Trecker: U.S. fans want to see some new blood on the pitch

[Scotty]

U.S. fans want to see some new blood on the pitch

Bob Bradley is perhaps the most criticized winning coach in the American game, and a great deal of it has to do with the fact that is name isn't Jürgen Klinsmann.

However, some of the criticism of his tenure is indeed fair. His team has looked uninspired and passionless, displaying the kind of steadiness and reserve that the famously terse coach is himself known for. At a time when the Americans are desperate for credibility and dazzle, Bradley's team has served out the same old meatloaf each game.

Part of this is due to his unwillingness to bring in some new faces in pressure games. He ignored Freddy Adu and Jozy Altidore, seems to have forgotten about Kenny Cooper, and seems content to slog through games with the same glaring weaknesses in the back that have made the Americans vulnerable game in and game out.
http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/8655296/U.S.-fans-want-to-see-some-new-blood-on-the-pitch

[Adam Zebrowski]

you don't bring newbies into pressure right away...

you get them experience slowly, like versus t&t and guatemala, once the hex is assured...

dopes who want kids are like those who say no problems with banks giving out loans to every breathing pulse...

kids get you screwed...

you let them grow up first

[Scotty]

Donovan was 19 years old and had a total of 4 caps (all friendlies) when he played in his first World Cup qualifier.

Beasley was the same age and had a total of 2 caps (all friendlies) when he played in his first World Cup qualifier.

If you're good enough to make a difference then you're old enough.

[Adam Zebrowski]

what were the options in front of donovan and beasley??

if you want to use kids, as a rule, they will disappoint you...

you let them grow up....

[75 Cent]

I guess i just don't understand the mentality around here. It's not like we're gonna lose to Cuba no matter what age our players are. Unless getting the experience at a young age somehow hurts their chances of reaching full potential, I just don't understand why we wouldn't get them playing time in a meaningful game.

[iCEMANGSCCC]

It's not like we're gonna lose to Cuba no matter what age our players are.




Ladies and Gentleman of the prosecution, I present you this and do beg to find any truth in it!

[spongey]

"Twenty is mature in most of the soccer world, but in the US we can count our competitive professional soccer players of that age on two hands."
B. Latham @ Yanks Abroad

We are dopes. . . for not using our youth.

[75 Cent]

Ladies and Gentleman of the prosecution, I present you this and do beg to find any truth in it!

If our team can't beat Cuba at home using our top youth players (Altidore, Adu...) instead of the same old veteran players (Ching, Ej... players who havent ever gotten us anywhere) then we may not even qualify for the world cup.

[iCEMANGSCCC]

If our team can't beat Cuba at home using our top youth players (Altidore, Adu...) instead of the same old veteran players (Ching, Ej... players who havent ever gotten us anywhere) then we may not even qualify for the world cup.



Top European teams drawing or losing against minnow competition highly disagrees with you. There is NO certain wins or losses in WCQ; everybody knows that.

[Galaxian]

If our team can't beat Cuba at home using our top youth players (Altidore, Adu...) instead of the same old veteran players (Ching, Ej... players who havent ever gotten us anywhere) then we may not even qualify for the world cup.

Our u23 team struggled with the cuban u 23's back in olympic qualifying, and we only ended up tying 1-1. I dont see why you expect a certain victory.

[Deep Wilcox]

you don't bring newbies into pressure right away...

you get them experience slowly, like versus t&t and guatemala, once the hex is assured...

dopes who want kids are like those who say no problems with banks giving out loans to every breathing pulse...

kids get you screwed...

you let them grow up first


This is just so wrong. Especially with forwards. The world of international socer is chock full of young guys playing up top and playing well. In cenral defense, in central midfield, in the goal age and experience are helpful. Up top, speed & finishing trump age and teachery.

[HatTrickHero411]

what were the options in front of donovan and beasley??

what are the options in front of adu and altidore?

it just irritates me to no end that people don't have a problem with LD getting all that time at his age but now everyone is like, "oh yeah, we need to hold the young guys off for a while. let them develop and learn from our guys who are world beaters."

give a f****** break guys like adam zebrokowsi

[WaltonFire]

Ultimately, the question of whether we should have played more younger players earlier can be answered by the following thought: has our current qualification strategy hurt us? Given that we are 3-0-0 with 3 shutouts in this round of qualification and are poised to clinch advancement to the hex, using older more experienced players, I fail to see how anyone can claim that we went about this qualification round with the wrong personel. Individuals like Adam, and Prime Time have stated since the Guatemala game that after we clinched advancement, we would see more younger players. Well now that it appears that the T&T game results will not matter, numerous younger players are on the roster poised to play in that game. The same should occur in November vs. Guatemala. Younger players are not being ignored, there will be some of these guys on the WC roster, but the decision was made to go will known quantities that we knew could get the job done to clinch advancement to the hex. It was never the plan to ignore Altidore, Adu, etc. forever, just to avoid the risk of a team full of internationally unproven players laying an egg in earlier important qualifiers. You will see new blood in the next couple of games, and the team bound for SA will not be the exact same team you saw against Guatamala, at Cuba, etc. so please relax and enjoy the fact that at this point we are off to our best WCQ cycle ever.

[mcnaulty21]

Trecker Alert! Trecker Alert!

[sidefootsitter]

New blood vs. old blood is an ill-defined concept but, when the comparison is between Altidore and Ching, then the new blood wins hands down.

PS. For a second, I thought this was about Clint Mathis.

[Scotty]

New blood vs. old blood is an ill-defined concept but, when the comparison is between Altidore and Ching, then the new blood wins hands down.


Exactly.

And letting the "young blood" loose on the field doesn't mean that the entire team is going to be newbies.

When Arena first played Donovan and Beasley in WCQs there were also experienced veterans on the field at the same time. Having that balance is a good thing.