DaMarcus Beasley was capped for the 1st time on 1/27/01, ~sixteen months before the World Cup. Pablo Mastroeni was capped four months later on 6/7/01, but was something of a special case since he was newly nationalized. Regardless, that was still a full year prior to the World Cup. Now that we're inside eleven months to Germany, is it possible that an uncapped player could still emerge?
I think they would have to light the world on fire. In fairness, though Beasley appeared in that January 2001 game, he really didn't get much attention until 2002.
Would Mastroeni have gone if Armas hadn't gotten hurt? And if he did, would he have seen any playing time? Imagine how different the world would be if Armas had played those matches. The mind reels. Is it too late for an uncapped player? It's getting darn close. I'm thinking of positions where the US is relatively thin, i.e. at left and right backs. What happens if there's a rash of injuries at left back. Would Dunivant or Burciaga get the booty call? Or would Bruce be happy with centerbacks (Gibbs, Boca) or midfielders (Convey) over there. Who'd be an emergency Right Back that's capless? The mind struggles, because I think Bruce would live with someone like Albright in this case.
IMO Quaranta will be the last-capped player to make the team. I could be wrong--if someone absolutely lights MLS on fire during the second half of the season then they'll likely get a shot in the winter friendlies, and if they do well there then anything can happen. Jacqua would seem to be the likeliest candidate to get on the team this way, due to our lack of depth up top (especially if we're using Quaranta and Noonan as MFs).
It is clearly possible. Our options at forward our thin, our options at left back and right mid remain thin, and our starting right back just went down. We are going to have to explore additional options at several of these positions I would think. One could come along and earn a start by doing extremely well in limited caps (i.e. if Phipakos plays all year in greece and then gets a look and impresses....or if one of the young outside backs has a very good year, they might get a shot with limited caps). It isn't likely, but I think it honestly might be more likely now than it was say four years ago due to the fact that we have gaping holes (and the forward problem is relatively new). Four years ago we had a bunch of vets that we could pencil in at each position and the youngins had come along and "filled" up the squad. Right now we have gone through a very solid amount of young ins and vets and there are still holes that seem pretty large. So I could see us at those limited positions that we are week taking a flyer on someone that has a great year to fill that particular need.
Bruce's modus operandi is to use his January camp as a pool of candidates for working into the team over the next year or two. Beasley got his first cap vs. China in the January 2001 camp, so he was clearly on Bruce's radar for the whole year. If a "new" player gets into the national team for the World Cup, he'll probably be someone who was in the January 2005 camp squad that played Hammarby and Colombia.
Here's an interesting question, I'd say if the World Cup were today the top 3 keeper choices would be: 1)Keller 2)Hahnemann 3)Howard Now what if one or two of those guys goes down with an injury. Would the potential GK candidate be uncapped? I know Reis has been in camps, but has he gotten a cap yet. The way he's been playing in MLS this year, I wouldn't count him out. What if Adin Brown lights the world on fire in Norway this year. Does he have any caps. I think a strong third option is Joe Cannon, whom I believe has been capped.
I think if they play left back, right mid or target forward, then they have an outside shot. Areas where we have depth, I don't think an uncapped player will make it. But if Justin Mapp can show he can be the right mid for this team or Danny Karbassiyoon shows he can play left back at this level or Nate Jaqua can show he's the target forward the US needs, then I think they can still make the team. BTW, while those players mentioned above still have a shot, I'm not saying those are the uncapped ones, per se, who will be in the mix, just using them as examples. That said, if he keeps up his current form, I do like Mapp's chances.
Mastroeni and Armas were on the original roster together... No doubt if Armas doesn't pick up that injury though, I'm sure Pablo doesn't play as much.
Inside of 12 months, it would have to be a combination of injury and stellar play for someone to get into the mix. I do think there is a possibility for a upcapped striker to emerge given how thin we are up front. Perhaps the biggest hurdle would be that MLS doesn't get up and running until April, and that's not a lot of time to get hot and demonstrate WC-class form. If it happens, it would seem like the player would have to play internationally. It's a longshot, but if Johnson, Wolff, or McBride goes down, I'd say all bets are off up front......
Oh, you beat me to it. Now you've done it. Hypothetical occurence: Freddy has an awesome 2nd half of the MLS season. Does Bruce take a look? Bruce showed in the last World Cup that not only will he select young players for the squad, but he's NOT afraid to use them. I think Bruce isn't taking any players the the world cup to sit around on the bench. He uses everybody, so if Freddy got on the squad he'd see PT. Now who's the youngest player to play in a World Cup. Is it Pele? I like the Justin Mapp mention from a poster above. What if Lewis goes down and a spot on the left is opened up. Clearly Convey's in the picture, and Beasley can play over there as well. Perhaps Brad Davis is ahead of Mapp on the depth chart.
when i saw this thread i thought mapp, karby...those 2 have a good shot given where they play..if they play strong at r mid and left back they can make the squad. they have the best shot at making the roster as uncapped players. forza inter
http://www.soccerhall.org/history/World_Cup_History.htm Norman Whiteside of Northern Ireland is the youngest player to ever step on the field at a World Cup. Pele was the youngest ever to score.
Exactly what I was thinking! Also, anyone who started to score goals by the boatload would also be a dark horse...Arena can not ignore a scorer.
And yet i keep thinking that even for Quaranta's supposed position at RM.... Gaven is a better option, and i would not want to see Bruce give up on him for a roster spot... given that he performs in MLS and/or last few qualifiers post clenching the WC berth...
Justin Mapp is beginning to understand the game as well as his role in the game. His main strength is his ball handling skills and his balance has improved immensly. He crosses are string and he can occasionally make the slashing runs into the middle. His main weakness is his ability to finish but, if he's able to hit LD, GAM, DMB, or BM who cares. He is pretty flexible in terms of his ability to play the left or right. He can play the wing in a 3-4-3 or right mid in a 4-4-2. he had an incredible FK on sat. where he bent the ball around the wall freezing the keeper as the ball went in to the upper right corner.
If Jaqua bangs in another 7 or 8 goals in the second half of the season, he's got a chance. Beyond that, maybe Adu or one of the kids in europe could get a look.
It will be very very hard for any uncapped player to make the team. To understand why look at Beasley's case. He was on Arena's radar for awhile before he got capped. Even though he missed all but one WCQ he had plenty of time to get integrated into the team. Even still he was exactly the last person Arena called for the team: he was the last player taken. In other words Beasley had more time last time than any uncapped player at this time does now. So ask yourself: is there any player that Arena has looked at in camp but not capped yet? This is important because Arena brings in players to camp much less cap them because he thinks they fit in to his team. He doesn't hand out caps because he's taking a flyer. Ever. So really there's no chance for the Karby's, the Wynne's the Adu's, the Cartographer's. Well maybe a 3% chance: it's possible but it's really really doubtful- and they have to get into a camp pronto. The only scenario that I can imagine is that Arena is so disgusted by certain performances in the GC that he calls up newbies for the next WCQs and those guys actually impress. Given that Arena doesn't get disgusted by players like Vanney nearly as fast as posters here that seems unlikely (hence a 3% chance). The guys who got in just in time are guys like Gaven, Quaranta, Simms, Conrad, Spector, Brad Davis. Of course most of them won't make it either.
Sandon nailed it. If you play right mid (Mapp), left back (Karby), or score a lot of goals (??? - maybe Jaqua), then you've got a shot. Otherwise, start looking at 2010. Of those players, I say Mapp has to be knocking on the door.
Spot on, as usual. Here's the difference with Mapp: there's nobody who has made a case on the right side of the midfield. I like Ralston, but I don't believe he's a difference maker at a high international level. He has shown decently against CONCACAF competition, but against England, for example, he was missing a high enough gear. Even against Jamaica, he was a step late to a ball in the second half that could have beaten the keeper. There's a spot waiting to be taken. Mapp can play either side of the midfield and he can run all day. Unlike Dempsey, who needs to be somewhere near the center, having Mapp allows the balance to play a straight-up 442/diamond midfield, something I think Arena would like to be able to do. (Because, let's face it, if this team does well, it will be because of multiple formations and a LOT of different personnel contributing -- we're not like England or Italy and play a set way and dare you to beat us. We have to be able to adapt.)
you hit the nail on the head. with a hammer. into the wood. outside. next to the tool shed. in the middle of the yard.