Is there any reason that Arena overlooks Joe for the NAT team. Goalkeeper of the Year what more does he want. He keeps picking Rimando and Howard. WHY!!! What is up Arena's **SSSSS!!!
Joe doesn't deserve a national team call-up until he learns to distribute the ball more consistently. He can catch and stop balls great, but more often than not, his punts go straight up in the air and barely reach the midfield line.
Dougs got it on the money. Cannon is too far in his career to be able to really change his game and get to the point of the National Team. The young guys called into camp are the ones who will be able to benefit the most (in addition to benefitting the program). Goalkeeping in the US is very good and in order to get consideration, much less playing time leaves very little room for error.
also, there's going to be plenty of friendlies and games over the next four years. It wouldn't surprise me to see Joe get called into camp once or twice. If he makes it out of the camp is another story.
E4L check your guestbook... There are far too many goalkeepers to be considered. So as long as there is Keller, Friedel, Thornton, Howard, Rimando et al and even Brown and Countess and whoever else is on the U23, U20, U19 etc it's a long shot for Cannon at best. He could get called up to camp, but right now that might be as far as he could get. Ask David Kramer.
I spoke to Joe briefly a few weeks back. He is hoping for a call up in January to the nat side, he was not expecting a call up for the Nov 17 match. He feels he has earned a call up and a chance. He also was planning on going to Europe after the MLS cup, he said he had some interest there. My thoughts; 1) He do not expect him to be back next year. He is a lot better than a lot of keepers in Europe. (After the big two Americans between the sticks, there are 6 MLS keepers I would be comfortable in playing in the world cup, and each of those guys is better than half the keepers in the big top flight European leagues) 2) Joe's age is working against him for a WC appearance. He will be in his prime for the next WC (statistically speaking for keeper age), but he face serious competition from some quality youngsters, and the veterans might still be getting better. 3) If he is heading out, then Sommer might be a good pick 4) Other than that, Luchi is the only player worth having in the waver draft.
If he does go there, personally I wish him well. As a fan, he's given his all here. As a "pundit" he might be better served heading to France or elsewhere if he thinks he's going to be better. He's certainly improved in the time he's been here and has a championship (MLS Cup) so if he wants he can write his ticket elsewhere. The deck is stacked against him. He could have a decent stint like Marcus Hannemann and Ian Feuer, two Americans in which the former didn't get a Nats look, while the latter was always on the outside looking in. I do hope he gets a look, he at least deserves a call to camp. However, since Keller and Friedel haven't said anything about 2006 and there's Rimando, Brown, and Howard on their heels with Thornton very much on the outside looking it, I won't expect it to happen. And throw in Hartman in LA--he too has been on the outs looking in and winning MLS Cup no matter how good or bad he is bolsters his case further to be on the Nats. He could be a steal, but I'm not betting on it. I'm thinking that Jon Conway would elevate himself to starting status and a keeper will have to picked up from the A League. I'm adding cap concerns here so Sommer might have to take a paycut. He's hexed because of winning the Hermann Award. Either Yallop thinks he's better off with what he has (Barclay) or he saw someone else he thinks he can grab by trade, discovery, or Superdraft.