Player Rating USMNT vs Belgium

Having read some of the other websites player ratings – I am wondering if they watched the same game. Here are my thoughts:

I will start with the good grades:

Tillman – A – This is not because of the goal. He was tireless and active and of our players seemed truly in the fight.

Balogun – B – He made runs, was active, and had a dangerous chance. Strikers can’t and don’t score every game. He was active.

Robinson – B- – You knew he was on the field unlike some of our other players. Up and down and having to cover the whole left side really. Some culpability in the 1st goal but he was fine tonight.

Freeman – C – There was trouble down the right all night. Some successful challenges. Some poor positioning. Some good some bad.

Adams – C- – Outmanned in the midfield and not on his best night but was saddled with low ebb all around him but he didn’t dispel the gloom and became lost in it.

Berhalter – C- The super sub brought some fire and that shot was whisker close ….. to hitting the post! A full foot from punching it in. Good hit but those are not enough for a grade above a C. Not much else that was game changing from the son of our former coach.

Dest – C- Not as aggressive as I wanted him to be. Some sites have him ranked as a 2/10. C’mon man!

Richards – C- Had some clumsy moments. Seemed to care the most at the end – nothing objective to support that. He’s a good center back – it just all crumbled around him.

Ream – D+ – Did have some successful challenges. No one can be a hero all the time and he was ordinary tonight. Beaten on header. Clumsy on the 3rd goal when we needed a hero. The grade seems harsh based on his age but no favors for the old. I think we need another center back or two.

Reyna – D Not much to speak of and he played TOO LONG for that to be the narrative. Did he help with momemtum at beginning of second half – yes. Did he change the game? No.

McKennie – D- Forgot he was playing. I even looked for him at times to locate him. Disappearing act par excellence.

Pulisic – F – Led the team in turnovers despite exiting. Maybe he was playing hurt all along. I hate the whining for fouls which makes him hard for me to grade always but today he did not pass the test.

Coach Pochettino – As a coach my heart goes out to him. Did he pick our best 11? Probably. Do we have some talent holes and gaps? Yes. He tried his best to hide our weaknesses and for that I rate him well. BUT – we came out with less intensity than we should have and that is on him and despite kicking bottles was not able to change the game enough with subs – partly due to the roster. Was he expecting Belgium to pack it in like our other opponents (except Turkey and we lost to them). Distractions, energy, and lack of aggressiveness are his responsibilities and he must go down with the ship – D.

Training Recap – The Inside Game

The good:

Some of the linkups and passing looked great today. We need to be able to do this and possess the ball and be clean and we looked really good with this at times.

I liked the energy and fun the guys were having

What we need more of:

Consistent Attendance and Commitment. I am NOT talking about guys away on vacay or such – everyone should do this (including me) and enjoy your families – I am talking about being around and not coming. We need you at YOUR best. Show your commitment and be here.

Fitness Training – train hard every day you aren’t with us. You don’t need me to get strong. You don’t need me to get fit. RUN RUN RUN. Lift. Do push-ups. Track your times. Email me. High School Soccer is competitive and hard and we need everyone physically up to it BEFORE AUGUST 17. I can’t spend our first two weeks getting you fit.

Looking ahead:

At fields at WAIS Thursday 7:30 – 9:00 AM. I want to see 30 boys out there Thursday.

Day 1 of official practice will be testing (fitness and skill).

Fitness:

1/2 mile time

Shuttle run time (6, 18, half, 18, 6)

Pushups in 60 seconds

1/2 field sprint

Skills:

1st touch and passing (ball and a wall – both feet)

Long balls (be able to kick the ball accurately 30-40 yards in air)

Ball Control through course

Headers (off long balls and punts)

Edpuzzles

Weekly Update

This week we will train 7:30 – 9:00 AM Tuesday and Thursday BUT:

Tuesday at WAHS Gym – Bring Indoor Sneakers

Thursday at WAIS Fields

Get your physicals and get them uploaded to arbiter as fast as possible!

Do your Edpuzzles if you haven’t!

WABS Update 7/3 Happy Independence Day!

Every holiday is an opportunity to count our blessings and independence and freedom are universal values for all our players, coaches, and families. We have coaches, players, and families from Africa, the Middle East, Mexico, Central America, South America, and Europe and we all came to America and call Wilson Area home. Enjoy the fireworks and picnics and I can’t wait to see everyone back on the fields next week on Tuesday!

Players: Please use my email for contacting me and I will use yours. Its a good habit to get used to using email anyway or google chat anyway. The school is reviewing certain policies and one of which is the use of texts between coaches and players so we will play it safe and make sure we use EMAIL between coaches and players.

Weekly Update 6/29

I am away on Vacay this week up in New England and there will not be any official voluntary workouts. All players should continue training on their own or in groups. What you can do:

  1. RUN! 1 mile, 1/2 mile. Send me your times and app readout. Work on agility and box drills and shuttles.
  2. Core and Lifting – pushups and planks lunges, squats and tuck jumps.
  3. Ball Work – use training suggestions on this website along with heading out to field and working on long balls. EVERYONE should work on being able to lift a ball 30-40 yards in the air. Goalies – work on your goal kicks and punts – our goal for these is they go half-field.
  4. If team leaders organize some informal play – I will ask them to tell me so I can post here.

*There will be tests on first day of official practice 8/17 on both fitness and ball work along with expecting all Edpuzzles to be completed. Be YOUR BEST for us – we need EVERYONE IN TOP shape.

Some players have received a third kit jersey as I check sizing on the shirts – 3rd kit jerseys (including shorts and socks) will be distributed to all players who stay with us after the first two weeks of practice. Seniors may get them earlier.

Official Voluntary WABSC practices will begin again on 7/7 at usual time and place. Go WARRIORS!

Training Recap and Volunteer Opportunity

A beautiful day yesterday to train and play. We did some agility and fitness training and some 6 v 4 keep away followed by full field which ended in a draw. Owen Smith was highlighted for his strong performance today. I continued to see some dynamic play with through balls in the channel (in contrast to bombs to the corner). Younger players are learning the game and we are honing in on how best to use the considerable talent we have.

Work hard to be your best. Work on the touches, the positioning, the individual ball work and the fitness to be ready and at your best for the season. Big Luke heads to the DR for awhile and we will miss you!

Player led trainings next week – more to come in a future post.

Please check you email for a volunteer opportunity with Williams Twsp.

As for the USMNT – although I might say no worries they were through anyway – it is never good to lose. Never let up – not for a second. Bosnia next. Enjoy the WC!

Training Recap 6/23

We warmed up and went full field.

The good:

  1. Some excellent combinations and patterns of play at times in the scrimmage. Quick decisions. Less dribble. Blue in particular today was sending excellent through balls targeting the center of the defense and the channels between back line.
  2. Goals by Rashad, Big Luke, and finally Ethan lifted the heart.

The needs to be better:

  1. Attendance and being on time. I love that fact that players are playing on their own. Make sure you make our sessions as well. Doing things TOGETHER is enormously important to a team. As for being on time – 7:30 means be there by 7:20 so you are ready to go at 7:30. Great teams do not have players trickle in – even to voluntary workouts.
  2. Be hard on yourself and not others – when you are perfect, then look to another perhaps but not before.
  3. Once you get to the end line – cut the ball back to top of 18 for shot. Blue did it (Ben Taube) and got a goal (Rashad). It sure beats a no angle shot or push to the keeper.

See you Thursday!