Very interesting! How tall is Karbassiyoon? Operating strictly from memory, I had thought of him as too slight to play along the back line...
If this guy does emerge as a vialble pro left back, it will just enhance Glenn Myernick's legacy of failure with the U23 team since he never once called the kid in.
It just wouldn't be the US Men's National Team without someone playing out of position as an outside back, or at least converted from another position. The fact that most of our best players end up as sweepers, center mids, or forwards in the youth ranks probably has a lot to do with this trend.
One other thought - given that Arsenal currently has the best left back in the EPL, and one of the best in the world, and that he came through Arsenal's developmental system and that he is a coverted forward, I think the chances of this move being successful are a good one. Clearly, Arsenal knew what it was doing when it converted Ashley Cole to left back. And, I can't think of a better current player for a new left back, particualrly one that used to be a forward, to mentor under right now than Cole. Sure, Cole's presence likely means Danny won't play LB at Arsenal anytime soon, but in a year or so he could be playing it somewhere in the first division or a lower level team in the EPL.
I just wonder what they saw in him that indicated he should be an outside back. I guess, if you want to look on the bright side, left sided players are hard to come by (although we seem to be producing them on a regular basis), and maybe they saw some extraordinary defensive ability in him. On the more pessimistic, maybe his finishing was awful. Either way, a part of me is bummed. I like to have as many forward prospects as possible. Because, lets face it, for all of our exciting young attacking talent out there, we still fall way short in the cool finisher category (only Mathis comes to mind). And some of my favorite US players can be downright disgraceful in front of net (Convey, Beasley).
Off topic I know, but I think a certain Mr. Bridge would have to disagree with your assesment of whose the best left back in the EPL.
I would disagree with this. Not the part about our finishing - it can suck - but the part about needing more forward prospects. While a country like the US can never have too many prospects at any position, right now I'd say we're doing a better job cranking out forwards than wing backs. Off the top of my head we've got Donovan, Mathis, Casey, Wolff, McBride, Buddle, (when healthy), Kirovski, Razov, Twellman, Ching, Cunningham, Wolyniec, Noonan, and Eskandarian as forwards Arena has used in the year and a half since the end of the World Cup. Plus, we've got guys in the pipeline Eddie Johnson, Nate Jaqua, Kenny Cooper, some 14-year old kid at DC, Magee, Jamil Walker, Jemal Johnson, etc... But at left back, what do we have? Arena has used Bocanegra and Gibbs there a lot but its no secret that they're better in the middle. Wade Barrett - whom I'd like to see get more looks - is a natural LB but he only has one cap. Lately the best left back we've had has been Greg Vanney. I've always liked Vanney but when he's your best left back, there's an issue. And in the pipeline? Ricky Lewis and Chris Wingert played there for the U23 team but Lewis is technically limited while Wingert's athleticism may keep him from excelling as a pro, let alone at the national team level. Zak Whitbread looked good at LB for the 20s but like Boca and Gibbs, he's really a center back. In MLS there's Todd Dunivant but he needs to prove his rookie year wasn't a fluke, and Chris Gbandi, who needs to prove he can stay healthy and excel in MLS before we start (re)penciling him in as a LB. And that's it, really. There just in't a lot of depth for the US at left back. So, I have zero qualms with sacrificing a forward prospect to see if he can blossom as an answer to our issues at LB, especially since the folks doing the converting have a solid track record in converting a forward to left back.
I figured someone would bring his name up and I meant no disprespect to Bridge. Doesn't Cole still start ahead of him on the English national team?
Don't forget that Roberto Carlos is a converted forward to leftback! Probably Karbassiyoon was not cutting the mustard at Forward but they saw something in him that resembled a left back. Hey there is nothing wrong with an attack minded left back as long as he knows to play defense. At least the kid is getting some playing time now.
I am not sure how to say this nicely... People need to stuff it when they complain about "players out of position." It drives me nuts. Folks - this happens all the time in every country! Did Desailly grow up as an outside back? How about Roberto Carlos? Ze Roberto is an outside back for Brazil, where does he play for Bayern? How does Ajax develop players? And it is not just a soccer thing. What position did Michael Jordan play in high school? Do some homework. Look it up. Do some reading. And most importantly, quit bitching. Through some pure dumb luck, I have befriended some great coaches. One of them coaches at a very high level in Spain. He went through the Spanish coaching academy, where they instructed coaches to develop promising young talent who may be at forward or in the midfield as defenders. Why? Because in modern soccer, skill is a necessity at all positions, not just on the front line. I see Karb's development as an outside back as a positive in his soccer career, both as a pro and internationally.
Very well said... Something to remember... at early ages the best players are normally played in the center of the field and up front because there isn't anyone of comparable talent. That doesn't mean that everyone is best suited to those positions. If everyone on the national team would only play the position they played while in youth soccer... we'd have about 90% forwards and central midfielders.
They seem to have been splitting time recently, it's hard to say who will start in Portugal this summer.
I agree whole heartedly with our lack of depth and prospect at outside back. And, for each specific case, I say do whatever is necessary so that he becomes the best player he can be. If Arsenal tells me Danny K is a left back, then I am the first one to believe it. But think of it this way - On our senior national team, who is consistently putting the fear into the hearts of opposing defenses? Mathis? Was getting there for a while, but we are still talking about his potential and he is getting pretty old for that kind of talk. Donovan? Possibly. I am as big a Donovan fan as any other straight male in this country, but the boy continues to frustrate with his lack of killer instinct. After that . . . . . ? My point is, the bar has been raised in American soccer just high enough for me not to get as excited about a converted position player. What I am looking for is an American to start scoring goals at Arsenal. Or the like.
Sorry that another American player isn't living up to your expectations Tubby Butter. We have had many a spirited debate on whether success on EPL reserve teams means success for the USMNT -- i.e. Kirovski versus Cooper. But "Karbs" wasn't having any success with the Arsenal reserve team until he moved back. Given this record, he was so far down the list of forwards for the USMNT that he wasn't even a likely topic of discussion. But as a left back starting for the Arsenal reserves, that gets interesting.
I remember when "Americans" and "Swiss on the back line" was a way to describe the USMNT. (My apologies for the lame joke.) One other possibility (which I mention more for general discussion purposes, not because I am arguing that it applies here): I've known a couple of coaches who put forwards on the back line to help the players develop as forwards. One coach did it because he had a forward who had used speed and excellent dribbling to dominate until he reached college. Against better defenders, though, the player struggled because he was not good running off the ball, working up front with a partner, etc. The coach put him at stopper against a couple of very good college strikers so that he would (a) have to think about what he was doing on the field, and (b) he would get a firsthand idea of what a good forward does to get open, free space, etc. After a couple of games, the guy moved back up front and was much improved. It may have been the humbling aspect of the move motivated him to improve, but his teamwork and style of play did improve. The other coach said he tried it for similar reasons, but I think it likely was more because the forward was coasting and needed a fire lit under his butt so that he could regain better form. His practice habits and game efforts improved immensely. In this case, the player commented to me that he had learned a couple of new moves and, more importanly, had gained an appreciation for how much harder it was to defend someone who made checking runs, ran hard off the ball, etc. I will concede that, in both instances, the moves served as a wake up call, and both players applied themselves more in practice and in games. I do think that the players learned a bit about the game, too, though. And, I should note, one coach did it when there was an injury on the backline, so no starters were displaced for the lesson. The other coach did it because a defender also was not fitting the team philosophy, and the coach used the opportunity to send the defender a message by sitting him.
A little off topic but did anyone notice Frankie retained the captain's armband even though Parlour was making his return from injury and started the match? I would say that's a nice confidence booster. It also might help Danny to have Frankie back there to help direct him and allow him to get to know his position quicker.
This is a great post, and look...if he's a good enough player with EPL skills, I don't care if he's another goalkeeper for crying out loud (but what a blessing that he's a burgeoning defender). Sometimes it takes time to find a guy's true position, and often the best defenders are former strikers because they know how the attacker thinks. The more young guys developing their game at that level, the better for the US. Bruce will put his best 11 on the field, and if this kid can eventually be a starter at Highbury, he will be in the US's plans.
Is Danny left-footed? If not, I'd be higher on Simak getting somewhere (at left back) vs. Danny for the Nats... Simak too short for the middle, but is clearly a defender (outside shot at DM?)