So our favorite time of year is fast approaching: that time where we try to predict which players will be called into Camp Cupcake and be groomed for future positions of valor. Usually only 1-2 inspirations emerge from this Camp each year, while the rest fall away. Who will be the diamond in the rough this year? Will the new coach even have one? (I say yes.) As always, this camp assumes only players from MLS and the Scandinavian countries will be available. Though occasionally Klinsmann did invite some Mexican and other Euro-based players. G: Steffen, Hamid, Guzan, Alex Bono. CB: Besler, Zimmerman, Hedges, Long, Opara RB: Reggie Cannon, ? LB: Ben Sweat, ? CM: Adams, Acosta, Trapp, Delgado, Canouse, Nguyen (!), Feilhaber (?) W: Arriola, Lletget, Amon, Sabbi, Romain Gall, Picault. F: Altidore, Zardes, Dwyer, Bunbury I know Nguyen and Feilhaber are on the older side, but they have flair and experience, and are still playing well, unlike Michael Bradley. Also Lee and Benny are not tainted by the WC failure. Besler is old but still playing well for a CB, and we need his calming presence. Vets we can leave behind: Bedoya, Kljestan, Parkhurst, Spector. Also consider: Nagbe, Roldan, Agudelo, Rowe, Ibarra, Zusi.
Goalies: Steffen, Guzan, Melia Defenders: Cannon, Lima, Parker, Long, Glad, Besler, Trusty, D. Acosta, Garza Midfielders: Trapp, Canouse, K. Acosta, Roldan, Gall, Lletget, Sabbi, Delgado Forwards: Altidore, Morris, Ebobisse Adams: Supposed to be joining Leipzig after the season. Agudelo: The latest story claimed Europe with his contract running out. No U-20's. Let them worry about preparing for the U-20 WC.
Who I’d call in.... which would be a large camp to bring in and get to know the players I’d want to let to know I was monitoring closely. Goalkeepers: Zack Steffen, Alex Bono, Jesse Gonzalez, JT Marcinkowski Right Backs: Reggie Cannon, Keegan Rosenberry, Brooks Lennon Center Backs: Tim Parker, Aaron Long, Justen Glad, Auston Trusty, Mark McKenzie Left Backs: Ben Sweat, George Bello, Jaylin Lindsey, Danilo Acosta (not much available in the LB department) Center/Def Midfielders: Russell Canouse, Wil Trapp, Kellyn Acosta, Marky Delgado, Cristian Roldan, Djordje Mihailovic (assuming Adams will be at RB Leipzig), (Sean Davis is on my watchlist but just missing out) Center/Att Midfielders: Darlington Nagbe, Sebastian Lletget, Kelyn Rowe, Andrew Carleton Wingers: Paul Arriola, Fafa Picault, Chris Mueller, Alex Muyl, Jonathan Amon* (assuming we could bring in Amon...if not then Jonathan Lewis), (assuming Efrain Alvarez would say no) Forwards: Gyasi Zardes, Teal Bunbury, Gianluca Busio, Corey Baird, Dom Dwyer, Jeremy Ebobisse, Brandon Vasquez, Emmanuel Sabbi* (like Amon, I’d assume would be available), Romain Gall* (would assume would be available)
Which MLS teams are in line to go to Concacaf champions league? That would effect the callup list, presumably
I don't see any criteria outlined anywhere. I think it would likely be the team that lost MLS Cup, the team that finished second to Atlanta in this years Supporters Shield Race or the team that finished second to Atlanta in the two year combined race. NYRB is going to come second to Atlanta for this years supporters shield and the combined, if they don't end up taking this years supporters shield, so likely either NYRB or the team that comes runner up to Atlanta/SKC in MLS Cup.
If I had orders to round up the usual suspects (+ that Klinsmann guy) ------------------------------ramirez/zardes -----------roldan/rowe---trapp/canouse---delgado/parks --sweat/garza-----parker-----glad-----long-----lima/cannon --------------------------gk: Hamid/Klinsmann Need some gk's, wing forwards and 2 more cb's but not sure who that would be. I never watch Philly. There's a bunch of wingers like PIcault, Muyl, the Orlando guy, the Real Stl guy. Wouldn't mind seeing Soto.
Sarachan called 30 last January. My 30 for this January would be: Forwards: Altidore, Zardes, Ramirez, Morris Midfielders: Nagbe, Acosta, Delgado, Canouse, Trapp, Roldan, Arriola, Rowe, Ibarra Defenders: Garza, Sweat, Villafana, Besler, Parker, Long, Zimmerman, Glad, Trusty, Cannon, Lima, Lennon Goalies: Steffen, Hamid, Guzan, Bono, Gonzalez If we can get Amon/Sabbi/Gall released, that would improve the offense dramatically.
Canada already going with an 18 yr old GK for their qualification campaiagn? https://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/juventus-prospect-alessandro-busti-chose-play-canada/ I wonder who we have training with some good teams in Europe. Didn't we have a guy at Freiburg (besides Steffen)? I think sometimes they let their guys go to Jan camp because they can use the experience.
If you're talking about goalies, '97 Jonathan Klinsmann is with Hertha, '98 Kevin Silva is with Hearts, and '99 Brady Scott is with Koln.
Unless they transfer, Gall, Amon and Sabbi should all be available due to the Nordic break. With the sad, dearth of American attacking options in MLS, those 3 should get the call.
I wanna see this year's camp include more players than traditionally....more of a cupcake combine, if you will....
A subject of some concern should be who we schedule for our prom date. In the past we played Canada and @chile (domestic team) e.g. I like the idea of a Canada fixture. They always play us tough (defensively) in January. Maybe there is a far east team in town like SoKorea or something. My doppelganger team (vis a vis Europe) -------------------------ramirez(sargent)-----zardes(weah) -------------------------------------Roldan(Weston) -------------------Acosta(adams)-------------------Delgado(parks) -------------------------------------trapp(Canouse?) -------Sweat(Robinson)--parker(brooks)---long(miazga)---lima(Yedlin)
GK: Gonzalez, Miller, Melia, Hamid DF: Zimmerman, Long, Parker, Glad, Trusty FB: Cannon, Lima, Rosenberry, Lennon, Hollingshead, Villafana CDM: Roldan, Canouse, Delgado, S. Davis, Trapp, Hayes CAM: Lletget, Mihailovic, Rowe A-Mid: Amon, Gall, Mueller, Arriola, Picault, Ibarra, Sabbi FW: Dwyer, Sapong, Ramirez, Morris, Baird key: sample starting xi in bold
In fact, I can see US soccer approaching this as a joint USMNT/US-U23 camp. Olympic qualification is on the horizon and we've done squadoosh to prepare for it. We have no coach, and as far as I know no games on the schedule.
Probably depends on the nature of the hired coach and his familiarity with the player pool. To some degree, our USMNT right now is almost a U23 team A squad of domestic & Scandinavian players eligible for the Olympic team with a couple of slightly older guys (Steffen, Canouse, Jesse Gonzalez for instance) isn't actually all that far off................. I mean, do we really need to see Dom Dwyer and CJ Sapong? I'd almost rather call up the Olympic eligible forwards even if they haven't done anything yet. From MLS that's a guy like Ebobisse. Bring in some youngsters we might think of as the "next Reggie Cannon or Auston Trusty." I don't even care if we call in Efrain Alvarez )). I see people suggesting Ryan Hollingshead. Why? I sorta think we should approach the USMNT right now like Uruguay does. As one program. We have folders in our heads of U17 players, U20 players, U23 players, and USMNT players. No. I'd prefer that we take the players we think have elite potential across all age groups into one camp. Let the youngsters see what being a USMNT player is all about and challenge them. No need to take inferior MLS players with low ceilings just because we have a roster slot for "domestic USMNT fullback." Take George Bello, Jaylin Lindsey, etc.........................instead of Ryan Hollingshead. Will they develop into future USMNTers? I don't know. But I know who's unlikely to: Ryan Hollingshead. [By the way, I'm an FCD fan.] Take Andrew Carleton instead of Kellyn Rowe. Take Chris Durkin instead of Acosta. Take Mark McKenzie instead of a veteran like Besler. We know what these veterans can and can't do. If we hire a domestic coach, they do too. If we hire a foreign coach that's not as familiar at all with the pool, then yes its very important that he take a look at everybody.
i agree that it should be slanted to youth but i also think that center midfield, for example is a place where vets might help the team be better. i think ONLY calling in 23 year olds and young would be a mistake...b/c as you saw, perhaps, in the peru game....30% possession doesnt really help anyone look good...and that's what you'd get, most likely, if a u23 team tried to play a real national team from another country.... so, i think a slant towards youth but no hardline rule is the best option.... an i also dont buy the idea that JK and Arena thoroughly combed the over 23 part of the pool and we can just trust that we know all of those players well enough.....for the most part maybe...but again a hard line rule of only olympic eligible players would be a mistake, imo.....
Problem with Canada as an opponent is that if Euro leagues don't release their players, they won't have a good team. There are no international fixture dates in Jan/Feb of 2019, so no Euro teams will have to release players. Here are potential opponents for Jan Camp, date of last meeting and FIFA world Ranking, which I don't put a lot of stock in, but is nevertheless a good barometer of quality. We don't want too great an opponent, but we don't want too bad a one either. We want a good test for our guys. Also, the friendly could talk place on the east coast (Florida) if we get a European team to come over. Or how about having a match in Hawaii with an Asian opponent? Never been a US game there. Leagues with winter breaks: Sweden, Norway, Australia, South Korea, Japan, Finland, Iceland. Most likely opponents in bold. Denmark (March 2015) (11) Chile (Jan 2015) (12) Sweden (Jan 2009) (15) Netherlands (June 2015) (17) Poland (Oct 2010) (18) Wales (May 2003) (19) USA - Currently ranked 22. Austria (Nov 2013) (24) Romania (June 1994) (27) Ukraine (March 2014) (29) Iceland (Jan 2016) (36) Scotland (Nov 2013) (39) Greece (May 1994) (42) Australia (June 2010) (43) Bulgaria (never) (44) Czech Republic (Sept 2014) (47) Hungary (March 1993) (49) Norway (Jan 2006) (52) Japan (Feb 2006) (54) South Korea (Feb 2014) (55) Canada (Feb 2016) (79) Israel (June 1997) (94)
there's a bunch of good teams out there....I don't get it, though...what you said about not wanting too good of a team...why not? the better the opponent, the better the test....portugal brazil italy france england recently...what is their to be scared of....?