Clearly Klinsi decided Howard was going to start this game. And if Howard is going to start, then there's no reason to bring Guzan over from England. Might as well have the MLS guys sitting on the bench................................. Guzan will get some games before the World Cup. It wouldn't surprise me if Brad is our starter at the Gold Cup this summer.
That's just silly. Dempsey is always a hard fit. Has been for the US as well as for Fulham. Anyone who doesn't know that is just not paying attention. Dembele is one of the big problems v. Man City - he wasn't there and without him Spurs midfield blows. I don't know if you noticed but Clint wasn't playing Holding Midfield. Spurs problems start in the back and the midfield. Without Dembele and Parker they are in trouble there. Sandro, Huddlestone - they are the guys that "aren't good enough for Spurs." Not that Clint is superman. He's not, and anyone who was deceived by his goal numbers last season is in for a shock. But Spurs midfield is the problem - and their backs. And anyone who puts Clint in front of those issues just does not understand football and come from the " if only we had Rooney we'd win it all" school of fandom. Demps is not going to save Spurs season either. But he is at worst 4th or so on list of things Spurs need to worry about.
true enough. They miss having a guy like Modric, and Dembele being hurt doesn't help. The back also has been a bit of an issue. Gallas has been rather scary at times and Kyle Walker has been in bad form.
'Sandro has easily been an incredible defensive midfielder and our best defensive player all season. in fact it is widely agreed he is amazing. Also his ball to defoe started the defoe goal and his robbing of Robin van persie started bales amazing goal. Sandro got hurt against wigan and we were terrible after he was out. we had a chance till Sandro went out of the match. He has been incredible for us. I agree we miss dembele and tom hudddlestone is garbage. but scott parker and dembele are the 1 and 2 at that position. Joao moutinho was supposed to be where dempsey is. if siggurdson played any better he would be playing and not dempsey but he has been garbage too. Dempsey is the main problem. his position is the main problem the team has. When VDV and Modric left we got screwed and we are left with a clueless player. Dembele is the only one who gives us a chance. we needed moutinho.
Kaboul getting hurt killed the team not to mention BAE. BUT when Dembele was there we STILL looked really good. when he went down it went to hell except one game...the one where dempsey was benched and we started defoe and adebayor together. won 3-1.
I dont mean "link" by someone who can put a ball in to the forwards, just simply someone who can check to the midfield, recieve, and create. He floats around the final third really well. I was just simply stated that we dont have this sort of player with us for Russia.
Altidore does this all day long for AZ. He is that type of player without a doubt but even better he is getting better at playing the position. it is evident dempsey is out of his depth.
I'm not sure that he does exactly this though... If you're trying to retain some kind of presence up front, you don't want your target forward dropping into the midfield, unless you're trying to draw the centerbacks into the midfield and create gaps at the back for midfield runners to exploit. It depends on what you're going for, but generally the guy behind the target forward is trusted to link play, then either play into the forward and move off him, attempt to play the forward or anyone else in behind the defense, distribute wide, or hold onto the ball and wait for support. Dempsey did this really well against Ghana in the second half, although he also moved further forward along side Altidore at times and allowed Donovan to come in from the right and receive in the hole.
Nope. They dont have the sheer skill or quickness. They have the passing ability but they would be fit in the midfield somewhere. Why is this so hard to get? Im pretty much just stating we dont have the game changing ability that Donovan or Dempsey provide between the midfield and forward lines.
Dempsey isnt a game changer between the midfield at all. He scores off corners and deflections. he rarely scores goals he creates for fulham and he isnt scoring at all with spurs. I think we underestimate some of our players and are overestimating dempsey. Donovan is. I agree to that but that wasnt who I was talking about.
Doesnt matter what you think. Thats the role he's been playing for Jurgen and AVB. and by the way... I dont want to get in a club discussion but Dempsey has earned the most fouls for Spurs per game by far. He doesnt rack up assists but he'll think quickly whether it is drawing a foul or getting on a rebound and that is how he changes a game in his own way.
Since you posted this twice you must be unaware that JK called Sacha in to his 2nd camp (CR and Belgium). In with weak CM competition (Edu, Torres, and Larentowicz) Kljestan did not impress in camp. He did not impress when subbed in to provide offensive spark down 1 v CR. He was so unimpressive that in the next match v Belgium and the MNT down 1, JK looked down the bench and subbed in Larentowicz instead. I'm sorry but if you can't win a starting CM job/major minutes in a camp where your competitors are Edu, Torres, and Larentowicz you have no complaints.
All of them? Unless he's in acres of space and only has to pass the ball 15-20 feet to a wide open teammate, Maurice Edu is probably the worst passer on our team. (Cue HoustonHoya with a completely meaningless chart that shows Edu completing 80% of his passes that are all square passes under 20 feet to "prove" me wrong) Its one thing to have a turnover machine up around midfield. Its another thing when a guy is a turnover machine inside his own 18.
Even though I want to stop any talk of Edu being a long term solution at centerback, I will say Edu would probably just make a clearance down field before risking his passing ability in a pressured situation..
lol. My first post in this thread I was putting together my guesses at what the starting lineup would be and what I wanted to see. Realized that I had put Boca on the right in one of them and went back and edited it.
Yeah AVB didnt want him. Everyone knows that. Levy forced him on him. I think he is overrated. Bradley is the best player for the USMNT. Hands down.
Overall I'm happy with the selections. My only real quibble is the lack of Besler and Onyewu given their availability. What I'd go with: 4-5-1/4-3-3 -------------Altidore------------- Gyau-------------------------Gatt ----------Bradley-Jones--------- -------------Williams------------- Johnson-----------------Chandler -----------Edu-Cameron---------- --------------Howard-------------- Thoughts: 1) Can Bradley and Jones take creative responsibility and work together as duel 8s? If it fails I would say Jones should lose his starting spot. 2) Gatt and Gyau get their chances against good competition. 3) Give Edu and Cameron another run out as CBs together. If it works again Klinsmann is probably on to something despite Edu's lack of club play time. 4) How will Jozy play? Pretty excited for this game.
It has defensively slaughtered written all over it. Germany can get away with this sort of lineup because their players are some of the best in the world at it. These guys are getting spot minutes in the German second division and Norway. We'd get slaughtered with a lineup with so little balance.
People said that about Cameron for months until Jurgen finally gave him a chance. Now he's our best option back there.
Will this do? cue 23 secs! http://www.ussoccer.com/media-library/Videos/US-Men/2012/09/MNT-vs-JAM-Highlights.aspx That was a receive turn and touch 45 feet pass to Gomez between 2 Jamaica defenders. Edu is the worst passer of the CM squad in the extended 29 man roster but certainly not the entire CB roster.
What's with all the Dempsey hate? Dembele... better than Dempsey? Get out of here. He's only been at Spurs for a couple months now, and still has banged in a couple goals. No, Dempsey is not Maradona or Messi that will put his mark throughout the game, but Dempsey is the type player that will rise to the occasion and make that clutch play that puts your team ahead. Every team needs a guy like that. I do not believe he will be looked down upon by Spurs fans for long. And if so, then Spurs fans might be a bunch of idiots. Also, spurs fans need to get the idea out of their heads that they are going to break through Man City, Man Utd, or Chelsea this season. It was never going to happen. But they are still in close contention for a CL spot.
Do you honestly think that a guy who is a turnover machine is self aware enough to know that he can't complete a pass longer than 10 yards without giving the ball away?