What is the best current American XI. Let say in a 4-4-2. Mine would be: Friedal Cherundulo-Pope-Bocanegra-O'brien (I know he'd rather play elsewhere) DMB-Armas-Donovan-Quaranta McBride-Mathis Eddie Lewis would get a strong look from me on the left flank, he had a great year at PNE, really impressed, but Quaranta would be an amazing playmaker out there I think. Backup 'keeper would be Howard, although I wasn't impressed with his showing on Saturday. Keller got pounded with Spurs, but he did save a spot kick, and had a solid season, so I'd have to se wht he did in camp. I'd give McBride the armband. What do you think?
Pull Quaranta, he doesn't have enough experience. Also Bocanegra would be more of a second string just because hes so young- but he would be a nice sub. Somewhere I would put Sanneh...
I'd go with......... Friedel Sanneh, Pope, Berhalter, Gibbs Beasley, Obrien, Mastroeni, Lewis Donovan, McBride Sub: Mathis (Last 30 minutes)
Who would you put in place of Quaranta and Bocanegra? I'm sure you know Sanneh is injured. Not eligible for my squad... haa BTW, did you see Quaranta on the left flank yesterday? He looked like Giggs out there....
Friedel Sannah Pope Berhalter Hejduk Olson Mastroeni O'Brien Lewis McBride Donovan a tough line-up. if mathis can pull himself together, he's up front, slide donovan back, o'brien takes hejduk's spot. if reyna's healthy, he takes berhalter off the field. i think claudio's our future central back. imagine how solid we would have been against portugal with claudio back there instead of goose. bocanagra's on the bench. cherundolo's nowhere near the group. neither has quaranta (when has he proven himself on that level?) armas still has to prove he can get there again, and even in his prime, he's no mastroeni.
I agree with some of those points , however your Cherundulo statement is off. He played at least 90% of Hannover's games this year and was solid. That kind of experience puts him over the top of any other right back we have except Sanneh, who is currently out. I also don't agree with Olsen on the right. He really doesn't curently have the quality. His ball skills on Saturday and recently were miserable. So many attacks broke down because he couldn't make a good first or second touch, which is critical in big games. Reyna would be a great center back. In the cup build-up last year, Armas was phenomenal. I think having those two partner in midfield would make it very difficult for an opponent's midfield to get anything done.
DMB does not usually fair well on the right flank. Quaranta is right footed (although he uses both feet almost equally as well) and this weekend was the first time he has ever played left wing in a United Jersey. He does not have the experience there to be considered in the best XI. I like Pope and Boca in the center but I like Sanneh or Hejduk better at right back than Cherondolo right now. At LB I think Gbandi is going to become a solid option but since he is still working his way back from a devastating knee injury I would rather put Lewis here. My line up would look like this: Freidel Sanneh-Pope-Bocanegra-Lewis Olsen-Obrien-Mastroeni-DMB Donovan-Mcbride
My XI assumes that Sanneh, Armas and Reyna aren't up to 100% fitness (although I realize Armas is playing, while Reyna is not.) -------------His Bradness------------- - Hejduk - Pope - Bocanegra - O'Brien - --------------Mastroeni-------------- - Stewart ------------------ Beasley - ------------- Donovan --------------- ------ McBride ------ Twellman -------
Sanneh is recovering from an injury. He is not in form. Bocanegra has played well for the nats. I think he would have been in the Cup team if not for an injury. He will do well and could use the experience against a top team.
We don't need a 5'9" center back. I guess he could eventually play more of a sweeper role, a la Matthaus. But I really don't see anything wrong with keeping him in the center of midfield as a possession player.
I don't even think Quaranta should start for DC United. His principal skill is falling down and prancing around like he owns the place. He isn't even close to living up to the hype yet.
--------The Brad---------- Berhalter-Pope-Bocanegra-Lewis --------Mastroeni---------- Beasley--O'Brien---Olsen ---Donovan--McBride--- Subs used Mathis for offense and Armas for defense
Based on the reports here at BigSoccer, I going with... ---------Adu------------ Adu---Adu---Adu---Adu ----------Adu------------ -----Adu-------Adu------ ----------Adu------------ -----Adu-------Adu Sub: Adu, or Cobi if we're playing Mexico
I'm thinking Confed Cup, and hoping that reyna can play, as seems possible. I'd like to see... .................Freidel Cherundolo Pope Berhalter Bocanegra ......Reyna Pablo O'Brien Beasley ...........McBride Donovan Without Reyna, right mid is a whole cluster of guys who could do the job, but none of whom stand out, like Klien or Olsen, or even just sticking with Stewart for now.
ha ha ha ha, Cobi could get them down to 9 men just by warming up on the sidelines. Now, y'all know that Sanneh and Reyna are not fit to play? And Berhalter, a left footed center back at right back? GK: Duh LB: Lewis CB: Pope CB: Bocanegra RB: Mastroeni DM: Armas LM: Beasely RM: Klein AM: O'Brien F: McBride F: Donovan Dag, that's a lineup that can move the ball around. When Claudio gets healthy, put Bease on the right (he can do it, don't worry), JOB on the left, Reyna in the middle and send Klein out for a rest.
I like this lineup, but I'd still put Friedel or Keller in goal, at 5'8", he's a bit small for a goalie.
GK: who do you think? LB: Heyduk CB: Pope CB: Bocanegra RB: Mastroeni DM: Armas LM: O'Brien RM: DMB AM: Donovan F: McBride F: Mathis Subs: Klein, Reyna, Cherundalo, Convey, Lewis, Howard (GK), Twelleman, Buddle, Berhalter, Olsen and Quaranta
For those of you who have Lewis lined up at left back, he's made a good impression with the PNE fans so far this year at left mid, other than one complaint. He's 'lightweight'. Lousy tackler, doesn't go in for 50-50 balls. He gets taken out when the team needs to get more defensive. They want him forward, not in the back.
GK Friedel LB Hejduk CB Pope CB Bocanegra RB Cherundolo LM O'Brien DM Mastroeni OM Reyna RM Beasley F Donovan F McBride I would prefer to play JOB at OM, but we have no real experienced talent that plays at LM that is better than Reyna
Why Heydude? He isn't a good MLS defender. He did his job in the WC but now that we have guys coming up that have skill there is no need for his donkey touch to ever see the field again for the US, barring injury to starters. GK - Friedel D - Cherudolo D - Bocanegra D - Pope D - JOB DM - Mastro R - Stewart L - Beasley AM - Mathis F - McBride F - Donovan
-----------------------Friedel-----------------------Hejduk------Pope-----------Boca-----Barrett-- ------------Mastroeni--------------JOB---------- -Klein--------------------------------------DMB- -----------------------Martino------------------ -----------Donovan-----------------McBride----- My reasons for Klein & Martino are two-fold: (1) we have VERY little depth at those positions, not to mention that Olsen is not quite ready to be named a starter, automatically. (2) Klein & Martino have had SOLID performances for their club teams and, in Klein's case, for the USMNT. I HOPE Mathis can (and does) work his way back into our "good graces." It would add a lot to our team, in terms of creativity & spunk!!
Looked sufficient against Germany in the WC. Plus there is the chilling effect of Lewis pushing forward and overlapping with DMB on the same side. Do you want to be the right back who gets caught pushing forward and having to decide, "do I try to stay with Beasely on his run to goal, or stick with Lewis and deny him the cross?"
Being a Metro fan and seeing him play week in and week out, and i'm gonna get crap for this, but he just doesn't have it anymore. He's never gotten back into shape since his last major knee operation and has had nagging injuries since then. Not only is he not healthy but he seems to picked up a little of an attitude everytime he gets touched. Which really you can't blame him because he is so friggin fragile. Maybe if he gets his act together, he might actually accomplish something again with the NATS and Metros.