MLS Flavors of the week, 2013 style

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by RalleeMonkey, Feb 14, 2013.

  1. RalleeMonkey

    RalleeMonkey Member+

    Aug 30, 2004
    here
    Too early?

    Last year I had a pretty good idea of who I "picked to click." But, not this year. So, I'll leave it to the board sharpies. Who's NT profile will rise this season?
     
  2. dcole

    dcole Member+

    May 27, 2005
    Well, I have absolutely no idea, but it seems that the last clear path to the 2014 WC roster for an MLS player who is currently not really on the radar screen is to kill it for the first 2-3 months of the MLS season, earn a spot on the GC roster, kill it at the Gold Cup, earn a spot on the roster for the last few WC qualies, kill it in those qualies, make the WC roster. Not impossible, nor unprecedented, but unlikely at the very least.
     
    22SteveD repped this.
  3. RalleeMonkey

    RalleeMonkey Member+

    Aug 30, 2004
    here
    True. But, I don't think a player has to be "out of the blue" to qualify as "flavor of the week." For instance, Feilhaber, Pontius, & DeLeon have a body of work that, if maintained, would get them into the GC. Though, that's another thing that makes this topic problematic. The "most likely to's" will spend a very large chunk of the summer on the GC roster, making them more "GC flavors of the day" candidates.

    Too bad. It's one of my favorite BS topics.
     
    Tom Collingsworth and OWN(yewu)ED repped this.
  4. dcole

    dcole Member+

    May 27, 2005
    OK, under that definition I've got my money on Feilhaber, Pontius, Agudelo and Besler. Those four all have a realistic shot at running the table in the manner suggested by my previous post.
     
  5. Susaeta

    Susaeta BigSoccer Supporter

    Apr 3, 2009
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I want to say a more creative player like Silva or Pontius. Or even a central defender.

    But if I had to bet, I would put money on a central midfielder.
     
  6. Dr.Phil

    Dr.Phil Member+

    Jan 18, 2004
    Club:
    FC Bayern München
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I hope Pontius can stay healthy. I see Benny finally Havering a big year. As for suprises Im not sure. Excited to see who steps up
     
  7. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    A guy I'm excited to watch this season is Jose Villareal.

    Ill also be keeping an eye on a hopeful bounce back season for Juan Agudelo and continued progression from Luis Gil.
     
    Tom Collingsworth repped this.
  8. USAMEX10

    USAMEX10 Member+

    Sep 24, 2010
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Too early for candidates for rookie of the year? My picks

    1. Hurtado
    2. Zardes (HG qualify?)
    3. Alvarez
    4. Smith
     
  9. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Luis Gil is the guy I'm looking for. RSL's going to give him plenty of opportunities.

    I'm personally looking for Matt Hedges to take "the next step" with FC Dallas.
     
  10. tab5g

    tab5g Member+

    May 17, 2002
    Will Bruin today, Will Bruin tomorrow, Will Bruin forever.
     
  11. soccerusa517

    soccerusa517 Member+

    Jun 23, 2009
    Ohio
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Pontius is a possibility.
     
  12. comoesa

    comoesa Member+

    Aug 13, 2010
    Christen Press's armpit
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Andrew Wenger. The closest thing we have to a Lewandowski or Dzeko.
     
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  13. ImaPuppy

    ImaPuppy Member+

    Aug 10, 2009
    Using too many parentheses
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    American Samoa
    +1 here.

    That dude has so much raw talent and so many physical attributes, I hope they don't go wasted.
     
    Tom Collingsworth repped this.
  14. drgonzo

    drgonzo Member+

    Jun 1, 2011
    Club:
    San Diego Flash
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Kitchen for me. After his first year as a true DM, I think he can really make a massive impact this year.
     
    Real Corona repped this.
  15. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I am also interested to see where Kitchen's game goes this year.
     
  16. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    My 40 players to watch that will have breakthrough performances... and who have not received a cap under Klinsmann:
    1. Chris Pontius
    2. Nick DeLeon
    3. Austin Berry
    4. Dax McCarty
    5. Bill Hamid
    6. George John
    7. Luis Silva
    8. Perry Kitchen
    9. Amobi Okugo
    10. Kenny Cooper
    11. Jack McInerney
    12. Dilly Duka
    13. Freddy Adu
    14. Matt Hedges
    15. Andrew Wenger
    16. Sheannon Williams
    17. Kofi Sarkodie
    18. Chance Myers
    19. Sam Cronin
    20. Seth Sinovic
    21. Eddie Gaven
    22. Michael Farfan
    23. Luis Gil
    24. Chad Marshall
    25. Lee Nguyen
    26. Gabriel Farfan
    27. Chris Schuler
    28. Jose Villarreal
    29. Eric Alexander
    30. David Estrada
    31. Omar Salgado
    32. Andrew Jean-Baptiste
    33. Kevin Alston
    34. Connor Lade
    35. Tally Hall
    36. Kelyn Rowe
    37. AJ Soares
    38. Steve Lenhart
    39. Ryan Meara
    40. Tommy Meyer/Warren Creavalle

    My Rookie/New HG players of the Year Favorites:
    1. Eriq Zavaleta-CB/F
    *So much potential here. There may be some growing pains in the first half of the season, but I have full faith that he will take the starting spot away from Ianni.
    2. Gyasi Zardes-F
    *Gets bumped down one because of injury.
    3. Scott Caldwell-M
    4. Erik Hurtado-Winger
    5. Andrew Farrell-CB/RB
    6. Taylor Kemp-LB/LM
    7. Ryan Finley-F
    8. Mikey Lopez-CDM
    9. Carlos Alvarez-M
    10. Chris Klute-CB, LB
    11. John Stertzer-M
    12. Walker Zimmermann-CB
    13. Dillon Powers-CDM
    14. Charlie Rugg-F
    15. Kofi Opare-CB
    16. Donnie Smith-M
    17. Tommy Muller-D
    18. Will Trapp-M
    19. Blake Smith-M
    20. Jimmy Nealis-LB
    21. London Woodberry-CB
    22. Don Anding-M
    23. DeAndre Yedlin-D
    24. DeShorn Brown-M
    25. Greg Cochrane-LB
     
  17. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    And my way too early speculation for Camp Cupcake 2014....

    (3) GOALKEEPERS: Sean Johnson, Bill Hamid, Tally Hall
    (6) FULLBACKS: Sheannon Williams, Kofi Sarkodie, Brad Evans, Steve Beitashour, Justin Morrow, Seth Sinovic
    (5) DEFENDERS: Eriq Zavaleta, Austin Berry, George John, Matt Hedges, Amobi Okugo
    (8) MIDFIELDERS: Luis Silva, Dax McCarty, Perry Kitchen, Conor O' Brien, Dilly Duka, Benny Feilhaber, Kyle Beckerman, Mikkel Diskerud
    (9) FORWARDS: Gyasi Zardes, Nick DeLeon, Chris Pontius, Andrew Wenger, Kenny Cooper, Jack McInerney, Freddy Adu, Will Bruin, Eddie Johnson
    ***I'll say that Matt Besler, Omar Gonzalez, Alejandro Bedoya, Josh Gatt, Juan Agudelo, and Graham Zusi all leave MLS or move to a bigger European league.

    ---------------Pontius----Bruin-----Johnson-------------
    ----------------Diskerud--------Feilhaber-----------------
    --------------------------Beckerman----------------------
    Morrow---------------------------------------------Beitashour
    --------------------John--------------Berry----------------
    -----------------------------Johnson------------------------

    Bench: Hamid, Hedges, Williams, McCarty, O' Brien, DeLeon, Cooper
    on the 23: Hall, Okugo, Kitchen, Silva, Wenger
     
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  18. Excellency

    Excellency Member+

    LA Galaxy
    United States
    Nov 4, 2011
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Wasted? In the MLS? Nahhhhh, dont say
     
  19. dlokteff

    dlokteff Member+

    Jan 22, 2002
    San Francisco, CA
    For accuracy's sake...
    Played 90 vs. Venezuela @ 2012 Camp Cupcake.

    Good list (as are your lists always).

    Put me down for Kitchen as well. Kinda pissed he wasn't there vs. Canada actually.
     
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  20. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Thanks for pointing that out... For some reason, I thought Johnson played that match... Well, I guess that makes 40 easier then... Bump everyone up, and someone take their pick between Tommy Meyer or Warren Creavalle for the last pick.

    The one thing that Kitchen really has going for him is that he is a CDM. We are under the illusion that we are stacked there, but it's not really true. Our best options are Maurice Edu, Danny Williams, Kyle Beckerman, and Alfredo Morales. Bradley, Jones, Torres, Diskerud, Zusi, Corona, Bedoya, Feilhaber, Davis, and Kljestan do not play there in Klinsmann's system.
     
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  21. center3

    center3 Member

    Jul 10, 2012
    Club:
    Borussia Dortmund
    I like Kitchen as well but still thinks he gets hyped more than other players that are above him in my opinion- like Okugo you failed to mention. Both Okugo and Kitchen have played central defense and d-mid both for club and youth national teams. In comparison, I think Okugo has proven he is the best central defender than Kitchen. With regard to CDM, I think Okugo is also better as he has always been selected above Kitchen to play CDM in every youth national team camps and games they played together--recently u20 and u23.
     
  22. leppercut

    leppercut Member+

    Oct 10, 2006
    SLC and Anchorage
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm gonna go with Landon Donovan.

    For all of our sake's.
     
    Dirt McGirt, OWN(yewu)ED and Marko72 repped this.
  23. Winoman

    Winoman Drinkin' Wine Spo-De-O-De!

    Jul 26, 2000
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Kitchen started out being played out of position in the pros. He may well have been a good college central defender, but he's not even close in the pros. He was moved to right halfback, because he was being roundly abused by the likes of Ching, Lenhart, & Casey - all big, physical forwards.

    Ever since he was moved to DM, he has really come on, but still needs to improve in the attack to become an excellent box-to-box midfielder. Now, I would only rate him as a good, solid DM, but he's only 20, and he has a tremendous upside, IMHO.
     
  24. Matrim55

    Matrim55 Member+

    Aug 14, 2000
    Berkeley
    Club:
    Connecticut
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Sinovic has been excellent for KC in preseason. He's much more athletic than I originally thought.

    Also going to give Andrew Jean-Baptiste a shout, though he may be more for 2018.
     
    Tom Collingsworth repped this.
  25. la torre

    la torre Member+

    Dec 27, 2008
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Jean-Baptiste was going to be my off the radar pick. I like what I see in this preseason game vs San Jose. He's strong and athletic, and very composed on the ball. I would imagine Haiti will probably call him up for the Gold Cup this summer. It would be a shame to lose him.
     

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