I do. Chris Albright sucks balls. Seriously. We dont need that type of crap playing for USA. Szetela is good enough (apparently) at CM to be bought by a La Liga club. Why would he switch positions?
Ah, didn't know that. I was under the assumption that you could be 23 or younger, and still participate. Thanks for the info...
Cherundolo isn't good enough anymore in my opinion, he has been playing poorly. At CM we have Bradley and Edu who can play the same position just as good, as well as Clark and then we also have guys like Feilhaber, Kljestan, and Mastro who can play CM very well also. Szetella has all the qualities in my opinion to be a great RB and I would really like to see him at least tried there a couple times.
Spector, Simek, and Wynne would all get a look there before a midfieder does. Cherundolo is fine for now. He's made over 250 appearances in the Bundesliga, and he's only 29. Yes, he had some tough moments against Spain, England, and Argentina. For CONCACAF qualifying, he'll be more than adequate.
I'd try two players as back-up fullbacks/back-up mids for them to have a shot at the US'10 squad - Ricardo Clark and Danny. Spector should be able to play every defensive spot and the D-mid. Simek and 'Dolo should be able to play either side.
Whatever. You need utility players in case you end up like Turkey vs. Germany, with a bunch of guys injured and/or suspended. Clark would be one of those utility candidates ... though it wouldn't have hurt Bobaloo to try him there before Mr. Heydude, who's neither getting younger nor more skilled or versatile.
You better get that resignation ready... Not even a fan of Clark, but can't see anyone making much more of an impact at CM. Bradley, Edu, Clark, and Mastroeni are the favorites... most likely scenario would be Mastroeni is too old and some young gun beats him out.
Agree about Clark, though I'm not a fan either. I don't see Mastroeni still being in the picture by 2010, just as Hejduk should be out by then. Hopefully Feilhaber will step it up, but Szetela and even Spector could be reasonable options by then.
I still don't see where all this criticism of Steve Cherundolo comes from. I've defended him time and time again as the most underrated defender in our pool. Why isn't Steve good enough? Because he got crossed up a few times by Leo Messi in the Argentina match? Who hasn't fallen victim to the magic of Messi in the last few years? Cherundolo is by far the best outside back we have, and he's still performing at a high level for the Nats. Between Cherundolo, Simek, Spector & Wynne, I think we have enough up and coming depth at RB. Szetela needs to force his way into the mix at his natural position -- CM.
Wynne needs two solid years in Europe to get to the level where his defensive mistakes are going to be offset by his offensive prowess. Last night, Carver kept him on a tight leash throughout the match and Marcell did enough ball watching to bring his own popcorn machine.
Some Szetela news. I think it says Brescia want Szetela but on a free transfer. http://www.marca.com/edicion/marca/futbol/1a_division/racing/es/desarrollo/1141435.html
I disagree. Cherundolo's solid to good. A very, very solid RB and one of the most consistent performers on the team. He's not however a great RB. Why wouldn't you want to develop a great RB? Szetela has all the tools to become a great RB. He's got potential in spades and he doesn't have all the tools to be great in his natural position CM. So why not move him back there where his skillset could allow him to be dominant? Players get moved position all the time no matter what their age at club teams all around the world. Especially at clubs its all about how the coach projects you fitting into their team. Not how you see yourself. Spector is a good RB, but a better LB and should be the starting LB for club and country. Simek is average and Wynne mediocre. All are better than Drew Moor however. Why waste time on an average and mediocre RB when a player with all the tools to be a great RB and a ton of natural talent sits in the pool. The goal is to get our most talented players on the field anyway. Moving a mid to fullback is a great way to do that.
outside backs need speed. szetela does not have speed. especially if you want to move from good to great at that position. szetela does not have the tools to be a great right back.
It appears to me that Brescia wants another loan, but Racing wants to sell him but Brescia only wants him if he is free.
I didn't realize they had a new coach (who left, and to where?) but Szetela is as good as gone from Racing.
Word. Anyone remember how long his initial contract with Racing was for? If Brescia only wants him for free, they are going to have to wait a while methinks.
He's not slow. From what I saw of the U-20s he's faster and quicker than Bradley. He does have good defensive instincts, decent passing ability, good crosser, good on the flank, great shooting power and decent first touch. Sounds like a Right Back to me. And he's got a lot of untapped, undeveloped talent and a pretty big upside before his ceiling. Especially if he gets moved from dmid/cm to right back. Has the potential to be great. Your selling his skills short.
http://lettersfromvagabondia.blogspot.com/2008/07/brescia-racing-santander-agree-to-terms.html "According to the Corriere Dello Sport, [Brescia] has agreed to terms to buy the previously loaned New Jersey native although terms have not been made public."
Great news to hear. I had a feeling Brsecia and Racing were going to work something out. Bresica is a great fit for Danny and he should cement his place in the starting XI this season. They have a young team and a good manager and I think they can push for promotion.
It'll be interesting to see how much Brescia paid for him. It's a little hard to figure out why Racing didn't give him more of a chance, but whatever, that's football. Brescia's a good Serie B team who should be fighting for promotion this year. Even if they don't get promoted, and Szetela does well, bigger teams will come calling. Danny's still pretty inexperienced when you think about it. He's only played in a total of 38 professional games for Columbus and Brescia. Consistent playing time is what he needs.