Have we all forgoten this guy? I'm not saying he should start. But the fact that no one even has said his name says alot. Most of these countries we will play in the first round would kill to have a first team keeper from England.
For these games you want someone who has shown well in the league, has experience and just as importantly, has played in a hostile environment. That's why, with the Trinity still in England, I would pick Jonny Walker. Yeah, he's never played for the nats but he has played in some nasty stadiums in big games in South America and he'll be able to handle the environment of qualifying without wilting.
Walker's recent performance I like Walker very much and hope his experience in Chile will make for a good GK alternate come the first qualifiers in 2004, but his recent performance has been sub-par. He has not made great saves and the Metrostars have been losing. Can it all be blamed on their defense? I am wondering if Arena will opt for tried-and-true Meola against the minnows.
You don't think Walker is playing well yet you call for Meola? Have you been watching the Wizards? Meola hasn't been bad but he has not been as sharp as recent years, even the most diehard Meola fan will tell you that. And for the record, I'm not one of those anti-Meola people. I totally thought it was the right call to bring him to Korea as No. 3 and for Bruce to use him when he did in his first four-year cycle, especially after his strong showing in leading KC to the title. For domestic 'keepers, I would put Walker and Brown at the top, followed by Thornton, Meola, Rimando and Hartman in the second tier, with Countess (whose stock is rising) behind them and Garlick and Busch, who are both good GKs but who have no national team experience and ain't gonna get it anytime soon, in a final tier.
I'm assuming that Arena doesn't bring back one of the big four (Marcus Hahnemann) in England because all of them are getting quality playing time. Rimando is out with an injury. Brown, Meola and Thornton are the obvious choices since they've been in camp with Arena before. How often has Arena gone with any player in a qualifier that he doesn't know pretty well. Walker and Countess will probably get called into camp at some point so that he can get a better look, but you're talking about a guy that sticks with what he knows. Speaking of guys he knows, Hejduk is probably in the team, Kirovski too, since he's not getting much playing time in the EPL. Remember Lewis playing for the USMNT when he couldn't get on the field at Fulham? By the way, how is Agoos' form in San Jose....
Re: Walker's recent performance Subpar? If anything, Walker has been a promising part of the metros team this year. He is relaxed in goal, a good shotstopper, and gives up very few balls due to his ability to absorb the shots... He is no Howard, but looks to be a solid possibility for the Nats..
Cap Freddy Adu. In goal. Hey, if we draw Anguilla, it couldn't hurt... at worst, the difference between winning 15-0 and 15-1!
Also note: the last time we played a real minnow (other than Barbados) was a friendly against the Cayman Islands in 1993. We won 8-1.
Understandably that the boys will face a lesser to nothing squad than against a Mexico or a Honduras, or a Jamaica. But at the same time David is looking to take out Goliath and the last time I checked at this point in time. We are Goliath. This is just my feelings about it but I don't want someone on the pitch or on the bench who is going to earn their first cap. I could care less if it's Final Round or this new Quarterfinal Round. I want the best and the most experienced players to be on that squad to get the boys into the Semi-Final Round because those lower countries in our Confederation are looking to knock us, Mexico and Costa Rica out of the Semis because we were the last three to make the World Cup in 2002. There is a target on our backs and these little nothings could upset us. Win our two matches states side and get a point or 3 on their soil. That's all I care about. No matter who it is, no matter if they are big or small. The boys must qualify into the Semi-Final Round.
I understand this to a certain extent but I think you are vastly overestimating the danger to us in this opening round. Last time we had some trouble with a group of IIRC: Barbados, Guatemala and T&T. Barbados is the only real minnow there, and we didn't dominate them as much as I'd like so I'd understand wanting nothing but the best for a similar group. This time our opening group will be nowhere near this tough, their getting "up for us" may mean the difference between Aus-Samoa scores and a single digit win at most. For this round I agree that we don't need to pull back the big three (four) or any key Euro based players. For the keepers I think you are looking at a top tier of Hartman & Brown who've both been in camp before, Walker is just below them simply because he hasn't had a call-up to date. The next tier, other than Hartman is the same as Sandon's.
My two cents The best keeper in MLS this year (Howard excepted) has been Onstad. Unfortunately, he's not American, so... The best of the rest: 1) Walker 2) Hartman One notch below: 3) Rimando 4) Brown Also-rans: 5) Busch 6) Thornton 7) Garlick Slipping fast: 8) Meola Still long way to go: 9) Countess I'm surprised by how many posters think Thornton and Meola will get called up for the qualifiers - IMO they've been shadows of their former selves this year.
Barbados, Guatemala, and COSTA RICA. Basically the Group of Death (or at least Pain) for that round. If the likes of Grenada or the Cayman Islands are "getting up for us", then they might actually hold our B/C-team to only 5 goals. I really don't see anything wrong with calling up Countess for the opening round. He probably won't have to make more than 2 saves in any match.
Death? Pain? More like mild discomfort! In this region, if it doesn't include both Costa Rica & Mexico, it's not death. Hartman and Brown, unless Rimando is healthy, would seem to be definite invites to camp. Walker and Countess are possibilities, at least getting into camp. I'm not sure what you mean by "key Euro based players", but I'd be suprised if Gibbs & perhaps Berhalter weren't invited. I'd expect to see Kirovski as well. Maybe Vanney. There is always a good possibility that Arena calls in the whole top group, as is his FIFA guaranteed right. He more or less did so last time around.
By key Euro's I mean JOB, Reyna, the keepers, 'Dolo, Lewis and maybe Gibbs if he can get himself moved to a 1BL or 2BL side. We will want all of them for large parts of Qualifying later on so no need to piss of their clubs to beat up on the minnows. Last time around Bruce tried to maintain as good a relationship as possible w/the Euro clubs. While I don't think he'll bend so far as to leave JOB at Ajax when we play Mexico at the Azteca and are desperatley short of center-mids this time I don't see him needlessly antagonizing them to call up they above players so we can paste Antigua 18-1 instead of 8-1. If Gibbs stays put there is no harm in pulling him back, same with Kirovski as he isn't playing. Berhalter and Vanney I'd have a little more hesitation on but I don't expect them to be mainstays of the final squad or in Qualifying so If Bruce wants them he should take them.