O'Conor: SPECTOR - :"US MAY PLAY MORE IN EUROPE"

[illinizissou]

Article about Spector expecting a callup and thinking the US might play more game away from US soil.

Link (http://www.yanks-abroad.com/content.php?mode=news&id=2843)

"I'll certainly be having an eye on those two games, but I don't have any say on whether I go or not. If I am selected, it would be a good opportunity to play for my country. Because of the injury I missed out on what chance I had to go to the World Cup, so I would like to re-establish myself in the US National Team."

With hours of travel and jet lag an inevitable consequence of representing the US while living in Europe, Spector also thinks the team may eventually follow the example of other nations who have scheduled games overseas, where large cohorts of their players are located.

[Adam Zebrowski]

the fifa window is a lot longer this time with two fifa dates, meaning the jet lag isn't as bad...

it actually gives bradley time to practice and get newbies into the system before throwing them to the wolves...

i think spector gets a call, and plays one of the matches...

[sidefootsitter]

The US should play 2-3 games vs. Euros each year "over there".

Then, one could skip the A-squad at Copa America.

[Adam Zebrowski]

exactly, i was looking at the march 25 and 28 open dates as a chance to go to europe, play a couple tough squads...

still a friendly is Not a real match, which copa america is, people experiment in friendlies, while in a tourney, you're playing to advance, and it makes the matches a bit more meaningful...

also advancing means you get to play the one and down phase...and the final 8 in copa america is tough...

let's see how the vaunted swiss fair in miami end of march...

the weather, then, can be a killer....

[Bigrose30]

Spector for Fed Prez!

[illinizissou]

The US should play 2-3 games vs. Euros each year "over there".

I agree. It's the right idea, if for no other reason than to continue to gain more experience playing on European soil and playing in big atmospheres outside of the Americas.

[asdf2]

The US should play 2-3 games vs. Euros each year "over there".

Then, one could skip the A-squad at Copa America.

Why? The US won't play a meaningful match in Europe for another 11-15 years.

I know some of our players are based over there but really that's the only benefit (and of course it would be fun to watch us play at Wembley, San Siro or whatever). No one takes these games seriously, certainly not our opponents.

Juxtapose that against Copa America with very meaningful matches in very tough stadiums. Also, Copa is a tournament format where we at least try to build a roster to go to battle vs. friendlies in Europe where all the players (half from the US/MLS) fly in Monday for a Wednesday friendly, have one practice and go at it against the Germans or whatever. We don't get much from that.

[Adam Zebrowski]

the key at the end of march is, you have TWO matches...

you can give newbies, 3 good practices, and play them in the 2nd match...

by playing in europe, you minimize the travel for the euros, although the mls guys have the travel...

it's the reverse when we play here...

when we get into the prep for 2010 finals, presuming usa does advance, here's hoping the prep matches are in europe...

what we did in 2002 was fine....we should have made that the model, but u$$f sees otherwise...

agree copa america is more REAL soccer, the tackles are 100%, the effort 100%, friendlies, unless it's mexico are more tame

[Rob Base]

...

by playing in europe, you minimize the travel for the euros, although the mls guys have the travel...

it's the reverse when we play here...



One big difference worth mentioning is that the MLS player's status with their respective teams is not likely to be jeapordized the way a Euro player's may if he travels to play a friendly. Just a comment. I don't really think USSF will play more matches in Europe in the near future unless a large majority of the player pool is there, and I don't see that happening in the near term.

[Adam Zebrowski]

if it's a FIFA date, i'd rather play in europe, because the euros must be released, and the lack of travel helps...

mls guys have the january camp, and i'm fine with usa based friendlies then...

NON FIFA dates, i'm fine with matches being in the usa...

as to the composition of the usa squad, by 2010, i'd think 17 or 18 will be guys playing in europe....

by the 2014 cup, there might only be 2 or 3 domestic based americans

[dcole]

Why? The US won't play a meaningful match in Europe for another 11-15 years.

This is an excellent point that bears repeating. Why are so many people on these boards fascinated with playing friendlies on European soil? It makes sense leading up to some tournament in Europe, but why does it make any sense at all in the run-up to the upcoming Gold Cup, Copa, World Cup Qualifiers, Confederations Cup and 2010 World Cup, none of which will be played in Europe?

[green94]

Spector for Fed Prez!

Why not?! We've heard of player/managers before, so why not Player/Confederation Presidents?:D

[green94]

This is an excellent point that bears repeating. Why are so many people on these boards fascinated with playing friendlies on European soil? It makes sense leading up to some tournament in Europe, but why does it make any sense at all in the run-up to the upcoming Gold Cup, Copa, World Cup Qualifiers, Confederations Cup and 2010 World Cup, none of which will be played in Europe?

True, but then why are we playing China?? At least two friendlies in Europe a year would allow us to have a look at younger Euro based players and have them participate in a camp.

[Tonerl]

This is an excellent point that bears repeating. Why are so many people on these boards fascinated with playing friendlies on European soil?

Obviously, I speak only for myself, but the appealing thing about friendlies in Europe is that they allow our young or borderline Euro-based players to be called in. In some ways, it's actually easier for an MLSer to make a place for himself in the national team due to visibility and availability. Guys like Feilhaber and Spector can't come in for every little friendly, and its much more difficult to integrate them into the team. Let's be realistic here: Benny has zero caps and, what, maybe two callups? If he played in MLS, he would have at least a handful of caps because we play so many matches here that they'll take any warm body for those rosters. Same deal with Spector, Heath Pearce, et al.

[onefineesq]

if it's a FIFA date, i'd rather play in europe, because the euros must be released, and the lack of travel helps...

mls guys have the january camp, and i'm fine with usa based friendlies then...

NON FIFA dates, i'm fine with matches being in the usa...

as to the composition of the usa squad, by 2010, i'd think 17 or 18 will be guys playing in europe....

by the 2014 cup, there might only be 2 or 3 domestic based americans So wait a second ........ you don't think that the "full" national team should be playing games in the US? That's essentially what you get if you are arguing that only non-FIFA dates should be played in the US, but for a game or two during the summers. Are you mad? As for the 2 or 3 Americans argument, well, let's just wait for that to ACTUALLY happen before we start farming the US team off as a European entity. By my count right now, our "A" team is just as likely to have a majority MLS'ers as it is the other way around (Conrad, Donovan, whoever the dmid is or BOTH dmids if we go with 2, both strikers whoever they may be, and Bornstein, who clearly seems to be favored over Pearce). Hell, you can argue that 7 MLS'ers are on the starting national team now. The European fascination is reaching epic proportions on the nat boards.

As for Spector ........ I like the kid. Good player. However, when a kid is talking about "re-establishing" himself with the national team when he was never established in the first place, I have to take his comments with a grain of salt. He was never more than a nice prospect who the coaches were taking a look at, despite the frenzy on big soccer. I hope he realizes that he has a lot of work to do before being an established player on this team.

[SCBozeman]

As for Spector ........ I like the kid. Good player. However, when a kid is talking about "re-establishing" himself with the national team when he was never established in the first place, I have to take his comments with a grain of salt. He was never more a nice prospect who the coaches were taking a look at.

How do you know? Perhaps the coaches said "you're on your way to Germany."

[The Wisdom Cube]

How do you know? Perhaps the coaches said "you're on your way to Germany."

I would have taken him to the World Cup ahead of Albright (who was an alternate) and possibly even Hejduk, as Spector had been named man of the match in at least a couple premier league games that season, and was playing pretty regularly for Charlton up to when he was injured. He played for the national team, as I recall, against Panama in a WCQ, Scotland, and was in camp against Poland. These were about the only chances for Euros get in during that window of time.

[onefineesq]

How do you know? Perhaps the coaches said "you're on your way to Germany." Yeah, I'm sure Bruce Arena told him exactly that. :rolleyes: I like the kid too, but Spector is one of the American kids who has been crowned before his time by a large portion of US nat fans.

[XYZ123456]

Yeah, I'm sure Bruce Arena told him exactly that. :rolleyes: But you have no idea what Bruce said. We're all left guessing until Bruce states exactly what his intentions were and I doubt he will do that anytime soon. It certainly isn't outlandish to think that Spector was ahead of Albright or Hejduk on Arena's depth chart. That has nothing to do with crowning Spector as the next anything.

The YA afficonados to go overboard but that shouldn't be a cue for you to go overboard in the opposite direction.

A couple friendlies a year in Europe during their club season is a good idea. It makes it easier to get a good look at more YA's and we might be able to play against better competition. Look at the difference between the roster Denmark used against Australia and the one they brought here. Huge difference.

[Bigrose30]

But you have no idea what Bruce said. We're all left guessing until Bruce states exactly what his intentions were and I doubt he will do that anytime soon. It certainly isn't outlandish to think that Spector was ahead of Albright or Hejduk on Arena's depth chart. That has nothing to do with crowning Spector as the next anything.

The YA afficionados to go overboard but that shouldn't be a cue for you to go overboard in the opposite direction.

A couple friendlies a year in Europe during their club season is a good idea. It makes it easier to get a good look at more YA's and we might be able to play against better competition. Look at the difference between the roster Denmark used against Australia and the one they brought here. Huge difference.


Agreed.

Time to get out of our comfort zone. We'll get better games if we play in Europe during our off-season, their mid-season. All the cool kids are doing it.

There are good times to play friendlies in the US...during camp cupcake and during the Euro offseason in the summer. There are good times to play friendlies in Europe...like February, March, October, November.

There is no reason why we can't have both on our schedule.

Sigh, yet another home friendly with Guatemala.