Around the region: What to watch for in the November friendlies
Gio Reyna! Hirving Lozano! Ravel Morrison! Guus Hiddink!
It’s the international break, that time in the soccer calendar that European club fans bemoan and us fans in the Americas celebrate.
Let’s take a look around the region as many teams prepare to play matches, others convene training camps and others watch at home as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to throw everything out of whack around the world:
🇺🇸 - The United States men’s national team is back, but what should we expect?
My sense is United States fans are just thrilled to have matches to watch. A lot of countries have been out of action for as long as the Americans, even longer. Few countries have this feeling of anticipation, however, that comes from not playing matches and watching as a never-before-seen number of rising stars take on important roles at truly top European teams.
If you’re reading a niche soccer newsletter, you know the names. Sergino Dest is setting up Messi at Barcelona, Weston McKennie is tracking back for Cristiano Ronaldo with Juventus, Gio Reyna has played more than two dozen matches for Dortmund and is yet to make his U.S. debut! Plus Tyler Adams at RB Leipzig, Zack Steffen at Man City, Chris Richards at Bayern. It should be a good time to be a U.S. national team fan.
There is still doubt in the ‘should’, though, and U.S. fans want to see it all come together. They’ll already be denied that chance because of a hamstring injury suffered by Christian Pulisic. Beyond that, fans will just be happy to see some of these players on the field - and some of the prospects they’ve been tracking compete for their first-ever U.S. caps.
Results rarely matter in international friendlies, but getting an idea of what manager Gregg Berhalter wants to do with his team and how he envisions some of these exciting pieces fitting together is the most important thing for U.S. fans right now.
It’s also critical for, you know, Berhalter himself. He may try some things that don’t work. That’s good. The next game that matters for the U.S. is still seven months away. Luckily, fans won’t have to wait that long to get the gears turning and start dreaming about what the team could look like at that point.
🇲🇽 - Mexico’s fearsome trident coming together
That sheen United States fans are experiencing has rubbed off for El Tri, with the excitement of a return to play now gone.
One of a few novelties for the November matches is the return of Hirving Lozano. Lozano allows Mexico manager Tata Martino to deploy a truly fearsome attacking trident with “Chucky” on one wing, Jesus “Tecatito” Corona on the other and Raul Jimenez as the number 9. On paper, it’s not only the best front three in Concacaf but few teams around the world can point to three players in (varying levels of) good form for top European club who lead the attack.
It should be fun to watch come together, even as Martino frets about his team’s defensive weaknesses.
Beyond how team will gel, Mexico’s November games, against Korea and Japan, are positive. This is a team desperate to challenge itself against top competition. Now it can do so against a perennial World Cup qualifier and the Asian Cup runner-up.
Last month’s opponents, the Netherlands and Algeria, might have more name recognition, but seeing different styles of play also should help Mexico as a national team. Rarely does Mexico see anything in regional play other than a team defending in a low block and hoping to counter and spring an upset. It’s gotten pretty good at beating those systems, but sometimes in tournaments like the World Cup seems to be a bit shell-shocked by a team putting the pedal down and attacking.
We’ll preview the Mexico v. Korea match in a separate newsletter Friday afternoon or Saturday morning, so keep your eyes peeled and tell your friends to sign up if they support Mexico.
🇯🇲 - Reggae Boyz’s headaches go beyond Ravel Morrison issue
Ravel Morrison, formerly tipped to be the next big thing for Manchester United and England, is set to represent Jamaica for the first time as the Reggae Boyz take on Saudi Arabia in a pair of friendly matches in the Middle East this window.
This week, a letter from Morrison’s agent to the JFF was published claiming Morrison, now playing for ADO Den Haag in the Netherlands, was told he would be booked a business class seat to Saudi Arabia but upon boarding found out his seat was in economy.
“I’m making myself clear at the start,” agent Daniel Wilson wrote in a letter published by the Gleaner. “If this is how the federation acts, he won’t be returning to play for Jamaica.”
Morrison arrived safely and posted a picture of himself in Jamaica gear on social media as he undergoes a 48-hour mandatory quarantine.
That quarantine is a far bigger issue at the moment than flights for manager Theodore “Tappa” Whitmore, who as of Wednesday night was still waiting on five players to arrive including Fulham duo Michael Hector and Bobby Reid and D.C. United defender Oneil Fisher.
With those players out because of the 48-hour quarantine and test results still pending for other players, Whitmore may need to get creative, replacing half his planned back line and potentially playing a match having done zero on-field training sessions.
That’s especially frustrating for him, since this was one of the first times he’s been able to call in something resembling a ‘full’ roster, blending players based in Europe with those playing in the U.S. Plus, Leon Bailey and Morrison both are in the fold after years of hope they’d put on the yellow and green.
Oh, there also was this, tucked into that Gleaner story a few days back. “A source close to the JFF told The Gleaner that there is also tension between players and the administration as the JFF is yet to respond to the players’ payment proposal, and the players are threatening not to take the field in Saudi Arabia if their demands are not met.”
Hopefully that’s been resolved, but not exactly a great trip!
Better times may be ahead for Jamaica, but it will need to sort out its administrative issues.
🇨🇼🇹🇹 - The show must go on
Curacao isn’t playing any friendly matches this window but still has convened a training camp on the island. Most of the team’s top players are taking part, including Leandro Bacuna, his brother Juninho and Cuco Martina.
Eloy Room, Elson Hooi and Darryl Lachman are among players who didn’t travel because of club commitments or COVID precautions based on their country.
Convening a camp isn’t insignificant for Curacao. As I wrote when I spoke with previous manager Remko Bicentini about his abrupt replacement by Guus Hiddink, Bicentini had been with the federation for more than a decade assembled a squad that was unified and loved playing for him. New players are still being recruited, with Germany-based center back Roshon van Eijma the latest Dutch-born player to declare his international allegiance to Curacao. The retrofitted school bus (it looks like there may even be two now!) pumping music and taking the team around the island is still there, and it’s clear these players are still committed to trying to qualify for the World Cup.
What’s less clear is where Hiddink is. He hasn’t shown up on any pictures on social media yet. Media reports say he is on the island but not yet able to take charge until a legal dispute between Bicentini and the Curacao federation is resolved. That happened this morning in court, with Bicentini and the federation coming to an agreement about the compensation he still was owed. We should soon see Hiddink putting pen to paper and guiding his new players on the field.
Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago manager Terry Fenwick is hosting training sessions for the first time in months and also expecting reinforcements from overseas to soon arrive to take part. Trinidad and Tobago is still technically suspended by FIFA, though after the TTFA board’s decision to stand down, it’s expected that will be rectified at some point in the not too distant future.
Here’s what I’m watching this window (all times Central…might have to get creative to watch some of these. Also, CONMEBOL WCQs!). Let me know if I’m missing a team, which is totally possible as I try to keep everything straight.
Personal news/Housekeeping note
You may have seen this week that I’m signed on to a new venture set to cover soccer in Texas. I’m extremely excited to get rolling on coverage of FC Dallas and the game in the DFW region but want to make sure readers know this newsletter will continue and strengthen now that I can spend less time writing other content, pitching outlets and doing non-soccer things.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the newsletter in its first seven months but will be even more pleased with the stories I can write with more time.
Feel free to get in touch and let me know if you know about a story that would be good for Getting Concacafed or if you want to share with me the types of things you’d like to read about more!