Arena Calls 17 Players to Feb. 4 Pre-Holland Training Camp at the IMG Academy in Brad

Eddie Pope plays for the MetroStars,
much to DCU's chagrin.

 

he's also the only one who's going to end up making the trip to the ArenA. (IMHO)

 

Is this a FIFA date where BA can call on most of the Euro guys? Or should we just expect to see JOB. Without the WunderKinds and euros I would suspect that things would get pretty ugly, pretty quickly.

 

barring injury, i'd bet mulrooney and armas fly over also

 

Pre-Holland...

No Donovan, huh?

 

I've read that it will be our A team against theres, so exepct all the big names. of course, that could've all changed since last I heard ...

 

Re: Pre-Holland...

no, he'll be too busy as he will simultaneously be on loan to Club America, Fullham and Tottenham. that's just a lot of games.

Besides, with Wolyniec do you really need Donovan there?

Also, Mulrooney and/or Armas will make the trip as I expect 3-4 others will, too.

 

i could see ralston getting a call at right-mid.

and donovan & beasley are at the OLY qualifiers in mexico, they are not in the camp but i am pretty sure they'll be invited over to holland.

 

Arena is nutz. Some of those selections are disgraceful at best.

 

Re: Pre-Holland...

Donvan will be in Mexico because of Olympic Qualifying.

 

What's up with Twellman? When will he resume a full training schedule?

 

Nevertheless, that's a whole lotta guys competing for a very few places on the bench

 

He had surgery to repair a fractured 5th metatarsal in November. The prognosis was that he'd be back by the begining of February. There has been scant news since to say if he's on time or not. He also had surgery for his face after the Califf incident, but I think that's all healed up.

 

Here's who will likely make it to Holland: Pope, Hejduk, Garcia, Walker, Wolff, Razov, and Armas.
this camp is a training camp, not a list of the team for Holland.
But I agree, I had hoped we were done with Califf. I'd MUCH rather give Gibbs, Onyewu or just about anyone else a shot than him. If he performs well all year in MLS then give him another couple of games. I'd rather see guys who are in form and have some upside. Califf's upside is to be something like Agoos, a guy with no speed, some size, and little skill.
I don't mind him filling in during friendlies, but the MNT has come a long way since the mid/late 90s.

 

True. But I think most of us would agree that it's a vast improvement on the situation of even a decade ago, when we were one or two injuries away from having to see if guys like Ted Eck could get time off work to play for the national team.

 

Re: Re: Pre-Holland...

just to clarify - these guys are not in the camp because of qualifying, but are they going to be available for the match?

who do you think is going to play in goal?

 

Re: Re: Re: Pre-Holland...

qualfying will be over...so the assumption would be that they would be available.

 

Re: Re: Re: Pre-Holland...

These guys are in camp for conditioning and to suppliment the European roster for the match against the Netherlands..

As for keeper, it will be one of either Howard, Friedel or Keller..

 

Maybe what's 'disgraceful' is your reading comprehension skills:

"The final roster for the Holland match will consist of a mix of European and domestic-based players, with a likely 20-man roster to be announced prior to the team’s departure for Amsterdam on Feb. 13. The foreign-based players will join the traveling contingent in Holland after completing club play the weekend of Feb. 13-15."

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Pre-Holland...

I doubt they would. Olympic qualifying is something like five games in 10 days. No need to then make those guys fly to Amsterdam just so some fans can feel good about the kind of team we put on the field.

 

is this game going to be on ESPN2?

 

I'm pretty sure it will be.

 

Kickoff for the match at the Amsterdam ArenA is set for February, 18, 2:30 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2.