USA vs Panama pregame June 11 in Seattle

Before WC '06, before BruceFace, there was...

HAPPYBRUCEFACE:

 

Was LD a sub? because he is not in the team photo. by the way, I must be getting old, I only recognize 5 of the 11.

 

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archiv...liminary=7761/matches/match=39382/report.html

It was the last game of qualification, we had already qualified.

So we featured a mighty lineup of:

[1] Tim HOWARD
[2] Clint DEMPSEY
[5] Chris ALBRIGHT
[8] Jonathan SPECTOR
[10] Kyle MARTINO
[12] Danny CALIFF
[16] Brian CARROLL
[19] Justin MAPP
[20] Taylor TWELLMAN
[21] Santino QUARANTA
[22] Chad MARSHALL

 

The 6-0 victory was at home in the semi-final round.

The picture above is from the home game in the hex, where a long qualified US and eliminated Panama played a snoozer.

Also, we drew 1-1 in Panama on a last second Cobi Jones (!) goal in the semi-final round, and beat them 3-0 away in the hex via Donovan, Bocanegra and McBride - that was a period of some of the finest form for the US team, as they won 6 out of 7 (2-1 at Tri, 1-2 at Mex, 2-0 vs Guat, 3-0 vs Costa Rica, 3-0 at Panama, 1-0 vs Trinidad, 2-0 vs Mexico) to qualify with three to spare.

 

Wow, I don't recall this game or starting XI at all. Which one of those guys was playing left back??

 

How times changed.
We are better but the Panama team is so much better that before. I just don't see anyone beating anyone by 6-0... take it back Honduras did it vs Canada in that sauna of a home field.

 

wow. good question...had to be spector, no? I just can't see any of those other guys playing lb.


Albright...........Marshall................Califf.....................Spector


Quaranta-------Carroll--------Deuce ---------------Mapp

----------------Twellman---------Martino
?

Or was SQ support striker, and then Deuce out wide and Martino in the middle?

More importantly, would our current "end of cycle already qualified B team" be better, the same or worse than that?
EDIT: guess I will attempt to answer my own question and say better though a couple of those guys were/are special or could've been really special.


Williams/Beitashour/Yedlin/Beltran-----John/Okugo/Hedges/Boca/Gooch---------Morrow Castillo /Pearce Gaddis

Gatt?/----------------Sacha/Torres------------McCarty/Beckerman/Alonso--------Shea/Castillo



--------------------Wondo/Agudelo----------------------------Jack Mac/Boyd-----------------------------------------

 

Without looking it up, I want to say Martino scored one of the goals in the 2-0 game. As for the semifinal round at Panama, I remember listening to that game on the radio, and going nuts when Jones scored. Ching scored in like the 89th against Jamaica on the road to open that road to salvage a tie. We went 3-0-3 but were minutes away from being 3-2-1. I hate that semifinal round.

 

Other than Dempsey and Howard, that's like the saddest thing I've ever seen.

 

Some talented guys like Martino, Marshall, and Mapp in that group, who just never reached the next level, for whatever reason...

 

Yeah, that's what I meant. Not that they were a bunch of bums.

Almost that whole roster was justifiably exciting back then and eight years later, almost none of them reached their potential.

 

Is it? Or is the saddest thing the fact that they went out and dominated Panama with that group? Doesn't say much for Panama at the time.

 

Howard was the US's next top keeper. Dempsey hadn't really become The Clint Dempsey yet, but was an up-and-comer in 2005 (his break-out World Cup performance was still 9 months away!).

Marshall was just like Gonzo and George John are today, a serious big CB prospect.

Spector was a serious US prospect, who many were projecting for a long US Nats career. Our Fabian Johnson, Chandler, or Castillo.

Mapp, Martino and Quaranta were serious skill midfielders who each had periods of getting big hype from the fans. Compare them to Corona or Shea today.

Twellman was a mid-20s striker who could score goals. Younger and more promising than Wondo is today.

Albright was a mid-20s starter for the Galaxy, perhaps comparable to Parkhurst today. 2005 saw him get 7 Caps, his best year ever.

Carroll and Califf I don't remember too much about back then, but they were still quite young in 2005.

It wasn't the A-team, but it was loaded with guys presumed to be serious young Nats prospects.

 

Sure Califf was but a babe, but even then his future was evident. I mean, check out his rookie card.

 

He looked a lot younger before all the tattoos.

 

If it were today, JK would say we are not playing youngsters and we would draw 1-1 after emptying the local rest home in search of a roster.

 

You'll all be happy to know that this match is already in the bag. I'm 3-0-0 in my world cup qualifying caps.

 

Don't know how many people remember him at the time, but Tino was looking fantastic at this time, and was pushing to be a starter wide right for us. Justin Mapp was the flavor of the season in MLS.

 

Ah, the glory days of the Mississippi Maradona.

 

And that was still back in the good old days when the USMNT roster had some serious DC United flavor.

 

Wasn't Martino injured badly in an International match, which ended his career?
Hope Holden's career really takes off!
Now, Gooch is another story altogether.

 

The following players are currently carrying a yellow card, and will be suspended for this match if they pick up a yellow in Kingston:

Michael Bradley
Clint Dempsey
Fabian Johnson
Graham Zusi
Maurice Edu
DaMarcus Beasley
Matt Besler
Brad Davis

Clarence Goodson and Jermaine Jones have each picked up 2 yellows and already been suspended for a match, so their slates have been wiped clean.

 

No, he got injured in the 2003 Confederations Cup, after a pretty good showing in that match. But he's always had injury problems, which eventually forced him to retire. His body was basically breaking down. Sad though, because he was very talented and had a chance to play in a couple of different world cups. He was a rarity for us, when healthy. Someone who could effectively play the #10. He was better at that role than Donovan.

 

Bradley and Dempsey are basically the irreplaceable ones.