I see that the highlights from the AaB v Odense match have not yet been posted... so here you are, including a post-match interview with Rolfe : [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ESjjY6IO90"]AaB v OB 2-1[/ame] .
Rolfe talks about his goals, being injury free and returning to the USMNT posshttp://kanalsport.dk/index.php/tv/clip_id=43309
He has a good first touch, a quick shot, and can hit it from anywhere. I think he should be given a shot to atleast make it to camp. Until we find someone that can ATLEAST look dangerous for the USMNT, all options should be considered. I always felt his play was hindered at Chicago, has he gotten better playing in Denmark?
Would he be a candidate to play the 10 in JK's system? I'm an advocate of Donovan RW, Dempsey #8. Does Rolfe play a 10/hole role w/ club?
From what I've seen he can play on the wings or in the hole against a lesser team or in the second half (when things are a little bit more stretched)
Americans Rolfe, Wolff, Reis and Feilhaber don't get to play for the US. Germans Jones, Johnson and Williams do. Ah, what's in a name?
AaB play a 4-4-2 with two defensive midfielders, thus the "4" attacking players are flexible. Rolfe primarily plays on both wings with the fullbacks providing the width in attack. Thus Rolfe often moves into the center of the pitch, where he has the opportunity to get a shot of. He has also been playing as the secondary striker, but AaB have brought in Brazilian striker Kayke, who looks to have claimed that position. At AaB Rolfe has always shown the ability to score from anywhere, but recently he has improved his workrate and physical presence IMO. He can play 90 and defenders can't just muscle him into turning over the ball.
Rolfe just made a great assist with an amazing cross after running between two Brøndby defenders. He's really in a fantastic shape at the moment!
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKAWv8WY-6M"]Highlights[/ame] Think this supports my earlier statement that Rolfe has become better at keeping defenders from taking the ball of him.
Yes, he is using his body a lot better and expecting contact and reacting to it. His decision making is improved too.
Yes, he has started all but one game this season and participated in all. His avg. PT time per game is 73 min.
For the second week in a row Chris Rolfe made it to the Danish Superliga 'Team of the week'. So he is surely doing well at the moment. .
At this point, he makes a lot more sense, on the wing, for the national team, than Danny Williams. However, once Donovan returns and Fabian Johnson makes his debut, his only chance would be to take over Beasley's spot, which wouldn't be impossible.
I thought that Rolfe always played better when deployed as a striker than as a winger. Although honestly, I have almost never seen him play.
A call-up in January seems very likely. And the video of the crowd chanting USA, USA was really cool.
Rolfe went 90 today as AaB beat Horsens 2-0. I don't know if he was involved in either goal. http://sportsresultater.tv2.dk/livestats/index.php?eventFK=1018698
Have a look at the highlights (CrowdSound only): 0.50 Rolfe was as close to scoring as you can be, without actually scoring "Trademark Move"! A solid performance from Rolfe! [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJ_1nbat18M"]Highlightes Horsens at AaB[/ame]
Denis Hamlett, is that you? Look, Rolfe just isn't a winger. He's a tricky striker with a quick, heavy shot - rare things in the USA. Plug him in on the wing at the international level and he'll get dragged up and down the field and never get to show what he can do around the box.
he is playing winger for Aalborg. Left winger by the looks of all the highlights. Scoring goals and assisting. He's not a bad option on the wing. i would like to see him up top, but he wouldnt be a bad option out wide and a better option then Robbie Rogers.
Agree with both of you, kinda sorta: I could see him as a wing forward in a 4-3-3. No matter where he played (forward or midfield), he always seemed to burn DC United with that quick, unpredictable shot. For the other team, he was the player you hated, but wanted him to play for your team. Now that he's doing well in Europe, I would really like to see what he can do with the MNT.
I am also a Chicago Fire fan and wasn't a fan of him playing winger, then. However, he's not a #9, in Klinsmann's system. If he was to get a call by the national team, it would have to be as a winger, in the 4-3-3.
Watching him be underutilitized in Chicago was hard to watch, but he still found ways to score. If Klinsmann throws him in the lineup, and just tells him to go out there, get involved and try things like he's been doing, I think Rolfe could flourish in that system, up top of course.