US vs Costa Rica @ Denver Friday 3/22 10 PM EDT (8 MDT)

Well, 55 minutes into the Barbados match, we were out. Yes, we got a barrage of goals late, but an hour in, I was surely wishing we'd won that Costa Rica match. And Trinidad beating Hondruas was a huge help as well. So the idea that CR didn't matter, I'm not so sure.

 

Gatt to me is nothing more then late game sub, he still needs to mature tactically. However LD and Shea (in form) could be what we are missing, but does that mean we still have a JJ, MB and D-mid flavor of the week middle?

I am at point of thinking we need to bench JJ (I couldn't trust him at D-mid) for a pure offensive piece, maybe Dempsey at withdrawn Forward.

 

Until you have qualification in the bag...all the home games are must win. This one is no different. Absolutely must win.

 

I'd say this is must win since there is little chance of making up point on the road.

 

Fair point.

It can also be said that no team has qualification in the bag. So the US really only needs to "do better" than 3 or so of the other teams in the Hex. (And the next game is not at all "Absolutely must win.")

Although, dropping "the 1 point" in Honduras and any additionally dropped points on 3/22 vs CRC would certainly not be a good start to the Hex. (Do note that both MEX and PAN have each already "dropped 2 points" at home to start the Hex. Regardless, there's a long way to go in 2013, and there's nothing "absolutely vital" about the singular result for the USA vs CRC.)

This early in the Hex, there's always a chance to recover, given the availability of later games.

(Of course the debate can be had as to how "little" those chances are and the (non-)likelihood of picking up certain points from certain games. But the chances will still exist in June, Sept and hopefully Oct.)

 

Look, Gatt and Mix are not the answer - they won't make a difference.

But Feilhaber, Shea and Beasley could be. (And, of course, Donovan.)

The roster will be pretty much the same - but hopefully the line-up and formation will be different. Corona and Torres are on the bubble for this one - could use their experience in Mexico.

G: Howard, Guzan
CB: Boca, Cameron, Besler, Whitbread
FB: Johnson, Chandler, Dolo, Castillo
CM: Bradley, Jones, Feilhaber, Edu
Wingers: Dempsey, Shea, Beasley, Zusi
F: Altidore, Gomez, Johnson, Agudelo

 

Over the course of his career, he's played in more humid climates is my point basically. You could tell all of the Germans have never seen anything like that climate wise.

 

I think the roster is:

GK: Tim Howard, Brad Guzan, Sean Johnson

DF: Timmy Chandler, Steve Cherundolo, Geoff Cameron, Omar Gonzalez, Carlos Bocanegra, Matt Besler, Fabian Johnson, Edgar Castillo

MF: Jermaine Jones, Maurice Edu, Michael Bradley, Sacha Kljestan, Landon Donovan, Brek Shea, Josh Gatt, Clint Dempsey

FW: Jozy Altidore, Herculez Gomez, Terrence Boyd, Juan Agudelo

On the fringe: Michael Parkhurst, Brad Evans, Clarence Goodson, Eric Lichaj, Kyle Beckerman, Danny Williams, Mix Diskerud, Graham Zusi, Eddie Johnson

A few changes. I think Landon will be back with the Galaxy soon, and be fit enough to play against Costa Rica and Mexico. I think Cherundolo is back in the lineup, even after his surgery. He still has more than enough time to get healthy. I think Danny Williams is off the roster for now. I think Eddie Johnson is off the roster for now as well. I think JK realizes that wingers are needed, thus the prediction of Gatt and Shea making the roster. Nothing too major though with changes.

 

Given how badly Chandler did, and that Cherundolo won't be ready for the March qualifiers, we need to consider moving Cameron to right-back and finding two new CB's. It's just too logical for Klinsi.

 

lets see how this team is when all players are in their seasons, unlike right now.

we will win against CR at home.

 

For anyone who hasn't seen it yet.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/s....-captain-cherundolo-has-knee-surgery?cc=5901

 

Panama - Costa Rica highlights

 

This is what I'd consider assuming Landon comes back and Shea breaks in at Stoke.

I'd sit Jones and consider using him as a sub if needed. Chandler I doubt duplicates the form we say a couple days ago.

I pair Clint and Jozy up top with Clint underneath. Need to stop leaving Jozy on an island and Clint isn't contributing much when playing farther from goal.

I'd pair Boca and Omar, hoping Boca can help settle him down, and instead of Williams or Beckerman at Dmid, I'd put Cameron there, where not only is he quick enough to help cover for Boca's lack of pace, but he's a better distributor of the ball than Williams or Beckerman and would help our mid field not only retain possession but move the ball into attack quicker.

Yeah it's not likely, and things would need to fall into place, Landon ending his vacation and Shea being healthy and and least making a couple sub appearances and being fit enough, but I'd like it, and Cameron not playing CB with Stoke factors into this as well.



Bench:

EJ
Besler
Jones
Edu
Gatt
Kljestan
Guzan

*might bring in Benny over Edu or Kljestan but not sure.


Now, if Landon continues his holiday, this is what I do.

 

Or play Parkhurst there since he players there already and isn't that bad. Then we only have one problem at CB and not 2.

 

Joe Corona is getting called-up for this.

Klinsy really likes him and he said that he is definitely coming back.

 

Less German Americans(i.e. Chandler, Williams, JJ), and more Latino Americans (i.e. Corona, Torres, Bedoya).

 

And more MLSers.

 

Viva Las Americas!

 

Did you mean Lord of the Flies?

 

I wish Jurgen would call John Anthony Brooks for CR & Mex just to assess him and give him confidence & experience going into the U20 WC but it's unlikely he calls 5 CB's unless Cameron is moved, Boca is ousted, or Besler is ousted (extremely unlikely) to make it 4..
I dont want to lose him to Germany when he may be the answer to our centerback problem for the next decade..

 

Hmmm Give me 3 out of these guys: Shea, Donovan, Pontius, Gatt, Agudelo, or Corona for the CR job and we are good. We really need guys who can push the issue and be creative. JK also needs to end this fetish with playing 3 defensive minded mids in the starting XI

 

well the majority of our players are already in season. the only ones who weren't were: Johnson, Gonzalez, and Zusi. and Gonzalez was still better than our "in-season" CB's (Onyewu and Ream).

 

Must win? I think so, and reason being that Mexico is just a few days later. They have a tough task at Honduras.

No more 4-3-3, play 2 strikers at home. Bring in Shea, Gatt, start Boca at CB. I want to see urgency, and I want to see fire. Such a pathetic midfield performance yesterday. Who wants to play for the team and the shirt? Step the ******** up.

 

#FreeDaMarcusBeasley

 

No, nothing too major, other than that you just kicked two starters from the last match off the roster.