IF there's a resolution: lineup for T&T?

[uniteo]

Getting to the point where MLS players not training overseas won't be in the kind of shape they'll need to be in for a WCQ. And I don't really care about what scrubs might be trotted out if there is no settlement.

So if there's a settlement, who's in our Euro-heavy lineup?

Just spitballin' here, but I'll propose;

GK: T-Ho (I think Freidel's done w/Nats, and Keller ain't playin)

Defense: Dolo, Gibbs (thank you Feyenoord), Boca, Spector

Midfield: Beasely, Donovan, Lewis, Convey

Forward: Casey, McBride

Robbie Russell to right back, Dolo to wing, Beas knocks Convey to the bench?

I think BA would have to abandon the diamond shaped midfield for either a box or 4 across (Convey and Donovan more central) unless someone can conjure up a serviceable holding mid

Berhalter/Vanney could just as easily be the LB, but I foolishly like Spector

Don't start with JOB and Reyna...even if they're healthy they haven't played in months

Time to tempt Giusseppi Rossi?

[SoulflyTribeFC]

Since this whole lockout thing has gone on, my heart hasn't been in the USMNT mode. But I've got some renewed hope today that our beloved boys and fed won't be stupid enough to send scabs to play in Trinidad.

So my attempt at sparking my interest in the NT again starts here:

-------------Keller----------------

-----Dolo---Gibbs-----Pope---Boca--

------------Zavagnin---------------

-----Reyna----Donovan-----Beasley--

-------Johnson-------McBride---------



Subs: Cobi, Mastroeni, Lewis

[eplkewell]

Howard
Cherundololo-Pope-Gibbs-Boacanegra
Mastroeni-Reyna
Donovan-Beasley
McBride-Casey

Subs:
Keller
Johnson
Mathis
Jones
Armas
Zavagnin
Convey
Berhalter
Vanney
Spector
Hejduk

We start with a veteran line-up and have supersub Cobi Jones on the bench. I wouldn't be surprised to see Reyna sit this one out in favor of Armas or Zavagnin, though.

[rkeane15]

[QUOTE=uniteo]Getting to the point where MLS players not training overseas won't be in the kind of shape they'll need to be in for a WCQ. And I don't really care about what scrubs might be trotted out if there is no settlement.

So if there's a settlement, who's in our Euro-heavy lineup?

Just spitballin' here, but I'll propose;

GK: T-Ho (I think Freidel's done w/Nats, and Keller ain't playin)

Defense: Dolo, Gibbs (thank you Feyenoord), Boca, Spector

Midfield: Beasely, Donovan, Lewis, Convey

Forward: Casey, McBride

Robbie Russell to right back, Dolo to wing, Beas knocks Convey to the bench?
QUOTE]
Well, Keller hasn't been playin, but Howard really hasn't been playin either, thought that could change. anyway.
keller
dolo boca gibbs spector
KZ
dmb ld lewis
EJ Mchead
So, I doubt spector will start, but I would like to see him play in a game like this. KZ probly isnt in great shape, but he can get their, and he doesn't have to do a whole lot of running. I don't think pope is in form or shape. Gibbs has atleast played a little bit. Im crossing my fingers hoping we can play these guys and not scrubs.
Wasnt today (jan. 10) the deadline for the players to agree on arbitration? Sorry I can't keep up with all this stuff.

[DCFAN96]

Any Euro based player will probably be considered just because of the home based players layoff and the fact there is no camp.
GK: Howard (maybe to give him a confidence booster) or Keller
D: Gibbs (thanks to his stint at Fey), Boca, Dolo, Spector
M: Beasley, Donovan, Lewis, Convey (while he may not deserve it from his play, at least he is training daily and seeing some of the field, which is more then we can say for the home based players)
F: McBride, Casey

Because theres no camp I doubt we'll see any new faces in the starting lineup or even on the subs bench, so the likes of Gaven, Dempsey, and Alecko will unfortunately have to wait for the next go around. More experienced players like Pope, Mastro could fit right in since they know what to expect, and while GAM hasn't played in a while he still has his hot streak going so you got to add him on too. What I'd like to see

-----------------Howard------
Dolo---Pope(Gibbs)--Boca---Convey(Spector)
-----------Mastro--Lewis
--------LD---------------DMB
----------BMB(Casey)-----EJ

With Gibbs, Spector and Casey coming on as subs.

[braun]

[QUOTE=uniteo]Getting to the point where MLS players not training overseas won't be in the kind of shape they'll need to be in for a WCQ. And I don't really care about what scrubs might be trotted out if there is no settlement.

So if there's a settlement, who's in our Euro-heavy lineup?

Just spitballin' here, but I'll propose;

GK: T-Ho (I think Freidel's done w/Nats, and Keller ain't playin)

Defense: Dolo, Gibbs (thank you Feyenoord), Boca, Spector

Midfield: Beasely, Donovan, Lewis, Convey

Forward: Casey, McBride

Robbie Russell to right back, Dolo to wing, Beas knocks Convey to the bench?
QUOTE]
Well, Keller hasn't been playin, but Howard really hasn't been playin either, thought that could change. anyway.
keller
dolo boca gibbs spector
KZ
dmb ld lewis
EJ Mchead
So, I doubt spector will start, but I would like to see him play in a game like this. KZ probly isnt in great shape, but he can get their, and he doesn't have to do a whole lot of running. I don't think pope is in form or shape. Gibbs has atleast played a little bit. Im crossing my fingers hoping we can play these guys and not scrubs.
Wasnt today (jan. 10) the deadline for the players to agree on arbitration? Sorry I can't keep up with all this stuff.

Frank Dell'Appa in the Boston Globe today confirmed that the two parties are in mediation after the USSF proposal (?) was rejected in arbitration (?), by the players' union. I question, based on what I have read on these boards, whether it was the arbitration that was rejected? Arbitration was to have determined which of the two proposals would be accepted?

Lewis plays the same position as Beasley. Although Beasley has been tried on the right by Arena, it has not worked out so well. Lewis has played left back but not to my knowledge as a left DM. Either Armas, Zavagnin, Mastroeni, or Sanneh would start there. So, I don't expect Lewis and Beasley to both start.

[WC2010Champs!]

i think we may be placing too much emphasis on the euro players being "in shape." The players playing in Germany are not "match" fit right now, just as our mls players are not "match fit." Germany is on their winter break right now and has been for quit awhile and while they may be practicing, the mls players are practicing as well. With that said, whether we bring in 'dolo, beerholder, casey, or go with albright, pope, or gam, the wind should be the same for all 6 players (more or less)

[WC2010Champs!]

i think we may be placing too much emphasis on the euro players being "in shape." The players playing in Germany are not "match" fit right now, just as our mls players are not "match fit." Germany is on their winter break right now and has been for quit awhile and while they may be practicing, the mls players are practicing as well. With that said, whether we bring in 'dolo, beerholder, casey, or go with albright, pope, or gam, the wind should be the same for all 6 players (more or less). The english players are the ones that have been playing -
so we bring in howard (unless he is playing with the first team, in which case we go with keller),
in the back we have albright boca, gibbs, spector
midfield we have beasley ________, donovan, lewis
up top we have gam, bmb

or we could do a 3-5-2 which against a team we should sacrifice like tnt it would be fun to watch us score some goals

[Nimbus2000]

Are we playing to win or to simply not allow T&T to score and see what happens on the other end?

[Adam Zebrowski]

keller
cherundolo gibbs onyewu bocanegra
mastroeni lewis
gaven beasley
mcbride and donovan...

gaven will be just off u-20 so will have some sharpness, and I'm slotting donovan in a withdrawn forward role...

[FC Tallavana]

Are we playing to win or to simply not allow T&T to score and see what happens on the other end?

Good point and it would produce two very different line-ups.

[ZiggyGalaxy]

keller
cherundolo gibbs onyewu bocanegra
mastroeni lewis
gaven beasley
mcbride and donovan...

gaven will be just off u-20 so will have some sharpness, and I'm slotting donovan in a withdrawn forward role...

I don't see Gaven starting here. BA's chance to experiment w/ youth was ruined by this whole labor issue. If anything, he's a second half sub. Furthermore, I don't see the Bruce playing very attacking. He'll probably just be looking to hold T&T at bay. Whatever...let's just hope this whole ordeal gets worked out so we can have a lineup like this...

[Davids26]

--------Keller
Dolo-Gibbs-Pope-Boca
----Reyna---Zavagnin
-Donovan----Beasley
---McBride---Johnson

[twenty]

---------------------Keller

-------------Pope-----------Boca
Cherundolo--------------------------Spector

-------------------Mastroeni
Beasley------------------------------Lewis
------------------- Donovan

---------------McBride---Johnson

I like this lineup. Hopefully Spector will be loaned out before the end of the month and will have some Prem games under his belt. I think he's better than Vanney now, though regardless. Sucks that we couldn't have a camp in Jan. Bruce probably would have given some guys a shot at right wing and Dempsey would have gotten a shot at DM (or even RW). With no camp, the Bease/Lewis wing tandem is probably his best bet. Lewis has supposedly been playing well anyway, so it would be nice to reward him, I guess.

Keller is better than Howard. I know I've got 3 MLS guys in there. Eddie J, because he's a no-brainer, non-benchable player. Mastro (or Zavag if you want) because we don't really have any healthy dmids in Europe. Pope is the only question mark I guess, but he's reliable for the nats.

[voros]

Getting to the point where MLS players not training overseas won't be in the kind of shape they'll need to be in for a WCQ.
There is Gaven though who has been training with the U20s and will have had a few U20 qualifiers under his belt.

And Cory Gibbs whose been trialing with Feyenoord.

How about something like this:

---------Casey-----McBride----------
-------------Donovan----------------
Beasley-------Reyna------------Gaven
Gibbs--Bocanegra--Onyewu--Cherundolo
-------------Howard-----------------

Subs: Keller, Lewis, Spector, Vanney, Dempsey, Johnson, Convey

[Mr Martin]

--------Keller
Dolo-Gibbs-Pope-Boca
----Reyna---Zavagnin
-Donovan----Beasley
---McBride---Johnson

If Reyna is healthy by then, this lineup looks very logical. If Reyna isn't ready to play, put Mastroeni in for him.

Things we can be pretty sure about:

* It is going to be a 4-4-2 playing on the road.
* Boca, Donovan, Beasley, and McBride will be starting. The other spots all depend on form, health and each individual's club situations.
* Arena has favored experienced lineups on the road early in qualification rounds, particularly if there is any lack of training time. When in doubt, expect veterans to start.

Interesting questions:

* If Keller transfers to the Bundesliga as is currently rumored, will he still be called in? If Keller is battling for a starting spot with a new club, I bet Arena backs off and gives him time with that club. Look for Howard or the return of Friedel.
* Which two of these three strikers comes along for the ride: Casey, Ching, Wolff?
* How will the center defense work out? Pope has been seemingly off form and doesn't seem to be the vocal organizer Arena wants. Gibbs and Oneywu don't seem ready to fill that role either. Will Berhalter be back in there? Does Boca move back into the middle (seems less likely given that left back options behind Boca are more unsettled than the center back options)?
* Will any of the "non-Johnson" younger guys see playing time: Gavin, Oneywu, Spector? In the opener of the Hex, on the road, I'd be shocked to see any of these three starting. But who comes along? Who plays as a sub? Spector seems least likely, given his tiny Nat exposure so far and his loan situation in England. This isn't the game to give Spector an additional trial. Late in the Hex, if qualification is secure, seems like a certainty.
* Will Cherundolo be back after his fine fall in the Bundesliga? Or will we see Hejduk again at right back?

[uniteo]

I see Pope in a lot of lineups. But assuming he's not in game shape, and it's Eddie Pope, aren't you basically asking for a leg injury if you throw him out there?

[drace768]

Frank Dell'Appa in the Boston Globe today confirmed that the two parties are in mediation after the USSF proposal (?) was rejected in arbitration (?), by the players' union. I question, based on what I have read on these boards, whether it was the arbitration that was rejected? Arbitration was to have determined which of the two proposals would be accepted?
Do you have a link for this? Is this an indication that the USSF has accepted the PA's counter to go to mediation and let them play the T&T match!

[Adam Zebrowski]

My suspicion is arena goes with guys from europe...

a january camp, with two friendlies would have offered arena the chance to give the mls guys some playing time...

Pope who's been sitting for a couple months versus onyewu, who's been playing looks easy to me...go with onyewu....

I'd like to see cherundolo gibbs onyewu bocanegra backline....

zavagnen and mastroeni are guys I'd like to be match-fit, but we are gambling a bit with their ability to go 90 in the trinidad afternoon weather...

i'd start mastro and lewis with gaven and beasley, then has KZ come off the bench for mastro at about 60-70 minute mark...assuming usa has done the job offensively, then KZ offers a nice defensive presence....

I'd have donovan and mcbride up top to start....

2nd half johnson comes on for gaven and donovan drops back into midfield...

mcbride won't be able to go 90, so the question is whether wolff or casey or ching would get the call...

I'd like johnson and wolff up top, with the usa having a lead, and t&t pushing a bit, and getting hitm on the counter by wolff, johnson, beasley and donovan...