I'm not opposed to playing good teams if we can get them, but it's hard to get them in January. We have now played all those teams in the last year or so, so I don't see us playing them again in the near future. The only top teams we haven't played recently are Uruguay, Croatia, Spain (2011), Belgium (2014), Germany (2015), and Argentina (2016). I don't see any of those teams coming to play us in a January camp though, as all their best players will be otherwise occupied.
This is a big money waster. They should just call in MLS players from non-CCL teams and then play the CCL bound teams to get them ready.
That'd be kinda funny to watch because it would be an offensive-heavy MLS team like Atlanta vs our defense-heavy national team. It'd either be really exciting or really boring.
Guys on losing teams have a hard time impressing fans. There was already time to give LIma a tryout. It is getting very late. Fullback is our weakest position by far.
The recent friendlies have emphasized the point that EVERY USA-eligible player who starts in MLS and is under 26 years old, should be given a serious look at this camp. As a very good soccer/baseball player from St Louis once said, "It's getting late early".
The only part of any January camp that matters is the part where we have a permanent manager. If we go into January with our “interim” manager again we may as well write off 2019 as well.
Announced today that US will have two games. A TBD in January and a Feb. 2 matchup vs. Costa Rica in San Jose (ours, not theirs).
If Adams and Steffen are gone, the Scandinavians are available, and we have the new coach...also including my u23 call-ups who should be in the group. Here’s my updated roster: Goalkeepers: #1 Brad Guzan, #2. Bill Hamid, #3. Alex Bono, #u23 JT Marcinkowski Comments: At this point, if Steffen and Horvath are emerging as top keeper candidates and they’ll be unavailable, let’s go with the experienced choice in Guzan. If, however, Steffen is available then it’s a direct swap for Guzan. Alex Bono just barely beats out Jesse Gonzalez and Sean Johnson. Marcinkowski is the pick for u23 keeper to be the number four man. Right Backs: #1 Reggie Cannon, #2 Keegan Rosenberry, #u23 Brooks Lennon Comments: This is the Cannon show. Rosenberry bounced back pretty well this past season, but questions remain if he could ever be an option at the international level. Brooks Lennon should be included as he’s still very young and has potential at right back. Jaylin Lindsey might be the back-up if Rosenberry doesn’t make the cut, pushing Lennon to #2. Center Backs: #1 Aaron Long, #2 Tim Parker, #3 Walker Zimmerman, #4 Auston Trusty, #u23 Mark McKenzie Comments: Clearly, no one in MLS can touch Long and Parker and more they should get a chance to partner for the national team considering the tremendous 2018 season they just had. Zimmerman makes it as a back up, whereas, Trusty and McKenzie make the cut for similar reasons of Long-Parker except for the u23’s. Miles Robinson misses the cut, but I’m expecting a big 2019 from him. Left Backs: #1 Greg Garza, #2 Nick Lima , #u23 George Bello Comments: I came close to selecting Villafana due to the fact he might still have to be needed early in the cycle, but can’t force myself to do it. Still, Garza, when healthy, actually could be a solid international pick. His problem is staying healthy so I struggle to consider him a real option, so, it’s either Villafana or Garza. I’m going with Garza for his upside. Next, Lima is making my cut to see if he can impress. It’s a time to make a stab in the dark and he has some potential upside. For the u23, thankfully there seems to be hope. Even Herrera, Acosta, Real, or Lindsey seem like they could be legitimate options for the u23 team, but without a doubt, George Bello is the one with all the upside. Granted he’s stil a kid, but looks like a MLS version of Alaba to me. Can’t pass on that. Midfielders: #1 Wil Trapp, #2 Russell Canouse, #3 Kelyn Acosta, #4 Cristian Roldan, #5, Darlington Nagbe, #6 Marky Delgado, #7 Sean Davis, #u23 Chris Durkin, #u23 Djordje Mihailovic Comments: There’s a lot of questions here, and if I was the new coach, I’d bring in all the faces that are competing for a spot. One possible surprise to some is Davis, but I thought he was outstanding this year for Red Bulls. Durkin and Mihailovic make it as the u23s. Derrick Jones missed out of the u23s. Attackers: #1 Paul Arriola, #2 Jonathan Amon, #3 Fafa Picault, #4 Seb Lletget, #5 Chris Mueller, #u23 Andrew Carleton, #u23 Sebastian Saucedo, #u23 Jonathan Lewis Comments: Hopefully Amon will be available or this team is going to be without teeth. Arriola is on the right and Amon on the left. Picault and Lletget as back-ups. Mueller sneaks in although maybe no one from Orlando City deserves to be there because hopefully he can build on his rookie season. For the u23s, none of the faces might inspire too much hope, but called in Lewis over some others because I figure they might be with the u20s and next year is possibly make or break for him and maybe a January camp might help him. Forwards: #1 Emmanuel Sabbi, #2 Roman Gall, #3 Corey Baird, #4 Gyasi Zardes, #5 Jeremy Ebobisse, #6 Dom Dwyer, #u23 Gianluca Busio Comments: Zardes and Dwyer make it as my I know what they offer in case the young faces don’t show up. Bunbury just missed out from that group but not too disappointed to not have Teal. Sabbi and Gall are the faces I am the most excited to see. More, Baird really impressed me. Granted, he’s got room to grow, but I already rate him above Jordan Morris. Ebobisse came on very strong at the end of the season and has to be there. For the u23s, there’s a few options on who to take, even if most are more tweeners than pure strikers, but at this point, I’m leaning towards letting Busio getting the camp. ————————— Early idea of two different line-ups: Game 1: ——--Sabbi—Zardes——— Amon——Nagbe——Arriola ————Canouse————— Garza——————-Cannon ———-Long——Parker——- —————-Guzan————- Bench: Hamid, Rosenberry, Zimmerman, Davis, Delgado, Lletget, Ebobisse Game 2: ———Gall——Dwyer——- Amon————————Arriola ———Acosta—Roldan——- Lima————————-Cannon ———Long——Parker——— —————Guzan—————- Bench: Hamid, Zimmerman, Trapp, Mueller, Lletget, Baird, Ebobisse
With so many candidates on the Red Bulls, it's hard to realize that they have FIVE young usmnt-eligible candidates. The last of the 5 has not been mentioned in this thread, so let me mention him. Alex Muyl. Not there yet, just barely a starter, but has shown a tremendous amount of improvement this year. He is a hustler.
As long as the Scandinavian guys get called in, all of the youngish MLS midfielders, interesting fringe guys (Carleton and the young Fire number 10 ), Cannon, Zardes, Dwyer, and the young forward pair of Baird and Ebobisse get called in, the roster should be fine.
Guzan may be with team training for CCL. The draw is on December 3 so I guess we will know schedule in December sometime ( I couldn't find anything provisional). Having said that, I wonder if players would not find that they can reach match fitness more easily in Jan camp than with their club, considering Stewart plans to play 2 (Ticos confirmed plus one t.b.d.). Players who will be in CCL per teams qualified so far are on Toronto, RedBulls, Atlanta, SKC, Houston These come to mind: GK: Bono, Guzan. Bono hasn't been much lately. I'd skip. Steffen and Guzan need to get prepped for Gold Cup. LB: Garza, Bello. Presumably Bello will be with youth team camp so I'd bring Garza and Villafana and Sweat- once again looking to GC. Sweat's performance v. Peru was overly criticized. He's a dependable sort we might need when Garza is injured and V/fana does one of his form swan dives. CB's: Yeah, bring Parker and Long so they are ready to pair at GC and get familiar with some GC prospective teammates. RB: Cannon and Lima and Arriola. I wonder what happened with Lima's run out in Germany with Hertha. He should be in good shape anyway. Dmid: Trapp, Canouse, cmid's: Roldan, Delgado, Sean Davis, Lletget. (The Bronico guy at Chicago is a player. Beerholder should look at him.) Attackers: Ramirez, Zardes, Ebobisse and a bunch of guys I don't really think will amount to much. I guess we should add goal scorers: like Chris Mueller who had 3 G/7A for Orlando, a really bad team, in his rookie season? ok. Then there's Mihailovic. I guess now would be the time to get him in there. He seems to do ok "per minute p.t." but doesn't play many minutes. He seems kinda lite to me like Gall, and Green and that set. Then there's Alex Muyl. We'll need somebody to play group stage anyway. ROY Corey Barid.? Shelton, Bruin, Sapong, Dwyer, take your pick. Seems to me 3G needs to sort out who is going to score the goals for us in Gold Cup.
I'd I've Scandinavian opponent for the other game. But why do all the winter matches have to be at home? It'd be nice to get one in say Oslo
In case you aren't just being funny...there is a reason they are on winter break. MLS is on its schedule for whatever reason they thought of in 1998. Back when they didn't think fans could handle draws and the clock counted down. But there have always been cities in the USA that could host a camp and games in decent weather in January/February. Probably can't say the same in Oslo. But there is no reason they couldn't play Sweden in Spain or Southern France. Maybe get some travel packages sold through Sunil's travel agency...
@TheFalseNine is reporting that @bshredder is reporting that the first game will be v Panama, in Glendale, Arizona on January 27, 2019.
I kinda wish we could maybe play Panama away for that match. And also bring in a Scandinavian country to play against. When was the last time we played Finland or Norway?
With Steffen leaving and Guzan maybe busy training; does that give us Hamid/Gonzalez in camp or perhaps Bono? Or will Melia/Steffen/Robles be rewarded for their 2018 performances?
Last year LOL. For 2019 Goalkeepers: Steffen, Bono, Turner, Gonzalez Right Backs: Lima, Cannon, Lennon Center Backs: Glad, Zimmerman, Long, McKenzie Left Backs: Acosta, Lima, Garza Midfielders: Delgado, Mihailovic, Canouse, Acosta, Durkin Att/Wingers: Mueller, Arriola, Lennon, Thompson, Pomykal, Saucedo Forwards: Baird, Ebobisse, Ramirez, Vazquez, Ferreira(if eligible)
The MLS, LigaMx, and Scandinavia-based pool in Berhalter's preferred formation. ------------------------------Morris ------------------------------Altidore ------------------------------Ebobisee ------------------------------Sapong ------------------------------Weah ------------------------------Dwyer ------------------------------Ramirez -------------Gall------------Nguyen------------Baird -------------Lewis----------Roldan-------------Nagbe -------------Picault--------Mihailovic---------Agudelo -------------Saucedo-----Lletgett-------------Lewis -------------Amon---------Rowe --------------------Trapp------------------Acosta --------------------Canouse--------------Hayes --------------------Durkin-----------------Delgado --Villafana----------------------------------------------------Cannon --Garza-------------------------------------------------------Lima --Romney----------------------------------------------------Rosenberry --D.Acosta --------------------McKenzie-----------Parker --------------------Long----------------- Zimmerman --------------------Trusty----------------Glad --------------------Alvarado------------Opara
You are underrating Glad and Acosta. Everyone underrates them. It doesn't help that they play for a team fans don't want to watch, but their performances are better than the players you've listed above them. Petke's personal beefs should not take precedent over the results on the field. Petke does not coach the NT. His bad decisions shouldn't drop them so far down a January Camp depth-chart.
A number of the players--like Nagbe, Roldan, Romney, and Lewis---can play multiple positions. Weah was accidentally left in. Lewis was accidentally duplicated I forgot Zardes and Arriola! The pool graphic is not a ranked depth chart. It's a just a listing of the good, mainly prime age US-eligible talent.
D.Acosta, Agudelo, Glad, Rowe, and Lewis need to find new teams if playing time at club level is a priority.
Morris and Altidore are coming off surgery. Roldan ended the season with a groin injury. Mihailovic, who did his acl last season, should get rest. Lletget, likewise, should get rest.
I would also say that its likely Zimmerman will shortly be finalizing a move abroad, and thus won't be available.
Yeah, Lima and Zimmerman may not be available. The CCL players may also not be available this time around.