Rimando was terrible last season from what I saw. Even when he was playing well in MLS, he didn't play well for the NT. Now he's not even playing well in MLS.
That's not really what happened. 2nd in expected goals saved in '14, 1st in '15, and dipped somewhat to 8th last year but that's still good. Handled his duties well against Serbia, and was undefeated or tied in the '13. Excellent with the ball at his feet of course. You're not suggesting starting Hamid between the sticks in games of this magnitude and pressure without proof and experience, are you? That would be suicide. It's Rimando vs. Guzan vs. maybe Howard. If Howard ain't healthy, I guess you're starting Guzan. But I feel even less comfortable with that than Rimando. Now there's a guy who is out of form, with a lot of flaws, and a spotty nt record. It's not exactly a smorgasbord of sterling options, but you have to make do.
Thanks for the link. Unless there is more that Rongen said, it seems to be pretty minor. He was told that he was not good enough for the U-20's by a coach (Rongen) but was praised (and brought into training) by Hackworth and invited to the full USMNT by Bradley. Being told that you are not good enough for a team is part of being an athlete. Sometimes the assessment is accurate and sometimes it isn't. Apparently Acosta wasn't good enough for his h.s. team. should he have quit? (he made jv but wasn't good enough for varsity if I remember the post correctly). I think Clint Eastwood's comment that he needs to grow a thicker skin is spot on and that he never really wanted to play for the US is probably accurate.
Expected goals saved isn't 100% correct, and even as you said, he dropped to 8th. From what I saw, he wasn't good last season. Thats just my opinion. I think you are trying to talk yourself into Rimando being good. He's always been a liability whenever he's played for the USMNT. I don't care how much experience he has, if he struggles playing for the NT. I wouldn't want to start a bad keeper in a must win match. If you want to go down losing with bad players, thats your choice, and once again you are thinking everything is directed at you. There were a few people who commented about Rimando. IMO, starting Rimando is just as bad as starting Wondo or Zusi or Evans. They are all declining MLS players who haven't performed well for the NT, and have always been fixtures in Klinsmann's teams because they "are veterans with experience", but they've consistently performed poorly, so maybe we should try a different strategy that makes use of our player pool instead of selecting inferior players due to perceived experience that is actually experience playing poorly.
Villafana played one game against totally dominated Jamaica C- team. Nobody was even attacking on his side. He is a pretty decent LB what means "good" by our standards but the best player of a decade based on that? His Portland season was much more convincing. And Johnson, Beasley, never existed?
I know it's unpopular to some posters but, The US Pool is the deepest and most talented it has ever been.
Which 4? I knew everyone was going to overrate Villafaña. He made some nice passes and a few decent crosses. He even had a tackle or two. But go back and watch. Every single time, in both friendlies, his guy would get the ball and go to the corner. He would take a heavy touch and run up to cross the ball. Every single time, instead of stepping to block the cross, Villafaña would duck out of the way and let the ball go past him. 5 times in 1 1/2 games. He didn't step up to block a single one.
This is an interesting thread. My $0.02. The idea that the US has, or likely will ever have in my lifetime, enough skill players to play possession soccer (at WC level) is insane. Our most effective style of play is the counter. We have won many big games in our history playing this way. People say we don't have an identity - wrong - this has been our identity that had success with the right players. We have confused ourselves thinking that speed is not one of our most critical assets. We are not properly targeting flat out burners - even those less skilled - in recent years. The country may not be set up to produce technical wunderkids - but given our size we can produce kids who can fly. We need two such players on the field at all times. Playing this style means we need great goalkeeping (also a natural strength) and defending. As at least one other poster stated, we are weaker in GK than we have been in a long time. In defense, Geoff Cameron may be our most vital player. I would even consider playing him in a more traditional sweeper role. In short, we should stop trying to change who we are and play to our natural strengths in this sport. I realize this is likely an unpopular opinion around here.
Young US players should get technical instruction as a foundation here in the US. As soon as they can, they should then leave to get tactical instruction somewhere else. Klinsmann was right to steer talented young Americans abroad.
This to me sounds like a self-producing prophecy. With that mentality, we never will. But why not? Why can't we develop the skill players necessary to play a decent possession game? Because Murica? We may not have it right now, but to suggest that there is something about America that prevents us from ever developing that skill is ridiculous. No country expects themselves to become Barcelona in possession, outside of maybe Germany. But i do expect us to continue to develop American skill and technique as the generations continue.
The essential disconnect of our game is our need to play possession soccer against most of CONCACAF and counter soccer against Top 30 sides.
And for all the aforementioned reasons you stated, my unpopular opinion is that I have always had far more respect for G. Rossi than I do for Subotic (minus that ridiculous grandstanding that he did when he scored against us in the Confed Cup). At least he had the guts to say that he always preferred Italy rather than use a single person as a scapegoat for bolting when he almost certainly would have done so anyway, once an offer came, as Neven did.
I think you got it wrong...Storm Trooper said it wouldn't happen in HIS lifetime. At 101 years young, he is currently our senior member on BS. That is the reason he seems so wise.
Landon Donovan wasn't playing all that well before Klinsmann left him off the world cup roster. I still think it's insane that he was left off in favor of Brad Davis/Wondo/various others...but Landon was far from his best at that time.
The overwhelming majority of the USMNT/MLS media is a complete joke from top to bottom with an apparent agenda that they don't do a great job of hiding.
I'll play. 1. LD is not GOAT. He's not even in the top 5. Most talented? Up until recently, yes, but that is not the same as greatest. 2. Julian Green did not take LD's spot. It is not a binary choice and Davis, Wondo, Zusi, Mix and an injured Johannsson were all taken to the Cup. At least Green was a positive contributor. 3. Sampson is not Lucifer incarnate for the 1998 WC. He was getting railroaded from all sides. 4. Eddie Pope was a solid defender and is underrated. 5. MLS hurts the USMNT more than it helps. 6. The only more tedious interview than Bob Bradley is Michael Bradley. 7. Arena was never called out for taking Albright to a World Cup. 8. The fact that Agoos has over 100 caps is an embarrassment.
Yes to 2, 4, 5, 6, 7. There is some truth to all of your points but can't cosign completely on the others, esp. #1.
I heard one former USMNT player say, "he's just not a good dude. Just a bad person overall." He went on to say that none of the players liked Sampson. Just curious, what is the media's agenda?
Overall, yes. And largely due to Klinsi going out proactively and expanding the pool But individual talent in the top group has been better, esp. the 2002 team.