[teejers1]

An email from a colleague who is a soccer aficionado is copied below.  I defer to (and agree with) almost all of his soccer takes, including these:

Our MLS coach has announced his starting lineup for today’s must-win game.  NOT starting:  the FOAS ["Future of American Soccer"], 23 year old Christian Pulisic, our best player.  Starting instead:  27 year old Farm alum J-Mo, who has not started a real game since getting injured (again) last February (he’s now missed two of the last three MLS seasons with injuries) and hasn’t started for the USMNT since 2017.  
NOT starting: 20 year old Brendan Aaronson, one of our most dynamic young players, who currently plays in Austria and has Bundesliga and EPL teams trying to buy him.  Starting instead:  26 year old MLS player Kellyn Acosta.  
Also NOT starting:  21 year old Sergino Dest, who plays for Barcelona.  19 year old Yunus Musah.  

Acosta and J-Mo should not even be on the team that goes to Qatar next December.  And they are starting over younger, better players who will definitely be on the WC team??  WTF?  Some coaches – Kyle Shanahan falls into this category – intentionally make bizarre playing-time decisions so they can say “Look how smart I am!  I can win without my best players!”  So Kyle doesn’t get Deebo – unquestionably the 49ers best offensive player – the ball in the last 12 minutes of a must-win playoff game, and MLS Coach doesn’t start several of his best players in a must-win WC qualifier.  We still should win – it’s last place Honduras, playing in weather colder than any of them have ever experienced, and we have way more talent.  But if the USMNT loses or ties today, while subjecting the players to negative 20 temperatures, everyone must be fired.

I'm critical of Berhalter in general but your friend's email contains some errors:

1. Aaronsen is a winger and Acosta is a defensive midfielder, so in no way in Acosta "starting instead" of Aaronsen. Acosta is starting in place of Adams, who is out with an injury. That's like saying that a wide receiver is starting instead of a quarterback.

2. J-Mo started for the Seattle Sounders in November, so it's not true that he hasn't started a "real game" since getting injured last year. He's been playing and looking fit. Whether he should start is another matter, but he's healthy again and was on the field at the end of the MLS season and in the game against Canada.

I do think tonight's lineups is bizarre, Berhalter better be right on this.

I'll relay your comments to my colleague for his reaction (I'm sure he'll enjoy the back and forth).  BTW, not sure my friend even considers MLS "real" soccer, which is reserved for the top leagues in Europe.  

BTW, good win.  Playing in the freezing temps was stupid, really, but you have to love/admire the die hards in Minney.  Great fans.

[teejers1]

An email from a colleague who is a soccer aficionado is copied below.  I defer to (and agree with) almost all of his soccer takes, including these:

Our MLS coach has announced his starting lineup for today’s must-win game.  NOT starting:  the FOAS ["Future of American Soccer"], 23 year old Christian Pulisic, our best player.  Starting instead:  27 year old Farm alum J-Mo, who has not started a real game since getting injured (again) last February (he’s now missed two of the last three MLS seasons with injuries) and hasn’t started for the USMNT since 2017.  
NOT starting: 20 year old Brendan Aaronson, one of our most dynamic young players, who currently plays in Austria and has Bundesliga and EPL teams trying to buy him.  Starting instead:  26 year old MLS player Kellyn Acosta.  
Also NOT starting:  21 year old Sergino Dest, who plays for Barcelona.  19 year old Yunus Musah.  

Acosta and J-Mo should not even be on the team that goes to Qatar next December.  And they are starting over younger, better players who will definitely be on the WC team??  WTF?  Some coaches – Kyle Shanahan falls into this category – intentionally make bizarre playing-time decisions so they can say “Look how smart I am!  I can win without my best players!”  So Kyle doesn’t get Deebo – unquestionably the 49ers best offensive player – the ball in the last 12 minutes of a must-win playoff game, and MLS Coach doesn’t start several of his best players in a must-win WC qualifier.  We still should win – it’s last place Honduras, playing in weather colder than any of them have ever experienced, and we have way more talent.  But if the USMNT loses or ties today, while subjecting the players to negative 20 temperatures, everyone must be fired.

I'm critical of Berhalter in general but your friend's email contains some errors:

1. Aaronsen is a winger and Acosta is a defensive midfielder, so in no way in Acosta "starting instead" of Aaronsen. Acosta is starting in place of Adams, who is out with an injury. That's like saying that a wide receiver is starting instead of a quarterback.

2. J-Mo started for the Seattle Sounders in November, so it's not true that he hasn't started a "real game" since getting injured last year. He's been playing and looking fit. Whether he should start is another matter, but he's healthy again and was on the field at the end of the MLS season and in the game against Canada.

I do think tonight's lineups is bizarre, Berhalter better be right on this.

I'll relay your comments to my colleague for his reaction (I'm sure he'll enjoy the back and forth).  BTW, not sure my friend even considers MLS "real" soccer, which is reserved for the top leagues in Europe.  

BTW, good win.  Playing in the freezing temps was stupid, really, but you have to love/admire the die hards in Minney.  Great fans.