After watching him in MLS Cup, I disagree with the above. Conrad got burned badly on two of the goals, the first off the phantom handball (he wasn't exactly given the best of passes back but he could have and should have done better) and the second when Earnie Stewart blew right by him on the own goal.
I don't think it's out of the question to think that Albright will be part of the team in 06, but whether or not he's a starter is another story. We're not very deep at right back and Dolo's not been the most healthy of guys. Frankie's got his critics also. Plus Bruce knows Albright pretty well. Albright has only one year at his new position and if he can improve on his play this season, I think he has a strong chance of making the 06 roster. He just needs to do well in January to bolster his standing on the national team.
Albright? Sure, why not. He's 25 years old, he's athletic, he has acceptable ball skills, he played a fine game in a World Cup qualifier. Bruce Arena likes him. What the hell else do you want in a right-back candidate?
It's preposterous to assume Albright will be the starting right back, but it's hardly beyond the realm of possibility. If he consistently plays like he did against Jamaica, I'd gladly put him there. I'd surely think he might have a chance at taking the position from the yet-to-be-seen Russell.
um, k, but he had like one decent game at rb for the nats, and that was against a crap jamaican team. with the hex next year, albright sees time maybe in gold cup or friendlies or a qualifier after we're through, but in a meaningful qualifier, no fffffffffff------ing way. hope for the wc06 roster, sure, but starting, uh, no.
Guys, can you take the Albright discussion somewhere else? As Nutmeg said to begin with, this is just a review of who Bruce is playing where and some possible projections. The back and forth on Albright tends to clutter the thread.
Well, we were projecting Albright's position and status on the team. As far as another player I was wondering about, where does Vanney fit on the team? He played in more than a few meaningful games and with him at left back it allows Bocanegra to slide back into the center. Does a backline of Vanney-Boca-Gibbs-Dolo seem competent, or does Vanney bring down the defense? Of course, Pope is still in the picture... so then do you keep Bocanegra at LB?
if Albright or Russell play well at RB, do you think Bruce Arena should let Cherundolo play RM? I think he's good enough to play RM, he can dribble, cross, and he's fast enough just my opinion
One of the keys for us to take our game to the next level is to have outside backs that are capable of adding to the attack. I think Bruce recognizes this and that is one of the reasons why he tried so hard to convert Convey into a left back. Its also the reason why I suspect that Dolo probably has the inside track at right back and why someone like Spector has a chance at winning the left back spot by WC '06. With the wide range of options available between tradional backs and mids who are also capable of playing outside back I expect Arena will continue to use the friendlies, the Gold Cup and even the WCQ's to test who is best able to add that dynamic to the team.
I think you have hit what the original intent of this thread was for...to put on the table the mix of people that Bruce seems to be evaluating. By looking at the complete list, it will give us, potentially, some insight into what the team will become.
Great post. And great points. The England-US player pool comment also goes to the heart of how the respective managers manage that pool. Arena has deliberately and methodically expanded the pool of candidates for the USMNT squad. Maybe not as fast as some would like, but it's a hell of a lot broader than Sven Goran has done with England. And while I agree with your point about world class central defenders not being the key to success most of the time, there are certainly exceptions. Rio's absence from the Man U lineup unquestionably changed the course of that team's results in the stretch last year and in the opening months of the 2004-5 season. They are an entirely different team defensively with him in the mix.
Defensive/Holding Midfielders Claudio Reyna (@Holland, @Poland, Honduras, Grenada, Grenada, jamaica, El Salvador, Panama) I know there are some that would still list Claudio as an attacking midfielder, but I think those days are over. Overall, Claudio had a bad year for the US. The one bright spot was his game as the only DMid partnered with Mathis in central midfield at Poland. His club play hasn’t been much better, and he now finds himself recovering from yet another injury, this time a torn quadriceps. Still, when he is healthy, he remains a lock in Arena’s starting lineup. Kerry Zavagnin (Denmark, @Poland, Mexico, Grenada, El Salvador, el Salvador, Panama) Zavagnin started 2004 as a minor blip on the national team radar. He finished the year as our most consistent holding midfielder. Two games that stand out for Kerry were his performance against Mexico, where his work in central midfield allowed Donovan and Beasley to run free, and then against Panama, where he was the best player on the field until Eddie Johnson was subbed in. Kerry also had a standout year for KC, where despite teammates all around him dropping like flies, he led the Wizards to the league’s best record and title game. Pablo Mastroeni (@Poland, , Mexico, Grenada, Poland, , Panama, Jamaica) After struggling in 2003, Pablo had a lot to prove coming into 2004. He came through. Two of his best performances were in central defense (which is why I listed him so high on that depth chart) at Poland and against Mexico, a game in which Pablo completely dominated the backline. He finished the year on a high note, this time as a defensive midfielder against Jamaica. Pablo’s versatility virtually guarantees him big minutes somewhere on the field through 2005, and probably 2006. Chris Armas (Denmark, holland, Haiti, @Poland, Mexico, Honduras, Grenada, Grenada, jamaica) In order to avoid starting anymore flame wars, I’ve committed to not discussing the Armas topic. If anyone else would like to comment on his club performance or his performance in the games listed above, feel free. Clint Dempsey (Jamaica) MLS Rookie of the Year, and one of the most versatile players in the pool, Dempsey pulled a rare feat when he got his first cap in his first camp in a WCQ. His senior team introduction was rocky, but towards the end he settled in and played better. Look for Clint in early 2005 friendlies, and then to enter the Hex squad later in the year. Ramiro Corrales (Jamaica) Corrales had a decent year for his club team, but laid an egg in Jamaica. I don’t expect to see him in a US uniform anytime soon. Richard Mulrooney (Denmark, Haiti) After playing a lot of minutes in 2003 for the US, Arena pulled the plug on Mulrooney’s time with the national team after Mulrooney played short minutes as a sub in the Haiti debacle. Mulrooney likely doesn’t figure into any 2005 plans. 2005 Projections I see some movement happening here. John O’brien will play in 2005 – it is just a matter of when. That bumps every single one of these guys one notch down on the holding midfielder depth chart. Watch for Ricardo Clark to get game time in the 2005 friendlies, likely paired with Clint Dempsey at some point. But when it comes to qualifiers, like it or not, Arena will stick with the tried and true. That means Claudio, Kerry, Pablo, and Armas, and when he’s healthy again, O’brien. I wouldn’t advise making any bets on the younger generation of holding midfielders – Clark and Dempsey – getting any significant PT in any meaningful games until late in the hex. Keep an eye out for Szetela’s progress in Columbus. He’s a very, very long shot, but his talent may be too much to ignore in a competition like the Gold Cup.
How many goals has Dolo got in the last four years? It's not what I am looking for out of an attacking midfielder. If the USMNT goes to a 3-5-2, it's possible that Dolo could be the right midfielder. However, a healthy Chris Klein would be one better choice in my book.
A little harsh on Greg... The Jamaican was primarily the fault of McBride who is usually an important part of the defense during our opponent's corner kicks. The Panamanian goal was part of an overall team meltdown. Greg shares some of the blame on that meltdown but not all of it. It seems that no one showed up for the last 45. That being said, I don't think he adds much to the team and should only be a bench player during the Hex.
At best. I bet that Bruce is thinking that he'd rather have Boca (of course), Spector, or Convey in that spot, plus possibly some of the center defenders. The #1 reason to have Vanney in the lineup is for his (alleged) defensive prowess. I mean, that's why he was at Panama, to be the dull if solid anchor at left back. If he's gonna get caught out of position, might as well play one of the young kids who are faster and better offensively. I think it's very possible that we don't see Vanney at all during the Hex. He was given a straightforward assignment, and he botched it.
I think one reason that Bruce's pool is so much bigger than Sven's is that it's easier for Sven to evaluate players based on their club performance. It's hard for Bruce to evaluate his foreign-based players without bringing them into camp. Most of the English pool is based in England and the few that are outside of England are usually already established national team players. Also, It's hard to evaluate players based on MLS play, where they are never really playing for high stakes until the playoffs. Bruce has to at least bring them into camp to see how they will do at the international level. In the EPL and Coke League, the players are playing pretty competitive soccer throughout the season, so it's easier to project how they would do at the international level without having to actually call them up.
It appears everyone is in agreement with Nutmeg on the holding middies. (I am.) Time for some conTROVersy.
To summarize so far (and I have only listed people's names in one place), per Nutmeg's comment, we seem to have a lot of options. It also appears to me that we are deepest at the Holding Midfielder spot (at least as I have listed them.) What is good to see is that we have a mix of very experienced, somewhat experienced and coming into the picture people at virtually every postion. What a long way US Soccer has come since the beginning of Project 2010! .....................................Goalie: ......................................Keller ....................................Howard ....................................Walker ...................................Hartman Right Back......................Central Back.....................Left Back Hejduk..............................Pope............................Bocanegra Cherundalo........................Gibbs............................Convey Albright........................... Berhalter.......................Vanney Danny K............................Onyewu........................Spector .......................................Sanneh .......................................Califf .......................................Marshall .......................................Holding Midfielder ......................................Reyna ......................................Mastroeni ......................................Zavagnin ......................................Armas ......................................JOB ......................................Dempsey ......................................Corrales ......................................Mulrooney
Yes, this is very much right, with some exceptions. I think while Ricardo Clark has the tools to be a international level player, he simply hasn't put it all together. I would be surprised if he got a cap in this cycle at all. The only way I can see it happening is if he plays SO exceptionally well every minute of the first 18 MLS games that he DEMANDS to be picked. Somehow, I doubt that. I think Dempsey, in contrast, has a bullet next to his name. He is a kid who is certainly capable of asserting himself in the final mix. As for Szetela, the talent is undeniable, but I think he is a just a year too young; he simply won't have enought experience to be called on. But I wouldn't be surprised, over the course of his career, that he gets 50+ caps. As for Armas, since you mentioned him, I thought his peformances for the Fire this year were at times quite good, and at times mediocre. Age and injuries are clearly catching up to him. If healthy and in reasonable form, he will get caps in the Hex. After that, hard to say. So, at bottom, it's Zavagnin's position to lose. And Reyna's position?? He's (almost but not exclusively) a central midfielder, who will almost certainly, if healthy and in form, be paired with whomever is the other central midfielder. Whether that makes him a "holding" or "attacking" midfielder, I will let others wiser than me decide.