Next year, Whitbread will be the only defender we have in a major league. And you guys want to bring in a declining Onyewu or a 32-year-old Bocanegra? That's insane. OK, maybe not insane, but you get my point.
I mean, I'd rather break in someone who has a chance to be with us in Brazil. Because if Bocanegra is a starter in Brazil, we might as well save the money and not show up.
This is who I want to see make the 23.... GK: Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann, David Yelldell DF: Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Eric Lichaj, Steve Cherundolo, Jay Demerit, Tim Ream, Zak Whitbread MID: Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones, Maurice Edu, Brad Davis, Benny Feilhaber, Jonathan Spector, Timmy Chandler FWD: Jozy Altidore, Herculez Gomez, Juan Agudelo, Chris Wondolowski This is the squad I believe Bob will name though... GK: Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann, David Yelldell DF: Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Eric Lichaj, Steve Cherundolo, Clarence Goodson, Tim Ream, Timmy Chandler, Jonathan Spector MID: Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones, Maurice Edu, Sacha Kljestan, Benny Feilhaber, Alejandro Bedoya FWD: Jozy Altidore, Edson Buddle, Juan Agudelo, Teal Bunbury I think Herc & Wondo's recent form deserve to beat out Buddle & Bunbury. Davis is having a superb MLS season & I believe he deserves to be in there somewhere. I wanted Demerit but it doesnt seem like he will be named because of injury. He has been the best US defender in the last couple of his appearances imo. I would truly like to see BB call Boca, Lichaj, Gooch, & Spector called to cover the left back position. & my final point is Zak Whitbread who just gained promotion with Norwich who... I really want to see him called, but the chances of him along with many other of the players on form getting a call is unlikely since Bradley seems to have a bit of favoritism. We will see though...
ummm.... the bundesliga, uhhh, Chandler, uhhh Cherundolo... Lichaj will also go back to AV (probably to get loaned again) & Spector will go to a top league (probably, if he is even still considered a defender) I hope you meant centre-backs not defenders also, the possibility of some MLS defenders going abroad is possible. It might not be next season but I can see Ream at a top 10 EPL side within a few years. I think Whitbread deserves the call, but its up to BB, & I dont really see him calling him since Zak hasnt had a cap under BB yet...
has Bob Bradley given a specific date of when he's announcing the GC roster? someone should let him know that this thing starts in 2 weeks.
wow, talk about taking something out of context, what about all of the sides under that he mentioned he scored against?
So when does the GC camp begin? How many more club games do I have to nervously watch, hoping and praying no one gets injured?
And Whitbread hasn't even started a game in the EPL yet. Let's wait and see how he does or if he gets relegated to the bench for one reason or another. I don't know any particular reason that'd be likely, but let's not assume things until they happen.
Well after months of speculation and discusiion, it is just one more sleep until Bob finally punches the 23 tickets that will gain admission to the 2011 Gold Cup USA Squad. Yeh
Don't know what your definition of a major league is, but: Budnesliga = Cherundolo, Chandler (Williams) Ligue 1 = Bocanegra EPL = Lichaj (technically) And Gooch with the 2nd place team in Holland isn't chopped liver (and technically, he's still a Milan player). DeMerit has started in the EPL. So has Spector (and he may again next year, it isn't over yet). And Goodson is playing for a top level/Europe level team in Denmark. Though I agree with your point, and tried to make one similar either (though I restricted myself to the EPL). Zak hasn't gotten that EPL experience yet. I could see him making the squad, but I have to think Goodson, Gooch, and Boca are all in front of him at CB. And DeMerit is too if he's healthy. And probably Ream. Maybe even Marshall. PS: What is the deal on DeMerit, he just went 90 midweek. I know he had been injured, but that is 2 starts in a row. I think he should be good to go, yes?
I honestly haven't seen a lot of Whitbread, but you have to feel good for the guy. He's a player with tons of experience and has battled for a spot on teams in several divisions in England. He's 27 years old so he's in the prime age of his career for this cycle. He's an under-the-radar, feel-good story of the year for American players.
Many forget he started with Liverpool. Its always been a matter of battling injury since he was young though. Now that he has some consistency, I could see him doing real well in the EPL. Some would compare him to Demerit with how hes come up through the leagues, but essentially they started at opposite ends & I think Whitbread has greater potential, he stays uninjured and it should/could be exciting.
I think you forget he was called in for Paraguay and/or Argentina & had to leave camp because of injury. Demerit not injured is a lock, but the latest injury issues have BB worried so I dont know if he will be involved. That means Goodson steps in, then Ream will be called as well. However, Marshall? George John, Omar Gonzalez, & Marvell Wynne should be in line before Marshall. Anyways, because Boca will probably play left back, it will go Onyewu, Goodson, Ream, Whitbread on the depth chart. That doesnt mean he will be on the Gold Cup squad though, It definately depends how BB rates them and how many CB's he wants.
OK, seeing how I think DeMerit is healthy (witness the 2 starts in a row and going 90 on the 18th), I'll go with the following, with a * denoting someone whom Seltzer is reporting has already got the call: GK (3). Howard; Hahnemann, Yelldell D (6). Cherundolo*, Goodson*, DeMerit, Bocanegra; Onyewu, Lichaj* D/M (3). Chandler*, Spector*, Edu M (6). Donovan, Bradley, Jones; Feilhaber, Bedoya, Diskerud M/F (1). Dempsey F (4). Bunbury*, Altidore; Agudelo* Gomez. Last outs/alternates: GK: Rimando; CB: Ream, Whitbread; RB/LB: Pearce; DM: Clark (health?); CM/CAM/Wide M: Torres, Davis; F: Buddle. Base starting XI: ----------------Howard------------- Cherundolo--Goodson--DeMerit--Bocanegra ---------Bradley------Jones--------- Donovan---------------------Dempsey ---------Altidore----Bunbury---------
Again, I'm still scratching my head re: Bunbury. I definitely think that the kid has tons of potential but I just don't understand how he's a starter for the Nats at this point. He has 8 MLS goals in 1997 minutes (over a season and a quarter), something like a goal every 2.75 games. He has one goal for the Nats, a penalty that Agudelo drew. Why is Teal a consensus first teamer for the Nats? I may be sleeping on the guy but what has he done in his career to warrant the acclaim he's getting over players like Gomez, Cooper, Wondo and (a healthy) Findley?
^This. Although I'm a Galaxy fan, anytime anyone goes near Landon my muscles cramp up in terror. 1 week to go...1 week to go... Well, and then the friendly too. European players are done for the most part, so Howard, Deuce, Bradley, Jones, Edu, Chandler, etc ready to go. (My heart went into throat last week for T Ho, but he was fine today). It's the MLS guys that will be pins and needles for the next week: LD, Agudelo, Bunbury, Ream, and Feilhaber. Unfortunately, every one of these guys look like they have 2 games this week, some against one another. LA game against the Dynamo this Wednesday, another game this Saturday against the Revolution. NY has two games this week: Colorado and Vancouver. Revs have Sporting KC and the Galaxy. Sporting KC have the Revs and Colorado. Although I'm unclear as to whether they'll be allowed to play the Saturday game cause I also don't know when camp starts. Regardless: Knock. On. Wood. Salt over the shoulder. Oh - and Lando better be in bubble wrap Bruce - you hear me?
An argument can be made, and a damn good one at that, that Bunbury gives us a better chance to WIN than the other guys. I couldn't care less if he's scoring just under 3 goals a game in MLS or if he only has one goal to his name in a nats uniform. His talent and ability alone warrant a look. I'm not saying arguments can't be made for the other guys too, they can, but I don't see what's so puzzling about featuring Bunbury in a starting line up. To me Bunbury simply offers more to the team than Cooper, Findley, or Wondo. In fact I might be scratching my head if you were to select one of those three over Teal.