204 replies to this topic

[Jed Zeppelin]

Agudelo looks pretty dynamic.

[Jed Zeppelin]

Bornstein hasn't changed.

[ifmanis5]

Agudelo looks pretty dynamic.

Indeed. Our young guys have wheels.

[EP Sox Fan]

Couldn't find it anywhere else, but our local news covered the U-20 game v. Suriname (due to Salgado's presence on the squad...like I said it's a big deal here) and they won going away 4-0. All I know is that he didn't score and whiffed on one chance right around the six yard box and was busted for trying his best Maradona Hand of God impersonation on a pretty good ball in the box. IIRC, they next play Panama on April 2nd.

[Paradigm]

Lichaj has wheels.

[Titans Bastard]

Well, you never like to lose, but there are some definite positives to take away from this game.

Agudelo, Chandler, and Ream all look like keepers. Agudelo looked dynamic and active and can already hold the ball up 10x better than Jozy despite a smaller frame. He's still a work in progress as his partnership with Jozy yielded very few, if any, shots on goal. Chandler's going to be a very valuable player for us in the future. I think he's going to get a lot of playing time this summer at the Gold Cup. He'll be an option at RB and his abilities at RM give us the option to shift Dempsey to forward. His speed is outstanding at the international level, he looked good going forward, and he didn't make a lot of defensive mistakes.

I was somewhat skeptical of Ream, but I thought he did well. He made a few errant passes, but he was always composed on the ball under pressure and I think the mistakes will decrease with time. It was a real breath of fresh air to see the US defense playing the ball out of the back instead of booting aimless long balls up the field. He also has decent speed.


Donovan was off today and in particular his set pieces were poor. I'm willing to chalk this up to a very long (and very needed, IMO) offseason rest. He'll get back up to speed soon enough.

Bradley has been notably better than Jones over these last two games, I thought. It's a damn shame about Stuart Holden.

Bornstein is iffy when he's playing regularly, but at Tigres he's a bench player and when he plays, it is in central midfield. I wouldn't say he was horrific, but he was pretty bad today. He seems to know what he is supposed to do offensively, but he can't execute. We just don't have many other options at LB and it's a real conundrum.

I think the jury is still out on Eric Lichaj, but he did well. His speed surprised me a little bit; there was one time when he chased a Paraguayan attacker down quickly enough that I momentarily thought that he was Chandler. More depth, more options, more flexibility. Maybe we will have to look at him at LB one of these days.

Couldn't find it anywhere else, but our local news covered the U-20 game v. Suriname (due to Salgado's presence on the squad...like I said it's a big deal here) and they won going away 4-0. All I know is that he didn't score and whiffed on one chance right around the six yard box and was busted for trying his best Maradona Hand of God impersonation on a pretty good ball in the box. IIRC, they next play Panama on April 2nd.

The game is archived on ESPN3 and I watched it after the US game last night. The US totally dominated Suriname, who were a physical team with very little technical skill. The Surinamese rarely pushed out of their own half, which allowed the US to set up camp and attack in wave after wave. The US played well and built by passing out of the back. Gale Agbossoumonde and Perry Kitchen are CBs with quality ball skills, but you can't give them too much credit for last night considering that they were almost never pressured. Rongen's 4-3-3 was very fluid with players constantly switching positions.

The score could have been more, but Sebastian Lletget hit the left post twice and Kelyn Rowe hit the crossbar. Omar Salgado came on for Bobby Wood in the last 20 minutes. He did shank a shot, but it was more of a half-chance than a true sitter, IIRC. There wasn't too much to say about his performance either way.

Suriname hacked the crap out of some of the US players. One player was sent off for a terrible studs-up challenge on Greg Garza and another should have been gone after he karate kicked Kelyn Rowe (a la Nigel de Jong) but he received a very generous yellow card instead.


It was a good performance, but not a very telling one given the weak nature of the opposition. Next up is Panama, which should be a somewhat more interesting game.

[BRS BC]

I was really impressed with Ream's passing. I confess to knowing next to nothing about him, but I couldn't believe how many times he rifled a pass between defenders upfield and found Dempsey or another attacking player. An amazing contrast with the usual ineffective play out of the back. That said, central defenders have to defend, and we didn't learn anything about how Ream (or Chandler for that matter) would perform under a sustained attack. I though Paraguay was very weak offensively (they were well organized defensively, but they also fouled relentlessly and were never made to pay), leaving our defenders with little to handle.

As far as losses go, this was a pretty encouraging one. It's pretty exciting to see Chandler burst down the sideline. Let's hope he stays healthy.

[wilked]

So...US / Spain at the Razah? Where can I buy tickets

[ossie schreckengost]

michael bradley being the white elephant.

as soon as we lent him to villa (where he´s not playing at all) we fired our sorry excuse for a manager.

and ever since there is lucien "brett" favre, we miss michael bradley more than ever. monsieur favre was able to play a system where michael bradley is thouroughly needed, but we play an idiot there, insteadt.(it´s borussia, and we deserve to be relegated).

next season, 2nd league, germany: after his return from villa, where he didn´t play (at all), does he have it in him, to go down with us, 1 season in the "pig´s-league", the 2nd league?
i wish he had, michael bradley. of course we´d have to lobotomize him, first. you´d have to lobotomize ME first, before i go down with them, playing...

and i don´t even know if it´s true that our subhuman belgium goalie did fuck his girlfriend. he did fuck most of the girlfriends of the players in my team. he, and raul bobadilla, who we did loan to a club somewhere in greece or, whatever.

i wish michael bradley would remain with my borussia, against his own best interest, for a year in the 2nd league. the ONLY argument in favour of our borussia is our new manager, lucien favre, who would LOVE to have a player like michael bradley in our new borussia, a working player, an anchor player, an ambitiounus player. a player, who - on a good day - singlehandedly can transform your team/win you a game. and favre is a guy who really KNOWS when there is a good day, or a nothing day. i soooooooooooooo wish michael bradley would stay with my borussia. he´d be a "stammspieler", a "regular", he´d play every single day (at villa he isn´t). que dire alors?

[Titans Bastard]

and i don´t even know if it´s true that our subhuman belgium goalie did fuck his girlfriend. he did fuck most of the girlfriends of the players in my team. he, and raul bobadilla, who we did loan to a club somewhere in greece or, whatever.

Say what, now? That would throw the Aston Villa loan in a different light.

[Titans Bastard]

We are one month away from the start of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Here's how our schedule is shaping up:


June 4 - friendly tune-up vs. Spain, @Gillette Stadium, Foxborough
June 7 - Group C vs. Canada, @Ford Field, Detroit
June 11 - Group C vs. Panama, @Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
June 14 - Group C vs. Guadeloupe, @Livestrong Sporting Park, Kansas City


The group stage of the Gold Cup is rarely inspiring, but it must be completed nonetheless. The biggest highlight may be the first international played in KC's spiffy new stadium. Although the Gold Cup is played every two years, the 2011 edition is more important than the 2013 edition because it serves as the qualifier for the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil. You may recall that the US won the 2007 Gold Cup with its best team at the time, while the 2009 Gold Cup saw our B/C-team get destroyed by Mexico in the final since our top guns were used in South Africa.

The USSF places a lot of value on the Confederations Cup. It's a tournament that serves as great practice for a team that does not get to play many non-friendlies against good squads.


Who might we see on this Gold Cup team?

GK
Tim Howard (Everton)
Marcus Hahnemann (Wolves) / Brad Guzan (Aston Villa)
David Yelldell (MSV Duisburg)

Alternates: Nick Rimando

Guzan is getting married this summer and it's been rumored that he'll skip out on the Gold Cup. If true, we could see Hahnemann drafted in as the backup as a last hurrah. Yelldell is a serviceable #3 who has had a strong season for Duisburg, leading them to the German Cup final despite being a 2.Bundesliga club. I think there are some MLS goalkeepers who are just as good as he is, but why take them away from their clubs for the #3 GK spot?

CB
Oguchi Onyewu (FC Twente)
Carlos Bocanegra (Saint-Étienne)
Clarence Goodson (Brøndby IF)
Tim Ream (New York Red Bulls)

Alternates: Jay DeMerit, Zak Whitbread, Nat Borchers, Omar Gonzalez

You may be sick of Onyewu and Bocanegra, but it is incumbent on the rest of the pool to force them out and that hasn't happened yet. Goodson is on the rise having moved from a middling Norwegian club (IK Start) to a top Danish club. He's played well and may be worthy of starting...though I'm not sure if I like that. Tim Ream is currently the best of our young players and gives us a very different stylistic option in the back. I'm ready to drop DeMerit for him, although Ream is not without his shortcomings.


FB
Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96)
Timmy Chandler (Nürnberg)
Jonathan Bornstein (Tigres)
Eric Lichaj (Leeds United)

Alternates: Sean Franklin, Heath Pearce

Steve Cherundolo will be our starting RB. He has captained Hannover to an incredible season -- one in which they are competing with Bayern Munich for 3rd place and the last Champions League slot. We have quality depth at the position, too. Timmy Chandler has been shockingly good since joining Nürnberg's first team over the winter break and he also impressed in his first two US caps. He can be an impact sub at RB as well as RM, which can free Dempsey up to play a more advanced role should the situation require it.

Eric Lichaj went to Leeds on loan and nailed down a starting role almost immediately. He did well and even played LB on a few occasions, although he reportedly looked a bit awkward.

Our left back situation is somehow getting worse. Bornstein played sparingly for Tigres and when he did, they used him in central midfield. We just don't have many alternatives and we could see Bradley use Spector (now mainly a midfielder) or Lichaj as fallback options.

MF
Michael Bradley (Aston Villa)
Jermaine Jones (Blackburn Rovers)
Maurice Edu (Rangers)
Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Clint Dempsey (Fulham)
Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht)
Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)
Benny Feilhaber (New England Revolution)
Mikkel Diskerud (Stabæk)

Alternates: Ricardo Clark, Alejandro Bedoya, Dax McCarty, Jose Francisco Torres

Stuart Holden's unfortunate injury eases the competition for CM places somewhat. Bradley, Jones, and Edu are our primary CMs now.

We have a lot of versatile players here who can play centrally or out wide. Kljestan and Feilhaber typically play out wide for their clubs and even Spector is often an outside midfielder for West Ham in a 4-3-3. I've chosen to include Diskerud as the young, up-and-coming pick.

I'd also expect Timmy Chandler to feature at RM at times, particularly late in games when his blazing speed will be most dangerous. Obviously, Donovan and Dempsey will be our primary outside midfielders.

The difference in quality between the last few MFs on the roster and the alternates is minimal, so the roster can easily be reconfigured based on personal preference.

FW
Jozy Altidore (Bursaspor)
Teal Bunbury (Sporting Kansas City)
Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls)

Alternates: Edson Buddle, Robbie Findley, Herculez Gomez, Kenny Cooper, Charlie Davies, Chris Wondolowski


If our forward pool just isn't that good, why use more than three slots on them? We have a plethora of MF options and Dempsey can be easily moved up top. With Altidore out of form and Agudelo still young and raw, don't be shocked if Bunbury steals the show. I'm excited about him -- the guy can play.

[Phil Plantier]

Great summary until the end - no way the US takes three young strikers and no one else. I think Gomez makes the team, plus whoever is the hottest MLS player of the ones you mentioned.

Also, I think Spector makes the team based on his versatility.

[Billy R Ford]

Thomas Rongen has been let go as coach of the U20s, after failing to qualify for the U20 WC. It's unfortunate that he's best remembered for losing Neven Subotic, because he won over a lot more players for the US than he lost overall.

His replacement is interesting: Tab Ramos, in a sort of "interim-interim coach" capacity. I wouldn't expect Ramos to last more than a camp or two though.

[Titans Bastard]

Thomas Rongen has been let go as coach of the U20s, after failing to qualify for the U20 WC. It's unfortunate that he's best remembered for losing Neven Subotic, because he won over a lot more players for the US than he lost overall.

His replacement is interesting: Tab Ramos, in a sort of "interim-interim coach" capacity. I wouldn't expect Ramos to last more than a camp or two though.

It was time to let Rongen go. He's been the U-20 coach for an awfully long time and although he's a good recruiter who the players liked, he's good for a few bonehead decisions with the roster and tactics every tournament. New blood is a good thing.

Ramos is definitely temporary. I hear the USSF has a different target in mind, an up-and-comer who would be well-known to close observers of US soccer.

[dirtynine]

Does Reyna have any input?

[mgoblue2]

What to do about Davies? He's torn up the MLS.

[Titans Bastard]

Does Reyna have any input?

For national team appointments? I doubt it. I get the impression that he's focusing solely on domestic youth soccer: the USSF Development Academy and younger, local leagues. The DA is all well and good, but it only really covers players from ages 15-18 and there's an awful lot of key development that has to happen from, say, 6-12. Improving the standard of coaching across the board at that level is key.

Much easier said than done. Even if Reyna turns out to be a genius, but will anyone listen?

What to do about Davies? He's torn up the MLS.

He's doing better than I expected. While his goal total is inflated by PKs, he's shown that he's effective at the MLS level. I'm not ready to say that "HE'S BACK!!!" just yet. In the history of MLS there have been plenty of guys who have racked up tons of goals but weren't able to translate to the international level: Taylor Twellman, Roy Lassiter, Jason Kreis, Jeff Cunnignham, Edson Buddle.

I'm more optimistic on Davies' future than I was two months ago, but caution is still warranted. If he doesn't get all of his explosiveness back, he's just not going to be the same player. It's still too early to tell and since there's every reason to take it slow with CD9 and let him come back at his own pace, I'm not expecting him to be on the GC roster.

Edited by Titans Bastard, 06 May 2011 - 01:04 PM.

[Seen The Light]

I've been wondering about this for a while now, and I can't seem to find anyone who has a good answer. From all accounts, the USMNT has a number of decent options now at right back, especially with the sudden emergence of Tim Chandler. However, the consensus seems to be that we have very few options at left back, with Bornstein's noted deficiencies, Lichaj's inconsistency, etc. Is there something specific about the left back position that precludes players from switching over from the right side and playing effectively? It's not like you're asking a right back to go play center mid. You're simply asking him to switch sides of the field and play the same position. Can someone explain to me why there seems to be an assumption that defenders can't effectively switch from one side of the field to the other?

[CJChap]

Being able to cross with your left foot is usually pretty helpful, for one.

[Seen The Light]

Being able to cross with your left foot is usually pretty helpful, for one.

Are guys at that level really not able to at least adequately use both feet? That astounds me.

[CJChap]

Are guys at that level really not able to at least adequately use both feet? That astounds me.

Does adequate cut it at the international level on a full time basis? I don't really think so. We're not talking about a stop gap for a game or two.

I would like to see Lichaj tried out at left back, but I don't expect that its all that easy to just slot a right footed player at left back and expect them to become the starting left back for the nat'l team.

[BigRed07]

This does not answer the question, but I think that LB is a problem for pretty much any team, not just USMNT. I don't know this but am assuming more players are naturally right footed so that's a big reason, as has been stated. As to people being able to play adequately from both sides, the only player I can think of off the top of my head that's known for being able to do that at a top level is Lahm (I admit there might be others). It doesn't seem to be a shortcoming of the US guys that they can't play on both sides defensively. There might be some cultural reasoning behind it like only bigger kids can be talked into playing defense, and that's not what the fullback position is anymore, but that would be hard to speculate on.

On a somewhat related note, what happened to Castillo? I thought he was supposed to be an interesting option for LB.

[Seen The Light]

Does adequate cut it at the international level on a full time basis? I don't really think so. We're not talking about a stop gap for a game or two.

I would like to see Lichaj tried out at left back, but I don't expect that its all that easy to just slot a right footed player at left back and expect them to become the starting left back for the nat'l team.

You're right, "adequate" probably doesn't cut it at that level, but what percentage of defending from the left side involves playing long, accurate crosses with one's left foot? I would think that speed, positioning, etc. is far more important in the long run. I tend to think that the main criticism of Bornstein is that he's slow, has little composure, and doesn't get into proper position to defend his man. I'd prefer to take a "natural" right back who can do those latter things that Bornstein can't, but who might not be able to consistently play great penetrating crosses, if I was given the choice between a "natural" right back and a bad "lefty" defender.

I mean, I played soccer into high school and like to think I understand the game a fair bit, but this idea that left back is qualitatively different from right back was a concept I wasn't really ever familiar with, and I'm just curious as to the reasons for it.

[Spacemans Bong]

One of the reasons left back is/can be different is there's a premium on quality left sided players, period, because there's fewer lefties in this world.

Potentially a left back might have to cover more ground in a wingback role to provide width in the midfield.

[Billy R Ford]

I've been wondering about this for a while now, and I can't seem to find anyone who has a good answer. From all accounts, the USMNT has a number of decent options now at right back, especially with the sudden emergence of Tim Chandler. However, the consensus seems to be that we have very few options at left back, with Bornstein's noted deficiencies, Lichaj's inconsistency, etc. Is there something specific about the left back position that precludes players from switching over from the right side and playing effectively? It's not like you're asking a right back to go play center mid. You're simply asking him to switch sides of the field and play the same position. Can someone explain to me why there seems to be an assumption that defenders can't effectively switch from one side of the field to the other?

I don't think it's just crossing though: defending from the left involves using your left foot to pass it down the line, too, and defend players making runs down the outside (which most right wings do, using their own dominant right foot).

Jonathan Spector is probably a good example of this: a right back for the MNT, but who was played at left back for most of last year at West Ham, and struggled with both his crosses and his defending.

An inverted example is Chris Tierney for the Revolution: he's a left-sided player, capable of playing left back or left mid, but said it felt "awkward" when he was asked to fill in at right back at the end of last season.

It depends on a player's style I think: you wouldn't ask Gareth Bale, for example, to play right wing, as his game involved making runs down the left using his dominant left foot, and then crossing or dribbling in around the right back. OTOH, Nani can switch sides effectively because he's comfortable either making runs down the flank or cutting inside.

The US probably has trouble with left backs (and left mids, outside of Beasley and Lewis) because of the simple dearth of left-footed players. Notice their current first-choice left mids, Donovan and Feilhaber, are the cut-inside "inverted winger" types, and their first choice left back, Bocanegra, is a natural centerback.

[Titans Bastard]

Are guys at that level really not able to at least adequately use both feet? That astounds me.

There's a difference between being able to swing in an accurate cross with your left foot, and doing it while running at full speed with a top-notch defender in your face. That's hard enough to do with your dominant foot; trying it on a foot with which you are, say, 30% worse isn't going to work out very often.

All that being said, Carlos Bocanegra is a good example of the "Screw It, Let's Just Get A Guy Who Can Play Some Defense And Totally Punt On Offense" left back. Bornstein was the more offensive minded option, but we've seen his flaws. Boca will be gone from the scene soon and I think we're going to be forced to stick with a stay-at-home fullback once again for a while.

There might be some cultural reasoning behind it like only bigger kids can be talked into playing defense, and that's not what the fullback position is anymore, but that would be hard to speculate on.

The cultural reason is that the US is worse at developing soccer players than top countries. Our youth clubs are designed first and foremost to make money and they make money through youth player fees. They can charge higher fees if they have a good reputation and they build their reputation through winning tournaments. They win tournaments by using big, strong, and fast early-developers who play Route One football. Unsurprisingly, you aren't going to get a lot of guys with good finesse or tactical knowledge from that system. Fullback is a position that suffers from a lack of technical and tactical ability more than most.

Now that MLS clubs are jumping into the youth soccer market and are ruthlessly poaching the best players, the paradigm is changing. Progress is very incremental, though.

On a somewhat related note, what happened to Castillo? I thought he was supposed to be an interesting option for LB.

Castillo got undue attention because he was born and raised in NM, but was playing for a Mexican youth team and he was sorta-kinda a LB at a time when we desperately needed a LB. His problem is that he more or less sucks. He had a nice run with Santos Laguna, but when he moved to Club America, the wheels fell off. He was benched and started going on half-season loans to the dregs of the Mexican league, where he usually functions as a squad player, garnering minimal playing time. He's more of a left midfielder or perhaps a wingback due to his defensive deficiencies, anyway. Think Bornstein with more offense and less defense...and a reputation for partying too much. He's good for a golazo or two every year, though. But I don't think he can help us.


Bradley called two young MLS left backs to the January camp: Zach Loyd (FC Dallas) and Anthony Wallace (Colorado Rapids). I'd consider them both to be fringy as NT prospects, but we are pretty desperate.

Wallace has been in the US system forever. He was on the 2007 U-20 team and he would have been on the 2009 U-20 team if not for an injury. He was stuck behind Heath Pearce and later Jair Benitez in Dallas, but became a starter immediately in Colorado. He's still pretty young (22) and he's quite inexperienced, but he's athletic and is decent going forward.

Loyd is more of jack-of-all-trades, able to play anywhere across the backline and DM. His game doesn't have any real weaknesses, but I'm not sure he has the athleticism to be good at the international level.


The wild card is a guy named Miguel Angel Ponce, who plays left back for C.D. Guadalajara. He's just turned 22, but he's been a dependable starter for them in the league and in the Copa Libertadores. One snag though....Chivas has a strict all-Mexican policy for their organization. If Ponce, a Mexican-American born in Sacramento, plays for the US, they will get rid of him. It's a lot to ask a player to give up a good gig at one of the biggest clubs south of the border.

He's Olympic eligible and may get calls from both Mexico and the US. I'm not holding out much hope, but I have my eye on him.



The last option I'll mention is a German-American named Daniel Williams at Freiburg. Like Loyd, he's capable of playing a ton of positions. He's been injured for most of the season but despite his long layoff, Freiburg has been using him at LB in the last few weeks of the Bundesliga. Williams is another guy who is hardly a stone-cold lock, but is worth watching given the dearth of options.

[Snakebauer007]

I don't think it's just crossing though: defending from the left involves using your left foot to pass it down the line, too, and defend players making runs down the outside (which most right wings do, using their own dominant right foot).

Jonathan Spector is probably a good example of this: a right back for the MNT, but who was played at left back for most of last year at West Ham, and struggled with both his crosses and his defending.

An inverted example is Chris Tierney for the Revolution: he's a left-sided player, capable of playing left back or left mid, but said it felt "awkward" when he was asked to fill in at right back at the end of last season.

It depends on a player's style I think: you wouldn't ask Gareth Bale, for example, to play right wing, as his game involved making runs down the left using his dominant left foot, and then crossing or dribbling in around the right back. OTOH, Nani can switch sides effectively because he's comfortable either making runs down the flank or cutting inside.

The US probably has trouble with left backs (and left mids, outside of Beasley and Lewis) because of the simple dearth of left-footed players. Notice their current first-choice left mids, Donovan and Feilhaber, are the cut-inside "inverted winger" types, and their first choice left back, Bocanegra, is a natural centerback.

A fullback who can't offer fluid linkup play with the players in midfield, and the player out wide in front of him are close to useless. A guy getting the ball on the left with no left foot is assured to do the same thing over and over: stop, cut inside, and pass square with his right foot.

it's what I hate about Boca playing there, especially because he isn't great defensively either, and against quick players, he is isolated constantly, and just awful.

[Titans Bastard]

The US Gold Cup roster should be coming out in a few hours.

[Zomp]

Will that also include the squad for the friendly against Spain?

[Titans Bastard]

Will that also include the squad for the friendly against Spain?

I would imagine so, yes. The Gold Cup squad has to be finalized today, so Spain can't be used as a last minute test to sort out the back end of the roster. I would be surprised if the roster for the Spain friendly is any different from the Gold Cup 23.

[Titans Bastard]

Our neighbors to the north....


GK
Lars Hirschfeld -- Valerenga (Norway)
Milan Borjan -- FK Rad (Serbia)
Haidar Al-Shaïbani -- Nîmes (France)

DF
Dejan Jakovic -- DC United (USA)
Jaime Peters -- Ipswich Town (England)
Kevin McKenna -- Cologne (Germany)
Andre Hainault -- Houston Dynamo (USA)
Nik Ledgerwood -- Wehen Wiesbaden (Germany)
Mike Klukowski -- Ankaragücü (Turkey)

MF
Julian de Guzman -- Toronto FC (Canada)
Terry Dunfield -- Vancouver Whitecaps (Canada)
Will Johnson -- Real Salt Lake (USA)
Josh Simpson -- Manisaspor (Turkey)
Pedro Pacheco -- Santa Clara (Portugal)
Atiba Hutchinson -- PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)
Tosaint Ricketts -- Politehnica Timisoara (Romania)
Simeon Jackson -- Norwich City (England)
Marcel de Jong -- FC Augsburg (Germany)
Jonathan Beaulieu-Bourgault -- SC Preußen Münster (Germany)
Issey Nakajima-Farran -- AC Horsens (Denmark)

FW
Rob Friend -- Hertha Berlin (Germany)
Ali Gerba -- Montreal Impact (Canada)
Dwayne de Rosario -- New York Red Bulls (USA)



In some ways, the state of Canadian soccer is reminiscent of the early 90s in US soccer. We may not be perfect, but we aren't calling up guys in the 4th division in Germany or 2nd division in Portugal.

[Jeff Van GULLY]

Gold Cup Roster

No.	Players	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Birthdate	Hometown	Club/College	Caps/Goals
1	Howard, Tim	GK	6'3"	210	3/6/1979	North Brunswick, N.J.	Everton (England)	58/0
18	Rimando, Nick	GK	5'11"	181	6/17/1979	Montclair, Calif.	Real Salt Lake	4/0
23	Hahnemann, Marcus	GK	6'3"	220	6/15/1972	Seattle, Wash.	Wolverhampton Wanderers (England)	8/0
2	Spector, Jonathan	D	6'1'	180	3/1/1986	Arlington Heights, Ill.	West Ham United (England)	30/0
3	Bocanegra, Carlos	D	6'1"	170	5/25/1979	Alta Loma, Calif.	Saint-Étienne (France)	87/12
5	Onyewu, Oguchi	D	6'4"	210	5/13/1982	Olney, Md.	FC Twente (Netherlands)	59/6
6	Cherundolo, Steve	D	5'6"	145	2/19/1979	San Diego, Calif.	Hannover 96 (Germany)	65/2
12	Bornstein, Jonathan	D	5'9"	145	11/7/1984	Los Alamitos, Calif.	UANL Tigres (Mexico)	37/2
14	Lichaj, Eric	D	5'11"	175	11/17/1988	Downers Grove, Ill.	Leeds (England)	3/0
15	Ream, Tim	D	6'1"	165	10/5/1987	St. Louis, Mo.	New York Red Bulls	3/0
21	Goodson, Clarence	D	6'4"	180	5/17/1982	Alexandria, Va.	Brondby (Denmark)	8/2
4	Bradley, Michael	M	6'2"	175	7/31/1987	Manhattan Beach, Calif.	Aston Villa (England)	52/8
7	Edu, Maurice	M	6'1"	170	4/18/1986	Fontana, Calif.	Rangers (Scotland)	21/1
10	Donovan, Landon	M	5'8"	160	3/4/1982	Redlands, Calif.	Los Angeles Galaxy	130/45
13	Jones, Jermaine	M	6'1"	170	11/3/1981	Chicago, Ill.	Blackburn Rovers (England)	4/0
16	Kljestan, Sacha	M	6'1"	170	9/9/1985	Huntington Beach, Calif.	Anderlecht (Belgium)	26/4
19	Rogers, Robbie	M	5'10"	180	5/12/1987	Huntington Beach, Calif.	Columbus Crew	10/1
20	Adu, Freddy	M	5'8"	140	6/2/1989	Potomac, Md.	Rizespor (Turkey)	15/2
22	Feilhaber, Benny	M	5'9"	150	1/19/1985	Irvine, Calif.	New England Revolution	38/2
8	Dempsey, Clint	F	6'1"	170	3/9/1983	Nacogdoches, Texas	Fulham (England)	70/19
9	Agudelo, Juan	F	6'1"	180	11/23/1992	Barnegat, N.J.	New York Red Bulls	4/2
11	Wondolowski, Chris	F	6'1"	165	1/28/1983	Danville, Calif.	San Jose Earthquakes	1/0
17	Altidore, Jozy	F	6'1"	175	11/6/1989	Boca Raton, Fla.	Bursaspor (Turkey)	34/10

Edit: Freddy Adu!?

Edited by Jeff Van GULLY, 23 May 2011 - 02:22 PM.

[Titans Bastard]

WTF?!?!

Freddy Adu and Robbie Rogers?! Where is Timmy Chandler?

A perplexing roster.

[CJChap]

WTF?!?!

Freddy Adu and Robbie Rogers?! Where is Timmy Chandler?

A perplexing roster.

Apparently Chandler said that he's got some minor knocks and is mentally drained from his first season, which I think is nonsense. I don't want to get all Bigsoccerish, but I'm a little concerned he's holding back on a chance to play for Germany.

[Billy R Ford]

In some ways, the state of Canadian soccer is reminiscent of the early 90s in US soccer. We may not be perfect, but we aren't calling up guys in the 4th division in Germany or 2nd division in Portugal.

The Turkish 2nd division, on the other hand, is a whole different story

Will that also include the squad for the friendly against Spain?

Incidentally, Barcelona's players are rumored to have asked out of this match, saying they'll be too fatigued from the long season and Champions League final

Apparently Chandler said that he's got some minor knocks and is mentally drained from his first season, which I think is nonsense. I don't want to get all Bigsoccerish, but I'm a little concerned he's holding back on a chance to play for Germany.

This guy is saying Nuremberg didn't want him to play, as he'd have no summer rest if he played in the Gold Cup. A young guy like Chandler would probably succumb to pressure from his club if it were true.

***

I'd rather see Diskerud on the list than Rogers or Adu.

Edited by Billy R Ford, 23 May 2011 - 03:34 PM.

[Titans Bastard]

The Turkish 2nd division, on the other hand, is a whole different story

Well, it can't be said that I support the decision to include Adu. At least I can console myself with the knowledge that we have alternatives like Bedoya (Swedish league bound for greater things this summer transfer window) who didn't make the roster.

This guy is saying Nuremberg didn't want him to play, as he'd have no summer rest if he played in the Gold Cup. A young guy like Chandler would probably succumb to pressure from his club if it were true.

I'd rather see Diskerud on the list than Rogers or Adu.

I hope that's true about Chandler. It's disappointing, though, because it's not like Chandler was just some hyped up prospect who would have been the 23rd man on the roster. He could have started in some configurations (with Dempsey up top) or at least been a very valuable substitute. Instead we have....Robbie Rogers.

The agentspeak regarding Timmy Chandler is concerning, although these later reports are more encouraging. The "oh, I'm just tired" and the "oh, I just want to focus on my club career" are classic delaying tactics that fans of US and Canadian soccer should know well by now. However, if this is truly coming from Nurnberg rather than Chandler's camp, then the outlook is significantly better.

Agreed on Diskerud, although I don't think he would have played much.


I thought Bunbury would make the squad over Wondolowski, but I think Wondo is a very defensible inclusion. Bunbury obviously has a brighter future, but aside from a few bright moments he hasn't been great this season, while Wondo is showing that last season wasn't a total fluke. Our young generation of forwards hasn't come of age yet, so I'm okay with reserving a forward spot for whoever the hot hand is. That being said, when the clock strikes midnight and they turn back into a pumpkin (Gomez, Buddle), we shouldn't waste any time tossing them overboard.

[Titans Bastard]

So let's take a look at the most notable omissions.

Brad Guzan -- he'd be the #2 goalkeeper, but he's taking the summer off to get married. While that sounds unusual, between club and country duty he doesn't have much free time in the offseason -- 2010 WC, 2009 Confed Cup, 2008 Olympics, 2007 Gold Cup and Copa America...

David Yelldell -- a candidate for the #3 goalkeeper who has done well with MSV Duisburg, even leading them to the German Cup final where they were smoked by Schalke. You could make an argument to take him over Rimando, but is there anything less important than the #3 goalkeeper three years away from the WC?

Jay DeMerit -- Someone had to make way for Tim Ream and DeMerit was always a likely candidate. His injury issues this season for Vancouver sealed his fate.

Timothy Chandler -- From what it's now looking like, Nurnberg pressured Chandler to back out of the squad -- they couldn't directly refuse a call up. I'll wait for more details to come out before I excoriate Bradley, but it's possible he let himself be pushed around by Nurnberg. It's not like this is some friendly -- this is the Gold Cup that is a Confederations Cup qualifier and Chandler was poised to play some key minutes.

Zak Whitbread -- There's been some clamoring for Whitbread since he helped lead Norwich City to promotion. He was called up for Argentina/Paraguay, but pulled out with a minor injury. He could, quite literally, be the most injury-prone American professional soccer player. If he can keep his body together -- and he probably can't -- he'll get chances to earn a back-up role at centerback. I don't think there's huge upside here, though.

Omar Gonzalez -- He's perhaps next in line after Tim Ream among young central defenders. I'm not wild about him though. When we move past the era of moaning about big, slow defenders like Onyewu and Bocanegra, we will begin the era of moaning about big, slow defenders like Omar Gonzalez. That being said, by no means should he be dismissed out of hand. After all, Onyewu and Bocanegra have their uses.

Stuart Holden -- He has a knack for picking up violent injuries at just the wrong time. He wasn't fully fit for the World Cup and didn't play much and now he's going to miss the GC. It's a shame. It's not like he's a classic injury-prone player, he's just been the victim of two horror tackles.

Ricardo Clark -- Clark suffered a calf injury and I'm not even sure if he was available. Even if he were healthy, I don't think he'd be here. He may yet have a role to play, but not unless Edu or Jones get hurt. This cycle he'll be a depth guy as opposed to a key player last time around.

Jose Francisco Torres -- Despite what some fans say, he's had chances and he hasn't made the most of them. Since the WC, Pachuca has been absolutely terrible and he's been in and out of the starting lineup. He seemed to find some consistency down the stretch but he has to do more to distinguish himself in a crowded CM field.

Alejandro Bedoya -- Although Bedoya has been usually used on the wing for the NT, he's been a star in central midfield in the Swedish league. Sweden isn't a total backwater, but the level isn't great. He'll be on to bigger and better things this summer...perhaps in the Netherlands. I have to say that I'm surprised to see a roster with Adu and Rogers but no Bedoya. If he finds the same club success at a higher standard league, he'll be hard to ignore.

Mikkel Diskerud -- Mix is a popular guy and a good prospect, but he's young and he plays in a logjam position. He's not going to get playing time at CM and although he can play on the flanks, he's more of pinched-in type. We already have Feilhaber and Kljestan who have extensive experience in that role. Even if he were the 23rd man, he wouldn't play much, so it's just as well to leave him with Stabæk, who are in mid-season. He'll be a key part of our 2012 Olympic team; he's still 20 until October.

Teal Bunbury -- He's a good prospect, but he's been hot and cold this season. It hasn't helped that KC has been on the road all season in MLS while they wait for their new stadium to open. Still, he could have made the roster, but it's not a crime that he didn't. We'll see more of him. He has the physical tools and the bloodline; his dad was one of Canada's all-time best forwards.

Edson Buddle -- A streaky player who pissed away half of his career. He was mediocre at a lower-table 2.Bundesliga club. Ride the wave when he's doing well, but when he's cold he should be ignored.

Herculez Gomez -- Had an incredible 2009-10 season, but he turned back into a pumpkin this year. He finished strong after sucking for most of the season, but Wondolowski has been much hotter.

[bosox4283]

A couple questions:

- How did Onyewe play at Twente?

- What did Bradley get so little playing time at Aston Villa?

- How was Jozy's time in Turkey?

[Titans Bastard]

A couple questions:

- How did Onyewe play at Twente?

He had a few minor injuries which kept him off the field and made it difficult to hold down a starting job, but he was solid when given the chance. He even played LB a few times(!!)

- What did Bradley get so little playing time at Aston Villa?

That's a good question. The whole loan deal was very odd, I thought. Pure speculation, but I wouldn't be shocked to discover that there's something going on behind the scenes.

- How was Jozy's time in Turkey?

He starts sometimes, he comes off the bench sometimes. He looks decent and he's scored a goal or two, but not as much as one would like. In other words...the usual.

[JayMags71]

That's a good question. The whole loan deal was very odd, I thought. Pure speculation, but I wouldn't be shocked to discover that there's something going on behind the scenes.

Such as? Injury?Drugs? Poor attitude? Screwing the manager's wife?

[Titans Bastard]

Such as? Injury?Drugs? Poor attitude? Screwing the manager's wife?

I don't know. His decision to go on loan from Borussia Monchengladbach was strange. He was a key player there; it wasn't as though he needed playing time. He was even one of the few guys on the team playing well during their horrible first half of the season. Then he was on the bench for a couple games and then he was out the door. It all happened very fast and without warning. I just get the feeling that there was more to the story, although I have no evidence.

[CJChap]

I don't know. His decision to go on loan from Borussia Monchengladbach was strange. He was a key player there; it wasn't as though he needed playing time. He was even one of the few guys on the team playing well during their horrible first half of the season. Then he was on the bench for a couple games and then he was out the door. It all happened very fast and without warning. I just get the feeling that there was more to the story, although I have no evidence.

I have no idea whether this is true, but I had read in a few places that the keeper (or some other player in the Borussia squad) was banging out his girlfriend.

I'm actually very surprised he didn't see more playing time for Houllier at Villa, but I think he was kind of a mess as manager there. I'm hoping they bring someone else in and the club decides to take up the option to buy Bradley.



For me, the biggest ommission is Bedoya. He's been playing very well in Sweden and knocked in a few big goals as well.

[Phil Plantier]

I have no idea whether this is true, but I had read in a few places that (insert craziness here)

Yes, I'm sure it was a tawdry sexual cover-up that led to the Bradley deal. That makes total sense. And maybe Houllier didn't like his astrological sign and so never played him.

Or maybe it is slightly more likely that he was a starter on a terrible team that, the moment he was loaned out, won one of the most remarkable battles against relegation of the modern era, and then wasn't good enough to play for a team battling relegation from the premier league.

He had a brutal year. Hopefully he can come back from that, maybe in the Turkish second division along with our other national team savior.

[Mr. Wednesday]

- What did Bradley get so little playing time at Aston Villa?

A very talented and crowded midfield meant that he was going to have to be at his very best to win time on his merits, and a very surprising skid into the relegation battle meant that Villa couldn't afford to throw him out there just to acclimate.

That's a good question. The whole loan deal was very odd, I thought. Pure speculation, but I wouldn't be shocked to discover that there's something going on behind the scenes.

It was a little surprising how quickly it went down, but the entirety of the circumstances makes some sense. BM were in a death spiral, primarily due to their defense being decimated by injury. Their coach was feeling desperate and decided to try benching Bradley (who was playing well at the time). Bradley, in consequence, asked out, probably also concerned about the possibility of BM getting relegated. (They wound up firing the coach Bradley fell out with, got players healthy, and dragged themselves into the relegation playoff spot; in hindsight, it probably would have been better for Bradley to stay, but I don't think that was the way it looked at the time.)

[Tangled Up In Red]

Timothy Chandler -- From what it's now looking like, Nurnberg pressured Chandler to back out of the squad -- they couldn't directly refuse a call up. I'll wait for more details to come out before I excoriate Bradley, but it's possible he let himself be pushed around by Nurnberg. It's not like this is some friendly -- this is the Gold Cup that is a Confederations Cup qualifier and Chandler was poised to play some key minutes.

A friend in the know stated that club blocked him AND he didn't pull it together to get a passport. Trying to get more detail...

[Mr. Wednesday]

A friend in the know stated that club blocked him AND he didn't pull it together to get a passport. Trying to get more detail...

How does he not have a passport with already having played for us? I realize that the rules are a bit more lax for friendlies, but I still would have thought that duck would have been in a row before he got called in when he got his cap.

[allaboutthesox]

I am glad Adu made the roster, but I really hope he makes the most of this opportunity. I have a feeling that regardless of if he plays and how he plays there will be those around here still skeptical of him. If he plays well, some will point to the level of competition he played against. If he plays poorly, some will point to the fact that he plays in the Turkish second division and should have never warranted a call up. Adu is in what seems to be a no win situation.

Bornstein: I am still not understanding why Bornstein continues to see call ups at all. I am not sure he has seen very much playing time at the club level.

Feilhaber: He seems to be inconsistent for both country and club(s).

Rogers: I am assuming he [maybe even Adu] got the call up because Holden is injured.

Altidore: Altidore has scored some big goals for the USMNT, but he has produced less at the club level as time has gone on. I can't help but feel that this spot could have gone to Bunbury. However, Altidore is not a stranger to big games and big tournaments and maybe that is why he continues to get call ups.

Onyewu: What a terrible decision to join AC Milan is starting to look like now. He wasn't able to get any playing time or crack a line up with aging defensive players. Gets transferred to FC Twente and things didn't go much better there either.



I hate the fact that Chandler is hurt/passport issues/fatigue is not going to be able to make the trip. It would have been nice to see him play against Spain and play more in the Gold Cup. I am excited about Lichaj and hope he gets an opportunity to play as well. It seems as if Lichaj has had a steady rise since the beginning of last year and with a good performance with the USMNT he may start to work his way into a starting role with the USMNT.

I am just hoping to see the US play well against Spain and win the Gold Cup.

[BelgianSoxFan]

Onyewu will not be in Twente next year, as they declined their buy option. I guess he will be rented out again next year, as I don't see him playing much at Milan. It is really too bad all the injuries stopped him from playing at the highest level. He was really good at Standard.

[Titans Bastard]

Onyewu will not be in Twente next year, as they declined their buy option. I guess he will be rented out again next year, as I don't see him playing much at Milan. It is really too bad all the injuries stopped him from playing at the highest level. He was really good at Standard.

Yeah. I can't see Onyewu having any success in Milan. The old Gooch would have been good at Twente, but I just don't think he's been 100% healthy since his injury in late 2009.

[Hendu's Gait]

Heads-up on US-Spain friendly 4:30 PM Saturday, setting up for a fabulous triple header of Boston sports especially if Red Sox A's bash game moved to 1 or 1:30.

Quick question, would game-threading go here, a new thread in this subforum, or should a soccer subforum, open up in the GT forum?