This statement was a bit ambiguous but in care I read it right, Arena did call Garcia into camp in December? 2000, the year after the Wizards won the Cup. It was also the camp when he called in practically every Wizard, including Zavagnin, Brown, Henderson and Prideaux. I don't think he ever got a cap though.
Flashman -- my statement referred to the future. I think in the next few years, Garcia will make a camp. As a matter of fact, I think Garcia did make one camp but never played. Wang... - Yes, Cherundolo is no bigger than Garcia, probably smaller. The differenceis that Cherundolo is quite good at getting forward, something I don't think Garcia can do, though others disagree.
I think Garcia is one of those players -- Jason Kreis anyone?? -- who will always do fine at the club level, but simply not be able to cut it at the international level. I always thought Garcia really should have been a d-mid, but in college, he had to play sweeper because nobody else at Indiana could do it, and he was the only legitimate professional level defensive oriented type on that talent laden squad. There he went and there, more or less, he's stuck. For those who think Garcia can play internationally, there was this play last year, right in front of me at Soldier Field, where a 38 year old left-footed midfielder -- very much an EX-international -- took a pass in stride while Nick was marking him, then INCREASED his speed, gaining two steps on Nick over 20 yards or so while DRIBBLING WITH the ball, and then finishing far post from just outside the area. I'm sorry, this is not the defensive prowress we like to see in our USMNT back line.
I'm not sure what you're referring to anymore, but I'll restate what I said. He has been a successful outside back in MLS, and he is better suited physically to being an outside back, or perhaps a d-mid at the international level. From what I have seen, I believe he has a chance of succeeding at right back at the international level, despite some deficiencies that have been noted. I base this mostly on his ability to succeed under a variety of circumstances in MLS. He's clearly overcoming whatever shortcomings he has in MLS, so why would I assume that he could not do so internationally? He may not be able to step up to the next level, but the only way to know is to give him a chance at it now, since he's proved all he can at the MLS level. The problem is that the "experience" at left back that you refer to is completely separate from his success (if you want to call it that) with the Quakes this year. If he played left back for the Quakes this year it was for no more than a couple of games as an injury or card replacement - Wade Barrett has manned that position in just about every game. On both the MetroStars and the Olympic team in Sydney Corrales played some left back, but on neither team was he able to nail down the starting job. This has to be a warning sign. His past coaches have never had confidence in him at that position (or any other for that matter). I don't see any reason to give him a chance to win the position at the international level if he's been unable to win the job at lower levels against poorer competition. Yes I have. Keep your snide comments to yourself, it's embarrassing. I see that these games support my argument rather than yours, with wide midfielders appearing in every game. Whether Stewart is a "hybrid" or "drifts all over the field" he is a wide player most of the time. In any case, if you read my post more carefully, I said only that the team, meaning the full 18, would always include both wide and central players, not that the lineup would necessarily include both. There apparently are some cases where tactically Bruce feels he can leave most of the outside speed to the outside backs. But he would never drop the wide midfielders from the team because there are cases where he feels he needs one or two true wing players, particularly late in games when the opponent is tired, so there are just about always at least two on the team. I agree, it's past time for either of them to move to the next level. But their failure to step up to the international level points out another issue for the Nats - that we haven't developed many good outside midfielders lately aside from Beasley. And this is a major factor in Bruce choosing to use hybrid players like Stewart and even Donovan as the fourth or fifth midfielder.
Actually, IMHO Rusty Pierce has the athleticism to make it........when he acquires sufficient enough skill and tactical knowledge. That probably won't be by 2006 but he'd only be 29 or 30 in 2010 AFAIK. I'd give Corrales and Broome a shot at left back. Davis from the Metros should get a chance also.
Well we have gone back and forth on Corrales and Garcia enough and I am satisifed that we just have different opinions there. I guess Kyledane and I see things differently on who is a wide midfielder and who is not. As for personal attacks, I didn't see any from kyledane against me. He attacked some things I wrote, which is different. I did make some "snide" remarks, though I think they were telling not "embarassing." To each their own. Anyway, on to a couple of points that I think are interesting. Well that flew right by me before. Of course, Arena will never eschew wide players from the team; at a minimum they give you the ability to make a tactical change. My point was that Arena does not automatically play the best dmid, the best attacking central midfielder, the best right-sided midifelder and the best left-sided midfielder. Instead, Arena seems to me to choose the four best midfielders available and then deploy them in a balanced manner that gives a reasonable defensive shape, but is not necessarily in the traditional US "diamond" four midfield. I thought you disagreed. Or one could look at it that we have developed players who are more comfortable in tight spaces and who don't have to flee to the outside to be effective. You see negative, I see positive in this fact.
I don't know if Davis will or should get a chance at left back, but he should definitely be in the sights of da Bruce at some point for somewhere (I can even see him challenging Beasley for the wing spot). The kid's got game. Presuming his attitude is okay, that guy's got a future.
I think Davis is a better fit where he plays now, on the left flank. Broome may be fast, but that is his only attribute. Excuse me for wanting a defensive player 1st and a offensive threat 2nd. If 2 guys are essentially equal in marking but one excells on offense, than that should be the deal maker, but the guys who've been mentioned so far on the back aren't the stalwarts of their predecessors. I watched the burn/stars game last night and I have yet to see anything to refute that while Temoc pushes the ball fwd w/ quickness & skill, is dangerous around the box, is a presence in the air & is a physical man marker, he seems to get lost in the zone & doesn't have enough lateral speed to make up for being badly out of position. Both the game winner and the later follow up goals can be attributed to his fault-though Jordan looked stiff and should've been able to stop 2 of the 3 goals. When I watch Garcia, I see the guys he's defending disappear. The same can't be said about Cherundolo, Heydude, or Suarez. BTW Nelson Akwari has skillzzz, but I think he's too smallish to play for the big team.
Well you can want whatever you want, once you get your own team. However, Arena puts a lot more emphasis on attacking out of the back -- or at least getting forward -- than you do. Since this thread is about the chances of guys to make it pm Arena's USMNT, not Wu tang's, that seems a little more relevant. In International soccer you have to have at least 7, if not 8 guys, who can attack to do well ... like the quarters of the World Cup.
I've got money that Garcia never becomes a mainstay on the Nats. Fine MLS player, but he doesn't have the distribution skills to play dmid or right back IMHO. I should have said that Davis should get a call up at the position he's playing---not left back.
Kansas City has not played 4-4-2 under Gansler on a consistent basis. The few times they have Nick Garcia did not play as a outside back. When KC plays 3-5-2, Garcia is a marking or zonal CENTERback in Gansler's system. The wingers, thus wingbacks, cover the wings. Gansler uses three central defenders in his back three. Garcia is a centerback in MLS. IMO, Garcia is good with the ball at his feet and can pass (better than Mastroeni). His challenges leave a little to be desired (probably why Arena has yet to Cap him). His positioning is good, however. He is also not as slow as everyone likes to think he is, but he is not fast enough to play as a wingback. I could see him playing as an outside back in 4-4-2, however. The problem with this is Arena likes attacking outside backs. This is Garcia's one drawback - he hasn't had to attack since college. Given time as an outside in MLS he could develope into one. I think he could be a good one, but I don't want Arena using him there. I think he could be an option as a holding d-mid, such as Leo Cullen has been in the past - albeit briefly, for Arena. If he were to get better with his challenges/tackles, he could develope into a very good d-mid at the international level (see Mastroeni who is basically the same size as Garcia, but quicker). I don't see him having a future as a central defender at the international level, but it is not out of the realm of possibilities.
Good analysis, though perphaps a tad optimistic about Garcia's ability to develop into a decent attacking outside back in an Arena system.
I agree with pretty much everything else, except this. Maybe he can pass better than Mastroeni, but I seriously doubt that he can hold the ball better than Pablo can.
For the record, I don't think he's likely to be a mainstay either because we have a number of players who are better suited to the positions he would likely play. I'd only say he'll be in the picture for the next few years and will probably get some looks. Agree - Davis has some great moves offensively and could help us immediately on the left side of our midfield/offense (yes, I'm well aware that Beasley is already there). To force him into the defense would be to waste most of his upside.
Thanks Martin. I am usually a tad optimistic about everything, though once I see the light through my rose covered glasses I drop the optimism (say about Garcia) real quick. The "pass" is what I mean. To expand more on the holding of the ball, he is where Mastroeni was at in his third year of MLS play. This is Mastroeni's 5th year, while Garcia is in his third. On a side note, this is the problem with a lot of posters - me included. A player is written off - such as how Mastroeni was in 1999 - as a future Nat before they develope into a good pro. Players like Garcia and Califf are not international caliber at the moment, which is why I'm optimistic about them. Given more time to develope, they might reach a Mastroeni's level.
I’m going to go about this in a different manner. With the Gold Cup and Confed Cup coming up next year, this is what needs to be the focus for U.S. Soccer – not necessarily WCQ for the 2006 World Cup. Yes, Arena should have an eye towards the future – this I’m not debating. I’m just looking at it from a different angle. The following is who I think should be in the pool with the focus on winning the Gold Cup and Confederations Cup, while also looking towards the WCQ that will start in late 2004. Start with the... Primary Player Pool Goalkeepers... 1. Brad Friedel 2. Kasey Keller 3. Tony Meola 4. Tim Howard Defenders... 1. Eddie Pope 2. Tony Sanneh 3. Frankie Hejduk 4. Gregg Berhalter 5. Jeff Agoos 6. Carlos Llamosa 7. David Regis 8. Greg Vanney 9. Steve Cherundolo Midfielders... 1. Claudio Reyna 2. John O'Brien 3. Chris Armas 4. DaMarcus Beasley 5. Earnie Stewart 6. Pablo Mastroeni 7. Cobi Jones 8. Eddie Lewis 9. Brian Maisonneuve 10. Richie Williams 11. Richard Mulrooney 12. Brian West Forwards... 1. Clint Mathis 2. Landon Donovan 3. Brian McBride 4. Joe-Max Moore 5. Josh Wolff 6. Jovan Kirovski 7. Ante Razov Most of these players have the inside shot at forming the nucleus of the U.S. Nats between now and the end of 2003. I don't think Arena (hoping he stays on as Manager) will completely overhaul the squad, at least not until the January camp in 2004. That is when the serious preparation for WC 2006 will begin. Don't give me any crap that 2004 is too late to begin serious prep for the WCQ. Remember Beasley made is serious run for the World Cup squad AFTER the U.S. had qualified. He did it in five months. Arena has always fielded a squad with an eye on winning the match. This is why is short-term turnover of players was so low and will continue to be so. There will still be a turnover, but not very big. Again, I'm not saying Arena’s eyes will not be on 2006, so I do feel some of the older players are finished. Just don't be surprised to see someone like Agoos or Jones play in 2003, or that some players that will be over 30 in 2006 to be cut. I also don't expect Arena to call in 93 players over the next four years and cap 73 of them. I think around 60 will get a call-up, with 40-50 getting a cap. No National Team is really 50 players deep (e.g. Brazil in 2002 WCQ's and France with all their injuries at the 2002 WCF's). Do you really think Joe Enochs is interantional caliber? Secondary Player Pool Goalkeeper... 1. Zach Thornton 2. Joe Cannon 3. Nick Rimando 4. Kevin Hartman Right Back... 1. Ryan Suarez 2. Oguchi Onyewu 3. Evan Whitfield 4. Nick Garcia Center Back... 1. Carlos Bocanegra 2. Mike Petke 3. Danny Califf 4. Corey Gibbs 5. C.J. Brown 6. Kelly Gray 7. Brandon Prideaux 8. Jim Conrad Left Back... 1. Wade Barrett 2. Joe Franchino 3. Paul Broome 4. Nelson Akwari Holding Mid... 1. Daniel Hernandez 2. Pete Vagenas 3. Ramiro Corrales 4. Leo Cullen Right Winger... 1. Ben Olsen 2. Chris Klein 3. Steve Ralston 4. John Thorrington Offensive Mid... 1. Ross Paule 2. Sasha Victorine 3. Kyle Martino 4. Francisco Gomez Left Winger... 1. Bobby Convey 2. Brad Davis 3. Antonio Martinez 4. Eric Quill Forward... 1. Conor Casey 2. Taylor Twellman 3. Jeff Cunningham 4. Edson Buddle 5. Santino Quaranta 6. Bobby Rhine 7. Ed Johnson 8. Chris Carrieri These are your best American professionals playing 1st Division (MLS, 1.Bundesliga, EPL, etc.) or 2nd Division (2.Bundesliga, English First Division) soccer at the moment. If the U.S. were to play a game in November, I would call in the following players (a MLS based team) for a camp... GK: Howard, Cannon, Thornton DF: Pope, Suarez, Bocanegra, Petke, Barrett, Califf, Akwari. MF: Olsen, Beasley, Mastroeni, Martino, Maisonneuve, Mulrooney, Jones, Paule, Convey FW: Donovan, Mathis, McBride, Twellman, Buddle, Cunningham. Some for experience and some to win the game. If the U.S. had to play the Confederations Cup final 6/29/03 vs. Brazil I would have the following 18-man roster... GK: Friedel, Keller. DF: Pope, Berhalter, Sanneh, Hejduk, Bocanegra, Gibbs. MF: Reyna*, O'Brien, Mastroeni, Beasley, Olsen, Maisonneuve. FW: Donovan, Wolff, Mathis, Twellman. My starters: Keller - Sanneh, Pope, Berhalter, Gibbs - Olsen, Reyna, O'Brien, Beasley - Donovan, Twellman. *I've read Reyna may not "retire" from the Nats over the next two years. If he does retire Mulrooney or a healthy Armas replaces him.
I think it's a good idea to think along these lines as well. It mainly asks the question: Who is literally next in line? Most often the player next in line is going to be a guy who's playing very well now in a league very visible to and well-respected by our coaches. There are the occasional exceptions, like Chris Albright. But they can be cataloged separately, as in the original list of Wild Card players. That said, I don't think you're going to get an awful lot of agreement for placing Casey above Twellman.
Garcia has no future internationally unless he cuts out that bush-league crap he always pulls. Like when the Crew cut the USOC semi to 2-1, and he grabbed the ball and curled up in a fetal position for 3 minutes to waste time, and then even had the gall to fake a hip injury. He does that kind of crap way too often, IMO.
Though they will probably makes a few more appearances, I think Agoos, Llamosa, Jones, Stewart and Moore are basically out of the pool.
Re: Re: September edition - the Ursuline 100 yes, i totally agree on this front an argument can be made that he is already the best usa player since he first donned the usa shirt no has played more games, logged more minutes or scored more goals i know that is not a perfect argument, but its pretty awesome for 20 years old