I totally disagree with bringing anyone vital to '14 Most of these posts advocating bringing Donovan/Demsey are premised on 1) how easy the narrative would be for NBC to bring in the casual fan or 2) placating the player who wants to go. Well, I don't care about the casual fan, and sometimes you can't get what you want. Managent needs to keep their eye on the prize and we are one ACL away from a qualifying crisis Donovan/Dempsey are no longer youngsters A serious injury could be a career killer. If I'm JK I politely and firmly say no ! Cameron, Ream, if they are released, fine. The experience outweighs other risks A solid midfield pro like Sasha K or Holden ( to get back into form ) totally makes sense.
I have a general disbelief in playing or not playing due to fearing injury. Every step a soccer player takes is a risk to damage his legs irrevocably, and honestly there's nothing you can do to prevent it. These guys are going to be playing competitive soccer one way or another for most of the year. Besides, someone who shines at the Olympics just MAY become vital to 2014. Cameron and Ream would be at the top of my list. I would pick one of those - whoever is in better form. Onyewu would be nice because it would be a chance to see him in a competitive match for the USMNT, but I'm assuming that he will not be able to get released. Not sure how the Rangers situation affects Boca, but he would be a great asset as a leader and organizer. So, at the moment: Boca and Ream/Cameron, leaving a space for one last overage player.
Other potential candidates that would be interesting for multiple reasons: Kljestan, Fabian Johnson, Beckerman, JF Torres, Whitbread, Lichaj, Edgar Castillo, Zach Lloyd, George John, Kevin Hartman, Stuart Holden, etc. Kljestan and Fabian Johnson would be interesting. They are both relatively versatile and are worlds better as creative forces in the midfield than anything else in the olypic pool. Kljestan has a lot of USMNT experience and experience making the jump to Europe...he'd be a good leadership candidate. Beckerman could be invaluable as a calming influence to mitigate the transition from midfield to defense. He has been surprisingly fantastic in Klinsmann's 4-3-3.
Gonzalez won't be healthy in time. We don't need attackers or goalkeepers. Nor should we bring our aging players anyways to add more miles on them. What we need are CB's. I say bring at least 2 CB's and the third could be a fullback, a defensive mid, or hell, a third CB. Right now my choices are: Zak Whitbread, Tim Ream, and Eric Lichaj. If i had to go the MLS route, they'd be: Geoff Cameron, George John, and Zach Loyd My 18 GK Johnson, Hamid alt-Perk, MacMath DEF Ream*, Whitbread*, Lichaj*, Morales, Chandler, Valentin, Kitchen FB alternates-S. Williams, Garza, Villafana, Sarkodie, Wallace, Cunningham CB alternates-White, Wenger, Opara, Agbossoumonde, Brooks, Meyer, Fennell ****Henley and Potts would go automatically if they choose over Kitchen and Valentin. MID D. Williams, Okugo, Mix, Shea, Gatt, Gyau MF alt-Jeffrey, Arguez, Balchan, Stephens, Gavin AT alt-Adu, Cruz, Lletget, Rowe, Acuna, Gil, Duka, Corona, Taylor FWD Agudelo, Boyd, Altidore alt-Wooten, Bunbury, Bruin, Brettschneider, Kiesewetter, George, Salgado, Doyle, Wood, McInerney Starting XI -------------Altidore--Agudelo---------------- Shea---------------Mix-------------------Gatt ------------------Williams-------------------- Lichaj-----------------------------------Chandler -------------Ream-------Whitbread----------- -------------------Hamid--------------------- Bench: Johnson, Kitchen, Valentin, Morales, Okugo, Gyau, Boyd Now that's a solid line-up that could perform well in the Olympics. More, it wouldn't add strain to our key players (Donovan, Dempsey, Howard) that will be required for every single important fixture.
Sucks for him, not that I care. Sounds like LD wants to go to Europe fulltime as soon as next winter anyway. Sounds like Becks might not be there either during the Olympics. Boo hoo. I want LD in London, and he deserves it after all he's done for soccer in the US. Tough to say the face of American soccer shouldn't go to London if he wants to.
Assuming we qualify (and that's always a big if in these Russian Roulette-Mickey Mouse CONCACAF qualifying tournaments), I'd take John as a CB. Useful to captie him to the US and give him a serious audition for the Senior team. Holden in the middle if he's fully back to playing shape. He's targeting an April return to Bolton, so he'd be in good shape and would have something to prove for the US in London. He'd provide both shape and intensity in the CM position for us. Dempsey or Donovan up top. Probably Landon because he's more the creator and that's the position that takes longer to develop. Also he'd give the youngsters a good dose of professionalism and intensity. No overage keepers this time- more important needs in these other positions.
Holden might be the one exception i have given his long lay-off. However, i still find it imperative for our team to fortify our defense first. Still, NO to Donovan, Dempsey, and Howard.
Not to sound ignorant, but do you really think we would have trouble getting to the next stage of qualifying without Donovan or Dempsey or Howard or all three? We could bring our U-20 team and still qualify for the next round.
If I'm wrong, I'm sorry, but I don't think the Olympics would captie John anyways right? Wouldn't it have to be a sanction FIFA competition? Anyways, I think John would be a decent choice, but he needs playing time right now. If we didn't have LD or Deuce, I could go for Holden, but I pray to God that Kljestan isn'at an overage option.
I don't think any of our senior team members that play for large teams abroad are going to go. I just don't see their clubs releasing them. That means no Howard, Dempsey, Gooch, Jones, etc. Hell, it may mean no Chandler, Johnson or Williams. Beckham is going apparently per his contract, and I just don't see LA releasing LD as well on the heels of Keane being gone in Europe. You can say it doesn't matter what Bruce thinks all you want, but the club does have a say here. And they are competing in a long season. Plus, LD is going to be gone for chunks of qualifying. Look, I don't want to deny him either, but I can see the club having a long talk with him, and he's not one to rock the boat on these matters unless he really wants to go. If he does, more power to him, hope he wins that argument, he deserves it. I want the U23s to succeed as well and can't wait to watch them in the Olympics, but we need to be realistic about the player choices. I see the overage players being borderline in age: Cameron at CB is a great choice as an example. I could also see a veteran forward - someone like Wondo, as much as I think he's kind of "meh" I could see him being chosen. Or maybe Sapong, not a veteran, but short by a few days, could benefit from the experience. Benny Feilhaber could be an interesting choice in midfield. I want our young GKs to be blooded, no overage player there.
The Olympics is a FIFA date for U23 players. Chandler and Williams are required to be released by their clubs.
Berks, good point about LA losing Beckham per his contract. No way they also release Donovan for the Olympics, when they know they must release Donovan for the Qualifiers. Arena has every right, and very sane reasons, to say no.
You might be right. But the risk of being wrong would be a disaster. You must play your best players in Qualifiers until passage to the next round is certain. You don't gamble with the most important international tournament. You don't underestimate anyone. The US could easily lose both road games at Jamaica and at Guatemala. In a 6-game round-robbin that could be trouble. We could easily find ourselves in a 3-way tie with those nations after 6 games are complete, and then goal differential will break the tie. Indeed, we only need to look back to Mexico's near-disaster in Qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup. In the round prior to the Hexagonal, Mexico survived by the skin of their teeth due to goal differential over Jamaica. That's the danger of these small group round-robbin events. So, scoring maximum goals and not taking the foot off the gas is important. Even against Antigua.
LA Galaxy actually has no right. Technically they have rights to allow or not allow Donovan to participate in the Olympics, but they are in a bind with Donovan's potential transfer to Everton. If they want him to possibly stay past this season, they should let him have his request to play in the Olympics. LA Galaxy might hold the cards when or if Donovan plays for the USA this year, but after this MLS season, he holds the cards. He could easily go back to Europe. The only reason he is still with the Galaxy is because they are unwilling to give him up. He has said that he would like to transfer to Everton permanently. I am pretty sure that his contract with LA Galaxy is up after the season, so he will be able to transfer to Everton.
Chandler was "required" to be released for the Gold Cup. And look what happened. Let's live in a world of reality. For the Olympics, clubs will have a say. LA Galaxy has tons of right. They are Landon's employing club paying his salary. It's not written in LD's contract I believe - so he has no negotiation power here contractually. Whether or not they want to keep him happy and he wants to push it - that's up to him. But historically he has been incredibly loyal to his clubs - including LA and Everton. I am a fan of both LA and Everton, so it's a win win for me wherever he goes, but to ignore LA's/AEG's/MLS's say in this matter is incorrect. I could see Bruce telling Landon that they need him to stay in the event of a) Beckham leaving for the Olympics and b) injuries. If they ask him nicely, I don't see him going. If he pushes, then things could get interesting. Remember, Landon WILL be missing time this year for qualifying. That + the Olympics? Pushing it for a club that wants to build a dynasty.
This. Build the goal difference against Antigua under the just in case scenario. I don't care if we win 18-0, just win, and put some tallies on the board.
What say exactly do they have? All they can do is lie and say he's injured. Except this time, they'll be in the middle of the Bundesliga season and Chandler will have to miss Bundesliga games to fortify the lie. Clubs just don't have a say. This is no different than a senior call-up for a friendly or a qualifier. If Chandler turns it down that's one thing, but the clubs here have absolutely no say.
Since when has Klinsmann ever played a 4-3-3? He plays a 4-5-1 and tells ESPN its a 4-3-3. Anyone who watches the games knows that we run a 5 man midfield under Klinsi. Also, since when is Klinsmann the head coach of the Olympic team? We'll take 6 points off of Antigua. But winning in Guatemala or Jamaica is no easy task. Anyone who has followed CONCACAF qualifying at all knows and understands this. We've never walked into Guatemala or "The Office" and strolled away with an easy 3 points. Typically, we're lucky to get a draw. And based on the way we've played against B CONCACAF sides like Costa Rica and Honduras at home under Klinsmann, there's no guarantee that we'll get the full 3 points at home against both of those teams either. Anyone who thinks the first qualifying round will be a walk in the park are the same people who will be on here shocked and appalled that we didn't win by 4 goals while playing the training staff in the second half down in Guatemala. As anemic as our offense has been under Klinsmann (Slovenia not withstanding) I'm more shocked that there is anyone who still actually thinks that we aren't going to struggle in the first round of qualifying.
In my opinion, and firm belief, Chandler should stay with the senior team for qualifiers. I only want fringe players going. Like we said lets field our strongest possible team and run the score up against our first few teams in qualifiers. The World Cup is much more important than the Olympics. Don't send regular starters for the senior side.
Well, i would go with Ream, Cameron, and Donovan Or if Williams can play CB - Jones, Cameron, Donovan But i don't think any Euro teams will release players so we are looking at MLS here. Donovan, Cameron and Demerit.
That's absolutely what they did the first time. I wouldn't call it a lie, but they pressured Chandler into sticking around and invented some injuries he had to recover from. Clubs may not have a "say" in front of the scenes, but behind the scenes they can make life extremely difficult for the player that chooses to go. If you read between the lines, that's exactly what happened to Chandler, and AZ also put up a stink about Jozy. Go back and read the press during the Gold Cup - a competition that would have cap tied Chandler. There were a ton of comments written about this by analysts that said that although technically clubs don't have a say, they in reality do.
I'd like to see us take JJones, Donovan, Dempsey Everybody else pass the ball to one of these three guys as quickly as possible (Altidore & Adu up top)