Your 23 for Russia. Let's see who gets it right in 10 months

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by LouisianaViking07/09, Jul 31, 2017.

  1. Geneva

    Geneva LA for Life

    Feb 5, 2003
    Southern Cal
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    you guys! Never heard of McKennie!! Hope he's good. :p
     
  2. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
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  3. jond

    jond Member+

    Sep 28, 2010
    Club:
    Levski Sofia
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    GK:
    Howard, Guzan, Horvath

    CB's:

    Cameron, Brooks, Besler, Miazga

    WB's/FB's:

    Yedlin, Chandler, Fabian

    Mids:

    Bradley, Williams, Jones, McKennie, Saief, Tillman, Arriola, Nagbe, Pulisic

    Forwards:

    Wood, Jozy, Clint, Dwyer
     
  4. Cynical US fan

    United States
    Mar 30, 2017
    Boston
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think it's much too early to forecast 23 or even 16 players for Russia 2018.
    McKennie (not even a rookie), Tillman (who I've never heard of) and Saief (who needs to recover from surgery and shine in Belgium) are hardly sure bets. Chandler has been unimpressive for the USMNT and seems to relish playing even less for us than Fabian (who Arena considers a MF). Dwyer is unproven internationally. Jones is fading and may not get his second wind next year. I love Clint but he may only be a sub next year.
    If all the questionable players are eliminated or left out, then what remains is pretty paltry. And I don't expect them to go far in the WC, even though I consider Arena a better coach than Klinsmann, who was atrocious at enabling our team to play their very best.
     
  5. Monarch Bay Beachbum

    Apr 5, 2004
    The OC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Much can happen between now and next summer, injuries and emergences etc..
    Bruce's 23:

    GK: HOWARD, Guzan and Horvath
    DEF: YEDLIN, CAMERON, BROOKS, BESLER, FJ, Chandler, Gonzo, Ream, and Villafana
    MID: MB, PULI, NAGBE, Jones, Arriola, Bedoya
    FORW: JOZY, WOOD, Demps, Dwyer, Morris
     
  6. Bajoro

    Bajoro Member+

    Sep 10, 2000
    The Inland Empire
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think this thread falls into the "just for fun" category, so stop being such a CYNICAL fan. :ROFLMAO:
     
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  7. soccerusa517

    soccerusa517 Member+

    Jun 23, 2009
    Ohio
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Jones? As in Jermaine Jones? lol no way.
     
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  8. Monarch Bay Beachbum

    Apr 5, 2004
    The OC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Not sure why you find that funny or incredulous.
    I think Bruce will want a back up mid with some bite. We have seen all the auditions from January camp and Gold Cup and no one distinguished them self.
    It is difficult to project how an older ball player will react to the ravages of time, but Jones played quite well against Seattle in his first game back from injury. He is a fighter and I can certainly see Arena having more trust in him than a Dax or Acosta to help hold a lead.
     
  9. soccerusa517

    soccerusa517 Member+

    Jun 23, 2009
    Ohio
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Jones is done, past it. He'll get injured again before the World Cup. Did you watch him against Panama? He'll be what, 36 years old in 2018? Too old for his position and type of player he is.
     
  10. Monarch Bay Beachbum

    Apr 5, 2004
    The OC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You may well be right. That is why this is just a guessing game as Bajoro said.
    Frankly, I did not expect Dempsey to be able to come back and be a contributor.
    It must be amazing to have such a surety of your knowledge to state as a fact that Jones will be hurt. Maybe you can share tomorrow's lottery numbers with us too.
     
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  11. soccerusa517

    soccerusa517 Member+

    Jun 23, 2009
    Ohio
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well, if Jones is playing a starting role alongside Bradley then it'll be a short stay in Russia. Jones is like an older car. Repair it many times but keeps breaking down.
     
  12. Monarch Bay Beachbum

    Apr 5, 2004
    The OC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I would hope Jermaine isn't a starter either. If he continues to play as he did last Saturday, he may be Bruce's pick for that back up role.
     
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  13. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I guess it's time to make best guesses

    GK: 1. Howard, 2. Guzan, 3. Gonzalez
    *4. Hamid

    RB: 1. Yedlin, 2. Chandler
    *3. Zusi

    LB: 1. Villafana, 2. Ream
    *3. Garza

    CB: 1. Brooks, 2. Cameron, 3. Besler, 4. Gonzalez
    *5. Miazga

    CM: 1. Bradley, 2. Nagbe, 3. Acosta, 4. McKinnie
    *5. McCarty

    L/RM: 1. Pulisic, 2. Johnson, 3. Arriola, 4. Saief
    *5. Rowe

    FW: 1. Altidore, 2. Dempsey, 3. Wood, 4. Dwyer
    *5. Morris
     
  14. Amaru523

    Amaru523 Member

    Jun 22, 2016
    The Emerald City
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Russia is a whole 'nother year away, thats another year for Jones to get even older and even slower than he already has become. No thank you. I'm hoping that some of our younger European based mids can have a good season and earn a spot.
     
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  15. jond

    jond Member+

    Sep 28, 2010
    Club:
    Levski Sofia
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Sure but that's what this thread is about.

    Anyhow, I'm ambitious. I like youth. I see McKennie being a legit option(he's better than Acosta too) and I'd peg Tillman as the next in line to break thru in the Bund this season. And since we have pretty much zero AM creativity outside Pulisic, a Tillman type could be extremely valuable.

    You haven't heard of him. I'd point you to his YA thread. Has two starts and rave reviews for Bayern Munich this preseason. Bayern btw rejected a bid for him from Barca one transfer window ago. A top, top prospect who appears to be on the cusp for a top 5 club in the world.
     
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  16. sXeWesley

    sXeWesley Member+

    Jun 18, 2007
    Club:
    Portland Timbers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I am going to go ahead and cheat, one super optimistic roster assuming Euro breakthroughs and one super depressing roster assuming we rely on grizzled veteran has been never were vets and never will bes. The truth as usual will be somewhere in the middle.

    GK: Howard, Guzan Horvath
    FB: Villafana, Yedlin, Chandler
    CB: Cameron, Brooks, CCV, Gonzo
    MF: Pulisic, Nagbe, Bradley, Arriola, Saif, McKennie, Johnson, Hyndman, Tillman
    FW: Wood, Altidore, Dempsey, Morris

    GK: Howard, Guzan, Rimando
    FB: Zusi, DMB, Yedlin, Villafana
    CB: Cameron, Brooks, Gonzo, Besler, Ream
    MF: Bradley, Pulisic, Jones, Bedoya, Dax, Acosta, Zardes
    FW: Wood, Altidore, Dempsey, Dwyer

    In general I think the recency bias of the MLS heavy Gold Cup is weighing a lot of these rosters. There is zero chance all the Euro prospects break through, but there is a 100% chance that at least one or two do, given how many are knocking on the door and how many opportunities there are over 9 months.

    McKennie is likely due to a combination of actually being with the first team now, being super good and playing a position of massive need for us.
     
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  17. Bajoro

    Bajoro Member+

    Sep 10, 2000
    The Inland Empire
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Nice work. Couple of questions for you or anyone who knows:

    What is Hyndman's health status? I thought he looked sharp last year. Even though it was against weak competition, he's an aggressive attacker and could be a problem for opponents who find their hands full with Dempsey, Pulisic, Altidore, Wood and Nagbe.

    What's Tillman's eligibility status? Didn't he recently represent Germany at a youth level?

    My gut tells me that Arena will pick up one to three players who, up till now, have not up to now represented the US men's team. The World Cup team will look significantly different than the Gold Cup finals team.
     
  18. Andy_B

    Andy_B Member+

    Feb 2, 1999
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Hyndman returned to training in early July. From what I can tell he has not even appeared on bench in preseason yet so he might still be rehabbing.

    Tillman has represented Germany at multiple youth levels from U15 to U19. I am unsure if he would require a one time switch or not.
     
  19. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    #44 ussoccer97531, Aug 5, 2017
    Last edited: Aug 5, 2017
    I'd like Tillman to switch to the USA, but I watched him play 3-4 months ago in a two-legged German youth semi-final, and he was the 3rd best American on the field. We don't need another Julian Green situation where we take a player who's clearly not ready to the WC because he's a dual-nat, so we can cap-tie him.
     
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  20. TrueCrew

    TrueCrew Member+

    Dec 22, 2003
    Columbus, OH
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well, put me in the show-me category. I won't be predicting breakthroughs, though there will surely be 1 or 2.

    GK = 3. HOWARD; Guzan, Horvath.
    Alt = Hamid.

    FB = 4. YEDLIN, FJ; Villafana, Zusi.
    Alt = Chandler or Lichaj.

    Mid = 8. BRADLEY, PULISIC, NAGBE, WILLIAMS; Bedoya, Jones, Arriola, Lletget.
    Alt: Acosta, Rowe, Zardes, McCarty.

    Fwd: ALTIDORE, WOOD; Dempsey, Morris.
     
  21. Ghost

    Ghost Member+

    Sep 5, 2001
    Are there any players born outside of the United States that you like?
     
  22. Ghost

    Ghost Member+

    Sep 5, 2001
    I agree. But I'm not sure how much Bruce Arena does. In 2002, Cory Gibbs broke into the starting lineup on St. Pauli who were bottom of the BL at the time. He never even got a look. After the WC he was clearly capable of playing at the international level. Bruce obviously did a lot more right than wrong in 2002. But it would have been good to have Gibbs along.
     
  23. Ghost

    Ghost Member+

    Sep 5, 2001
    I am all for using the final-ish roster spot to entice and cap-tie dual nationals. Just because Julian Green isn't all we have thought he might be doesn't invalidate the practice. If we do it five times and get one superstar out of it, that's all I want.
     
  24. TrueCrew

    TrueCrew Member+

    Dec 22, 2003
    Columbus, OH
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Nah. Take the best 23 you have. Period. And Green did score when he went.
     
  25. COMtnGuy

    COMtnGuy Member+

    Apr 5, 2012
    Higher than you
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Alright, putting money where my mouth is


    GK: Howard, Guzan, Horvath
    D: Brooks, Gonzalez, Besler, Yedlin, Villafana
    D/M?: F Johnson, Cameron, Saief
    M: Nagbe, Pulisic, Bradley, Acosta, Zardes, Arriola, Bedoya
    F: Altidore, Wood, Dempsey( 1st Offensive Sub off bench), Morris (2nd Offensive sub off bench)

    We always have a player out of “No where”: Miazga or EPB

    *** Any Injury to Yedlin means Chandler makes team.
     
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