[Sandon Mibut]

I’ve done in this after the past few seasons just for shits and giggles. Occasionally it reveals a player who is due for a cap or two and they actually get it. (Not because of this list but because they’ve earned it.)

It’s interesting to me that the list continues to grow a little longer, showing me that the longer MLS exists, the harder it gets for rank-and-file players to get caps.

The list only includes regular season games and only includes players eligible for the US national team who ended the 09 season on an MLS roster and who have never been capped by the US senior team.

ACTIVE PLAYERS (Through the end of the 09 regular season)
PLAYER –REGULAR SEASON GAMES	                 DOB		JOINED MLS

Carey Talley – 299				8/26/76		98
Brandon Prideaux – 252				8/18/76		99*
Dema Kovalenko – 235				8/28/77		99^ **
Jim Curtin – 172				6/23/79		01
Chris Leitch – 167				4/1/79		02

Jack Jewsbury – 166				4/13/81		03
Mike Magee – 153				9/2/84		03
Craig Waibel – 152				8/21/75		99*
Danny O’Rourke – 122				5/31/83		05
Seth Stammler – 121				9/29/81		04

James Riley – 122				10/27/82	05
Ned Grabavoy – 114				7/1/83		04
Daniel Hernandez – 113				7/23/76		98 **
Ryan Cochrane – 111				8/8/83		04	
Jeff Larentowicz – 111				8/5/83		05

Carlos Mendes – 107				12/25/80	02*
Jason Hernandez – 97				8/26/83		05
Jacob Peterson – 92				1/27/86		06
Kevin Goldthwaite – 87				12/9/82		05
Abe Thompson -86				1/12/82		05

Alan Gordon – 87				10/6/81		04*
Michael Harrington – 86			        1/24/86		07
Marc Burch – 82				        5/7/84		06
Jon Conway – 81				        5/6/77		00
Aaron Pitchkolan – 77				3/14/83		05

Dax McCarty – 72				4/30/87		06
Will Hesmer – 71				11/23/81	04
Corey Ashe – 71				        3/14/86		07
Wells Thompson – 71				11/25/83	07
Calen Carr – 68					10/4/82		06

Devon Mactavish – 64 				8/8/84		06
Dasan Robinson – 63				6/6/84		06
Nick LaBrocca – 61				12/4/84		07
Jason Garey – 61				7/19/84		06
Matt Pickens – 59				4/5/82		04**

Chris Wondolowski – 53				1/28/83		05
Geoff Cameron – 52				7/11/85		08
Pat Ianni – 52				        6/15/85		06
Lawson Vaughn – 51				4/11/84		06
Adam Cristman – 51				1/8/85		07

*Began pro career in A-League/USL or abroad prior to joining MLS
^Did not become US citizen till after joining MLS
** Spent time away from MLS before returning

ALL TIME (active in bold)
Carey Talley – 299
Brandon Prideaux – 252
Scott Garlick – 237
Dema Kovalenko – 235
Steve Jolley - 227
Mike Clark – 221
Brian Kamler - 214
Bobby Rhine – 212
Eric Denton – 197
Chris Brown – 197
Ross Paule - 192
Jim Curtin – 172
Brian Dunseth - 171
Chris Leitch – 167
Jack Jewsbury – 166
Orlando Perez – 163
Kelly Gray – 160
Richard Farrer - 158
Rusty Pierce – 155
Mike Magee – 153
Craig Waibel – 152
John Maessner - 151
David Vaudreuil - 151
Ian Russell - 147
Eric Quill – 143
Todd Yeagley - 138
Jose Burciaga – 127
Paul Broome - 127
Francisco Gomez - 126
Mike Ammann – 125
A.J. Wood - 124
Danny O’Rourke – 122
James Riley – 122
Mark Dougherty - 122
Seth Stammler – 121
Mark Semioli - 121
Mike Duhaney - 121
Mark Lisi - 120
Matt Jordan – 117
Jim Rooney - 116
Ned Grabavoy – 114
Ryan Cochrane – 111
Jeff Larentowicz – 111
Sean Bowers – 111
Eric Dade – 111
Bo Oshoniyi - 109
Danny Pena - 109
Chris Martinez - 108
Evan Whitfield - 108
Carlos Mendes – 107
Brandon Pollard - 106
David Kramer - 106
Daniel Hernandez – 106
Pete Marino – 100

[Karl K]

Fantastic list, per usual.

I always thought Mike Magee would eventually get a cap or two, but you have to be a really speedy guy for someone his size to get a shot.

The other Illinois born player on the list, Ned Grabavoy, is an interesting case.

When he was a senior at Lincoln Way HS, and I think was named the US HS player of the year, he had all kinds of press coverage. I actually went to the Illinois HS finals and watched his team lose to Luke Kremalmyer's team. (Luke scored I think two goals in that game, while Ned was shut down).

Anyway, Mike Matkovich, who coached Ned at the Magic, got him a tryout with Bayern Munich, which also got some coverage in the local papers. Apparently, the guys at BM liked his technical skills but really didn't think he had the athleticism to play Bundesliga football.

So, off to Indiana instead of Munich, and, inevitably it seems, on Sandon's list of players with most MLS appearances without a cap.

I think there are only two young guys on your list who might eventually get off it -- Dax McCarty and Jacob Peterson.

[Sandon Mibut]

Thanks for the kind words, Karl.

I remember when Ned had the BM tryout. BS was very excited. Ned may not have any caps but he's had a decent career and won an NCAA title and an MLS Cup so he's been part of some good teams.

Is anyone having trouble with the formatting? When I posted it, the lost in the "code" was formatted fine but when I go back to look at it it's all messed up.

[Karl K]

Formatting is good...can see it fine.

[Sandon Mibut]

Originally Posted by Karl K

Formatting is good...can see it fine.

Thank, Karl.

Must be something with the browser I'm using.

Back to the list, one of the things that jumps out at me is just how many of the players on it are four-year college players.

The cut-off I used to make the list was 50 MLS games and 40 players fit that criteria. Of thouse 4, one didn't play college soccer (Magee), one played two seasons (McCarty) and five (Kovalenko, Grabavoy, Cochrane, Peterson and Ianni) played three seasons of college ball before turning pro.

Combined with fewer and fewer national team players - especially the regulars and semi-regulars - being players who played four years of college ball and the writing is on the wall for players who want to play regularly for the national team.

[Karl K]

I also think that anyone over 25 on this list is also s---t out of luck. That leaves Magee very much on the bubble now.

I always thought Dema Kovalenko was a national team level player during his first 5 years with the league, and I was always puzzled why he didn't go balls to the wall to straighten out his citizenship issues early on.

[cpwilson80]

Great work, Sandon.

It'd be interesting to see who on this list has at least made a camp. Sure, there are lower standards like the Jan camp and local games, but it still shows some level of competence and that a player is on the radar.

How has Harrington played this season? He seems like a guy that might get a cap or two at some point. Given our continued lack of stability at left back, it seems like the best shot, because none of these central mids are getting a look.

[irish56]

I thought Ned would get some caps by now, but he failed to up his game from a very solid rookie year. He was my steal on the MLS fantasy challenge his rookie year.

[Sachin]

Carey Talley is still the most tragic figure on the list.

[szazzy]

Originally Posted by cpwilson80

How has Harrington played this season? He seems like a guy that might get a cap or two at some point. Given our continued lack of stability at left back, it seems like the best shot, because none of these central mids are getting a look.

Harrington was very inconsistent in 09, maybe his worst year. He got moved around a bit, but looked better under Vermes than Onalfo. Also Jewsbury was called in last January, but I don't know if he'll ever get his cap.

Jay Heaps should still be on this list...