Ideal strike partner for EJ

[flux82]

I think the ideal guy to pair up with GAM up front is a healthy Edson Buddle (is that an oxymoron?) Can you imagine the speed and athletic ability with those two guys as forwards. If Buddle can stay healthy and can impress early on in MLS, I don't see any reason why he can't get in at least a couple of WCQ camps. I would definitely like to see EJ and Buddle in at least one Gold Cup game.

Any other ideas?

[Palmetto Soccer]

I think the ideal guy to pair up with GAM up front is a healthy Edson Buddle (is that an oxymoron?) Can you imagine the speed and athletic ability with those two guys as forwards. If Buddle can stay healthy and can impress early on in MLS, I don't see any reason why he can't get in at least a couple of WCQ camps. I would definitely like to see EJ and Buddle in at least one Gold Cup game.

Any other ideas?

As I was watching the game last night, I was thinking the exact same thing. If I remember correctly, Buddle is not particularly fast, but he makes a great target forward. He's strong in the air. I've always thought he would be starting in 2006. I think it would be a great partnership. I'd put them on the field against England this summer.

[Jegao Paraiba]

This is the million dollar question and Bruce doesn't have the answer... yet.
Buddle does immediately leap to mind, but he would need to get some camp time sooner rather than later.

[javaj]

The ideal strike partner for EJ would be EJ.

EJ breaks the mold for previous US strikers. He's only 21 (happy birthday!), and he's probably the most complete forward the US has produced. He's probably the fastest forward we have, or at least as fast as a healthy Josh Wolff. He's as good a header as McBride. His foot skills are superior to any US forward before him, except for Jeff Cunningham. And that's a toss up. His size and frame resemble McBride, but he's so much more athletic, it's scary! (Can you imagine McBride attempting a bicycle kick?! He'd break every bone in his body.) He's unselfish at the right time as a forward. He knows when to pass, and when to pull the trigger. (pay attention LD!) He works hard to stay fit and isn't a headcase (see Clint Mathis).

Back to your original question. I like Edson Buddle, but he needs to stay healthy and become a consistent scorer in MLS before he sniffs out a USMNT camp. If Mathis can get fit and check his ego at the door, he's my vote for EJ's strike partner.

[USAClash]

I'd like to see Esky given a chance.

[Bob Morocco]

I'd like to see Esky given a chance.

I do think this could deserve a serious look by Bruce or maybe a 4-3-3.

[Beast_Ed]

I think Donovan up top with EJ and then put Dempsey and Mastro in a diamond Mid ..

------EJ --------
----------Donovan-----
LM------Dempsey-------RM
-------Mastro------------
-----defense du jour-------
-------Anygoaliewilldo------

[Wahoo]

I do think this could deserve a serious look by Bruce or maybe a 4-3-3.

I don't expect Bruce to switch to a 4-3-3

[Nutmeg]

Buddle would be my choice, but Bruce doesn't seem to rate him as highly for whatever reason. Another guy I think would be dangerous up top with GAM is Davy Arnaud, but like Buddle, he hasn't seem to hit the ArenaRadar screen yet.

So of the players in Bruce's immediate plans, the one guy I'd love to see get a run out with GAM is Taylor Twellman. For some reason, I think those two would compliment each other well.

[DaMa]

To me, EJ needs one of two types of partners. Either a small ball kind of player (i.e. someone who plays well with the ball at his feet and can work a quick passing game) which will draw defenders and open up for EJ to use his size and speed to his advantage in a quick passing game (a la Landon last night on EJ's goal and Ralston, though obviously not a forward at the time, on the receiving end of that nice EJ flick pass... great vision there) or a large target type forward who can do the hard work to win balls for EJ to run on to and make the smart runs to open up space to him. I think what he doesn't need is someone who is a direct north south type player who will dominate a lot of possession on the ball and be working mostly for his own shots as opposed to working for EJ. It seems to me Buddle is more of a direct forward and would make a better replacement for an injured EJ than a partner for EJ. Edson also has a good size and speed combo, but I see he and EJ more getting in each other's way than working off each other well. This isn't to say that it couldn't work, Id love to see it work... but I'd bet against it.

Oddly enough the best strike partner for EJ right now might be Landon. Ive long stated that Landon should ONLY be playing attacking midfielder... but at the same time, I think we saw last night just how effective ej is up front when he can not only use his size and speed but what appears to be his continuing to develop creativity and vision. Both goals were the result of quick thinking combination and vision and, while many of our forward in the past seem to have just been a second slow on picking up on those kinds of plays, EJ seems to thrive off them. Keeping a creative quick player like Landon up front with him will give him a constant partner for that instinct. It might also open up a natural spot for one Eddie Gaven.

[forza inter]

I think Donovan up top with EJ and then put Dempsey and Mastro in a diamond Mid ..

------EJ --------
----------Donovan-----
LM------Dempsey-------RM
-------Mastro------------
-----defense du jour-------
-------Anygoaliewilldo------

you could easily switch donovan and dempsey too, id like to see that too

forza inter

[Norsk Troll]

You mean, something like:

---------GAM---Landon----------
Beasley-----Gaven------------RW
-----------Mastroeni-------------
Boca-----Gibbs---Pope--------RB
-------------Howard-------------

I'd like to see that lineup in a game.

[jri]

Rossi!

[iawt]

I'd like to see Esky given a chance.

I think Esky deserves a shot as well. But ultimately I think it will be either Beasley or Donovan unless our midfield gets less crowded due to injuries, Bruce not forcing Renya into the lineup or Bruce abandoning his emphasis on crossing ability from the outside flanks. Then again, what if Adu unexpectedly lights up MLS this year, does he get a shot? The same goes for Mathis, whose passing and shooting skills may complement EJ quite well with some time togeather.

[FirstStar]

I this the ideal strike partner for GAM is completely dependent on the opponent.

Last night, GAM matched up fairly well with a less physical Guatamala back line. Thus, I think he showed how well he could play partnered with someone like LD up top-- two faster, creative-with-their-feet players. Still, I'd say that we should not underestimate the impact Brian Ching had on GAM's game last night.

Against a European team that will send out hulking beasts in their back line, I think GAM needs a bigger, target forward to play off. Ching or McHead come to mind. GAM isn't at his best (right now) when he's asked to put his back to the goal and fight off large CBs the way McBride can.

I vote for pairing GAM with a target forward, as that seems to have worked the most consistently for him. In the Gold Cup, though, I wouldn't mind seeing a few experiments with smaller partners to see if that yields eveen better results.

[DaMa]

You mean, something like:

---------GAM---Landon----------
Beasley-----Gaven------------RW
-----------Mastroeni-------------
Boca-----Gibbs---Pope--------RB
-------------Howard-------------

I'd like to see that lineup in a game.


Yup. Or you could move Gaven out right, DMB to the middle and put Lewis left.

[ur_land]

(Can you imagine McBride attempting a bicycle kick?! He'd break every bone in his body.)


Just for the record, McBride scored a goal for Everton off of a bicycle kick.

It was deflected by a defender into the goal, but it was a bicycle nonetheless.



As for GAM, I think he needs two things to be successful at this point. In the games so far, he's been a little hesitant to take players on, and often resorts to a square of back pass. So I think he needs someone effective to play the ball back to and a partner up front that he can combine with to use his speed to good effect. The withdrawn role is Donovan's, no question. He can take a pass back near the midfield or at teh top of the box and quickly do something useful with it. The other role......at this point I think McBride works well. He can pass with any part of his body which allows EJ to receive balls while moving quickly. Putting Beasley here in a 4-3-3 works too. In the future....maybe Adu? maybe buddle? maybe (to really open pandora's box) Convey? So maybe a great lineup in 2007 would look like:


......Beasley........GAM..........Convey.............
Lewis................LD...................Reyna/Ralston/?
.....................Mastro.....................................
Spector............Gooch..........Boac/Gibbs...........Dolo
................Hot-hand Keeper..................................

[Roel]

For the attack, I say we got with Landon and the Eddies:

.......EJohnson.....EBuddle
ELewis.......................EGavin
..................Landon
Etc.

[BelhavenKeeper]

......Beasley........GAM..........Convey.............
Lewis................LD...................Reyna/Ralston/?
.....................Mastro.....................................
Spector............Gooch..........Boac/Gibbs...........Dolo
................Hot-hand Keeper..................................

Thats a 4-4-3 I think.

By the way, why the hell would you ever put Convey as a forward?

[Bob Morocco]

I don't expect Bruce to switch to a 4-3-3

And you were all over the 4-5-1 in Mexico ;)