This is way too difficult to project, because a lot of it hinges on club careers and overall form. Does Adu find stability somewhere, does Davies ever regain fitness, does Ream mature and become more of a vocal leader? I would prefer to steer people away from this thread and over to the U23 thread on the YNT forum. That's where the discussion should be focused right now. Let the old guard battle it out in the fall qualifiers, and let the young players gel during the run-up to London 2012, so they can be ready to contribute by the time the hexagonal comes around.
He's the modern day version of a long littany of good, but not really USMNT caliber, defensive midfielders from MLS. Seeing as how the USMNT has a midfielder from the Bundesliga that didn't even make our Gold Cup roster in Ricardo Clark......it's gonna be tough for guys like McCarty to get a serious look from the USMNT in the future. (other than camp cupcake appearances) As far as his MLS standing goes, he's simply overpaid. And in the salary capped world of MLS, that has meaning. He's paid like an all-star at greater than 200k. FC Dallas replaced him in the midfield with Andrew Jacobsen (who's been fantastic) and Eric Alexander (called into last year's camp cupcake). The combined salary hit of Alexander, Jacobsen, and Zach Loyd is less than Dax's. So teams are passing Dax around (or should I say his contract) like an STD. [The trade from RBNY's point of view made sense because Dax actually makes less than DeRosario. So RBNY now has more room to move under the cap. I'm sure there are dominos to fall from the RBNY perspective.]
Very true. But speculation about 2012 rather than 2014 is much more relevant. That's why I encourage everyone to participate in the YNT thread.
Fair enough. This is yet another reason why I wish the Gold Cup was ever 4 years and in the 2 year mark between World Cups. Speculation for ever two years is so much more fun and relevant.
But McCarty is not a DM. He's more a B2B CM who can manage defensive duties. A sort of alternative to Mike, for games in which a 'passer' is more needed than a 'runner.'
Honestly, I'm not sure if this is serious or sarcasm. I've seen people post on both ends about McCarty. I fall a little closer to thinking of it as sarcasm, but I could see it either way.
No sarcasm at all. He's the guy that kept his cool in the pre-olympic when things weren't going well. Actually I was disappointed that Nowak didn't include him in the first two games in the Olympiad, and only brought him when USA was already virtually out, losing 2-0 to Nigeria (and still there was a considerable improvement with Dax on the field).
I was pretty excited to see that he was coming to DC, but I'm glad he's leaving. He was a horrible fit for DC since we already had Simms, but he just looked lost on the field most of the time. I'm not sure if its him or if it was the situation. Probably a lot of both reasons. I don't think he's got a real shot at making the 23 for anything that's not an All-MLS roster friendly, but I'd be happy to be shown to be wrong if he improves a lot in NY.
Since MB wont ever be a sub or be subbed off...he needs someone to partner with him in the middle, someone who isn't also a DM because then it limits us in the possession and passing game (I don't remember last time I saw any of our CM slip a nice through ball to our forwards...cuz they can't). I'm just gunna throw some names out there from our play pool: Holden! ,McCarty, JFT, Diskerud, Beckerman, Kassel/Blair Gavin/Alexander(If they develop).
Thought I'd revitalize this thread now that we have a new coach and a bunch of new prospects. Current prediction for 2014: Goalies: Howard, Guzan, Yelldell. I think Guzan works his way back into the picture by 2014. I think Yelldell will be there too if he can get some playing time in Germany. Center Defenders: Onyewu, Ream, Goodson, Whitbread. Boca will be too old by 2014. I think Whitbread will prove himself in the premier league and grab the last centerback spot. Don't see Orozco making it that far. Fullbacks: Chandler, Lichaj, Spector, F. Johnson. I think F. Johnson will get slotted into left-back, given our glut of midfielders. Midfielders: Bradley, Holden, Torres, D. Williams, Jermaine Jones, Maurice Edu, Brek Shea, Freddy Adu. Beckerman won't make it to 2014. Strikers: Altidore, Dempsey, Agudelo, Donovan. I think Donovan will be a super-sub by 2014, more likely as a forward than as a midfielder. Last Cuts: Bedoya, Feilhaber, Diskerud, Gonzalez, Bunbury.
Pack your bags: Howard, Donovan, Dempsey, Altidore Nearly a lock: Bocanegra, Chandler, Bradley, Edu, Shea Fairly safe bet: Holden, Torres, Agudelo In a Battle: Hamid, Guzan, Rimando, Onyewu, Goodson, Orozco, Spector, Beckerman, Jones, Kljestan, Bedoya, Rogers, Beasley, Wondolowski Work to do: Yelldell, Ream, Gonzalez, Whitbread, Parkhurst, Lichaj, Bornstein, Castillo, Johnson, Williams, Feilhaber, Gil, Diskerud, Adu, Burnbury, Davies, Gatt, Buddle
Did you really need to put Bornstein in there? We all know they no way in hell he makes the team in 2014 his USMNT career is over.
GK: howard, guzan, hamid - (3) RB/LB: chandler, lichaj, f. johnson, cherundolo - (7) CB: gonzalez*, onyewu, agbossoumonde**, brooks*** - (11) DM: jones, williams, bradley - (14) MF: shea, dempsey, diskerud, adu, holden, donovan, gatt - (21) FW: altidore, agudelo - (23) * gonzalez will get a call-up before qualifying and probably take care of the uncertainty issue ** boss has a few years left to mature to the senior level *** same as boss
He's "in a battle" with time and endurance as much as any other player. If anyone can win... it'd be him. I wouldn't be surprised to see him as a squad player and play some depending on matchups if he stays healthy.
If the World Cup was today: GK: Tim Howard Nick Rimando Sean Johnson DL: Timmy Chandler Eric Lichaj DR: Steve Cherundolo A.J. DeLaGarza DC: Oguchi Onyewu Clarence Goodson Omar Gonzalez George John MC: Michael Bradley Jermaine Jones Maurice Edu Benny Feilhaber AMR: Landon Donovan Daniel Williams AML: Brek Shea Alejandro Bedoya? Withdrawn Striker/AMC: Clint Dempsey Juan Agudelo ST: Jozy Altidore Charlie Davies (got any better options?) Stuart Holden and Fabian Johnson should get looks if/when they're healthy, but based on current form and current health, this is who I would bring in. From this, I'd want a starting XI of: [LINEUP-4-3-3]Shea, Altidore, Donovan, Bradley, Dempsey, Jones, Chandler, Onyewu, Goodson, Cherundolo, Howard[/LINEUP-4-3-3]
How Sean Johnson with 0 caps I believe gets the call over Hamid who Klinsmann seems to be in love with I just don't know. How DeLaGarza who isn't really ready and hasn't gotten any caps are there, I just don't know either... In a couple years perhaps Boca is gone, but if we're playing in Brazil next week, he has to be paired with Gooch with Goodson as the backup. I think the other two have a good chance at being there in 2014, certainly over Ream at this point.
That's my 23. I think Johnson is a better goalkeeper than Hamid. Bocanegra is liable to get destroyed against any team with pace and quality. DeLaGarza is there as a backup to fill out numbers, and because he's versatile. We're also desperately thin at right and left back, so once you get to the backup, we're talking about a serious drop-off in quality from the starter. Who you slot in there as the backup right back really doesn't matter, because they're not international quality, no matter who you choose.
The answer to both those issues today is Bocanegra (although the answer could be very different in 2014). Start him out wide on the left if two of Chandler, Lichaj, Cherundelo can't go. Not ideal, but much much better than DeLaGarza. If they can go, Boca is in the middle. I agree that he won't do as well against a fast team, but putting any of your other centerbacks isn't going to be a lot better. We don't have tons of speed in the middle of the back.
I'm going to change the topic just a little bit and call the 18 for a qualifier if next month we were playing qualifiers instead of friendlies. (In other words, I won't speculate on Holden's comeback, or the comebacks of any of the currently injured guys, or which young or off-the-radar player distinguishes themselves in two years, or whatever). ----------------------Altidore------------------------ Shea---------------Dempsey--------------Donovan ---------------------Bradley------------------------- -------------------Beckerman----------------------- Chandler----Bocanegra----Onyewu----Cherundolo ----------------------Howard------------------------ (Pick a GK), Spector (until other options return from the training room), Orozco, Edu, Williams, Beasley, Agudelo
Terrible is a vast overstatement. Beckerman is Mastroeni with a little more poise and little less athleticism and experience. He isn't someone who should be seeing major minutes for this team. Jones or Edu are definitely above him. Even Bradley could probably slot well into that role if necessary. Not sure about Williams in that role till we see him in it, but word from Germany is that he can play central midfield.
Beckerman has his strengths and weaknesses, and honestly wasn't that bad in these last two matches, though his partnership with Edu is pretty much DOA (if you want to argue for Edu in place of Beckerman as DM, be my guest, I won't strongly disagree at the moment). I can see Williams in the role, and that's an experiment that's worthy for next month. Jones needs to get his career back in order, which will probably happen eventually.