Why not start the thread now. GK: Joe Cannon (Brad Guzan) LB: Dasan Robinson (Heath Pearce) CB: Bobby Boswell (Michael Parkhurst) CB: Jimmy Conrad (Eddie Robinson) RB: Chris Albright DM: Pablo Mastroeni (Ricardo Clark) CM: Landon Donovan (Kyle Beckerman) LM: Justin Mapp (Josh Gros) RM: Clint Dempsey (Brain Mullan/Pat Noonan) ST: Chris Rolfe (Eddie Johnson) CF: Kenny Cooper (Nate Jacqua) A question about the lineups would be does Bradley put the best team out there for Denmark or save the more seasoned guys (relatively speaking Conrad, Dempsey, EJ, Mastroeni) for Mexico?
Isn't Dempsey going to be in England? I don't think his future EPL team is going to let him go right after getting him.
Here is my line-up: Cannon Dunivant - Bornstein - Boswell - Conrad Beckerman - Mastroeni - Clark Donovan Cooper - Johnson
its good to see everyone has pretty much the same idea and wants to see the same players. ---------------------------Cannon------------------------ ------------------Conrad-----------Boswell---------------- Albright----------------------------------------------Pearce --------------------------Mastroeni------------------------- Mapp-----------------------------------------------Bornstein --------------------------Donovan--------------------------- ------------------Cooper----------Rolfe---------------------- Dempsey omission is intentional as i think he will likely be long gone by then. Mapp plays pretty much every position an attacking midfielder can, so i move him over there. Bornstein is another versatile player, and i cannot wait to see him and Pearce switch it up all day long, theyre very much the same type of player. And naturally, our new boys up front, would love to see how they do
just learned Califf's been called in, so I think i wanna replace Conrad with Califf or Boswell, i think more replacing Conrad.
I wonder, since these are upcoming friendlies, if there will be liberal substitutions. If that's the case, maybe Bradley starts two different teams each half of the Denmark game, sees a lot of guys during game conditions and gets his starting XI for Mexico that way. Any word on what kind of team the Danes will bring?
I doubt this is a popular view here on BS, but do you think it's time the USMNT started to look at other options at D Mid, meaning telling Pablo that it's time to take a lesser role? He's 30, which isn't so old that he's necessarily ruled out for WC 2010, but in my view I think we'll have some better options at that position by then (Ricardo Clark, Michael Bradley, Danny Szetela). I'd like to see Ricardo Clark get the start against Denmark, so we can see how he looks. I certainly appreciate all the effort that Pablo has given, and I know people say that he steps it up for the Nats, but he was pretty marginal at the WC and he honestly never looks very good playing for the Rapids. He fouls alot, which isn't necessarily a problem, but as we saw in the World Cup, when it gets to the point of recklessness (and pointlessness, look at where on the field he got his red) it hurts the team. What do you guys think? And damn, I wish we would have capped Shalrie Joseph...
---------------------Reis------------------ ---Albright--Conrad--------Califf---Pearce-- ------------------Mastroeni---------------- ----Kljestan---------Davis--------Mapp------ ----------Donovan-----------Cooper-------- Any Comments?
Conrad would be (and was in MLS for SJ) an awful wingback. Dunivant on the right? Clark at left midfield? Ya never know but this seems way off.
Mapp lacks the defensive bite to hack it in that formation. Switch Davis and Mapp with the latter moving to a-mid.
Here's mine (box 4-4-2): --------------Reis----------------- Albright--Conrad--Boswell--Bornstein ------Beckerman-----Clark--------- Donovan----------------------Mapp ---------Cooper---Rolfe------------ (Assumption: Dempsey's in Europe)
You might be right. Dunivant should have been on the left, but I was turned around with the placing and such, as I typed his name of the left, but he would be on the right. The big thing is that in these types of camps, US coahces should be trying to see who can play were, regardless of where they like to play. We all know that the experiment of trying Convey out at Left back failed, but it is those types of trials that we can get players to assume roles for the team.
Imo that's the most effective lineup as we don't have a true a-mid(in a 4-4-2) or creative midfielder.
-------------------------------Perkins -----------Albright-----conrad---------Boswell----------Pearce ----------------------Mastroeni--------Clark ----------------Dempsey---------------------Mapp ----------------------Cooper-----------Rolfe
Where the heck do you get Benny Feilhaber from? And, btw, no Conrad, please. The dude is a little too old and has no upside anymore. The same goes for Albright.
-----------Cooper--------------------- -------------------Donovan------------ -------------------------------------- -------Mapp--------------Rolfe-------- ------------Becks--Clark-------------- -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- ---Pearce-------------------Albright-- ---------Parkhurst---Conrad----------- -------------------------------------- --------------Perkins-----------------
True dat, but Conrad will be how old in 2010? 33? 34? He's no Paolo Maldini. Besides, we have the next 4 years for our younger defenders to get experience. I love Conrad but I think he should not be relied on to make a sizeable contribution to the next World Cup. Maybe Copa America will be his swan song. Or not.
What international experience does JC have outside of tugging on Vicenze Iaquinta's shirt and getting away with it?
-----------------|Perkins|---------------- --Albright---Boswell---Conrad---Donivant-- -------------Clark-----Mastroeni---------- --Dempsey-------Donovan------Noonan--- -----------Johnson-------Eskandarian-----
So far, I like seeing the Feilhaber lineup, the "Conrad as a wing back" lineup, and the 12-man lineup above me. I'd go with: GK: Reis CD: Conrad CD: Boswell RD: Albright LD: Pearce CM: Mastroeni CM: Clark RAM: Donovan LAM: Mapp CF: Jaqua CF: Cooper