Embarrassing is a little harsh. This isn’t our best team out there. Hallock completely changes the equation. The centers on the roster are not ready for this stage.
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actually embarrassing is an appropriate description, especially considering this is essentially the same weak roster that played in Singapore last summer. We apparently learned nothing from that experience, instead the US doubles down and adds even less experienced and effective players. Don’t even get me started on the set play. And why are we pinning our hopes on Hallock- who will have been out of the game for 3 years, assuming he returns in late 2027? We saw this in Paris with Obert (great guy) who came back and was far less effective. Our attackers have to fire long range outside shots because the sets are drawing zero attention. It is a huge disadvantage for us, and the shooter’s stats show this. All we try to do is draw kick outs, but our man ups are abysmal. We need a center who has some offensive skill- something I have been arguing for a while now.
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I’m going to assume good intent and assume that giving these younger/less-experienced players these reps is a strategic move.
It had been an oft-cited issue for our Men’s Senior Teams that our younger players never enjoyed the benefits of early exposure (playing up) that their European counterparts routinely received to prepare for Senior level competition. Perhaps they’re using Ryder’s success as a template that now includes Jett Taylor.
Nevertheless, today’s performance looked exactly like a team that hasn’t spent much time together - certainly not enough to develop any kind of chemistry - on offense or defense!
As my handle implies, I have much to say about our Set play, but ultimately the lack of familiarity is easily the biggest factor; e.g., Dom Brown was wide open multiple times (6v6 and 6v5), but those feeds need to come from 1/2 side as Dom is a lefty. Instead we (instinctively?) swung it to the 4/5 side and THEN tried to feed him from there. Just one example of many, that contributed to the performance today.
It’s not going to be any easier against Spain and Italy, but perhaps Dejan can coach them up.
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I disagree about familiarity-this team ( minus a couple of players) have been training and playing together for a year at least. And many of them are from the same college team. So, I would argue that it isn’t familiarity that is the issue-I believe it’s trust. If I’m Daube or Irving-no way I’m passing off the ball to someone that I think is less effective than me.
Either way, it’s a bad look for the US. I understand giving young guys experience-but why bring almost the same roster that didn’t do well a year ago!!! If you haven’t improved in a year-that’s problematic. Btw-all the other teams are also bringing younger players-yet we lost by more goals than anyone.
To your point I believe Croatia had two U20’s on the squad.
For those posting stats screenshots, how did you get there? I clicked on the World Aquatics link posted earlier and can get to results but couldn’t find a link for team or player stats. Thank you
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I agree with what you are saying. I am all for taking some young guys, but aren’t there young guys with more experience? Not a knock on the high schooler on the roster at all. He is a good player obviously, but Ryder is a generational talent. There are some U20 guys with more experience we should be developing.
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Totally agree. I wasn’t endorsing (nor condemning) the roster. Like everyone else, was trying to make sense of what we all saw! Obviously not a great look, but have to think there’s some other agenda. Otherwise, as you said, there are other players with more experience from which to choose.
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We are 2+ years from an Olympics we have already qualified for. We put together a roster with some of our top players, plus 8-10 players that in all likelihood are competing for 2-3 spots in 2028. It’s hard for a performance to be embarrassing with what is a B+ roster in a tournament that does not matter at all.
I’d rather see what those fringe guys can do now in a very low leverage tournament, than in a World Championship or Olympic build-up setting. Having a high school junior on the roster, albeit one of the best I have seen in a while, is not setting an expectation that this tournament is about knocking off Spain and Croatia. It’s about seeing what we have and potentially starting a path for the younger group to have a shot at the roster. I personally like what Dejan is doing with this tournament, even if it means we aren’t at our most competitive.
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Does anyone know the qualifying process for worlds? What place does the US need to come to qualify for Aus worlds? Tricky balance of getting experience but also qualifying to gain more much needed experience at higher events.
5 teams qualify from Division 1 play in Greece, 2 teams qualify from Division 2 play in Malta, and the host country, Australia, completes the 8-team field according to the World Aquatics announcer.
anyone else having a double announcement on the Australia vs. Malta game?
Some thoughts after first half of Italy game…
- I like Liechty a lot. Big, long, can post up, and a good passer. Would like to see him establish himself as an outside shooting threat more, may need a season overseas to really develop that
- Don’t think we’re using out lefties on the posts for 6 v 5 well at all. Seems disjointed
- Very glad I was a goalie before the new goal box rule. 5 man defense looks miserable trying to cover all that space for field players and goalies
- I know Saveljic has a great arm, but feels like a Bonanni with shot selection at times (poor)
- After a decent first quarter, Italy is taking control
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Is J. Taylor rostered like we thought? I do not see him on the roster in the scoresheet.
He played yesterday. Today, it seems Bode Brinkema is rostered.
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It’s just not really fair to even compare this team with European teams. While the European teams are missing a lot of players as well, the guy stepping in has likely been playing professional WP for many years and is 25-29 years old. We are bringing players who are 2nd or 3rd team All-Americans or some not even on the list of All-Americans in collegiate water polo. They play with entirely different rules in college water polo to the point where it’s very different now with live subs and a :28/:18 second shot clock.
The European teams have polished live sub rotations and their passing combinations on 6v5 are so organized where we look like we are just trying to find an open person.
Just gotta accept the development part of this whole thing and if they can get one close game against the Netherlands it’s a success.
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100 %. We do have a lot of inexperience. Lack of chemistry was evident, especially in the man-up/man-down situations. However, our young centers (Brown/Castillo) were drawing exclusions. Weinberg appeared to be out of character. Need more urgency/intensity on Defense. Croatia’s gapping / stair-stepping bothered us as well.
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One reason that the sets are drawing exclusions is that the drop is not heavy. The reason the drop is not heavy is that these teams are figuring out that our sets are not a threat to shoot. So the opponent wings press out and that explains our low shooting percentages from our attackers.
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I’ve always believed the strength of a team starts from the middle….With Hallock/Woodhead, we had that size, experience and strength. With what we have on this team, positions up the middle look extremely weak- both in center and set D. And like the other poster said, this hurts our attackers, just look at the shooting percentage. And lack of chemistry does not explain man-ups- its lack of skill. This tournament is not a “low stakes” tournament as mentioned…if we don’t finish in the top 5, we don’t get to go to the World Cup in Australia. Considering there are not that many world tournaments, it would be awful to miss the only one happening in 2026.
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