Not really looking to have a debate that heads to nowhere, just dont see how you can dismiss a player immediately from the NT picture when he performed the way he did this year. I dont think he would be a top midfielder or even one that competed with our best but certainly worth a look & maybe he'd be a surprise. More statistics than not have carried over to NT success so give him a chance before throwing him to the dogs. He's a completely different player then he was a year or 2 ago imo.
It's not jsut this year. I'm an FCD fan and watched him numerous times there. Also watch a fair amount of NY. If we disagree, we disagree. Wouldn't mind him called up for cupcake if we have one.
Again, he's a much improved player. We'll have to agree to disagree. Unfortunately, I cant tell you to watch him play this weekend... P.S. Am I the only one who hates the term "international quality"?
We kinda have to give opinions on international quality in the USA forum, as it's based on do we think a player can help or not help at that level. I don't bring it up in MLS forums as it doesn't apply over there.
I wasnt directing that question at you. Just never fancied the term because it differs in meaning to different national team followers. Could mean not good enough for our starting 11, reserves or at all.. I rarely know what the hell one is referring to.. For instance, if you would have said Mccarty is worth a look in January from the beginning, I probably wouldnt have responded but it made it seem as if you were dismissing him completely. That is why I personally dont use the term..
so with regular season over this is what i got right now to bring in, young squad.....see whos hungry. Rimando, Kennedy, Hall pretty self explanatory, the young guys arent ready save for hall. Besler, Gonzo, Okugo, Beitashour, Myers, Morrow, Goodson, Parkhurst Would throw John in here if he was healthy, hes my favorite CB prospect of the bunch if he can stay healthy. we are looking at the central defense depth here, this should be the Besler-Gonzo show. Hope they swim and not sink. I also think we got some good young outside backs too. Morrow is gonna be the left back here, end of story, has to be. But i like Beita and Myers, theyre both different in what they bring but i like both of them. And yes......id prefer both of them over Chandler right now. Zusi, Beckerman, McCarty, Pontius, Silva, DeLeon, Gatt, Diskerud, Rowe, Kitchen Zusi and Beckerman round out the veterans here, but the rest we got a bunch of hungry, exciting young players here who are going to want to grab this chance and make a good impression. Wondo, EJ, Cooper, Bruin, McInerney, Sapong I went half and half. Half the guys on merit who scored goals by the bunches, and our next up and coming crop that are showing well in the league.
I generally agree you have got the all MLS squad right. I just think other than the next Gold Cup, most of them won't ever sniff the full team.
Nope i've brought it up before. Its completely idiotic. Not only can you make the obvious case there is a huge spectrum of national squads with a huge discrepancy in their quality, you could also say the US's quality changes quite frequently based on the opponent. For instance, Dax Mccarty would be more than suitable vs the likes of Antigua Barbuda whereas he would get run off the pitch vs Mexico. The spectrum is much too broad making the use of the term stupid and useless.
I think it just a good term to indicate that someone could play on the same pitch as a top 20 side and look like they belong.
i think im in agreement there for the most part with a few exceptions. i like the outside backs, and i really, really think Morrow should be a number two option for left back instead of trotting Boca and Parky out there when Fabian is out. And if we are going to find one or two gatecrashers to the full side......itll be the midfield. Right now Pontius, DeLeon, and i keep swearing by Silva.......those three are the most ready to pull a dempsey and make a case for consistent callups. It is high time we are due for a gatecrasher to come out of nowhere. And itll come from the midfield if anywhere. then you got the senior forwads which are going to be posturing for that #4 spot behind Dempsey, Herc, Boyd, and presumably Altidore. Boyd we all know is Juergen's guy whether we like it or not hes there...... It seems the most vulnerable is Herc, but for the most part hes been playing well for the full side too. Im thinking Wondo is probably the number 5 option, and EJ will garner consideration in the role we saw him in WCQ. Coopers got some work to do but his goals per minute with the nats is phenomenal so i wouldnt cut him out. The other three are for another day just to get them immersed in the process.
Well we know Pontius is on Klinsmann's radar. I am not 100% sold that he will take his game to the next level, but the main issue I think is that he isn't a natural wide player. He's sort of the Clint Dempsey support striker inverted wide midfield type player. We all know that's a tough position to break through. Silva seems further off the radar but who knows. Since I just noticed that you had non MLS players on the list I'd add Agudelo as one to watch. He struggled at times this year, with his serious injury, being traded to the worst team in the league and trying to find his game. But keep in mind he is only a few months older than Luis Gil.
The thing about Agudelo was that his finishing was horrible. He consistently got in scoring position but wasn't sharp enough. Again, it's something to he needs to work on. I still rate him. We still have to remember that he will be able to leave for Europe at a reasonable age. He just has to have work on his finishing and have a good season next year.
If he stays healthy next year I expect him to do well. He will have a full preseason with his team. The team won't be good but it appears they will at least play him at forward consistently. He won't have any youth teams to break that rhythm, so next year should be a real litmus test for him if he can stay healthy. Finishing can often be a question of confidence. It is a question of skill but often when a player has showed that he possesses the skill and then it disappears it can be a confidence issue. I could see how that would be a problem for Agudelo with his injury and coming back into a new team.
I agree with much of what you say about Pontius, but I'm not all that concerned about positional issues. While it's true that he's kind of a tweener in a 4-4-2, I think he's pretty well suited to be a wide forward in a 4-3-3.
It was more related to Klinsmann's supposed preferred system seems to call for wide midfiedlers (despite that we don't have them.) Pontius would be a bit out of position trying to stay wide but this is a real minor concern of mine.
Maybe if you use a strict definition of wingers. But given that for most of his tenure (after his Orange County buddy, the great Robbie Rogers didn't work out), Klinsmann played defensive and/or central midfielders like Bradley, D Williams, Kljestan, Torres, etc. out there, I think we can make a decent sized list of US eligible players that are more suitable at either left or right midfield than Danny "I keep telling you I'm a defensive midfielder" Williams, whether they are true wingers or not: Dempsey Donovan Shea F Johnson Zusi Pontius Corona Rolfe Gatt Chandler (maybe he would accept call ups if he wasn't always having to play LB instead of RB or winger?) Gaven Forwards like Gomez/EJohnson/Agudelo Diskerud? Adu? Gyau DeLeon Silva One or two from the Rowe/Nguyen/Feilhaber midfield Ryan Smith, yes even a headcase with a bad attitude who doesn't have the proper paperwork like Ryan Smith Conor O'Brien? (never even seen him before) Okay I may be reaching on some of those, and it may be a philosophical difference but I think it makes more sense to play inexperienced and not international quality (there's that term again!) Will Bruin at forward than to stick Cherundolo up there because "he's one of the best 11 guys I have"... followed by "we can't score goals because Altidore is lazy, it has nothing to do with the fact that I play five defensive midfielders at a time."
I like that list but I would add Andrew Wooten whos been playing RW and recently scored a goal for his club team. Maybe Shawn Parker too. Word around the block is Kilinsi has contacted him, but he'd be an option for 2013 at the earliest.