If we wanted to, we could line up a quality, skilled player, at every position on the field. IMHO our best XI playing at its best can beat any side in the world. So are finally at a position where our biggest weaknesses are depth and not enough true World Class talented players? Right now, Donovan, O'Brien, Howard/Freidel are our the only guys in our pool who would probably be able make any club in the world and get to play at least 30% of the minutes availible over a season. And it seems to me that both of these problem will be solved by 2010 at the latest. Its good to be a USA fan
If only we could clone John O'Brien about 9 times. Then we could field an all-star team capable of winning the World Cup.
Donovon & O'brien....it is a good , good central midfielder tandem. Your biggest weakness is a right midfielder
US Fans could not have imagined this situation even 6 years ago. Now, it's a matter of WHICH seasoned professional to start at each position, and who is playing better at that time. As far as the question you posed in the thread title, I'd say our lingering weakness is having enough players who can hold and distribute from the back on our wings. A little too much boom down the sideline for my preference, but 2 years is a good bit of time for our young defenders to improve in this area, and by the time we get to Germany, it could be Convey and one of 5 others. I see 3 distinct groups of players: Last cycle vets: Reyna, Friedel/Keller, Pope, Hejduk, Kirovski, Armas, Lewis, McBride, Sanneh, Vanney, Cherundolo, Berhalter, Klein Next generation already capped: JOB, Howard, LD, Beasley, Boca, Convey, Mastro, Gibbs, Casey, Wolff, Mathis, Mulrooney, Albright, Zavagnin, Califf, Beginning next cycle (or sooner): Adu, Spector, Marshall, Cooper, Simek, Onyewu, Gaven, Mapp, Clark, Buddle, Eskandarian, Beckerman, Grabavoy, Whitbread, Nunez, Burciaga, Jr., Memo, Jimenez, Bradley, Watson, Wingert, Borchers Group 4- Wild Cards for next cycle and beyond: don't know yet...that's the great part...could be Weah, Jr., Fro Adu, who knows, who cares! The point is- WOW look at our player pool compared to '98 Amazing progress. My take $ .02 Sales tax .00 Cash $1.00 Your change .98
a weakness is our lack of finishing. the u.s. has never produced a pure goal-scorer. looked like mathis would be the guy for a bit ... but then, you know.
5 Things Come To Mind. 1. Dependable, Consistent Mid Field Play Maker 2. A Pure Finisher 3. A Supportive Sports Media 4. Home Crowd Support In A Non White Bread Metro Area 5. Sam's Army
i second the vote for poor finishing as our biggest weakness. we are seeing the steady development of competent backs and skilled, tireless midfielders, but our forwards haven't produced the goals that are key in international competition. time and time again we've seen our guys create opportunities that aren't capitalized on when they should be. so with an improvement in overall ball skills and more consistent finishing, i believe that we will make great strides on the world stage even more quickly than we are now.
Finishing has and will always be a weakness for the US, mostly due to a deficient (in that area) player development program. Does the US have anyone in the youth ranks that is a pure finisher?
y'all realize that around 23 Thierry Henry was sold to Arsenal from Juventus...because he couldn't finish?
I clicked on this thread title thinking I was going to be the only one to say home field advantage. Sad but true.
i'd say #1, a relative inability to hold the ball in midfield, as well as w/ the forwards w/ their backs to goal; and 2, crossing from the wings.
All I can say about this thread with it's moans of... --no fininshing (Brian McBridde, how's your noggin?) --no holding the ball in midfield (ask the Germans how well we did at that) --no crossing (gee, what was it now that Eddie Lewis did against el tri?) (horrors!!!) --no home field advantage is.... AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Take a poll of opposing national team coaches in '06. Ask them this question. "If I get drawn in with the USA, I will feel..." [ ]Ecstatic, because they think football means wearing helmets [ ]Not too worried, though I will pay lip service to them [ ]Somewhat concerned [ ]Pretty apprehensive, because I know I will have a real fight on my hands. Which one would YOU Check??
dear pollyanna- to say that the us has weaknesses is not to say it doesn't have strengths. what's the problem? this thread is about weaknesses, and you've pointed out plenty over the years.
I still believe that if the USSF was willing to come out to Portland, you'd have a home field advantage 99% of the time. Costa Rica sure didn't outnumber the US in the last qualifier played here. I think Seattle fans would also show well if you invited them out for a meaningful game, and not a scrimmage against Honduras' C squad or frickin' Venezuela. I think we do have some weaknesses, but nothing that overshadows our strengths: We are still short on outside defenders. I'd like to see a few more options, but based on what I am seeing on a weekly basis in MLS, the only really standout option this year that hasn't seen a lot of time on the US team is Chris Albright. As for a guy playing regularly, and playing well, at left back in MLS, it's just a void right now. More pure speed up top. I like Josh Wolff a lot, but I think those who have noted that he seems to have lost a step are probably right. I hope he regains his burst. When Landon plays up top, this is not as big of an issue. But based on what we saw against Mexico, I don't think Landon's best position is up front. The one kid who could be a help in this area is Eddie Johnson. Right midfielders. Chris Klein is about the only Ami right midfielder in MLS who I would say is playing good soccer right now, and I don't even think that he is a particularly great crosser. At best, he's an international utility player. A box midfield is not the right answer against every opponent we play. Sometimes we will need to widen the field as much as we can, meaning we need someone on the left and right who can play out wide.
We're not talking about the '98 team, Bruce has turned one of the biggest problems into a strength. Our problem is our inability to finish. Currently, we don't have the clinical finisher (ie Donovan vs. Germany WC O2). That too will change.
Our single biggest weakness is the fact that two of our very best players are prone to injuries to the point of being marginal in the calculations for success. This then reverts to the question of depth. The next best covers for O'Brien and Reyna are a big step down, IMHO. My wish list includes the sudden presence of about 4 guys who play consistently the way Tony Sanneh played against Germany. He held the ball, ran all day, defended expertly, crossed wonderfully and made himself available to the rest of the team play. A few more guys playing at that level would help us a lot. I think we're about 2 yrs away from that point at the moment.
We’ve admittedly come a long way in the last 5 years or so, but to say we now put a world class player at every position isn’t just a stretch, it’s a pipe dream. Who on our side – excluding at GK – could start or play significant minutes for the Dutch, English, Brazilians…etc? Please don’t say Donovan, because one good game vs. Mex does not make him ‘world class’, IMO. Clearly, we are better skilled overall, and we have several mid level field players in prominent European leagues (Reyna, O’Brien, Sanneh, McBride, Boca), but let’s be realistic. Interestingly, in the recent Mexico game, we may have witnessed a new page being turned. Evidently, Bruce is confident enough of our skills to now play a more aggressive, offensive, ball possession style, instead of the old ’10-men-behind-the-ball and counter-attack’ style that we have played since he became coach. And if the coach shows confidence in his players, the players will respond and their confidence will grow and their level of play improve. We clearly dominated Mexico, something we could not have done, indeed didn’t even try, previously (even though we’ve been beating them). Like others have pointed out, we lack consistent finishing. I believe part of this stems from our limited player pool, and the constant juggling of lineups that this results in. Donovan, for example, has played AM, RM, and striker, and never the same position from one game to the next. Arena has tried so many different combinations that I wonder if we aren’t at the point where this line up juggling is slowing our development offensively as a team? Based on the Mex game, it would seem apparent that Landon should be the AM, but where to play Mathis, as he also seems to play better as an AM or withdrawn forward than as a pure striker? And Wolff, has he lost the precious step and with it his effectiveness at the international level? Can we really count on McBride as our only effective striker for the next World Cup? Will Johnson/Buddle/whoever develop in time to help us by then? Can Convey learn to play better defense at the LB position, while still providing those offensive runs? Hopefully, the upcoming qualifiers will help solidify our lineup and provide answers to these and other questions. It’s fun watching our team improve
Personally I love Seattle and Portland to visit but they are those politically correct, left wing bastions that do not constitute what I refer to as white bread America. Remember the quote,, “will it play in Peoria”? That's the true test of market acceptance in this country. AND before you jump Columbus is a college town and state capital so you can eliminate it on all grounds. Anyone who has lived in a college town realizes that.
We can't score enough. That is our biggest problem/weakness. We need a guy who is a legitimate threat to score at will. We have a good D and great keepers, but when you cannot consistently put one or two goals in the net, other teams cease to be fearful. -El guido
This would be my opnion too. Maybe we will see someone step up over the next 2 years of qualifying. In fact I would be willing to pray to any god and sacrifice any barnyard animal they ask for to make it so. Please, please, please give us a world class finisher.