I am really excited to see Geoff Cameron playing at CB for the Dynamo again. His positioning looked great last night. If he continues to get experience in the back I think he will make the trip. I am interested to hear other peoples thoughts on what we will look like at the position in 2014.
Houston allowed 3 goals yesterday. I didnt see the game so I dont know how Cameron played but 3 goals is a lot to be allowing. I prefer Gonzalez, Opara, or Ream. Those guys get shut outs
One of the goals was an own goal by boswell, and one should have been an easy save for Onstad. So I'd say don't blame Cameron for that
It's called Boswell sucks. Got turned like a school boy and stood there which allowed Carr several years to set up a terrible shot that easily should have been saved. Another lame Boswell own goal. Not sure, but i think BB decided not to jump with Conde on the 3rd. Boswell is slow in mind and play. Yikes. Cameron? Stay healthy. Stay healthy and your chance will come.
Cameron getting hurt was the worst thing that happened to Houston this year. Him being back at CB is one of the lone bright spots. The Dynamo have been leaking goals but you can hardly blame Cameron for their issues. I think over the course of last season he was the best CB and maybe even the best defender in the league. And since being back there this season, even after a knee injury, he hasn't lost a step. Unfortunately, he is playing on a defense which has.
Gale Boss is the future of the CB position. However he is so young that he can not make 2014 and still have a chance to be a superstar for us.
It's certainly possible for Agbossoumonde to make the 2014 roster. He'll be nearly 23 when the WC rolls around. We shouldn't be counting on him when his first-team resume consists of six appearances for Miami FC, however. He'll get his chances with the U20 team and then with the Olympic team. Hopefully he can break into Braga's first team somewhere along the way. The Boss could be a nice boost at the end of the cycle, but at best he's still a few years away.
I also think Spector's best position is central so if he can ever get to a club where they play him there and he learns how to read the game from there, I think he could end up in the centerback pool as well.
I think the leader in the group will be the first who goes to a decent Euro League and not the Mexican League or MLS. I am not hating on MLS (I watch more MLS matches a week than any other league). It is just development wise, you can dominate MLS with your size and belong on a really good team, but not be the best in the small areas that make centerbacks and defenders great. I look at how much more solid the Mexican Defense has become with more of their players abroad as well as Gooch's improvement. Omar- really needs to learn to position himself to make up for the lack of speed he has out of the back. Maybe Beckham can help him with the passing a lot. Cameron- Really needs to test himself outside MLS. He has proven he can do a lot of things right, its just can he do it at a high level. Opara- Just a freakish athlete, but needs to work on the small things. A year or two in MLS may be necessary Ream- The person most suited for the European leagues. He has to learn to cover his man a lottle close People forget that Goodson is at a level above these players and is not exactly too old to play internationally at 32 (next WC). Especially since he will move in Jan, with a chance to go to a decent league. Gooch is also there and is probably the most experienced if his knee heals. Jonathan Spector can also play and i think he may eventually play CB because injuries have slowed him down, but he still is technically good enough to play at the Premier League. Speed is what is killing him. And after injuries, it may only be 70% of what it was.
I think it would be interesting to see Cameron and Boss at CB with Tim Ream at LB. That combination would represent a huge upgrade in the defense's ability to distribute the ball, and might allow the USMNT to transition to a more possession-oriented style of play.
If Spector is anywhere in our starting back line, we are headed for disaster in Brazil. Not sure what anyone sees in that guy, he is not international quality
I've never understood statements like this. People have said the same kind of absolutely-certain-crap about so many US players, from Bornstein to Beasley, to even a guy like Dempsey (who was being dumped on regularly 2 years ago). The reality is that the US player pool is very thin in general and downright weak at certain positions like outside back and striker. You simply cannot dump on a guy like Spector with such absolute certainty when the alternive players are NOT better, and in most cases are worse. Wynne? Alston? Franklin? Where is the guy who will guarantee success in Brazil??? There is none. Spector had a brilliant Confederations Cup just 14 months ago, facing the likes of Italy, Spain, and Brazil (twice) -- the toughest run of games in US soccer history. He is one of only 3 US outside backs on a roster in a top-4 League. He is 25 years old, with plenty of time to get back to the level he showed at age 24. He will get more chances for very logical reasons.
best point yet to shun the doom and gloomers. quite frankly Spector might not be the worlds greatest RB, but then again, US simply doesnt have the player pool to uplift him. once Dolo retires, RB/LB option are wide open. A player coming up through the ranks like Lichaj might take over RB if he pans out the way Aston Villa are hyping him. What does that do to Spector?? nothing really. He either remains as competition to a new RB or he fights for LB option (which is incredibly thin). The defense might see the biggest turnover from last cycle. Hopefully some players come into their own.
As I have said before, we won't have to wait as long to learn about Ream. Parkhurst had Nicol's system and Sharlie Joseph making up for/covering up a lot of his shortcomings...well, almost all. Ream's concerns are already more apparent because he hasn't had that sort of protection. Ream needs a year under his built, let him see what Camp C is like, and how he reacts, and we will see what type of player he is in year two. We will find out soon enough if he can elevate and learn, or if he is what he is.
fair enough, i am guilty of using a posting tactic that usually irks me too. I am just THAT unimpressed with Spector though. In my defense, i did avoid using the " player x should never wear the Nats shirt again" line... obviously Spector is likely to be in our plans for 2014, but I would happily take a less experienced guy like Franklin, Omar G, Cameron, Ream or Opara over Spector, despite his pedigree and physical tools. btw, all of our defenders played very well at the Confed Cup but the strength of our counterattack, led by Davies and Donovan was a key factor in relieving the pressure our D would normally have faced. we definitely caught Spain and Brazil to a lesser extent off guard with our pace up front.
Ream - Cerebral defender Gonzalez - Solid in the air, makes some positional mistakes here and there. Cameron - Very long and physical player. The most attacking player of all the options. Opara - Seems to get himself in the right spots. I still need time to base my decision. Boss - Not seen much of him. Marshall - Still only 26 and currently the most polished. Of course we still gotta take a look at the usual suspects as well when the time comes.
It's always interesting to go back and look at these old posts. I honestly was disappointed that Dom didn't give Geoff more time at CB before last season and he has been injured a bit over the last few years. He still has some work to do, I hope we can find someone to pair up with him if we make it to Brazil.
What no Gooch?!? Yay (muffled applause). Hard to say what will be come two years time. Cameron seems the obvious lock (his touch is just a bit too heavy right now for me...hopefully, some EPL seasoning will fix that right up). We need a complimentary CB with insight and pace, who's mistakes don't lead to goals against. Could be there's a guy out there now we've never seen (unlikely). You never know. Edu, given enough minutes to learn to play it correctly, may be an answer. There is time for anyone's learning curve to reveal itself. Though it would be nice to know, now, we were set at this critical central pairing.