He was brought into camp cupcake. He's on "the list". If he scores a second, and a third, etc., he'll be on more "lists".
If 12 of these are right I'll be amazed, but I'll give it a try: Lock -None too early to tell Nearly a Lock 1. Landon Donovan M [32] 2. Tim Howard G [35] 3. Clint Dempsey M [31] 4. Stuart Holden M [28] Fairly Safe Bet 5. Jozy Altidore F [24] 6. Michael Bradley M [26] 7. Timmy Chandler D [24] In a Battle 8. Jermaine Jones M [32] 9. Brad Guzan G [29] 10. Clarence Goodson D [32] 11. Juan Aguedelo F [21] Work Left to Do 12. Maurice Edu M [27] 13. Teal Bunbury F [24] 14. Eric Lichaj D [25] 15. Ale Bedoya M [27] 16. Charlie Davies F [28] 17. Mix Diskerud M [23] 18. Seb Lleget M [?] 19. David Yelldell G [32] 20. Joesph Gyau M [21] 21. Ike Opara D [25] 22. Anothony Wallace D [24] 23. Oguchi Onyewu D [32]
I would add John Anthony Brooks to your list of work to do. Exchange him for someone along with Daniel Williams for Wallace and it looks like a good list. Williams time in the Germany puts him ahead in my mind.
Here are my 23 (with their ages in June 2014 in parens) Starters Goalie: Howard (35) Left back: Shea (24) Right back: Chandler (24) Center backs: Ream (26), Gonzalez (25) Holding mids: Holden (28), Jones (32) Attacking mid: Donovan (32), Dempsey (31) Forwards: Altidore (24), Adu (25) Backups: Goalies: Guzan (29), Rimando (35) Defenders: Lichaj (25), Agbossoumonde (22), Goodson (32) Mids: Bradley (26), Edu (28), Okugo (23), Gatt (22), Bedoya (27), Mix (23) Forwards: Altidore (24), Agudelo (21), Adu (25) A few comments: The defense is very young. But I think there is going to be a lot of turnover given the age and health of the current incumbents. Forward remains a position without much depth. We will compensate by playing the 4-5-1 (4-3-3) a fair amount. A key question will be who plays the attacking mid/withdrawn forward spot. The leading candidates: Donovan, Mix and Adu. Although they are listed as mids, both Edu and Okugo are on my roster partly for their ability to play defense. If Bedoya and Gatt develop (or other young attacking mids such as Lletget), we could have Dempsey starting at forward and Donovan as withdrawn forward, with a new pair of wide mids. That would be a good thing given the amount of running the wide mids do. Finally, there could be one older player who could surprise us by aging more gracefully than expected. My leading candidate at this point would be Cherundolo who would be 35 in 2014.
Actually, a bunch of RPL matches are streamed online in excellent quality (i.e., high bit rate) every week. Furthermore, a lot of the RPL matches in the various UEFA events are available online as well. He has scored more than one during the last calendar year. This season is still very young and the coach has juggled the starting eleven, including the formation changes, of a cobbled up squad. You might be confusing him with Altidore.
I haven't seen a "bunch" but I have seen a few here-and-there (occasionally a Ukrainian match as well), and I catch one once every blue moon. It's good quality soccer. Unfortunately I don't know all that many players in the RPL, and my knowledge of even the big clubs is extremely cursory. And I'm definitely a more-avid-than-average fan of the game in general.
I will catch a "big" team (Spartak, CSKA, Zenit, Rubin) a couple of times a month. I may catch it more often this week onward, since it's the only morning league remaining still offering a regular schedule. PS. I know that it's easier to follow a league while knowing the language too.
True. But that doesn't always stop me, I mean I don't speak Spanish or Italian, either. My mom and baba spoke Russian to me as a toddler, but I can hardly understand a thing now. Isolated words/phrases.
I know that it is a bit pre-mature considering we haven't started qualifying yet but this news is quite important regarding one of our top prospects so I figured it was bumpworthy: Joe Gyau has been called into Hoffenheim's first team for the Bundesliga pre-season. The team only called up 2 other U-23s to play in friendlies with the squad and at 18 years of age it is a very big deal to have one of our guys playing on the senior team of a club like Hoffenheim. Just wanted to interrupt with some good news amongst some of the doom and gloom of our future talent. http://www.die-fans.de/fussball/aktuell/artikel/,Trainingsauftakt+am+22.+Juni,46348,,,,,south
great news! hopefully, he'll get some minutes this year. What's the word on Renken? i know he was injured awhile ago.
Still with the U-19s after coming back from injury from what I understand. Might have a couple U-23 matches under his belt but I'm honestly not sure. Might want to check the YNT forums.
Good news on Gyau. We don't have WCQ until June 2012 under the new format, I believe. A good year in Europe for Gyau and Gatt and our wing options will look radically different.
Josh Gatt having a good game, albeit at fullback, for the Norwegian leaders Molde can also be termed "good news".
Even after I've seen Lichaj, I'd like to see Shea play a few games there. Jeez... Kljestan, Bedoya, Feilhaber, Holden, Edu, Dempsey, Bradley, Jones, Chandler, an aging Donovan, Torres, Adu, surely at least one or two young players will announce their presence during this cycle as well and that's just the Midfield! This has got to be the toughest job in terms of team selection a U.S. manager has ever had.
Huge Stevie C fan here. I know it's crazy, but after the GC, I'd be interested in seeing him play some centerback. Chandler at right back, Lee-Hi at left. Goodson or Boca as the other CB. I think Stevie could possibly hang on as a CB until 2014. Heck, I think he'd make a better CB right now than Ream. 2014: ---------------------Agudelo ---Donovan---------Dempsey----------Jozy Lichaj-------Bradley------------Holden-----Chandler ---------------Goodson---Cherundolo----------- -----------------------? Bench going roughly from top to back Starikov -striker Davies - striker Gyau - attacking winger Bedoya - attacking winger Edu - DM Gaven - in the Dempsey role Spector - DM Loyd - wingback Omar G - center back Shea - position unknown Lenhart - battering ram I think Timmy will retire internationally by then. And, I think Guzan is going to be a long time in cracking an EPL starting line up. He'd be better off going to another league. I think Jones is too injury prone and won't make it to 2014. I think Specs will latch on somewhere as a box to box mf and play at a decent level in that spot.
Kind of fun idea. Here goes my completely unscientific guess: GK - Howard, Guzan, Rimando Outside Backs - Lichaj, Chandler, Cherundolo, Shea Center Backs - Goodson, Bocanegra, Ream, Gonzalez Defensive Midfield - Bradley, Jones, Edu Attacking Midfield - Donovan, Dempsey, Holden, Kljestan, Feilhaber, Bedoya Forwards - Altidore, Agudelo, Davies Last Cuts D - Onyewu, Opara, Loyd, Spector M - Torres F - Bunbury
As a big Dolo fan (as I am as well), you no doubt know that he is 5'6. A full 3.5-inches shorter than the poster child for successful "short" CBs, Cannavaro. And even at 5'9, Cannavaro needed truly freakish leaping ability and timing to get by.
Way too early to say, but always fun to guess. My latest prediction: FW Jozy Altidore FW Juan Agudelo FW Joe Gyau FW Omar Salgado FW Danny Mwanga I see Jozy and Agudelo as near locks barring disaster. Gyau seems to be on the fast track to success. If he's already good enough to get Bundesliga minutes then he must be one of our best forwards, because we don't have anyone playing at that level. The last two spots are just guesses. Salgado looks a bit too gangly to my eyes, but some speak highly of him and I like his willingness to shoot. His height and deep shooting give us a different dimension. I figure Mwanga will commit to the US program. Whether or not he's good enough to make a difference remains to be seen, but 11 goals in 37 MLS games is a decent return for a young pro. Other options here include U20 names like Ruelas, Wood, and Doyle. We'll have to see how they progress. Finally, I think Koroma from the U17 team could be a candidate. Crazy as it sounds to project a 16 year old onto our WC roster, our lack of proven talent at this position and our willingness to rely on youngsters (Jozy, Agudelo) means there will probably be opportunities for exceptional talents to step up. MF Michael Bradley MF Stuart Holden MF Maurice Edu MF Clint Dempsey MF Landon Donovan MF Sebastian Lletget MF Joshua Gatt MF Brek Shea Bradley is a lock if he stays healthy and Holden is a lock if he recovers from his injuries. Donovan and Dempsey should still figure into the equation, although it's possible that both will be on the decline. I'm not wild about Edu, but he's young, experienced, and a regular player for a big club. I anticipate Lletget taking the next step sometime soon. He looks polished, tidy on the ball, and good in distribution. Gatt is seemingly moving up the ranks quickly, already getting regular starts in a decent league and earning consistent praise for his speed, which will come in handy at this level. Shea takes my final spot as a sort of wing/forward hybrid. He looked poor in his only US caps, but he's obviously on Bob's radar and has been in great form during this MLS season. The midfield will be competitive and there are lots of other players who could earn spots here. The ones who come to mind immediately are Bedoya, Kljestan, and Feilhaber. I could easily see any one of them making it. I think Jermaine Jones will probably be on the slide by the time the next WC rolls around, although he's another possibility if he ages well. DF Timothy Chandler DF Eric Lichaj DF Bobby Convey DF Perry Kitchen DF Gale Agbossoumonde DF Clarence Goodson DF Carlos Bocanegra Chandler and Lichaj look like locks. I'm taking a wild guess with Convey, who hasn't been capped in a long time and seemingly has little hope of making it. I just think we'll want a naturally left-footed player who can defend on the outside, and he seems like the best candidate. Plus, he has the versatility to contribute in the midfield if needed. Versatility is also the main reason why Kitchen makes my roster. He can play CB, CDM, or RB. I expect Boss to be one of our starting CBs by 2014. I don't know who will partner him, but my guess today would be Goodson. He's a proven commodity who should still be in his prime (32 isn't ancient for a CB). On that note, I still think Boca might be able to help us as a CB, even though he'll be quite old and slow. As of right now he's one of our best players at this position and no obvious candidates have emerged to replace him. GK Tim Howard GK Brad Guzan GK Bill Hamid Howard and Guzan look like the frontrunners for the top 2 spots. The #3 gig is a total crapshoot, from my perspective. We have a number of prospects who could earn it. Johnson, Hamid, McMath, Hall. Take your pick.
Always interesting to see how people approach it. Most tend to project out, some go with who is the best 23 right now and then update it as players move up the charts. I'll go with the latter approach. Barring injury, I'll go: Pack Your Bags, Boys (4). 1. Tim Howard, GK, Everton (England 1) 2. Stuart Holden, M, Bolton Wanderers (England 1) 3. Landon Donovan, M/F, Los Angeles (USA 1) 4. Clint Dempsey, M/F, Fulham (England 1) Nearly A Lock (3) 5. Michael Bradley, CM, B. Monchegladbach(Aston Villa) (Ger/Eng 1) 6. Jermaine Jones, CM, Schalke 04(Blackburn) (Ger/Eng 1) 7. Timothy Chandler, RB/RM, Nuremberg (German 1). Pretty Safe Bet (7). 8. Brad Guzan, GK, Aston Villa (for now) (England 1) 9. Steve Cherundolo, RB, Hannover '96 (Germany 1). Father time is the only question. 10. Carlos Bocanegra, CB/LB, St. Etienne (France 1). Father time is the issue here as well. 11. Clarence Goodson, CB, Brondby (Danish 1). Moving up in Europe and for the USA. 12. Eric Lichaj, RB/LB, Aston Villa(Leeds) (Eng 1/2). 13. Maurice Edu, CM, Glasgow Rangers (Scotland 1) 14. Josmer Altidore, F, Villarreal(Bursaspor) (Spainish/Turkish 1) In a Battle (3). 15. Alejandro Bedoya, CM/AM, Orebo (Sweden 1) 16. Sacha Kljestan, CM/AM, Anderlecht (Belgium 1) 17. Juan Agudelo, F, New York RB (USA 1) Work To Do (6). 18. Charlie Davies, F, DC United (USA 1) 19. Benny Feilhaber, CM/AM, New England (USA 1) 20. Oguchi Onyewu, CB, AC Milan(FC Twente) (Italy 1/Dutch 1). Will he regain form? 21. Jay DeMerit, CB, Vancouver (USA 1). Father time. Ream experiment failed. 22. Joe Gyau, AM/F, Hoffenheim (Germany 1) 23. David Yelldell, GK. Comments: I think the first 17 are pretty straightforward, and Davies and Feilhaber probably lead the rest of the pack at the moment. After that, the backup CB situation is a mess right now. Onyewu is out of form, the Ream experiment didn't go well, and DeMerit will be 35 in 2014. Still, I give the edge to Onyewu and DeMerit for now. Then the last spot, could go for a utility type (Spector, Clark), a another forward, preferably a TF (Bunbury, Sapong, Lenhart, Buddle, Gomez, etc), another attacking mid (Torres, Adu, Diskerud), a LB (Spector, Convey, Cunningham, Pearce), a winger (Gatt, Gyau). By Position: GK: Howard; Guzan, Yelldell OB: Cherundolo, Lichaj; CB: Goodson, Bocanegra; Onyewu, Demerit D/M: Chandler CM/DM: Jones Bradley; Edu CM/AM: Holden; Kljestan WM: Donovan, Dempsey; Feilhaber, Bedoya, Gyau F: Altidore; Agudelo, Davies