Who is this cycle's step up player?

[E Diddy]

2002 was Mastroeni
2006 was Dempsey
2010 will be.......

Have at it fellas. Great fodder for speculation, but that's it.....

I'd say Torres or Sacha right now. What do you guys think?

[Prime Time]

Torres, Kljestan or Wynne.

Wouldn't be surprised to see some guys say Rogers either.

[Bolo]

I think Sacha and Torres are FOTM picks...

I'm going out on a limb and say Edu

[Altidore_Adu_Fan]

Torres, Kljestan or Wynne.

Wouldn't be surprised to see some guys say Rogers either.

mine 2

[Arid_Torpor]

The trouble is we have so many young guys who are talented but inconsistent. Kljestan, Bradley, Torres, Edu, Altidore, Adu, Rogers. Even guys who haven't sniffed a callup have shown flashes of brilliance (Holden's Olympics, for one). I think/hope Altidore steps up and takes over at striker, and I expect at least one player will step up and earn a starting job in the middle. Don't know who it will be though.

[Barcasox]

Jonathon Spector- Once healthy and challenging for a starting role at West Ham, he could alter the USA's back line quite a bit.

1. Boca-Califf-Gooch-Spector

2. Spector-Boca-Gooch-Dolo

3. Boca-Spector-Gooch-Dolo

I like 1 and 3 the most. Number 3 gives Gooch a fast, athletic partner (not that Gooch or Boca aren't) that would be the best match for Gooch, while Number 1 is another potentially successful centreback partnership and puts Boca where he plays for club and brings good consistent defense that we've been lacking there. The most important thing would be that all those guys would be 1st teamers at very good European clubs and be getting plenty of playing time.

[Kevin8833]

Kljestan (hopefully Adu and Altidore as well)

[I<3jorgecampos]

Robbie Rodgers

[Flipstar508]

my vote is for torres, Hopefully jozy, adu, edu, and rogers also step up. Oh I can't forget about feilhaber.

[Barcasox]

Robbie Rodgers

whoa, you must be really in the know about US Soccer, I've never even heard of this guy!

[Maximum Optimal]

2002 was Mastroeni
2006 was Dempsey
2010 will be.......



In 2002 we had four step up players: Donovan, Beasley, Sanneh and Mastroeni.

That was the difference between 2002 and 2006.

If we want 2010 to be closer to 2002 than 2006 we have to hope for more than one step up players. We have plenty of candidates. In rough order of my subjective probability: Altidore, Adu, Edu, Kljestan, Torres, Clark, Spector, Szetela, Wynne, Feilhaber.

I assume the definition of step up player is one who makes a contribution in that year that is well above what he has done in prior years.

[FakeFlopper]

I like how Kljestan has slowly proven me wrong, but tomorrow is his a big test for him. Whoever it is, it's going to be an MLS player or a smaller league European player. Maybe Torres since he doesn't fit nicely into things but I'm going to say Clark as he fits the "MLS guy out of nowhere " bill.

[Bo Schembechler]

I'll go with Michael Bradley...

[appoo]

Sacha has already stepped it up as well as Bradley. Mastro and Dempsey came in post qualifying. Santino Quaranta was ahead of Dempsey on the depth chart when we qualified for the 2006 World Cup.

I'm gonna go with Michael Harrington

[FCmagic01]

I think Altidore will establish himself at the top striker

[FlashMan]

Kljestan (hopefully Adu and Altidore as well)


This is who I was going to go with.

[I<3jorgecampos]

whoa, you must be really in the know about US Soccer, I've never even heard of this guy!


what?

[Pass-n-Go]

what?
Robbie Rogers. You misspelled his name.

[OWN(yewu)ED]

Im feeling adventurous on this one.......im going against the grain here.

Sal Zizzo is close to breaking Hannover's squad. If he breaks through next season, we have a contender for a real speedy right mid.

[TrueCrew]

Robbie Rodgers

Ahhh! The real breakout will be BS posters learning how to spell!

ROBBIE FRACKING ROGERS!

There is no D in it!

Think Roger. Roger. Roger. Rogers. Get it. No D.

Sorry for going off on you, jorgecampos, but I see it all the time on these boards, and I'm a little buzzed after coming back from the US party tonight, and I can't take it.

In response to the initial post, I think there will be more than one. I'll go with, in order..

1) Jozy Altidore
2) Spector
3) Kljestan
4) Torres
5) Edu
6) Adu
7) Rogers
8) Marshall
9) Wynne
10) Holden

I know its a longshot, but all 10 could make the 23. And I'm willing to bet at least 5 will.

The everyone makes it scenario would go something like this:

GK: Howard, Guzan, Hahnemann
D: Dolo, Gooch, Boca, Pearce; Wynne, Marshall, Califf, Spector
M: Dempsey, Bradley, Kljestan, Beasley, Holden, Edu, Torres, Rogers
F: Donovan, Ching, Altidore, Adu

A longshot I know, but not completely crazy.