US v T&T pre-match thread

[OWN(yewu)ED]

well i wanna get that suckfest out of my system quickly, hopefully we'll be obliged this weekend. And hopefully Twellman and EJ keep the benches nice and warm for the rest of this competition. This is a good game to go wholesale and put in some new faces, particularly on D.

-------------------Keller------------------

-------------Demerit----Parkhurst----------
Spector---------------------------Bornstein

------------------Bradley-------------------
----Dempsey-----Feilhaber--------Beasley---

-------------Donovan----Ching--------------

I wana give Bradley and Feilhaber as many games as possible together, i really didnt think they did that bad against Guatemala given the circumstances. Thats exactly the kind of frustrating game you need to get them accustomed to. Demerit-Parkhurst, one of these guys starts next game at least, i almost hope both of them do. Especially excited to see Parkhurst on the grand stage. And Ching up top with Donovan just because last game re-enforced the point the breadwinner is going to be the one who plays nicely with Landon Donovan. after watching Ecuador, Ching gets it by default. Ching may not be having a great MLS campaign so far, but damnit he gets it done with the nats. Pretty much opposite for EJ and Twellman,

[TrueCrew]

Bradley's stupid decision to have only one LB on the roster rears its ugly head as one defender must play out of position. Myself, I go with wholesale changes:

--------------Keller---------------
Simek--DeMerit--Parkhurst--Spector
----------Clark----Feilhaber--------
Ralston----------------------Mapp
--------Ching------EJ-------------

I don't think Mapp is healthy enough to play, I hope so, if not, Beasley again. Benny will get some rest when Pablo returns, with Landom playing some AM.

Bench: Guzan, Boca, Donovan, Beasley, Twellman, Bradley, Hejduk.

[rgli13]

whats the matter with mapp? id like to see him also, but havent heard of an injury...

also hope to see clark. i think bradleys play has declined every game hes played, steady (not great) defense is the only thing he gave us- hes not even holding/marginally moving the ball well.

and id be all for landon and ching up top. i think twellman played well, all the hope i had in ejs mls form was apparently completely unfounded, and dempsey is a midfielder. ching and twellman arent compatible at all, so thatd be my vote- landon and ching.

i thought demerit was very solid, and theres a few more minutes we werent expecting...

i liked our patience, but hope to see us impose our will saturday- we cant let inferior teams dictate how we play.

[NBlue]

also hope to see clark. i think bradleys play has declined every game hes played, steady (not great) defense is the only thing he gave us- hes not even holding/marginally moving the ball well.



Disagree completely. He played extremely well against China and his 40 yard pass to the Beaser to set up the pk was brilliant. Regressing? I think not.

I thought he played fine last night and broke up a ton of opportunities for the Guats. Contrary to your opinion, I didn't think he had many give-aways and simply played solid soccer even though he didn't create a ton of opportunites. I really like the subtlety of Bradleys game . . .

[OWN(yewu)ED]

Disagree completely. He played extremely well against China and his 40 yard pass to the Beaser to set up the pk was brilliant. Regressing? I think not.

I thought he played fine last night and broke up a ton of opportunities for the Guats. Contrary to your opinion, I didn't think he had many give-aways and simply played solid soccer even though he didn't create a ton of opportunites. I really like the subtlety of Bradleys game . . .

agree with pretty much everything you said. I dont think Bradley or Feilhaber really had bad games at all. CM is a position people tend to lose site of the subtle things they do to really make the game better, like Reyna and Obrien before in their haydays. I think Bradley and Feilhaber too were relegated to more destroyer rolls today than anything, and by design. They did well enough on attack when called to. Both incredibly promising prospects, hope we see that pairing the next two games too.

[Flyin Ryan]

Group Standings:

El Salvador 1-0-0 2:1 +1
USA 1-0-0 1:0 +1
Trinidad & Tobago 0-1-0 1:2 -1
Guatemala 0-1-0 0:1 -1

[FC Tallavana]

-------------------Keller
---Simek----Demerit----Parkhurst----Spector
-------------------Clark
-------Ralston----------------Beasley
-----------------Donovan
----------Johnson--------Ching

[DutchFootballRulez]

------Timmy (unless Bradley said he's alternating Keepers)

-Simek--DeMerit--Boca--Bornstein
-------------Clark-----------
--------Bradley---Feilhaber------
----Donovan----EJ----Beasely------

[tab5g]

------Timmy (unless Bradley said he's alternating Keepers)


every report I've seen indicates that Bradley has Keller starting on 6/9/07.

Patience is now Keller's game-The Oregonian (http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/1181100317298540.xml&coll=7)

-------------
Howard will start Thursday night's opener against Guatemala. Keller will make his 99th appearance for the United States on Saturday against Trinidad and Tobago.
-------------

[jpoler1]

well i wanna get that suckfest out of my system quickly, hopefully we'll be obliged this weekend. And hopefully Twellman and EJ keep the benches nice and warm for the rest of this competition. This is a good game to go wholesale and put in some new faces, particularly on D.

-------------------Keller------------------

-------------Demerit----Parkhurst----------
Spector---------------------------Bornstein

------------------Bradley-------------------
----Dempsey-----Feilhaber--------Beasley---

-------------Donovan----Ching--------------

I wana give Bradley and Feilhaber as many games as possible together, i really didnt think they did that bad against Guatemala given the circumstances. Thats exactly the kind of frustrating game you need to get them accustomed to. Demerit-Parkhurst, one of these guys starts next game at least, i almost hope both of them do. Especially excited to see Parkhurst on the grand stage. And Ching up top with Donovan just because last game re-enforced the point the breadwinner is going to be the one who plays nicely with Landon Donovan. after watching Ecuador, Ching gets it by default. Ching may not be having a great MLS campaign so far, but damnit he gets it done with the nats. Pretty much opposite for EJ and Twellman,


I agree with you 100%. That is my exact lineup for T&T.

[Martin Fischer]

True Crew has a good lineup, but I think Donovan starts this one.

--------------Keller---------------
Simek--DeMerit--Parkhurst--Spector
----------Clark----Feilhaber--------
Donovan----------------------Mapp
--------Ching------EJ-------------



The final game against Salvador, we go:

--------------Howard---------------
Spector--Onyewu-Parkhurst--Bornstein
----------Bradley----Mastroeni--------
Ralston----------------------Beasley
--------Ching------Dempsey-------------

[Davids26]

I think we'll see Boca against T&T with one of Parkhurst or DeMerit in the back. With Boca being named captain two games in a row and the fact that Parkhurst and DeMerit have 2 caps between them, I don't think Bradley with team them together. When we're assured of the top seed, maybe he plays them together against El Salvador, but right now we have to also think of our knockout round matchups...

[TrueCrew]

I think we'll see Boca against T&T with one of Parkhurst or DeMerit in the back. With Boca being named captain two games in a row and the fact that Parkhurst and DeMerit have 2 caps between them, I don't think Bradley with team them together. When we're assured of the top seed, maybe he plays them together against El Salvador, but right now we have to also think of our knockout round matchups...

Your reasoning is sound, but I say lets roll the dice and see what we've got back there. Even if we were to lose this game, a result in the next one see's us through. Plus, I don't think T&T are much of a threat. DeMerit played all year in the EPL, he's not going to see much from T&T that scares him.

[Scotty]

One major difference in this game, compared to the Guat game, will be the physical factor.

T&T is a much bigger and stronger team all around, and will prove to be much more thretening on set plays than the vertically challenged Guatemalan players were.

BTW, anyone remember the T&T player from last summer's World Cup who was about 6'6" tall? Is he still with the team?

[m vann]

Boca is the captain (you don't change them in a tournament unless one is suspended) so there's no way he heads to the bench.


GK: Keller
LB: Bornstein
CB: Boca
CB: DeMeritt
RB: Simek
LW: Beasley
AMF: Felihaber
HMF: Clark
RW: Donovan
St: Dempsey
St: Johnson

[keller4president]

So who does Bradley put out for game 2 of the gold cup? Trying to keep everyone fresh, here's one guess:

----------Howard--------
Simek---DeMerit---Bocanegra--Spector
-----------Clark--------------
--Beasley--------Feilhaber
---------Donovan---------
---Dempsey------Ching-----

That would set up this lineup for Game 3 vs. El Salvador:
----------Keller-----------
Hejduk----Onyewu--Parkhurst--Bornstein
------Mastroeni------Bradley---
-----Beasley-------Donovan----
------Johnson------Twellman----

[galaxyfan03]

I'd like to see:

---------------------Keller-------------------
Simek--------DeMerit--------Boca----Spector
---------------------Clark-------------------
--Dempsey-------------------------Beasley--
--------------------Donovan----------------
------------EJ------------------Ching-------

Subs: Bradley & Feilhaber, if ahead. Bornstein, Twellman & Ralston, if we need goals!!

[Soccer Doc]

I've never taken any soccer match potential result as---a given---but since the T&T team is a pick up team without their WC players this should be an easy win and a good game for Bradley to rest some key players and give a run out to some new blood.

I'd field a mix of vets and young bloods. (Even though they are both new to the USMNT I'd play Parkhurst and Demerit and rest Boca). The young players on this roster are the future USA team and this is a real great opportunity to blood them in a game that really counts but should be a relatively easy win.

[joeginto]

Boca is the captain (you don't change them in a tournament unless one is suspended) so there's no way he heads to the bench.


GK: Keller
LB: Bornstein
CB: Boca
CB: DeMeritt
RB: Simek
LW: Beasley
AMF: Felihaber
HMF: Clark
RW: Donovan
St: Dempsey
St: Johnson


Substitute Ching for Johnson and that's perfect. I'll be excited to see Ricardo Clark. From the little I've seen of him this year, he's impressed me.

[CK]

-------------------Keller-------------------

---Simek----Demerit----Boca----Bornstein---

------------Bradley--------Fielhaber--------
----Dempsey--------------------Beasley----

----------Johnson--------Donovan---------