Kirovski doesn't really meet my definition of a bust, more so a disappointment. Kirovski's career could have been so much more given the pedigree he had when he was young, but he had a lengthy footballing career (in MLS mostly, but what about Szetela's MLS career?) and was capped 60 times by the US Danny Szetela could basically be the verse about the baseball player in Bruce Springsteen's song Glory Days.
well first lets make it clear that Kirvovski was an honorable mention. But I will ask and what should those categories be?
Did he actually get a medal? I know some leagues require a percentage of games to be played to be "entitled" to a medal. Beasley wasn't entitled to one for Rangers when they won the SPL because he appeared in less than 25% of the games. No idea if he got any sort of tangible medal though.
At least Adu won't flop in life and end up in prison. I can also applaud Adu's effort and he's not given up. Ryan Leaf's a lying, immature jack ass that quit. Sorry to get off topic, but being a Chargers fan, I felt I'd comment. All that being said, I happen to agree that Adu is biggest flop, at least right now. But Adu is still young and has a chance.
My vote is Szetela. Adu has played well when he's played for the national team. This thread reminds me of the Gold Cup when everyone was arrogantly mocking his inclusion, and then he got his chance in the semi-final and final and was one of our best players. He's had a very weird club career, complicated by his own over-ambition and immaturity, as well as coaching changes and systems that don't suit his athletic limitations, but I have trouble calling him as big of a flop as someone like Szetela, given how he's played with the national team when given the chance. Adu was the most hyped young player except for maybe Donovan, but Szetela was also reportedly sought after by some of the world's biggest clubs. Also, think back a few years to when Herculez Gomez was just another MLS journeyman, who couldn't even get playing time on some bad Rapids teams (after some spotty success in LA). He's a productive national teamer now, although not spectacular. I'd say Adu is, at worst, incomplete, because he's young enough to still possibly play a reasonable role down the line. I think Szetela was bartending and getting arrested for fights the last time I tried to look him up.
Well stated. That's how I've always felt. He also scored 9 international goals, which isn't a bad haul.
Agoos not just somehow made it to world stage. He brought USA team on his back. People that started to watch soccer after 2002 don't remember that he was by far the best healthy defender on the team that was struggling to get to the WC.
A more complete picture is 9 goals and 1 assist in 3702 minutes, so on average you had to wait 370 minutes for him to be directly involved in a US goal. That's over six hours of soccer. For comparison, Taylor Twellman had 6 goals and 6 assists in 1450 minutes (wait 120 mins), and people said he didn't produce. Brian Ching had 11 goals and 5 assists in 2659 minutes (wait 180 mins), and people were in fits. Ante Razov had 6 goals and 3 assists in 1318 minutes (wait 150 mins), and ... you get the idea. We've had other attackers with Kirovski-ish production, of course, but overwhelmingly, we gave up on them before they got to 1000 minutes. Kirovski played almost four times that, and he was starting meaningful games, too. In 11 World Cup qualifiers, most of them starts, he gave us 0 goals and 0 assists.
However, there were many U.S. games in which Kirovski was used as a midfielder. That wasn't the case for Twellman, Ching and Razov, who only played at forward.
But it isn't as if he defended or managed possession for us. He was out there to run the attack, and he provided 1 assist in 62 caps.
In fairness to Brown, he was showing signs of becoming a very good GK before his career was derailed by injuries. In terms of GK flops, the most spectacular one has got to be DJ Countess (although he was never capped). He and Steve Cronin were expected to lead a new generation and were handed MLS starting jobs at a pretty young age, only to never make the grade at that level. Chris Seitz (called up but not capped) deserves mention, too. Don't want to close the book on him too soon, though. I hope he finds an MLS team that gives him a chance to play.
Here is the name I couldn't remember. Big Soccer couldn't shut up about 'the move' vs. Arsenal. He was a sure thing. He couldn't even make it out of the physical with NY/NJ Metrostars (or was it RBNY by that time).
Right place, right time, right coach. Jon never set the world on fire, but if you are going to bitch about him, please offer the long list of alternatives. Bornstein was the most-capped LB over Bradley's five years, but there was a two year period after his initial run with the National Team that Bradley sought to improve the position. Pearce was the most notable, but there was a few others. Jon rarely gotted capped with the A team during that period. Bornstein only ended up there in the end after Gooch's injury.
Walker was never capped with the US until he returned from Chile. Bradley signed him to Metrostars to replace Tim Howard. So, not sure where you get the returning national team player stuff from.