photo by Thomas Eisenhuth/ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
Jurgen Klinsmann has released the roster for the U.S. men's national team's upcoming friendlies against Honduras and Ecuador, and there are plenty of familiar faces and one brand new face.
German-born midfielder/defender Danny Williams has been called in for his first U.S. national team camp. The son of an American serviceman, Williams currently plies his trade with TSG Hoffenheim.
The rest of the roster for matches against Honduras and Ecuador is comprised of mostly the same guys Klinsmann has called in for his previous two camps, including Landon Donovan, Tim Howard, Carlos Bocanegra, Kyle Beckerman and Michael Orozco Fiscal.
Oguchi Onyewu and Nick Rimando were summoned for the first time by Klinsmann, who is still looking for his first win as U.S. head coach.
Here's the rest of the 22-man roster:
Goalkeepers: Tim Howard, Bill Hamid, Nick Rimando
Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra, Timmy Chandler, Steve Cherundolo, Oguchi Onyewu, Michael Orozco Fiscal, Tim Ream, Jonathan Spector
Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Maurice Edu, Jeff Larentowicz, Brek Shea, Danny Williams
Forwards: Juan Agudelo, Jozy Altidore, DaMarcus Beasley, Teal Bunbury, Landon Donovan
Klinsmann is hoping that the continuity of the core group of players will pay off, and he's also looking for better finishing after the U.S. team scored just one goal through his first three games.
"We would like to continue seeing our players develop through these initial couple of months,” Klinsmann told USSoccer.com. “One important thing is to see continuity in the build-up of our national team and also in the way we work as coaches. We'd like to see new faces as well, but we also don't want to shake up the core structure of the team too much.
"The two results with Costa Rica and Belgium didn't work in our favor but we saw clearly that the team started to understand what we demand from them in terms of pace, playing style and how to play. We are definitely on the right path, and what we now need to focus on in this get together is the eagerness to finish things off up front."
The United States will take on Honduras at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, Florida on Oct. 8. Three days later the Americans will host their first ever game at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey against Ecuador.
Just like his last camp, Klinsmann is opening a training session for public viewing before each game. The open session in Miami will take place at Sun Life Stadium on Friday, Oct. 7 from 5-6pm, and the one in New Jersey will be at Red Bull Arena on Oct. 10 from 5-6pm.
The United States has won eight of its last nine games against Honduras dating back to 2002, though the Catrachos won the last meeting back on January 23, 2010.
The Americans have not faced Ecuador since Donovan scored a hat-trick in a 3-1 victory at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on March 25, 2007.
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What do you think of the roster? Who do you think should/shouldn't have been called in? Who is missing that you were hoping to see called up?
Share your thoughts below.
Underwhelmed comes to mind
woulda like to seen Mix…
Herc?
I’m very interested in seeing Danny Williams, Beasley, and Shea getting a run out together.
That is a lot of speed.
5 CB and 3 RB should be interesting to see how e lines up the back four.
Is Danny williams gonna be the left back?
Although I do like the Daniel Williams call (although I was expecting it)
Glad about no Robbie Rogers
Angry about the Orozco Fical inclusion and Omar Gonzalez and/or George John exclusion
Also, Spector is playing middy now. Klinsy shouldn’t be viewing him as a fullback anymore
GOOOOOOOOOOCH!
Why no Mixx, Omar, or John???
Why Fiscal again?
Looks like Klinsmann is giving some people some second looks and bringing back in some guys like Spector and Onyewu. I wanted to see Adu, Feilhaber, John, and Cameron, but it looks like Klinsmann is still trying stuff out.
Okay. My Team (assuming Klinsi uses his 4-3-3)
Howard
Dolo Gooch/Goodson Boca Chandler
Edu
Bradley Donovan
Dempsey Altidore Beasley/Shea
Whether Gooch/Goodson or Beasley/Shea start depends on how they look in camp.
Remember Beasley’s flight was terribly delayed last time, so he did not have much time to train with the team before the games.
I still want Spector to get a look at Center Back, but that may be dreaming.
I also think we need to play a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-4-2, but I’m just assuming Klinsi will stick to his guns… we’ll see
What do you guys think?
Good to see Gooch, DaMarcus and Spector. Each has had good moments for Nats in the past and all are playing regularly and well again for clubs at a decent level.
But mystified at the inclusion of Ream, who has committed bad errors and admits to a soph slump. Omar Gonzalez and George John are more deserving.
Is Teal Bunbury even starting for KC? When was the last time he scored? Not that there are many choices from MLS but it seems Herculez, Findley and Buddle are more deserving (although they were collectively of little use in South Africa).
Nice to see Beasley, hopefully he’ll play or at least dress this time.
But Orozco?? Why? There are 3 other young CBs in the MLS just waiting for a call up and they never get them (Geoff Cameron, Omar Gonzalez, and George John). Hopefully we’ll win though. And having both Dempsey and Donovan will increase those odds immensly.
Welcome back Gooch!
Disappointed that Omar Gonzalez keeps getting left at home, but I think this is pretty much the talent level we have right now
Could do without Fiscal. Interested in seeing where Johnny Specs will play if he gets on the field. Excited for the Danny Williams call up. Hope to see him get some minutes.
Should be plenty of talent to take out the teams we’re playing. The lineups will be interesting b/c we could see some real speed with the right combo of these players.
Probably time to draw some conclusions on some of the names missing. If a player like Gomez hasnt been called up yet, its hard to imagine he will. Some of the younger players will be on the Olympic squad I’m betting.
Holden was the only one i was waiting to watch. I’m gutted.
Yeah, I wish Gomez was on that list rather than Bunbury.
Tim Ream again? Nooooooooooooooooooo…
Please tell me, anyone, what good do you see in him?
I don’t mean to be a hater, but he seems lacking every time I watch him play.
WHYYYY NO GONZALEZZZZZZZZZ!!?? I’m so pissed right now
Interesting. I don’t get having Jeff L. Would have rather seen Mixx, Gatt or Adu in that slot since we have Edu, Beckerman and Bradley too. Williams is an interesting call up, why not? Great to see Gooch back (probably one of the few). Kind of sucks not seeing Herc on this though, he deserves it for sure. Glad Beasley got the nod. Only real questions marks for me are Fiscal, Larentowicz and Ream.
I imagine Ream is only being included as a practice squad player. Everyone relax.
Formatting is a big screwy. Sorry.
GK: Howard
RB: Dolo
CB: Gooch/Goodson and Boca
LB: Chandler
CDM: Edu
CM: Bradley and Donovan
LW: Shea/Beasley
CF: Altidore
RW: Dempsey
Again, I’d prefer to play a different system, but it is what it is.
Howard
Dolo Goodson Boca Chandler
Bradley
Dempsey Donavan
Agudelo Altidore Shea
I totally agree. I never understood why everyone is so high on him. He has definitely been horible for about a year. I would really like to see Cameron and John together in back.
look at the bright side folks, no rogers, no castillo.
I guess Orozco is the new Bornstein. I don’t understand what he has done to prove his worth to the team. I can think of quite a few people that deserve a call up over him. Oh well. I don’t really have that “WOW” feeling with this roster. I am glad to see Beas back though. I think he has found his form again
you’ve got 23 people listed on a 22 man roster. The roster on ussoccer.com doesn’t have Clarence Goodson on it
Orozco’s a waste, and too many DMs to be my liking. We need some more creativity in the middle, even if it doesn’t come from Torres or Holden.
Also, Hamid needs to stay home, Klinnsi. His team needs him.
How did the MLS schedeule effect guys like Gonzo, John, Feilhaber?
Gatt will get called in at a later date.
My two cents:
1). Why the F is Danny Williams?
2) Who is supposed to play left back?
3) Why do Gonzo and John leep getting overlooked (along with Davis and Cameron)?
4) I’m happy to see Agudelo and Ream in the mix, but I think they both need time to develop. Juan is 18 and Ream is 23. They both have talent but make plenty of mistakes.
5) Why so many damned defensive midfielders? For a coach with touts speed, we’re heavy on the slow, defensive mids. Beckerman, Larentowicz, Bradley, Edu, and Williams are all defensive-minded. This team really doesn’t have that many wingers and has no attacking mids to speak of.
6) If I’m Klinsi, I would be grooming a player like Mixx to become my FUTURE #10, especially with Holden out. As it stands now, this team is too slow and defensive. It’s not built to play possession soccer. Period.
Really? You’d rather have a 29 year-old Herculez Gomez who has never been anything more than a fringe USMNT player over a 21 year-old Bunbury who all agree has serious upside potential? That’s interesting.
Tim Ream is only on the roster so he can tell them all the good restaurants in the NY/NJ area.
Okay…even if true, why not include Gonzalez as a practice player? At least to get a look? Or John, for that matter? Just sayin’
Gatt and Mixx are the guys i want to see. I think they will get their call up for the January camp with the MLS guys. Gatt is trying to help win the first league title for a 100+ year old team (that is pretty cool) and Mixx trying to get a place in Europe so that could also play a factor in the decision to not call them in from Europe (I know MLS is on same schedule but less travel for those guys).
Can’t understand how Tim Ream gets the nod again while Omar Gonzalez is willing and able.
+1
hahaha.
Why Donovan as a center mid ? We need his crossing ability.
He is the new Bornstein, but Bornsteins are thankfully temporary. Rodgers was a Bornstein, and now it’s time that Orozco steps up into that role.
In 3 games or so, we won’t see him again, and we’ll have to pass the torch to someone like Larentowicz.
It’s going to be an interesting couple of games, and the first time we get to see LD and CD together since the Gold Crap.
Tim Ream called in because team is short on dribbling cones. He will be wearing a pointy orange hat at all training sessions.
Yes, Bunbury is starting for Kansas City. In fact, he’s started six of the past seven games. And the last time he scored was September 10 against Houston in a 3-0 win. He scored twice in that game.
I know GK isn’t a huge position of need, but what happened to Guzan???
Is it a case of skip the gold cup for you wedding get shunned from future international duty, or the fact he isn’t playing much at Villa…
Who knows maybe ream will just join before the game in NJ, and the included him because he’s there.
Why are you complaining about Daniel Williams ???????????? He gets sub minutes as Hoffenheim a Bundesliga team. What is your beef with him getting called up ?
He’d probably like to be ready for accomplishment NOW as well as at some indefinite future date.
I, for one, am thankful you aren’t in charge.
@ Mike, my guess is that he hasn’t excluded them, but is considering them for the Olympic Team for next year. I’m sure they will get considered.
Guzan has barely played a game in the past two years. THAT is what happened to him.
Klinsmann was at the Galaxy game last night and Omar had a monster game. I’m very surprised he didn’t get called up.
Awwwww yyeeeeeaaahhh
First of all, he hasn’t been horrible all year. Enough with the overstatements. It’s been a rough year, granted, but if you don’t seem him as a major CB prospect for the USMNT, I question your knowledge of the game. The man has ball skills not seen before in a US center back. BTW, it’s not like George John or Omar Gonzalez are Nemanja Vidic’s in waiting. They are both untested on the international stage and I distinctly recall Gonzalez not playing so well in his one shot. That being said, I would have liked to have seen one or both on the squad, probably over Fiscal.
Not many complaints.
The younger green prospects guys like Mix, Gatt, etc.. should get some time at the Olympics, no need to rush things, best to try to build a solid core first.
However, and I say this as a NY Red Bull fan, the Tim Ream experiment needs to stop. He’s not ready and I’m not convinced he has the talent for the international level.
I’m pretty sure Spector went 90 at right back in today’s Europa League match.
The left back will be Chandler
Same reactions every time these rosters come out…. Klinsi has stated that the young players that aren’t already integrated into the Full NT (Gatt, Diskerund, Brooks, etc) will start off first with the OLYMPIC SQUAD. He expects a group of those players to “graduate” to the full team looking towards WC2014.
With regards to Left Back. Did you not watch Chandler play against Belgium and Hazard? He was limited offensively, but for his first game at LB it was miles better than Bornstein, Castillo, etc.
For as offensive minded as he supposedly is, Klinsi sure does love his defensive midfielders. A little surprised that he included 4 of them, 5 if you count Danny Williams. Would also have liked to see some combo of Cameron/Gonzo/John called up over Ream and Fiscal, but nonetheless this is a solid squad. Will be interesting how he sets up the back 4, considering he’s got 5 CB’s, two RB’s and a guy who’s been playing midfield for the better part of the last year or so to work with.
That said, something like this could be interesting to watch:
Beas/Jozy/Clint
MB/Edu/LD
Chandler/Gooch/Boca/Dolo
Timmy
agree
And I hope we see a 4-4-2
Howard
Dolo, Gooch, Boca, Chandler
Edu, Bradley
Donnovan, Dempsey
Altidore, Agudelo/bubury
I know the air in Houston is not the best, but I’m in wonderment at how Geoff Cameron, Brad Davis (despite age) and even Will Bruin hasn’t had a sniff of the NT.
I’m getting worried that Klinsmann has no idea what he’s doing…
Why Orozco and Ream over Gonzalez and John?
Why Larentowicz and Beckerman over Diskerud, Feilhaber, and even Josh Gatt?
Why Bunbury over Gomez or a half-dozen other guys?
Hell, why Rimando over Kennedy or others?
Why are ANY of those guys part of “the core structure of the team”??
Reporters need to START ASKING TOUGH QUESTIONS!
you know he is going under knife again right?
Why would the MLS schedule effect them more than Ream, Beckerman, Larentowicz, Bunbury, and Rimando?
A 4-1-3-2, Here me out, first before the “what an idiot” comments commence. But look at our past play. We can’t win with a lone striker and we end up in a 4-4-2 anyway. I’d like to see this type of formation as an experiment. Of course, with different players mixing in, but this is who’d I like to see in it first. It relies heavy on the mids and helps with overlapping runs. Leave dempsey in the attacking middle to float and do his drunkin’ master thing. Bradley in a more defensive role as he has been playing lately, and Donovan and Beasely on the wings speedy overlapping play to serve the ball into the middle.
Now let the hating begin.
howard
Dolo, Gooch, Boca,Chandler
Bradley
Donovan, Dempsey, Beasley
altidore, Agudelo
not international quality, that’s how. Why waste time?
Also why exactly do we need a billion DMs??
With Torres and Holden out, at least guys like Feilhaber and Diskerud would give us more attacking options than Larentowicz/Beckerman types…
That is the only bright side.
No Gatt, Gonzalez or John, what?? fire JK, hahaha.
For all those so called geniuses out there who believe Tim Ream is useless, remember this: He has been consistently called to the USMNT roster now by not 1 but 2 coaches and he is still an everyday 90 min player with RBNY. These are friendlies, which are the perfect forum for prospects like Ream, Agudelo, Bunbury.
Hopefully Williams or Cherundolo. My fear is Chandler will once again be wasted at LB where his offensive abilities are neutralized. Based on his clueless Klinsmann appears to be so far, I wouldn’t be surprised.
why does klinsmann keep calling in freakin lewentorowitckszs or howerever the hell you spell his name….He is 58 years old and was HORRIBLE in the Chile game he started and he’s not even one of the best CMs in MLS. I would have much rather seen Adu with that spot.
How long does Klinsmann get a free pass?
If this was Bradley “underwhelmed” would be “enraged”.
Bornsteins may be temporary, but the Bornstein legend will live on forever.
I see someone like Mixx getting the call next month in the Europe based players only friendlies…will be interesting to see who else gets called up for that one. THAT is the roster I want to see…
if geoff cameron was 23 he would absolutely be in this call up i bet
if Klinsmann is indeed interested in “finishing” as was stated in the article then you’re damn right he should have included Herc.
Cameron is certainly of the same (if not better) ilk of Oroszco, Ream, Larentowicz, Beckerman and Bunbury..Nobody on this call-up has a deadlier left foot than Davis and Bruin is young and worthy of a look-see. If you don’t think so, you must not watch soccer much.
BTW, I’m not a Houston fan.
Larentowicz is more of a DM, right?
Um…Freddy Adu? He’s playing, is he not? He played well for BB this summer, did he not? Where is Freddy?
Ream hasn’t played good in his looks either so that point is somewhat nullified.
I do watch and NO they aren’t. Teal isn’t having a good year but is better than those mentioned. I agree Jeff Larentowicz is a waste, he is similar to robbie rogers in my opinion. A wasted spot. they aren’t good enough plan and simple. a decent left foot alone isn’t good enough to make a team, when he gets in the box he looks like a dear in headlights like he doesn’t know what to do with the ball. the sme is with rogers, davis, cameron, larentowics. they have little technical ability so they shouldn’t be on the team. Teal is a good young player with talent and potential and he’s a forward.
Can Ream play LB?
Swap Dempsey and Donovan and I think you have it. Deuce is better than Donovan inside, and Landon is a better winger than Deuce.
C.J Sapong should get a look to play for the US way before davis. He is like a taller version of Juan. they both handle the ball the exact same way.
One of the few times I agree with you. Buddle and Gomez might be more polished goal scoring threats now, but in friendlies it’s less about results and more about developing and integrating younger players into the fold. When we start qualification, if no viable strikers emerge besides Altidore and Agudelo, then we can call in Gomez or Buddle. Guessing the inclusion of Beasley, Larentowicz, Beckerman might have to do with the injuries to Torres and Holdon and Jones not seeing any action.
Interesting that Onyewu get’s a call up. He has been playing and by all accounts has been playing well. Wondering where Goodison is? What about Fabian Johnson? I thought his paperwork to switch allegiances was in the works.
Yeah, that can’t be helped. He hasn’t been healthy in forever. Shame, but of course, Nigel De Jong is still out there breaking other people’s legs, so it’s all fair.
+1 for rationality
Spector’s versatile. He doesn’t have the pace to be a fullback against top-notch competition, but he’s never a bad inclusion for a USMNT roster.
Still, I feel like Geoff Cameron would have been a better inclusion.
No Freddy Adu once again. Simply wow. I can name 3 players who ADU should be above in this roster.
Williams is great news though.
Lerowiiitzxxxxzz once again, why Klins?
Onyewu had a great game today! The Gooch is back.
B/C I’m lazy and don’t want to do the research anyone have an idea of the types of player Bradley was calling in at this point of his tenure? Was it mainly young players or was he still playing a lot of players who served under Arena? I feel like JK has been robbed of a year to get comfortable with different players’ styles and may be behind the curve in terms of getting comfortable with his team. Just curious, before I start judging the selection.
the more things change…
————–Howard————-
Cherundolo–Onyewu–Boca–Chandler
——–Bradley——-Edu———
Donovan—–Dempsey——-Beasely
———-Altidore—————-
60 minute subs: 4-4-2 Williams for LD, Shea for DmB, Spector for ‘dolo, Beckerman for Edu, Agudelo for Altidore, (Deuce shifts up to side by side forward) Rimando for Howard
The Orozco Fiscal inclusion puzzles me a little bit, but he hasn’t been awful in his last 3 appearances. His worst showing, though, was definitely the Belgium game.
If Klinsmann doesn’t give Geoff Cameron, George John and Omar Gonzalez call ups after the MLS season ends, though, I’m going to seriously start questioning things.
Then why rush things with Agudelo, he’s younger then both of them.
We’ll just agree to disagree, even though you’re wrong.
I agree with all of your exclusions… Benny’s been great lately despite his team’s results. Since NE is effectively out of the MLS race, I don’t see why he wasn’t given a more serious look.
i think you are on the money with your assessment.
YEAH!!! Fire Bradley!
Except that two of those three (Omar/John) are not age-eligible for the Olympic team…
Goodness people, Bradley had dang near 6 years to get it right, while Klinsmann has only had a few months. Goodness, bring a foreigner in to do an American’s job and people get all testy and impatient. Calm down and be patient, he will make this team loads better in the long run, you’ll see.
Going along with that, why bring Rimando in when Sean Johnson can join Hamid in learning under Howard? Both are young and have extremely high potentials.
seriously, i’m getting that notion too. whenever Bradley did something like this people were up in arms. now Klinsmann does it and it’s “oh, i like how experimental he’s being”
I would like to see Adu too, but he has not played recently for Philly. So don’t know what is going on there again.
Gomez should have been called up as a Super sub.
and gatt
I think Team Ream deserves to be included with the National Team pool, his error percentage is very low, making mistakes as a central defender playing as the last defender in front of the goal can result in goals and lost games whereas mistakes made in the middle of the park are quickly forgotten. Yes Tim has made a couple of mistakes this season that resulted in goals and lost games, but Tim starts every game and plays 90 minutes every game for The Red Bulls and in my judgement he has been a steady and strong performer all season.
I would love to see this lineup, Agudelo could play there in a 4-3-3 system. However, I don’t think LD and Deuce in the center would be a good idea. I don’t see them defending the center of the field well.
I wouldnt be too concerned about Fiscal, he has actually played a solid game.
My question is Why Ream again and no Omar?
This might be crazy, but Jeff Parke is solid. If MLS veterans like Larentowicz are getting a shot, I’d like to see Parke get a chance. He is more reliable than Gonzo, Ream, right now. He is underated.
I thought Castillo was the new borstein. anyhow, whomever is playing better should start, the other ones would only be practice fillers.
He’s starting to turn me negative by making the same mistakes BB made. He needs to expand the player pool and hes not really doing that enough.
How many more times do we need to see:
Carlos Bocanegra
Steve Cherundolo
Oguchi Onyewu
Jonathan Spector
Tim Ream
Michael Bradley
Clint Dempsey
Maurice Edu
Jozy Altidore
DaMarcus Beasley
Teal Bunbury
Landon Donovan
I know you cant bring in a whole new team of new people but please… most of these guys couldnt get it done in the past and guess what … they won’t get it done in the future either
Some are keepers but we know what they bring to the table… why waste time looking at them again
Meanwhile Benny and L. Parkhurst remain out in the cold.
Who the hell is Danny Williams?
I really hope Klinsmann isn’t locking in on the same people every time like Bradley did. We need to build for qualifying now
cause they all have a “heart on” for Klinsmann. Hell he could piss on a american flag and his fans would be cool with it.
Perhaps Klinsi overestimates his ability to draw local NYRB fans to the game? Of the choices on the NYRB roster, he only has Agudelo and Ream so might take both out of necessity of peaking the local fan base’s interest.
yeah…the only difference is that Ream keeps getting a call while Omar gets ignored. Call me crazy however, Isn’t it a bit much to say that someone has excellent ball handling skills/distribution out of the back if his biggest weakness is his passing out of the back? I mean, really…how many times do you see ream give the ball away to the oponant right outside of his 18? Ive noticed it at least once everytime he plays. No wonder Marquez comes out and says the guys around him are not quality. I bet he was mostly referring to Ream.
Maybe it’s crazy, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Orozco is included as the lone link to the Hispanic player, whom he has made clear he wants to be a bigger player in the nats setup. Torres is injured, Castillo is terrible, and Orozco was ok, but nothing special, so it makes it easier to bring him in and say, see look we love the Hispanic dual national player.
“Based on his clueless Klinsmann appears to be so far, I wouldn’t be surprised.” How do you substantiate this statement? Is it because our record under Klinsmann is 0 wins, 2 losses and 1 tie? Or is it because he’d rather take a 21 year old RB with 1+ year of playing professionally and internationally and try to convert him to LB, instead of taking a 32 year old who’s played 12+ years at RB and try to convert him. You tell me what makes more sense? Or would you rather he just pencil in a substandard LB like Bornstien or Castillo.
You do realize these are friendlies? Have you watched the games? He is drastically altering the way we’ve been playing. He has gone away from the 4-4-2 formation that we pretty much played 95% of the time. Also if you’d watched the games, especially the last 2 games, our approach to the games has dramatically changed, from a team that counter attacked, chucked the ball down the field and ran or scored on set pieces to a team that passes and possesses the ball. Granted, we have not scored under his new system, but there is a learning curve. Give it time. I have every confidence that by the time qualifications start, we will be fine.
Beckerman was outstanding in the Mexico friendly and solid against Belgium despite flying in late and playing totally jet-lagged. Would much rather see Beckerman paired in back with Edu. Beckerman is a better defender than MB with better vision for passing, and a better attacker when the opportunity arises.
1) A young German-American worth a look. The only exciting part of this roster.
2) Beats me. Maybe Williams, but I think he’s a defensive mid.
3) Both John and Gonzo have logged a lot of minutes for their clubs lately between MLS and the CCL. It showed last night for John. That said, Shea was still included. Davis is worth a call up in my opinion, but Klinsmann already included two left wingers (Shea, Beasley) who aren’t necessarily bad call ups. Shea can play on the right, though. Cameron is a really baffling omission. He’s just the sort of tough, pacy CB the USMNT needs right now. He’s had strong showings against Man U and Monterrey recently, too. That said, Klinsmann saw him play at CDM in Philly and might not know he’s better at CB.
4) I agree. Neither will probably start. All of the real experts insist Ream has a huge upside even though his form has slumped recently. Looked good against the Timbers, though. It’s a shame Agudelo doesn’t have the same chemistry with Henry that Rodgers does. $$$ is the only reason he doesn’t start for the Red Bulls IMO.
5) Good question…especially if we are going to use a 4-3-3 like the roster selections suggest. Bradley, however, is a box-to-box type so his skillset isn’t as limited as Beckerman or Larentowicz.
6) I too would like to see some fresh ideas at CM. There’s always the much-espoused January camp.
Ream will eventually beat his run of bad form. That said, there are several other CBs I was hoping to see get looks.
Trust me…there is a hand-shake and a wink from the Federation in selecting Ream…first national team game at the new Red-Bull Arena? Who wouldnt want to go see the National team featuring one of their favorites?
However, we all know he stinks right now.
yes, my point is, we don’t need 4 of them.
Rimando’s had a couple bad games recently, too. That said, Klinsmann hasn’t had a look at him yet, and he might be important in the future if Howard is ever, god forbid, injured.
actually I think a 3-5-2 puts out best players on the pitch.
———Howard———–
—Spector—Gooch—Boca—-
——DredBecks—Mo’du——
–LD——-MB90—–DmB–
—–Deuce—–Jozy——–
you can sub williams and chandler for LD and DmB, insert Ream and take off a DM for a back 4. Thats a lot of speed on the flanks and lots of brains on the field for the full 90.
His showings for the Nats haven’t been as inconsistent as Ream’s. While he hasn’t blown our minds in every appearance, he’s been at least positive in all of them.
You are not comparing apples to apples Brian. We were mezmorized by the inclusion of Bornstink after multiple games where he was garbage.
Orozco has yet to flounder in his appearences. You have a point about him not doing much to earn a spot though…with that said, he hasn’t looked out of place iether on the national team.
اقالة برادلÙÅ
Aqalh Bradley!!!!
(Fire Bradley in Arabic)
Zing!
What an idiot!…
Totally kidding chief.
+1
+1
Um, Orozco Fiscal didn’t play vs Belgium. Goodson did. And pretty well too.
Orozco was poop vs Costa Rica though.
Im not hear to say its right…but if it brings us a World Cup? Would you be kool with it?
Agreed. Plus Donovans pace is better served on the wing. And he does come inside, but will also stay wide compared to Demps. Demps is better in a free role, and he’s closer to goal when hes central, which also caters to his abilities to finish crosses.
I’m not saying that pissing on the flag is right…but if Klinsman brings us the World Cup…would you be kool with it?
Seems weak, considering how poor he’s been. Wouldn’t Gonzalez be a better link to hispanics? I dunno. We just have some young potential at CB but they have seemed to be negelected so far.
Well hopefully we win. Or score. Both would be nice. That’d be bright spots for sure.
AGREED. Though I feel they are being saved for the Olympics for some reason.
Back in my day, everybody was clamoring for CHANGE. Now that we have change, people want the old… Weird.
Pretty on paper, but our defense would be so exposed without any midfield help. We need at least one DM, while Bradley is far more box-to-box to play that role.
Omar is 22, will be 23 next summer. The olympics is for U-23 (which means 23 and under).
Your blatant SKC fanboyism is clouding your ability to learn anything when you watch, apparently.
Sapong will get a look for the Olympic team. I agree with you on Bruin… he’s too young and inexperienced at the least, and there are many other young strikers who deserve call ups first. That’s about where your arguments stop holding water.
Davis is no Messi but he has excellent technical skills for an American. His age and the form of Beasley and Shea are what holds him back from a call up.
Cameron is undoubtedly good enough for a call up. He’s had solid outings against top-notch competition (Man U., Monterrey) recently and is still relatively young. He’s strong, fast and has good defensive vision. BTW… if you claim he had a bad showing in the MLS All-Star game, you’ll only prove you just watch the highlights.
Final point… you need to distinguish between players in different positions. Sapong and Davis play very different roles.
I’m tired of Ream getting called up instead of George John. There is no justification for this.
Cherundolo will never play left back. And Chandler should be given more time to become comfortable at left back. You can’t expect him to be an attacking virtuoso from the left side after one game. Actually based off of what we’ve seen, we don’t really know that he already can’t attack from the left.
I thought Chandler switched to Germany. Didn’t Tony Sanneh tweet us that a couple of weeks ago? Remember, when all the pit bulls came out and mercilessly attacked that “fence-sitter” Chandler.
I agree. Bunbury has regained his scoring touch and provides us a speed option at forward. Not saying he doesn’t have room for improvement, though.
Klinsi gets a free pass with me for a few more months, at least. Bradley came in and was trying to build upon the previous foundation. Sharpen the saw so to speak. Klinsi is blowing up the defensive mentality that Bob had(by the way, we were still horrible defensively). IN fact, he is trying to change the entire mindset of the US program. Attack minded, free flowing soccer.
Sometimes I play against Man City in FIFA with fouls off just to repeatedly slide tackle De Jong till he’s injured. Of course, the ridiculous new defending dynamics of FIFA 12 are making that much harder.
I envision the same CB pairing. HOPEFULLY in January. Klinsmann can’t ignore rational fan analysis forever.
I think Klinsi is focusing on allowing the young guns continue to develop skills while they can, and not rushing them into a setting where they would have to focus more on game tactics.
I was hoping for Gomez, too, but Bunbury fills the speedster role. He doesn’t have Herc’s experience, but he has about 10 years of potential on him.
+1 why does Ream get called up over John, Gonzalez, Cameron, Franklin, etc? If these guys were getting snubed for a LB prospect I would understand but not Ream..
I’m so happy to see D-Will in the mix according to yahoo sports: “German-born Danny Williams, now eligible to play for the United States after his citizenship was certified.”
Glad to hear Fabian Johnson is officially a member of the USMNT!
Sad not to see Diskerud or Gatt in the 22 man rosters i’m sure they’ll be in the Olympic team.
Once we are able to offically make Williams, Diskerud, and Chandler official members to the USMNT then we will have a pretty deep team when healthy!
P.S. Good Luck Stu Feel Better!!!
Well, Danny Williams is getting a look. That counts for something, too.
Adu > Mix for the “future #10″ spot
My bad for not checking my facts. That said, Fiscal was decent against Mexico, and I know he played in that one.
+1 , NY has 2 of the better USNT prospects in Ream and Agudelo.. but we shouldn’t rush them! let experienced players take their spots until they are ready
Indeed
I hope you’re right…maybe playing some politics before he cuts a bunch of these has-bins.
true, friendlies are a good time for prospects to get time but when there are other prospects who are further developed…
Cherundolo played left back for Hannover in a Europa league game recently.
So “never” isn’t appropriate.
+1
What does this guy have against Benny!?!?!?!? Geez!! And where’s Sascha?!?!?!
The US has struggled to find a left back for many, many years, and Cherundolo has never budged from the right. I’ll bet any sum of money that he never does.
I think so as well. The end of the Norwegian season is mid to late October, so they’re better off with their teams for the moment. I’m sure come January, they will both be included in the squad (mix and gatt).
Franklin is injured and I wouldn’t be surprised if Arena asked JK to hold off with Omar until January because the Galaxy is so thin at center back right now.
Yeah. Some inclusions are a little strange, while some missing players concerns me. Some have their teams to deal with (Mix and Gatt), while others aren’t playing regularly or injured. However, I would have preferred to see Gonzalez and John. Fiscal and Ream should be dropped in favor of those two. I’m not a fan of the Beasley inclusion, no matter how he’s currently doing. I’d love to be surprised, but I honestly don’t expect much out of him. I do like the Bunbury inclusion, get him so more experience.
My main concern is the fact that we have nothing in the way of creativity in the center of the midfield. It’s all defensive mids. Bradley, Edu, Beckerman, Williams, and Larentowicz. Fabian Johnson is still injured I believe, so him not on the roster makes sense, but we could use the creativity.
This is what I hope to see given this specific roster.
—–Altidore——–Agudelo—–
Shea—-Dempsey—-Edu—-Donovan
Spector–Boca–Onyewu–Cherundolo
————–Howard————-
Um…NO.
Seriously?
I would like to see geoff cameron and omar gonzalez. These guys have potential
Sapong is not eligible for the Olympic squad.
I would. 29 or not, Cool Herc can score goals.
Fabian Johnson is injured.
Geoff Cameron
How about brining in Brad Davis or Geoff Cameron
So you just want JK to completely discard the core of the team that will take us through qualifying and into the 2014 WC? You want to get rid of YOUNG players like Ream, Bradley, Bunbury and Altidore? You want to discard our best players like Donovan, Dempsey and Bocanegra?
If you aren’t playing them, please pick 22 players to represent us that don’t include any of the ones you listed above? This ought to be entertaining …
I guess he misses the cutoff by 17 days. Crap.
Ok, some might get after me about this but I am already getting fed up with Klinsmann in certain aspects… He has really refused to call in any uncapped or those with few capped US players playing great in MLS, Labrocca, Davis, John, Gonzalez, & Dunivant. BUT HE KEEPS CALLING Larentowicz, Ream, Orozco, & Bunbury. I do appreciate that he has finally ackowledged Rimando though. Findley & Gomez also should be given calls soon as they have proven to be both good sub strikers and starting strikers for their clubs. Chandler should not be our LB solution, we need to check out other CB’s & move Boca to LB or try Dunivant…
I guess I’ll give my preferred line-up of the group…
Howard
Cherundolo Onyewu Bocanegra Chandler
Bradley Beckerman
Dempsey Donovan Shea
Altidore
You talkin about the Benny who has been playing decent at best for the worst team in MLS? There is about a list of 20-25 I would arguably almost call ahead of Benny atm, as much as I like him
While I agree he should not be called up because multiple players deserve it more… He is one of the best CM’s in MLS.
1) Zero offensive presence in CM. Golden opportunity to call in Mixx or Adu goes to waste.
2) I understand the whole need to have a “core” group but what have Ream, Orozco and Larentowicz done to be part of the core? I think Bradley was able to get more different guys into camp.
3) Core is really for later on, as we are prepping for qualifiers. This is classic, “call in a bunch of new guys” territory in the schedule. Is Klinsi feeling the pressure to win over promoting the best long term interest of the team? Yes, these guys know your system better, but wouldn’t it be better to get LOTS of different guys exposed to your style of play before settling on a core? It seems way too early.
3) It is still early and Klinsi must be given a good year before we start panicking, but it is tough to see the rationale behind some of his calls and non-calls.
I think what worries me the most is that we are about to see Brad Davis turn 30 soon and he would be one of the best mids on the field for the US, he doesnt have much time to leave a mark & should be called when he is on the best form of his life aswell as Dunivant… An even more worrisome note? George John… He doesnt want to play for Greece but if you dont give him what he deserves, he may just split…
Agreed! Mixx, Omar and John are stellar. Also, Franklin is injured but he’s top notch of late. Not too stoked on the lineup.
Tim Ream has been playing piss poor for NYRB. What is it with the fascination with him? He is miles away from being at an international level. Hell, he’s miles away from being a top defender in MLS. There are at least 10 American defenders in MLS that are better than him and nearly as young. The entire Galaxy backline is better and as young.
Unfortunately that will never happen, considering they all play the same position.
I fail to see how you came up with the idea that i was a Kansas fanboy lol. I know my nake downtime technically mean anything, but seriously. Is this like the new internet thing where if anyone likes something you don’t then the are a “fanboy” ? Lol get over yourself. It’s my opinion that they aren’t good enough. They are one the same level as rogers and dont need to be wasted time spent on them.
correct. thus far, most of the USMNT in the klinsmann era have looked liked crap.
Just to confirm (straight Per the FIFA site)
” All players participating in the preliminary and final competition of the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament London 2012 shall be born on or after 1 January 1989, with the exception of a maximum of three players who do not meet this age limit who may also be included in the official list of players for the final competition”
Omar born: 10/11/1988 Not age eligible
George John: 03/20/1987 Not age eligible
Does anyone know if Daniel Williams can officially play for the US against Honduras and Ecuador?
On Gonzo, he’s played every minute of all of these games the Galaxy have been playing and is needed badly on that team for all games remaining. still, I do not get the Fiscal/Ream love coach is giving them while others can’t get a sniff. Coach really believes they are our best options??? not sure what that means but it’s unsettling to say the least
clearly Klinsmann has his favorites. If Bradley had called in this team, good God, bloody murder!!!!
Yeah, glad to see Gooch has worked his way back into the mix. After a frightful couple of years, I’m happy for the big lug.
Yes he can officially play!!! He doesn’t have those paperworks
There’s some sorces that say he doesn’t even have his passport but I assume all that is clear up now that his citizenship is certified
Good picks, would like to see Gonzo and George at CB some time soon, and Cameron as DM/CB.
Agree, all are good players with physical games, teams need that, especially when the opposition takes two footed runs at your goalie.
My ideal line up out of these players
GK Howard
LB Cherundolo
CB Onyewu, Bocanegra
RB Chandler
CDM Edu
RM Shea
CAM Dempsey
LM Beasley
CF Donovan
ST Altidore
Also, Bedoya and Klestjan could have been included in the roster. Would have helped in the creativity/attacking department, more so with Bedoya. I’d drop Laurentowicz and Beasley or Laurentowicz and Beckerman to include those two. Bedoya has been slowly getting into the Rangers side, and Klestjan has been playing a consistent 90 minutes in all competitions.
Rome wasn’t built in a day.
I see a 4-3-3 With Shea, Donovan and Altidore playing forward. 3 Holding mids would be bradley, edu and beckerman?
It is certainly a possibility, but Dempsey will be in there, which excludes Shea unless he plays on the second level. Not sure how well the holding mids would do together, but you never know. I just don’t want to see 4-5-1, we don’t have a striker to perform that role, and our midfield becomes far too congested. So I’ll stick to the 4-4-2 for the moment (again, based on this particular roster), but a 4-3-3 happened, I think it would look like this.
Dempsey—Altidore—Donovan
Shea——-Edu——-Bradley
Spector—Boca—Gooch—Dolo
———–Howard————
Did I miss something? Why no Torres?
XD
Injured…
Orozco is Klinsi’s Bornstein!
Absolutely right about on paper, but think about it. We use to have that hunker down defense and rely on counter attack. But we’ve changed over the last five years or so, and tried to have more of a holding midfield play. Only to get burned when one of our backs moved up field on the counter only to face an opposing counter attack. Now with my some what altered “christmas tree” line up (a joke to some who get it) – we can let our backs concentrate on a more hold the back-line and let our overabundance of midfielders learn to control the center of the pitch. The only way we get exploited is if we continue to push up our outside backs. In this formation they should more likely only be supporting and not get too out of position. Regardless of the formation we are heavy in the middle and need to rely on that fact. I agree, and would rather have Bradley in a more of a box to box position, but I like him and think he can control the pace of play behind others. At the end of the day, we got no one who can play as a lone striker, and I’m tired of seeing a 4-4-2 so this is my experiment. I guess less controversial and to help our backs out a bit from becoming too exposed would be a 4-3-1-2 but I think that with overlapping play we end up leaving our backs out of position. Regardless excited to see what happens. Just this idiots opinion.
I feel bad for Herc.
Ream is a prospect but in one heck of a sophmore slump. Call in John, woo him a bit and you wont have to worry about him switching over to Greece.
It would actually be better for Ream if he were excluded so he could work on regaining his confidence with his club team and re-enter the Nats picture with momentum next year
I will accept a no comment from Jojo as a yes…
No matter how off-base your comments may be, I like your high standards and your genuine dislike for mediocrity…
beckerman and larentowicz ARE NOT GOOD
I want to see more flowing football like the opening stages of the Costa Rica match. Oh yeah, a win would be nice too.
neither was Dallas
He’ll end up ala Sacha vs Belgium…stuck on the pine.
whoa buddy… Larentowicz is good, he just doesnt deserve a call right now & thats an absurd statement about Beckerman. He is arguably our best holding mid right now. He has played better than Edu in recently in friendlies and is at such a high level he is about as good or better than Bradley atm. He is on the best form of his life and as long as he continues it he shouldnt be a question and should actually be in the starting line-up..
Jeff, huge Gonzo fan here….but Morelia game was not his best outing, more like one of his poorest efforts…you don’t dribble out of bounds, pass balls to no one upfield, etc. when you’re trying to impress the USNat coach.
Defensively OK, nothing spectacular ‘good size’ that beat the Morelia crosses, but not like he imposed his will on the game or anything…he’s looked better.
In defense of Jim from Atlanta…
Bunberry>Sapong>Bruin
I do think that Sapong may develop into a better long term striker than the other two, Klinsy is seeking a #9, someone to hold the ball up and have people play off of him, for that role Bunberry may be the guy …or the back up buy.
Houston needs to switch him to CB. He’d be excellent on the ball and in the air for both club and country.
Bedoya has barely played with Rangers and is coming off a small knock. Most likely not in shape to contribute yet.
I’m pretty sure Goodson is a lock for future fixtures, so Fiscal and Ream have a few more chances to prove their worth, as well as Onyewu.
Would like to see Bunbury get more time. He has 7 goals this season, many coming off the bench. He has a high goals/min played ratio and he makes less turnovers than Agudelo.
Yet another overstatement. Again, he’s been picked now by 2 national team coaches, so there’s that against your learned theory.
really? Ok, he has been picked by two national team coaches…played by one who has been shown the door for failing miserably in the Gold Cup final where Ream featured a few times and was garbage. The 2nd national team coach hasnt even played him and didnt even make the bench in one of the games…whats your point again?
I’m not saying he isnt good and I don’t mean to offend you by saying your guy is not what people hype him up to be…what I am saying is that he isnt good RIGHT NOW and is quite frankly, OVER-RATED by major Bloggers and writers of major media outlets. There are other CB-s that are in form and playing better than him. I am all for giving some experience to future players however, their place needs to be earned. what has Ream done to earn a spot other than making a nice pass out of the back a handfull of times and coughs up the ball once per game? That one off the mark pass will have you paying for it internationally…give me a big defensive clearence over the halfway mark as opposed to a turnover outside my 18 any day of the week. That said, we all know that Reams getting playing time because its the first USMNT game at Red Bull arena.
really? Ok, he has been picked by two national team coaches…played by one who has been shown the door for failing miserably in the Gold Cup final where Ream featured a few times and was garbage. The 2nd national team coach hasnt even played him and didnt even make the bench in one of the games…whats your point again?
I’m not saying he isnt good and I don’t mean to offend you by saying your guy is not what people hype him up to be…what I am saying is that he isnt good RIGHT NOW and is quite frankly, OVER-RATED by major Bloggers and writers of major media outlets. There are other CB-s that are in form and playing better than him. I am all for giving some experience to future players however, their place needs to be earned. what has Ream done to earn a spot other than making a nice pass out of the back a handfull of times and coughs up the ball once per game? That one off the mark pass will have you paying for it internationally…give me a big defensive clearence over the halfway mark as opposed to a turnover outside my 18 any day of the week. That said, we all know that Reams getting playing time because its the first USMNT game at Red Bull arena.
Switch Deuce & LD- Looks like a pretty good starting XI to me…
HAHA! That’s a riot.. Play Man U some time and pummel Evans- what jerks…
Michael Bradley starts in Série A.
I salute you.
Adu had a sprained ankle, but he trained Wed. and played last night as a sub.
Your money is safe, at least from me. However, Dolo can play left back since he just did it for Hannover in the Europa league in an emergency situation and I have no problem with him trying to do it for the US. I’m sure JK knows about that game so someone may take you up on your bet.
Still, as long as he retains his form, I would prefer Dolo stay right where he is through the next World Cup. Gio Van Bronckhorst was Holland’s starting right back in the 2010 World Cup, scored an amazing goal and was 35 at the time.
I realize most USMNT’s fans are into flavor of the day but Dolo’s skill and experience are actually an asset for the USMNT despite this massive movement by fans to dump him ASAP.
Chandler is amazing but he can be shifted around.
Really?
Then why did the USSF foolishly pay JK all that money when they could have just read SBI for the lineups?
If your conspiracy theory is true, and I’m not saying it isn’t, then what do they need Ream for?
JK always picks Agudelo and he is much more likely to see the field than Ream so why waste a spot on Ream to throw a bone to NYRB?
I would think JA is more popular anyway and fulfills the supposed latin quota so you get two for one there.
“I’m getting worried that Klinsmann has no idea what he’s doing…”
It would be more accurate to say you have no idea what he is doing.
JK has made it pretty clear he’s going to be doing a lot of experimenting. It’s pretty clear the first three games and then the next bunch of games before the US gets to WC qualifying wil be about trying out certain ideas and concepts.
I look at this batch of games as more like training sessions.
JK already knows about the attacking skills of Mixx and Benny. I don’t see him really settling on a core of regulars (other than the really obvious ones)for some time.
He is after all trying to change a culture and that takes time.
The fact that you don’t have any idea of what he is doing is okay. Presumably the USSF believes he knows what he is doing and they pay the bills.
THANK YOU.
I hate it when people like MJC-DC state false information authoritatively as if it’s fact….
What is there about Benny that you think everyone in the world, including JK, doesn’t already know?
He’s not at his best now. Let him force his way onto the team.
YOU: “JK has made it pretty clear he’s going to be doing a lot of experimenting.”
“I don’t see him really settling on a core of regulars (other than the really obvious ones) for some time.”
KLINSMANN: “One important thing is to see continuity in the build-up of our national team and also in the way we work as coaches. We’d like to see new faces as well, but we also don’t want to shake up the core structure of the team too much.”
I didn’t realize JK’s job was to make sure Davis and Dunivant got their just rewards.
Are you advocating the US be built around Davis? Do you think he and Dunivant can show the kind of form they do in MLS against Germany, for example?
Because if they can’t then there is no reason to start.
I’ve seen both guys and I think they are fine but I also think that, by now, there is probably a reason they are where they are.
When it comes to MLS players I think people forget JK was a consultant for TFC and presumably spent a lot of time very recently evaluating MLS players.
As for John well if Greece wanted to cap him so bad they would had done so at the beginning of September when the Euro qualifiers would have tied him to them forever. They did not and that tells me something.
Fair points. Very much agreed that Dolo is a huge asset and Chandler can be shifted around.
it’s just Mike Orozco…where the hell did this Fiscal bullcrap come from??? I’ve always known him as Orozco
you don’t know how they will play on the international level until we see them suit up…i hate it how all of u clamor for guys who you think would do well on the international level only to see them fail….anyone remember Kenny Cooper, Michael Parkhurst, Brad Davis, so on and so on…..just because they perform well at MLS level doesn’t translate to baller status at the Intl level…so stfu and support the guys they do call up….
hmmmmmmm
if we’re talking about a hold up player, Sapong excels, a rugged #9. Bunbury seems better in space facing goal with his speed and cannon shot
everyone was on Tim Ream’s jock…i don’t care how well they do in the league games until the prove it on the intl stage…some players like Podolski aren’t lighting it up in league, but kill it in intl games…so before ppl start clamoring for John, Cameron and so on…remember the Coopers, Reams, Brad Davis, so on and so on…tearing it up in league doesn’t translate to intl competition…until they prove it at the intl level, i could care less about them…
enjoyed all of it.
one thing about overlapping backs and flank play is you need the players who can do it effectively and not simply lose possession or cough up weak service that only serves to ignite the counter right back up their alley
but with Dolo out there, he’s a threat and helps keep opposing backs pinned because they are aware he can get forward with skills.
it depends. my view would be we need to play the best tactics/formations/strategies to fit the strengths of our best available players
just this idiot’s opinion
who do you think should get looks in the role Torres had in the last friendlies? for the USMNT pool, Benny is one player from the old guard I would think Coach would be interested in seeing under his direction. good touch, vision and final ball ability from our pool.
obviously Klinsmann has his reasons. what’s wrong with reasonably questioning the questionable ones?
JK wants it both ways;
“We’d like to see new faces as well, we also don’t want to shake up the core structure of the team too much.”
It’s called coach speak.
Nothing. I’m just reasonably questioning whether or not your “reasonably questioning the questionable ones?” is actually unreasonable.
What you might really be saying is you want to see how Benny looks in with this group.
JK obviously doesn’t feel the need like you do. I assume he has his reasons and I’m okay with that. It’s not like he was freezing out Messi or Xavi. I love Benny but under Bradley, Benny proved himself best at being a 20-30 minute supersub. If Benny wants in, let him prove he is back in top shape and form.
This is the fourth game in JK’s tenure. It appears JK will be trying a number of different ideas in these early games.
Who says he will play a formation that has a “Torres role” per se? And if he does play that way, from this roster he can always try Donovan or Dempsey in that role.
“what I am saying is that he isnt good RIGHT NOW and is quite frankly, OVER-RATED by major Bloggers and writers of major media outlets. There are other CB-s that are in form and playing better than him. I am all for giving some experience to future players however, their place needs to be earned. what has Ream done to earn a spot other than making a nice pass out of the back a handfull of times and coughs up the ball once per game? That one off the mark pass will have you paying for it internationally…give me a big defensive clearence over the halfway mark as opposed to a turnover outside my 18 any day of the week. That said, we all know that Reams getting playing time because its the first USMNT game at Red Bull arena. ”
I guess it boils down to what JK is trying to do with the team right now.
He is obviously not trying to field the most potent team he could possibly field to win a game right now, regardless of what he has told the media.
I find it hard to believe he cares what you, the media or any blogger thinks. The USMNT already has Agudelo who is more likely to get on the field anyway and is probably more popular and more likely to be noticed when he gets on the field.
So they don’t need Ream to appease NYRB fans or management and that leaves your conspiracy theory quite thin.
I don’t think much of Ream but apparently a lot of people who are better qualfied than you or me seem to rate him so I defer to their judgement at this time.
You ask what has he done? I don’t know ( I’m not there) but whatever it is it is enough to earn him a spot in practice but not enough to earn him PT. So perhaps they are trying him out with different partners and formations. I’m not a micro manager so I’m inclined to think JK should be allowed to do his job until there is credible evidence he is incompetent.
Experimental line ups for non competitive exhibitions over his first five games or so does not meet the credible evidence standard.
Good point Watson…
We need to tap Hier Klinsmans’ office lines.
Cooper aint done and Le Toux is better than any of these mids/fwds except for Landon and Dempsey