Wondolowski's future with the USMNT?

I think all of my posts in this thread have been a bunch of snarky "No" posts.

Well, I was wrong. He's a valuable role player that can add something to the team. He's earned the call up to the send off camp. It's up to him to prove he can do it when it counts.

 

This is what the majority of the reasonable folks in this thread think who aren't quite sold on Wondo.

He's got talent, but it's up to JK to see if it would be of good use to him in a WC and given our oppoenents.

 

the dude can score.

 

He's too slow and lacks strength to be a target forward.

 

well, yeah, its a good thing hes not a target forward then. I think Jozy and EJ miss too many goals to be considered poachers, so luckily theyre not under that classification either.

 

First, I am not a SJ Earthquake fan per se; more of a specific player or style of play fan. Wondo caught me eye when watched SJ matches. Wondo was hard to miss once he got a chance. Right place, right time all the time can't be taught. Once I got to know his itinerary and I became hooked. Wondo deserves to be in Brazil with the team.

He is not a Finley, a Buddle or some other lucky past participant. Wondo's accomplishments are higher and over a longer time frame. But I can't help get out of my head that Wondo might be the next Kevin Phillips of England fame. Hope I am wrong for so many reasons, the least of which is that Wondo is a credit to the US game.

 

I've never been a huge Wondo fan. I don't think he has all the tools needed to be a successful top level international striker. But the one tool he does have is movement. His movement is World Class. Whether or not he makes the WC roster or not, I hope one day after he retires he becomes the strikers coach for the USMNT. Every striker in our pool needs to study his off the ball movement and emulate it.

 

Don't think it's a matter of being wrong on Wondo. He simply didn't produce during the bulk of his run with the NT. He showed nothing in addition to not scoring. JK stuck with him beyond a reasonable trial period and seemingly has been rewarded at last. Kudos to JK and Wondo for persevering.

 

He showed a lot more than "nothing".


You weren't at the practices, scrimmages and team meetings that JK was. Wondo impressed JK with his practice habits and his willingness to improve his game.

JK gave Wondo a list of things to improve on in order to be considered for a spot on the National team.

The more Wondo improved in those areas, the more gametime he got. JK didn't "stick" with Wondo, he made him earn a spot.

 

IMO a big factor in his good movement is due to excellent workrate and fitness. You are able to get on the end of more balls when you make more runs per game. Of course his movement is smart too, but a fitter player can make many more runs than a less fit player, even at the top level.

Anyways, do we have any top level strikers? I think Dempsey is a top level midfielder, but he hasn't had enough experience up top to really figure it out on that level.

While Wondo isn't spectacular, of the forwards in consideration for the WC, I think he is the best at finishing, in the air, at buildup play / passing, defending / workrate, and the best poacher. On the dribble, I'd only take Johannson over him. Wondo's deceptively good at dribbling - I wish he would take more opportunities to dribble people, but he's so unselfish that he only takes people on when he is sure it's the right idea to take the risk.

A lot of people seem to think that somehow Wondo won't be effective at a higher level... I just don't buy-in to some kind of threshold where great players at a lower level will somehow become inferior to players who were second-class at the lower level. Soccer is too complex and well-rounded to have those types of strange min-maxes.

 

One of the underrated "keys" to Wondo's success is his ability to understand his required role.

He will continue to make the necessary runs even if he isn't receiving the passes. He's one of those rare players that doesn't need to "get on the ball" all game long.

He'll go the whole game with barely a touch then score the game winning goal in injury time.

Contrast that to the forwards that start getting bored and frustrated and drop into the midfield to get touches and "involved" in the game.

Wondo understands his touches should be in the box, not the center circle. He'll work hard, be patient and then be lethal when they come.

 

Wondo seems to have caught up with the speed of play in terms of his movement. He also does a good of dropping into midfield to help defend.

 

indeed, lest we forget against South Korea Wondo cleared one right off the line

 

He earned his spot over the past year. Took chances for the team, played some minutes in important matches. More than you can say for much (most? nearly all?) of the striker pool. I'm not in love with him but I personally don't see a ton of better options. Good for Wondo.

 

I tend to agree with this, though I will "love him" after he finds a pocket of space near the back post just in time for Donovan or Zusi or Mix to drop a ball on his foot for the late winner against Ghana. I'm visualizing it now, so that it will happen later .

 

im visualizing it twice

 

two goals today. no big deal

 

Johannsson has been playing injured for about a month
http://www.rtvnh.nl/sport/142492/Jóhannsson+en+Elm+twijfelgevallen+tegen+Feyenoord

 

I have more confidence in Wondo than Buddle or Finley, and I agree that he is more accomplished particularly with the national team, but Wondo also faces much stronger competition for a forward spot than Buddle and Finley did in 2010.

 

Thanks! A reasonable explanation for his 6 week slump. It's a bad time to be injured ...

Here's an updated table.

 

You forgot Boyd and Agudelo. That's hardly our complete striker pool.

 

Hopefully whatever he did to his arm/shoulder Saturday is minor. He looked pretty uncomfortable even after the game.