Klinsmann needs to call up MLS guys with great pace. So far it's just been Yedlin, Gyau, and FJ. Need to keep trying options there. He had the perfect opportunity with these two friendlies..
You have written this a number of times recently, but Garza is 5'8" tall and has never played CB as a professional as far as I can tell. What makes you think JK would ever put him at CB?
To early to phase out a guy like Jones. Next year is the Gold Cup - he will play. In 2016 is Copa America, and the Olympics (he could be one of the 3 old guys on the team), and WCQ starts in the fall. Maybe in 2017 is the Confed Cup and WCQ. Point is... there is lots of competitive soccer to be played before 2018. Veterans always help during qualifying (Ching in 2009, Casey in 2009, Gordon in 2012, EJ in 2013, LD in 2013, Boca in 2013). Maybe Jones is one of these veterans that helps us to qualify but doesn't go to the WC. ...although if JK is the head coach, I bet Jones is in the squad in 2018.
point taken, but i dont know that id back that up by betting on klinsmann NOT playing someone out of position...
I haven the foggiest because JK never calls up any of the candidates for the best XI when given the opportunity to do so. I would play Dempsey instead of Altidore and add Lee as a start. I also like to think in terms of best 18, at the minimum.
The 10 can't be dead until FIFA changes the roster size. Your definition of the 10 is dead. My condolences.
Understandable... but we also need fast LB's and Garza is just not fast enough. We should give Robbie Rogers a try at LB. He's been outstanding with the Galaxy this year.
The thing that I find most frustrating about all of this 'The sky is falling!' mentality is that I clearly recall a stretch of games in 2012-13 where, at times, the play appeared uninspired and confused, and the results were mostly equally lacking; yet when the games really began to count in the HEX this team played with poise and purpose, and reeled off 12 straight wins across competitions. That 15-game stretch saw us go 6-5-4 in friendlies (1-3-2), pre-Hex (4-1-1) and Hex (1-1-1) World Cup Qualifying. If we take out a three-game win streak during that time the overall record looks abysmal (one match in that win streak required a 90th minute winner against the soccer power that is Antigua and Barbuda). There were times during some of those matches where I scratched my head at how lost we looked, and also wondered if JK was the right person for the job. But there seemed to be one recurring theme throughout that stretch, which was JK using a variety of line-ups that often times consisted of young and/or inexperienced (low number of caps) players. Guys that played during this stretch and the number of caps they had at the beginning of the stretch: Geoff Cameron – 3 Herculez Gomez – 6 Fabian Johnson – 2 Edgar Castillo – 3 (6 total, counting friendlies he played for Mexico in 07 &08.) Wondo – 6 (interestingly, he didn’t play in a single qualifier but went tothe World Cup.) Danny Williams – 4 Zusi – 2 Michael Orozco – 4 Joe Corona – 1 Terrence Boyd – 2 Alan Gordon – 0 Tim Chandler – 2 Josh Gatt – 0 Diskerud – 2 Brad Evans – 6 Alfredo Morales – 0 Will Bruin – 0 Justin Morrow – 0 Tony Beltran – 0 Matt Besler – 0 Omar Gonzalez – 2 As hard as it was to watch at times during that stretch, it seems JK was using the games to find out what he had. After this stretch JK led the team to a Gold Cup win, placed first in the Hex and made it out of group play when NO ONE gave them a chance. At times I questions his decisions. At times, games are hard to watch, especially friendlies. But it’s tough to argue with the results when the games really matter. So please, for the sake of your everyone, back off the ledge about a small stretch of friendlies.
Not bad... I'd put Robbie Rogers at LB instead of Beasley. I like Beasley but let's try some new faces.
Good post. Excellent analysis of the poor results in the lead-up to the excellent run of form in the middle and second half of 2013. However, it might be worth it to look more closely at that good run of form as well. I'm assuming that you're starting the "good" streak with the friendly win over Germany (which was a nice match). The next three results were all WCQ wins, the first in Jamaica, and the next two in the US (against Panama and Honduras). These were probably the three worst teams in the hex, and while results are what matter, we didn't play particularly well in those matches. The great run of form, where we were scoring lots of goals and dominating CONCACAF minnows coincided with Donovan's return to the roster, as we went 11-2-1 the rest of the year. In 2014 we looked pretty decent in the three-match run-up to the WC, with wins against Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Nigeria, but basically have not played a solid match since then. We hung on against Ghana, probably had our best match of the run against Portugal, and have not looked organized on defense, or dangerous on offense since then. So the results HAVE been there when they mattered, which you can't really criticize... but in many ways, a lot of the slack that JK has is due to that Gold Cup run, and the Mexico win at the end of qualifying. (I would add the draw in Mexico City as one of the teams best results of the JK era as well).
Klinsmann's moved so many people around that I am reluctant to add to that trend, however the move that to my eye might make a modicum of sense might be Garza in the Beckerman role. I want Robbie Rogers to be given the opportunity to challenge for the LB role beginning in January, and of course to continue to look at using FJ there, and to continue to consider Beasley for as long as it makes sense to.
Actually, many people here expected us to survive our WC group. The poll had most people asking for JK's firing if we didn't survive the group, and a sizable number considered both the inflated Portuguese and the defensively weak Ghanaians beatable. Personally, my expectation was to survive the group or at least to get four point and fail to make the second round by a hair. But I was not going to call for Klinsmann's head if we got a couple of points, and we didn't lose any game by two or more goals.
"Changes have to be made" my changes in BOLD we need to find another Donovan. (yea, i know) we need Bradley to be the "good" version of himself and the team to gel at the right times, for the important matches/tournys what can/should JK b doing, that he is/nt.... stop putting players out of position keep calling in, EVERY american, that is in good form stop having favorites stop touting moves to europe stop talking smack about MLS ....and just shut up in general (Jurgen) GK. Guzan, Rimando, x? Howard, we'll see how that works out need to find a GK of the far-future, so i hope one of the sub 25yr old guys starts passing up the others L.FB Garza, Fabian, x? still need to find the #3. and its NOT phuking, Chandler L.CB. Brooks, Besler, x? R.CB Omar, Cameron, Jones i dont like Cam and Jones here. but, if we dont test anyone else, or try anyone else, that will be our choices R.FB Yedlin, Fabian, x? dont like Chandler. never liked him. and he hasnt dont a thing to change my mind. DM. Jones, Cameron, Bradley, Beckerman, x? i think this is our deepest position and all of these guys can perform well in this role they all have different skills and positives/negatives, but we can roll with who is in good form, or what we need for that specific match still need to keep looking for the future guy CM. and AM. Jones, Cameron, Bradley, x?, x?, x? we need to find the next 3 that will be challenging these guys for the spots not sure anyone we've tried has looked great, yet - Diskerud, Lee, Bedoya i like all 3 of these guys, but, only with 2 other Mids CM/DM with them Wings. and F. Fabian, Bedoya, Zusi, x?, x?, x? i think this is the position we are finding some good youngs im optomistic that we will find the next 3 choices, and they can b just as good if not better -Dempsey, Altidore, AJ, x?, x?, x? i really like the Wing/Forward hybrids feel like they are more valuable on the field their work rates are 2x/3x more than a pure Forward and i think that will create the same amount of choices, if not more and put way more pressure on the opposing teams defense if we had a good goal scoring F, then i would change my outlook on this since we dont, the "hybrid" is the way to go Need to see way more of Morales, Rubin, Morris, Hyndman, Gyau i think the 4-1-2-3 formation suits this group moving forward 4 defenders. with Yedlin, Garza, Fabian as the FBs that should give us stability for years and good enough attack from our D 1 DM. especially vs the top teams of the world. we have a good group of players to choose from destroyers, holders, guys who possess, some can actually make passes 2 CM/AM this is the most important spot for us to improve and find the right combinations im interested in seeing Mix and Lee together with 1 of Jones, Cameron, Bradley behind them the defensive responsibilities are less, so whichever 2 are there can control the middle, possess and take the attacking chances when provided 3 W/F lots of combinations we can use here 2 of these guys need to have very high work rates since we dont have an above average scorer, then we need these players to be working at high levels the more versatile, the better players that can take it line, and put in crosses also need to b able to take it inside, and b dangerous and very important, b able to receive the ball, turn and attack the defender
Mix and Lee together will not work. One of them will be required to defend robustly. I think Mix becomes a sub which he is good at and we use a good, complete mid instead, like Bradley, Trapp, maybe Powers in some cases.
We shouldn't be so hasty in anointing Lee our next playmaker. I hope he does it better than Mix, but let's wait to have more numbers.
Well going by how much he plays people in random places I would not be shocked if he ever did play him there.
Agreed. I'm cautiously optimistic with Nguyen. He's really creative, has great vision, good off-the-ball movement, a nose for goal, and still works hard on the defensive side of his game. It seems like all the elements are there for him to be a great contributor. However, the proof is in the eating of the pudding.
Just out of curiosity, which post were you referring to? In the last 2 pages I just reviewed, the only guy who had Lee in the lineup as a playmaker was you. Just wondering if I was missing something.
Of course I have him in the lineup. I want to see him play a full game in the role, to know what he can do. From all I've been reading (not just this thread but others), people are already putting a lot of hope on Lee panning out. Didn't you just write this? "Mix and Lee together will not work. One of them will be required to defend robustly. I think Mix becomes a sub which he is good at and we use a good, complete mid instead, like Bradley, Trapp, maybe Powers in some cases." From that sounds you're also placing Lee as the playmaking guy, accompanied by someone like Bradley, Trapp or Powers. PS: I agree with the latter, although Bradley may be out for a while yet.
Actually, just above these posts on this page I said this I don't think I have seen anybody "anointing" Lee anywhere. For starters I would play Lee instead of Altidore, with Dempsey in Jozy's spot. B.t.w., why are you anointing Lee as a "playmaker" when he has 18 goals and 5 assists this season? Not being facetious, just wondering what you are seeing.
Because I'd play him behind the striker. Although, for me, the striker at this point should be Dempsey. From what I've seen, Lee can score, but he also has a good vision. He'd have more assists if Teal and Davies were luckier with their shots.
From league play and the little he has played with the MNT, I think he is more than capable to be the playmaker.