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Ranking our Midfielders


Obinna

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Idea taken from the "Ranking our Central Defenders" Thread. Based on Floro's 4-1-4-1 system. Based on how I think Floro ranks them in importance, as of today. Consideration is given to those who I think will be in the picture for the Semi-Final round of World Cup Qualifying, but rankings are still based on where they stand as of right now. If someone is left off, it is because I believe they will not used baring some sort of injury crisis. I understand some players (particularly Teibert) can find themselves in multiple roles, so I just picked the one I think they'll be used in the most. 

 

Central Midfielders:

1. Hutchinson

2. Johnson

3. Teibert

4. Bekker

5. Osorio

6. Mannella

7. Chapman

 

Defensive Midfielder:

1. de Guzman

2. Piette

*3. Straith

 

Wide Midfielders:

1. Hoilett

2. Ricketts

3. Akindele

4. Tissot

5. Aird

6. Nakajima

7. Petrasso

8. Froese

 

*Will primarily play at CB and will only be used in case of injury crisis. 

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Osorio looking ridiculously confident for TFC today. Some incredible footwork and playing like he has something to prove. His career looks to be on the upswing so really hoping Floro and him can figure out their differences soon. 

Wow, just wow. Possibly the best anyone, anywhere, could ever play without getting on the score sheet. Watching Osorio do his best Giovnco impressions all game, it is really hard to see how Floro calls Teibert our best dribbler. Pure class.

Osorio is very good at soccer.

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It's a shame about Osorio and I hope this gets reconciled somehow. Floro has been able to persuade Akindele, Hoilett and Cavallini to join the team. Surely he can bring Osorio home. 

I would slot in Pacheco ahead of Manella among the central mids.

I hope they can reconcile, but what is a shame is that Osario went all prima donna after being subbed at the GC. I do not blame a coach for demanding respect from his players. 

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It's a shame about Osorio and I hope this gets reconciled somehow. Floro has been able to persuade Akindele, Hoilett and Cavallini to join the team. Surely he can bring Osorio home. 

I would slot in Pacheco ahead of Manella among the central mids.

Good call, I totally forgot about Pacheco. That being said, I do wonder if he'll even feature at all in WCQ. Valid question I think, he hasn't exactly been heavily involved under Floro. Personally, I would still make use of him before I threw Manella our there. Not in my good books after watching him struggle against Panama yesterday.

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I really want to see Charlie Trafford.

Would be nice to get this guy into a January camp to see what he can do. No way he is an option for a WCQ or even WCQ prep friendly at this stage, if you ask me. We are building some good depth and January would be a great time to see if he belongs in the pool.

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I really want to see Charlie Trafford.

I think once he leaves Finland he'll start getting calls but I think we need to bring Stefan Cabara back into the mix. He's getting some decent minutes in Slovakia and creating some offense. I think both guys along with Dixon are worth a look especially if we're calling up USL guys.

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In Floro’s system:

LMF [Akindele,                                 CMF [Hutch]                         CMF [Johnson]                                    RMF [Hoilett,

 Tissot,  Petrasso]                                             [Teibert, Oso, Bekker, Froese]                                        Aird, Ricketts]

                                                                               

                    DMF [Straith,

                                                                                Piette, JDG, Eustaquio]

 

Note: These are the players I'd choose in Floro's system, not the players I think he'll chose.

 

 

The system I’d like to see

LMF [Akindele,                                                 AMF [Hoilett, Aleman]                                                  RMF [Teibert,

Tissot, Petrasso]                                                                                                                                         Aird, Ricketts]

                                                DMF [Hutch,                                                      CMF [Johnson,

                                                Straith, Piette, JDG, Eustaquio]                         Oso, Bekker, Froese]

 

 

 

 

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Our play against Mexico in the U23s tells me that Floro has very little confidence in our central mids. The style is very conservative and defensive and indicative of a team that doesn't have the talent in the midfield to keep up with the opponent. It is, essentially, a last resort to stay in a game in which you are out-classed and hope to get a goal on a counter-attack or a free kick.

None of the central mids impressed in this tournament so far: Chapman, Mannella, Eustaquiao, Carreiro, Piette. All have been middling to outright poor. None have the athletic ability or technical ability to keep up with the Mexico's. The best they can do is play a disciplined game, clog up passing lanes, prevent easy runs at the middle of our defense and force them to the outside for crosses which our tall centre defenders can usually handle.

I don't know that Froese, Aparicio, Bustos would have done any better. Froese shows good technical ability but not the quickness you want in the top central players. Bustos is quick but is similar to Boakai, who was invisible in the Mexico game.

Count me worried about the state of our central mids. The US has Bradley and Feilhaber and Beckerman and Jermaine Jones and others to choose from - all of who are full-time first-choice starters. We have Atiba, Will Johnson, and Osorio with no one that I see on the horizon taking on a full-time first-choice role at their team.

Let's hope a Cyle Larin-type emerges in our central mid.

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Osorio is third behind Hutch & Will IMHO. He is way better attacker than Russ at this point (and has been for a while).

I would move Russ to DM as that is where he has been getting minutes with his club. At DM I'd put him second, ahead of Piette and behind Straith.

Does JDG figure into the team any more? I know he's played this year and looked good but going forward is he our main DM still?

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Then central midfield combination of Will Johnson, Hutchinson, Osorio and Tiebert are quite sufficient for this cycle.

Johnson, Osorio and Tiebert are going to be fine for next cycle as well.  

Our big hope for the future right now is that Piette is going to continue developing into a solid player.  He has probably as much upside to develop into a Will Johnson type.

In general we have just enough depth now that of everyone shows up we have a decent chance to qualify.  Some of the younger guys coming up provide future depth.

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Then central midfield combination of Will Johnson, Hutchinson, Osorio and Tiebert are quite sufficient for this cycle.

Johnson, Osorio and Tiebert are going to be fine for next cycle as well.  

Our big hope for the future right now is that Piette is going to continue developing into a solid player.  He has probably as much upside to develop into a Will Johnson type.

In general we have just enough depth now that of everyone shows up we have a decent chance to qualify.  Some of the younger guys coming up provide future depth.

I like Piette but his biggest issue is he hasn't moved up at all since his debut with Dusseldorf two years ago. He needs to become a regular at a decent level.

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I like Piette but his biggest issue is he hasn't moved up at all since his debut with Dusseldorf two years ago. He needs to become a regular at a decent level.

I don't think that it is an issue. He was put in some games there, but nothing more. I do think that he's called more often than he should and that if started for his club, it would help a lot. He was starting as a regular in the Tercera and when he moved to Segunda B, he's not starting and it could be because he had a short camp and that he's probably the only guy who is missing games to play for his national team.

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