Futbol Failure
Geoff Cameron: Tactical arrogance caused USMNT to fall short of World Cup
Feb 7, 2018, 4:26 pm
Geoff Cameron, #20, shared an in-depth conversation with Glenn Davis about the deficiencies of the USMNT. Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Yesterday, Stoke City's Geoff Cameron joined Glenn Davis on Soccer Matters and shared his thoughts on his career in the EPL and the shortcomings of the USMNT. Make sure you click on the link above to listen to the first part of the captivating interview.
Cameron joined Stoke City in 2012, and has virtually played every position in the back four for his team. He began the interview giving us a proper look at what it has been like to play in the most competitive league in the world, The Premier League. He explained why Stoke had such a tough start, how injuries crippled the team, and what eventually led to the sacking of Mark Hughes.
On January 15th, Paul Lambert was appointed as the new manager of Stoke City, replacing Mark Hughes. Cameron immediately noted a difference with the appointment of Lambert. Whether it’s calling out his players or having two-a-day practices, Lambert is no-nonsense. Despite being manager for less than a month, Cameron has already noticed how stylistically different Stoke has played since his appointment, and his emphasis on high pressing.
Glenn and Cameron then got deeper into their conversation as the topic changed to Cameron’s experiences with the United States National Team. He addressed the “buddy- buddy” relationship many claim he had with former manager Jurgen Klinsmann. He also discussed how different he was as manager than his successor and the bad taste his relationship with Bruce Arena left in his mouth.
Cameron, then, dove into one of the most controversial moments in US Soccer History, losing to Trinidad 2-1 and failing to qualify for the World Cup. He shared his perspective on why he did not play, the overconfidence of the squad, and the “tactical arrogance” of Bruce Arena.
Cameron’s openness made for a very compelling interview. It's no secret that Glenn and Cameron have a history dating all the way back to Cameron’s time with the Houston Dynamo. This open conversation on yesterday’s edition of Soccer Matters was only half of the conversation Glenn had with the Stoke City center back.
In the second half, Cameron goes into deeper detail on the failure of the national team to qualify for the World Cup. That half of the interview will air next Wednesday, February 14, on Soccer Matters from 7-9 pm.
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With the Astros now officially ten games under .500 for the season, manager Joe Espada is taking a lot of heat from the fanbase for the team's struggles.
While we don't agree with the sentiment, we even hear fans clamoring for the return of Dusty Baker and Martin Maldonado, thinking the Astros wouldn't be in this mess if they were still here.
Which is ridiculous. First of all, Maldonado has been awful for the White Sox, hitting .048 (even worse than Jose Abreu's .065). And for those of you that think his work with the pitching staff justifies his pathetic offense. Let me say this: Where was Maldy's game calling genius for Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, and Framber Valdez last year? All of them regressed significantly.
And as far as Baker is concerned, we have no idea how much a difference he would make, we can only speculate. Baker would also be dealing with a pitching staff ravaged with injuries. And let's not forget, Baker was the guy that refused to move Jose Abreu down in the batting order, even though he would finish the regular season with the ninth-worst OPS in baseball.
The reality of the situation is managers can only do so much in baseball. Which leads us to something else that needs to be considered. Is Espada being handcuffed by the front office? Espada and GM Dana Brown both said recently that Jon Singleton was going to get more at-bats while they give Abreu time off to try to figure things out. Yet, there Abreu was in the lineup again in the opening game of the Cubs series.
It makes us wonder how much power does Espada truly have? The Astros have some other options at first base. Yainer Diaz may only have eight games played at the position, but how much worse could he be than Abreu defensively? Abreu already has four errors, and Diaz is obviously a way better hitter. Victor Caratini isn't considered a plus offensive player, but his .276 batting average makes him look like Babe Ruth compared to Abreu. Let him catch more often and play Diaz at first. Starting Diaz at first more often could also lengthen his career long-term.
Maybe that's too wild of a move. Okay, fine. How about playing Mauricio Dubon at first base? I understand he doesn't have much experience at that position, but what's the downside of trying him there? If he can play shortstop, he can play first base. He's driving in runs at a higher rate (11 RBIs) than everyone on the team outside of Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez. And he's producing like that as part-time player right now.
The other criticism we see of Espada is his use of Jon Singleton to pinch hit late in games. Let's be real, though, who else does Espada have on the roster to go to? Batting Abreu late in games in which you're trailing should be considered malpractice. Espada can only use who he has to work with. This all really stems from the Astros poor farm system.
They don't have anyone else to turn to. The draft picks the club lost from the sign-stealing scandal are really hurting them right now. First and second rounders from 2020 and 2021 should be helping you in 2024 at the big league level.
Maybe they go to Astros prospect Joey Loperfido soon, but after a hot start he has only two hits in his last six games.
Finally, we have to talk about what seems like a committee making baseball decisions. Lost in a committee is accountability. Who gets the blame for making poor decisions?
As time continues to pass it looks like moving on from former GM James Click was a massive mistake. He's the guy that didn't sign Abreu, but did trade Myles Straw (recently DFA'd) for Yainer Diaz and Phil Maton. He also built an elite bullpen without breaking the bank, and helped the club win a World Series in 2022.
The reality of the situation is Dusty Baker and James Click are not walking back through that door. And all good runs come to an end at some point. Is this what we're witnessing?
Don't miss the video above as we hit on all the points discussed and much more!
Catch Stone Cold 'Stros (an Astros podcast) with Charlie Pallilo, Brandon Strange, and Josh Jordan. We drop two episodes every week on SportsMapHouston's YouTube channel. You can also listen on Apple Podcast, Spotifyor wherever you get your podcasts.