Stuttgart going back to the Bundesliga this May. Hannover might be in 3 Bundesliga. Though loads of competition at the former.
Scouts will be at the upcoming Pachuca-FCD CCL match to take a look at players from the two teams. http://www.bigdsoccer.com/2017/3/27/15081164/fc-dallas-vs-pachuca-scouts-stuggart-ajax This column mentions that Schalke, Stuttgart, Ajax, & Anderlecht as teams taking a look at Zimmerman. [Take the source with a grain of salt.] Scouting is just scouting. Lots of players get scouted. When it comes to Zimmerman, I do believe that where there's smoke...............there's fire.
2nd mention of Stuttgart in this thread. That's also a level that would make sense (more than Schalke).
He's a standout young defender in MLS on a favorable contract and is breaking through with the national team. It only makes sense if that 2. Bundesliga club is becoming a 1. Bundesliga club next year. And he probably wouldn't sign before then anyway. Good timing for him I'd say would be this winter when teams need to fortify, he can see where he fits in to their immediate plans, and after Gold Cup-plus where he's integrated into the national team. Obviously it will help if FCD wins the CCL and he more than holds his own.
Pretty amazing that Zimmerman was a free agent before the 2016 MLS season, trialed around in Scandinavia, and didn't really find what he was looking for. A little more than a calendar year later he has clubs of a higher caliber reportedly looking at him. They could have had him for free a year ago!!!!!
Source: Hoffenheim has reached out to FC Dallas abt Walker Zimmerman (with info on buyout clause in new contract): https://t.co/eTNuqVPH20— Kristian Dyer (@KristianRDyer) June 28, 2017
Off the top of my head Brooks, Cameron, Besler, Ream Gonzalez, Miazga, Zimmerman, Hedges, Palmer-Brown (small chance). That's a strong contingent
The article misspelled Russell Canouse's name and then got the facts wrong about his first team debut. Not directly relevant to Zimmerman, of course, but it does call into question the quality of the article.
I think you just gotta consider the author. Dyer is usually okay. It might reflect poorly on him and his editor, but I'm not sure it means his info is wrong.
Really nothing is going to change between now and next summer among CBs - aside from WZ getting healthy. If you think we're going to be stacked next summer, then you should think we're stacked right now. It's the same group of players.
My point is just a lot of options for Arena. Zimmerman going abroad will help. Brooks at Wolfsburg will help. You're right though.
Hedges, Miazga, and Zimmerman should have significantly more caps than now; and EPB + CCV could emerge as options between higher-level European play + getting fast-tracked internationally. Opara could break-in during January camp. Besler could also reestablish, after he was the most reliable cb for a few years, before somewhat falling out of favor. So that year can make a big difference in perception and reality. Where we stand right now in terms of internationally established cb depth + quality is luke-warm. I mean we're starting Omar Gonzalez and Tim Ream in big games. That's unsettling, and when you look at the pool at large, it shouldn't be near that way, and better not in a year, otherwise it's reflected of a major failure in an area by Bruce. He needs to harvest and cultivate, not rely on his current group of mediocre options for a U.S. cb grouping.
If our CB depth can move GC to Bradley's spot, we are progressing. After that, the progression could b...well, everyone can insert whomever you like. I just laid the groundwork.
I just don't see the window as being that wide open to break in. You have 7 players in: Cameron, Brooks, Besler, Gonzalez, Ream, Hedges, Zimmerman, and Miazga in the pool right now. Arena is NOT going to start anyone from outside this list in the remaining qualifiers because there is too much on the line. That doesn't leave much time for breaking in. You have 2 November friendlies assuming the U.S. team doesn't drop to fourth and have to play in the playoffs. If that happens, there will be no experimenting outside of that 7-player list. Then you have 1-2 January Camp games, and probably 2 games in March 2018. If Carter-Vickers can get minutes beyond cameos at Tottenham, then maybe he could get fast-tracked. But in reality, I can't see that 7 player list being changed. In all likelihood, it'll be Brooks-Cameron in Russia.
If Hedges, Zimmerman, and Miazga become reliable starting options in Sochi come June, after further integration between the 7 games surrounding Gold Cup, friendlies, and qualifiers; then I consider that a very significant change. You'd go from guys like Gonzalez and Ream possibly being at the World Cup and starting meaningful games if anyone goes down or if we play a 3-man back-line, to not. And any of CCV, EPB, or Opara could be fast-tracked through January camp or high-level European play. If CCV ends up a starter at Tottenham, that's a rapid ascension. We don't know where EPB will land. But if he plays a key role in Champion's League at either cb or cdm, that's a rapid ascension for him as well. He has the additional argument of his versatility and ability to play a possible need position for us in destroyer d-mid. Opara has achieved excellence in MLS whenever healthy and could rise through January camp + subsequent friendlies. For Klinsmann, John Brooks and Aron Johannsson got spots at the '14 WC, after not being capped at all beyond this point, and w/ no GC as an aid. Yedlin + Green weren't capped until January camp that year or beyond. For Bradley, Robbie Findley was first added in friendlies late in the year before WC '10. Buddle and Gomez were added in friendlies the year of the World Cup. Bedoya just missed out after that late of a start. FWIW, Holden was added, starting out at Gold Cup, where we are now. And that was with Bradley's stamp already on the team. Bruce's isn't so much on this team, yet. Cameron as a bonus has cdm as his best position. Bruce may eventually learn that and actually employ him there, especially knowing all the cover at cb. He may re-learn that Besler was the team's most reliable cb for a few years and is still in his prime. So odds are the cb pool/rotation doesn't remain relatively static between now and the WC, especially w/ this much talent and comp, even if we do end up with a cb pairing of Brooks and Cameron in the end. I expect a substantially changed landscape there, cm, and maybe 1 or 2 other positions when it's all said and done.
Of course if CCV or EPB start huge games they're going to get looks. I just don't see that within the next year. They might get a few appearances but I don't see it regularly happening. You can play the IF game all day long. If Desevio Payne is one of the best RBs in the Eredivise this year, he could be Yedlin's backup. If Hyndman starts for Bournemouth, he'll walk into the USMNT starting XI. If Gooch starts for Sunderland in the Championship, he could emerge, etc.) It doesn't mean any of it is true. Based on the totality of his career, I still think Cameron's best position in in central defense. . Yes, in 2010 the landscape changed a lot quickly but that was because of the worst rash of injuries to ever hit the USMNT in a run-up to the World Cup (Davies, Onyewu, Holden).
He's got some interest again when his contract runs out this summer: https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018...-turns-down-latest-lafc-offer-weighing-europe