News: Klinsmann announces 30 man preliminary WC roster

Where was that. My soccer player bar story was about 8 yrs ago traveled to KC for business, went to their bar part of town and started drinking with total strangers and the KC Wizards started showing up. Lalas, Meola, Preki, Henderson......didn't want to be a stalker but I was giddy with excitement. Some sort of preseason promotion.
Left my corporate card at the bar and had to go back the next day. Also Met Matt Painter's sister.

 

That's called a poof piece.

 

I forget the name of the bar, but it was in the Power & Light District in KC after the USA - Guatemala qualifier in 2012. My buddy and I were drunk enough already that being weird stalkers didn't matter to us. Goodson kept buying us shots of Jager because he thought the fact that we were both named Mike was hysterical.

CG: "Hey Mike!"
Me: "What's up?"
CG: "No no no, other Mike. HA just kidding, come take some shots."

I remember Cameron, Boca, Herc, Goodson, Danny Williams, Parkhurst, and I think Edu being there. I'm sure there were others, just don't recall right now. Probably my best night out ever.

 

Depending on the severity, can keep a guy out for weeks to months.

Hopefully he gives himself enough time to heal up because if you don't it can have life long effects--ask Bryan Namoff.

 

My soccer story is going to work in Time Square couple of years ago and seeing bunch of guys in maroon trainers milling around. I thought it was a high school team visiting TS/NYC. As I get closer I notice that it's AS Roma on their pre-game walk-about. Nobody notices them. I immediately look for the dome head and find him. I end up talking to Bradley and got an autograph for my son. The stars of Roma were looking at me with a bit of incredulousness as I was star struck by the new guy, while they were unrecognized.

 

My favorite soccer story: I started hitting on Cameron's girlfriend (?) at the airport and then he showed up and I started hitting on Cameron as he had much more expressive eyebrows than her.

 

For the full multimedia experience, play "El Bimbo" in the background (the Blue Oyster Bar theme, from Police Academy).

 

Real talk from Klinsy: US based players 'behind' on fitness compared to other group opponents:

http://www.espnfc.com/news/story/_/...vantage-fitness-says-jurgen-klinsmann?cc=5901

 

http://www.espnfc.com/news/story/_/...vantage-fitness-says-jurgen-klinsmann?cc=5901

Two things:

-Why are the non-SKC players reporting "later in the week"?

-I'd rather our main guys be two months into a season as opposed to 10-11 months into the ass end of a grueling Euro season where they're banged up. I hate it when JK says stuff like this.

 

Jurgen is 'not a fan' of MLS, doesnt like the level of competition, doesnt like the summer schedule, I dont know if there is anything he does like about it. I think he sees the 'Big 5' and then everyone else in the world below that. He's the ultimate Euro snob

 

That is why we need a real physio to explain this to us. I happen to think 2 to 3 months in is far superior to 11months, not just physically, but mentally.

 

No I think he just watches MLS and comes to those conclusions, I don't think it has anything to do with him being Euro and living his life in California.

 

"U.S. midfielder Brad Davis, who plays for the Houston Dynamo in MLS, interpreted Klinsmann's comments not as a slight on the league's players, but reflective of the greater demands made of their European counterparts.

"I think maybe there's maybe more of a training demand in Europe, it's a little bit more difficult," Davis said.

 

That's a meaningless quote, and the sentence preceding it makes no sense. Also, bubble player Brad Davis was straining to find a diplomatic response to that shot at MLS.

2 months=closer to midseason form than 10+ months. I'd look at that as a massive positive.

JK is doing that thing he does that I hate where he talks beyond the first two sentences, and invariably said something dumb and inaccurate.

 

Orrrrr...maybe their fitness numbers aren't what he wants out of them in comparison to stuff he 'knows' from when he was at Bayern or coaching German NT.

 

So how is that going to go with LD claiming he can't train for 12 days straight. Something has to give. I hope JK doesn't workout our guys to the ground.

 

Exactly. And it's not like the US team is always one of the worst fit teams at the World Cup. It's the exact opposite.

Not to mention, he said this even before the team had their first session. They may not be as "behind" as he fears.

 

Who on the team is actually weak on fitness? Donovan may have slipped from his glory days, Dempsey has never been a true 'all effort' guy, Jones might be older and not in his prime anymore, Jozy might be untested due to not playing much.....?? Anyone else who fitness is a 'weakness' and mark against and needs to make an improvement in the camp?

 

European based players like Brooks and Bedoya also have to go all out in training every single day or else they'll easily get replaced with greater depth found in the top 5 Euro leagues. Whereas someone like Omar or Zusi can make more mistakes and still get ample playing time. It's a different kind of pressure.

I think he's basically saying, Euro players have more of a "foundation" whereas MLS players dont...he uses that word in the ESPN article.

 

I'd rather we played against Ronaldo after he spent a grueling 12 months of nonstop play for RM, country and competitions than after 3 months of 'foundation.'

 

I'd rather have guys in peak form than guys with an 11 month "base" fitness level full off nagging injuries.

I think I need to resign myself to the fact that, with the World Cup coming, there are going to be so many chances for JK to say stupid crap.

 

I really hope this doesn't turn out like that idiotic "5-game tournament" camp where he ran everyone into the ground before we played actually important games.

 

Making excuses already?

 

that is exactly what he is going to do. I hope he doesnt Capello us where the players are dead on their feet in the first two matches. I wish I had enough statistical info on the ideal fitness level and how to achieve them.

 

Well all the Euro/Mexico-based players should be in great shape. That's much of the team.