What's your prediction? Here's mine, can you do better? 4-2-3-1 Guzan Chandler/Yedlin-Gonzales-Okugo-Johnson Bradley - Williams GATT/Shea - Flores/Gil - Green Boyd/Altidore Subs: Dempsey, packwood, Cameron 4-4-2 Chandler/Yedlin - Gonzales - Okugo - Johnson GATT/Shea. - Bradley - Gill/Flores - Green Agudelo - Altidore
Here's another potential lineup. What do you think? It's never too early given that we all know 2018 is the real target for the US to do something big in the WC. Yedlin - Brooks- Gonzales - FJ Williams Bradley Flores Green Agudelo/Rubin Altidore Bench: Dempsey, Boyd, Pelosi, Gatt/Shea, Diskerud, Cameron, Chandler
Way too early to tell, go back and look at the 2014 predictions in 2010 some pretty wild names will show up. And probably nary a mention of Fabian Johnson or Matt Besler. Bradley is the only sure bet. I'd put some money on Fabian Johnson most likely being there. Jozy probably. The rest is very much up in the air and crazy things can happen and people can come out of nowhere. You've left AJ completely off all the lists and I dont see why he wouldnt be in the picture in 4 years. You have Danny Williams as a starter in both teams, he's 25 and playing in the Championship, not sure if that lights up my eyes with potential.
--------------------Agudelo------------------- Green---------------Gil----------------Nagbe -----------Bradley--------Stanko------------- Fabian-----Brooks-------Packwood---Yedlin --------------------Guzan--------------------- HM: Jozy, Johannsonn, Trapp, Mix, Williams, Acosta, Cameron, Besler, Lichaj, Chandler, Danny Williams,Pelosi, Flores, Shea, Farrell, Sarkodie, Klute, DeLeon, Okugo, O'Neil, Gonzalez, Kelyn Rowe, Arriola, Powers, Ream, Edu, Zusi, Bedoya, Boyd, Mcinerney, Bruin, Corona, Castillo, Kitchen, Mario Rodriguez, Gatt dual nationals: Zelalem, Fagundez, Toljan, Shawn Parker
I'm a huge fan of perpetually looking towards the future. The ridiculous group of death in Brazil combined with the loads of prospects in the pipeline has me already looking forward to 2018. Here's my stab: AJ Green-----Flores-----Arriola/Nagbe Bradley------Gil FJ----Brooks-----Packwood-----Yedlin Guzan The obvious worry is the defensive coverage of a Bradley-Gil CM combo. My purely speculative guess is that Bradley will morph into more of a stay at home facilitator, a la modern day Gerrard, as he starts to age a bit. The attacking talent in the pipeline is exciting: Holmes, Rubin, Agudelo, Jozy, and Gatt will all have something to say about cracking the starting lineup. Combine that with the random guys that are bound to show up out of nowhere, plus, the U17's that are killing it right now...and you've got a recipe for depth and perpetual positional jockeying. I dig it
Okay, why Gatt or Shea? Gatt is constantly injured, and, at least partly because of those injuries, hasn't shown much for club or country. Shea is a headcase, and he simply is not good enough to start games, period. I haven't seen anything from him suggesting that he's matured or is on the path towards improvement. Okugo replacing Besler? I don't know about that one. Besler will be 31 by then, old, but he could still play. Williams is having a good year at Reading, but I think we're pretty set at that position with either Trapp or Nagbe.
Nah. We'd actually have 2 FB's that play their positions all the time. Add in 2 prime-age CB's, excellent technical ability and first touch throughout the midfield, and a good striker in AJ, and I think we could do well in 99 percent of groups. We just would need to avoid a G.O.D.
------shea---------------altidore ---------------bradley ---------zusi--nagbe--bedoya ---Ream----------------------Fabian ----------Brooks----Cameron ----------------Guzan The Pool: Center Forwards: Agudelo, Boyd, AJ, Amarikwa Mids-Forwards: Neagle, Arriola Mids: Shipp, Deleon, Corona, Gil, Torres Center-Mids: Edu, Trapp, Kitchen, Mix, Rowe Mids-Defenders: Okugo, Acosta, Farrell, Opare Left Backs: Remick, Castillo, Garza, Klute Right Backs: JWilliams, Yedlin, Chandler Centerbacks: Hedges, Packwood, Wheeler, Besler, Gonzalez
Just for fun I went back and looked at the "23 tickets to Brazil thread" that started back in 2011. Let's look at some Brazil roster predictions
I'm doing this so I may one day look back at it and laugh. Starters --------------------Altidore------------ --------Green-------Gil----------Nagbe -------------Bradley---Trapp----------- Johnson-----Besler-----Brooks-----Yedlin --------------------Guzan---------------- Bench GK: Hamid, Cropper. DEF: Okugo, Hedges, Packwood, Lichaj, Chandler. MID: Diskerud, Williams, Arriola. FWD: Agudelo, Johannsson.
The turnover could be fast or slow. Right now MLS is full of young players (younger than 23 at the moment) with multiple seasons of exp. (relatively speaking). Younger players should be getting called in. Guys like Bradley, FJ, Besler, Zusi, Bedoya, Altidore, Williams, AJ, Gonzalez, Edu, Guzan, Cameron etc., will definitely be around for a while after this WC. These guys aren't going to step down and will be the base of the team. Donovan and Dempsey, and maybe Howard should take a back seat (let them stay with their clubs for a bit and only play important tournies if they are up for it). Basically besides the guys I mentioned above friendlies and camps should be packed full of new younger players consistently.
-----------------------Altidore----------------------------- ------Green----------Johansson-------------Bedoya------- ------------Bradley---------------Gil----------------------- ------Fabian------Besler--------Brooks------Yedlin-------- -----------------------Guzan-------------------------------
Jozy------AJ Green----Bradley---------Gil----Nagbe Fabian---Besler----Brooks-----Yedlin -----------Guzan
-------------Jozy------------ Nagbe----Flores---Green ------Bradley-Williams--- Klute--Brooks-Pack-Yedlin
Look at the pool though... --------------------Agudelo------------------- Green---------------Gil----------------Nagbe -----------Bradley-------Trapp------------- Fabian-----Brooks------Cameron---Yedlin --------------------Howard--------------------- Roster: Guzan, Cropper, Johansson, Salgado, Serna, Arriola, Salgado, Powers, Farrel, Packwood, Acosta, O' Neill. In contention: Flores, Chandler, Gyau, Rubin, Hedges, Besler, Schuler, Garza, Klute, Altidore, Diskerud, Joya, Thompson, Stanko, Sarkodie, Shipp, Corona, Rodriguez, Gatt, Mcinerney, Bedoya. D. Flores, Holmes, Williams, Pelosi. Wildcard is Parker In other words STACKED This team's goal should be at least quarter finals. Talent on here is ridiculous with a lot more guys left off.
I'll be interested to see if Andrew Farrell eventually moves inside to centerback in a year or two. He's a bit on the short side for a CB, but he's definitely physical and athletic enough to play it. If that move does ever materialize, I could see him starting at CB in the 2018 WC.