Trapp is in a black hole in Columbus. I managed to get to minute 4 of their game yesterday but had to rewind to 3'43" to see if I really saw what I saw at which point I turned it off and waited for the Chicago game to start. Polster is playing rb for club at the moment. He is one of their highest rated players on a good team. He isn't really a rb. It's good that he is getting the training because that part of his game was weak. I think calling him up now would required a little more foresight than we are capable of. Garza would be a good pick as a reliable left back who understands concacaf soccer. My guess is that Arena wanted to see for himself if Morrow can hack it because Morrow can score and plays in a 343 352 in Toronto as wb, fb, cb. I'm more worried about having to accommodate Acosta. He plays well against weaker teams which creates exaggerated expectations. He gets picked for the semifinals U20's by Tab who makes him captain and by the end of the tournament he is surpassed by others. Then he goes to finals and ends up at lb. while Delgado is moved into the dedicated sole 6 dmid position where he blanks the u20 champ Serbs for 120 minutes. If you look atAcosta's whoscored ratings this season, he tends to gang up on the teams they beat easily this season and crashes against tougher competition. The problem with the roster is lack of passing in midfield where Zardes is the best passer. Bedoya, Corona, Rowe, Acosta, Roldan..., .....this isn't a passing team. Try Polster, Dax, Delgado, Zardes, Zusi.
Love his ability to change a game from range but I wonder if Acosta can't do the same while bringing more to the table.
As a Galaxy fan, Zardes is a shell of himself this year. Shocked he's been included on this final roster. Can't imagine him contributing much.
It could be Galaxy bias, versatility for a tourney, or because the U.S. are so weak in attacking wing options right now. I'd have brought Green personally, but he did somewhat fall of favor at the top of the 2. BL last season, after not playing albeit for Bayern. Excluding Pulisic from this roster understandably, there's not much else there in terms of attacking wing. People are talking about Morris starter there. I've been a mild Zardes hater, even through his club successes last year, but I'd rather see him out there than Morris who is also struggling, worse off the dribble, with his weak foot, and decision-making. It's slim pickings right now.
I could see Bruce getting more out of him then onalfo but he doesn't even seem anywhere close to being effective since his injuries. He's been back playing for many weeks now and there is seemingly no improvement in his game. In fact this is the rare call up that may actually help the club side.
I can find a gripe here and there, but overall I like the squad. I don't think the Panama and Martinique games will be as pretty as we'd like but between the 3 group stage games and the Ghana friendly that's 4 games to get a really good look at some new players which is rare in a cycle and valuable just one year before a World Cup. Call in some reinforcements for the knockout stage and I think we're the favorites to lift the trophy a month from now. Maybe it's weird to have an important Gold Cup and an unimportant Gold Cup, but the off year one brings plenty of value IMO and it's why I disagree when fans cal for the tournament to be moved to once every 4 years.
ESPN FC says Gonzalez can join the USMNT after the group stage if he receives FIFA approval by then. Not that him being one of the roster additions is particularly likely, but it's an option if he gets approval. http://www.espnfc.com/team/united-s...lled-with-players-who-have-something-to-prove
He is clearly still not 100% rehabbed. Saw glimmers of the Zardes brilliance in the last two games where he played in mid. He has a pet peeve about playing wide forward - he hates it. But he should like right mid in a 433 variation. He is much better defender than he gets credit for and his passes from midfield position are very good. . At cf he is a donkey. His strong passing leg is useless. He cant pick up steam fast enough in the short distances involved and his upper body isn't strong enough to knock cb's off the blocks a la Zlatan. Arena likes him but cant manage him very well. Klinsmann did the best job with Gyassi.
def galaxy bias. personally, i would like to see manneh called in. also, mcnamara is no slouch either...he's consistently put up assists/goals at a steady clip his whole career in mls and is a great passer. also, considering gyau injured himself while playing for the us...it wouldnt bother me in the least if arena threw him a bone a la how jk helped bobby wood out. also wouldnt mind seeing green either....but i think euro players werent in consideration for this roster.
I'm not big Zardes fan and hope he doesn't play in this tournament, but think he might have a place on the roster next summer so calling him in isn't a bad choice.
Playing for a bad coach who uses a player incorrectly doesn't mean a player should not play for the NT. Trapp and Polster are both having good seasons, and deserve call ups over players like Zusi, Corona, Bedoya, etc. Heaps was using Agudelo this weekend as a #8 towards the end of the game and has used Rowe as a full-back this season, doesn't mean those two shouldn't be playing for the NT because their club coach uses them incorrectly. But I think it is a problem. There are a number of MLS coaches who are holding back American players due to how they use them. Still, they should be getting NT call ups, and should be used correctly with the NT.
Shouldn't they have produced a handful of national teamers by now??? (Still pulling for ya, Captain America!)
Well, it gets back to the old question of how wise is it to play a player at a position he doesnt play for club. I can see it in some cases. There's no problem playing Zusi at mid in gold cup if want to get some decent passing to the forwards in the tougher games, as an example.
I know you are just kidding, but their oldest son died at age 13 back in 2012. Gio Reyna is part of the NYCFC Academy.
-------------DD----------- -------------JA------------ --KS-----------------PA-- --------CR-----KA------- --JV------------------EL-- --------MB----MM-------- -------------BG------------ Pretty much fine with any of the four CB's.
I thought he was short one forward goal scorer. He is looking at Zardes as a forward I suppose. If you look at a roster for Ghana and then change them out for 2nd half, there isn't really anybody left to put in on the forward line if you play Morris, Dwyer and Agudelo as a front 3 to start. Am I missing something?