http://www.yanks-abroad.com/get.php?mode=content&id=4060 They make some good points but also have some glaring omissions. They fail to mention Danny Szetela as even in consideration. I actually think he will make the team in 2010 if healthy. He seems like a player Bob Bradley will like. Charlie Davies should be higher on the list. Marvel Wynne should also be higher on the list. They mention Cervi but not Chris Setiz as a potential 3rd keeper? No mention of Michael Orozco. Robbie Rogers will also be considered over the next 18 months. I can't believe they didn't mention him.
Hmmmm, they don't have lil' Bradley as a lock to make the team? Not sure these guys know what they're talking about.
Lol for the Mcbride love. Could we really take a 38 year old? Wouldn't that be a step back? We need to move past him.
1) Silly omissions: Buddle, Rogers, Orozco, Bornstein, Marshall, Hejduk, Seitz, and a host of other MLS GK's ahead of Cervi (though BB will never give them the chance: Cannon, Reis, Busch, Hesmer). 2) They rag on our lack of depth at forward, yet they think we take five forwards: Donovan, Ching, Altidore, Cooper, and Johnson. Makes no sense whatsover. No way Johnson makes it. Other than that, fairly solid. Though I don't for a second think Califf or DeMerit makes it.
Mite as well throw out who i think will be on the roster come 2 years barring injuries GK Howard Guzan Seitz RB Dolo Wynne CB Onyewu Boca Orozco- Seems like a bradley type player Califf-Possibly subotic LB Pearce Spector LW Beasley Rogers CM Bradley Edu Klejstan Holden RM Dempsey Donovan Freddy FW Altidore-Will 100 percent start Davies Cooper I believe bradley will come around and give davies and cooper a shot and they will take it. After doing that there really arent many spots that are wide open I would say FW is, Holden and Rogers, Orozco and Califf but cud be locked up by soumare and subotic, Wynne and Spector the rest I believe barring injury are 100 percent going. IMO really only 8 field player tickets up for grab Just cause they are under lm or rm doesnt mean thats where I would plan on playing them just rough estimate.
Here's my 23 with alternates. And this is how I see it in 2 years. Not if the WC were today. GK (3) Howard Guzan Seitz Defenders (8) Cherundolo Bocanegra Onyewu Pearce Spector Wynne Califf* Demerit** Midfielders (8) Adu Bradley Beasley Dempsey Edu Szetela Rogers Kljestan Forwards (4) Altidore Donvan Davies Cooper *replaced by Subotic if Subotic declares for the USA. Califf becomes alternate. ** replaced by Bakary Soumary if passport issues are cleared up. Demerit becomes alternate Alternates: Holden, Feilhaber, J. White, R. Clark, Reis, Orozco, Simek, Convey, Gibbs, Parkhurst
This is the weakest 23 tickets I've read. I usually like this feature as a pulse check, but there is far too little consideration to the depth of the player pool. Additionally, the inclusion of McBride is a ridiculous suggestion. Realistically, the pool should be 35-40 guys. David Yelldell is not one of those players.
It seems like David Yelldell is always included though, even when he was playing with Stuttgarter Kickers. We're two years away from the cup, and they feel the need to list our goalkeeping depth, all the way down to #8, just to include him. They must be the only people in the world who think they know who the US national team's eighth string 'keeper is. Most of us don't really know who's number three. And the fact that they pass over several quality MLS keepers, who are seeing regular action, as well as someone like Quentin Westberg, who is A) younger, B) has been part of a European 2nd division side longer, and C) has made several appearances with US youth teams. (For the record, I am not advocating Westberg for the squad, or the list. Simply pointing out some omissions they make, while including Yelldell.) Yanks abroad are the only people who seem to think Yelldell is on the US radar, let alone worthy of consideration. It makes me think he is related to, or knows someone with y-a, who feels the need to keep propping him up.
Is it blasphemous for me to suggest that I wouldn't have an issue if Bocanegra and Dempsey weren't on the roster in 2010? The notion that they are "sure things" bothers me a bit, given that they both, despite their experience, have holes in their games. Boca's propensity to boot the ball down the field hurts our attack in my view while Dempsey, despite his ball skills, brings an erratic work ethic and limited speed. I guess with respect to Dempsey it has more to do with him not having a clearly defind position as well as the ascension of other midfielders who in my view make us a more dangerous and versatile team [thinking of Holden, Kljestan in particular].
I would also add that with respect to Dempsey, I think Beasley brings more to the table consistently and the comparision to Joe Cole is ridiculous.
GK (3) Howard Guzan Seitz Defenders (8) Cherundolo Bocanegra Onyewu Pearce Spector Wynne Parkhurst Demerit Midfielders (8) Adu Bradley Beasley Dempsey Edu Szetela Rogers Kljestan Forwards (4) Altidore Donovan Davies Cooper these are my guys
Has anyone seen just how difficult the Hex could be in CONCACAF? Isn't this talk incredibly premature? If the hex has PAN, SLV, CR, & HON -- I don't consider having a plane to SA is a given. I do expect the US to win. I'm not saying they would not. I'm just saying it would be tough enough that speculation on players for SA is premature.
ah, usa , mexico, honduras are my 3 nations going... costa rica...please, they are in transition.... el salvador has NO chance... guatemala or t&t....next to no chance... 4th gets you a play-off with comnebol... usa and mexico are virtual locks... honduras a clear choice over costa rica, although honduras does mess up a game here or there
This is BigSoccer. Speculation is what we do. I'm suprised there isn't a 23 tickets to WC14 yet. My 23: GK: Howard, Guzan, Seitz D: Cherundolo, Simek, Spector, Bocanegra, Onyewu, Parkhurst, Pearce, Bornstein M: Beasley, Rogers, Edu, Bradley, Szetela, Clark, Dempsey, Adu F: Altidore, Donovan, Cooper, Davies And there you go.
Absolute horsesh*t article if you ask me. McBride? Cervi? Keller still on the list? No Seitz? Y-A has really fallen off.
Not one of the better "23 tickets to " articles... Cervi.. are you kidding? THe guy is a joke. Plenty of keepers ahead of him. Ommission of Rogers completely is bewildering, as well as a few others possibles in MLS... McBride..haha that has to be a joke.
I feel like BigSoccer might do well to implement an anti-jinx pledge, in which all posters agreed never to discuss the US' future performance in any tournament requiring qualification in anything but the subjunctive and conditional. Or maybe it would be enough to put a header on all USMNT forums reading, "All discussions about the United States' performance in South Africa 2010 (and Brazil 2014, etc.) are meant to be understood as hypothetical discussions of what we would like to see happen given the continued beneficence of the Fates." The fates, let us remember, are as testy and vindictive as ex-spouses. Or Newcastle fans. I wonder if the interwebs have just caught up with them. These days, having rudimentary German and Setanta Sports isn't enough to say something about yanks abroad that most US soccer fans haven't already heard. And, you know, I hear there are yanks abroad who aren't in Europe. It's like there are whole other countries outside of America and Europe, I think, and they even play soccer in some of them (although I guess it's pretty dangerous to play there because if you chase the ball too far you'll fall off the edge of the world into the pit of monstrous wyrms).
My 23 GK (3) Howard Guzan Seitz Defenders (8) Cherundolo Bocanegra Onyewu Pearce Orozco (I know, I know..what can I say..I like his style and he's healthy) Wynne Subotic (as long as he's going to decide to play for the U.S..If not, Simek and Spector better get healthy) Demerit Midfielders (8) Adu Bradley Beasley (If he can't better his recent performances, I'd rather take a Masteroni or possibly a Rogers..I didn't enjoy saying this) Dempsey Edu Szetela Holden Kljestan Forwards (4) Altidore Donovan Davies Cooper Rossi (I joke, I joke) Please don't come to Africa: 1. EJ 2. Twellman 3. Ching 4. Convey 5. Clark 6. McBride 7. Feilhaber 8. Bornstein 9. Parkhurst 10. Cervi
My 23: GK - Howard, Guzan, Hahnemann D - Cherundolo, Spector, Wynne, Pearce, Onyewu, Bocanegra, Demerit, Marshall MF - Bradley, Clark, Edu, Szetela, Donovan, Adu, Beasley, Rogers, Dempsey F - Altidore, Cooper, Davies Alternates: Reis, Hejduk, Califf, Kljestan, Holden, Ching, Johnson
Yeah right. All we have to do is finish in the top 3 out of 6 teams to book our trip. Basically, Mexico, Honduras & Costa Rica would all have to come out on top of us, which would pit us against the 5th place team from CONMEBOL for the final WC spot. Obviously, no one wants to be in that position, but I just don't see any way on God's green earth that Costa Rica finishes ahead of us in the hex. Perhaps Honduras could, if we undergo a meltdown next year, but not CR. They aren't the team they were 8 years ago, or 4. Well, since you brought it up: GK: Howard, Guzan, Seitz DEF: Wynne, Parkhurst, Spector, Pearce, Wallace, Simek, Orozco MID: Donovan, Adu, Rogers, Bradley, Edu, Kljestan, Szetela, Shea FOR: Altidore, Davies, Cooper, Jerome
Even though I'm not a fan of throwing out "potential" rosters/lineups, I'd say these 23 (at this point in time, still plenty of time for people to rise and fall) would travel to South Africa two years from now. Goalkeepers 1. Tim Howard 18. Brad Guzan 23. Marcus Hahnemann Defenders 6. Steve Cherundolo 22. Oguchi Onyewu 3. Carlos Bocanegra 2. Heath Pearce 21. Marvell Wynne 17. Jonathan Spector 15. Michael Orozco 20. Dan Califf Midfielders 4. Michael Bradley 13. Maurice Edu 7. DaMarcus Beasley 11. Freddy Adu 5. Benny Feilhaber 16. Sacha Kljestan 14. Stuart Holden Forwards 10. Landon Donovan 9. Eddie Johnson 12. Josmer Altidore 8. Clint Dempsey 19. Kenny Cooper
I think that having a MF, that can hold and distribute, just ahead of the back line will allow Gooch and Boca to NOT boot it downfield. Against T&T, it was an improvement, but the question is, "Was this improvement due to tactics or because of T&T?" I fear it was due to T&T. Will see if either Bradley or Edu can become that distributer ahead of the back line...because I don't see anyone else with that ability or vision, at least today looking forward 2 years.
I thought it was the 4th placed team in CONCACAF that actually faces the the fifth-placed team of the Asian qualifiying tournament. Did they change it for this World Cup.. or am I just misunderstood? Hold up.. I found out they actually did changed it.. It is Oceania that will actually be taking on the fifth-placed team of the Asian qualifiying tournament and we will be taking on the fifth team from CONMEBOL. http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/nccamerica/competitionformat.html