News: Klinsmann announces 30 man preliminary WC roster

Being lauded for being fit is just other coaches' way of saying something nice about us. We're not much more or less fit than anyone else.

 

When does 'peak fitness' occur then? At nine months? Three months and having to play a match midday in Houston?
Five months in the middle of the English winter?

In a way the German team may have a natural advantage with their six week break in the winter.

When? The only one I can remember is vs. South Korea.

Top teams also have depth which allows for some squad rotation. Always a nice benefit if you can roll out some backups for the third game of group play.

 

For many here, BigSoccer is one big OCD trip.

 

Then open the freakin' practices so we can scrutinize those.

 

Like I said earlier--maybe he has some benchmarks on where he wants his guys to be beep test wise/Max VO2 numbers.

They're not up to it right now. Why is that hard to believe? He probably motivates them by saying your opponents are at that level right now. Why is that so bad?

 

Mexico.

 

considering that all MLS players are not in yet, your first statement is just crazy speculation that seems way off.

He seems to be speaking more from his own prejudices of the 'higher level' and not from the science that you spoke of initially.

 

Smeone else brought it up too, but maybe he's been tracking their fitness while they've been playing in MLS too? I don't think this is something he's just now seeing is all I am saying...but again...who cares?

At the endo f the day it could just be pure motivation. I still dont' see the big deal? Is it that the ones who are outrage take it as a stab against MLS? I mean he has a point. In the two months MLS has been running, chances are those guys aren't in as great shape as guys who've been palying 10-11months. Is that so hard to believe?

 

Having grown up in South Korea and still remembering that I had to do fitness runs for Tae Kwon Do when I was 6, in the snow and barefoot, there is a reason their best export to date is nicknamed Three Lungs Park.

 

The more I hear him talk about, I think we were misled a little by the ESPN headline writer, he is more referring to the class of player on the other teams rather than the fitness of the players on the other teams. And I really dont know how much you can 'catch up' on class in 4 weeks. Big job ahead of him there.

 

I agree with Klinsmann about the foundation not being as set as the other group opponents. Anyone who has watched an MLS game these past few months would be less than truthful to say that the passing, recovery, positioning and especially finishing has been of a quality, yet it is acceptable and they'll be left to work through it. That is muscle memory, fitness, whatever you want to call it. Watching near any other euro league you'll see quality or a benching. To compound that, those euro teams get to work together with minimal stress, setting good foundations, showing up on a FIFA date or qualifying (EUROs or WC) in country. Our side has often at best, split squads (witness the Gold Cup, v Ukraine and the last Mexico match). Coaches do not get to highlight areas of need, muscle memory... such as working on LB or RB aspects like so many who'll play there on the national side, do not work on while their club positions are different. That is lack of foundation- from technique, to tactics, to even camaraderie. This not going to be the "Junction Boys" but Klinsmann is going to have to expect some qualities that'll help them catch up.

 

This most recent friendly? Nah, that's due to Mexico making tactical adjustments while Klinsmann stuck to his substitution plan (damn the torpedos). In fact, I thought US started playing better towards the end of the match.

 

Yes, it is hard to believe. At some point the body needs a break. Most top soccer players are used to a break every 10 months. While they may be in great shape, they have wear and tear issues that need resting. Athletes need breaks.

So back to my question, when does a soccer player hit 'peak fitness?' Euro teams are ready to go 90 minutes with about 4 weeks of training. They have the benefit of hitting their peak as the days are less demanding. MLS uses a similar 4-6 week training table but push their players into the heat of summer. Players are regularly exposed to 90+ days in as early as May. Training in those conditions will push your fitness levels to very high standards.

 

Two things are easy (for me) to believe. First, that Klinsmann (believes he) is taking an advanced, scientific approach to player fitness. Second, that he should have an individually-tailored fitness program for each player, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. A player's age makes a difference; so does the league, Euro v MLS. Some guys may need to step it up; others could use some rest (or at least should dial it back a notch).

 

JK just witnessed a great display of soccer by MLS players against Mexico.

For one half.

Perhaps he felt we should have had enough stamina to continue at that pace for 90 minutes and we just couldn't. Maybe the team in Cyprus was stronger in the 2nd half and the conclusion was they had higher fitness levels.

 

And that gets back to what Barrieu was saying. With mixed company, there are individual goals built within the training.

 

I thought Nats tired a bit. I think many of our guys started to look sluggish. Understandably so! I reckon if we play that game closer to todays date, the Us based players are able to hold on that lead.

 

Looking sluggish is by no means objective measure, so you may have a valid point.

 

Jurgen explains Eddie's omission (in case any of us were wondering):

And, he sees Donovan as competing for a forward slot.

http://www.beinsports.tv/soccer/tit...-cup-squad/article/18fboypr3kb3k1s7u159n09jk0

"But it has to do a little bit with the fact that we take six forwards into the 30-man roster and in those forwards I also see Landon Donovan competing for one of those spots.

"I don't see Landon as a midfielder coming in, I see him clearly as a striker. You go through every one of those players and you evaluate their strengths and weaknesses and what they bring to the table.

"I just felt like the way I want to build that puzzle for the 23-man roster, I see those players competing a little bit ahead of the curve."

 

Yea. I dont have a standard of measurement. I would say that In the first 15 mins of the second half our players looked off the pace a bit. Mexico did up the pressure. I still feel our players should have been able to handle it. Maybe it required a coaching change with the formation. Perhaps we lost our shape as our guys began to lose their legs in combination with a bit of high pressure by Mexico.

I think its a mixture of many things including substitutions changing the pulse for us.

 

I can't say I disagree....but at the same time it's pretty generic (what you're saying). We don't know what he's seeing, and we don't even know if he may be talking only about a person or two.

At the end of the day, it very well could be motivation. Folks get too defensive when it comes to MLS. It really isn't that unreasonable to say a guy who's been training 10 months is in probably better shape than a guy who's season started a little over 2 months?

I don't think so.....and to say in 4-6 weeks of training MLS guys should be up to speed with their European counterparts again is reaching because you nor I know that either. It's an assumption. Unless you for a fact have figures from a EPL club to compare guys at this point in the MLS season figures wise, it's just a stab.

I am pretty sure a USMNT player told the press this is the most advanced training wise they've experienced at the MNT level. I have no doubt that JK does have a tailormade program for each guy.

But I think he's just generally saying he's not happy with how his guys showed up and wants them to be at a higher fitness level than they are now. He very well could be tlaking about one guy, or two but says that about the gruop because that's how he treats the team. You're only as strong as your weakest link has been the mentality he's instilled.

 

I am not defensive over MLS, I am more skeptical, that European players are tired and hiding a lot of little injuries at the end of a long season as opposed to being at their peak. So yes I am saying in many cases it is unreasonable to be in better shape after 10 months of continual play and then stepping into a different training schedule.

It is a difficult thing to play for 2-3 competitions with your eye on those prizes and then start re-tooling for a WC. Part of those cycles you need rest and regeneration. Do you really think Ancelloti gives a crap that Ronaldo has an important month of June ahead of him? That is the problem that the Euros have going forward.

In cycling, racers all have base training and then choose races based on individual an team goals. Bradley Wiggins will likely dial it back this week at the Tour of California (especially in this heat) and he attempts to peak at the Tour De France. Other racers are currently looking to peak right now at the Giro Di Italia. In a way what is asked of soccer players is a bit unreasonable. Fight a regulation battle now. Win the domestic Cup now. Win the league. Win Europe.
Ok, go play in the WC.

 

I think it has more to do with Mexico coming out after half time wanting it more than us.

 

My logic would be absurd if I said that about LD even tho he was well known for having a strong shot at club level., he doesn't, Cristiano does. There is the difference.

 

Coaches right before a World Cup will say all sort of stuff they don't plan to do. Take it with a grain of salt.

Your rivals are analyzing your squad, training practices, formations used, fitness levels, etc. Some disinformation is needed.