Bryan Cristante

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, harrycoyster said:

I wouldn't consider Gio Dos Santos a CM, he's clearly the worst of the players you listed at that position. God knows why the US/Mexico constantly play GDS and Nagbe in central midfield.

Guardado, Borges and Herrera are clearly the three best CMs in CONCACAF in my opinion. I don't really think Bradley or Hutch should be part of the conversation, they are pure #6 and Cristante is more definitely a #8.  Based on current form, Cristante might be fourth or fifth in CONCACAF....let's see if he can do it for a season. Erick Gutierrez, Rodolfo Pizarro, Kellyn Acosta and Danny Williams are have all had great quarter and half seasons in the past but lack the consistency to join the top group. 

Bradley actully performs better when played in a more advanced role but great points

[harrycoyster]

Just now, canta15 said:

Bradley actully performs better when played in a more advanced role but great points

I agree, but given his age and commitment to TFC, I doubt we'll ever see him return to being a true two way midfielder on a regular basis.

[SpursFlu]

If you look at Arfield, Cristante, Hoilett as an attacking 3 midfield in maybe like a 4 1 3 1. I don't think it's crazy to say it's as good if not better than anything the US could field.  Throw in Hutchinson at an advanced age playing holding midfielder and I say gidyup

[hottoddy7]

43 minutes ago, jpg75 said:

I'm still waiting - and i've come close - to actually meet someone who is drugs.

Amazing

[harrycoyster]

9 minutes ago, SpursFlu said:

If you look at Arfield, Cristante, Hoilett as an attacking 3 midfield in maybe like a 4 1 3 1. I don't think it's crazy to say it's as good if not better than anything the US could field.  Throw in Hutchinson at an advanced age playing holding midfielder and I say gidyup

Did we have a man sent off? 

Anyways, if you read across that line is Arfield as good a LM as Johnson? No. Is Cristante as good a #10 as Pulisic? No. Is Hoilett as good a RM as Nagbe? I can see the argument, but I'm taking Nagbe. 

But for the 104204th time, I think this is a useless exercise. Let's revisit after Cristante has declared for Canada and played a half season of soccer.

[SpursFlu]

Lol yah. Throw Piette in there next to Hutch. Even better. But i don't agree at all about Nagbe over Hoilett 

[masster]

So back to Cristante...I'm surprised more Vs didn't watch the game...nationally televised on TSN against well known English opposition. I can understand not being able to track down a Serie A broadcast, but this was simple.

Anyways, watched it off the PVR last night. For those that haven't seen him play before, this was a pretty standard Cristante performance. Lots of simple passes and movement from Cristante to keep Atalanta is possession. He played fairly high up the pitch, behind Petagna who was the lone striker. Not a stand out player by any means. His goal was on a counter attack. Brutal Everton defending left him quite open.

[masster]

On 9/14/2017 at 11:16 AM, ironcub14 said:

I watched 15 minutes of the game in the first half, sneaked it in during lunchtime, and thinking, not impressed by Atalanta or Cristante at all, saw him slip badly on a long pass attempt.

Check the score again 30 minutes later, and I see he's got a goal with Atalanta up 3-0 lol. Anybody who's watching the game in full, Everton was all over them away in the first 25 minutes, no? I just saw the three goals on the phone.

Anyways, good for him Could definitely see him as an Arfield-level player, based on everything I've read about him so far.

No...Atalanta was on the front foot for the first 7-8 minutes. Everton for the next 15 or so. Then Atalanta dominated for the rest of the game. Even I, as a regular Serie A watcher, was surprised how much they controlled the game.

Cristante doesn't really do anything impressive on the pitch, so he is never going to stand out. I would certainly rate Arfield higher right now, but he is soon to be 29, while Cristante is still just 22.

[One American]

5 hours ago, SpursFlu said:

If you look at Arfield, Cristante, Hoilett as an attacking 3 midfield in maybe like a 4 1 3 1. I don't think it's crazy to say it's as good if not better than anything the US could field.  Throw in Hutchinson at an advanced age playing holding midfielder and I say gidyup

I'd worry about the bite in that midfield. But just in terms of player quality, it would be hard for the US to match right now. Three years from now that may be a different story.

[masster]

On 9/14/2017 at 4:24 PM, jpg75 said:

If he keeps playing the way he has so far this season we might have to start worrying about an Azzurri call up.

I just don't see it. Solid player, but you need to stand out to be called to the Italian National team. Cristante hasn't done that yet, and I just don't see it happening.

[One American]

4 hours ago, harrycoyster said:

Did we have a man sent off? 

Anyways, if you read across that line is Arfield as good a LM as Johnson? No. Is Cristante as good a #10 as Pulisic? No. Is Hoilett as good a RM as Nagbe? I can see the argument, but I'm taking Nagbe. 

But for the 104204th time, I think this is a useless exercise. Let's revisit after Cristante has declared for Canada and played a half season of soccer.

Arfield isn't as good as Johnson four years ago, but he's better than the current one. Pulisic is better than Cristante. Everyone is better than Nagbe. 

[masster]

46 minutes ago, masster said:

So back to Cristante...I'm surprised more Vs didn't watch the game...nationally televised on TSN against well known English opposition. I can understand not being able to track down a Serie A broadcast, but this was simple.

Anyways, watched it off the PVR last night. For those that haven't seen him play before, this was a pretty standard Cristante performance. Lots of simple passes and movement from Cristante to keep Atalanta is possession. He played fairly high up the pitch, behind Petagna who was the lone striker. Not a stand out player by any means. His goal was on a counter attack. Brutal Everton defending left him quite open.

Maybe his performance was better than I thought...

The Mirror gave him an 8. Tied for highest on the team, which I think is way too generous. They also have all 3 goal scorers as 8s, so perhaps just lazy rankings
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/atalanta-everton-player-ratings-rooney-11172608

Calciomercato gave him a 7.5, second highest on the team.
http://www.calciomercato.com/en/news/europa-league-atalanta-everton-player-ratings-papu-gomez-show-58874

Who scored gave him a 7.67, fourth highest on the team.
https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1239077/LiveStatistics/Europe-UEFA-Europa-League-2017-2018-Atalanta-Everton

[SpecialK]

USA Starting XI (vs  Costa Rica ) vs Canada  potential starting XI ( if everyone commits and is back from injury)

note * Canada's lineup in a 4-3-3 and in a 4-4-2 with two options. 

Cristante is better than  Bradley ! And younger.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[harrycoyster]

2 hours ago, One American said:

Arfield isn't as good as Johnson four years ago, but he's better than the current one. Pulisic is better than Cristante. Everyone is better than Nagbe. 

You are seriously underrating Nagbe. Perhaps because the US seems to play him centrally for whatever reason. His possession, dribbling and passing stats are the best of any of the players listed, albeit in a weaker league. The only reason he isn't a top 5 attacking midfielder in all of CONCACAF is that he doesn't have a final pass.

[matty]

5 hours ago, harrycoyster said:

You are seriously underrating Nagbe. Perhaps because the US seems to play him centrally for whatever reason. His possession, dribbling and passing stats are the best of any of the players listed, albeit in a weaker league. The only reason he isn't a top 5 attacking midfielder in all of CONCACAF is that he doesn't have a final pass.

Speaking of rating people, is it just me or are so any people overrating Gutierrez? Guy is still developing 

[jpg75]

7 minutes ago, matty said:

Speaking of rating people, is it just me or are so any people overrating Gutierrez? Guy is still developing 

Do you blame them though? They still remember he was starting (albeit due to injury i believe) for Colo-Colo at 18. Obviously it looks like he wasn't ready to be a dominant player for a top club, so he's on his second loan spell.

[dyslexic nam]

People can make all sorts of player vs player or squad vs squad claims but I tend to view these in the same light as the claims that we have the 5th or 6th (or 7th, etc) squad in CONCACAF.  

For me, the actual proof of player/squad quality is in the results we get in meaningful games.  Knocked out in the QF of the GC (which the US won without some key players), failure to make the hex (which the US and other teams are in), etc.  We have a better squad than the US?  Maybe in the context of some theoretical thought experiment, but in my world that claim simply doesn't map onto reality.  

Maybe the next WCQ cycle will prove me wrong, but at this point I find the real world results far more telling than a paper exercise where we may come out on top.

[matty]

42 minutes ago, jpg75 said:

Do you blame them though? They still remember he was starting (albeit due to injury i believe) for Colo-Colo at 18. Obviously it looks like he wasn't ready to be a dominant player for a top club, so he's on his second loan spell.

I get why they do it but he's playing one of the positions that usually takes the longest to fully develop (so if he commits he might not be our top guy for a while) and also I'm doubtful a third of them have seen him in action beyond highlights.

[Ansem]

1 hour ago, matty said:

Speaking of rating people, is it just me or are so any people overrating Gutierrez? Guy is still developing 

On my end, im thinking 2022 WCQ. I have faith in his development comes next cycle.

[matty]

14 minutes ago, Ansem said:

On my end, im thinking 2022 WCQ. I have faith in his development comes next cycle.

Same actually. Just don't see him as #1 off the bat if he committed tomorrow and maybe not even in 2019

[Guest]

17 hours ago, king1010 said:

Yes

aha the question was rhetoric

[Dub Narcotic]

In any case, if they get Cristante and Ferriera, the squad looks better than it has in decades (ever?). The huge problem is the backline now, particularly in the centre. 

[harrycoyster]

18 minutes ago, Dub Narcotic said:

In any case, if they get Cristante and Ferriera, the squad looks better than it has in decades (ever?).

Since the early 2000s at least. As you mentioned our backline is a mess right now and sadly there aren't any great defensive prospects on the horizon (Kadin Chung will be an MLS fullback, that's about all I'm confident in saying).

[hamiltonfan]

12 hours ago, One American said:

Arfield isn't as good as Johnson four years ago

What?

I appreciate Johnson's game and support his inclusion in the CMNT set-up but Scotty is a significant level above WJ. Now and at their peaks. Significant!

[ReedOnTheGrand]

1 hour ago, harrycoyster said:

Since the early 2000s at least. As you mentioned our backline is a mess right now and sadly there aren't any great defensive prospects on the horizon (Kadin Chung will be an MLS fullback, that's about all I'm confident in saying).

I'm pretty happy with the u23 crop of wingbacks. Petrasso has fit into the role well, Adekugbe is good when not injured, and Cordova is working into the first team(scored against his old team in the cup). Chung looks good going forward but if he's going to make the step up he needs to work on the defensive side a lot. I think James-Didic will be the CB pair in the 2019 Gold cup.