Just watched the highlights from Toronto's come from ahead tie with the Columbus Crew. After leading 3-0, Michael Bradley was responsible for all three Columbus goals as the Crew were able to come back to tie the game. It was hilarious! http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=3516802 He's such a failure. He peaked when he was at Roma and then has just turned to absolute dog poop.
Pencil us in instead of Panama, with England, Tunisia and Belgium. Moot point, we'd have got punked in any group.
My Team GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan Zack Steffen Tim Melia DEFENDERS (8) John Brooks Matt Besler Matt Miazga Matt Hedges Jorge Villafaña Greg Garza DeAndre Yedlin Eric Lichaj MIDFIELDERS (8) Michael Bradley Weston McKennie Will Trapp Kellyn Acosta Christian Pulisic Ethan Finlay Kelyn Rowe Paul Arriola FORWARDS (4) Landon Donovan Christian Ramirez Bobby Wood Jozy Altidore
Well...............he was MLS keeper of the year last season. Not a crazy selection by Pedro. The player that should have jumped out of Pedro's lineup to people was Landon Donovan. He was retired and now just running on fumes down in Mexico. Even with our dearth of forwards, its hard to justify picking him or somebody like Zardes. Gyasi isn't the second coming of Gerd Muller, but he does actually score goals in club soccer at least.
I forgot Zardes, I chose Donovan why even '' retired '' he contributes more than Dempsey in the field. I believe he did not have retired in 2015, we would be classified for 2018 World Cup.
You are certainly correct about Dempsey, who looks to be "done." He's running on fumes as well. Some posters would probably select some younger, more unproven players with that 4th forward slot. Its hard to really find anybody worthy of the team. Maybe take an extra midfielder like Tyler Adams (who can also play fullback) instead.
Oof, Landon and Ramirez contribute more than Dempsey? That'd be tough to argue. Landon wasn't selected to help us qualify, so I don't see how he'd play his way into the WC squad. Unlike Dempsey, who has had a long track record of goalscoring in important games as he's gotten older, Landon simply fell off the face of the earth, then retired. Yeah, he should've been in Brazil, but his most-recent "sabbatical" doesn't suggest that he'd do well in a WC. Ramirez is an odd choice too. He's had one cameo appearance. Legitimately almost no reason to bring him in. You might as well put Agudelo in there, at least he has experience. I could see him as part of the big initial roster, perhaps, but not someone making the roster unless he tore up the friendlies.
Christian Ramirez is the American player who has scored the most since 2014, he deserves a chance. Dempsey is a great player, but I feel the time was harder on him than with Donovan. Okay, Dempsey was the top scorer in the 2015 Gold Cup, but he did not perform well. I was just in the right place at the right time. You may be wondering, that's all, but in the moments we need someone who could bring something more to the team, it did not happen. It could be different with Donovan. Of course Dempsey and Zardes could be in the 2018 World Cup squad. I just wanted to bring an alternate version. Especially with fast and swift players like Pulisic, Arriola, Finlay and Rowe on the sides. Sorry for my bad English.
I guess only just because he was older and got no NT recognition prior. He def would have earned an inclusion.
I'm as big of a Dempsey fan as there is. His time has just passed. What has Dempsey been doing this season? 0 goals and 1 assist? The most impact he had on a game was when he decided to punch Jacori Hayes to get sent off. Spared us from watching whatever it was he was pretending to do prior to that point in the match. He was coming off the bench a lot for the USMNT as it was.
I assume he'd be brought on due to his role in qualifying even if he didn't deserve it. Be hard to drop the top scorer.
Ramirez is a poacher with almost no international experience. IMO, he's like a better version of Wondo. Wondo also scored tons of goals in MLS, doesn't make him the best choice to finish a goal at the end of a game. We're talking about supersub roles here. Do we take the guy (Donovan) trying to play professional soccer again after several years? Or do we take the guy who's been part of qualifying and has a reputation as a clutch performer in multiple tournaments (e.g WC2006, 2010, 2014, Copa, etc)?
I'm of the opinion that he'd be playing better if he were competing for a WC spot. He'd be in the preliminary, and I bet he'd show well in camp. Just like last cycle with Landon, you don't leave that much production at home.
Gyasi scores a beautiful goal over Michael Bradley (who looks like he's either a totem pole or stuck in quicksand) to start Columbus' rally here. http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=3516802 I hope that Michael Bradley never dons a USMNT jersey again. If he is on the Gold Cup squad next year, heads should roll.
Base formation: 352/3511 FW: Green, Siebatchieu, Dempsey, Zardes, Pulisic CM: Williams, Bradley, Bedoya, Nagbe, Mckennie WB: Robinson, Castillo, Yedlin, Adams CB: Miazga, Parker, Vickers, Orozco, Cameron GK: Steffen, Guzan, Melia