Call-Ups for Cuba and T&T...if you're Bradley??

[galaxyfan03]

With the Nats off to a great start...results-wise...in WCQ, I'd like to take a serious look at who has merited a call-up for the WCQs in October & who would you call, if you were coach of the USMNT!! Based on my thinking, here is a quick list of players who I feel deserve & have earned a look:

GKs - Busch, Hesmer

Defs - Marshall, Parkhurst, Wynne, Barrett

Mids - Rogers, Thorrington, Arnaud, Mullan

Fwds - Quaranta, Cooper, Buddle

I'm sure some names will have people wondering what the hell I'm thinking...or drinking??!! But I'm basing it on present form, more than anything, and see nothing wrong with experimenting at this point.

Quaranta has had a solid season & resurrected his career IMO and Buddle can't be worse than EJ!!

Believe it or not, I'm interested in what the BS nation has to say on this issue, so let the debate begin....

[NoSix]

With the Nats off to a great start...results-wise...in WCQ, I'd like to take a serious look at who has merited a call-up for the WCQs in October & who would you call, if you were coach of the USMNT!! Based on my thinking, here is a quick list of players who I feel deserve & have earned a look:

GKs - Busch, Hesmer

Defs - Marshall, Parkhurst, Wynne, Barrett

Mids - Rogers, Thorrington, Arnaud, Mullan

Fwds - Quaranta, Cooper, Buddle

I'm sure some names will have people wondering what the hell I'm thinking...or drinking??!! But I'm basing it on present form, more than anything, and see nothing wrong with experimenting at this point.

Quaranta has had a solid season & resurrected his career IMO and Buddle can't be worse than EJ!!

Believe it or not, I'm interested in what the BS nation has to say on this issue, so let the debate begin....

At this point of world cup qualifying, the time for mass experimentation has passed - I think you should only call up people who are 1) in good current form, and 2) who you believe come 2010 are going to be an upgrade over the player on the current roster that they would be replacing.

GK: no-one in position to challenge Howard or Guzan for 1st or 2nd string

D: Bobby Boswell, Jason Hernandez

M: Freddy Adu, Brad Davis

F: Jozy Altidore, Kenny Cooper

I think Bakary Soumare has been the best MLS defender this year, but unfortunately he is not a citizen yet.

[lmorin]

It is pointless to use qualifiers as mass "try-outs" for WC10. No coach would do it. The team must be fundamentally sound and the remaining games in the round should be used as training opportunities, and a chance to work a very few new faces into the mix. The most important feature should be absence of any form of team uncertainty or instability such as occurred during the last Copa America.

[JohnR]

If you look back at the equivalent matches for the 2002 and 2006 WCs, that is the 3rd qualifier in the semifinals (Guatemala at home in 2000, Panama on the road in 2004), you'll see that the guys who played in the matches represented about 60% of who we ended up playing in the World Cup.

Key players missing in 2000 match -

Landon
Pablo
DMB
Frankie
Agoos


Key players missing in 2002 match -

Dempsey
EJ
Convey
Gooch
Pablo

So I figure the list of key 2010 players missing might look like this -

Adu
Altidore
Wynne
Rogers
Center back of some sort

Just a guess, of course.

[obewan]

I would call in the u-23 team, sans anyone working their way into a new club (Adu, Altidore, Mike). I would pick Cooper and Buddle to fill the two vacated forward spots (opened by McBride and Altidore), take Donovan (in Adu's spot). Maybe take Q for Rogers (who didn't show in the Olympics). Throw in a few veteran players to round out the roster (specifically a couple of defenders). There's no reason this team shouldn't be able to either beat or take points from Cuba and T&T. Note to Bob - don't play this team in the bucket.

Call me crazy, but how else will we build depth for 2010? Besides, a number of our U-23s already own caps with the MNT...so I don't see it as too much of a stretch.

[Adam Zebrowski]

the same core guys for cuba, and given usa wins and clinches a hex slot, then the u23 types, with cooper added for the trip to t&t......

if the DC match gets out of hand, say usa is up 3-0 at the half, bring on adu and altidore at the half in that match...

[Mestes]

It is pointless to use qualifiers as mass "try-outs" for WC10. No coach would do it. The team must be fundamentally sound and the remaining games in the round should be used as training opportunities, and a chance to work a very few new faces into the mix. The most important feature should be absence of any form of team uncertainty or instability such as occurred during the last Copa America.

Unbelievable assessment. 21 months away from the tournament and we're set? No coach would do it?

It seems to me that Bradley has an excellent opportunity to see some new player match ups against known opposition. That is, how does Wynne do against the same opposition as Cherundolo and Hejduk? Can Orozco hold his own against players Pearce struggled with? Can Orozco, Marshall, Edu, or Parkhurst beat out Bocanegra? Can Edu or Clark handle themselves as lone defensive midfielders? Will Adu or Donovan bew able to man the creative midfielder slot? Jeez, if I were coach I'd be hoping that Cherundolo and Bocanegra would be backups in 2010, and as such would want to see how other players do against the same opposition. He has a great opportunity in these three matches to see new players against equivalent opposition.

But OK--we're set Imorin, and no coach would be foolish enough to try to improve his team.

[Beazley17]

Definatley could depend on the MLS playoffs, and which teams have made it, but I would really like to see a few new players.

Kenny Cooper, Jozy Altidore, Charlie Davies, Freddy Adu, Marvell Wynne, Chad Marshall Stuart Holden!!!

All these players are on good club form, besides Adu, although we all know he can help the National team attack. I might leave Jozy if it means more minutes for Villareal, but these players need call ups.

[Mestes]

Based on my thinking, here is a quick list of players who I feel deserve & have earned a look:
....

Obviously, no one "deserves" or has "earned a look." This is under the sole purview Bob Bradley, and we have conceded the right to him, and him alone. There is no other way to handle this situation, with the exception of hiring a technical director, and even in that situation, Bob has the last word.

The problem, from my perspective, is, can he make objective decisions that are in the best interest of the USMNT? Is he willing to concede his son's weaknesses? Will he consider, seriously, a single defensive midfielder such as Clark or Edu, knowing full well his son does not have the ability to be that player on an international level? To me, as a fan, it doesn't matter--he has proven,so far, his lack of objectivity, and that has precluded experimentation.

I really hope I am proven wrong over the course of the next three qualifiers. I hope to see him try a diamond 442 with a single defensive midfielder such as Clark or Edu. I even hope he is proven right-as the alternative is that a bunch of pot bellied posters are smarter than a Princeton-educated coach with selective perception.

[Eleven Bravo]

If i could pick ONLY 18

GK Hahnemann, Guzan
DF Wynne, Bornstein, Hejduk, Onyewu, Parkhurst, DeMerit
MF Beasley, Adu, Kljestan, Bradley, Holden, Szetela
FW Dempsey, Altidore, Cooper, Davies

CUBA:
-----Dempsey--Altidore--------
-------------Adu--------------
----Beasley----------Kljestan--
------------Bradley------------
Bornstein-----------------Wynne
------Onyewu----Parkhurst-----
----------Hahneman------------

T&T:
-------Davies---Cooper---------
-------------Adu----------------
-Kljestan---------------Dempsey-
------------Szetela--------------
Bornstein------------------Wynne
--------DeMerit---Onyewu-------
-------------Guzan--------------

[kokoplus10]

Let's stop kidding ourselves. This is who Bob Bradley is going to run out:

----------EJ-Ching
Lewis-----------------Donovan
-------Mastro-Bradley
Bornstein-Boca-Gooch-Heydude
-----------Guzan

[lmorin]

Unbelievable assessment. 21 months away from the tournament and we're set? No coach would do it?
..........
But OK--we're set Imorin, and no coach would be foolish enough to try to improve his team.

Wow, outrage! You didn't exactly understand my post, if you actually even read it. Nowhere did I say it was "set." Nowhere did I say that "no coach would be foolish enough to improve his team."

What I did say is, in essence, avoid mass tryouts and use the games to mix in a very few new faces.

What you and a lot of folks here on BS seem to not understand is that the moment a player, new or not, enters the field as a starter or a sub, the whole team dynamic changes. The more subs or new players are added to the mix, the more difficult it is to assess the reality of players' performances. It is no longer THE national team, but simply A national team.

The goal of the coach is to figure out who will blend well into the team that already exists. He, and everyone, knows that some guys are on the way out and others are on the way in. JohnR has provided good background material and a reasonable list of who will flesh out the 2010 team.

Personally, I hope he's wrong on at least one count and that there is an astonishing young striker or midfielder who will burst on the seen in 2009. But, I won't hold my breath. The point is, there are essentially no candidates who are going to replace most of the players already seeing the vast majority of the playing time. The exceptions are guys like Adu and Altidore, and EJ and Lewis. And, a few more, but not many. BBradley is picking and playing the USMNT, not holding tryouts.

[england66]

Let's stop kidding ourselves. This is who Bob Bradley is going to run out:

----------EJ-Ching
Lewis-----------------Donovan
-------Mastro-Bradley
Bornstein-Boca-Gooch-Heydude
-----------Guzan



you really think Bradley will ever get another chance with the national team...??

[Bluecat82]

With the Nats off to a great start...results-wise...in WCQ, I'd like to take a serious look at who has merited a call-up for the WCQs in October & who would you call, if you were coach of the USMNT!! Based on my thinking, here is a quick list of players who I feel deserve & have earned a look:

GKs - Busch, Hesmer

Defs - Marshall, Parkhurst, Wynne, Barrett

Mids - Rogers, Thorrington, Arnaud, Mullan

Fwds - Quaranta, Cooper, Buddle

I'm sure some names will have people wondering what the hell I'm thinking...or drinking??!! But I'm basing it on present form, more than anything, and see nothing wrong with experimenting at this point.

Quaranta has had a solid season & resurrected his career IMO and Buddle can't be worse than EJ!!

Believe it or not, I'm interested in what the BS nation has to say on this issue, so let the debate begin....

Cuba & TNT, probably not.

Wouldn't surprise me to see more than a few of those names get called in for Guatemala in November, though. An all-MLS, "reward for a great season" call up would be in keeping with what we've done in the past after we've clinched advancement.

Add Eddie Gaven into that mix, btw...he's been around so long I keep forgetting that he's still young enough to have been Olympic-eligible this year...

For October, it still wouldn't surprise me (opinions elsewhere to the contrary) to see The Bob make a few extra call-ups and change the 18 substantally between DC and Port of Spain.

[galaxyfan03]

I totally forgot to include Freddy...what's BB's problem with him??...& Jozy!! Also, Marvell Wynne & Califf!!

I'm not advocating a completely new starting XI for the matches, either!! That would defeat the purpose of how we can find "new players" to integrate into the "A" team & can add depth to our national team!! But here's MY starting Xi for Cuba, if I were BB:

--------------------------Howard-------------------
Wynne-----------Gooch---------Boca------Pearce
---------------------------Edu----------------------
--Kljestan-------------------------------Beasley--
--------------------------Freddy-------------------
------------Donovan----------------Jozy---------

Subs: Califf, Clark & Cooper!!

Vs. T&T:

-------------------------Guzan-------------------
Wynne----------Califf----------Boca----Barrett
-------------------------Clark--------------------
--Donovan----------------------------Beasley--
------------------------Freddy-------------------
------------Dempsey---------------Cooper-----

Subs: Cherundolo, Arnaud, & Rogers!!


Obviously, this is a "pipe dream" but still fun to think about!! I'd like to see what Wynne can do, see what Freddy can do when running the attack from CAM, give Bradley Jr. a break, give Beasley more PT,...he REALLY needs it...& try to see as many new faces as possible, while playing with Donovan & Boca!!

I really wish BB had the "guts" & "sense" to do this, considering our position!! It will be impossible to "experiment" during the Hex, next year!!

[Adam Zebrowski]

freddy, jozy, wynne ain't likely to start versus cuba...

but against t&t, presuming usa beats cuba, they're mortal locks...

and if usa gets up 3 goals versus cuba, adu and altidore off the bench might just happen too...

playing kids get's you screwed...look at the whiz kids at the investment houses, causing bankruptcies left and right...

kids only screw-up and you give them a chance when it won't hurt you

[england66]

kids only screw-up and you give them a chance when it won't hurt you.....


Try telling that to Fabio Capello........or many, many other managers....going back to the guy who gave some 17 year old a chance in the 1958 world cup, and the rest, as they say, is history....

[Mr Martin]

With a place in the next round very likely, but not yet 100% assured, a massive overhaul to test large numbers of different players just won't happen. Certainly not for the Cuba match, which should be the clinching one.

And as was pointed out by Imorin, a massive lineup change doesn't really get you the right kind of test for the newbies. You want to see how a few new players mesh within the basic core of the team. Finding out whose style and personality adds value to the core is the operative question.

Strategically, you test a couple of new or relatively new starters, but keep something like 9 starters the same. You also bring in a couple of new bench players for the experience and spot duty as needed.

Which handful of newer players fit this outline?

1) You must skip Adu and Altidore right now. They are at a crucial moment of their club seasons, and probably of their club careers. Let them work things out in Europe and leave them alone until the spring or summer of 2009. There is PLENTY of time to integrate them with the Senior team in 2009. Plus, they simply are not NEEDED with the senior team right now.

2) You definately want to see more of borderline young guys like Klejstan and Wynne, who have played prominent roles with the Olympic team this summer, were with the Senior squad for the last 2 matches, and who fill a need. Spector is another guy who WOULD have been with the Senior team and Olympic team this summer, had it not been for injury.

3) You also want to look at a couple of prospects who have not played a serious role with the Senior team, but who might fill a need and who have been playing well with their club teams. Cooper, Parkhurst, Rogers, Davies, Buddle, Holden, Gavin, and Marshall are the logical guys to choose from, BUT you won't take them all at the same time, again because you want to integrate them within the core, not replace the core and get a false test.

With that said, I'd take a roster that looks something like this for the next two matches:

Keepers (2): Howard, Guzan

Backs (8): Onyewu, Boca, Cherundolo, Pearce, Wynne, Spector, DeMerit, Parkhurst

Midfielders (7): Mastro, Klejstan, Dempsey, Beasley, Clark, Rogers, Holden

Forwards (4): Donovan, Ching, Cooper, Davies


I'd leave Edu and Bradley in Europe to work on their club seasons, too.


Game 1 vs Cuba I'd start:

-------------Ching-------------------
-----------------Donovan------------
Beasley----Klejstan---Clark----Dempsey
Pearce-----Boca----Onyewu--Cherundolo
---------------Howard-----------------

I'd look to sub in Cooper, Rogers or Holden, and Wynne or Spector during the 2nd half.


Assuming an easy win vs. Cuba and clinching the next round I'd play this vs. T&T:

-------------Cooper-------------------
-----------------Donovan------------
Rogers----Klejstan---Clark----Dempsey
Pearce----Parkhurst--Onyewu--Spector
---------------Guzan----------------

I'd look to get Holden, Wynne, and Davies into the game in the 2nd half.

That is plenty of interesting experiments, but within the context of still having the core around to combine with and test the newer guys.

[Grumpy in LA]

Personally, I'd like to see Bradley leave Adu and Altidore in Europe for Cuba & T&T for the usual reason: let them settle into clubs where they're fighting for minutes. I think he should be on the phone telling them that that's why he's doing it (and I do believe that is why), so that they'll know that from his perspective he's doing them a favor. We should be able to beat Cuba at home without those guys, and as far as I can tell, if we do that that we're mathematically guaranteed to go through to the Hex.

I doubt that Bradley will, but I'd actually like him to leave Edu and M. Bradley with their new clubs for the same reason. Or at least one of them. Or maybe one for each game. Or maybe bring them both in for the Cuba game on the understanding that one or both will be released back to Europe if we win it.

I say this because I don't believe that those four guys need to prove themselves in terms of belonging to the US' top 23. I know a lot of people think that Bradley is a mouth-breathing soul-tester who longs to clone his son and play 10 of them at DM, but I give him credit for knowing that Altidore and Adu are very good young players who deserve to be in the national team picture. Obviously, he already thinks that about Edu and Jr. But desert isn't the question. The question is what serves the best long-term interests of the NT and the players in question.

And in the long run I think Adu & Altidore will be better off impressing their club coaches and getting good minutes in very good leagues than playing in these particular WCQs. We may well want them back for the Hex, but that's all the more reason to let them get in their clubs' good graces before then.


As for new or newish guys I'd like to see called in for Cuba and/or T&T, I'm with the usual suspects: Wynne, Rogers, Cooper, Buddle, Marshall, Parkhurst, Holden. I don't expect--or even want--all of them called in, but some of them would be nice.

[FakeFlopper]

I don't expect to see a mass influx of new players. I still think Bob plans on winning so he's gonna bring the core. I'm looking for:

-Cooper, Buddle, Wynne
- if he leaves his son with his new club