In: Tim Howard, Jesse Gonzalez, Michael Bradley, Darlington Nagbe, Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore Out: Brad Guzan, Sean Johnson, Cristian Roldan, Alejandro Bedoya, Kelyn Rowe, Dom Dwyer http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/201...arena-makes-six-changes-usmnt-gold-cup-roster Bedoya's wife is about to have a child. The Guzan-Howard swap appears to have been planned ahead of time. Roldan's appearance on this list probably does not surprise anybody. A second GK swap is a mild surprise, while Rowe and Dwyer appear to be major surprises. On the addition side, I can't say I'm surprised at any of the additions other than the swap of two goalkeepers.
what i would do given this roster: -----------------hamid----------------- lichaj------miazga-----besler--------villafana ---------------------bradley------------- ----arriola--------------------------nagbe-------------- ----------------------dempsey-------------------------- --------------altidore-----agudelo--------------
Pretty shocked that Rowe and Dwyer were sent home. But its hard to know the whole thought process. Perhaps he has seen enough of them to know he wants them for qualifying and wants to take a little more look at others? So hope he finds some miracle way to get Jesse Gonzalez on the field. Please! Cuzan should have been sent home whether that was a plan before hand or not. I love this guy. But he has gotten to the point where his soft goals allowed are exceeding his stellar saves...by a fair bit. Just can't use him anymore in key games short of injuries. He CAN still do the job. But he is just as likely to fail too.
Rowe and Dwyer must have been pre-planned. They got a lot of minutes during the group stage and did more than enough to stick around.
I feel like we are never going to know. The two key for me are Agudelo over Dwyer and Pontius over Rowe.
The pre-planned thing on Rowe and Dwyer is the only thing that makes sense to me, perhaps like with Howard-Guzan and Gonzalez-Johnson were also probably pre-planned. I guess Bedoya out (child birth) and Bradley in was also pre-planned. Still, I really would have enjoyed seeing Rowe and Dwyer play in combo with the stronger XI. Glad Miazga stayed, as I think he and Besler are the top CB combo on this roster. I love Dempsey and expect him to contribute in one more World Cup, but I would not have called him in for this.
I thought Rowe and Dwyer were the best players, I can see Dwyer being released because we are bringing forwards. I don't understand the Rowe release, Pointus should have been sent home. I guess Nagbe will be playing the LW position.
The management of Roldan is the exact opposite way to handle an integration attempt. Can only hope he was being genuine in telling people how much he liked Roldan anyway from watching MLS and practices. The other guys who were sent home got a reasonable chance, outside Johnson, who was a 3rd keeper, and hasn't been very good in MLS the last couple of years. I would have liked to have seen more from Rowe and Dwyer, but we saw a good amount already, and there was probably an agreement. Can't think that happened off performance.
Johnson has been stellar this season with NYCFC, now that he is on a good club. He had one questionable year last season with an abysmal Chicago club. I wish he got a shot as I think he might be better than Hamid.
You can't play all 3 keepers, Hamid's chance is long overdue, he's been much better than Johnson in recent seasons, including this one where he has a superior expected goals saved # (Johnson's is actually well below average), and Hamid himself only got one chance. So Sean Johnson is hardly the one I'm disappointed for right now. 10+ keepers deserve a shot before him. He was lucky to be on the roster over the likes of Ethan Horvath and Tim Melia, especially.
I understand Dwyer going home. Just for me, his game translated like I thought it would. I would have liked to see him against the better teams we are about to face, but I understand the decision. Rowe I don't understand. He surprised me in a good way, so I'd learn something from him playing more minutes. But it's like judging sub patterns in a friendly. You don't know the coachs goals.
Haha. Of course both of the guys who actually looked good get sent home. Bruce has got to be the most stubborn a$$hole to ever coach soccer. Literally using the same flawed approach that got him fired the first time around.
Yeah, there really is no other explanation that makes sense as Rowe and Dwyer are the only clear cut success stories so far and I think the only ones people wanted to see more of. I am obviously disappointed that Bradley is being called in, this is once again an example of playing him for no good reason, we don't need to win these games, we need to find other options and although the CM's have been garbage outside of the Ghana game, if Bradley plays 90 from here on out, as we all know he will, this will be another lost opportunity. On Dempsey, I am glad he is called in as this is the perfect tournament for him to get his record and be the man one last time, the last few opportunities he has had I felt he was trying too hard and after this he should be able to settle down and take his role on the bench. I actually wish he had been one of the veteran leaders since the beginning, instead of Guzan, Gonzo, or Bedoya. CD would have raised the level of these last couple games.
And decisions like this are exactly why Arena was fired the first time. How he could justify keeping Pontius, Corona, and Acosta is beyond me. Dwyer may be our biggest hope going. Lets see how Antiscore does. Hope we get credit for holdup play. And Dempsey? OMG Too old, too slow. Im the most pissed at Rowe though. He played very well, unlike Pontius and he's going home? Please explain why. Just disgusted at this
i predict this lineup from bruce: ---------------altidore----------------- zardes-------nagbe-------------arriola ---------------dax---bradley-------- villafana----gonzalez---besler---zusi -------------------howard-----------
I'd argue all these swaps (besides Bedoya) were due to their coaches requesting these players back. These were probably pre-planned deals. My lineup with the remaining players. Hamid Lichaj-Miazga-Besler-Villafana Arriola-Acosta-Bradley-Nagbe Agudelo-Altidore
The fact that Dwyer and Rowe did well may be the reason they were sent home. If Bruce has seen enough of them over enough minutes that he has good information, then why keep them around? I mean, there is the whole winning the GC thing, but this may suggest that he's more concerned with player consideration than the tournament title.
To prepare for the Hex. I'd want to see them with the core guys brought in. If he doesn't get much time with players, why waste it?