Pre-Gold Cup Roster Discussion

They're a month apart, FIFA dates, and important enough tournaments to the USNT. We'll bring whoever it behooves us to.

For the B-team Gold Cup I'd like to see a good mix of players who are high upside prospects who just started breaking through, standouts who haven't been fully integrated or at all yet, and fringe vets with some experience to lead and balance out the roster.

I'm thinking something like this...

FW's: Juan Agudelo, Patrick Mullins/Bjorn Johnsen, Haji Wright, Julian Green

Mids: Sebastian Lletget, Emerson Hyndman, Dax McCarty, Josh Perez/Sebastian Saucedo, Cristian Roldan, Sean Davis/Kellyn Acosta, Paul Arriola, Lynden Gooch, Kekuta Manneh/Chris Pontius

Backs: Matt Hedges, Matt Miazga, Jonathan Campbell, Tim Ream, Jorge Villafana, Keegan Rosenberry, Eric Lichaj

GK's: Bill Hamid, David Bingham, Ethan Horvath

Some alterations would be made depending upon what happens in the next two qualifiers, which prospects actually broke out, plus usage and performances for the nt between now and then.

 

Due to our WCQing predicament, Bruce won't be able to look at many young/fringe players this spring.

Gotta use the Gold Cup for this purpose. That's going to be his time to experiment...............................

 

I like that we have been able to get some of the fringe guys under the microscope. We have already learned a lot just in one game, as drab an affair as it was.

Marshall, Birnbaum Id like to think are below our top 4 CBs at the moment. Would have really, really liked to have seen Hedges and Zimmermann but given their club situations and getting ready for the Champions league I can get not doing it. I think I prefer both Hedges and Zim to Birnbaum and Marshall if all options are on deck, and Id like to see them in the future given a runout together, and they have the benefit of playing with each other at clubs week in and week out and that will benefit them considerably.

Zusi at right back didn't fail miserably (yet), so its at least worth continuing to pursue.

Garza however, Ive seen enough. OTC 2.0, we don't gotta bring him back. Extremely relieved Villafana looked leaps and bounds better, continue with him. I gotta hope a guy like Morrow is brought in at left back next time, even Robbie Rogers. I know they are better than Garza.

To be honest, there are some starters out there that need to be knocked off their perch. Bedoya is the first one I say deuces to. And Id even contemplate doing it to Michael, hes my number two "must upgrade" guy.

I liked the idea of kicking the tires on Pontius, it was a good idea to do, but we can see hes not at the level. Fine, that's what January is for. If he was able to stay healthy a few years earlier I think he would have been a useful fixture for our team.

The biggest winners for me are Nagbe, Feilhaber, and Lletgett thus far. I am sure we will get a healthy dose of them for Jamaica. Nagbe has shown he MUST be starting. Lletget has shown me a relief at the DMid spot that we sorely need, he had great fight and tenacity as well as some chances of creating, bewildering he has not been utilized in the USMNT setup until now. Feilhaber opened up the field as soon as he stepped on. At some point we gotta start considering JMo and Agudelo up top for a 4-4-2 as well, both looked like they were more potent than Jozy yesterday.

 

There'd better be a whole lot of Juan Agudelo starting in this Gold Cup.

 

Why do people keep calling it that? It's for half a ticket to the Confed Cup, no?

I get that it won't have our strongest roster necessarily, at least this iteration, but it's worth just as much as any other GC now.

Also, I like that roster. Mostly domestic, but with a couple of good, young Euro players who we could see about integrating. I don't think Saucedo/Perez/Wright are necessarily ready for senior caps though! Same with Green, tbh, but maybe he'll be playing well @ Stuttgart!

 

Foos brought their b-teams last time, except for Panama, and arguably us (b+/a-). With 2 shots to make it, it's worth it to most prominent CONCACAF teams to use the GC closer to the WC primarily for integration.

I said a few of the reserves are dependent upon getting significant Euro p.t. But a guy like Wright I'm more bullish on. Still depends on if he's a full-fledged member of Schalke by then. Then we'd see if he had the Wright stuff.

Incidentally, that team is about half foreign-based.

 

This is a really good thread and it'll be really important in evaluating Arena's coaching.... considering his main priority now is just to keep the ship afloat.

A lot will change between here and then, but I'm thinking this as my pool for the Gold Cup:

Goalkeepers: Bill Hamid, Ethan Horvath, David Bingham
...Zack Steffen, Cody Cropper, William Yarbrough, Stefan Frei, Brian Rowe
...omit: Howard, Guzan, Rimando, Robles

Right Backs: Timmy Chandler, DeAndre Yedlin
...Keegan Rosenberry, Eric Lichaj, Graham Zusi

Left Backs: Greg Garza, Jorge Villafana
...Tim Ream, Brandon Vincent, Taylor Kemp
...omit: Fabian Johnson, DaMarcus Beasley

Center Backs: Cameron Carter-Vickers, Matt Miazga, John Brooks, Matt Hedges
...Tim Parker, Walker Zimmerman, Steve Birnbaum, Omar Gonzalez, Chad Marshall
...omit: Matt Besler, Michael orozco

Defensive Midfielders: Emerson Hyndman, Perry Kitchen, Kellyn Acosta, Alfredo Morales
...Danny Williams, Wil Trapp, Dax McCarty
...omit: Jermaine Jones, Michael Bradley, Geoff Cameron

Wingers/Att. Midfielders: Lynden Gooch, Paul Arriola, Kekuta Manneh, Darlington Nagbe Christian Pulisic
...Sebastian Lletget, Ethan Finlay
...omit: Benny Feilhaber, Sacha Kljestan, Lee Nguyen, Alejandro Bedoya

Forwards: Dominic Dwyer, Bobby Wood, Julian Green
...Aron Johansson, Gyasi Zardes, Bjorn Johnsen, Terrence Boyd, Andrew Wooten, Will Bruin, CJ Sapong, Juan Agudelo, Jerome Kiesewetter, Chris Pontius
...omit: Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey, Jordan Morris

***I may be omitting a lot of regulars, but I want to see a young, hungry line up for the Gold Cup. We can play it safe in the qualifiers.***

 

Would love to see Agudelo, Rubin, Siebatcheu (if he's interested), and Wright all on the GC roster. Go two up top and just rotate them around.

 

Yeah, I'd like to see a roster like this...maybe an A-/B+ type of roster. There are guys like Pulisic and Nagbe whom the majority here would consider firmly part of the A team, but they don't really have many minutes in actual competitive games. It seems like it would be useful to get them some experience being counted on to shoulder a good bit of the load offensively in meaningful games.

On the other hand, I'd leave Howard and Guzan out, even though they're probably still the top 2 keepers in the pool. We just absolutely have to figure who belongs in the next wave of USMNT GKs at this point, and to do that, we need to see the contenders play in meaningful games.

The decision on other first-teamers would be depend on where we are at that time. For instance, if the games between now and then make it clear that Bradley still deserves to be a fixture in CM, then maybe he goes to the GC, and Arena tries to figure out which younger/newer guys (i.e., not Jones) can partner with him. Alternatively, if Bradley is unconvincing between now and then, maybe you leave him out entirely and see if you can put together a more effective midfield without him and the GC.

 

The Gold Cup isn't the next camp though. Nagbe will have presumably another start, then 6 cracks between qualifiers and friendlies between now and the Gold Cup. Pulisic will have 5-6 more starts most likely. They'd be made men by then.

Our primary goal by far should be cultivating depth and alternatives for the rest of the cycle and beyond. This is our biggest concern right now, with Klinsmann depleting it, over-relying on vets and Europe. Gold Cup is our best chance to make up for it by far. And hopefully at this point we'd be more secure in WC qualifying, in 3rd or 4th. Otherwise if we can't take this approach, and we keep being compelled to set ourselves for those next qualifiers, we'll be in bad shape any time there's significant attrition, and as far as the WC or maybe even end of qualifying be just bailing water until the ship sinks.

Siebatcheu is playing in the French 3rd division now. That ship has sailed in the interim, like One-Eyed Willy's at the end of Goonies.

 

I think Bruce will play politics with call ups from MLS clubs by spreading them around, going with some more Euro/LigaMX guys, and trying to look at guys further down the depth chart.

GK: Hamid, Horvath, Rimando
CB: Birnbaum, Zimmerman, Orozco, Miazga
RB: Rosenberry, Lichaj
LB: Villafana
DM: McCarty, Morales, Kitchen
CM: Lletget, Acosta, Roldan
W: Gooch, Perez, Manneh, Arriola
FW: Wood, Morris, Agudelo

 

It's a shame we are in an 0-2 hole in the Hex.

If we were sitting on 3 or 4 points, each roster might be just a tad different, with perhaps a few WCQ bench players being given an opportunity to shine at the Gold Cup.

 

GK: Horvath, Hamid, Rimando
RB: Chandler, Rosenberry
CB: Birnbaum, Hedges, Miazga, CCV
LB: Villafana, Lichaj
CDM: Lletget, Hyndman, Kitchen, Acosta
CAM: Feilhaber, Nagbe, Gooch
LW/RW: Manneh, Arriola
ST: Agudelo, Morris, Green

 

For the Gold Cup, it seems to me like it makes a whole lot of sense to bring in any guys that are playing decently in Europe.

1) Bruce hasn't gotten a chance to look at them yet.
2) There are some guys that probably haven't gotten an adequate look.
3) and, the least strong reason, but still a reason, it reduces the burden on MLS.

So, for the GC, I'd for sure bring in the following, if they're getting regular minutes: Johnsen, Kitchen, Morales, Williams, Lichaj, Boyd. Gatt, if he's seeing the field. I'd bring in CCV, to get him captied. Miazga, I'm less interested in. Let him earn his way into the picture.

And, if MFL is not in season, I'd bring in the lot of them (if they're not playing in qualies): Arriola, Gonzo, Castillo. If Corona, Paco, or even Jonny B are playing (well), I'd bring them in.

We could field a pretty good team if those guys are in form.

------------------Johnsen
Arriola--------------------------------Gatt
----------------Williams
----------Morales-------Kitchen
Castillo------Gonzo----CCV------Lichaj

Then you bring in the best MLS guys that don't make the qualie roster. Like, Lee N? and, whomever else is a FOW. Maybe you bring in a smaller/quicker CB to pair with Gonzo or CCV.

 

I left CCV off because I don't expect him to really break out with Spurs and become a first team option for us so he will go to the U20's instead. While there is depth there at his position the same is true for the senior team and it seems a little speculative a move for Bruce.

 

One interesting thing to watch .... the V board rumor is that Matt Hedges has a Canadian grandparent and could theoretically play for them. If he plays in Gold Cup or WCQ, that would be it for that option.

He'd be an instant starter for Canada. For us, right now, he could be anywhere from 2 to 7 or 8. But most likely he's in that MLS chase pack for the fourth CB. So I wonder if he would turn down calls, especially to Gold Cup.

 

Hedges should switch to Canada if that information is true. Already 26yrs, Zimmerman likely ahead of him and not likely to play or even make the roster for March.

 

Hedges was the MLS defender of the year and in the running the previous one. Matt Besler also plays in MLS and has been our most reliable central defender the last few years. It's not like Hedges doesn't have the physical tools for the international game either. He's not just a token call-up as a defender. He has a good shot to make the World Cup roster and realistic shot to play plenty this cycle. He's not going to get into a World Cup with Canada, in all likelihood ever. Canadian grandparent is also a super thin tie in comparison to growing up in the States. So far it hasn't worked out for him with the U.S. because Klinsmann was a biased nincompoop and he got injured in Arena's first camp. But it makes little sense to not stick it out here for a while longer. Switching to Canada would be a move of desperation which shouldn't be made until the very least it's clear he's not anywhere in Arena's plans. He will be if he's on the Gold Cup roster.

 

Hedges would rather fight than switch!

 

But would Benson?

 

We REALLY need to find quality PT for the younger midfielders. I hope Manneh's waiver goes through soon.

 

right now im wondering what this midfield would look like

Nagbe-----------Feilhaber-----------Pulisic
----------------------Jones---------------------

That there could be a fun show.