Bradley named captain Michael Bradley named #USMNT captain for Gold Cup: http://t.co/3Sm6zR7ARt— Kyle McCarthy (@kylejmccarthy) July 2, 2015
Slight surprise, but it's the right move for the team as a whole, and the right move for Bradley, who does seem to be our most important player now. Now, is it the right move to get the best out of Clint? We'll see. I do believe that Clint will be needed to win this tounrament.
Bad omen. Didn't need this but guess Klinsi was under some pressure. Stuff happens. Otoh, somebody said Chicharito broke his collarbone.
That was surely the smokescreen for why he got dropped, but it was bound to happen soon. Dempsey will have a new role. I hope he embraces it because he can absolutely still be a big part of the team. Don't forget, Michael is nasty too.
I am not the greatest JK fan, but to think he made this change because he was pressured is wrong. I don't think JK would bow to such pressure, nor should he. I don't think Dempsey will have a problem with it either.
The captain is mostly the guy in charge of making himself a pest to the refs. It's good if it's someone who can keep control and can talk to people without dropping f-bombs left and right. Mike is smart, but not always in control. All in all, he's the natural choice, even more so than Clint. On the other hand, the captain doesn't have to be, necessarily, the leader on the field. Donovan never needed to be captain to have the others pay attention to him.
Someone with medical knowledge talk about Morris' stress fracture; cause, procedure and rehab? Klinsmann talked about 4-6 weeks, any long term worries from an injury of this type?
yeah, I would love to know more as well. I found this re nonunion stress fracture Surgical Most nonunions require surgery. Surgical treatment of nonunion is usually focused on three goals: Establishing a healthy vascular area of bone and soft tissue around the fracture site. This is accomplished by removal of any poorly dead bone or poorly vascularized tissue or scar from the fracture site. In some cases, the local tissues may be so badly damaged that plastic surgery in the way of rotational or microvascular free muscle flaps may be necessary to bring new healthy tissue to the fracture site. Establishing stability at the fracture site This usually involves use of a rod, plate or screws. This may also involve use of an "external fixator" -- external pins to hold the bones above and below the fracture. Stimulating a new fracture healing response using a bone graft Bone grafts most often involve borrowing healthy cancellous or "spongy" bone from the pelvis, through a small incision at the level of the hip. This brings in many new bone forming cells and other supportive cells.
My guess for what I think JK will do for the starting lineup against Honduras. Using minutes played since the WC as a guide. ---------------------------- Guzan (405m) ------------------------------- Evans(54m) - Gonzalez(118m) - Brooks(602m) - Chandler(616m) --------------------------- Beckerman (248m) -------------------------- ------- Bedoya(485m) --------------------- Johnson(717m) ----------- ---------------------------- Bradley (706m) ------------------------------ --------------- Dempsey(213m) ------- Altidore(714m) --------------- Omar beats out Alvarado @ 280m. I do think Chandler will take one of the outside back positions. I like Evans better at RB then Yedlin(596m), and Yedlin will most likely be the speed sub. Although, Garza(438m) and Ream(104m) both have a solid chance over Evans. I think Beckerman will beat out Morales @ 363m. Mix @ 717m and Zardes @ 512m lose out to Johnson & Bedoya. And JK will use his veteran strikers up top.
I just noticed this particular factoid (emphasis mine) on USSoccer.com -- apologies if this specific point has already been made: Sixteen players were a part of the MNT’s 2014 FIFA World Cup squad, making the highest return rate of players between the two rosters in years where the Gold Cup has followed the World Cup (1991, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2013).
Interesting, I thought JK went public about stating his desire to start early with the change over. For friendlies he did, for games that count, he is going back to the well one more time.
He's also gone back to the "narrow diamond that becomes 4-2-3-1 in the second half." The team that started the Ghana game was: ------------------Howard----------------- Fabian---Cameron---Besler----Beasley ----------------Beckerman--------------- -------Bedoya------------Jones---------- -----------------Bradley------------------ ----------Jozy---------Dempsey--------- So now, sub Howard with Guzan; Beasley with Chandler; Cameron with Gonzo; Jones with Morales... and we got the same thing.
Its fine. [I suspect fans make a bigger deal of the captaincy of the team than the players do. You can be a leader on the team without being the captain.] Its worth noting that Boca went from being captain under JK to out of the team in absolutely no time...............................