Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Four Thoughts on Slovakia
Obviously, the lineup Bradley has chosen for Slovakia is subject to many limitations - no Torres or Castillo because of an important Mexican league match, no Donovan, Holden, Ching, or Clark because of the MLS playoffs, and since Tim Howard is not coming, we know Bradley was worried at least somewhat about rest.
That said, there are four things the lineup can tell us:
1. Since Clint Dempsey is a runaway choice for our most exhausted player, I thought it was interesting he was included. Fulham are going strong in England, still competing in the group stages of the Europa League, and Dempsey played all summer. If anyone was going to get a rest, I would have thought it would be him. The only reason I can think to bring him is to test him out with Jozy at forward. I expect that the two of them will start up there.
2. The inclusion of both Eddie Johnson and Jeff Cunningham seems to strongly indicate that Bradley wants a burner up top to complement Altidore in Davies's absence. This doesn't necessarily mean, to me, that Dempsey won't start. We'll see, I guess, but I bet either Cunningham or Johnson plays minutes 55-70 with Altidore, and that will give us a glimpse at what Bradley considers an alternate pairing.
3. Bradley cannot tinker any more with the back line. All of a sudden, we're in a situation where we have very few games to get a lot of guys used to different positions. It seems to me that we should play the same four guys in the both games with the understanding that we may be stuck with these guys for the World Cup. DeMerit is a continuing injury risk; who knows if Onyewu will have a competitive game before the World Cup warm-ups? I think Bornstein, Bocanegra, Marshall, and Spector will be the team.
4. Whither Adu and Beasley? These guys are so out in the cold that they're Yeti fodder. Beasley has seen time in two recent Rangers games but he's expected to be sold in January. Anyway, I would gladly sacrifice Robbie Rogers for whomever among the two is playing better come World Cup time. But, it's obvious that Bradley (and correctly so) isn't going to touch either one until he has some more club time under his belt. I would have thought the same about Eddie Johnson, but he's seen the field a few times for Fulham this year and our striker situation is much more desperate.
(Bonus 5th Thought - I cannot name one player on Slovakia's team; I'm sure I should be able to, but I will honestly have to look them up before the game).
That said, there are four things the lineup can tell us:
1. Since Clint Dempsey is a runaway choice for our most exhausted player, I thought it was interesting he was included. Fulham are going strong in England, still competing in the group stages of the Europa League, and Dempsey played all summer. If anyone was going to get a rest, I would have thought it would be him. The only reason I can think to bring him is to test him out with Jozy at forward. I expect that the two of them will start up there.
2. The inclusion of both Eddie Johnson and Jeff Cunningham seems to strongly indicate that Bradley wants a burner up top to complement Altidore in Davies's absence. This doesn't necessarily mean, to me, that Dempsey won't start. We'll see, I guess, but I bet either Cunningham or Johnson plays minutes 55-70 with Altidore, and that will give us a glimpse at what Bradley considers an alternate pairing.
3. Bradley cannot tinker any more with the back line. All of a sudden, we're in a situation where we have very few games to get a lot of guys used to different positions. It seems to me that we should play the same four guys in the both games with the understanding that we may be stuck with these guys for the World Cup. DeMerit is a continuing injury risk; who knows if Onyewu will have a competitive game before the World Cup warm-ups? I think Bornstein, Bocanegra, Marshall, and Spector will be the team.
4. Whither Adu and Beasley? These guys are so out in the cold that they're Yeti fodder. Beasley has seen time in two recent Rangers games but he's expected to be sold in January. Anyway, I would gladly sacrifice Robbie Rogers for whomever among the two is playing better come World Cup time. But, it's obvious that Bradley (and correctly so) isn't going to touch either one until he has some more club time under his belt. I would have thought the same about Eddie Johnson, but he's seen the field a few times for Fulham this year and our striker situation is much more desperate.
(Bonus 5th Thought - I cannot name one player on Slovakia's team; I'm sure I should be able to, but I will honestly have to look them up before the game).
Lineup Update - November 11, 2009
Here's what I thought the World Cup lineup was going to be after the match to Costa Rica:
Assuming Onyewu recovers and plays for a few months before the tournament, here is the team:
F: Altidore, Dempsey
MF: Donovan, Bradley, Clark, Holden
DEF: Bornstein, Bocanegra, Onyewu, Cherundolo
GK: Howard
Subs:
F: Cooper, Casey, Ching
MF: Torres, Feilhaber, Edu,
{Adu/Beasley/Rogers - if Adu or Beasley have at all decent years, one will go; if not, then Rogers}
DEF: Spector, DeMerit, Marshall
GK: Guzan, Reis
Will post again post-Slovakia.
Assuming Onyewu recovers and plays for a few months before the tournament, here is the team:
F: Altidore, Dempsey
MF: Donovan, Bradley, Clark, Holden
DEF: Bornstein, Bocanegra, Onyewu, Cherundolo
GK: Howard
Subs:
F: Cooper, Casey, Ching
MF: Torres, Feilhaber, Edu,
{Adu/Beasley/Rogers - if Adu or Beasley have at all decent years, one will go; if not, then Rogers}
DEF: Spector, DeMerit, Marshall
GK: Guzan, Reis
Will post again post-Slovakia.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Feliz Anniversaire 2009
Via du nord, I found this write-up from Ridge Mahoney at Soccer America on the National Team player options for 2010 and what each player needs to do in the coming year to cement his place in the team.
Bottom line, here was the team that Mahoney predicted for 2010:
GK: Tim Howard, Brad Guzan
DEF: Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Jonathan Spector, Steve Cherundolo, Jimmy Conrad, Frankie Hejduk, Heath Pearce, Marvell Wynne
MID: Pablo Mastroeni, Michael Bradley, DaMarcus Beasley, Clint Dempsey, Maurice Edu, Freddy Adu, Ricardo Clark, Sacha Kljestan
FWD: Jozy Altidore, Charlie Davies, Landon Donovan, Kenny Cooper, Eddie Johnson
He notes that one will probably drop in favor of the third keeper - I think probably one of the right backs. Who the third keeper will be is unclear.
Not much to challenge on this list, either in terms of who Bob Bradley is likely to select or in terms of who should be selected, but I have a few quibbles.
First, I think that Hejduk will be the back that drops out. With Wynne's development and upside, Hejduk's role as back-up is less justified. Second, Jimmy Conrad hasn't made an appearance in a national side in forever. Danny Califf appears to be the preferred central defensive back-up. Finally, I think by 2010 Pablo Mastroeni will have moved comfortably over the hill; his red card propensity is already deadly enough. I would prefer to have a younger midfielder in the squad - any of the back-ups Mahoney lists would be intriguing.
That said, the list Mahoney offers gives all of us something to watch this year. The current transfer window looks particularly important for DaMarcus Beasley (who has not even been in the squad for Rangers recently). The last half of this season is important for Edu, who has played I think 67 minutes since his move to Rangers, Eddie Johnson, whose stint at Cardiff City has been derided by the Welsh fans, and Freddy Adu, who has remained glued to Monaco's bench.
More promising in the coming months is the continued development of Altidore, which will hopefully include a place in Villareal's spring Champions League squad, the move of Donovan to Bayern Munich, the intriguing possibility that Davies will develop into an internationally capable striker, and the potential transfer moves of Wynne and Kljestan into European leagues.
Happy 2009. We're about a year and a half from World Cup 2010.
Bottom line, here was the team that Mahoney predicted for 2010:
GK: Tim Howard, Brad Guzan
DEF: Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Jonathan Spector, Steve Cherundolo, Jimmy Conrad, Frankie Hejduk, Heath Pearce, Marvell Wynne
MID: Pablo Mastroeni, Michael Bradley, DaMarcus Beasley, Clint Dempsey, Maurice Edu, Freddy Adu, Ricardo Clark, Sacha Kljestan
FWD: Jozy Altidore, Charlie Davies, Landon Donovan, Kenny Cooper, Eddie Johnson
He notes that one will probably drop in favor of the third keeper - I think probably one of the right backs. Who the third keeper will be is unclear.
Not much to challenge on this list, either in terms of who Bob Bradley is likely to select or in terms of who should be selected, but I have a few quibbles.
First, I think that Hejduk will be the back that drops out. With Wynne's development and upside, Hejduk's role as back-up is less justified. Second, Jimmy Conrad hasn't made an appearance in a national side in forever. Danny Califf appears to be the preferred central defensive back-up. Finally, I think by 2010 Pablo Mastroeni will have moved comfortably over the hill; his red card propensity is already deadly enough. I would prefer to have a younger midfielder in the squad - any of the back-ups Mahoney lists would be intriguing.
That said, the list Mahoney offers gives all of us something to watch this year. The current transfer window looks particularly important for DaMarcus Beasley (who has not even been in the squad for Rangers recently). The last half of this season is important for Edu, who has played I think 67 minutes since his move to Rangers, Eddie Johnson, whose stint at Cardiff City has been derided by the Welsh fans, and Freddy Adu, who has remained glued to Monaco's bench.
More promising in the coming months is the continued development of Altidore, which will hopefully include a place in Villareal's spring Champions League squad, the move of Donovan to Bayern Munich, the intriguing possibility that Davies will develop into an internationally capable striker, and the potential transfer moves of Wynne and Kljestan into European leagues.
Happy 2009. We're about a year and a half from World Cup 2010.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Edson Buddle
Screw it. Let's add Edson Buddle to the player pool. He's playing out of his mind this year and to be honest, we need forwards.
Post-Barbados 2010 Update
FWD: Altidore, Dempsey
MID: Beasley, Adu, Donovan, Bradley
DEF: Pearce, Onyewu, Bocanegra, Cherundolo
GK: Howard
GK: Guzan, Seitz
DEF: Bornstein, Spector, Subotic, Simek
MID: Edu, Feilhaber, Kljestan, Clark
FWD: Johnson, Cooper
Missed the Cut:
GK: Reis
DEF: DeMerit, Moor
MID: Szetela, Lewis
FWD: Rogers
MID: Beasley, Adu, Donovan, Bradley
DEF: Pearce, Onyewu, Bocanegra, Cherundolo
GK: Howard
GK: Guzan, Seitz
DEF: Bornstein, Spector, Subotic, Simek
MID: Edu, Feilhaber, Kljestan, Clark
FWD: Johnson, Cooper
Missed the Cut:
GK: Reis
DEF: DeMerit, Moor
MID: Szetela, Lewis
FWD: Rogers
Rationale for Current World Cup 2010 Projection
Altidore: Let's see what happens at Villareal - even if he's loaned out to a lower level club or rides the pine, the position is almost his by default. Eddie Johnson will have to have some season at Fulham to be in the mix for a start (although I did think his performance in the three recent friendlies was almost excellent).
Dempsey: It's really between Dempsey and Donovan for the withdrawn striker role - due both to the lack of talent up top for the U.S. and the need to get Dempsey, Donovan, Beasley, Adu, and Bradley all on the field at once. But, his performance against Barbados in this role, even appropriately qualified based on the level of competition, showed more energy than he has for the U.S. in several starts. That's enough to make the decision and put him here.
Donovan: I see Donovan playing an attacking position behind the two strikers. This is a really flexible line-up and one more flexible than Bob Bradley has used to date (except for the 1-0 win at Barbados - a fact that might scare him from flexibility) but Dempsey, Donovan, Beasley, and Adu can all trade places in this potential system. I bet that this is what the U.S. works toward because the 4-4-2 empty bucket doesn't work for a team that already has problems scoring. Both Donovan's club play and the performances of the U.S. with and without him in the line-up have made me feel stupid for doubting his abilities.
Beasley: I've always maintained that he has been the best U.S. player of the last six years, but constant injuries (and the ever-consistent Brian McBride) have proven me wrong. That said, his start to his Rangers career was breathtaking and included a stirring performance at Lyon in a 3-0 Rangers win. He was injured shortly thereafter and is working back into form. I liked how he was playing centrally frequently against Barbados. If fully fit, he is formidable.
Adu: Due to Donovan's seniority, I've pushed Freddy to the right. His recent play with the full national side is no surprise to those of us who have watched him with the youth sides. When he and Donovan were both on the field against Argentina, the U.S. moved the ball better than I've ever seen them move it. A potential loan move should get Adu more playing time which can only help him (barring injury of course).
Bradley: Michael Bradley had the best season of any American player in Europe, scoring an astounding number of goals and keying a strong Hereneveen side that was a player in the Dutch title chase. Bradley's defensive tenaciousness has already been on display for the American team and it's in this role that he seems destined for the Nats. Right now, Middlesbrough seems the mooted destination which should provide more insight into his ability.
Pearce: The last five matches have made Pearce the man to beat on the left. Constantly a source of problems for the U.S., the position was crying out for someone to take over. Pearce seems to have done so, but the question is whether he'll hang on in the face of a challenge from the fully fit Bornstein.
Onyewu: The big question about Gooch is whether he's still growing as a player or if we've seen the best he has to offer. He will get at least some Champions' League soccer this fall at his club but rumors of a move to a bigger European club have died down. Onyewu's lack of speed, shown on a few occasions in recent U.S. matches, as well as a propensity for the awful foul keep him short of world class - but he is still by far our best center back.
Bocanegra: Out of favor at Fulham, Boca appeared headed for a lower division English side, or even, gasp, MLS, but has transferred to Rennes in the French First League. The level of competition there is good and with playing time this move could work out better than Fulham would have.
Cherundolo: This guy is so solid that I've given up trying to replace him in the next World Cup. The question is whether he becomes the just-too-old defender who has to be replaced in the group stages (see Jeff Agoos and Eddie Pope). His club form in Germany should give us the answer. Right now, two more years of good soccer seem well within his capabilities.
Howard: I maintain that we would have advanced out of the group stages at the last World Cup if Tim Howard had been our starting keeper. His brilliant display against Argentina shows how much he offers - and how much the U.S. needs a game-changing keeper at this point to compete at a high level. Case in point: Brad Freidel in 2002. While it's always kind of a bummer to rely on the goalkeeper, it's the one position where we've developed world class players and Howard is definitely world class.
Backups:
GK: Guzan is Howard's heir apparent; and Seitz may be Guzan's. Will change if Bradley uses the third GK honorary position to bring in a veteran leader.
DEF: Deep position - Subotic has just sealed a transfer to Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga. Let's hope he decides he wants to be an American. Spector is excellent and versatile. Simek may be moving to Aston Villa. Bornstein has pace and is a Bradley favorite.
MID: Ricardo Clark is hanging on by a thin thread. But I don't see Mastro there in 2010. Feilhaber's return from injury will determine whether he can reclaim golden boy status. Edu is pretty much a lock and might start at Adu's expense if the empty bucket shows up in South Africa. Sasha Kljestan looks better and better every time I see him (with the exception maybe of the recent win at Barbados - but that game was so ugly it's analytical utility is limited).
FWD: Eddie Johnson is fast and he's starting to get in the right spots. A good season at Fulham could give Altidore a run for his money. Cooper is dominating MLS and sparking Euro interest.
CUT:
GK: Reis may go if Bradley seeks the aforementioned veteran leadership.
DEF: I think Moor looks good on the right and he's young - but Simek blocks him there. Demerit needs to sort out his club situation.
MID: Eddie Lewis has been outstanding lately but will he still be outstanding after two more club seasons. I like Szetela and he might come in for Clark or Feilhaber if either slips.
FWD: Rogers seems like another forward who might eventually be good. We are really thin at this position. Hill and Davies have dropped off the radar.
Dempsey: It's really between Dempsey and Donovan for the withdrawn striker role - due both to the lack of talent up top for the U.S. and the need to get Dempsey, Donovan, Beasley, Adu, and Bradley all on the field at once. But, his performance against Barbados in this role, even appropriately qualified based on the level of competition, showed more energy than he has for the U.S. in several starts. That's enough to make the decision and put him here.
Donovan: I see Donovan playing an attacking position behind the two strikers. This is a really flexible line-up and one more flexible than Bob Bradley has used to date (except for the 1-0 win at Barbados - a fact that might scare him from flexibility) but Dempsey, Donovan, Beasley, and Adu can all trade places in this potential system. I bet that this is what the U.S. works toward because the 4-4-2 empty bucket doesn't work for a team that already has problems scoring. Both Donovan's club play and the performances of the U.S. with and without him in the line-up have made me feel stupid for doubting his abilities.
Beasley: I've always maintained that he has been the best U.S. player of the last six years, but constant injuries (and the ever-consistent Brian McBride) have proven me wrong. That said, his start to his Rangers career was breathtaking and included a stirring performance at Lyon in a 3-0 Rangers win. He was injured shortly thereafter and is working back into form. I liked how he was playing centrally frequently against Barbados. If fully fit, he is formidable.
Adu: Due to Donovan's seniority, I've pushed Freddy to the right. His recent play with the full national side is no surprise to those of us who have watched him with the youth sides. When he and Donovan were both on the field against Argentina, the U.S. moved the ball better than I've ever seen them move it. A potential loan move should get Adu more playing time which can only help him (barring injury of course).
Bradley: Michael Bradley had the best season of any American player in Europe, scoring an astounding number of goals and keying a strong Hereneveen side that was a player in the Dutch title chase. Bradley's defensive tenaciousness has already been on display for the American team and it's in this role that he seems destined for the Nats. Right now, Middlesbrough seems the mooted destination which should provide more insight into his ability.
Pearce: The last five matches have made Pearce the man to beat on the left. Constantly a source of problems for the U.S., the position was crying out for someone to take over. Pearce seems to have done so, but the question is whether he'll hang on in the face of a challenge from the fully fit Bornstein.
Onyewu: The big question about Gooch is whether he's still growing as a player or if we've seen the best he has to offer. He will get at least some Champions' League soccer this fall at his club but rumors of a move to a bigger European club have died down. Onyewu's lack of speed, shown on a few occasions in recent U.S. matches, as well as a propensity for the awful foul keep him short of world class - but he is still by far our best center back.
Bocanegra: Out of favor at Fulham, Boca appeared headed for a lower division English side, or even, gasp, MLS, but has transferred to Rennes in the French First League. The level of competition there is good and with playing time this move could work out better than Fulham would have.
Cherundolo: This guy is so solid that I've given up trying to replace him in the next World Cup. The question is whether he becomes the just-too-old defender who has to be replaced in the group stages (see Jeff Agoos and Eddie Pope). His club form in Germany should give us the answer. Right now, two more years of good soccer seem well within his capabilities.
Howard: I maintain that we would have advanced out of the group stages at the last World Cup if Tim Howard had been our starting keeper. His brilliant display against Argentina shows how much he offers - and how much the U.S. needs a game-changing keeper at this point to compete at a high level. Case in point: Brad Freidel in 2002. While it's always kind of a bummer to rely on the goalkeeper, it's the one position where we've developed world class players and Howard is definitely world class.
Backups:
GK: Guzan is Howard's heir apparent; and Seitz may be Guzan's. Will change if Bradley uses the third GK honorary position to bring in a veteran leader.
DEF: Deep position - Subotic has just sealed a transfer to Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga. Let's hope he decides he wants to be an American. Spector is excellent and versatile. Simek may be moving to Aston Villa. Bornstein has pace and is a Bradley favorite.
MID: Ricardo Clark is hanging on by a thin thread. But I don't see Mastro there in 2010. Feilhaber's return from injury will determine whether he can reclaim golden boy status. Edu is pretty much a lock and might start at Adu's expense if the empty bucket shows up in South Africa. Sasha Kljestan looks better and better every time I see him (with the exception maybe of the recent win at Barbados - but that game was so ugly it's analytical utility is limited).
FWD: Eddie Johnson is fast and he's starting to get in the right spots. A good season at Fulham could give Altidore a run for his money. Cooper is dominating MLS and sparking Euro interest.
CUT:
GK: Reis may go if Bradley seeks the aforementioned veteran leadership.
DEF: I think Moor looks good on the right and he's young - but Simek blocks him there. Demerit needs to sort out his club situation.
MID: Eddie Lewis has been outstanding lately but will he still be outstanding after two more club seasons. I like Szetela and he might come in for Clark or Feilhaber if either slips.
FWD: Rogers seems like another forward who might eventually be good. We are really thin at this position. Hill and Davies have dropped off the radar.
Labels: rationale
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
May 2008 Projected World Cup 2010 Team
Starters and formation:
-------------Altidore-------Donovan--------
Beasley--------------Adu------------Dempsey
--------------------Bradley--------------
Spector-----Bocanegra--Onyewu--Cherundolo
--------------------Howard-------------------
Bench:
GK: Guzan, Seitz
DEF: Bornstein, DeMerit, Parkhurst, Simek
MID: Clark, Edu, Feilhaber, Kljestan
FWD: E. Johnson, Davies
Missed the cut:
DEF: Cory Gibbs, Drew Moor, Jimmy Conrad, Heath Pearce, Marvell Wynne
MID: Bobby Convey, Justin Mapp, Eddie Gaven, Lee Nguyen
FWD: Kenny Cooper, Robbie Rogers
5 Players who have helped themselves most since October:
Dempsey (due to play at Fulham)
Bradley (due to play at Herenveen)
Donovan (due to play at LA)
Spector (due to play at West Ham)
Onyewu (due to play at Standard Liege)
5 Players who have hurt themselves most in 2007:
Convey (due to lack of play with Reading and poor quality at Reading and with U.S.)
Bornstein (due to injury and lack of play)
Bocanegra (due to lack of play with Fulham)
DeMerit (due to lack of play with Watford)
Feilhaber (due to lack of play with Derby and release from Olympic qualifying team)
-------------Altidore-------Donovan--------
Beasley--------------Adu------------Dempsey
--------------------Bradley--------------
Spector-----Bocanegra--Onyewu--Cherundolo
--------------------Howard-------------------
Bench:
GK: Guzan, Seitz
DEF: Bornstein, DeMerit, Parkhurst, Simek
MID: Clark, Edu, Feilhaber, Kljestan
FWD: E. Johnson, Davies
Missed the cut:
DEF: Cory Gibbs, Drew Moor, Jimmy Conrad, Heath Pearce, Marvell Wynne
MID: Bobby Convey, Justin Mapp, Eddie Gaven, Lee Nguyen
FWD: Kenny Cooper, Robbie Rogers
5 Players who have helped themselves most since October:
Dempsey (due to play at Fulham)
Bradley (due to play at Herenveen)
Donovan (due to play at LA)
Spector (due to play at West Ham)
Onyewu (due to play at Standard Liege)
5 Players who have hurt themselves most in 2007:
Convey (due to lack of play with Reading and poor quality at Reading and with U.S.)
Bornstein (due to injury and lack of play)
Bocanegra (due to lack of play with Fulham)
DeMerit (due to lack of play with Watford)
Feilhaber (due to lack of play with Derby and release from Olympic qualifying team)
Thursday, October 04, 2007
23-Man Team
Starters and formation:
------------------Altidore----------------------
------------------Dempsey---------------------
Beasley-----------Donovan-----------------Adu
------------------Bradley-----------------------
Bornstein----Onyewu-Bocanegra----Cherundolo
------------------Howard-----------------------
Bench:
GK: Seitz, Guzan
DEF: Pearce, DeMerit, Parkhurst, Simek
MID: Convey, Feilhaber, Clark, Klejistan
FWD: E. Johnson, Davies
Missed the cut:
DEF: Cory Gibbs, Drew Moor, Jimmy Conrad, Jonathan Spector, Marvell Wynne
MID: Justin Mapp, Eddie Gaven, Maurice Edu, Lee Nguyen
FWD: Chad Barrett, Chris Rolfe
5 Players who have helped themselves most in 2007:
Dempsey (due to play at Fulham)
Beasley (due to play at Rangers)
Bocanegra (due to play at Fulham)
Bradley (due to play at Herenveen and U-20 WC)
Adu (due to play at U-20 WC)
5 Players who have hurt themselves most in 2007:
Wynne (due to play in Copa America)
Gaven (due to play in Copa America)
Nguyen (due to lack of play)
Eddie Johnson (due to play with National Team)
Donovan (due to play with club and National team)
------------------Altidore----------------------
------------------Dempsey---------------------
Beasley-----------Donovan-----------------Adu
------------------Bradley-----------------------
Bornstein----Onyewu-Bocanegra----Cherundolo
------------------Howard-----------------------
Bench:
GK: Seitz, Guzan
DEF: Pearce, DeMerit, Parkhurst, Simek
MID: Convey, Feilhaber, Clark, Klejistan
FWD: E. Johnson, Davies
Missed the cut:
DEF: Cory Gibbs, Drew Moor, Jimmy Conrad, Jonathan Spector, Marvell Wynne
MID: Justin Mapp, Eddie Gaven, Maurice Edu, Lee Nguyen
FWD: Chad Barrett, Chris Rolfe
5 Players who have helped themselves most in 2007:
Dempsey (due to play at Fulham)
Beasley (due to play at Rangers)
Bocanegra (due to play at Fulham)
Bradley (due to play at Herenveen and U-20 WC)
Adu (due to play at U-20 WC)
5 Players who have hurt themselves most in 2007:
Wynne (due to play in Copa America)
Gaven (due to play in Copa America)
Nguyen (due to lack of play)
Eddie Johnson (due to play with National Team)
Donovan (due to play with club and National team)
Labels: projected lineup
New Policy
All right - posting has been difficult - new policy is to post every day (or at least every day that something happens affecting the U.S. roster.
The new idea will be to post the potential 23-man and starting roster for the 2010 World Cup and to indicate which players have helped or hurt themselves and why in bullet points. This should make for more frequent and easier updating of the blog.
The new idea will be to post the potential 23-man and starting roster for the 2010 World Cup and to indicate which players have helped or hurt themselves and why in bullet points. This should make for more frequent and easier updating of the blog.
Friday, May 18, 2007
More Gold Cup and Copa America
At halftime of the MLS game last night, Bob Bradley indicated a "handful" of players would be playing both the Copa America and the Gold Cup.
Keeping the structure and rules of my earlier post intact, permit me to make a slight alteration to my predicted Copa America team (I'm sticking with my Gold Cup guess):
Kasey Keller, Free (GK), Jonathan Bornstein, Chivas USA (DEF), Chris Albright, Los Angeles Galaxy (DEF), Jimmy Conrad, Kansas City Wizards (DEF), Bobby Boswell, DC United (DEF), Ricardo Clark, Houston Dynamo (MID), Pablo Mastroeni, Colorado Rapids (MID) Kyle Beckerman, Colorado Rapids (MID), Justin Mapp, Chicago Fire (MID), Bryan Ching, Houston Dynamo (FWD), Taylor Twellman, New England Revolution (FWD).
Reserves:Matt Reis, New England Revolution (GK), Brad Guzan, Chivas USA (GK), Wade Barrett, Houston Dynamo (DEF), Todd Dunivant, New York Red Bull (DEF), Michael Parkhurst, New England Revolution (DEF), Marvell Wynne, Toronto FC (DEF), Brad Davis, Houston Dynamo (MID), Brian Carroll, DC United (MID), Ben Olsen, DC United (MID), Nate Jaqua, Los Angeles Galaxy (FWD), Kenny Cooper, FC Dallas (FWD), Chris Rolfe, Chicago Fire (FWD).
The handful of players on both rosters include Kasey Keller, Pablo Mastroeni, Justin Mapp, and Matt Reis. If I had to bet, I'd probably strike Hill and Jemal Johnson from the Gold Cup roster and include Ching and Twellman on both, but I'm not officially making the change because I want to see both of the Europe-based forwards play.
Keeping the structure and rules of my earlier post intact, permit me to make a slight alteration to my predicted Copa America team (I'm sticking with my Gold Cup guess):
Kasey Keller, Free (GK), Jonathan Bornstein, Chivas USA (DEF), Chris Albright, Los Angeles Galaxy (DEF), Jimmy Conrad, Kansas City Wizards (DEF), Bobby Boswell, DC United (DEF), Ricardo Clark, Houston Dynamo (MID), Pablo Mastroeni, Colorado Rapids (MID) Kyle Beckerman, Colorado Rapids (MID), Justin Mapp, Chicago Fire (MID), Bryan Ching, Houston Dynamo (FWD), Taylor Twellman, New England Revolution (FWD).
Reserves:Matt Reis, New England Revolution (GK), Brad Guzan, Chivas USA (GK), Wade Barrett, Houston Dynamo (DEF), Todd Dunivant, New York Red Bull (DEF), Michael Parkhurst, New England Revolution (DEF), Marvell Wynne, Toronto FC (DEF), Brad Davis, Houston Dynamo (MID), Brian Carroll, DC United (MID), Ben Olsen, DC United (MID), Nate Jaqua, Los Angeles Galaxy (FWD), Kenny Cooper, FC Dallas (FWD), Chris Rolfe, Chicago Fire (FWD).
The handful of players on both rosters include Kasey Keller, Pablo Mastroeni, Justin Mapp, and Matt Reis. If I had to bet, I'd probably strike Hill and Jemal Johnson from the Gold Cup roster and include Ching and Twellman on both, but I'm not officially making the change because I want to see both of the Europe-based forwards play.
Chicago - FC Dallas Wrap
Last night's "Brimstone Cup" game was probably the most entertaining Thursday night MLS game so far - Chicago looked dominating throughout but Dallas scored on two counterattacks to win 2-1. The first Dallas goal came on a PK awarded after what appeared to be a Kenny Cooper dive - but in Cooper's defense, it appeared that Chicago's GK intended to foul him but did not have the chance because Cooper was already on the way down.
Despite the loss, Chicago had to be happy with the play of Justin Mapp, who (at least for the first 70 minutes) carved holes in the Dallas defense. Watching him play again (for the first time since this year's national team games), I was substantially impressed. Perhaps his most beguiling trait is his appearance - he looks too heavy to be so good with his feet and quick with the ball. Also, his receding hairline combined with his moptop hairdo makes him look a lot like a young shop teacher, not a midfield artist.
Other players of note included Chicago striker Calen Carr, who had about 7 chances in front of goal and finally converted the last one. He was on the receiving end of several outstanding Mapp crosses. His lack of finishing was mitigated by his bad luck and I thought he was one of the better Chicago players. Also, Chicago's Chad Barrett came on in the end to tremendous effect, looking incredibly dangerous in the last fifteen minutes (as did Thiago).
For Dallas, Cooper's speed was impressive and he drilled a shot off the woodwork from about 30 yards out. It's a common rap on him, but I didn't see him head the ball once. If he gets an aerial game, I honestly think he's the U.S. striker of the future. Oh, Alex Yi also played well which surprised me because I saw him torched repeatedly in a game earlier this year. Dallas's defense as a whole was very good which they had to be because they were under pressure the entire game.
Despite the loss, Chicago had to be happy with the play of Justin Mapp, who (at least for the first 70 minutes) carved holes in the Dallas defense. Watching him play again (for the first time since this year's national team games), I was substantially impressed. Perhaps his most beguiling trait is his appearance - he looks too heavy to be so good with his feet and quick with the ball. Also, his receding hairline combined with his moptop hairdo makes him look a lot like a young shop teacher, not a midfield artist.
Other players of note included Chicago striker Calen Carr, who had about 7 chances in front of goal and finally converted the last one. He was on the receiving end of several outstanding Mapp crosses. His lack of finishing was mitigated by his bad luck and I thought he was one of the better Chicago players. Also, Chicago's Chad Barrett came on in the end to tremendous effect, looking incredibly dangerous in the last fifteen minutes (as did Thiago).
For Dallas, Cooper's speed was impressive and he drilled a shot off the woodwork from about 30 yards out. It's a common rap on him, but I didn't see him head the ball once. If he gets an aerial game, I honestly think he's the U.S. striker of the future. Oh, Alex Yi also played well which surprised me because I saw him torched repeatedly in a game earlier this year. Dallas's defense as a whole was very good which they had to be because they were under pressure the entire game.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Projected Copa America and Gold Cup 23-man Line Ups
According to media reports, the U.S. will be featuring a stronger line-up for the Gold Cup than Copa America, much to the consternation of most soccer fans. Apparently, European clubs are not required to release U.S. players for the Copa America (not our Confederation championship) but are required to do so for the Gold Cup (our qualifying tournament for the 2009 Confederations Cup to be held in So. Africa).
OK - rationales aside - let's assume that all European players will be in the Gold Cup and that the Copa America will be more MLS-heavy.
Other rules:
- I'm trying not to overlap as much as possible - so some players may get frozen out in favor of players in both tournaments. However, I'm trying to project as close to possible with 46 players except for Goalkeepers - I figure Howard starts the Gold Cup and Keller starts the Copa America but is the number 2 in the Gold Cup.
- Marcus Hahnemann is out for both tournaments with an injury he picked up in Reading's last game.
- Bobby Convey and Cory Gibbs are still presumed out.
- US Men's U-20 players are out for both tournaments due to the U-20 World Cup which is running concurrently. The list of those players is here. Altidore and Adu are probably the two biggest losses to the U-20 team.
- Michael Bradley has been promoted to the senior Men's national team.
- Jimmy Conrad will be in Copa America both because he's MLS-based and because he'll likely miss the Gold Cup with a broken jaw.
Other than that, I'm proposing the following 23 man line-up for each.
Gold Cup Lineup:
Tim Howard, Everton (GK), Carlos Bocanegra, Fulham (DEF), Oguchi Onyewu, Standard Liege (DEF), Jay DeMerit, Watford (DEF), Steve Cherundolo, Hanover 96 (DEF), Benny Feilhaber, Hamburg(MID), DaMarcus Beasley, PSV Eindhoven (MID), Michael Bradley, Hereneveen (MID), Clint Dempsey, Fulham (MID), Landon Donovan, LA Galaxy (FWD), Eddie Johnson, Kansas City (FWD).
Reserves:
Kasey Keller, Free (GK), Matt Reis, New England Revolution, (GK), Heath Pearce, FC Nordsjaelland (DEF), Frank Simek, Sheffield Wednesday (DEF), Jonathan Spector, West Ham (DEF), Danny Califf, Aalborg BK (DEF), Justin Mapp, Chicago Fire (MID), Pablo Mastroeni, Colorado Rapids (MID), Eddie Lewis, Leeds United (MID), Josh Wolff, 1860 Munich (FWD), Kamani Hill, Wolfsburg (FWD), Jemal Johnson, Leeds United (FWD).
Copa America Lineup:
Kasey Keller, Free (GK), Jonathan Bornstein, Chivas USA (DEF), Chris Albright, Los Angeles Galaxy (DEF), Jimmy Conrad, Kansas City Wizards (DEF), Wade Barrett, Houston Dynamo (DEF), Ricardo Clark, Houston Dynamo (MID), Kyle Beckerman, Colorado Rapids (MID), Steve Ralston, New England Revolution (MID), Brian Mullan, Houston Dynamo (MID), Bryan Ching, Houston Dynamo (FWD), Taylor Twellman, New England Revolution (FWD).
Reserves:
Matt Reis, New England Revolution (GK), Brad Guzan, Chivas USA (GK), Bobby Boswell, DC United (DEF), Todd Dunivant, New York Red Bull (DEF), Michael Parkhurst, New England Revolution (DEF), Marvell Wynne, Toronto FC (DEF), Brad Davis, Houston Dynamo (MID), Brian Carroll, DC United (MID), Ben Olsen, DC United (MID), Nate Jaqua, Los Angeles Galaxy (FWD), Kenny Cooper, FC Dallas (FWD), Chris Rolfe, Chicago Fire (FWD).
OK - rationales aside - let's assume that all European players will be in the Gold Cup and that the Copa America will be more MLS-heavy.
Other rules:
- I'm trying not to overlap as much as possible - so some players may get frozen out in favor of players in both tournaments. However, I'm trying to project as close to possible with 46 players except for Goalkeepers - I figure Howard starts the Gold Cup and Keller starts the Copa America but is the number 2 in the Gold Cup.
- Marcus Hahnemann is out for both tournaments with an injury he picked up in Reading's last game.
- Bobby Convey and Cory Gibbs are still presumed out.
- US Men's U-20 players are out for both tournaments due to the U-20 World Cup which is running concurrently. The list of those players is here. Altidore and Adu are probably the two biggest losses to the U-20 team.
- Michael Bradley has been promoted to the senior Men's national team.
- Jimmy Conrad will be in Copa America both because he's MLS-based and because he'll likely miss the Gold Cup with a broken jaw.
Other than that, I'm proposing the following 23 man line-up for each.
Gold Cup Lineup:
Tim Howard, Everton (GK), Carlos Bocanegra, Fulham (DEF), Oguchi Onyewu, Standard Liege (DEF), Jay DeMerit, Watford (DEF), Steve Cherundolo, Hanover 96 (DEF), Benny Feilhaber, Hamburg(MID), DaMarcus Beasley, PSV Eindhoven (MID), Michael Bradley, Hereneveen (MID), Clint Dempsey, Fulham (MID), Landon Donovan, LA Galaxy (FWD), Eddie Johnson, Kansas City (FWD).
Reserves:
Kasey Keller, Free (GK), Matt Reis, New England Revolution, (GK), Heath Pearce, FC Nordsjaelland (DEF), Frank Simek, Sheffield Wednesday (DEF), Jonathan Spector, West Ham (DEF), Danny Califf, Aalborg BK (DEF), Justin Mapp, Chicago Fire (MID), Pablo Mastroeni, Colorado Rapids (MID), Eddie Lewis, Leeds United (MID), Josh Wolff, 1860 Munich (FWD), Kamani Hill, Wolfsburg (FWD), Jemal Johnson, Leeds United (FWD).
Copa America Lineup:
Kasey Keller, Free (GK), Jonathan Bornstein, Chivas USA (DEF), Chris Albright, Los Angeles Galaxy (DEF), Jimmy Conrad, Kansas City Wizards (DEF), Wade Barrett, Houston Dynamo (DEF), Ricardo Clark, Houston Dynamo (MID), Kyle Beckerman, Colorado Rapids (MID), Steve Ralston, New England Revolution (MID), Brian Mullan, Houston Dynamo (MID), Bryan Ching, Houston Dynamo (FWD), Taylor Twellman, New England Revolution (FWD).
Reserves:
Matt Reis, New England Revolution (GK), Brad Guzan, Chivas USA (GK), Bobby Boswell, DC United (DEF), Todd Dunivant, New York Red Bull (DEF), Michael Parkhurst, New England Revolution (DEF), Marvell Wynne, Toronto FC (DEF), Brad Davis, Houston Dynamo (MID), Brian Carroll, DC United (MID), Ben Olsen, DC United (MID), Nate Jaqua, Los Angeles Galaxy (FWD), Kenny Cooper, FC Dallas (FWD), Chris Rolfe, Chicago Fire (FWD).
Labels: Copa America, Gold Cup
Bradley's Interim Tag Removed
Bob Bradley has been officially named the U.S. Coach, according to the L.A. Times. Interesting quote from Landon Donovan:
"He's done a good job with us," Donovan said. "It was hard when he first came in because I'd had eight years with Bruce and things changed a little bit. Bob kind of tightened the strings, made things a little stricter."But every time I've been out there I've been motivated to play. So from my standpoint, he deserves it."
Donovan's play has been excellent lately (particularly the hat-trick against Ecuador) but are his past national team disappearances, most notably in the World Cup, the result of a lack of motivation? I'm trying to figure out what else he was trying to say.
"He's done a good job with us," Donovan said. "It was hard when he first came in because I'd had eight years with Bruce and things changed a little bit. Bob kind of tightened the strings, made things a little stricter."But every time I've been out there I've been motivated to play. So from my standpoint, he deserves it."
Donovan's play has been excellent lately (particularly the hat-trick against Ecuador) but are his past national team disappearances, most notably in the World Cup, the result of a lack of motivation? I'm trying to figure out what else he was trying to say.
Labels: Bob Bradley, Coach, Landon Donovan
