First question: will Jurgen definately hold a camp cupcake in Jan 2012? It's not clear if he will. He might consider it a waste of time to train a bunch of mostly C-team players who will never get a whiff of the first team squad. Especially with the Olympic qualifying around the corner. But let's assume he does. Here's a potential roster, including the Scandinavian-based players. Goalkeepers: Hamid, Johnson, Rimando. Two u-23's for the future, plus one solid veteran. Centerbacks: Goodson, Gonzalez, Ream, John, Cameron. A lot of good centerbacks in MLS that Jurgen needs to evaluate. Marshall and Ihemelu just miss out. Fullbacks: Parkhurst, Franklin, Williams, Loyd, Pearce. Parkhurst needs to get another shot, could be used as a utility RB or LB. Pearce and Loyd battle on the left, while Sean Frankin and Sheanon Williams battle on the right. Central Midfielders: Beckerman, Feilhaber, Adu, Diskeruud, McCarty, Graham Zusi. Wingers: Shea, Rolfe, Gaven, Gatt. A lot of nice young talent to work with here, sprinkled with some veterans. Strikers: Agudelo, Bunbury, Sapong, Cooper, Conor O'Brien (denmark). Davies still isn't ready, can't even start for DC United. I definitely think Cooper deserves another shot. O'Brien from denmark is probably worth a flyer as well. And let's give Donovan off for January - he doesn't need the wear and tear. Let's save him for qualifying.
Camp Cupcake is a place for the U-23's to train, as well as some of the academy players, example, Zach Pfeffer, Zak MacMath, Jack McInerney, Sean Johnson, Amobi Okugo and others, also it's the place to test out the players who we dream of having on our roster up to the World Cup, example, Agudelo, Altidore, Bunbury, Gonzalez, Johnson, Williams, John, Bradley, Jones, Gatt, Shea, Adu and others.
It's not so much Klinsi, it's more Sunil and MLS. Basically, Since the 90's, Camp Cupcake has been a fixture for the US because the MLS offseason is extraordinarily long. The Camp is good for key US MLS players because it gives them game minutes in the break between seasons. Also, it gives peripheral MLS players a look, and maybe a chance at the US National Team (Biggest Camp Cupcake winners: Clint Mathis and Ben Olsen.). Furthermore, we can usually land a good opponent. The Scandinavian leagues break comes in at the same time, so we have a pick of any Scandinavian player and we usually play a Scandinavian team. Asian leagues break in December, and in the past we have played Asian teams in Camp Cupcake (China and Korea have been opponents). And of course, we can play Canada. Considering that Klinsi is having a little trouble with our player pool, a Camp Cupcake is actually a bit more necessary now. Klinsi can call in key MLS veterans (Beckerman and Feilhaber) and call in younger talent (Diskerud and Gonzalez) as well as other players who need to get caps (John and Wondolowski). So basically, I don't see Camp Cupcake as a waste of time at all. However, I would like the change a couple of things. For one, it would be nice if the US has an away Cupcake game, like when we played Korea in 2001 or Scotland a few years later. It's a qualification year and we need to handle things on the road. Secondly, if it is a home qualifier, does it automatically have to be at the HDC? Yes, LA has good winter weather, but so does Dallas, Nashville, or Houston. And even in winter conditions, Seattle would represent. Of course, our opponent would probably have to do with where we would play. As for a roster, I wouldn't write that up until after the November friendlies.
I generally agree that Camp Cupcake, particularly this year, is not a waste of time and I'd bolded what I think your best points are. One change: Cameron as opposed to Wondolowski, at least as a priority.
The U-23s are one angle, the other is that this would be an extended period for JK to teach his system to potential players. He seems to really be going for continuity in these call ups to work in his system. this would allow him to really bring in a lot of players without disrupting the process for the guys that arent available all the time.
The problem is none of the euro and mexican-based will be available, and they make up about 90% of our roster. So there's no point in teaching his system to a bunch of players who will never get to implement his system in qualifiers. It is important though to identify fringe candidates, and to help young players grow into potential contributors down the line. I would see this camp as being most important for players like Agudelo, Adu, Diskeruud and Bunbury.
If there were only an u-23 camp for MLS/Scandinavian players, it would probably be something like this: G: Hamid, Johnson D: Davies, Kitchen, Sarkodie, Opara, Wallace, Williams, Sean Cunningham M: Adu, Shea, Diskeruud, Gatt, Duka, Gil, Okugo, Gavin F: Agudelo, Bunbury, Salgado, McInerney
No Gonzalez, John, Johnson, Altidore, or MacMath? They are all U-23, however I don't see why John, Johnson and Gonzalez aren't able to play in the Olympics, according to Wikipedia, that is. Here is my roster: G: Hamid, Johnson D: Kitchen, Opara, John, Gonzalez, Johnson, Chandler, Wallace M: Shea, Diskerud, Gatt, Okugo, Gyau, Hürzeler, Renken, Rowe, Williams F: Agudelo, Altidore, Doyle, Bunbury, McInerney
I think your really missing the point. The reason you run through 30 players in a seperate camp is so that you can A) get them all familiar with what your trying to do, in case an injury crisis hits and B) get a first hand look at all of them so you can identify which of them you want to use those few valuable slots not currently spoken for with the A) team. You can either call them in 1 at a time over multiple camps trying to get them on the same page as the first teamers, only to start over again, burning through multiple A team callups just to figure out which if any can help you, or you can call all 3 at once into a seperate camp, make your evaluations, then bring them into the A team having been brought up to speed already. The following is strictly hypothetical For example, suppose you are looking at John, Cameron, and Omar as CDs. Let's say you rank them based on tape: 1.Omar 2. John 3.Cameron You call them into your camp cupcake, and you realize Omar doesnt really fit into your system, and you underestimated Cameron, who you hadnt seen much of. So your next A team cap instead of capping Omar, and giving him 3 or 4 camps to learn your system, then doing the same for John, you go straight to Cameron. It also doesn't take him 3 to 4 camps to start fitting into the system, because youve already had a month to go over it with him. Now you can get to someplace in 1 month it would have taken 8 months to do if you only have the A team camps.
First off, only players born after Jan. 1 1989 are age eligible for the olympics. So that knocks out Gonzalez and John. Second of all, euro-based players won't be available in January, so that knocks off Altidore and Fabian Johnson. Macmath ain't better than Hamid or Sean Johnson. My prior roster was composed of MLS/Scandinavian-based players who are u-23 candidates.
I'd actually prefer some of the top guys who'd normally be at camp cupcake, go out on loan or train with a Euro team for 3 months. Guys like Juan/Shea/Gonzalez/John/Bunbury should all be training with clubs in Europe, or hopefully on loan, and getting some playing time. For the lesser guys, the camp is extremely important, as it is for Klinsi. Guys like Kitchen/Gil/Gatt/Mix/Adu/Pontius should be called in. Autopenalti, I don't know why you have the germans on the camp cupcake roster. The Bund does not break for camp cupcake, nor is playing in camp cupcake better then getting time in the Bund. What'll be interesting, is what Beckerman does. Klinsy said all his NT guys in MLS can't take more then 3 weeks off. So, does Beckerman go to Europe and train with a club? Does he go on loan? He can't sit on his ass in SLC, and camp cupcake isn't for a guy his age.
Yes, he will. In this interview that I first saw on mlssoccer.com, he stated he wanted players to train with other clubs after the MLS season. He said he will even help the National team prospect find clubs. He then stated he wanted them back before the January camp. http://www.socceramerica.com/article/43576/no-vacation-for-klinsmanns-men.html
Maybe, he was thinking that the would come over on the Bundesliga's winterbreak. It runs from Dec. 17th to January 21st. They usually still train as a club unit during that time, usually in Spain or the Middle East. I doubt any players find their way over here.
I'd like to see some guys in the age range of 17-19 brought into the camp. Guys who are predicted to have a serious impact in 2-3 yrs. See if they can compete with the bigger boys.
I hope he opens practices up and publicizes schedules, I'd bring a group of kids over for sure. They would learn so much watching the nats practice.
Love this squad but you forgot Tim Ream, uggggggggggggg, and Omar Gonzalez. As well as Diego Chevarri, Peru is also in its offseason in January...
I'd love a Camp Cupcake, but I would not use it as a U-23 camp, but more for a camp for MLS and Scandinavian players who are on the periphery of the USMNT. We have a lot of spots up for grabs. The #3 GK spot. The #2 RB/LB spots. The #3/4 CB spots. The #2-4 forward spots. Any real #8 besides Holden or Bradley. And someone to backup LD at RM. Not to mention CAM/WF behind Dempsey/Torres. So, I'd go like this. 23 men. GK: Hamid, Johnson, Hartman. Fullback: Lichaj, Pearce, Loyd, S. Williams (or maybe Dunivant) Centerback: Gonzalez, John, Marshall, Parkhurst (I'd call Goodson with the 1st team) Def/Mid: Cameron DM/CM: Larentowicz, CM/AM: Diskerud, Feilhaber RM: Gaven, Gatt LM: Shea, Davis (Feilhaber) CAM: Adu (Feilhaber, Bedoya, Diserkud, Davis) F/WF: Gomez, Cooper, Bunbury, Wondo
Here would be the players I'm interested in looking at from MLS if I'm the coach. GK: Kennedy, Hall, Macmath, Hamid CB: Gonzalez, Cameron, John, Soares, Besler, Borchers, Marshall LB/RB: Dunivant, G. Farfan, Moor, Pearce, Wynne CM/DM/AM: Beckerman, Feilhaber, Adu, LaBrocca, Gil, Zusi, Stephens, Duka, Evans RM/LM/Wingers: B. Davis, Gaven, Zizzo, M. Farfan, Pontius, Neagle, Rogers CF/ST: Wondolowski, Bunbury, Agudelo, Davies, Braun, McInerney, Sapong, Bruin, Some of these guys aren't ready, but this is who would be on my radar for contributing to the NT at some point. Who am I missing?
Here's a name for you: Steven Beitishour, the Iranian kid from SJ. Has 7 assists as a RB for the hometown Earrquakes, just drew a PK too. Can really deliver a cross.