Gregg_berhalter_-_asn_top_-_isi_-_usmnt_postgame_vs._panana_-_brad_smith_-_3-27-22 Brad Smith/ISI Photos
Midweek musings

Berhalter discusses strikers, Dest, Brooks, Pepi on the move, Philly rolls, LAFC stumbles, & more

ASN's Brian Sciaretta breaks down the big American transfers as well as the top games in Europe and MLS. 
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
September 01, 2022
2:05 PM

IT WAS A VERY busy first half of the week in American soccer with a huge wave of games both in Europe and domestically. In addition, Gregg Berhalter spoke to the media in New York with a few thoughts on the United States national team player pool.

Here are some of my thoughts.

 

Berhalter talks strikers/scouting trip

 

Gregg Berhalter spoke to the media on Wednesday and spoke about the challenge with building his World Cup roster.

The big topic was the group of strikers with Jesus Ferreira, Jordan Pefok, Josh Sargent, Haji Wright, and now even Brandon Vazquez all scoring goals in droves. Meanwhile, Ricardo Pepi hasn’t scored for club or country since last October but will now head to Groningen in Holland on loan after a difficult nine months in Germany with Augsburg following his $20 million transfer.

For Berhalter, he will get to choose from strikers who are scoring as opposed to not – which is good – but how will the decision making go?

Regarding Brandon Vazquez, the FC Cincinnati forward and former 2015 U.S. U-17 alum has been breaking out in 2022 and now has 16 goals on the season to be among the best forwards in MLS. But unlike the others, he has not been in camp yet with the team, and Berhalter said this makes it harder for him.

“I am not going to sugarcoat it, I think it does make it more difficult but it doesn't make it impossible. That's the important thing,” Berhalter said of Vazquez’s challenge of making the roster after never having been called up. He also went on to add that if the other four players have been getting called up and are scoring, it does put Vazquez in a tough spot.

He also stressed to the media that it is not simply goals that he is looking for, but rather goals and a style of play that fits the U.S. team.

“We are trying to look at the profile of who fits us and what we're trying to do the best,” he said. “It might not be the best forward. What we think fits our team.”

On a final point about the strikers, Berhalter said that while it is great to see Ferreira, Sargent, Pefok, Wright, and Vazquez all take their respective games to another level, he realizes that tough conversations will be coming with players.

“We're not going to take five strikers on the roster,” Berhalter said. “We are going to have a couple of disappointed guys. That's a shame. You want the players to do everything they possibly can, and when they are doing everything they possibly can, and they still don't make the team, that's not nice.”

Berhalter will now head for Europe for a scouting trip. On his agenda

  • The Old Firm derby on Saturday to watch Celtic-Rangers as he expects James Sands, Malik Tillman, and Cameron Carter-Vickers all to take par.
  • Valencia – Getafe on Sunday in Spain to watch Yunus Musah who is now playing centrally in a 4-3-3. Berhalter will want to observe closely how he is playing at Valencia compared with how he would with the United States.
  • Boavista - Pacos Ferreira on Monday in Portugal to watch Reggie Cannon who has been playing as an outside central defender in a three-man backline as opposed to being a right back.

 

Dest, Pepi, and Brooks

 

According to multiple reports on Wednesday and Thursday, there was breaking news surrounding Sergino Dest and John Brooks.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Sergino Dest has moved from Barcelona to AC Milan and will remain at a big club. This is a move that will seriously test Dest on the defensive side but again, it also is important to see how quickly he adjusts. He is still a lock to go to the World Cup but how quickly he adjusts to life in Milan will determine his potential to play well in Qatar.

“To go from Barcelona to AC Milan is not bad,” Gregg Berhalter said. “Serie A is a competitive league and you have to defend really well there. It's going to help him.”

At Milan, Dest will have to attempt to unseat current right back Davide Calabria, 25, who is much slower but is defensively solid and has been capped seven times by Italy. There are more options for Dest if he is seen as a wing option, but Dest has only played that in limited occasions back when he was with Ajax.

After Calabria, Milan also has Alessandro Florenzi, 31, who is injured at the moment. When Florenzi

This is obviously a good move for Dest because he had to get out of Barcelona and in doing so, will remain at a very big club. He is used to the Champions League and is used to media scrutiny. Wherever he went there was always going to be competition for minutes. The competition at Milan is not impossible but Dest will have to show commitment on the defensive side to get on the field regularly.

According to Sky Sports, John Brooks pulled out of a deal to bring him to Mallorca and instead will be signing with Benfica. Brooks has been without a club since May 14 when he played his last game for Wolfsburg and has been free to sign with any club since January 1. Nine months later, he has made his decision.

For Brooks, he is now a longer shot to make the World Cup team given that he has missed all of preseason and the start of the 2022/23 season. There is now going to be an adjustment as he gets fit and takes his career outside of Germany for the first time. Brooks as struggled to get involved with the team over the past year but is going to have to change things very quickly to improve his standing. Benfica is a very good team and there is the possibility for Champions League minutes, but it remains to be seen if Benfica view him as a potential starter or as a backup.

Ricardo Pepi has joined Groningen on loan and after a very difficult 11 months, he will now look to revive his career in the midtable of the Eredivisie. Pepi hasn’t scored for club or country since October last year. His sale to Augsburg was eye-opening for his value ($20 million) but it seemed to only hurt his development by setting unrealistic expectations on him, from himself, the club, and the supporters. There was pressure to play him right away. He was getting frustrated, his teammates weren’t passing him the ball, he wasn’t doing well when he got the ball, and eventually he stopped playing as Augsburg was looking for more experienced strikers to help them in their relegation battle.

Meanwhile, his national team hopes have taken a huge hit by his lack of scoring and the emergence or reemergence of other forwards in the player pool. He seems unlikely to go to Qatar.

Heading to Groningen is the best option of a bad situation. The fact that Augsburg is spinning off its most expensive ever transfer to a midtable Dutch team is not a good look. But perhaps Pepi moving out of the spotlight isn’t a bad thing. If the expectations can be deflated a bit, that should only reduce the frustration and allow him to work on his game.

Staying at FC Dallas another year or going on loan to Groningen from FC Dallas would have been a nice step but when eight figure offers are made and the Eredivisie has a high minimum non-EU salary, it becomes tough (Augsburg is certainly helping to fit this bill). But a tough learning lesson over the past seven months is temporary. It is where he goes from here.

 

Premier League update

 

Compared with the club’s last stint in the Premier League two years ago, Fulham are off to a massively impressive start. On Tuesday, Fulham defeated Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 in impressive fashion.

Regarding Fulham’s two American players, both are soaring. Antonee Robinson’s defense is on another level. Once he was thought of as an attacking left back but he continues to use his athleticism so well in defending in the Premier League. He is in a great spot heading into the World Cup.

Meanwhile, Tim Ream is playing the best soccer of his career. Typically, he’s been stellar in the Championship but has struggled in the Premier League. That’s not the case this year. He has continued to both start and captain a very good Fulham team and looks set, even at age 34, towards now reaching the career goals he set for himself when he moved to England. Will this be enough to get him to Qatar? That depends on how the other players in the competition perform, but Ream is doing everything he can to build his case – both as a player and as excellent veteran leader.

Leeds United played Everton to a disappointing 1-1 draw on Tuesday and they needed a 55th minute equalizer to earn the result at home. On the goal, Brenden Aaronson started and played a simple pass to Luis Sinisterra whose shot confused the Everton defense before sneaking into the near post.



Leeds should do better against a weak Everton team, but Jesse Marsch’s team should be okay this season. Both Tyler Adams and Aaronson are playing very well and in a time where there are many questions over key U.S. national team player’s Marsch’s duo is the least of Berhalter’s problems.

Christian Pulisic played the final 27 minutes for Chelsea in a tough 2-1 road loss to Southampton. It’s not a good time for Pulisic who is at a big club which is struggling. But he’s the least of the team’s problems now and is probably better waiting things out. Continued struggles will force Thomas Tuchel to change his lineup or perhaps Tuchel is on the hotseat. The status quo won’t last at Chelsea because there are always changes during tough times.

Meanwhile, Chris Richards did not get off the bench for Crystal Palace in a 1-1 draw with Brentford. While Richards struggled off the bench over the weekend in Palace’s collapse against Manchester City, he was brought into Palace not to start right away. Going as an unused substitute was to be expected. He remains likely to make the World Cup team, but it is debatable how much he plays there. He has not played a lot of soccer in 2022.

 

Americans in the Championship

 

On Tuesday in the Championship, Norwich City defeated Birmingham City as Josh Sargent started for Norwich and Auston Trusty started for Birmingham City. The two are former teammates on the 2017 U.S. U-20 World Cup team. Norwich ended up winning 2-1 although the red-hot Sargent was cooler in this game while Trusty also did not stand out much for good or bad.

Ethan Hovath started for Luton Town in a 2-1 win over Cardiff City on the road. Horvath only had to make one save in the win.

Zack Steffen, meanwhile, missed his second straight game for Middlesbrough and did not take part in the 2-1 loss to Watford.

Duane Holmes came off the bench for Huddersfield and played the final 31 minutes in a 2-0 loss to Bristol City.

Lynden Gooch continues to play a big role for a Sunderland team playing well fresh off promotion. The Santa Cruz midfielder went the distanace on Wednesday in a 3-0 win over Rotherham.

The most unfortunate news of the week in the Championship, however, came from Hull City’s American teenager Vaughn Covil who announced that the injury which forced him out of his first start for Hull over the weekend was a season-ending torn ACL. This will certainly rule him out of the 2023 U-20 World Cup as well. Covil last played for the United States at the U-16 level just before COVID.


 

Elsewhere in Europe

 

Erik Palmer-Brown continued to boost his case to make the World Cup team with his second straight impressive Ligue 1 start for Troyes. On Wednesday, Palmer-Brown went the distance for Troyes in a big 4-2 away win over Monaco.



Sam Vines continues to start for a Royal Antwerp team that remains perfect on the Belgian season following a 4-2 win over Union SG. Vines scored his first goal for Antwerp in the 43rd minute for a 3-1 lead. Vines had a poor first touch but found a way to get beyond it.

Antwerp now has 18 points from six games.



Vines was not the only goal scorer midweek as Ian Harkes scored for Dundee United in a 2-1 win over Livingston in the League Cup. Dundee United rebounded for the win following a 9-0 weekend loss to Celtic in the Premiership.

After a rusty outing over the weekend, Weston McKennie did not get off the bench for Juventus on Wednesday in a 2-0 win over Spezia.

While he didn’t play, it was a great sign to see Richard Ledezma making the bench for PSV in its 7-1 win over FC Volendam. Ledezma suffered an ankle injury 16 days ago and it now appears as if it won’t be as serious as first feared.

In the Austrian Cup, St. Poelten was eliminated after a 3-1 loss to Horn. Uly Llanez scored his team’s only goal but was also sent off with a red card in stoppage time.

 

Philadelphia rolling

 

The Philadelphia Union continued their amazing run Wednesday night with a 4-1 win at home over Atlanta. The Union have outscored opponents 16-1 the past three game and 29-3 over their past six home games. The win clinched a playoff berth but the Union are very much in the running for the Supporters Shield after pulling even on points with slumping LAFC.

Some big points to take away from the Union right now:

It is too bad the current impressive United States U-20 quartet isn’t starting right now, but that is the price of being red hot. Coaches don’t want to make changes to the lineup. You can’t blame them. Daniel Gazdag is an MVP candidate with 17 goals and 25 goal contributions per Opta.

Jim Curtin hasn’t been mentioned for the league’s coach of the year as most attention has focused on Josh Wolff, Pablo Mastroeni, and Steve Cherundolo along with others such as Adrian Heath and Wilfried Nancy. But Curtin very much should be after the past month.

There is now speculation in the German media that Leon Flach could be heading back to Germany at some point. This has always been his plan. He wanted to come to Philadelphia, get minutes, play for a winning team, and then return to Germany where he grew up. Flach has grown into a very nice defensive midfielder – on the defensive side. He needs to improve his offense and in getting more touches (particularly in transition), but he’s also a good prospect who should compete for the starting No. 6 position on the U.S. U-23 team that will compete in the 2024 Olympics.


 

RBNY squeak by Montreal

 

The Red Bulls don’t have any star forwards, midfielders, or wingers (although Luquinas is close) but they are proving to be a tough out. On Wednesday night, Gerhard Struber’s team traveled to Canada to take on a very good Montreal team and walked away with a 2-1 win. Despite a tough schedule to end the season, the Red Bulls now have 10 points from their past four games.

This game was reminiscent of the 2021 team that would score one goal and then hold on for dear life. But, to be fair, this team was missing captain Aaron Long, and both of its starting fullbacks in John Tolkin and Kyle Duncan who were both suspended.

The Red Bulls right now just find a way to win and the past few games have given it some needed breathing room because winning against Philadelphia on Saturday might be a bridge too far. Especially without Cristian Casseres, who is suspended. Lewis Morgan has been a tremendous x-factor for them. 

From an American perspective, Daniel Edelman continues to show tremendous progress in his game over the past month. The U.S. U-20 co-captain brings a ton of physicality to the midfield and his defense has been sharp. He still needs to get on the ball more, but he is a good prospect.

 

LAFC drops third straight

 

LAFC’s grip on the Supporters Shield is no longer tight. Steve Cherundolo’s team has had a brutal three-game stretch which includes loses to Real Salt Lake, Austin, and now Houston. The Dynamo found a second half winner to defeat LAFC 3-1.

LAFC has had a tough stretch where they’ve been ruthlessly punished for their defensive mistakes, they’ve missed chances, and they’ve had to deal with a lot of roster turnover the past month – losing players to both foreign teams and to other MLS teams.

“We didn’t give up too much defensively, and we created a lot of chances. That’s how you win games. Games like this don’t happen very often,” said Cherundolo. “The crossbar, ‘keeper makes saves, calls don’t go your way. You don’t finish your chances. A lot of things go against you in games like this for you to lose, and that happened today.

“But I’ve been in the sport long enough to understand and to know if you continue to perform like that, these games will start going your way.”

Should LAFC be concerned? A little. They have the talent to turn things around very quickly. In the playoffs, it becomes more about the most talented players making big plays. They will be hosting games too - and that matters. Still, the team is in a funk and is definitely playing below the sum of its parts and Cherundolo is still lacks head coaching experience – which is needed in these situations. There are questions over how to get all of these players playing is suitable positions – and its not as easy as it seems because many have the similar favorite position. This means putting people into the second or third preferred position.

The problem also with LAFC is expectations as being labeled the most talented team in the history of the league. That puts a bullseye on them and sets the expectations that things are going to be easy. That also makes it harder as they are learning to play with each other.

 

Seattle in serious trouble

 

The Seattle Sounders fell on the road to Orlando by a 3-2 score despite having a 2-0 lead in the 52nd minute. With just one point from their last five games, their playoff hopes are now on life support.

Orlando was the better team too, with Stefan Frei keeping the team alive in the first half with a pair of huge saves (one on a penalty).

Here is how dire things are for the Sounders. They are now six points out of the playoff positions but have a game-in-hand with seventh-place Portland. The LA Galaxy, however, have a game in hand on Seattle and sit in eighth place.

Is there anything hopeful to be said for Seattle? A little.

Seattle has three of their next four at home and five of their remaining six games are against teams outside the playoff positions.

But Seattle hasn’t proven they can beat good teams since winning the Champions League. Their energy level is way low and the age of some of their key players is showing. Defensively, the loss of Joao Paulo is enormous. Obed Vargas looked promising at first as a backup, his injury has forced Seattle to dig deeper into their bench. They can’t hold the ball anymore when they other team raises the intensity and eventually their defense crumbles.

It was worth it for Seattle to go for the Champions League, but that is one of the reasons for their struggles and the fact that they have been dealing with a lot of injuries too.

It would be a shame for Seattle to miss out on the playoffs the same year they worked hard for a historical achievement for the league.

 

Other MLS notes

 

DC United surprised NYCFC with a 2-1 win at Red Bull Arena. Christian Benteke made his DC United debut in the 73rd minute. NYCFC is showing that losing a coach and the top scorer in the league (both midseason) is going to have consequences.

Toronto paid dearly for not being able to hang onto its 2-1 lead vs. the Galaxy. In settling for a home draw, Toronto blew a chance to actually move near the playoff line (despite having two games in hand with people surrounding it). Toronto could be a very tough out in the playoffs given their talent.

I love the toughness of Real Salt Lake and that was on display with a big 3-0 win over Minnesota United. That win really helped to solidify their standing in the playoff positions - which no one predicted at the start of the season given their injuries and lack of talent. Pablo Mastroeni has done a great job. Minnesota is a tough team to play.

Portland is always a team that is tough to count out towards the end of the season. I didn't think they were going to make the playoffs, but after heading into Austin and walking away with a 2-1 win, I do. Eryk Williamson continues to be a big source of their improvement since he returned to 100% after his torn ACL.

Columbus is another team that has improved tremendously as this season has progressed. Cucho Hernandez has played a big part in that but the team is overall playing much better. After Wedensday's 1-0 win over Inter Miami, Columbus looks in very strong shape for the post season. If Lucas Zelarayan and Hernandez are healthy, they could be a sleeper team in the playoffs - for sure.

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