Three words: Whitbread, Whitbread, Whitbread. His team, Leicester City, is second in the Championship, and has a good chance to be promoted back to the Premier League next year. If Zak can get a starting spot for them, we need to start integrating him into the squad. He could be our only CB defender in the premier league next year. (Depending where Edu and Cameron get playing time over the next year.)
Agreed. Don't waste a spot on Chandler until it's a cap-tying opportunity. I say bring him in for the Gold Cup next summer as punishment for skipping the last one, if he wants to come back to us.
whoa cowboy. There is six months to go. Championship can change is a hurry. And historically speaking, so does whitbread's health status.
russia is coache by capello and he';;ll be looking at some 2nd tier guys too kransno whatever is a 2018 venue?? use amnericans who are close to breaking in, not guys a lomg way away whitbread...that;s a joke.. omar is way closer....even a ream.. test edu, the russians are a test
I'm hoping Chandler will show a renewed commitment to the team starting with this match with Russia. He's arguably the best RB in the pool...I think JK has to make room for him if Chandler makes clear that he is ready to commit to the team.
What the hells the point then? if hes not going to show up when we need hin for qualifiers lets not waste a spot on the roster for him put someone who will actually want to play for us when the hex rolls around, honestly some of you people need to get over him
It is amazing what "facts" one can learn on the internet (especially about something still 20 months away). (Or did you actually mean "except" and not "accept"?)
Are you serious? Timmy Chandler's been playing like absolute sh*t in the Bundesliga this season. The guy's good, but worse than Dolo right now. And Parkhurst is starting for a team that's in the CL group stages, and while his team is looking outmatched, he certainly hasn't been. He also gets forward just as much as Chandler. I'm not going to pretend to know who's better, but both are competent players who are nothing special. Definitely the dropoff isnt enough to result in being the difference between winning a round of sixteen game we haven't gotten to yet against an undecided opponent.
With Cherundolo, with Lichaj, with Parkhurst, and with Cameron as a right back at Stoke, there is absolutely zero reason for Klinsmann to waste his time on some loser that has been waffling for the last 2 years over playing for the US.
I believe that your belief is wrong. The quarterfinals BEGIN on the weekend of November 3rd, and the 2nd leg is midweek November 7 and 8. So any team eliminated in the quarterfinals has 6 or 7 days before the Russia friendly. Only 4 teams will be affected. So we will be able to call the eliminated players.
Why??? Now is the time to bring in young players. This is what everyone on BS has been calling for. It would be nice to win, but not essential. It is essential, however, to start vetting new, younger players in order to fit them into the squad come 2014. Just think of all the injuries and illnesses that we have had to our main guy. We desperately need new blood. Maybe several veterens in Euro leagues, but please JK start playing alternative players. I doube LD and EJ will even be available.
So there's no reason except that he's 11 years younger than Dolo and arguably better despite not being in great form at the moment; he's a starter unlike Lichaj and a better player than him; he's 6 years younger than Parkhurst, plays regularly in a much better league, and is a better player than him; and he's an actual RB unlike Cameron who is filling in there due to injury and who is needed at CB with the national team. So he would likely be an upgrade over each of those players, but there is absolutely no reason to call him in?
What I'd like to see: GK - Howard, Guzan, Rimando (3) CB - Cameron, Gonzalez, Whitbread, Bocanegra (7)LB/RB - F. Johnson, Cherundolo, Castillo, Lichaj (11) MF - Bradley, Williams, Zusi, Donovan, Jones, Shea, Gatt, Corona (19) FW - Dempsey, E. Johnson, Altidore, Gomez (23)
This year, I don't think it's safe to say that Chandler is better than any of the 4 players I mentioned. If we were Canada, we could use a waffling mercenary like Chandler. But we're not.
You're right, my bad. I thought I read that they end that weekend, but it is the first leg of the semis.
FACE IT. WE ARE DEAD IN THE 2010 WORLD CUP. WE WON'T GET OUT OF THE GROUP WITHOUT CHARLIE DAVIES. Jesus, you make it seem like the guy is Jimmy Chitwood.
2 years from now, who knows who will be playing well my crysral ball only goe thru the hex and i ake mexico to win, as they have too many top end players not to win usa i have 2nd, as depth is better than anyone except mexico and over 10 matches we shall survive easy to pick 6, as jamaica has no easy games, and athelticism wont get you past the qulaity of the hex next pick, panama for 5th, as i thing they are the most offensively challenge team in the hex trust their defense, but will get too many draws.. 3rd honduras ober costa rica, but costa rica will beat new zealnd usa is way too good for panama and jamaica people will complain, but they don't see the weaknesses of the rest...
-I'd much, much rather use the only full international date we have prior to the Hex to get some more lineup continuity than to use it as a way to blood new players. We can use Camp Strudel, the Junior Gold Cup, and whatever odd random friendlies to integrate some of those guys into the program. With as bad as we looked throughout most of this round of qualifying, we need that time to gel. -Timothy Chandler is not the difference between getting knocked out in the group stage and the quarterfinals. He doesn't exist as far as the USMNT is concerned, and rightly so.
Good point, but when would be the right time...in 2014? I am not suggesting we flood the team with young players, but if we do not start integrating some of them now, it may be too late at the end of next year. Also, I do not think that the team that played the other night, as good as they looked, would look quite so good against WC teams. And why is that? Could be because there were a few injuries, which changes the entire makeup of the team and we still have not figured out our back line sufficiently. This happens every time, we look good against CONCACAF and then we have to play better teams and we do not quite so good. It lulls us into thinking we can really compete, which in turn, makes us feel that we have the best team possible, without looking beyond the old standbys...nothing against any of these players. By the way, are all away games to be shown on that crappy BEin or just WCQs?
The only young players that need to be integrated now are the ones with realistic chances of being on the roster in 2014. Also, in most cases, there will be relatively little between the old standbys and what would be the new ones. That's when you have an important question to ask yourself. Is improving chemistry between the old standbys and the current best 11 more important than getting the young players integrated?
Definitely don't call in: Howard, Cherundolo, Boca, Goodson, Donovan and Onyewu for various age, injury and overuse issues. Let them be. I'd like the following: --------------------Altidore------------------- -------------------Dempsey------------------- Pontius----------------------------------Zusi -------------------Bradley-------------------- ------------------Williams------------------- Johnson--------------------------Chandler* -----------Cameron--Gonzo*--------------- -----------------Guzan----------------------- * Cameron, Johnson, Williams, Bradley, and Dempsey to provide a core backbone. You MUST have some regulars if the tests are going to mean anything. * Zusi to test how real his solid performances recently are. Pontius and Gonzo as top MLS players in roles where the US has serious talent/depth issues. Obviously, if Gonzo can't play due to MLS playoffs, you need an alternate; I'd then start Edu to see if the Mexico performance can be built apon. * Altidore because the kid is in great form, and I'd like to see him deployed with a lineup that doesn't have 4 DMs. The JK-Altidore spat has to end. * Chandler!!! Firstly, since this game won't cap tie him, the odds are improved that he would attend . Secondly, Cherundolo isn't getting any younger. And if Chandler doesn't attend, then start Lichaj, which is overdue. * Guzan for a well-deserved start and a long overdue break for Howard. Bench: Some out-of-playoffs MLS keeper = Kennedy, Gruenebaum, or Pickens. Lichaj, Parkhurst, Edu, John, Jones, Kljestan, Shea, Gatt, EJ, Gomez, Boyd. Alternates in case of dropouts: Castillo, Besler, Spector, Corona, Bedoya, Diskerud, Wondo, Adu!, Sapong.
To me this is the ideal time to start to identify the core for'14 and build around it. Who is going to likely play compared to who is likely to just get us there. We start with Bradley and build from there out. Donovan, Dempsey and Howard, set. What pieces are likely to help us in qualifying but might not make it to Brazil? Boca, Dolo? This is a freebie game so I like bringing some new guys but only to see how they mesh with the core.