Excited to see our full squad back together, it'll also be really interesting to see who gets into this friendly out of that January Camp
I'm guessing Gonzo stays home so Klinsi can gauge Brooks' readiness. The most interesting callup will be at left back.
Whoops, you're right, what I meant was Evans at RB, and Chandler cause he could take a freaking bus there.
I'd love to see Chandler, his "fear of traveling" excuse holds significantly less water given how much closer this game is to him...
I'm thinking Sepp will move the World Cup to Ukraine if Timmy will just get on that train. The whole world is watching. Let us make a prayer chain through cyber space. The fate of the universe hangs in the balance.
I think either Brooks or Goodson goes to Brazil, onl space for 1 of them. If Brooks can stay healthy, I think chances are it will be him (imo). But he has to stay healthy, and that's been tough for him so far this season. I think the backline will be at least Omar, Besler, Brooks (if healthy), Cameron. I'm hoping Lichaj (LB) and Chandler can sneak in there too.
Assuming everyone is healthy and nobody's game suddenly drops off a cliff, Brooks and Goodson are likely competing for the final CB slot on the roster, IMO. Injuries of course could change that in a hurry.
I've posted this in another thread, but will this match actually happen? http://www.kyivpost.com/multimedia/photo/clashes-on-grushevskogo-335240.html http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukr...laws-considers-possible-sanctions-335248.html
Think both will go as cam will be taken as a rb. Lichaj won't be there. Doubt chandler gets the call but he has a higher chance than lichaj.
Did I see something on the news about violence in The Ukraine recently? Will that have an impact on the upcoming friendly?
The violence would have to spread outside of Maidan and Khrushevsky street. Right now in Kiev, if you aren't within a four block radius of the square life is pretty normal.
I don't know enough about the Greek situation to compare it. As of now the Yanukovich government is paying people to create violence, but as of now, it's contained to roughly a one mile stretch of Kiev. Too early to tell how this plays out, but I think this game goes ahead in Donetsk and the protests hardly affect the US team.
Of course at this point Cameron will primarily be our starting RB, but one of the questions that Klinsi has been and will be asking himself is, if it comes to it, would he rather go with someone else at CB (ie Goodson or Brooks), or a backup at RB (ie Evans or Yedlin or Lichaj or Chandler or Parkhurst, or whomever)? If real options arise at RB, which I am doubting at this point, Cameron will probably been seen as cover at both CB and DCM in addition to the starting right back. However, given that the fullback situation doesn't look to be improving so much, unless someone gets hot, I'm speculating he'd rather keep Cam at RB if one of his starting center backs are unavailable and go with a guy like Goodson or Brooks in their place, as you say.
See I see it like this... Two lb and rb and 4 center backs. Cam will count in the rb but will still be looked at as main cover to cb and cm if there's an injury and jk prefers him there over rb.
I don't think we'll go with 8 more-or-less full-time defenders on the final roster, particularly since Cam could cover in several positions and Fabian--ideally a left midfielder in Klinsi's eyes I think--is also the first choice at LB. I think he would rather go with 7 and take an extra midfielder or forward, particularly on the attacking end. (In other words, I believe there will be 7 defenders, Fabian Johnson, and 8 other midfielders.) Up until recently I'd agree that Klinsi would've preferred to move Cameron into the center (where he really wanted to play him, anyway) and let another fullback handle RB, but at this point, if it came down to it I'd bet that Klinsi would prefer to bring on a guy like Goodson to cover at CB rather than move Cam over to bring on Evans or whomever else beats out Evans between now and June.
Maybe... Wouldnt say Goodson's a lock tho if brooks returns to top form after his injury and gets team of the week honors again. With cam and if Evans goes being capable of playing in the mid I don't see a problem with the 8 defenders. Also we play with one striker so Jozy, AJ and EJ don't need more than that especially cause AJ can drop into the mid and contribute in moving the ball as well as up top and EJ has been used wide at times. 3 keepers. Equals 14 players covered... That's 9 spots for 5 midfield starters. That's plenty considering the versatility of some of our defenders and strikers.
Goodson and Brooks are in a battle, and I think Klinsi's going to mull that one over right until the end (assuming that both Besler and Gonzo remain healthy and their form doesn't go to hell). I don't think it's a foregone conclusion that Goodson will win that battle, though up to this moment I'd say that he's the favorite.
I just don't see why we wouldn't bring 8 defenders. I get cam is viewed as a cb by JK too but if he locked down the rb back spot JK will bring 4 cbs and a back up rb.
Historically, the 8th defender--when one is called--gets used very seldomly. I don't remember how long it's been for us since we've used an 8th defender in the World Cup, but it hasn't been any time since 2002. The final forward and midfielder on the roster get used more often. Particularly since the choice is likely to come down to having a guy like Kljestan on the squad or some late-surfacing attacking wild card (ie Magee?) vs Evans or Yedlin or someone like that.