Wasn't that the ONLY real chance that Valeri had all game? He was mostly invisible. Canouse played a great game.
Ramirez is bout to score for fun in LA... What a poacher. US should give him a cap and see how he does. Great CF First @LAFC goal of many for @Chris_Ramirez17! #LAFCvRSL https://t.co/63A8us9qUV— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 16, 2018
I'm watching this game and RSL is a cluster-F. Not sure what the plan is for them. Barry and Besler have been horrible, Ramirez looking like Zlatan against them. They are all over the place with Baird completely isolated. They have numbers back (back 5), but are trying to press high, and then have no shape to counter attack. Saucedo is comfortable with the ball under pressure. Kind of unique for an American.
What does Carleton have to do with this discussion? You don't have a good argument, so you try to throw shade my way? I don't even understand the point of this. Try to insult one of our best young players because you know I'm a fan of his? Some of the players picked for the MLS-All Star game deserve to be there, but a lot also don't. Do you think Calvo deserves to be there? Parkhurst? Barco? Zahibo? Zusi? I could keep going. It does a bad job of representing which players deserve to be there, especially considering two of the three ways to get in are a fan vote (popularity contest) and commissioners pick (marketing pick). The only reasonable measure is the coach making a couple of picks, but even then, I don't think one coach is able to properly judge this as opposed to a panel. I don't really care how many Americans are in the All-Star game. Its nothing other than a marketing showcase. Does La Liga have an All-Star game? I'm only pointing out that its not a good measure of the best players, whether thats the best players in MLS or the best American players.
On that play, Jozy started from the wing, which is where he needs lineup when with the NT. Well, I'm not really advocating Jozy continue with the NT: just sayin.
Jozy has become a real player with a great understanding of the game since his days in Europe which people erroneously use to gauge his present ability. Does he have weaknesses? You bet. I don't know any who don't. Does he make Toronto into a winner? Sure, they don't have a hold up 9 who does what Jozy can do. He has become a bit of a diva in his senescence but you know how crotchety old gramps gets.
Lee Nguyen - what a waste not to take him to Brazil 4 years ago. The fix was in for Brad Davis and his "left foot", the marketing tag of the day.
Brad Davis went to a world cup over Landon Donovan, and someone thought that was okay. thanks for shivering my triggers again
Yea Jozy is not a good as a true CF at the highest level. Second striker he is better but still mediocre. There's actually a lot of CF options to try in the next friendlies that are not Jozy
Lennon: showed excellent pace and understanding to track back and break up a number of attacks. He is listed at 5'10", so I don't know why someone posted he was small. Glad: gritty. was a bit overwhelmed at times. a bit lightweight for a CB. Feilhaber: brilliant and classy on the ball. Ramirez: looked energized. i was impressed and surprised by his pressing. LA pressed well. After a discombobulated first half, RSL switched formation to play a more effective second. But LA were limiting the counter opportunities. And RSL's half-court offense was horrible.
Jurgen thought he should make it clear showing up with your teammates in the Hex is more important than picking berries in the Cambodian jungles. Most agree with that.
I don't. Donovan wouldn't have done his mates any good in a burned out condition. I wasn't even in favor of taking him because he looked out of shape to me but I was not in favor of Davis and I was in favor of Nguyen.
I like Ramirez. I thought he should have been called up during his first season. When he was putting up numbers in Minnesota, when they had nothing. I hope he gets a chance because i think hes more of an orthodox striker than Jozy and has better subtle movement off the ball.
Did not mean it as an insult. Just joking about how we discuss Carleton to death. The post was more to stimulate conversation than to make some brilliant point that couldn't be taken apart. It might not be the "best" measure, but it means something. The Atlanta thing skews things. But the lack of any American attackers, most Americans being old and on the back line, et. al. reflects quite a bit. Further, for the USMNT, especially on this board, anyone who scores a goal or makes a play is talked about as NT quality. Having some reference, even as flawed as the MLS ASG roster, as a step to the NT pool would be helpful. I haven't been that impressed with the WhoScored stuff, but I respect the attempt and there is probably room for improvement. Certainly objective; just not sure it is objective in the right way. Break into your MLS team, become one of the best in MLS at your position (not just the best American, but the best), then you are in the pool at this point, for me. P.S. On Zusi, many do talk about him as the best RB in MLS. I agree with you, that sort of tells me that no RB in MLS is worth the USMNT at this point as Zusi can't hack it at that level. So, my point that Linsdsay or Lennon or Cannon needs to beat Zusi onto the All-Star team; would be a way to measure progress.
Zusi takes dead balls and does well in the attack in SKC's system, which in covering for his lack of pace and quickness, sacrifices some in team defense. SKC have given up more goals this season, but they also have the best positive goal differential in the league That he is one of the league's best right backs says nothing about the overall quality at that position in the league.
It seems like if you are going to be worried about personnel decisions, you'd focus on the unsuccessful world cup qualifying campaign than the world cup where we had a chance to beat in regulation and tie up in extra time a top 10 team in the round of 16. If one has a fixation on Klinsmann and has to complain about 2014, it should at least be about a player that has made a splash in the low level league. LN's 4G and 7A in 2013 doesnt really shout international quality. MLS didn't really think that much of Nguyen either. Vancouver didn't even want him on his sub-$50k salary.
Your post is pure revisionism. At the time the WC2014 initial 30 man Roster was announced I bet you could not find 0.001% of the US soccer community calling for MVLee to be included. He had a lackluster 2013 and had never been called to a single USMNT match. While Lee did have a career year in 2014 with 20 Gs it is important to remember that 11 of those goals came after Jones joined NE after WC2014. IIRC, Andrew Wenger was the player you were lambasting Klinsmann for not calling!
We've been over this too many times. My post was just a compliment on how good he is playing for LAFC who were playing at the time.
It's disappointing how often US soccer fans characterize Donovan's sabbatical as simply an opportunity to dick around vacation, as opposed to an attempt to deal with his depression. Small wonder so few players are willing to publicly acknowledge or discuss mental health challenges in the face of such callous disrespect.