to attack. So what is your fix
for it with this?
Speaker 1 (28:26):
Well, I think where you need to get help from
is in this case you're using McKinney as your ten
right and McKinney also gets into the box. So I
think you don't necessarily want to be in this situation
where you have as an example, and this may be
an exaggeration, but something that could potentially happen. Happen according
to the qualities that the players that you have on
the field right now. So you have potentially Way and
(28:49):
Freeman gone on that right side, you have McKinny getting
into the box, Pullicit getting into the box, and you
have Auguman obviously in the boxes. He's your nine lot
of field to cover for two guys that are in
the middle for recovery, right, that's the concern. So I
think you're asking how do you fix that? You fix
that likely by having you're using, you know, McKinney as
(29:12):
at ten, by having that third player being a little
bit more conservative and watching the play develop and sort
of getting in the box a little bit later rather
than early like McKinny likes to do.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
Yeah, he has been really dynamic off the ball with
those sorts of runs for Juventus over the past month.
He's in the best form of his life. One of
the things that we talk about with managers is you
kind of build the team around your star a little bit,
not entirely, but you want to make sure that your
(29:45):
best players are in the right spots to win you games.
At this point, does that mean building around Weston mckennie's
strengths or Christian Polistics or is there a way to
do both.
Speaker 3 (30:01):
Well.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
You know, this is a tough choice for Maricio Porsatino
because we haven't seen the best of Polisic on the
national team, but we have seen it at AC Milan,
and i'd like to see us. If we're gonna build
around someone, I'd like for us to build it around
Christian Polisic. And what is the best way to do that.
The best way to do that is by using Polisic.
(30:23):
It's sort of like a second forward, which is where
he seems to be most comfortable, you know, playing in Italy,
and where he gets you know, he gets on the
end of plays all the time, he creates, he scores,
He makes a big difference for his team. So I
would say you build around Christian Polisic because also we
have to remember that McKinney is much more adaptable. I mean,
(30:47):
he can do anything, so you could you know, you
don't have to build around McKinney. He will adapt to
however you build a team. And I think that would
that would potentially be a good combination.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
So if we go for a two up top of
Agiman and Polistic, because I do want to see Agimon
and Polistic together in this camp, so you're not gonna
break me on that one. But we drop Weston into
a three man midfield. It's the same three man midfield
with Adams, Tessaman and Weston, but Christian just playing is
more of a true forward. Then we put Max Arpsten
(31:20):
back in at left wing back. Right wing back. Will
make it Tim Weaia and then a back three of
Jedi Robinson as a left center back. I want to
see that, Chris Richards and Noahkai Banks. It's in a
lot of ways, it's almost the same exact lineup. We're
just dropping one wing back in Alex Freeman for another
(31:43):
in in Max Arpsten and Arsten we've seen over the
past year can handle himself as a two way player
on that left side.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
Yeah, I mean I think on paper that look that
looks good, you know.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
I like that.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
I think the issue is that, I would say, is
the same issue that you have when you're a coach
and you're on the sideline and you want to make
a substitution. How can you make a substitution without affecting
too many people? So what you don't want to do
is okay, let's let's bring in a left back so
that I can move my left back into the left
center back position, and then my left center back goes
(32:18):
into the right center back and so on. And now
you're affecting the team in so many ways and having
guys in a way play at a position. Can they
do that, Yeah, of course they can do that, but
it's not where they're most comfortable.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
It's not what they do all of the time.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
And so I would be a little bit concerned with
having Jedi played that third center back role only because
that's not what he normally does.
Speaker 3 (32:42):
Not that he couldn't do it.
Speaker 1 (32:43):
I think he can, and I think again, I see
it on paper, and if you gave him Recio Pogatino
a couple of months to train with him there, I
think he would be great because he has all of
the tools to be able to do that.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
But I'd be concerned.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
You know, in the national team, sometimes you don't have
a lot of time to train to put someone in
a position where they're usually not playing.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
The last one hundred and eighty minutes to train coming
up next month for the US men's national team at
the end of March, they'll be playing against Belgium and
then against Portugal in a couple of very big Friendly
is going to learn a lot from those two, both
in terms of how the US are going to play
and who is going to be playing this summer in
(33:26):
the World Cup for US.
Speaker 4 (33:28):
It's time for one more break.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
We'll be right back to talk about Tabs twenty nineteen
U twenty World Cup team, one that has put a
lot of players into this current roster. Thanks for listening
to Inside American Soccer. Please rate, review and subscribe. All right, folks,
(33:54):
welcome back to Inside American Soccer. I meant to all
here with Tab Ramos as always, and we're going to
take advantage of Tab's intimate knowledge of this current US
or the current US player pool, because, as you probably know,
he was the head coach for the USU twenty national
team for most of the twenty tens, four straight cycles.
(34:16):
I think it was three straight quarter final appearances for
you guys time. Some great players came through that program.
My favorite of those U twenty groups was the twenty
nineteen group had that incredible win over for I thought
the world was at our feet when you guys beat
Friends in that game. That was the round of sixteen,
(34:37):
if I remember correctly, and that team has produced a
lot of players for this group. Chris Richards was huge
in that tournament. Sir Genio Desk had a breakout tournament
for the US. Mark McKenzie I think wore the armband.
We saw Tim Weaya scored a stunner, and Richieldesma, who
was a backup number ten for that US team and
(34:59):
is now in attacking fullback for L three. Tap take
us inside that locker room, because these guys are the
age now or the age then that Noakhai Banks is now.
And there's some elements of you were talking earlier about
like who's ready, who's not? What did you see in
those young guys at that particular time, and what has
(35:22):
surprised you when the year six.
Speaker 1 (35:23):
Yeah, I mean, and first of all, thanks for picking
this team because this this was truly a fun team
to coach. You know, I believe that on this team,
and you talked about the France win in the second round,
I truly believe we were gonna win the World Cup
with this team. You know, we started that World Cup
by losing two to one two Ukraine. You know they
were the eventual World Cup champions, and I remember telling
(35:47):
the team after the game in the locker room, we're
gonna meet those guys again in the final. We're gonna
beat them, because I remember the game. We dominated the game.
Ukraine beat us on a corner head in the second
half on a game that you know, obviously we we
were better. And I really had all the trust in
this team that we were gonna be okay regardless. I
(36:10):
can start by saying that, you know, it was Uh,
these were fun guys. I felt like I had a
lot of captains on the team, a lot of guys
who felt like they wanted the responsibility to be winners
and to take this US team somewhere had never been before.
And uh, and I really felt like we we had
a chance to do it.
Speaker 3 (36:29):
You know, you go player by player.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
You mentioned Mark McKenzie had the captain's band. You know,
Mark is one of the most professional people that I
have ever met. First of all, he's a He's a
wonderful person and and that's a great quality to have
because Mark is one of those guys, you know. I
remember Jurgen Klinsman used to say, you know, on teams,
(36:51):
there are givers and there are takers and and Mark
is certainly a giver. Being around Mark McKenzie, Mark McKenzie
makes other players better. That's the type of person that
he is, and that's the type of player that he is.
And of course as a player, he does have some limitations,
but he understands them and plays around them, which is
nice to know that a player is smart enough to
(37:13):
know what he's good at. Then we had obviously Chris
Richards and Chris Richards. It's you know, it's interesting because
Chris Richards. I had people from FIFA come to me
after games and ask me who is that player? Because
they thought that was the absolute best center back at
the World Cup at the time, So he was getting
(37:35):
a lot of attention.
Speaker 3 (37:36):
Again. You know, if you know Chris Richards, he's.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
From Alabama, super nice.
Speaker 3 (37:41):
I mean, you would never know.
Speaker 1 (37:42):
I'm sure he's still the same today, although I haven't
seen him in a few years. But but he he
is also a giver, also cares about his teammates, He
cares about how people treat each other. And I'm telling
you these little things because I think these are the
things that people don't see, uh and these are these
how this is how these personalities have become so big
(38:03):
because they truly are great people. And then obviously he
was a great player. You know, physically he was a beast.
He would win every bowl in the air. He has
good feed, he was fast, he had all of those qualities.
But I think the fact that you know, having Mark
McKenzie and Chris Richards in the back sort of securing
the back with with the type of effect that they
(38:25):
had on the rest of the guys.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
On the team, was absolutely huge.
Speaker 1 (38:28):
And then other guys you mentioned, obviously Tim Way. I
was already playing at Celtic at the time and this
is you know, and I hate to use the word
the word interesting so much, but this was interesting at
the time. You know, Celtic was getting ready to go
play their Cup final at the time when when Tim
was supposed to come to US. I called Tim and
I said, Tim, look, I understand you have your Cup
(38:49):
final and I think that you know your coach is
obviously going to want you there, so I understand if
you have to come in late for the World Cup,
as long as you come for the second game. I
was okay with that. Tim said, absolutely not, I'm coming
in from the beginning.
Speaker 3 (39:02):
And his coach. I actually spoke to his coach. I
forgot who it was.
Speaker 1 (39:06):
It was a big personality at the time, but the
coach was really upset. But Tim didn't want to say
that was the end of it. He left Celtic to
come play for US. So it was a big, big commitment.
Missed the Cup final in Scotland to come play for US.
And obviously you know the respect that all the guys
already had for Tim Way at the time, he had
already been a PSG, so he's already he was already
(39:27):
a big player. And then there were interesting situations like
you're mentioning Richie Ledesma and we can speak about Richie,
but also let's not forget Io Quino lot right, because
Io ended up going to play for.
Speaker 3 (39:39):
Canada eventually Canada.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
Yeah, so Io played for Canada and Richie Ledesma ended
up playing for Mexico.
Speaker 4 (39:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:46):
So the way you described a lot of those guys,
nice guys, nice guys, nice guys. Was there too much
of that in that group? And does US Soccer the
production line of players coming through now a lot of
skillful guys. Are there too many nice guys coming through
the academy system?
Speaker 3 (40:07):
No, but you guys didn't.
Speaker 2 (40:09):
You guys didn't make the World Cup in nineteen ninety
because you were a.
Speaker 4 (40:12):
Bunch of nice guys.
Speaker 2 (40:14):
You know, you guys broke that forty year streak because
you were sobs on the field to play against.
Speaker 4 (40:20):
Right.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
No, And this is why I mentioned, as I said
nice guys. I mentioned that that the other guys on
the team looked looked at them as guys who wanted
to win. So although they were great guys off the field,
on the field, they wanted nothing but to win and
they would do anything to win the game. So I think,
I think this is this is where that line is course,
and this is why, honestly, Matt, I had been surprised
(40:44):
with our national team over the last four or five
years and the lack of desire that we saw on
the field over that period of time, because I felt like,
these are not these are not the guys I coach.
You know, if there was anything, and I will, I
won't limit it to only these guys. But if there's
there's one thing I can tell you from having coach
in four World Cups and in four qualifying events with
(41:05):
you twenties, American players will run through the wall for you.
If you're the coach and you stay and you put
your arm around an American player and you say things
the right well the right way, they will run through
the wall for you. And I always felt like that
was an advantage for us. These players will do anything,
and that was surprising to me. But I think these
(41:26):
guys that we mentioned on this particular team, they're true
leaders of that philosophy.
Speaker 2 (41:32):
A guy that we mentioned both of us, Richard Ledesma.
He was one of my favorite players for that team,
number ten, who had what I called easy speed. I
remember his ability to just like turn away from pressure
and get out within one stride. He was near top
speed carrying the ball and then able to play runners
through and hit the final ball while at a sprint.
(41:55):
It's a skill set you don't see come around.
Speaker 4 (41:58):
Often.
Speaker 2 (41:59):
Had some ups and downs on his career path. He
is now the starting right wing back for achiev US
down in League Amaki's. He has filed a one time
switch to El Tree. It looks very likely he's going
to be on that team this summer. It is not
something that career path that I think anybody saw tam.
Speaker 1 (42:21):
Nos certainly not because you know Richie was a great
player always. You know, there were guys that I like
to call slippery in the middle of the field, so
you play him a ball and regardless of where they are,
they're slipping out and they're getting out. And on that
team we had three so we had Richie Ledesma, we
have we had packs and Pomacoll at his best before
all his injuries, and we had Alex Mendez. These guys
(42:44):
just would not lose the ball. And there's nothing better
than you being able to play the ball inside. Let's
let's recognize that those inside positions, that number six, number eight,
number ten role on the field, they are the most
difficult position to play on the field bar none. I
don't care what anybody says. It's really difficult to play
when you have people coming from every which way to
(43:07):
pressure you. And those guys were slippery and would never
lose the ball. And I'm surprised to see Richie now
play on the right side because I think, you know,
for me, he was going to be a great player
inside for the rest of until he was thirty six, and.
Speaker 3 (43:21):
So I'm surprised to see him there.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
But you know, in the end, he's he's still playing,
and he found a position at right back, which I'm
sure it's incredibly easy for him to play there after
having played inside, and I'm not surprised he's having success there.
Speaker 2 (43:36):
Yeah, he's shown some real fortitude a kid who was
never really given a chance to play inside, but PSV
moved him outside. I think under Ernie Stewart a year
and a half ago, was a pure attacking right back
and he's parleyed that into a big future at the
club level down in Liga MCKIS and with l Tree.
(43:59):
It's one of those tab where with all the Mexican
Americans now so many of them choosing to represent Mexico,
I have almost a little bit of American pride about
watching the team in green. It's it's something that if
you had told me this twenty years ago, I would
have said, you're absolutely crazy.
Speaker 1 (44:18):
Yeah, because I and I live that, because I lived
having to fight recruiting, you know, our American players with
Mexican background to stay with us to justin you know,
we had to we had to go to homes to
do that. You know, I've been to Uli Yanya's home,
I've been to you know, Alex Mende's home, to meet
with his mom, like I, you know, these are all
players that we were fighting to keep on our youth
(44:40):
national teams, and it seems like the tables are turned now,
right they It seems like it's the other way around.
Speaker 2 (44:47):
Yeah, it seems like we're helping them out, which is
I think a good thing for Conca CAF as a whole,
and I think it's probably a good thing for US
soccer as a whole. It means that there's a lot
of talent suddenly coming through the ranks. Tab obviously played
a huge part of that as the face of the
U twenty program for a long time last decade. And
(45:08):
we'll be back next week to talk much more about that,
much more about the March friendlies. I think we'll probably
pick apart some performances around the world, maybe a little
bit about the first weekend of MLS action as well,
and I hope you'll join us. So thank you for
listening to Inside American Soccer. Please rate, review and subscribe,
(45:29):
and please continue to leave your questions and comments on
all our platforms, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Speaker 4 (45:37):
We'll see you all next week.
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