Hypothetically, if an MLS forward starts HOT...

[talker]

So the tourney kicks of June 9th, so I'm guessing rosters/alternates are due sometime in late May?

MLS players will have somewhere between 6 and 9 games under their belt for the '06 season by then...

What happens if a forward (who was not called in to this camp, and won't likely be included in the Poland/Germany friendlies) gets ridiculously hot to start the campaign? Would you include him in the squad? Does Bruce?

Just for argument, I'm thinking along the lines of a tried and dispensed player like Mathis, Cunningham, Kirovski or a mostly untried player like Buddle, Herculez, or Adu...

Just to keep the hot stove hot, feel free to muse on a right wing, right back, or left back playing lights out... (Justin Mapp, Eddie Gaven, I can't think of any suitable backs....)

[DCUSA]

It's a good question, I wonder the same thing. Injuries are always a factor, but I tend to believe it won't matter. Unless someone scores like 8 goals in 4 games, it's just too late to integrate them into the team.

[QuakeAttack]

They would have to have played for the USMNT in the past, be in great shape and a team player. That knocks out Buddle, Cunningham, and Mathias (I.e. team players). Don't worry, Kiro and Mapp won't score much. Whose left?

[DCUSA]

Adu jumps to mind. Quaranta, Gomez, Jaqua, Eskandarian?

[BenfromUSA]

Adu jumps to mind. Quaranta, Gomez, Jaqua, Eskandarian?


maybe it could push rolfey over the hump???

[scaryice]

Last time, the roster was announced on April 22. So that's about three games, virtually no time to make an impact.

[elknco1]

naw, team chemistry. the US under BA is all about team play and fitting into the team. if anyone's behavior is gonna be detrimental to the team, i bet they get left off regardless of performance.

plus the same style of play that gets u goals in the MLS may not result in goals at the biggest stage. not to mention MLS defenders aren't as good as most world cup-class defenders. so you gotta figure performance will decline anyways.

if the bubble players haven't been sorted out by then, i'll be very surprised.

[Shackleton]

So the tourney kicks of June 9th, so I'm guessing rosters/alternates are due sometime in late May?

MLS players will have somewhere between 6 and 9 games under their belt for the '06 season by then...

What happens if a forward (who was not called in to this camp, and won't likely be included in the Poland/Germany friendlies) gets ridiculously hot to start the campaign? Would you include him in the squad? Does Bruce?

Just for argument, I'm thinking along the lines of a tried and dispensed player like Mathis, Cunningham, Kirovski or a mostly untried player like Buddle, Herculez, or Adu...

Just to keep the hot stove hot, feel free to muse on a right wing, right back, or left back playing lights out... (Justin Mapp, Eddie Gaven, I can't think of any suitable backs....)

The rosters aren't officially due until May 26. But, Arena will bring players into camp in mid-May and may even name the final roster then. So, realistically, anything after mid-May is too late to be considered. Personally, I'd be shocked if Arena brings any MLS player to the May camp who was uninjured but not in the January camp. Nothing like that happened in 2002.

[BigKris]

The only way I can see it happening is if there's a rash of injuries. Even then, I think Arena's considerations will turn to three things:

(a) who he's already gotten comfortable with (eg likely someone already ID's as 'on the bubble' like Rolfe, not a complete surprise like Buddle);
(b) someone who's been exposed to the team already (e.g. someone from this past camp, definitely not someone like Gomez who has never been to an Arena camp before);
(c) the kind of striker - That is, who got injured? A ball-winner like McBride or a burner like Wolff?

I really don't think hot or not will enter into it, except perhaps as a tiebreaker among those few, few candidates who qualify.

So basically I agree with the others above - if you're not already on the bubble, you're not gonna get on with a short hot streak in MLS.

[Sean...]

What would happen if a rookie, say Jason Garey of sCREWed, is on fire and has like 8 goals by the squad selection rolls in. Does Bruce select him? Probably not, but I'd love to know what others would think.

If Mathis starts on fire, then I'd like him to be selected, but not Kirovski.

Buddle's an interesting one.

[st ryma 7]

What would happen if a rookie, say Jason Garey of sCREWed, is on fire and has like 8 goals by the squad selection rolls in. Does Bruce select him? Probably not, but I'd love to know what others would think.

If Mathis starts on fire, then I'd like him to be selected, but not Kirovski.

Buddle's an interesting one.
definatly not, a kid that has no internation exp at any level including youth, and only 6 pro games under his belt, he could score 15 goals in his first five matches and not get a call up, you dont throw a kid with no exp into 90k capacity stadiums under the biggest potlight ever and expect them to be ready, no matter how good they are, hypotheically

[FakeFlopper]

My thing isn't so much on experience, you have to start somewhere and either you have it or you don't, it'll show. ie Lassiter.

My thing is missing out on the next Beasley, I don't think he would have fitted too many people's profile for the last WC if it wasn't for his streak. Lets see young, limited experience, and maybe 135 when wet.

[SteveWWJ]

<<Puts flame/piss retardant suit on>>

Sorry to bring him up since everytime someone does they get pissed on, but if Adu were to start out on fire, I'd think he'd have the best shot of being to '06 what Beasley was to '02.

[Shackleton]

My thing isn't so much on experience, you have to start somewhere and either you have it or you don't, it'll show. ie Lassiter.

My thing is missing out on the next Beasley, I don't think he would have fitted too many people's profile for the last WC if it wasn't for his streak. Lets see young, limited experience, and maybe 135 when wet.

Beasley was not an untested MLS guy who got hot in 2002 and earned a spot. Beasley was capped in our last WCQ in 2001 and played four games at the January 2002 Gold Cup. Only guys who were in the January camp and played in 2006's friendlies have a chance to be this cycle's Beasley. If an MLS guy who is uncapped/has fallen so far off the radar that he wasn't invited to the January camp makes the roster, that's an entirely different situation.

I also don't think Adu fits the Beasley profile even though he was at camp. Beasley was repeatedly tested at almost every opportunity in January and thereafter. Adu got a brief appearance because of a Johnson injury and then sent to DC. Arena would not have sent him to DC if he intended to play him against Norway, Japan, and Guatemala.

[Galaxian]

Well Herculez was hot for half an MLS season and didnt even get called into camp , and he lives in SoCal , I doubt he'll have any chance at all .

[Casper]

Let's lay down some parameters.

Assumption 1: Bruce will take four forwards (counting LD as a midfielder) to Germany.

Assumption 2: If healthy, based on playing time '04-'06, those four will come from this list of seven: McBride, Johnson, Wolff, Twellman, Rolfe, Ching, Casey.

How well would someone have to start an MLS season to pass one of these guys on the list?
McBride - the best all-around Nats forward of the post-Wynalda era, at least;
Johnson - the most explosive scorer for the Nats in '04 and '05;
Wolff - World Cup veteran and consistent top MLS forward;
Twellman - MLS MVP and scoring titles on his resume.

No one is passing these four just by getting hot. Likely injury replacements, or in Rolfe's case, someone with at least a chance of being picked ahead of Wolff:

Rolfe - nearly integrated into the team and more skilled than anyone but the above;
Ching - at least would know how to slot into the team quickly;
Casey - ditto Ching.

Someone could leapfrog Ching and Casey on the pecking order with an amazing start. I don't think they could leapfrog the first four guys I listed under any circumstance. I think Bruce would almost rather play Donovan, Beasley, Dempsey, or Noonan at forward before basically anyone else who could be under consideration. Freddy? Gomez? Jaqua? Gaven? Cooper? Wolyniec (don't laugh, he at least is capped)? Chad Barrett? Eskandarian? Arnaud? I just think it's too much to ask from anyone. Jaqua, Gaven and Gomez have all had laudable hot streaks in MLS before, but should they pass one of the above just because they get hot again? However, any of the above could earn a callup to the first post World Cup camp with an early hot streak. Not much of a consolation, I know.

[jokeefe80]

<<Puts flame/piss retardant suit on>>

Sorry to bring him up since everytime someone does they get pissed on, but if Adu were to start out on fire, I'd think he'd have the best shot of being to '06 what Beasley was to '02.

you should be pissed on

[BigKris]

Assumption 2: If healthy, based on playing time '04-'06, those four will come from this list of seven: McBride, Johnson, Wolff, Twellman, Rolfe, Ching, Casey.



Hey, just curious, but whatever happened to Jaqua? He was prominent in camp as it started and I kept waiting for him to get a chance in one of these friendlies and he never showed. Did he get hurt? Or did he just not show enough in practice to get a shot?

[eplkewell]

Hey, just curious, but whatever happened to Jaqua? He was prominent in camp as it started and I kept waiting for him to get a chance in one of these friendlies and he never showed. Did he get hurt? Or did he just not show enough in practice to get a shot?

He played the end of the Norway game and looked solid. He had some great chances, and showed surprising skill for his size, but missed out on an easy finish.

[VTSoccerFan]

Hey, just curious, but whatever happened to Jaqua? He was prominent in camp as it started and I kept waiting for him to get a chance in one of these friendlies and he never showed. Did he get hurt? Or did he just not show enough in practice to get a shot?

He did get hurt in the South Korea scrimmage. Please check this link from US Soccer for details.

http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_280713.html