Naw Mexico will be a good game. But this would be great to see in like an open training match made free to the public/televised
Um league style has nothing to do with it. Now you could make a case that the us USA squad has more players on the same club team but league style is irrelevant. Coaches styles are more important. Speaking of which if Martinez was given the squad that would be the nail in the coffin of a close game euro side would win. Martinez would easily be the best coach the USA ever had. He did wonders with west brom and now has everton playing far better than moyes could have ever gotten them too. Give him more time with that squad and I could see them making a top 4 push.
Where the hell is the speed coming from in the North America squad? Looks like a painfully slow team to me.
Which would be more relevant if there was a ton of speed on the Europe squad, which there isn't. I don't see how they are a step faster, overall.
Nice thread, but no way does Yedlin start at RB. Can we stop with this, please. And I'll quibble with some of the down roster choices (Gil & Arriola over Feilhaber and Gomez) but still, it is much closer than it has been recently. I'll still take the Euros, narrowly.
Surprised some think this MLS squad, even if you add a completely out of form Clint to it and I'll say an in form Mikey could handle the Euros. Then can barely handle a S Korea B team and are showing next to nothing in the attack/speed of play. Give that Euro team a month together and they'd likely look a decent amount better than this IMO. And that MLS backline is shaky as hell.
The center CB pairing is all MLS. As for looking shaky against the K-leaguers, it's pre-season. They were always going to look shaky.
There is limited creativity on the European squad imo. I'm not a fan of Sacha's. Michael Bradley and Clint are big additions to the squad today. "Barely handle a S Korea B Team" is a bit overboard. There were two players that couldn't handle them: I'll give you a hint, they are both named Brad, and they are both replaceable.
What creativity does the North American squad possess outside LD and MB? Europe has Mix, AJ, Fabian, Brek (if he's on his game), Agudelo, Cameron/Chandler going forward, both who's club teams rely on a lot to make things happen on the offensive side...I think hands down the Europe squad is much more creative. The one department the North America side has is experience.
Zusi, LD, MB, EJ, Clint = creative outlets that have played together Europe = Sacha (who has been pretty much "meh" in a US jersey) and Mix. AJ tends to score rather than assist. Fabian needs help and I place him at LB anyway. And since Brek is out in the hinterlands trying to get game time right now, "meh" for him too. Who in this squad consistently has created for the US other than Fabian? So yes, I rate the North American creativity higher than Europe. If Bradley was not playing in the US this would be a different story. I think his role is crucial for the US team.
Clint has really never been much of creator, and he certainly isn't one now based on his form the past 6 months. Clint's game at CAM is receive ball from one flank, switch to the other and make deep runs into the opponents box. He's more of a finisher akin to Jozy. EJ is not much of a creator at all outside the CONCACAF. He does step over after step over but it usually leads to nothing. His big strength is finishing/headers Bradley, Zusi, LD...totally agree they are creators. AJ is definitely a creator. He's one of the few in our pool that can create from 25 yards out with both feet. If you go to AZ vs. Ajax's match @ AZ a few months back he had a defender drapped all over him, switched to his left foot and fired a shot that grazed the bar from ~30 yards out. Look at the Bosnia match...in just thirty minutes he created his own shot as well during two instances. Brek Shea...when he's on, is definitely creative as well. See Mexico away match...nutmeg, pass to Boyd which led to an MOF goal and the Gold Cup. He has the creative ability, he just needs confidence. Not sure how Fabian needs help, you may view him as a LB but for the sake of this thread it's probably best if Lichaj play LB (where he's excelling for a very good Nottingham squad) and Fabian at LW..he might not be the flashiest but he certainly makes things happen as a creator:http://www.yanks-abroad.com/content.php?mode=shortcorner&entry=417
Don't disagree about Clint and EJ but they feed off the other three. AJ has a lot of goals, but not a lot of assists. If he's in a team of creators, this isn't an issue. But if he's not...it's an issue. Until Brek gets consistent game time...jury's out for me. Fabian is definitely creative. What I meant by "needs help" is he's 1 player. So I like the creative juju of the North American team plus Bradley mopping things up. Don't like the fullback situation on the NA side for sure. And the CBs need more time. So it's not like I'm saying the NA side wouldn't have issues for sure. Regardless, think it's close, which is pretty cool.
I think you are forgetting Bedoya and Mix. Chandler from the RB spot can also be a creator offensively.
How is this even a question? Any player in Europe automatically gains 3 rating points (10 point scale) on any hypothetical matchup system.
Winning 2-0 is "barely handled"? Careful, your bias is showing. (And notably, that squad was missing Clint, Bradley and Beasley). It's sort of hilarious how much stock Bradley and Clint--formerly "the best/most important NT players"--lost the minute they signed MLS contracts.
So....Clint's not a creator because he just switches the ball to the other flank, but AJ's a creator because he misses shots from 30 yards out? You have a strange definition of what "creator" is. But since, to you, a creator is someone who shoots from 30 yards away, I should remind you that Clint actually does that and scores. And he's done it against Germany, Juventus and England during the World Cup. He's done it often enough that no one would single out hitting the crossbar from 30 yards out as some kind of huge accomplishment (Mike Magee did that in a friendly against Manchester City only--again--his actually went in....and he's in the NA squad). AJ and Mix are exciting because of their potential, but they are significant steps down from the guys they'd be replacing: Dempsey and Bradley.
AJ and Mix are creators currently...Dempsey hasn't played like that in over 6 months. Sure Dempsey can fire it from anywhere, however his bread and butter is finishing goals in the box - he's always around the ball a la a poor man's Thomas Muller. I'm not sure how AJ isn't a creator, he's probably the most creative person on our team with the ability to create his own shot with both feet - that's more his game then it is Dempsey's who is great at getting on the end of rebounds and the end of crosses. Bosnia was a perfect example of AJ's sheer creativity...yes he did not score that instance vs. Ajax but it proves that he can create his own shot from far out with both feet. If you watch his matches he does this more frequently then Dempsey. It's not a knock on CD - just two different styles.
For club AJ is used only as a scorer but he's shown the ability to make dangerous passes for the USA. And all of you are forgetting jones. Dude plays the best long ball in our team and while him and Bradley don't look great together jones would be the central piece in this euro squad. I'm not a fan of Shea either and he wouldn't be in my starting 11.
Bradley hasn't lost anything he is still our most important player. Most people are not worried about him going into this World Cup but the next. And Clint did this to himself. He has been playing horrible for club and country and he's playing poor on his loan now too. It's him not where he plays.
Out of the European based player team * (for clarification purposes). Out of our USMNT I'd say he's behind LD and Bradley
So to clarify, you're saying AJ is a better creator than Jozy, Fabian Johnson, Jermaine Jones, Diskerud, Dempsey and Graham Zusi? Out of the entire USNT, AJ is only behind Michael Bradley and Landon Donovan, the all-time goals and assists leader for the USMNT. I'm going to say you might be overrating Johanssen juuuuuuust a tiny bit.