Alert: United States announces roster for both Jamaica games JOSH GATT CALLUP

If I had to choose between ehem, molding Gatt right now into an effective USMNT player or keeping Donovan on the squad, I would likely bite the bullet and go with Gatt. He plays exactly like a young Donovan with the added advantage of sticking with a good manager in Europe.

He's not nearly as durable, though, which leads me to believe he might need some nutrition and physio guidance above what he is getting now.

Not that it is an either/or proposition, but it soon will be and with all the emotional wishy-washyness coming out of Donovan lately, I'd likely just allow him to fade away gracefully.

 

So I was only 25% off? Awesome, my memory is getting better.

 

I suppose one "downside" (if you can call it that) to MLS is they are giving a lot concacrap players a decent venue to learn how to play reasonably high level futbol and give them a better chance to compete with Mexico, USA et al for the WC spots. The USA needs to make sure "our" MLSers are better than "their" MLSers (unless we start making it a habit to "facilitate" our better players going to Europe for cheap).

 

If Gatt is a young Donovan, then both would/should be no-brainer call ups and trying to find a lineup to include both of them.

 

Yeah, pretty much. Doesn't mean that Gatt can never be a great player for the Nats, but Donovan was different. Is different. With Donovan fading away, everyone (myself included) will want to find the next Donovan. Unfortunately, there may not be one for a few years. There's a reason the guy is the best ever for our national team. We just need to let Gatt be Gatt, and Donovan be Donovan. Any comparisons between the two will just leave us being underwhelmed with Gatt for the time being.

 

I still don't buy into the Donovan is fading before 2014.

There may not be a 'next.' He could be our Hagi or Hristo Stoichkov.

 

I think it's become pretty clear that MLS is a significant proving ground for national team programs all over CONCACAF apart from Mexico.

 

I gotta believe that if we get anywhere near point as a soccer nation that we would be considered elite, we would have multiple Donovans on the same team. It may take awhile though. And I don't think he's fading either. That's why I included "is different" in my post.

 

I don't think so either, but I could be wrong. I personally think 2011 and 2012 weren't his best years, but we'll see. He still shows too many glimpses I think for it to be over, and a move to Everton and/or a World Cup will be enough to motivate him (if his body holds up) almost surely. We might see more injuries, but I don't think we'll see the end of his effectiveness this cycle unless it's an injury too bad/too many that keeps him off the field for too long.

As to the second part, I don't see a hint of a true replacement for him. I expect that we will see a player who is better than Donovan in his prime eventually, but probably not any time in the next couple of years, after a quick look at the crop that's coming through the ranks. It will be a while. I think it will be quite a while before we have a player both of his quality and of his type.

I do like the look of Gatt, but he seems much more a pure flank player to me than Donovan, who was always part winger, part forward, part creator/facilitator in aptitude that never even played on the flank early in his career. That "central winger" role that some teams have been using recently is made for "a Donovan."

 

Donovan is a weird puppy. I wouldn't even try to determine what makes him tick. However if you go back and look at his career. Look at his club play in the years following WC and the lead ups.

2002-03-04 Meh, by his standards. Tried going back to Leverkusen, didn't work out. 'Earned' his Landycakes reputation on Big Soccer. Build up to WC 'o6 in 2005, he was a one man wrecking crew.

Post 2006 WC- average/good seasons. 2009-2010 build up his appearance in Everton, again the fire was in his belly.

I have no reason to doubt that he will do it again.

His career has definitely had peaks and valleys based on motivating factors.

 

That's it. I think 2013 and 2014 are going to be better than 2011/12, especially if Everton's involved. A move to Everton and a looming World Cup (most likely his last) will almost certainly put the fire back in him if the past is any indicator. The one fly in the serum is that he does seem to get injured more frequently now that his body is 4 years older than it was at this point last cycle.

 

I see you never visit the mexican forum... we won't be the last to acknowledge it.

 

Hell, even Michael Bradley gets hurt now.
Wouldn't surprise me. He definitely cant put the milage on that he did last cycle. either move to Everton or stay home. No loans to have him playing year round.

 

the question is where are you playing now and what level are you playing at

my prferred starting 11 has

howrd
dolo edu cameron johnson
williams beckerman jones
dempsey gomez
altidore

1 current mls guy

and everyone else at a levels above mls

the jamaican team that qualed for 1998 was better i think than this current crop of talent for jamaica

put gatt from scandanavia in the jamaican weather and he'd last 30 minutes, sub time perhaps

i'd think DEPTH is the huge edge for USA , no dononovan, no bradley, we have enough talent to field a good team, even if dempsey is a sub

jamaica wants a helter skelter game

usa should be able to shut that down

i give jamaica a chance, and usa a chance, and even a draw

no result would surprise me

i like the ref, who should be fair

 

True enough.

 

Jozy in the classic sweeper role and Boca and Cameron as dual strikers. love it.

 

Beckerman ready to repay Klinsmann faith vs. Jamaica

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/09/07/beckerman-ready-repay-klinsmann-faith-vs-jamaica

 

Honestly, I think he rides the pine unless someone gets hurt...

My only point was, beyond just that Man-U game he had a spell of almost two months following where he looked good in central midfield in the EPL... better form than I have ever seen him playing in the backline. As mentioned prior, too many speedy players torch him in back way too easily due to his lack of speed/quickness.

 

So it looks like our starting 3 will probably be beckermann jones and williams..... although I wouldn't be shocked if torres starts there.

What do you guys think?

 

The headline should read

Klinsmann ready to baffle Reggae Boyz by playing a Natty Dread White Boy in Jamaica

 

I think he is fading, good example is how good he looks against weaker teams but doesn't seem to pull it off against the strong ones.

 

A lot of people have been saying this about him his entire career. That and the "he doesn't show up for big games" bit.

 

IMO LD has about an equal chance in having the World Cup of his career in 2014 as he does in retiring once the US qualifies (knock on wood). The guy is a bit of an enigma.

 

not at all, he was great against germany in the 2002 WC, always had a good game against Mexico. If anything, he had more consistency.

 

Just curious, but why does it look like that? Reports from camp? Sorry if it's on the thread and I missed it. I certainly wouldn't be surprised to see that trio, but....

-------------Altidore--------
Shea------Dempsey---Gomez
--------Edu-------Jones------
Johnson-----------------Dolo
-------Boca----Cameron-----
-------------Timmy-----------

...is what I'd do. I'm wary of Beckerman's speed against the Jamaicans. I think Williams has been poor on the right and while I'd be interested in seeing what he'd do centrally, I don't think a qualifier is the place to experiment. Torres has not impressed me. Edu's place I still believe is in the midfield.

I think this is the best attacking lineup we could play. The downside is that we'd only have Boyd available as an attacking sub should we need a goal. While I really don't like Torres on the left, Shea might just be better in the impact-sub role running against tired legs.