Do all these players belong in camp?

[purojogo]

Since it is an article from the Post., they all are DC players....

And considering LA/NE players begin to turn their attention elsewhere....And YAs are still not around...

At the end:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/13/AR2006021301547.html
'Meantime, Brian Carroll, Ben Olsen , Santino Quaranta and Bobby Boswell have been retained by U.S. Coach Bruce Arena at national team camp for Sunday's friendly against Guatemala in Frisco, Tex.'


Considering it is "late in the game" and the WC approaches, if you do not consider any of the aforementioned individuals "camp material", whom would you use instead?

[SteveWWJ]

Since it is an article from the Post., they all are DC players....

And considering LA/NE players begin to turn their attention elsewhere....And YAs are still not around...

Ya, Bruce should send these guys home so that we can send out a roster with just 7 defenders and midfielders against Guatemala. Or perhaps, he could bring in 4 other players who've been on vacation for the past three and half months as opposed to guys who are fit and have been playing with the team for over a month now.

This topic has been discussed over and over and over again for the past six weeks in many other threads... which makes this one beyond worthless.

If you get your wish, this is what's left:

DEFENDERS (4):
Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards)
Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew)
Heath Pearce (FC Nordsjælland)
Eddie Pope (Real Salt Lake)

MIDFIELDERS (3):
Chris Klein (Real Salt Lake)
Kyle Martino (Columbus Crew)
Kerry Zavagnin (Kansas City Wizards)

[purojogo]

Ya, Bruce should send these guys home so that we can send out a roster with just 7 defenders and midfielders against Guatemala. Or perhaps, he could bring in 4 other players who've been on vacation for the past three and half months as opposed to guys who are fit and have been playing with the team for over a month now.

This topic has been discussed over and over and over again for the past six weeks in many other threads... which makes this one beyond worthless.

If you get your wish, this is what's left:

DEFENDERS (4):
Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards)
Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew)
Heath Pearce (FC Nordsjælland)
Eddie Pope (Real Salt Lake)

MIDFIELDERS (3):
Chris Klein (Real Salt Lake)
Kyle Martino (Columbus Crew)
Kerry Zavagnin (Kansas City Wizards)
it's simply a question of asking for alternatives..what's so bad about that? It falls under the "analysis" part of the forum name..... I know questioning the Bruce is not that well liked among some fans , but there is nothing wrong with doing so....

[ignatz]

Are there any limits as to how many can be in camp? I doubt if any of these guys will see Germany. Carroll and Olsen are unlikely to make it unless avian flu or something like it breaks out in the midfield. Santino, based on his promise, deserved the look but unless something happens to Dempsey and perhaps Noonan, we have him at DC United for the summer. I suspect Boswell was there for a combination of reasons: a promising rookie season (if you overlook an own goal or two or three), size, comparative youth, and the need to ration the risk exposure of an injury-prone Eddie Pope. If Boswell continues to progess in MLS, he may be a defender of the future for the Nats. Certainly once the European-based players arrive in force, these guys -- barring a lot of injuries -- are gone.

I think Bruce's practice of looking a a large number of players, giving them the experience of camp, and the experience of an international game or two, is a good one. The real question, though, isn't who is in camp but which of them goes to Germany. The likely bad news for Carroll, Olsen, Quaranta and Boswell is the likely good news for DC United fans who will have them while Twellman, Dempsey et al are away.

[Ringo]

really, who cares? it's practically a throw-away game. at this point, from the long camp and the two prior friendlies, bruce knows what he needs to know about these players.

[SteveWWJ]

it's simply a question of asking for alternatives..what's so bad about that? It falls under the "analysis" part of the forum name..... I know questioning the Bruce is not that well liked among some fans , but there is nothing wrong with doing so....

If that's what your were asking, then you should have included Zavagnin in your selection of questionable players, since he's as "fringe" as the others IMO.

This idea of analyzing who should and shouldn't have been brought into camp has been going on in numerous threads over the past month and a half. (See: Gomez, Herculez et al.) If there are four better players in MLS at their positions, than the DC one's you specifically targeted to be dropped, then let's here it. Otherwise, it seems your just rehashing the "Bruce loves DC so much that he excludes everyone else" conspiracy theory.

[purojogo]

really, who cares? it's practically a throw-away game. at this point, from the long camp and the two prior friendlies, bruce knows what he needs to know about these players.
i thought the philosophy was that there are no true "throwaway games" this close to WC...So if any players one figures can rate higher, present a more likely conmtributiuon to the USMNT than those in camp, especailly at critical positions, then it'd be nice to bring them along as well....give tham a chance....

But hey, if no one is in the mood for questioning, nothing wrong with that....

I for one think Boswell's inclusion in camp is quite odd....

[purojogo]

If that's what your were asking, then you should have included Zavagnin in your selection of questionable players, since he's as "fringe" as the others IMO.

This idea of analyzing who should and shouldn't have been brought into camp has been going on in numerous threads over the past month and a half. (See: Gomez, Herculez et al.) If there are four better players in MLS at their positions, than the DC one's you specifically targeted to be dropped, then let's here it. Otherwise, it seems your just rehashing the "Bruce loves DC so much that he excludes everyone else" conspiracy theory.
As i said to start the thread, this was a quote i took from the Washington POst, so all those mentioned were DC players...NOt that there are no other players who are not beyond questioning....If you wish to question Kerry Z. you are certainly free to argue so...

[glove]

Armas at d-mid, is he injured? Why would he not have been invited? Sure there are 3 other D-mids in camp but I thought Bruce liked the guy. Man has he fallen off the map.

Kirovski or Razov would have seemed like decent options but Taylor has made that point moot.

God we are thin at A-mid, we have no clue at who our #10 would be if the WC were to start tomorrow, do we? Hate to say it but Christain Gomez is better than anyone we could currently put on field. Is it my imagination or do most MLS teams employ foreigners at A-mid?

[eplkewell]

Marhsall has seemed to be in consideration in the center of defense, so it's surprising that he was not included ahead of Boswell. There are other defenders who may be as good as Boswell, too, but many of them are older and unlikely to real contributors in the future (Curtin, CJ Brown, etc.)

[ugaaccountant]

Nope, there are no other players better than the DC mids available. The only possibly better option than Boswell was Parkhurst but it was a tossup on those two imo.

Armas, Mapp, Marshall, Clark are the players that could have had those spots but were injured

[Ringo]

i thought the philosophy was that there are no true "throwaway games" this close to WC...So if any players one figures can rate higher, present a more likely conmtributiuon to the USMNT than those in camp, especailly at critical positions, then it'd be nice to bring them along as well....give tham a chance....


i think this is one of those rare exceptions. i mean, consider the team they'll have, I'm not sure how much stock Bruce will put into what happens in this game. with all the people missing, it's tough to see which players play better as a group.
Just my opinion. could be wrong. :)

[BED-STYPUNDIT]

Armas at d-mid, is he injured? Why would he not have been invited? Sure there are 3 other D-mids in camp but I thought Bruce liked the guy. Man has he fallen off the map.

Kirovski or Razov would have seemed like decent options but Taylor has made that point moot.

God we are thin at A-mid, we have no clue at who our #10 would be if the WC were to start tomorrow, do we? Hate to say it but Christain Gomez is better than anyone we could currently put on field. Is it my imagination or do most MLS teams employ foreigners at A-mid?

In the past, Etchy, Valderama, Cienfuguros, and manny others, MLS teams did really do that.
Now, that may not be the case, even though they try hard with the likes of Landon Donovan (who mostly plays forward with the Galaxy and did with the Quakes), Kyle Martino (who after a promising first year and a half, has failed at the playmaking role), to a much much lesser extent Freddy Adu and to a greater lesser extent Brad Davis. In addition, Clint Dempsey and Eddie Gaven (even with Guevara) could be placed into that wannabe #10 role, which really doesn't feature as many foreigners playing attacking midfield.

[sidefootsitter]

You need practice fodder and Bobby Boswell, among several camp participants, serves that purpose.

[Scoobs]

Since it is an article from the Post., they all are DC players....

And considering LA/NE players begin to turn their attention elsewhere....And YAs are still not around...

At the end:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/13/AR2006021301547.html
'Meantime, Brian Carroll, Ben Olsen , Santino Quaranta and Bobby Boswell have been retained by U.S. Coach Bruce Arena at national team camp for Sunday's friendly against Guatemala in Frisco, Tex.'


Considering it is "late in the game" and the WC approaches, if you do not consider any of the aforementioned individuals "camp material", whom would you use instead?

I find it interesting that Arena called Ben Olsen and Carroll over KZ for the
initial camp and then injury to Mastroeni allows KZ into camp who then
takes over the d-mid position. Questionable judgement on Arena there.

Still a great coach, though!!!

In terms of players who should have been brought in; Eddie Robinson,
Kyle Beckerman, and Brian Mullan. Not really WC'06 material, but much
better than Olsen, Carroll, and Quaranta and thus more useful practice fodder.

How those guys stay and Adu leave is also curious.

[purojogo]

i think this is one of those rare exceptions. i mean, consider the team they'll have, I'm not sure how much stock Bruce will put into what happens in this game. with all the people missing, it's tough to see which players play better as a group.
Just my opinion. could be wrong. :)
wht will probably happen (and i agree) is that given that Guatemala is not quite a great opponent...some players might catch Ba's/BS fans ' attention... who might not otherwise do so well vs. better quality opposition ...... I mean, we are used to dominating CONCACAF opposition for the most part....and i honesly can think of 2-3 MLS-based "made up" teams that could play a friendly vs. Guatemala and finish on top...

Or maybe i just jinxed our team and we do not win the game.... :p

Anyway... i did question a while ago the usefulness of a friendly vs. Guatemala.... As CONCACAF opposition i considered them redundant, and still do... would have rather played another nation.....

[Edwin Thorne]

This is a combination Thanks for your effort at camp and continue getting into match fitness game.

For players who have not played much in previous games, but have worked hard to make the camp successful this is an opportunity to get some real playing time in a national team game. A cap for those who don't already have one. Also continues to get in match shape for MLS. The MLS players at camp should be the best prepared at the beginning of MLS team camps theis SPring.

For serious contenders (Pope, Heace, etc..) a game to continue getting match fit for upcoming season. Chance to truly justify the callup to WC 2006 Preparation Camp.

[Martin Fischer]

i thought the philosophy was that there are no true "throwaway games" this close to WC...So if any players one figures can rate higher, present a more likely conmtributiuon to the USMNT than those in camp, especailly at critical positions, then it'd be nice to bring them along as well....give tham a chance....

But hey, if no one is in the mood for questioning, nothing wrong with that....

I for one think Boswell's inclusion in camp is quite odd....

Who would you have called instead? If you can't answer this question or have a bad answer, then you are just wasting space with this topic.

[alocksley]

Should have kept Freddy in camp.

[purojogo]

Who would you have called instead? If you can't answer this question or have a bad answer, then you are just wasting space with this topic.
ok, at gk instead of trying out someone who unless something horrible happens, won't go to Germany (ie Guzan/Wells) .... take a pick of Walker, Cannon...

If Howard continues NOT to play....i'd think outside of Keller and Hanneman, an MLS keeper might become the 3rd keeper.... Since Reis and Hartman will be busy with their clubs..... Cannon and Walker come to mind...

Burciaga, CJ Brown on D... Why? Not because i think they are fantastic players, but because (besides the fact Albright, MArshall are hurt) Boswell and his few months of experience just don't do it for me, taking a spot in a friendly in a WC year.... Stuff like that should be left for after the WC, when Arena (or somebody else) prepares for the future NT to come.... And if you think this is anti-DC bias on my part, you'd be wrong... It's the same reason Wells (former Metrostars, mind you) should not be playing either, as "preparation" to fill in some gaps the roster come Germany ....too inexperienced and playing in spots where we have some depth as it is.... So if a lot of players were to get injured at such positions (cross fingers, knock on wood)....i'd take experienced players over young ones (especially at D/GK)

MIdfield...Wahl thinks Quaranta was a bit of a slacker in camp....but i guess he gets rewarded becoming part of the roster... oh, well..seems to be conficting info, as otherwise, i doubt BA would have kept him...
Mapp/Clark if either one is healthy.... Shame Dempsey is not available... GAven, anyone? :p Otherwise, what the heck, Quaranta is allright .... :) RM is a thin position as it is, plsu being a offensive position for the most part, here i have little problem with trying out Q....

Clark (guess not available) to take either Carrol or Olsen's spot....if he's hurt -and i think he is IIRC-.... never mind

And at forward., giving Jaqua a chance (he showed some promise) , instead of the constant opporutnities Ching has already gotten..As Gomez is unavailable with club commitments......So doing the math:

Walker/Cannon at GK instead of the two "rookies"
Anybody but BOswell on D :p
And Jaqua instead of Ching...

Not too much to ask... 80%-90% of roster i agree with considering it's an MLS roster, plus the injuries/LA-NE commitments....