23 Tickets to Brazil

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by flem16, May 18, 2011.

  1. StlDon

    StlDon Red Card

    Sep 17, 2013
    KCMO
    Club:
    AC St. Louis
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This may come as a considerable shock to you, so you may want to sit down. Not all of us consider Donovan to be a lock on the 23. I think he is a forward, and only a forward. His lack of defensive skills disqualify him for any other international position. We need 4 minimum, and 5 maximum forwards. Altidore and Dempsey take a guaranteed 2 spots. AJ, LD, and Wondo all make it if we choose 5. One gets dropped otherwise. This could be JK's Oliver Kahn moment, though consummated in 2014.
     
  2. bmo180

    bmo180 Member+

    Jan 25, 2012
    I dont see Landon missing out..He might be the only guy we have that is great with both feet and can competently play either wing. Even if he slows down due to age he is still one of our best passers in the final third, and the best backup to Dempsey...plus it's Landon Donovan
     
  3. y-lee-coyote

    y-lee-coyote Member+

    Dec 4, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    #4553 y-lee-coyote, Apr 23, 2014
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2014
    My emotionalism only gets triggered when I see EJ on the wing. Then I cry after I shoot my TV at least twice and throw it out the window. In the forward role he is not terrible, as long as he stays within shooting distance of the goal and has clear instructions to shoot when he sights the goal.

    On the wing I would rather play 10v 11 since him on the wing equates to 10 v 12 and he is the break killing speicalist for the other side.

    He is not good only on set pieces, but he is only useful in the box have a go at goal. Anywhere else on the pitch he is an errant backpass wating to happen.
     
  4. MPNumber9

    MPNumber9 Member+

    Oct 10, 2010
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm not sure I follow. If we're counting LD and Dempsey as forwards, doesn't Jurgen still have to choose between Wondo and EJ for the 5th spot? Or are you simply saying that LD is also on the forward bubble?
     
  5. bmo180

    bmo180 Member+

    Jan 25, 2012
    He is good on setpieces and crosses then? He really is mostly just good for headers..Nearly all his goals are off headers and when he gets the ball otherwise he mostly just dribbles aimlessly with a couple worthless stepovers
     
  6. y-lee-coyote

    y-lee-coyote Member+

    Dec 4, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    Is LD against Mexico any indication of where his fitness will be in a month? If it was and he has not moved forward and gotten more fit, then I wonder if he makes it past the thirty into the 23.

    I think in the forward dept you guys are still forgetting about TBoyd.With what he bring to the table and I think he gets a call to the 30.
     
  7. StlDon

    StlDon Red Card

    Sep 17, 2013
    KCMO
    Club:
    AC St. Louis
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Forward locks, Jozy and Dempsey. If JK takes 5 forwards, AJ, Wondo, and Donovan go. EJ stays at home. If he takes 4 forwards, one of AJ, Wondo, and LD stay at home. Disagree all you like, my point was plainly stated.
     
  8. bmo180

    bmo180 Member+

    Jan 25, 2012
    Then who is going to be the backup LW, Brad Davis? It's not going to happen
     
  9. MPNumber9

    MPNumber9 Member+

    Oct 10, 2010
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Who knows? LD's knee has been a bit of an on-again-off-again issue. He's looked better since Mexico, but it seems to come and go. But even a lame Donovan made a 40 yard run that forced a foul at the top of the box. It'll come down to relative form on the day.
     
  10. IndividualEleven

    Mar 16, 2006
    Forgot about Donovan. JK was going use him as a striker against Mexico but went with Wondo instead, so LD would also be competition for a striker slot. He needs to pick up the fitness.

    Not only.
     
  11. StlDon

    StlDon Red Card

    Sep 17, 2013
    KCMO
    Club:
    AC St. Louis
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    OK, shoot me. I have FJ at number one and Green his back up. I watched him-he is better defensively than Donovan, and he's younger and oh, hell, maybe could provide the spark LD provided in 02. Really, the USMNT is in trouble this WC, and should be thinking about long shot strategies. 3 and out is reasonable, so shoot the moon like in 02.
     
  12. IndividualEleven

    Mar 16, 2006
    Feilhaber, Zusi, Beasley, and Fabian can all play left mid.
     
  13. MPNumber9

    MPNumber9 Member+

    Oct 10, 2010
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You could be totally right. You seem pretty convinced that EJ is already out of the conversation and it could end up that way, but I haven't seen anything to corroborate that from Klinsmann.
     
  14. bmo180

    bmo180 Member+

    Jan 25, 2012
    The moment I stop taking you seriously..
     
    Berks, Footsatt and Mr Martin repped this.
  15. IndividualEleven

    Mar 16, 2006
    He's effective on the right from which he scored a goal against Panama. JK then kept trying EJ on the left which didn't work.
     
    Footsatt repped this.
  16. bmo180

    bmo180 Member+

    Jan 25, 2012
    Feilhaber is out of the picture. I dont remember Zusi ever showing much of a left foot, he mostly just roams all over the field when he's lined up on the left. Fabian is the starter
     
  17. bmo180

    bmo180 Member+

    Jan 25, 2012
    Curious does anyone know how many of EJ's goals the past couple years weren't scored with his head? Last year I think I remember reading it was something like 1/9 MLS goals with his feet
     
  18. StlDon

    StlDon Red Card

    Sep 17, 2013
    KCMO
    Club:
    AC St. Louis
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You're an obviously serious observer, and I applaud that fact.
     
  19. bmo180

    bmo180 Member+

    Jan 25, 2012
    The fact that you use Julian's Green defense as part of your argument, when the guy was largely at fault for a goal in his only game, and literally fell on his ass and injured himself trying to defend. Hard to take you seriously
     
    FlipsLikeAPancake and Berks repped this.
  20. StlDon

    StlDon Red Card

    Sep 17, 2013
    KCMO
    Club:
    AC St. Louis
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Thank you for pointing out the obvious. The question is whether LD or JG is a better defender, not whether an 18 year old made a mistake on a tough field in his first international appearance. Please take the time to look at LD's appearances for LG this year, concentrating on his defense. Then look at JG's seriousness in defense in his sole appearance. Now extrapolate into the future. See? It's not hard.
     
  21. StlDon

    StlDon Red Card

    Sep 17, 2013
    KCMO
    Club:
    AC St. Louis
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    So that's it, huh? Your amount of "seriousness,"expires when asked to actually do your homework? I'll give you an extension, but I doubt you will use it. All bluff, no work.
     
  22. Suyuntuy

    Suyuntuy Member+

    Jul 16, 2007
    Vancouver, Canada
    Green was dire. I observed him and he seemed clueless in defense. Unless he shows a lot in May, he won't be in the 23. A winger who defends well for 90% of the time, but then makes stupid mistakes for 10%, is one that shouldn't be in a World Cup.

    Gonzo keeps his fail percentage at around 5%. And even so, many of us have doubts about him starting. Same with JAB, who has dropped from many guys' 23-men list.

    Can't paint as good what was bad. Anyone can re-watch the match.
     
  23. jond

    jond Member+

    Sep 28, 2010
    Club:
    Levski Sofia
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    What has EJ done the last 6 months? He didn't play for three of them, hasn't scored in the other three.
     
  24. Suyuntuy

    Suyuntuy Member+

    Jul 16, 2007
    Vancouver, Canada
    It depends on what system JK is going to use. From the last friendlies, it seems everybody has noticed what he does: the starting 4-2-3-1 that switches to 4-4-1-1 at around the 60', and the couple of changes he does there to try to exploit speed on one of the wings. That has been basically it. I don't think he'll stick to that for the WC, since everybody knows that plan far too well already, but if he does, I can see him taking AJ and EJ over Wondo, Donovan, Agudelo, etc.

    I'm positive that'd end in disaster, though.
     
  25. jond

    jond Member+

    Sep 28, 2010
    Club:
    Levski Sofia
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You're rarely going to find a winger who defends well close to 100% of the time. This isn't a video game. You've got some unrealistic standards here. I can easily go back through matches and point out defensive mistakes of every guy who's played on the wing for us this cycle, from Landon and Zusi to Bedoya and Shea. Even Bradley makes defensive mistakes.

    As for your comment on Omar, that's one position where they damn well better be close to 100% error free and that's a huge part of their job and there's dire consequences when CB's make mistakes as they're right there as the last line of defense. A mistake right in front of goal is almost always more costly than a mistake 50 yards up field. When a winger makes a mistake, he still has cover. When a CB does, far less cover.
     

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