Stock Watch: Post Guatemala (R)

[FC Tallavana]

Since we are at the point where the only reason we're playing is to find out who fills out the roster, I think a stock watch might be fun.

Simple rules. List one fringe player from tonight that you're buying, one you're selling, and one that you're gonna hold onto for at least another game. While there is obviously more than one player to be found in each category, only list who you think is the most obvious.

Mine:

Buy - Hahnneman -- His distribution was terrible at times but he makes some great saves.

Sell - Vanney -- He is getting slower by the day. The mulleted one just smiled in his sleep.

Hold - Convey -- Were we not so deep at left mid he'd probably be a buy. As it is, I'm gonna need to see more out of him.

[Via_Chicago]

Buy - Chris Albright -- I never thought I'd say it but I thought Chris played a decent game defensively, was rarely caught out of position, and that cross that Twellman should've finished was sure a beauty. I'd still like to see more of him, but with few players standing out tonight, I thought Albright did all right for himself.

Sell - Greg Vanney -- I wanted to mix things up a bit from your list, but I have to agree. My groan when I saw him out there tonight was justified. He was beaten several times, was caught out of position on a few occasions, and did nothing to warrant another call-up as a left-back.

Hold - Taylor Twellman -- He didn't finish the chances he needed to tonight, but with the United States' relative dearth of quality forwards, Arena can't afford to just forget about Twellman after one mediocre performance.

[dark knight]

Buy - Convey. Versatility will get him a spot. Can play wide, centrally or backline.

Sell - Twellman. Just seems to be that weird player who plays better for club than country.

Hold - Clint. He looked like crap tonight but he's a player like Clint Sr. (Mathis) who is unconventional and occasionally brilliant. Guy can score and has attacking skillz. But obviously jury is out and may not be back in time. Doesn't seem like an Arena kind of player.

[PirateJohn]

Hold - Taylor Twellman -- He didn't finish the chances he needed to tonight, but with the United States' relative dearth of quality forwards, Arena can't afford to just forget about Twellman after one mediocre performance.One? How about ten?

[FC Tallavana]

One? How about ten?

Play the game or take your keyboard and go home. ;)

[LittleMaradona]

Hold - Clint. He looked like crap tonight but he's a player like Clint Sr. (Mathis) who is unconventional and occasionally brilliant. Guy can score and has attacking skillz. But obviously jury is out and may not be back in time. Doesn't seem like an Arena kind of player.
His USMNT play has been horrendous (not just tonight). Maybe he lacking the experience and maturity, but whatever it is, he's just not ready that this point in time to make an impact for the Nats.

[fireman451]

Sell: Cunningham, Dempsey . . looking at Twellman for a possible down grade into this area. Also looking at GAM for this spot. Twellman and GAM need to put some goals away over the next 2 matches or . . . "they gone!"

Hold: Marcus, Mastro, Landon

Buy: Convey, Conrad

[LuckyNat]

Buy Convey - he is coming into his own

Sell Vanney - are you kidding me? What is Bruce looking at?

Hold Marshall - nice job in the middle, young man

[EEUU]

SELL: Quaranta and Dempsey... Maybe they aren't ready after all. Well, maybe hold Quaranta b/c he's looked good in some of his previous outings, but Dempsey looks a little overwhelmed to me the last few matches. He still needs some seasoning.

BUY: Convey & Hahnemann

[ursula]

Note: the following aren't fringe players- Donovan, Convey, Mastroeni, Johnson.


Hold- Jimmy Conrad If there weren't skaty-eight good central defenders already then he'd be a quick buy.

Buy- Chris Albright hedjuk or Albright. Albright or Hedjuk.

Sell- Vanney.

[Karl K]

Buy - Hahnneman -- His distribution was terrible at times but he makes some great saves.

The problem is he kicks the ball too far. The field didn't look particularly short to me, but, boy, he was whacking it right to the other keeper.

At the end of the second, though, he sent a beautiful GK right to Dempsey's feet.

Other than that, though, I thought he was very impressive. That one left handed save was just sick.

[geordienation]

Buy ::: Albright. God, I can't believe I'm typing this. He didn't help out the offense much, but that would only make him 1 of 11 tonight. He got back, did the work and protected the flank, particularly after Dempsey felt like pinching in and exposing him after Donovan came on. He's a useful, athletic guy on a team that's not exactly rich in outside backs.

Sell ::: Greg Vanney. Sell now. Sell as fast as you can. Wow, was that bad. If you're wondering why Eddie Lewis is now a LB, please look no further than Vanney.

Hold ::: Dempsey. I still don't see it. The kid's got balls and a nose for the goal, but I wonder if he's just kinda dumb, tactically, and makes up for it with some great skills/instincts. There's always that one player who seems to show up at the right time, and that's definately Clint, but I just don't see the "versatility" thing. He looked terrible on the right. If we play a different system in the next cycle, it could be perfect for him. Not sure where he fits in this time around.

[Heathens '87]

Buy - Chad Marshall, held his own, played intelligently, and that size makes him dangerous in the air going both ways. May not get into the mix for '06, but we'll see more of him.

Hold - Santino Quaranta, the youngster looked a bit young. That's what happens with they get a start and we get a longer look. Still a work in progress.

Sell - Greg Vanney, moving further down the depth chart at a thin position. That's not easy to do, my friends.

[Ismitje]

I'm gonna actually follow the rules (1+1+1) :D

BUY: Hahnemann - I now believe he's in the top three. I also agree with what Balboa said: if Howard doesn't play for club, he's not the automatic number two.

SELL: Vanney (shudder). I don't have anything positive to say. We've been having the same conversation about him for five years.

HOLD: Conrad. Have to assume that he's ahead of Marshall on the depth chart, and neither did anything to hurt their cause. I have to assume that Pope's spot on the 2006 roster is in jeapordy, leaving room for a central defender to join Gooch, Berhalter, and company. But only one (Marshall or Conrad), and I'll hold with Conrad. Even if the two were even, I'd go with Conrad just for the good articles he'd write!

[CbR]

Dempsey is really letting me down over here. Sp far he's just an enigma.

EJ needs ALOT of playing time to sharpen his skills. IMO he starts every single game possible. We need him to take the accelerated course on international football so he can graduate in time for the WC.

[Marko72]

With everyone probably buying Hahnemann he's a bit too expensive, and with everyone wanting to unload Vanney you're probably not finding enough sucker buyers (your obvious choices) so I'll go for some other ones.

Can I only sell one? Well I'm selling Dempsey for now, but it could just as well be Twellman... or Quaranta. But I'm selling Dempsey.

Buy: Bobby Convey

Hold: Cunningham. Let him come into another game with a real cast around him and see how he reacts. We've seen this slow-to-pull-the-trigger Twellman stuff before and so it's not surprising us that he still hasn't learned. Cunningham? Too early to tell for sure.

[Onionsack]

BUY Convey- very impressed with his improved play. He always looked dangerous when he had the ball on the wing. With Lewis experimenting at LB Convey looks like he will be perfect cover for Beasley on the left flank. Has developed a nasty freekick for club and country recently.

SELL- Quaranta- i just don't see him being the man on the right flank right now. Too many mistakes, too much possesion needlessly given away, weak cross and service. One v one skills today were kinda neutralized by the bad surface.

Hold Dempsey- his saving grace would be to be able to play many positions thus giving him a spot by virtue of his versitility. He looks preaty decent in central midfield at times, but when he went to the right he was completley ineffective. I like his aggressive nature and i think he could still win a spot but he needs to be able to play and play well in every spot Bruce wants him in.

[superdave]

Buy: Albright, Conrad, Marshall, I know the rules say *1*, but all of 'em done good.

Sell: Twellman

Hold: Cunny got no service, so I don't know anything more about him as a Nat than I did 3 hours ago. Dempsey seemed nervous, but he at least was often in the right place to create haVOCK. He played better at RW than he has before, too. Those two things balance his poor touches.

[CbR]

are Conrad and Marshall that much better than Pope? I still think Pope has a carlos llamosa cira 2000-2002 role left on this team.

[FC5280]

Buy: Jimmy Conrad, A couple more games like this and you can punch the ticket my friend.

Sell: Two guys, Vanney and Twellman. Vanney for just outright not being good and Twellman, well TT I'm sorry but you will fall into a line of great club guys who just can't cut it at the international level (Razov, Kreis)

Hold: Dempsey, but he is quickly heading into Twellman territory of running out of chances to impress