GK: Howard, Guzan, Hahnemann Tim Howard is world class, that is all. Center D: Bocanegra Onyewu Spector Parkhurst Conrad Demerit Robinson OWN(yewu)ED says: Boca and Gooch are safe, i think theyve finally mastered each others styles. The real movers though are Spector and Parkhurst. Spector would provide a great compliment in style, and Parkhurst survived culling that included Robinson and Conrad, those two are the real movers that can make a case soon. Right back: Cherundolo Spector Simek traffic cone Giffenbone Superdave One legged Grandma Moor OWN(yewu)ED says: spector is looking more and more like a necessity to this team. Simek if not injured has to be there too, Gold Cup performance leaves you wanting more. Ultimately, Cherundolo is still our guy Left back: Spector Bornstein Pearce traffic cone Nutmeg Dark Knight Grandpa with Arthritis Coralles OWN(yewu)ED says: Spector to me because of his West Ham campaign is the best man for the job right now even though its not his best position. Bornstein looks absolutely legendary compared to what we saw today. Pearce despite his club quandry is a viable option obviously. left mid: Beasley HOLDEN ROGERS ALVAREZ Lewis Convey OWN(yewu)ED says: There were some big movers in this column, Convey was seriously THAT bad today. This is now a position that needs urgent depth, and there are three able bodied players with talent who need looks NOW. right mid: Dempsey/Donovan HOLDEN ROGERS Klejstan Zizzo OWN(yewu)ED says: we know the number one guy(s). but again, a position that needs attention that has two players that fit the bill perfectly for what we are looking for. Come Camp Cupcake v 2009, both should be getting the PT. Zizzo looms with the biggest upside of all, Holden and Rogers closer to being ready now. center midfield: Bradley Feilhaber Edu Clark Klejstan Szetela OWN(yewu)ED says: Hopefully Bob puts 2 + 2 together and realizes that Feilhaber is a necessity to this midfield now. he is the perfect foil to Bradley, and you could see it when he came in. Club situation asside, the guy has talent despite what the naysayers would tell you, and does justify starting. Edu is still an enigma, can he maintain holding midfielder duties, or is he too much like Bradley to where they cancel out like Bradley-Rico? Bradley-Edu looked decent enough against Switzerland and South Africa, but Feilhaber for what hedoes is still the better guy for the job to me. forward: Altidore Donovan/Dempsey Adu EJ Ching Cooper OWN(yewu)ED says: Altidore was commanding today and was everything i thought he could be for us at forward. He did well with shotty sevice AND created his own opportunities. Donovan or Dempsey will be adjacent, we know this. But Adu is gradually pushing for the title of first guy off the bench for that CAM-withdrawn forward role, and i think on the nats we are and will continue to use him more as a forward. EJ im praying gets the Craven Cottage makeover and becomes servicable to us again, because right now he is not. Ching, he's getting chronologically advanced and could probably only go for 60-70 minuetes anyways. Altidore was quicker, more physical, and has better ball control anyway to make the point moot.
oh, forgot the main event -----------------Howard------------------ -------------Gooch----Boca--------------- Dolo-------------------------------Spector -----------------Bradley------------------ Donovan--------Feilhaber----------Beasley ---------Dempsey------------------------- -----------------------Altidore------------
if all healthy and continuing to improve im stoked for this to be our wc squad come 2010. edu adu guzan bornstein (bench)
I think today was Jozy Altidore's USNT coming out party. He is the real deal and only at age 18. I think he is a lock to have one of the striker positions for the forseeable future. He's only going to get better. Eddie "score only against Panama and Jamaica" Johnson can't even hold Jozy's nut cup.
Those clowns in the center mid better not be on the WCQ games. All they did was bump into each other and stare at each other, trying to guess what the other is going to do. I swear, you could hear Benny Hill music, everything Clark and Bradley showed up on my TV. The two outside fullbacks played like crap, but I don't think they are going to be on the team for the real games, I hope. Dempsey had an off night except for his goal that was disallowed. Convery sucked massive donkey balls tonight too. Landycakes wasn't that bad considering how bad his midfield mates were. Now Jozy... That looks like the future. A faster, more skilled version of Brian McBride. I don't think he'll ever be as proficient in the air as BM, but he sure is faster and has quicker feet. When Adu came on, I thought he provided a spark that was missing, so he might project to be a stud for the squad, especially playing overseas.
I expect my first callup as right back to be soon...maybe even against Barbados/Dominica. Can't be worse than Drew Moor. I'd also throw in Hedjuk, Wynne, and possibly Albright over Moor at that spot...but behind me and Superdave and the Grandma of course.
-----------------------Howard------------------ Cherundalo(C)---Onyewu----Spector----Bornstein --------Dempsey---Bradley---Feilhaber---------- --------------Donovan-----Adu----------------- ---------------------Altidore-------------------- I really like this alignment because Howard is our best goalie obviously, Cherundalo and Bornstein are very good at getting up and down the line and they would be required to do so in this alignment, I think they both would be very effective in this setup, Onyewu is the big powerful centerback but looked better in all the other areas against Mexico as well and hopefully that continues, Spector is the technical centerback with skill and still has good size, I really think this pairing could be very solid for us I hope we try it, in the midfield we have Bradley kind of sitting back and winning the ball, distributing around the field and allowing him to make timed runs into the box which he has done so well for Herenveen, he is not a destroyer he should be allowed to get forward when the opportunity comes, Dempsey and Feilhaber pinch in a little for the 3 man midfield, and I feel would be perfect for these positions they are a bit slow on sidemid and lack a little defensive bite at a pure center mid, but here they are pinched in some and get cover from Bradley, this lets them get forward a little and be creative, both of them are very dynamic and skillful players as is Bradley so we should have excelent skill coming out of the midfield, and linking up in attack, as well as being solid and compact defensively. Infront of them you have Adu and Donovan on the flanks interchanging, combining with Altidore and just doing everything they can to create chances be dangerous and create havoc in our final third, they could be deadly doing this, and lastly up top we have Altidore who I am very impressed with, with his size and physical presence he will be a force in the air and be able to win the ball and hold it up and traffic, as well as use his skills to take on defenders and go to goal if necassary or link up with midfielders making dangerous runs or laying the ball off for a scoring chance, Altidore has so many different things he can do he would be excellent in this role. I really think this lineup would be greatly effective for us, unfortunatly it is not an empty bucket 4-4-2 so probably will not be used by Bradley.