This has been touched on in several threads, but I thought it deserved a thread of its own. We have talked about the fact that LD and probably Albright will make the final squad for Germany. There is a slim chance (not at all likely) that Dunivant might as well - if only because left back has been a Nats problem spot for years. What does this mean for LAG? One school of thought is - no worse than last year. After all, there will only be at most 6 MLS games that overlap with WC2006. However, the Bruce has now announced a VERY ambitious schedule of friendlies and training for 2006. Not only the month at Victoria Street in January, but 10 friendlies prior to leaving for Germany. Anyone on the bubble, Albright and Dunivant for example, are likely to see major playing time in those games. And they fall directly opposite LAG's CONCACAF games. So, being the eternal pessimist, I see Landdon missing a lot more games this year than last, and I remember how he played after the last WC - like a burned out shell for the rest of the MLS season. Someone brighten my day and show me where I'm wrong --- PLEASE!!!!
With any luck, all these players will go missing, the team will get off to a poor start, and Sampson will take the fall. Then after Germany struggles in the WC, Klinsmann will become available at take the reins for the next several Cup runs.
I dont think there will be much of a change from last season at the exact same period. LD was at the Gold Cup, Albright was injured and the team in general was getting screwed by Sampson: Naldo seeing more time than he deserved, Herc hadn't exactly broke through yet, the defence was off as Ugo wasn't solid and Umana amd Chinchilla were also being played, no apparent striker that could be depended upon. It'll be the period with the friendlies that will hit us hard, but other teams will be hit also. This is were the depth will come in, we could line up like this, depending on whether the speculated players join of course: -----------------------Gato----------------------- -Roberts--------Tyrone-------Ugo--------Dunivant?- ----Cobi-------------Nagamura---------Henderson?-- ------------------Pistol Pete --------------------- -----------------Herc--------Ngwenya---------------
This is why I wasn't as angry as most everyone else when Bruce didn't call up Herculez for January. Don't get me wrong--I'd love to see him get the opportunity for his growth as a player, but I'm a bit greedy. As the US continues to progress on the international stage (hopefully) and gains respect, having our league playing during the most important tournament in the world will make MLS look like a laughingstock. Hopefully MLS picks up on this and finds a way to tweak the schedule to minimize the games during the month of the World Cup.
I think that the teams who have the most absentees should play less games during the world cup compared to teams who are missing very few players. It's a tough one though.
Still no word on that yet, but I wouldn't be entirely surprised if it happened. It'll depend if he has a good start to '06 and maintains his fitness level.
club before country at all times for me LD will be gone, there's nothing anybody can do about that but for the rest.....at the expense of their NT careers.....i would prefer if they were with the club instead of the country a club cup means more to me than a world cup and besides doesn't the USMNT represent the nation east of the Rockies and north of the Red River?
I respectfully disagree with both these statements. The WC is vital for exposure and the growth of the sport in this country. For many people (read: media) it is the only legitimate competition (in their eyes, not mine). As far as the national team makeup goes, there have always been an inordinate amount of players from California. If I was an East Coaster, I would think that the USMNT did not represent me. Of the players listed at ussoccer.com in the current player pool, 15 of 73 players are from CA. That's more than 20%! By cmparison, NY and NJ combined have 10 players. When it comes to the last three WC rosters we/CA have had nearly 35% of the players.
I would expect it also, he will release them, he knows the importance that this tournament holds to the club and he wouldn't keep LD and Chris from playing in it.
Anyone have any more thoughts on this? The Galaxy play their first round matches on Feb. 22 and March 8. If they move on, semis on March 22 and March 29, and finals are on April 12 and 19. USSoccer's website has a 'TBD' for 2/19, and then a game against Poland in Germany on March 1. They also play Germany on March 22, and I imagine they'll play a few more games after that, although maybe after the season in Europe ends. I'm really concerned about the March 8 and 22 matches. The Galaxy play their away leg on March 8, so anyone who goes to the March 1 game in Germany would half to fly to Costa Rica, and that says nothing about the conflict on March 22. I think we will get back Kevin, Ugo and Todd, but I'm concerned about Chris and Landon. Especially Landon. The team with Landon, and without Landon last year were two different teams. Playing in the CCC with Landon gives the Galaxy a fighting chance. Without, and they'll have a very difficult time. I understand that Bruce might be "forced" to give up his players, but I wonder if he'll pressure Chris (if you want any chance to go to the WC, you will stay) and Landon into not going.
I think it's going to be a tough year for Landon. Hopefully he'll be rested & ready, but the extra CCC games and the travel, for both the Europe friendlies and the CCC, are going to take a toll. I would expect him to do pretty well through the WC, but then have a little crash landing after that. It would probably make sense to give him a couple weeks off to get ready for the rest of the Galaxy season. I just hope he stays as healthy & as uninjured as he has in the past. As for Albright - I guess we'll see. He seems pretty sturdy, and he shoudn't have quite the same demands on him for the national team, even if he does make the WC squad, which I expect, since he's unlikely to be a starter. Troy Roberts should be a somewhat adequate replacement for Chris for the Galaxy. I really don't see Dunivant, Hartman, or Ugo making the team.
I expect Bruce & Steve will work this out, and not put Albright in the middle. I really expect them both to be available for the CCC games, but you never know. They will have plenty of other time with the national team.
Couple disjointed thoughs: -- I was a US supporter before I was an LA supporter. Why? Because there wasn't any goddam MLS, thankyouverymuch. -- Watching the US go from unmitigated crap to quarterfinalists in the World Cup has been one of the greatest sporting experiences of my life and has only further cemented my undying passion for both the Nats and the game itself. -- LA started out as the best team in MLS, dominating the regular season before the gutting defeat in the '96 Cup. That year left a mark on me like a white-hot Hattori Hanzo sword cutting off one of my fingers. I had my league, I had my team, I had the passion. I'm never getting that finger back, but I'll be damned if I ever forget it. I'll support this club for the rest of my life. -- But when push comes to shove re: Club v. Country, the cold hard truth is: The MLS has this thing called the regular season and this other thing called the playoffs. And there's this big shiny chrome gear shift in LA that says maybe that first thing aint so important. -- Yes, the WC players will have a tough road. And I think MLS should fold shop during the Cup. I will certainly be completely distracted from league play. And other teams will be hit hard as well. -- We also rely far too heavily on Donovan anyway and need to develop into a non-star-dependent squad. -- So until we have a single table championship ............ sorry, I blacked out there for a minute ..... but until things change, I'm not going worry too much about Club v. Country. Because I can have both.