Yeah, just read this one. He sounds really positive about the team. I'm wondering if the preseason for DC is a tactic by Hudson so others in MLS will be lulled into thinking they still suck. They have a lot of good players this year - too many, IMHO, to suck that badly again.
The emergence of Ben Olsen as a quality, healthy, wingback, could be crucial for the USMNT. Playing a 3-5-2 as the base tactic solves two critical tactical problems. One, how to get all of our quality mids on the field. Two, it "solves" the fullback problem by eliminating the fullbacks. Beasley can definitely handle the left side. I like Klein, but IMHO, he's not quite of the necessary quality. Close, but not there. Cherundolo may be good enough by the time it matters, but maybe not.
-------Friedel----- Pope--Berhalter---Boca ----Mastro--JOB Olsen--Mathis--Beasley ---Donovan--McBride I think this could be a great Confed Cup lineup. However, then I wonder if the defense would be good enough with three in back to hold up against the likes of Turkey, Cameroon, and especially Brazil.
is pope speedy enough for the outside? frankie was awesome there during the cup ... don't write him off too quickly. speaking of being written off ... that's what ben olsen is. i'd be very surprsied to see him back in a regular role with the nats.
Similar to the "regular" role he has had over the last 3 months? He may not be a lock to start, but it seems to me he certainly will figure regularly in the match day 18. Bruce doesn't seem to have written him off.
You mean to play wingback? Maybe...probably. But he's slightly closer to meeting the minimum offensive skills requirements than I am. Or do you mean outside of a 3 man central defense? In that case, yeah. Berhalter was fast enough in the World Cup, so it's safe to say that Pope is.
Pre ankle injury Ben Olsen was a lock for Japorea 2002 and Germany 2006. Sadly, he does not have the same explosion he used to, and who knows if it'll come back. I think it's time to start looking for another right mid candidate until he proves otherwise. If Mathis weren't such a deadly finisher and passer he would be out also IMHO.
What? Are you guys saying you didn't like Bobby Convey at left back? Um...yeah. Me either. That lineup looks good. I wonder what the substitutes bench looks like and who actually gets into the game. A fourth defender moving into a 442 if ahead?
i was as excited as anyone to see Olsen stay healthy, guy has a lot of potential to make a big impact with the national team. He did reasonably well in the two recent friendlies, had a heck of a game in that charity match in England. But ya know what? This guy has to play a full season and stay healthy for me to give him any credit. He's knocked out again with an injury. He's gotta prove it first or else this is just more "When Ben Olsen is healthy..." when when when.
Will this be a competition that will be taken seriously, or just a chance for teams like Brazil to try out the youger players? I'd go with the following, if the Cup will be taken seriously: .....................Friedel.......................... ..Sanneh..Berhalter..Pope..Lewis.............. .............O'Brien....Mastro...................... ..Hedjuk..........Mathis...............Convey.. .............Donovon...McBride.................. I'm using Hedjuk at right mid because right now we don't really have a dominate right sided midfielder. Olsen could be it, but he hasn't done a really good job in the games he played for the Nats this year. He seems to be really optimistic in all of his interviews. I hope he'll regain his form and help the US out.
No way is Olsen going to be brought in for the Japan match. He wasn't even called in for the Jamaica game, why b/c BA saw that he wasn't playing well in the first cpl of perfomrances and sent him home. I dont think we will ever see BenO on the NATS team at least not for a qualifier or WC game. I wish people would be able to see this, yes at one time he looked like a good prospect, but after his injuries he has not looked sharp at all, we have to move on.
First of all, he was sent home to rehab before the Jamaica match because of a niggling injury. Second, how can you write the guy off after a handful of matches coming off of years of injury problems? Let's see how he does in MLS this year when he gets a chance to get back to full match-fitness and round into form.