News: USMNT roster for Mexico, T&T World Cup qualifiers released

Dempsey is playing perfectly fine. Bradley, I'll grant you, but I'd say the fact that three successive managers have looked at Benny's form, looked at our midfield and decided to pass on calling him up is a fairly damning indictment.

 

Four. I'm pretty sure he got kicked off the U-20 team as well...

 

Poor Benny, he's become our very own wandering Jew. Should be noted many got mad at Klinsmann for not including him, so having many get mad at Arena for the same is just fair.

 

Bob Bradley never stopped calling in Feilhaber. Feilhaber was on the 2011 Gold Cup team, but then had to withdraw at the last minute due to an ankle injury in a match with New England (and was replaced by Bedoya).

http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/201...haber-on-us-roster-for-2011-concacaf-gold-cup

 

In that case, I stand corrected. I couldn't recall him being in the camp for the pre-GC friendlies in 2011 and knew he wasn't on the roster. I did not realize Bedoya replaced him due to injury.

 

BOOM

 

BOOM, what?

That doesn't really alter the situation. You could maybe say, okay, JK and he had a personality clash which is why he was left out, but Arena and he had no priors; he called him in, gave him a look and then leaves him out. So you have two managers, plus a U20 manager, plus Benny's history with SKC of having little tantrums, albeit not lately, weighed against the players' form and ability, and he's not getting called in.

That still says its more likely he's a toolbag and NT coaches don't think that bringing in a role player who is also a tool is worth the headache.

So what about me being incorrect about Bradley supports some pants-on-head theory about how Dempsey and Bradley are threatened by Benny Feilhaber?

 

CC and 2010WC w/ Feilhaber. Still getting calls in 2011.

Then JK, who is a notorious dipshit.

Arena is a big boy and can tell us why he wants Feilhaber but can't use him. That a decade ago Benny was a dick isn't going to cut it.

Whatever, I'm sure you can find a way to turn this into a rant against F.Johnson.

 

I can find a way to turn anything into a rant against Fabian Johnson.

I'm not saying I'm thrilled with it; if I were the manager I would have Benny around because he brings value and I certainly would have brought him to Brazil over Diskerud. I still think he has value and it's not like we're flush with talented central midfielders. But trying to see it from the coach's perspective...they must not think he's worth the trouble.

 

Arena's experience of Benny is a lot more recent than a decade ago. Feilhaber was in the January camp and played both games.

 

Correct. And Feilhaber looked good. But the faux-journalists won't ask why he hasn't been called up since. If it's because Feilhaber is a dick, then let's hear that Arena is sacrificing scoring opportunities because of personality issues.

But players with attitude aren't worth it, right?



If only we had more players who could make those passes to guys who are kinda dicks. Or kinda dicks who could make passes to players.

But we have the slow MB90 and CDgimme... Can't bench those guys!

 

What a dick!

 

In hopes that the Feilhabickering (see what I did there?) will fizzle out, I think that Bruce's stated goal of "more creative passing in midfield" leading to the roster we see for these WCQs may have to do with other questions he wants to get answered in these two matches.

Against T&T, no "luxury" player is required to make the offense work given the competitive imbalance between the two teams. Against Mexico, there is not room for one.

To be glass-half-full about it, I like to imagine that Bruce is using the friendly + 2 WCQs to figure out a different midfield question: does the USMNT actually have wide midfielders?

I am curious to see if Pulisic returns to the middle against either opponent (in a 2-striker formation, that is).

 

I agree, 100%

Very possible that we go to our 2nd straight WC without bringing our most creative ACM.

 

Pulisic??

 

My first thought

 

íVamos USA!

 

For those wondering about Feilhaber (and Kljestan), according to this article, the reason he's not on the GC list is because Bruce "wants to look at younger players" but he'll probably be back in September for the WC qualifiers.

 

Then why aren't they on the roster for THESE qualifiers?

GC I get, but if they are in BA's plans for qualifiers, Why Not These?

 

Yep... whether one buys this 'excuse' or not is another story.

 

I think Arena's just being pc here but he could have mapped out tactics for each match and decided that in a 4-4-2 at home and an absorb and counter in Mexico they didn't fit but for the next two their skill set is needed.