Time to have a little fun, exercise the grey matter, and reach back into the old memory bank. Name your list of the top YA each full season from 2001/02 until this season. Rules: -Outfield players only, lest we have Friedel in the top spot every year. -Only players playing for the USMNT (i.e. no Rossi or Subotic) Additionally, put a star by the player if you believe he was the top CONCACAF player abroad that year; if not, name who you thought was the top CA abroad in brackets. I'm only going to go back a few years, and defer to my betters for a more complete list. 2007/08 Michael Bradley [Rafa Marquez] 2008/09 Oguchi Onyewu [Tie, Marquez & Guardado] 2009/10 Tie, Cherundolo & Dempsey [???] 2010/11 Clint Dempsey* [tied with Chicharito, edging out Izaguirre] 2011/12 Clint Dempsey*
Interesting and I'll give this some thought. I don't, however, think you should limit it to field players only. Timmy Howard had an astounding year for Everton in 08/09 with 17 league clean sheets. That far outshines any other Yank that season. However, while American keepers have been good they have not always been that good (i.e., no keeper comes close to Dempsey's performance this year and last or Mikey's goal scoring binge in 07/08), so I think the list can rightfully be open to all.
Hmm. While I agree that it can be open to all, I think you are underestimating how good those last three USMNT three keepers have been at times. Friedel and Howard each have a PFA Team of the Year nod. Keller had monster seasons in three countries.
I wouldnt sleep on Hahnemann either..... Guy was raw 06-08ish for reading Also Convey and Demerit had some outstanding seasons in the championship
I would say that Marcus single handedly kept Reading from being completely humiliated in their one season in the Prem . . . but he used both hands most of the time that year. Anyway, I still argue that we should look to the best of the best and that won't always be a keeper. Ryan Coiner had some monster years back in the early days of the century and so did Joe Zewe (of course neither ever played for the senior team, so I guess we can't count them here) . . .
I'd like to keep the no-goalie rule because we all know we've had great goalies, and exactly who those guys are; I'd like to shine a light on the field players. If you'd like, add a YA goalie after the best YA field player for each year.
...? they spent two season in the Prem..... the first one they did really really well.. coming in 8th and in the second one they were barely relegated on the last day..... I remember Fulham winning at portsmouth and sending Reading down. Taking goalies out of the equation. I still think Bobby Convey and Jay Demerit should get some credit.
2005-06 I would give to Bobby Convey. He had a great season (7 goals, 10 assists) on a team that destroyed the rest of the Championship (31-2-13, 99 goals scored). I would agree with 2007-08 to Bradley and 2008-09 to Onyewu...Dempsey was probably the best in 2009-10 and 2010-11 (and probably will be again this year)....if Holden had stayed healthy in 2010-11, he would have had a serious case for Dempsey. I thought Dolo was better last year than in 2009-10. Hannover was nearly relegated in 2010, but in 2011 they made the Europa League (and were in a Champions League position late in the year) in part because they had cut their GA from 67 to 45 (offense improved from 43 to 49). He had a great year last season. If not for Dempsey's ridiculous season, Sacha would have a strong case for 2011-12. From the smaller leagues, Ryan Guy was great from 2008-10 (League of Ireland is spring to fall). There were also a couple of years back from before Jermaine Jones switched to the US that deserve consideration. I wasn't paying much attention to him at the time, but he was a starter for Schalke in the 2007-09 range (his German caps came in 2008) when they finished 3rd (2007-08) and 8th (2008-09) in the Bundesliga.