This discussion has to be coupled with the idea that a player at Ajax or PSV or Wolfsburg, has to become a regular with the first team to get a call over guys like Djorde, Lovitz, Roldan, Jonathan Lewis, etc.
That's just logical. The latter group has proved a lot more. Have done it against considerably higher quality competition and against men. If you have a problem w/ it as a player, ask for a loan if the gap is too big between making Ajax's/PSV's 1st team and playing in the Eerste Divisie. Go to the 2. Bundesliga or something. Otherwise we reasonably have to wait for a sample which provides sufficient proof. Not doing so yields a lot more Rubio Rubins, hanging out in the Mexican 2nd division now, than the reverse. This is in part why Klinsmann left the cupboard so bare at the end and we were experiencing the lowest lows in the modern era.
guys that played in the same league as mendez and ledezma were clearly better than our mls guys in the curacao match
Pomykal plays in MLS. Is one of the better Americans in MLS. Was on the All-Star team, unlike every other midfielder on the latest USMNT roster. Berhalter said he is only ready for a few minutes at the international level. Dest was playing for the same team as Mendez, Gloster, and Ledezma, all things considered just a few weeks before he was "good enough" to play two full international games, out of position! Playing Lovitz to avoid possible playing a Rubin in a meaningless Friendly is the definition of inertia. In other words, the only harm is in missing a Dest because you are so scared you might play a kid who doesn't turn out to be good.
While I definitely think we should be maintaining better contact, Dest would not be a good example of someone who did not communicate well with. If we lose him, it has nothing to do with the Netherlands outworking us. Even on the other folks, the amount of phone calls or texts is not likely to be the THE key driver. Some guys will go to Mexico if offered, no matter what. For some it will be about opportunity. The reason why we should connecting more is two-fold: why wouldn't you want to talk to players in your system; and the cost of doing so is so very low. It's the latter that is super relevant.
That continues to be a weak argument. The game was even by the end, and the U.S. was protecting a lead since the middle of the first half. The U.S. ultimately won. It was a one-game sample. They were playing the ill-fated Greggy ball. Curacao's key players were primarily Eredivisie players. Their best player was from the EPL. The history provides a much bigger strategy where the strategy has failed hard. You did not address that. And now you want to do it again, in spite of the history, and logic it makes it unreliable. Ledezma is going nowhere. You can't predict your lineup years ahead and just stick with it independent of result. Developing players at the senior level isn't a thing, as we regularly argue in terms of implementing the style w/ players who are a misfit.
your argument says logic and history, whereas others have pointed out gregg himself got caps while playing in the dutch second division. ledezma might be going nowhere, so might djordje mihailovic. both are worth giving a look and seeing if you have something. one also proved against the best players in his age bracket that he had qualities the us is sorely lacking.
I never advocated for Gregg's specific selections (the Lovitz call was a joke, he's a sub-par starting LB in MLS, there are many better options there), or his MLS quotient, just the general philosophy of more proven players in comparison to promoting youth prospects loosely associated with good clubs at this point. For every Dest, there's several Rubins, Scotts, Simeks, etc. Then there's the Hyndman, LDLT, Wright, Bloody Olosunde, etc group above them. Between there's CCV, Green, Gooch, etc. Finally there's your Spectors, Lichajs, etc. How much did/would we gain from this approach in the end, guessing ahead of time who would become useful to the national team? Almost all those players would be there in the end. When it's the appropriate time that reality should be presented to us. The Dest situation was handled perfectly. It should be the blueprint. And if he opts to go elsewhere that's on him and nobody else. W/ Jonathan Gonzalez, they did wait a camp or two too long, while he was shining for Monterrey's squad already, and didn't keep contact. That's what they should learn from, and handle situations more like Dest.
The most logical thing is taking the best player. Period. Four factors should be taken into account when evaluating players in the national team pool: 1. Form 2. Competition level 3. Age/Upside 4. Character/Commitment Thus, Arriola, Roldan, and Morris are not better than Ledezma, Llanez, and Reyna -- for arguments sake. The logic that supports bringing in players who are not very good (on a global scale) and have little room for improvement over players who have loads of talent and are one potentially small step from playing at the highest level. I am not saying that we should play them all at once or even bring them all in to the same camp, but I have serious problems with a program that instantly integrates a player like Boyd while holding back a player like Pomykal. The Cuba game could say a lot about how quickly Berhalter is willing to get this youth revolution seriously underway....... Rubio Rubin has no place in this conversation. He never showed the quality that some of these current youngsters have shown. At least if he did, I have yet to see it. It's not that the Arriola, Morris, Roldan types are bad players -- they should be fighting for the very back end of the roster, not starting spots. There are easily a dozen fringe players, from Nagbe, Hyndman, and Parks and on down through Reyna, who are probably better. EDIT: Since I just realized that this is going down in the U17 thread and make the point even further, I will throw in there my two cents that Kobe is just about on Reyna's level. I think he's the second biggest talent on the roster behind Reyna, and I would make the argument that he is a better player than, say, Lovitz, even though he is not playing at all right now, much less in a league like the Eerste Divisie.
Should be about 2-3 weeks away from an official roster announcement. Hoping all of the main guys can stay healthy at their clubs.
I heard October 5. The preliminary roster was finalized and I’m under the impression that the final roster is set, barring a few injury/fitness questions.
Not either of those players. I don’t think there will be any big surprises. I don’t think that’s Wicky’s style. I also don’t have a copy of the roster, so it’s merely a guess on that front. I’ve only heard a few things about the selection. Nothing major.
He’s likely not eligible yet, but I’ve not seen any recent info, so maybe he’s become eligible recently.
I think Kobe would’ve seen the field for the Galaxy this year. LB has been an absolute dumpster fire for us.
The final roster should be finalized in a week, if it's not already. Here's my final prediction of what it'll be. GK: Las, Odunze, Cervantes DF: Scally, Anderson, Carrera, KHF, Gray, Bello, Armour MF: Leyva, Saldana, Kayo, Dietz, Fuentes, Busio, Reyna, Yow FW: AOC, Pepi, Jones I wouldn't rule out Cuevas, de Vries or Tomkinson making the roster either.
Scally played 45 min for NYCFC's U19 side against RBNY on Saturday. Given that he still has a few weeks to get up to full fitness, I suspect he'll be on the final roster. He might be lacking some sharpness, though.
I think you could be right. I was contemplating listing him with the three I said I think might also be picked. I could see a scenario where a defensive type is dropped (someone like Anderson or Dietz) or a pure #10 (Fuentes) and an extra winger is added to the roster, like de Vries or Jasson.
Yeah, Jasson has to be a lock. He sounds like he's too productive to keep off. And he can double up top can't he? That would mean no reason for Jones. I've never even heard of Dietz. Not that it makes him bad, but he must need a late push, w/out a lot of hype. Gotta think he's borderline and someone like Pynadath should be in the mix to bump him. This squad really lacks width and he'd provide that, at least off the bench. Cuevas may be better than Anderson in spite of the club elevation. But Seba seems to have impressed Wicky, so maybe that's the direction he goes. Armour feels expendable now that Bello is healthy, you have KHF, and a bunch of guys who can play fb. A true cb seems more of a need and Tomkinson has featured a lot. I think Wicky picks him. Maybe we end up with both. I feel like Armour is expendable now that Bello is arrived. As I've said, I could envision Reyna making his debut w/ Dortmund the next few weeks, amidst int'l duty and fixture congestion, which would put his inclusion to this roster in serious jeopardy. That would be bittersweet, less bitter more sweet.
We're Kramer and Wicky is the gay street toughs. "We're taking the Armour, and that's all there is to it, okay."