Just a little FYI, I had been wondering myself when the pre-friendlies camp would start...from a Jimmy Conrad article on mlsnet.com. http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20050215&content_id=22332&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp "They said they'll be in touch. We've got a camp coming up February 27th, and there are two friendlies that will be played March 9th versus Colombia at The Home Depot Center and March 19th versus Honduras in Albuquerque, New Mexico," he said.
So basically, Bruce is gonna have the MLS guys - at least the ones who make the roster for the qualifiers at the end of March - in camp for a month. Wow, that's a long time together. I mean, I can't see them taking a break between the 27th and the Colombia game on the 9th. And while he'll probably give them a day or two off after the Colombia game, they won't go back to their MLS teams because they''ll start prepping for the game on the 19th vs. Honduras. And then there's the prep for the two qualifiers a week and 10 days later. (Now, I wonder what their stipend is and if that counts as one long camp or if the players get three different checks for each camp.... sorry, I morphed for a second back to last months labor stuff! ) Bruce should definitely have plenty of time to get the team close to optimum fit and get them all working together. Hopefully he gets the Euro players for a week before the Mexico game to blend them in, too.
4 week camp for 23 or so MLS'ers. 2 weeks in CA, 2 weeks in Colorado Springs (or maybe Ariz.). Expect a MLS-heavy roster in Mexico with the Euro's dominating the roster in Birmingham.
Hm. Can he really do that? I kinda doubt that the MLS teams will allow their players to disappear for a full month right before the season starts. I'm intrigued. I'm looking forward to seeing exactly how this'll work. And if he does get them the entire time, then I have to give a lot of credit to MLS for allowing it.
I said it yesterday, before this article, and I'll say it again: If KC and DC get bounced out of the CCC early because their key players have been called away to play in a last second planned friendly, I'll be HOT as a fan of the league. Those guys should be with their own teams until the 16th, and then head to the last 2 weeks of the camp. Anything less is an outrage to teams that are vying for a berth in the World Club Championship in December.
MLS not getting along with USSF would be like (to steal an old cliche) the Yacht Club being upset with the Country Club -- it is pretty much the same people. MLS will go ahead and play their schedule without them
I'm guessing that it's to make up for lost time since the MLS'ers missed camps over the winter due to labor negotiations. With the way the MLS'ers on the field looked in TNT, they need all the time they can get.
Uh - no. Expect the same roster for Mexico and Birmingham with the only changes made due to cards/injuries.
We should expect a MLS-heavy roster for a World Cup Qualifer...IN MEXICO?? Really? Here's hoping you're wrong.
These are friendly games that are not on FIFA coordinated dates. MLS teams are under no obligation to release players until something like 24 or 48 hours before the games. I really don't see Bruce calling in DC or KC players until after March 9th. Even then I'm pretty sure that he'll avoid calling in any players until after the away games on the 16th unless the first leg of either series is a rout.
I fully well understand that Andy. I'm just responding to the tenor of the article itself, in which Conrad seems almost bothered by the notion that the CCC would affect his call-up. I'm not a KC fan obviously, but I want to see them advance through the tournament (until the finals if DC makes it .......... to win it all if DC doesn't) for the obvious reasons. There is something tangible to be won in this tournament, in addition to the rooting interests. It was bad enough when Agoos so flippantly dismissed the CCC a couple years ago, WHILE his team was still in the tournament. But with the Club Championship at stake, I'm bothered by guys worrying more about a friendly and 2 weeks of practice with the Nats (especially when there is still a 2nd friendly and 2 more weeks of practice that they can still participate in ), than they do about 2 games that are absolutely meaningful.
I didn't get that from Conrad at all. I read that Conrad was frustrated with the timing - but clearly dedicated to the Wizards for the CCC.
Good observation. I think GAM, Mastro, and the Pope did OK in Trinidad. Dempsey looked OK coming off the bench, too. I wasn't too surprised that most of the MLS players were on the bench. With Mexico, the altitude, and a longer camp, I expect the MLS players to be in better shape to play in Mexico. I don't expect the same starting lineup for both games, but the 18 will be pretty close.
I think arena will select players who suit the tactics he wants to use in any match, rather tahn if they're mls or euro So, against Mexico: Keller; Pope, Berhalter, Bocanegra; Hejduk, Mastroeni, Beasley; Reyna, Donovan; Wolff, EJ Against Guatemala: Keller; Cherundolo, Onyewu, Gibbs, Bocanegra; Zavagnin; Beasley, Donovan, Lewis; EJ, McBride the key euro guys play in BOTH, while arena tinkers to suit the needs of the day....
As long as Reyna has been out, I don't see him being anywhere near match fit - especially fit enough to start a game at Azteca. If he's fully healthy, I can see him on the bench, though.
I see Garcia starting against Ruiz and Guatemala in Birmingham. Carlos seems to disappear against the Wizards.
As to my previous point about Conrad, maybe i'm just wrong about that. hopefully, you are right, and i'm taking it out of context. As for the point you make in the quoted text above, I would agree with you. Of course, your opinion and mine mean absolutely nothing here though. There is a certain confidence that Arena has in Reyna, and it takes alot for that to be discounted. I remember Reyna being injured for a bit, right before the 2 back-to-back matchups the US had in the last round against first El Salvador and then Panama. Despite being injured and having not played for his team in a bit, when notified that Reyna MIGHT be returning to Manchester City for the weekend game before the qualifiers(his first in several weeks if i recall correctly), Arena let it be known that he was seriously thinking about calling Reyna in for the games. As it turned out, City didn't use him as they had judged that he was still too injured to be on the squad, and Arena reluctantly didn't call him up. With all that being said, despite Reyna being out for the last 4 or 5 months (?), what makes you so sure that BA wouldn't start him at Azteca after a full 5 weeks of his return to practice. I wish that I could feel so confident. It seems clear to me that he won't be anywhere near fit enough to return from nearly 5 months of inactivity and make his grand return at that type of altitude, but hey ...... what do i know?