If they were really thinking strategically they should be
by steelhop (2019-06-09 09:58:50)
Edited on 2019-06-09 11:57:37

In reply to: We should recognize this as teardown and rebuild  posted by SixShutouts66

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Looking at 2026 with the North American World Cup. 4 years is just not enough time to cycle and get players acclimated to the talent they’ll face at the senior level particularly given the dearth of talent in the mid-20s in the US ranks. Those guys would normally be the heart of you team in 2022. But, as we have seen, the talents just not there, which is why the Altidore and Bradley’s are still heavily involved on the USMNT. There is no one on their 20s really pushing them.

The US shouldn’t even care about qualifying for 2022. Use the fact the WC is in November and December when most of the US sporting world is focused on college football and he NFL, and the rest of the US community is dealing with Thanksgiving, Black Friday, holiday parties and the like and would only marginally paying attention. Yes, the US soccer community and its fanatical supporters will be focused on the WC but lots of casual fans that would normally pay attention if the WC was in the summer are preoccupied with the above. If they make it playing young guys like Sargent...great. If not they’ll be ready for 2026.it will stink to burn the Pulisic era and not have him break US scoring records but he is likely not going to do it anyway with the USMNT missing the 2018 WC.

Use that to your advantage and build a team geared to be really successful In 2026 and use 2022 qualifying to prepare the majority of the guys that will be on cycle for 2026. If Russians can make the qfs in 2018, a realistic goal would be qfs and if the tournament breaks the right way the semis.

I doubt they will do that because of how much the USMNT kowtows to the MLS. Garber’s use of the national program as his personal fiefdom to enrich himself and the MLS owners is criminal.

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