so help me out here: Does Santino Quaranta deserve a look at this level? I was a fan of his at DC United, and I still feel he could be a breakout player... Seems to me like there are other youngsters in MLS and elsewhere that Bradley can take a look at before robbing the cradle...
I just saw Quaranta vs dallas FC (3-1)and he was way out touch with the ball and far away from cobi and marshall, could not be the link in midfield of defenders and forwards,, something he had in years with DC question: who will take the playmaker role for the Usians? donovan style or close?
No. He broke out as a stud rookie Six years or so ago and looked very promising. His career has been in the toilet since. Attitude issues, then becoming a parent as a teenager all coincided with his decline in play. I don't expect him to ever make it back. Six years ago he seemed like a lock to be at least a reserve, but since then he's contributed virtually nothing to his MLS sides.
We found a pretty good combo in the Gold Cup final with Ricardo Clark and Benny Feilhaber. Both of those guys are coming to Copa America and should start. Clark will be a DM which allows Feilhaber to play more of an attacking role. I actually like our defenders more than the Gold Cup ones simply because Onyewu won't be there. Jay Demerit has marked some of the best in the premiership including Drogba so at least he won't be starstruck. Realistically we'll be lucky to stay within 2 or 3 of Argentina. It could be much worse than that. I don't know how they're going to score goals with that group of forwards. I imagine it'll be a lot of 4-5-1 with counter attacking when possible.
thanks....in any case the order and mentality of the Usians will certainly be a problem to some rivals in copa america I have in my mind WC94 vs colombia- that was not pleasant at all!
Club commitments. Copa America is not on the FIFA calendar for the US because it's not our confederation's tournament. Clubs have no obligation to let us use their players. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_men's_national_soccer_team#Current_squad If you compare the rosters you'll see that many of the clubs in top flight European leagues probably weren't willing to give up their players for two competitions, especially if the players were starters or key subs. Even in MLS, I doubt many of the clubs wanted to give up their stars. For one thing, if they wanted to keep them, there is nothing Bradley could do. And on the other hand, Bradley needs to keep good relationships with these clubs for the future. The Gold Cup IS more important. It is our confederation's championship and it gives us a spot in the confederations cup. Plus, Bradley wants younger guys to get experience.
How is Rafa Marquez doing it for Mexico, then? I don't think that is the case at all. It's simple, the US just doesn't care about Copa America. They focused on the Gold Cup to get to the precious Confeds. Cup and MLS is also running at the same time of CA. They also see that sending the same players that just played the Gold Cup as some kind of wrong thing to do They just don't care.
If the U.S does not go to Copa America because it can't qualify to the Confederations Cup, then that's the most pathetic excuse I've ever heard. The confederations cup is not even that important. It's not like if you win the Confederations Cup you get an automatic bid into the next WC or you're proclaimed the best team in the world because that's what the WC is for. Copa America provides for the better competition compared to the Gold Cup hands down. No excuses for the U.S........If the get beat down then the US better don't cry later saying that the regulars weren't playing because they were busy playing against Panama, Canada, Guatemala,,,,,etc.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copa_América_2007_squads#Mexico You're right, all of those teams are in the middle of a heated season right now. And I don't see why you're rolling your eyes. First you say that you don't think that's the case at all and then you make the same point as I do. You said the same thing as I did. I said club commitments and you comment about the MLS running at the same time. But that would be the truth. Just because you don't like the decision that was made doesn't change that.
one more thing: In case they made the next WC, the USA will be 'head of the draft grp' cabeza de serie when FIFA goes to draft teams for next WC... one more perk.
Well actually Rafa didn't, yes he was on teh Gold Cup roster but he only played the final match, which is why hes going to the Copa America. Mexico's Salcido, Pardo, and Osorio also opted out of the Copa, so what the US are doing isn't the strange. Our euro players need a rest and their clubs don't want them to play in two tournies this summer. Its not that hard to understand. If there was no Gold Cup then we would've brought our best, teh timing was unfortunatley off. Oh and Confed Cup >>> Copa America. The teams playing in 09 are basically gonna use their WC rosters or something very similar to it, that type of preparation/practice is priceless.
I believe this is why the US always seems to disappoint in the WC. They never play the games that can really hurt them. They'll send their best team to the Gold Cup, Friendlies in the Middle of the European calendar, and show up at the formality called "confederations cup". Then, when they have a chance to play in a very challenging situation--with hostile crowds and all, and in games that are important--they back out. Then they get eliminated in the first round of the WC and people wonder why, since they made it to the "confederations cup"
i disagree with this. Its not that you are completely wrong, i do sense that the USA doesnt schedule the tough road games they should, but that is not true this year. The best the USA can do is go to the COPA and play european road friendlies. This year they are doing both. I know many are disappointed that the best USA has to offer isnt going, but the USA is in transition with the bulk of the roster. I mean in 2010, we will see Donovan, Beasley, Dempsey, Bocanegra, Howard, and Mastroeni, and certainly that is the core of the team, but the USA is in desperate need to develop its yound midfielders, its young outside backs (Hedjuk is 32 years old) and they really have not developed anyone resembling a true striker since Brian McBride who is now retired. I see the USA sending these young players as a strong risk-reward situation. Its possible that the team suffers confidence shattering losses that send some of these kids packing. If thats the case then at least we know three years out. But if they play, like we think they can, it will be a big boost to the depth of the roster that we lack. I dont agree with Visca assessment that the USA just doesnt care about the COPA. Its just absurd, if they really didnt think theyd benefit, they never would have accepted. It is true that USA cares more about the Gold Cup, why? im not sure, im not a part of the federation, but they seem to believe that the confederations cup is an important prepatory event for them (tough matches if you will, that you say they never play). I personally beleive the CC is nothing more than a chance to test the lights for the world cup, but thats not my point. My point is that people should have seen this coming the fact that USA was going to send youth to the COPA. I think the USA has a shot to make the 1/4's but i guess we will see how they do. Finally, i really do think that 2009 COPA america the USA will probably take a different approach, of course we have to see where the CC falls (im not joking). Of course, if the people that run the copa visit big soccer, the south american championship wont have invitees, and everyone will be happy, at least everyone who has nothing better to do than complain
I argued for sending the better team to the Copa as well. The problem is that the Copa is in July, and the vast majority of our european based players are either fighting for starting spots in europe, or like DMB, trying to hook up w/a new team and just having basically been signed, can't afford to then go out and play in Copa. I don't like it, but it is what it is. A lot of these guys chances at starting gigs are dependent on showing well in training/preseason. As for the MLS guys, even though it annoys me, teams are in the midst of the midseason grind in MLS, and can't afford to lose players for a month, rather than two+ weeks. Again, I'd prefer MLS to basically slow down the schedule from mid-june to mid july as players are constantly lost every single freaking year due to tournaments like the Gold Cup, U-20 World Cup, U-17 World Cup, Confederations Cup, World Cup, and World Cup qualifying, but the league in it's infinite wisdom would rather have teams play with a mix of 1st, 2nd and third stringers, than slow down during the hottest period of the year. The US isn't doing this because they are afraid, they are doing this because they don't have much choice in the matter. The stars of our youth team are playing at the U-20 World Cup already, and they aren't going to demand that every single MLS International caliber player leave to play, nor every single player w/a shot at starting in a major league come and play, particularly since those clubs can refuse allowing them to play on top of that. The US is interested in getting positive working relationships with both the MLS, and European based clubs. Additionally the friendly situation is all about money. The fed wants $$$ in the coffers, and as such, they host friendlies domestically. This is already changing a little bit, as unlike in '03, the fed is actively going after multiple away games in '07. Sunil is persuing that angle. I also had hoped for a better situation at the Copa, but unfortunately it was a very bad year for it to be going on in terms of the US matching well with it. The '04 Copa would have been a better match, no Gold Cup, no qualifying at that time, and no youth world cups, but Arena, MLS and the fed were too stubborn and stupid to do it. You can't compare how well '04 fits (no international qualifyers, no youth tournaments, no gold cup), with '07 (Gold Cup, U-20 World Cup). It's a major bummer, hopefully the US will continue to play in the tournament going forward, as it desperately needs tournaments like this to really build to the next stage of its development.
Unless I'm mistaken, there isn't going to be a 2009 Copa America. I believe it's in '11. Correct me if I'm wrong.
I don't begin to understand where a lot of the posters on this thread are coming from ... to me the roster represents a lot of the future for the 2010 WC, and, IMO the selections are quite appropriate. What the U.S. is doing is - finally, as a sign of a nation's soccer maturing process - what many other established soccer powers often do, such as Brazil, England, and Italy. Their top players have current professional commitments and are thus getting valuable training and playing time with their clubs. Consequently they send their development teams (or if you will, their "B" teams) to the secondary tourneys all over to build up an army of excellent players that any World Cup contender will need. And before BB, the U.S. has never had any significant depth, except on for the GK position. We now has some depth in the backs and midfield, but BB is going to make it even deeper. And what we are likely to see from the young Americans is a lot of entertaining hustle and energy ... after all, their international futures are on the line. Maybe we'll lose every game, but I'm willing to bet we will also be playing some damn good soccer all along the way. Who in hell cares about us winning the Copa America in 2007? This is the correct way on how we WILL win it in the future, and more importantly, how we will eventually contend for the big WC as well. The benefits of playing there are enormous.
it just makes it look like the US doesn't take this tournament seriously. I'm sure if the organizers had known the US would bring this kind of team, they would probably have invited another country instead.
i cant believe bradley, there must of been someone else in mls hed rather have than gaven,nguyen,davies,wynne and moor. guys like feilhaber,kljestan and pearce deserved the call up but the others not so much...are alot of the mls players not available along with the foreiners?? this roster is a bit of a joke, were screwed.