If you could pick ONE player to be the biggest flop in USMNT history that based on hype/reputation that has at least earned one USMNT cap but has fallen off the radar completely, who would it be? For this, I ask that each voter pick a different player, and at the end of the month, we decide who won. My pick: Santino Quaranta There was a lot of hope that Quaranta would be in the next category of Beasley and Donovan. Also, he has shown glimpses that hype might be true, but he never was able to be a consistent force. Ultimately, he retired and earns my vote for biggest flop.
He actually did manage to do something. Still, how many people 5 years ago would've been willing to bet that he'd barely even be able to sniff the senior side in the 2014 cycle.
There are more than enough very quiet lemmings around here that thought Adu was going to make Donovan nearly irrelevant by now
True, the hype for Freddy was huge. No other player can have the lines, "you were the chosen one! It was said that you would replace Donovan, improve on him! You'd make the best ever National Team, not leave it in darkness!" (screamed by Obi-Wan) applied to him.
Honorable mention has to go to Jovan Kirovski, who accumulated 62 caps while failing to establish himself for European clubs, starting with Man United, where he never got past the reserves. At age 28, he finally came home to MLS and quickly slid off the national team radar. In his best offensive season here, he had 8 goals and 2 assists. Kirovski followed in the footsteps of Nelson Vargas, who was anointed as a future star because he spent some time training with AC Milan. Vargas got four caps in total, the first when Bora made the bizarre decision to give a few U17 national teamers a runout with our senior team.
After Freddy Adu, these are the ones I can think of, in no particular order: Danny Szetela, Memo Gonzales, David Arvizu, Jordan Older, Connor from StarKick...
Adu because of the amount of hype. After that, hype is subjective. I remember hearing how Petke would end up our greatest defender, Lee Nguyn was a midfield deity and Adin Brown was the GK of the future. But I go back before the internet was common and say Ken Snow. Lots of hype in soccer circles when he left IU and nothing to show for it.
Adu is too easy of a pick, but in truth, I wouldn't say he is a "flop" just yet. For starters, he is still just 23 and is at a new club where he just got into the rotation. Secondly, he has always done well whenever he has been in a US shirt. For me, put him in the too soon to tell category. Eddie Gaven, Jovan Kirovski, Zach Thornton, Sal Zizzo, Lee Nguyen, and Santino Quaranta all fit the bill. Even Bobby Convey might fit in there too. Now, who is the worst USMNT player of all time? Jay Heaps, Robbie Findley, Robbie Rogers, Jeff Agoos, Mike Burns, or Jonathan Bornstein? I'd have to go in order: Heaps, Agoos, Burns, Bornstein, Rogers, and Findley.
Again subjective. Agoos, Burns and Findley somehow made it to the world stage. I don't know how but they did. If you want worst then Ted Eck,Matt Kmosko, Drew Moor, Joey Franchino and Chad McCarty all come to mind. If I sober up I have a few more for you.