Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Ausgezeichnet!!! Hey Nutmeg. I agree with this totally. However, the way I ook at it is that having a MLS "prospect" as number 3 on the depth chart is not great. I concede that these items don't prove anything. I would think that the fact that all three are negative is an indication of a probability that Casey is struggling. Which at the Bundesliga 2 level, is not a good thing for the USMNT given his level on the depth chart. At least you are not banking on Mathis returning to 2001 form. I admit that the USMNT forward situation could upgrade itself to good, but it is going to take time and luck for all the stars to line up for this to happen. I still think "grim" is a good description of the current situation especially compared to last year when we had McBride, Donovan, Mathis, Wolff , Twellman (before he started showing poorly for the Nats) and the prospects. I would say that it is unlikely. Right now I don't see it, as Mathis is still fat and Wolff has gone from "recovering" to "out indefinitely."
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Ausgezeichnet!!! Frankly, this is a skewed comparion. It's not as if Mathis and Wolff were healthy last season, either. And in 2002, Twellman was a rookie with no track record. In 2003, he didn't fit in immediately with the nats, but he's established himself as a truly exceptional goalscorer in MLS. He's proven that he wasn't a one-hit wonder, but suddenly, we don't "have" him any more? What makes this Twellman thing really unfair is that you write off Edson Buddle as a "prospect." If Buddle is a prospect now, then Twellman was a prospect in 2002. And heck, it could be argued that even Landon Donovan is still a prospect. But in 2003, he made a major step forward by finally scoring a few goals in MLS. Continuing on the theme of who has stepped forward, before this year we were much less certain about Mike Magee, Nate Jaqua, Pat Noonan, Eddie Gaven, and - yes - Freddy Adu. Plus, guys like Karbassiyoon, Alvarez, and Cooper were hardly counted as prospects at all. The pool of prospective 2006 forwards has gotten deeper. To close, even if you take a dim view of the current situation, you can't get away with calling it "grim." Remember when everyone's hopes were pinned on a single good-but-not-exceptional youth player at Man United?
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Ausgezeichnet!!! Once again, I respect the right of all of the optimists to have their opinion, but mine is different. Let me explain my reasoning. In 2002, Twellman was a MLS star with no track record with the Nats. In 2003, Twellman has a track record with the Nats -- IMHO one of the worst starts to a Nats career that I can remember. In other words, in 2002, I knew Twellman was a great MLS player and I was hopeful that he would be so internationally. In 2003, I have seen Twellman play internationally and, based on those performance, I can no hold the same level of hope that he will cut it internationally. Sometimes, more information is discouraging. That's all true, but having a larger pool of prospects doesn't outweigh the fact -- in my mind -- that if we had to play a qualifier today, there would only be two guys -- McBride and Donovan -- that I would be comfortable playing. My "grim" is in relation to the standard of a World Cup quarterfinalist, not the 1990s US. The bar has been raised.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Ausgezeichnet!!! When someone makes a first impression like Twellman's (23 goals in 92 shots in 2002), more information will almost always be discouraging. That's plain old regression to the mean. But his 2003 numbers (15 goals in 90 shots) are still perfectly acceptable for a guy who doesn't get a lot of clear chances on goal. As for the national team, he's only had two starts, both against defenses (El Salvador and New Zealand) that are no better than the ones he faces in MLS. I don't think they tell us much about TT's ability to strike at the international level. Then I'd suggest that you're the one who's being optimistic. I'm taking more of a wait-and-see approach about raising my expectations.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Ausgezeichnet!!! My comments had nothing to do with his 2003 MLS form. My comments were based on TT's 2003 USMNT appearances. Maybe those appearances didn't tell you anything. But to my eyes, and this is of course just opinion, Twellman's USMNT appearances in 2003 were very disappointing. He looked desperately out of place every second he was on the field. That discourages me because before I saw him play internationally, I thought he might make an immediate impact. As a result, I have less confidence in TT's ability at the international level than I did before he actually played internationally. P.S. I am happy being the optimistic one -- it's not a bad thing. I expect the USMNT to do better than it did in the 1990s and I think the organization and staff should be held to that standard.
I agree with Martin about Twellman. But maybe Europe just know how to develop a target forward better than MLS. So if we have three or four are developing in the Europe, then we may get one out of them.
the USA has developed one good target forward in our history as far as I know: Brian McBride.And he is an MLS product.
Re: Re: Re: Re: 11/2 Casey: Karlsruher @ MSV Duisburg [R] still need a translation on that one though...
To a large extent, that is true. McBride did, however, begin his professional career at Wolfsburg in the 2 Bundesliga. How much that had to do with his development as a target forward, I'm not sure.
I'm pretty sure that McBride began his professional career with the Milwaukee Rampage. After that, he went to Germany for a year before MLS bought his contract.
martin aren't you rushing to judgement just a little on twellman as a nat? maybe he should get more than the 100 or so minutes and zero sevice he's had?
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Ausgezeichnet!!! Without. Which is part of why I describe the situation as "grim."
I don't think so. First, I have never said Twellman won't make it as a Nat. All I have said is that I have a lot less confidence on that point now than I did before he suited up for the Nats. Second, I watched Twellman play and it was disappointing that (1) he completely managed to avoid finding spots where he could receive service and be dangerous and (2) was utterly unable to contribute -- against mostly weak competition -- in any way other than standing around waiting for service in the box. I don't think the USMNT is, or ever will be, a team that can afford the luxury of a guy who just waits in the box to be served the ball on a silver platter. The only upside is that there is a chance that Twellman will improve his ability to find more dangerous spots if he becomes more familiar with his teammates. But it looks a lot less probable to me than it did a year ago.