Ives' new ESPN article

He said in an article a while back that Tim was still his #2...

-Arena took Keller to Korea even though he'd barely played for Spurs the whole '01-'02 season...

It just doesn't make any sense to take anyone else. Lets go down the list of MLS keepers: Reis (never capped), Hartman (never played a meaningful match), Cannon (1-2 caps, never played a meaningful match), Busch (1 cap, never played a meaningful match), Walker (3 caps, has big game experience in Chile), Meola (nearly 100 caps, but is old and not worth taking), Guzan (still wet behind the ears--no caps), Rimando (a few caps, but he sucks balls.), Thornton (I know he's got nearly 10 caps, but when was the last time he actually played for the nats?.

You'd honestly rather have one of those guys there than Tim? Please. I've been a big critic of Tim Howard's loyalty towards Man U, but he's still the future; he's still the 2nd best keeper in our pool, and the options in MLS don't even come close to him.

Now if Brad Friedel suddenly came out of retirement.....

 

Can't disagree with you there. Still, Kasey, Tim, and Marcus go to Germany unless one of them gets hurt.

 

If I am Friedal, I would come out retirement. Come, without playing a game, and just took some good bonus money when you have nothing to do.

I think most of starters are set. Now just look for major subs and later game subs. So a player, for example, Mapp, if he can demonstrate a good fire plug off the bench when we need some offense, he may not need to be good on defense at all. He would not have any minutes over 10 for a game.

 

He'd already put on a number of outstanding performances for the NT by
then.

 

Hypothetical situation:

Keller goes to prison in Germany for assault on a
mascot.

Friedel stays retired.

Tim Howard is the automatic starter and everyone here is cool with that?

 

So we'll go into the tourny without a right mid?

 

Adu, Reyna, and Donovan, Dolo can all play on the right...

...better than Ralston...

...at the international level...

 

If I had to bet on five wild cards due to injuries to the usual suspects:
(1) Pearce- seems like he is showing something, plus he's a lefty.
(2) Adu- Bruce loves lefties. He can't get enough of them. (See Agoos)
(3) Hejduk- keeps people loose, plays well at international level, fast, track record with USNT.
(4) Olsen- versitile, Bruce likes to have fresh players, could play any midfield position if necessary.
(5) Rolfe- feerless attitude could be a benefit.

 

What has happened to Brian West?
- speedy winger/forward
- could be a better option if he is healthy

Why hasn't Bruce called him into camp

 

Ralston looked out of his league against Concacaf minnows, he has zero business playing on the World Cup team. I'd take Freddie's kid brother over him, at least there's some upside. It's pretty simple, you've either got what it takes at the next level, or you're a Mike Burns and the like and that's just what Ralston is, he came a decade to late to be worthy of playing on the US team. He may be more consistent than Freddy or Tino, or any other option, but he's also hopeless if matched up against the speed and/or skill on the ball of Italy, the Czech's, and Ghana. He would be eaten alive. Freddy may be knocked off the ball, but he has the speed, ball skills, and passing to make a difference, and Tino can cross with the best of them and attack defenses effectively as well (and while inconsistent, his mental acuity at this level was formed as a full youth international with loads of experience that Ralston simply never had). There are quite a few guys who are inconsistent, but offer loads of skills, and abilities that Ralston simply doesn't have, and would be essential against teams like the Czech's and Italy and Ghana. Ralston doesn't make any sense to me.

I'd take any guy with upside over Ralston every single time, end of story, Ralston is a US Nat circa 1995, in 2005 he'd be a complete disaster in the Cup.

 

Fine, but FIFA still requires us to carry three 'keepers.

 

IIRC he was going to in november, and west got hurt

btw, "swedish-based" heath pearce? sheesh, just look it up on the internet man

 

Sometimes in life, it is just as important to know which battles aren't worth fighting, over which ones are.

This "may" be one of those times where it would be smarter to withdraw from the battle and find another one that would be more favourable.

Let's not rewrite history. Tim, no matter how much I root for him, has been shaky and made some real poor errors at costly times.

Any Metro fan will tell you this was par for the course with him.
I'm not sure how you gain consistency (TH's biggest need IMO) on the bench of any team.

 

Jonny Walker got more play in 2,004 before his injuries allowed Marcus Hahnemann a shot at a few games in 2,005. Jonny is going to camp and, if he emerges victorious there, he'll give Marcus run for his money.

Personally, I think he's a better GK, more athletic and pretty much even with Marcus on the technique.

 

OK, so who's your starter then? Again, in that extremely unlikely event, you'd rather have Matt Reis as your starter? I'd let Marcus and Tim fight for the starting spot, but I wouldn't even consider anyone else...

 

Yea, but I mean...it's just ********ing obvious that those three are going. They're the only ones that got any play in qualifiers. Don't forget that Bruce will likely bring someone at the third spot more based on their attitude than their skills. Marcus has that attitude that he will do anything for the team and just wants to be a part of the squad and understands that he probably won't play.

 

Friedel makes enough money he isn't interesting in sitting on the bench in Germany; plus it would disrupt the team. Friedel might be prefered over Keller but Keller went through the hell of qualifying and deserves to get his second world cup. However; should Keller get hurt before the WC, I would be shocked if Friedel wasn't our new #1. The only was Timmy is our starter the summer is if Keller gets hurt during the WC.

Ives's roster looks about right. I don't expect to see Adu, his call into camp was primarily to soothe things with MLS and keep him from making too much noise about bolting to Ghana. If he scores 3+ goals in the friendlies he'll make the team, any less I suspect not.

 

Here's a bit more on the GK situation. I agree that it will be probably be Keller, Howard, Hahnemann. As for the MLS GKs, like Reis, Cannon, Hartman, Walker, they're all pretty good, but not at the same level as the other three.

Another thought about Cannon- I've liked his play over the years, but I found it curious that he's had so few callups. At times, he's had knocks that have prevented his participation, but even so, he's been called in rarely. This leads me to believe that Arena & the GK staff, particularly Milutin Soskic, have found significant flaws in his play. I attended a coaches' clinic a few years ago where Soskic was a guest clinician. Lemme tell ya', this guy is a walking, talking encyclopedia of goalkeeping. Very impressive. I'd like to think that despite Arena's own GK background, he relies heavily on Soskic's opinions. And this is obviously pure conjecture on my part, but I think that Soskic has seen a number of flaws in Cannon's game.

 

I actually like the list I'm seeing..I can see this happening.

I think Arena will bring Adu along and play him sometime just so he can be one of the youngest to play in a WC game (right?)...It would be nice to stick him against Ghana

 

I'd sure like to know what they are....

I've seen Hartman, Reis, Walker & Cannon in person at least 3 times each.
I've watched all 5 at least 20 times on the tube.

Walker may have "big game" experience in South America, but for my money
Joe Cannon is CLEARLY the best domestic _talent_. He is consistently in
form. Reis & Hartman are not at Cannon's level. Walker might be.

I called Friedel over Keller before it was announced 4 years ago. You will
recall that Keller was the odds-on favorite choice of the pundits and here
on the bigboard. But Friedel had lead his team to victory in a Cup Final
campaign where he almost single-handedly kept his team alive. The same
goes for Cannon. He has single-handedly kept his MLS sides in many games
they had no business drawing or winning.

You can debate Form, but if Form does play in the decision, then Timmy
stays home. Depriving an MLS club of their keeper for a month is irrelevant,
even if they sit. You bring your best, graded first on talent, then on form.

And over the past 18 months, the depth chart combining club and country
form is as follows:

1. Keller
2. Friedel (not applicable)
3. Hahnemann
4. Cannon
5. Walker
6. Howard
7. Reis

I don't rate anyone else as meriting Full International consideration.

-bs

 

That's great, and if he somehow wins the job, and shows well while
demonstrating top-of-the-epl form, then he is an easy lock for #2.

And if he sits this winter and spring, he stays home this summer.

-bs

 

DJ countess maybe in the future

 

I would hope Bruce learned his lesson about rolling the dice.
Maestro wasn't a gamble. Neither were RunDMB and Lando.

The risk I see in Arena's selection is picking the Downsiders
as opposed to the Upsiders.

In that regard, Ralston and Beerholder are running neck-and-neck
to supplant Goose in this cycle. They are both karmic timebombs
waiting to implode.

-bs

 

You've been hanging out with Taco Jones too much.

-bs