Gooch gets the call

sure is.

 

It's the real deal. Nice to see this rivalry being given respect by both sides.....

 

This is 100% wrong. He should be training with Newcastle that whole week.
It is wrong for Bradley to call him up- he is putting his interests over what's best for Gooch's career.

I started a thread elsewhere about this.

Gooch needs time to integrate with his new teammates. He only has 13 games to impress. The Mexico game will take away valuable training time, and will leave him tired for the next game back. He could even get injured
due to the overexersion.

He could not be 100%, and play bad and hurt his chances at starting or a permanent deal on the way back.

We are 3 years from the next WC, and the Mexico game is basically meaningless. We should let some other players play- gain valuable experience, not Gooch here.

Bradley is looking after himself (for permanent job) and not what's best for Gooch. That is wrong.

These guys are not Superman. Its a hellacious flight- maybe flights- from Pheonix to London. Gooch is a big guy- airplanes have to sux for him.
This is so unnecessarily.

I hope Gooch turns it down. He should feel no remorse.

 

Gooch is an adult. If he didn't want the call-up because of concerns over his club status, he should've said something to Bradley and the federation. If Newscastle didn't want him called-up, they should've said that to Gooch and his representatives in their negotiations.

This was all easily addressable, so trying to spin this into a bad-guy Bradley forcing poor Gooch into a call-up is ignorant of how this all works........

 

Gooch's career, like so many others on USMNT, has been jumpstarted because he wears the red, white, & blue. I don't feel too bad about this. He wouldn't be at Newcastle if he had never been capped.

 

Screw all that. Everyone that is asked to represent our team against Mexico should be hungry for the opportunity. If you truly had confidence in Gooch's ability, you wouldn't be so nervous about him missing time w/ his new club.

Seriously, if he was trying to make a squad that was potentially above his level, or had other players competing for his position, would you think this way? Quick, without looking it up, who started at centerback the last 10 games for Newcastle? If he were on loan at one of the top 3 teams in any of the big leagues, I might agree with you.

I certainly think some players need every advantage they can get to work themselves into a top-league side, but Gooch isn't in this category right now - there's too much demand for his services from other clubs to be worried that this call up could ruin his shot to prove himself in the EPL.

Dempsey on the other hand, has more to prove and more competition for minutes.

 

a game against mexico could be even more 'valuable training time' than 2 practices at Newcastle.

Superman is a pus*y compared to Gooch.

 

true .. but if Guch suffers a season-ending knee injury, that REALLY puts his club situation in a precarious position. as far as playing in Europe goes that is.

i don't know what i'd do -- if I were him, I'd probably accept the call-up too -- but let's just pray he doesn't get an injury. he's out of contract at Standard at the end of the season. this loan with Toon is a chance to impress the rest of the EPL and big clubs in continental Europe. if he was injured and didn't play the rest of the season ... i don't know where he'd go from there.

 

With Newcastle's injury situation, you have to think they won't be too happy about him coming back tired because they'd have to stick Ramage back in his place...ugh

 

Who wants to turn down their country? It puts the player in an unfair position to begin with.

I actually blame the USSF for hiring a temporary coach in the 1st place. These situations were inevitable.

Bradley's short-term gain vs. Gooch's medium, long-term career prospects

This is a meaningless game. It has no reference for anything. It is a small risk to his ability to secure a permanent move to Newcastle, and I personally don't think its a small risk worth taking.

We know Gooch's is good, and is likely our starting CB in the qualifiers. What the purpose at looking at him in this situation again? I'd even rather see how a guy like Sturgis handles it, or Jay Demerit..

 

The point is not do Newcastle have a say. The point is what is best for the player.

Don't Brazil play Portugal on that date. I doubt seriously they scheduled the match in Brazil. Why? They don't want their European based players to have to fly all the way home for a friendly.

Same with Australia/Denmark.

All the other friendlies are European based. There aren't many. There are a couple African ones, but even those are shorter distance + not time zones involved.

Flying from London to Phoenix- playing a full, intense match- and then flying from Phoenix back to London is brutal on the body. So unnecessary.

 

um, he is the USA coach, not Newcastle's. Gooch is a grown-up-he can always turn down the call.

 

The FIFA rules exist to put the player, not the federation or the club, in the position of deciding whether to play for a national team. Obviously it's a careful dance that all three do to keep a player healthy and productive, while meeting the obligations of his club (the ones footing the bulk of the bill) and the pride of playing for your country.

Newcastle has no formal say, but clubs do let their players know their preferences and Newcastle no doubt discussed this game with Onyewu during the negotiations. If the club balked and Gooch agreed to it, especially for a friendly in early '07, a call gets made to Bradley and the federation never extends the invitation.

This isn't about Bradley, Newcastle, or Gulati. This is all on Onyewu, and obviously he values his role on the USMNT enough to have wanted a call-up. Once that was clear, if he's calling in the best, Bradley doesn't really have to think too hard on this one.

Any risks are known to Gooch. His club status is something he's obviously aware of, and he knows what it's like to take that flight, play, and turn around and fly back. And he's coming. As USMNT supporters, Onyewu just told us a great deal about his priorities. I compare this to the "beg me" approach of Reyna during qualifying, and I'm damn glad Gooch is a fellow American.........

 

Connor Casey pissed off his coach/management to come play a friendly in the US- just to impress Arena early for the '06 cycle- and he tore up his knee. Put him on the shelf for 9 months, and didn't exactly endear him to his coach Klopp. His career has gone nowhere since. What did his loyalty to the US Men's team help him?

One could argue that he never had the goods to begin with- but players always want to play. They are competitive. They will push their bodies to the limit trying to impress. They are not always the best judges- especially given competing interest groups.

If Gooch stays healthy, plays well for Newcastle, and win a permanent deal- then this is all about nothing, admittedly.

But if he gets hurt or this match plays a role in him under-performing and not securing a deal (or even worse hurt), I'm going to rip you all a good one. More than once, too

 

Repped

 

As you well know, we can and we regularly do. We're BS! And we're rarely wrong.

Anyway, this 'mess' is of our own making. Presumably, US v. Mexico is a big payday for all concerned. Maybe the original intent was to pay for Klinsmann's 2007 salary - sort of a testimonial match (in advance).

It's a classic rivalry, too - SG's wife is Mexican, btw* - always sure to generate a lot of fan interest. Can't let the fans down, now can we?

Gooch will be fine, if he doesn't get hurt, and I'm sure Newcastle have already turned their focus to next season, although I am curious as to why - if that's the case - they've only borrowed Gooch through June. Whatever, it's their mistake - not something I'm going to lose any sleep over.

-----------

* Now do you understand how high the stakes really are?

 

But whose body is it?! Whose choice is it?! That's the issue. If Gooch had decided to stick in England and settle in, I'd have no issue with that choice. Heck, it's the logical decision taking everything into account. But Gooch tells his club and the USSF that he wants to play, and who the hell is Bob Bradley to stand in his way?! He's the best center-back we have, and perhaps the player most capable of dominating from his position. It's a no-brainer once Gooch makes his choice.

Casey knew the risks, and so does Gooch. He's decided to play. Reyna doesn't even suit up for the first half of qualifiers and yet he's Captain America. Casey showed what colors he bleeds, and Gooch has done the same. Sorry friend, but that ain't Newcastle black-and-white........

 

i'm more pissed he agreed to play at newcastle who apparently play games like once....sometimes twice a week, and risk his career with the USMNT....i mean is he nuts or something?....it's one game people!!! he could blow his knee out walking up stairs, or get run over crossing a street.....take a deep breath and enjoy one of the three times we'll get to see him in red white and blue this year

 

I don't buy the argument that Gooch (what did the Brit announcer call him? Ogonyu Ogechi?) oughtn't play against Mex because he could do his ACL.

Get hurt playing soccer for his country? You can get hurt playing soccer for your club, with your daughter in the back yard, with your mates at the beach. If you love the game -- as well as your country -- you play it.

I am psyched that he's coming (I do see the sense of Deuce staying at Fulham), and I can't wait for the 7th.

Go Nats!

 

can someone answer this question...

can the player, if he was called up, decline to play in the match because of reasons like this... (important club career at the moment)?