I was retrospecting on the kinks and strengths of the USMNT. The squad has an ok Midfield, but they're still missing an assisting winger-type. One who can cross the ball to the target-forwards. The defense is still the main Achilles' heel of the team. I've been looking at many Centerbacks and Left Backs in particular. I took the sort-of "Moneyball" aproach and came up with a "strange" squad to the average person. This is the squad: Staring Line-Up GK-Tim Howard RB-Steve Cherundolo, CB-Ike Opara, CB-George John, LB-Bobby Convey RM-Landon Donovan, CM-Stuart Holden, LM-Clint Dempsey CAM-Freddy Adu RFW-Jozy Altidore, LFW-Charlie Davies Subs GK: Brad Guzan, Jon Busch DF: Steven Beitashour, Carlos Bocanegra, Omar Gonzalez, Tim Chandler MID: Brek Shea, Maurice Edu, Michael Bradley, Brad Davis FW: Edson Buddle, Chris Wondolowski I'm maybe a bit bias by choosing a handful of Quakes players, but it's because I trust their capacity. Jon Busch is a solid stopper, Steven Beitashour has good pace and can assist with a cross. Convey is still in good form and can play the leftback spot immaculately. Ike Opara is an athletic Centerback and good cover, and of course Wondo. You probably witnessed a less than perfect performance at the Gold Cup, but he can still play decently with an supporting cast and in his natural position. That's why I picked Beitashour and Convey to assist him. Other players I selected are George John, who is a low-profile, great defender and must be selected before Greece does. Omar Gonzalez is strong in the air. Brad Davis is good at crossing and assuring the Fowards. Adu still has the potential and also the CAM player the team needs. Charlie Davies can still bring his old-self back. This was just me brainstorming, I'm not fully serious with this squad. I just selected these players to see if you guys feel can fit the roles. What do you guys think? Discuss what players are necessary or not, or add players you think can also benefit the USNT.
Davies did not impress me, Rimando/Hamid are the back-ups to Timmy Howard. Ike Opara in four years maybe, Bobby Convey had a tough year IMO, and Timmy Chandler is going to be world class.
You just did more damage to the reputation of "Moneyball" than the last five years of A's baseball. Apparently, among other things, "Moneyball" not means "include a handful of players from the one of the worst teams in MLS because they're my favorite team"... Change average in "average person" to rational/knowledgeable/sane.
Why would you take the moneyball approach to players you invite based on ability & performance? That's mother********ing retarded
The "Moneyball" approach meant taking players that would've normally been snubbed because of the team or league they play in and utilizing their skills. Yes, San Jose were in a rough patch this season, but that's because they had a lot of injuries and the midfield still missing key players. The players I selected though do good in their positions though.
You picked Convey. He's a piece of stool. Runnin' his filthy mouth about Bob Bradley snubbing him. He's just not that good, even when he was an Arena Pet. Wondo puts on a US Jersey and turns into the Yank version of Kei Kamara. But hey, Jon Borenstien supports your selection of Ike Opara. Jebus you Bay Area people suck ass.
There's no need to insult him. Yes, the OP was questionable at best, but can you try to be civilized for once? As for the topic, we don't need to take a "moneyball" approach. We have a set player pool, and the task is getting the best out of those players. Many of those player play in the Bundesliga, EPL, and Serie A. These players will always make up the majority of our starting 11 because they are the best.
That's supposed to be insulting? I don't know if that's a political-based insult or if you'vee had a bad experience with "Bay Area" people enough to generalize them. Anyways, I am sure insults equals a fine/suspension in this forum...I'm guessing. I don't know who you are (troll I imagine), but from every statement it sounds like you're compensating for something. Your profile avatar (whether Jesting or admiting it) gives me an idea. If you actually believe someone can take you seriously, then I sympathize with you. Whatever it is, good luck, loser.
I wasn't trying to overhaul the National Team with a whole new squad. I only wanted to make suggestions on what players to add in certain positions where the US hasn't had success to this day or are lacking. I made the suggestion of adding an assisting winger which would benefit the team. I made the sugestions of adding a better centerback. That was really all my point. I never said to take it seriously, also.
Here is a serious response. Moneyball does not equal strange selections. Moneyball, as it refers to the A's where the term was coined is about using statistical analysis to find undervalued players. Moneyball doesn't really work with national teams because you have a set player pool, so you cannot go out and find undervalued players from other teams. You have what you have, and picking them because they are off the board does not equal moneyball. Next Charlie Davies is not the answer. People want to continue to imagine old Charlie coming through the door from 2009, but it's not happening. Freddy Adu is living on his reputation from an ESPN freakout when he was 14. The idea that Brek Shea, a star in MLS this year, would sit for two players that don't even start every game for their MLS team, is slightly odd. Especially considering that Brek Shea has created more for the US team than just about anybody else in the past few matches. Ike Opara will never get a start for the US if he can't stay healthy for more than five minutes. John is a good prospective player but you don't cap him based on his dual heritage. Gonzalez also has dual citizenship. Benching Timothy Chandler for Bobby Convey doesn't make any sense. Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey aren't really center midfielders and while they might be able to handle the position if they had to, using them there doesn't get the best out of their abilities.
I don't feel the need to coddle someone who obviously doesn't understand what they're talking about. BTW, did you ever get back with me about those other potential Revs Stadium sites? Unless they choose to remain in MLS, ala Donovan. I've always found that prejudice saves time. Think again. A Fine? Seriously? Where's that going to be assessed? Internet Court? The God-King of Trolls thank you very much. The weight of my brilliance would crush a lesser man. Well, you've proven to be as passive/aggressive as most other Quakefans, so I guess the Bay Area crack wasn't too far off. And you loft up Bobby Convey, who's essentially being asked to leave the Quakes for various on/off field reasons, Wondo who didn't show up against lesser competition and Jon Busch. God I love Buschy as much as the next Fire Fan, but NT quality he's not, neither really is Rimando. Sad but true Sadder/Truer Eventually, the reason for the ridicule will set in with him. Over/Under is April. +1 See that just means that have good "soccer genes". That alone should get you an internet fine. There is something just so rancidly stupid about the denizens of BigSoccer and their insatiable need to put players in positions that are not optimal for their skillsets
Our youth system is in the gutter right now. our u-23 isn't competing in the Panamerican Games now. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_at_the_2011_Pan_American_Games Where is our talent? Until we get a better system, there won't be a clear cut solution to our problems and we'll keep coming up with alternate teams that have old, B-team players like convey. Of course I'm not providing a solution, I'm just pointing the problem...sigh...
U20 and U23 camp being held in Germany in November. But to answer your question about where is our talent: some are playing or being called up for our Senior team Agudelo- 18 Jozy- 21 Bunbury-21 Shea- 21 Hamid- 20 just to name a few. The rest are working their way through their club teams. However, with Ramos hosting camps for the U20s and U23s (caleb being the manager of the U23) perhaps we'll see some friendlies set up for these camps. There are a number of German-Americans plying their trade in Germany who'll likely get the call up. Gatt is injured so he wont be. Mix will likely be added. Lletget. Doyle. etc...
Well, I'm sure Klinsmann is well into the process of turning that around. he said as much during his campaign run
Firstly, Mr Warmth is often amusing, but I don't see the need to go into insult-mode from the get-go. Something at least a little bit closer to Real Corona's post would have been useful. Or don't post in this thread at all. I see no need for drive-by insults. Anyway, as to the substance of the OP... If you are going to use a "Moneyball" approach, don't you need to pick players with some real, actual stats that justify their inclusion? Opara? The guy has a mere 8 appearances in 2011. He's very, very far from a Moneyball selection. Freddy Adu? I still think he will become a useful player when he matures in his mid-20's. But his stats are pretty run-of-the-mill for a moneyball selection. Bobby Convey at left back??? As far as I can tell, he's played LB 8 times in 2011 and 4 times in 2010. The guy is a career LEFT MIDFIELDER. How does that make him a Moneyball left back? I want to see Charlie Davies back as much as anyone. I think he may get there over the next few years. But he's a rotational starter/sub at one of the MLS's weaker teams. Not sure he's got the moneyball stats on his side at this point. Most of your other starting players are serious regulars that everyone can agree with. And, I think you could make a case at CB for George John, and a lot of other posters have wanted him called in all year. The bench is mostly OK, although Beitashour is a shocker, since he's a rotational starter for a non-playoff MLS team, and doesn't have much going for him as a moneyball player, either. I like Guzan a lot, but he's been riding the pine much of 2011, unfortutately. Where are the moneyball stats? I'm not sold on guys like Wondolowski and Davis as international-level players. However, a lot of other fans are and these two do have quality MLS stats to back them up. So, I think there are a lot of holes in the moneyball line of analysis.
I wonder what it would look like if you actually did use a moneyball approach. I have no idea what a good formula would be or anything but I wonder what kind of a team you could come up with if you took stats from clubs American players play on. An example is in the movie they said you need x number of runs over the year to make the playoffs and they used on base percentage as one of the main tools to figure out. I wonder if there was some kind of statistical balance you could use to get players on the field that would provide the projected maximum goal differential per game somehow, I have no idea how it would be done, but it would be kind of interesting to see how it could be done and what kind of a team we would be looking at.
But what if, now work with me on this, we could do something, but call it something else and make millions... Snuggie >>>>>>>> Slanket >> A bathrobe worn backwards. I think I just solved the Riddle of the Underwear Gnomes.