Hertha has a fairly interesting history with some US youth players. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_Arguez
I can see Boyd and Morales making that lineup as well. besides the back 4 this is last year's U23 team, imagine facing Mex. U23 in the finals for a rematch.
"There is discussion about making the two Gold Cup winners play each other for the right to go to the Confederations Cup, which offers a lot of credibility to the off-year Gold Cup, which is this year. That decision, I think, will be made in the next month or two.” -- Sunil Gulati http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs.../02/06/sunil-gulati-addresses-various-topics/
That is an interesting idea. But the second gold cup still won't have the best players available due to WCQ.
it is a wrong concept to have a continental competition every 2 years. it devalues it big time. have 1 competition that counts, every 4 years. you still want a second gold cup, fine, have it as an under 23 tournament. builds up the youth teams or prepares you to the olympics.
CONCACAF isn't getting rid of the second Gold Cup or trying to turn it into a U23 competition because it's a major money maker.
I dream of replacing the one with an "Americas" Super Tournament (CONCACAF & CONMEBOL), which also would be serious money maker. The EURO needs some competition
Well again, Bruce Arena fielded a pretty strong lineup during the 2005 Gold Cup (which was during a Hex year), including a number of European based A team starters. The bigger problem I'm seeing is that I can't envision us (or Mexico) fielding a first choice squad for World Cup Qualifying, the Gold Cup, AND the Confederations Cup -- assuming one of us has qualified for it. Three competitions is a bit much.
The problem with the last attempt was that CONMEBOL and CONCACAF haven't figured out who gets the money.
Also it would need FIFA approval to be placed on the calendar, otherwise clubs wouldn't be obligated to release players and you would end up just with domestic based squads.
Updated roster guess for Gold Cup: G: Guzan, Hall, Johnson. CB: Whitbread, Ream, John Anthony Brooks, Omar Gonzalez. FB: Lichaj, Castillo, Parkhurst, Morales. CM: Williams, Edu, Torres, Feilhaber. Wingers: Gatt, Shea, Adu, Corona. Gyau also in the mix. Forwards: Agudelo, Boyd, Wooten, Bobby Wood. In the mix: Holden, Spector, O'Brien, Davies, Bedoya, Kljestan.
He's actually more of a forward than a winger. He has been on the right wing since his loan move to Sandhausen this season, he's been doing really well even though it's not his natural position.
Frankly, I'm not sure what his natural position is. While in the Regionallia he was strickly a stricker and did very well, probably as good as Boyd if not better. When he moved up a level his stricker qualities suffered but his wing play flourished. He may break in to our NATs team as winger instead of a stricker.
Not a bad guesstimate, apparently. Reportedly the USA (and Costa Rica) will be using RSL's venue for Gold Cup matches. http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...o-stadium-host-june-us-vs-honduras-world-cup- https://twitter.com/espn700bill/statuses/311505226387562496
My locks right now... I have one position open for each. GK Guzan, Johnson FB Chandler, Parkhurst, Castillo CB Brooks, Besler, Gonzalez MF Williams, Zusi, Kljestan, Corona, Torres FW Altidore, Agudelo, Boyd, Shea, Gatt GOALKEEPER: last pick: Hamid alternate: Rimando reserve: Hall FULLBACK: last pick: Spector alternate: Lichaj reserves: Beitashour, Evans, Alton, Sarkodie, Williams, G. Farfan, M. Farfan, Lade, Beltran, Morrow, Pearce, Myers, Sinovic, Garza DEFENDER: last pick: Orozco alternate: John reserves: Ream, Whitbread, Berry, Jean-Baptiste, Okugo, Schuler, Whitbread, Hines, Soares, Farrell, Marshall, Hedges MIDFIELDER: last pick: Morales alternates: Diskerud, Kitchen wild card: Holden (needs to return to form), Alonso (needs citizenship), Edu (could cover for Williams if we needed to, but I prefer to omit) reserves: O' Brien, Silva, Nguyen, Cronin, Clark, Larentowicz, Feilhaber, Duka, Bedoya, Rowe, McCarty, Gil FORWARD: last pick: Pontius alternates: Magee, Bruin wild card: Johannsson (needs to pick US), Parker (needs to pick US), Nagbe (needs citizenship), Donovan (may play if he wants to get back into the picture) reserves: Wooten, Wood, Gyau, DeLeon, Cooper, McInerney, Bunbury, Sapong, Lenhart, Adu, Gaven, Beasley, Cuevas, Villarreal Starting XI variations for the first three games: #1 ---------------Shea-----Altidore----Gatt------------------ ---------------------Torres----Zusi------------------------- --------------------------Williams-------------------------- Castillo----------------------------------------------Chandler -------------------Besler-----------Gonzalez--------------- ----------------------------Guzan--------------------------- Bench: Johnson, Brooks, Parkhurst, Morales, Kljestan, Corona, Boyd #2 ------------------------Altidore-----Boyd--------------------------- Shea---------------------------Zusi---------------------------Chandler -------------------------------Williams------------------------------ Castillo----------------------------------------------------------Parkhurst ----------------------Brooks--------------Gonzalez------------------ ----------------------------------Guzan------------------------------ Bench: Johnson, Besler, Morales, Kljestan, Gatt, Pontius, Agudelo #3 --------------------Altidore---------Agudelo------------------------- -------------------------------Zusi------------------------------------ -------------------Torres------------------Kljestan------------------- ------------------------------Williams--------------------------------- Parkhurst-----------------------------------------------------Chandler ----------------------Besler-------------Gonzalez--------------------- ---------------------------------Guzan--------------------------------- Bench: Johnson, Brooks, Spector, Morales, Corona, Shea, Boyd
We keep seeing line ups with the Tippeliggaen players who play summer league and they will likely be in title races (Molde and Rosenborg) so I cant see them (Gatt and Diskerud) coming for a whole month to play Gold Cup. Also, I believe Brooks is playing for the German youth team so I cannot see him coming either. It would be great to see the overall #1's of the last two mls drafts, Wenger and Farrel, make the roster and how great would it be to see some cb's, like John and Hedges not playing with Dallas for once, or Okugo or Berry if they prove out. I would sprinkle some vets in there like Edu, Donovan, Zusi, Rimando, Shea, EJohnson, and give a chance to some of the guys who are on the cusp and have not had a real go like Corona, Agudelo. I would be excited about the gold cup and go to games - I can go anywhere in July - if the roster is exciting but I am not going to see another replay of USA / Canada from January. Is there any chance JK could be relieved of any duties for this tournament? Does anybody know who the coaches will be?
Im hoping for a mix of a team+B. Players like Mix, maybe Starikov, Donovan if hes back because he will need the time to get back into it i think. Gatt, Kljestan. Get some defensive work, try out Lichaj, maybe work with the defense that you want for the future, ie Chandler (however much i dont like that) Gonzo and Cameron, perhaps try a third. Maybe try Cameron at a CDM spot. Feilhaber definitely if you want him to one day get back on the big team fully. Castillo, Orozco Fiscal. Stuff like that
The GC squad will be interesting because it will give us a big hint on who will be in the mix for the next cycle.
We should hope so but there is a chance it may be not be so much if our current "A" players don't play well together in these coming up qualifiers. What we may end up seeing is the old guard trying to find their mojo in the GC for the crucial Hex games after the GC.