Striker Call-Ups for the Fall

It is hard to call at this point. I want to see how the young guys do to start their seasons in Europe. I can say that it should NOT be Zardes or Altidore. It is time for some young blood.

 

This is a really tough question. For me, somewhat unfortunately, Altidore >>>> everyone else. The team as a whole is just able to play completely differently when Altidore is in to hold the ball and lay it off.

So, what I might do is call up Altidore for each set of games, and then bring a second option to try out, who can sub in for Altidore and/or start one of the games. I'd probably give Sargent the first crack at it.

I'm not sure about Soto. I don't like the idea of calling up guys who otherwise wouldn't be deserving just because another country starts sniffing around, but maybe there's an argument for Soto on merit? He looked quite good at the u-20 WC, and the other options for the USMNT aren't great. So maybe for the October or November games if he can get some decent minutes at Hannover?

On the domestic front, I might circle back around to Sapong. He had some good performances under Sarachan and seems to be able play a similar game to Altidore with more energy but less skill. He also has 10 goals so far.

 

The pool is Bunbury, Zardes, Alitodre, Sapong, Ramirez, Sargent, Soto, Ferreira, Novakovich, Sargent, Toye, Morris, Baird, Weah, Ferreira.

We'll see how the Euros get on in the early season. I agree that Altidore and Zardes can be left out.

 

I’m just waiting for the USSF’s friendly media to talk about how Sarge and Weah were right to be left off because 3G didn’t have enough time to actually train them to play in his system. They’ll have to wait till we have another month camp.

 

Doubt either of Sargent or Altidore would prevent humiliation, as neither is a prolific scorer at the Mexico/Uruguay level. To prevent humiliation, the team has to put together well.

 

Sargent, Soto, Nova and, if I were in charge, I’d convert Carleton to a striker and bring him in, too

 

Carleton isn't getting any PT regardless of position. I think guys have to play somewhat regularly. And it's not as if Carleton is some veteran who used to get a lot of PT at forward and can draw on that experience from his past even if he's not getting regular PT now. And Nova also should not be called in. He is playing for the u23's at a champtionship team and isn't making the bench for the 1st team.

For now, i'd think Sargent, Altidore, Wood and Zardes (even though if I were manager I'd never let Zardes near the squad) are the 4 we'll see. I'd bring in Weah but wouldn't call him a forward.

 

altidore/zardes/morris are locks

maybe toye, maybe weah if he thinks he could play on the wing too?

I am always amazed how people want to call up random players in search of the white whale. soto and nova are having issues getting minutes at their league two clubs, sargent lol, next think you'll start quoting gary k and talking about how uly and alex should be called up because they are doing well in the u19s lol. Just so you know canada is bad...but they would slaughter the u19 teams those guys played against this past week.

 

Altidore is the guy. Unfortunately it's been that way for almost a decade now.
I would be fine with anybody that is producing in MLS and looking like a soccer player (no Zardes, sadly). I would also be fine with Sargent, Weah, and Nova if they get/continue to get minutes. Just no out of the blue call ups. Look, Egg has got to call somebody in at forward.

 

The problem is that all of them are so different. I think that Altidore and Sargent are the most similar as traditional 9's, so I think that's your top two guys. The USMNT set up is probably best served with a traditional 9 who can receive the ball, filter it to the wings and the midfielders, and get in good scoring positions. Then you need a couple of change of pace guys. I go with Weah because he's a jack of all trades with a penchant for making big plays. I put Weah in to pressure the other team's defenders defensively and to break out in transition. Everything else he does is gravy. I put Morris in to run physically at a tired defense.

1. Altidore
2. Sargent
3. Weah (can also play wing or withdrawn)
4. Morris (more of a wing than a forward)


I think that Ayo Akinola is an extremely promising player. I know he's working his way back from injury, but when he begins getting minutes he should begin getting full national team camp looks. He's our Lukaku, in my opinion...a young bull whose game will translate well at the national team player even as an inconsistent youngster.

I have the up-and-comers ranked like this:

1. Haji Wright
2. Emmanuel Sabbi (if you haven't seen this guy yet...he has the wow factor)
3. Ayo Akinola
4. Sebastian Soto
5. Ulysses Llanez

 

I'd add Julian Green to your pool, who is actually scoring for Gruether Furth in the 2nd Bundesliga.

I can see Berhalter taking a look at him this fall...........................

Some of the USMNT rosters might depend on whether we're having U23 camps (as preparation for Olympic qualifying) in the same windows. Sargent, Soto, Weah, Wright, Ferreira, Sabbi, Toye, Ebobisse, etc. are all Olympic eligible.

 

Scary lists just shows that a late bloomer could really have a shot.

Am not sure there is a difference maker on either list.

Scary to think jozy is probably the favorite to start the 22 wc and injury is most likely to be the top factor to keep that from happening.

 

Sargent.

 

It's not "scary" per se. Its just reality.

Altidore was the youngest starting forward at the 2010WC because the guys that were supposed to be in their primes didn't develop. And ever since then he's been at the top of the heap, because nobody else developed. We all hoped and dreamed that guys like Agudelo would develop into international caliber forwards, but they didn't. I mean...……………...our forwards from the 2016 U23 Olympic cycle almost all totally disappeared [other than Morris.]

So now we wait to see if Sargent, Weah, Soto, Ferreira, Sabbi, Ebobbise, and company develop. But in the meantime, Altidore is our best choice. A healthy and match fit Altidore anyway.

And quite frankly, other than a few brief blips...…………….he's been our best #9 for a decade. [Cuz Donovan and Dempsey weren't #9s.]

I mean, the cat does have a better goals/game rate than Brian McBride. And if he continues further into this cycle as our #1, he does have a chance to catch Donovan and Dempsey as our all-time leading scorer.

 

Altidore has had the misfortune of missing World Cups. We have iconic images of heroic McBride scoring against Mexico and Portugal and wearing his blood on his face against Italy...we don't have those for Altidore. That has been the really unfortunate aspect of his career. I think its pretty safe to say that Altidore would have put a couple in the net over the course of the last few World Cups.

I don't know if people remember or not, but Altidore was one of the stars of youth world cups....bagging a brace against Brazil in a group play victory and scoring the go-ahead goal in the quarterfinal against Austria that the US would lose 2-1.

 

No question.

Altidore for the USMNT just doesn't have an iconic World Cup moment.
He's done everything BUT THAT for the USMNT.
Keep in mind he's had very good Gold Cups and Confederations Cups.

He's also a scapegoat for the 2018 failure. But I don't think folks realize that he was the 2nd leading in 2018 WCQing for all of CONCACAF. Carlos Ruiz just feasted on Caribbean minnows in the early rounds to finish 1st. Jozy outscored every Mexican, Costa Rican, Honduras, Jamaican, etc. forward.

Its unfair, but them's the breaks. I also think folks don't realize that McBride was 32 when he went to Fulham. That's sorta where his legacy was cemented. Altidore is still only 29.

I understand why there's this never-ending desire to replace Altidore. Its fine. We're always looking for the "next generation." The truly world class forward to emerge. But until that happens, we'll be OK with Altidore. He's fine for CONCACAF.

So in the next year we'll keep giving Jozy opportunities, but we should also give a lot of opportunities to Sargent, Weah, Soto, etc.

 

I think that Altidore is just fine for Italy, Spain, or Brazil as well.

You're right in saying that US fans are always hoping for the next big thing. I don't think its necessary to be a revisionist in the process of hyping someone else.

Jozy is the guy. If someone else is better, let them prove it on the field where the games are played rather than in the fantasies of fans who view the game through a misunderstanding of player development based on FIFA gaming franchise experience. You can't just throw a player with better "attributes" on the field and have them perform better than the "old" guy who is on the franchise when you get there. Real life works nothing like that.

 

Yup.

The issue right now for Jozy is that he's getting paid more to play in MLS than he would in Europe right now

I think we all agree that over the next year we have lots of friendlies and even events like the League of Nations to "cast a wide net" and provide players opportunities to win roles.

As we know, we've ridden Jozy HARD for a decade. We respect what he's done for the program. He seems to get injured with regularity now, though. We need to be prepared for a plan B that we can trust in big moments against good teams. That's not Bobby Wood (who Hannover couldn't give away this offseason). That's not Gyasi Zardes. That's not Andrija Novakovich (sorry).

So we gotta keep expanding the net................................

 

I agree on all counts.

Like everyone else, Altidore needs to understand that he has to compete for those minutes.

I think that there has been a major problem in the US camp in that we do not have the competitive environment that teams have in other countries. The guys who are in form should be playing, period. The guys who are earning minutes at their clubs should be getting called in. Period. There should only be rare exceptions.

After the world cup failure, Geoff Cameron wrote an article in the Players Tribune where he described how Klinsmann brought that European cut-throat environment to the mens team and that it sharpened their play (but upset some people who were complacent)...then Bruce came aboard and everyone relaxed. They relaxed to the point that they were all goofing off and loose before the fateful game at T&T.

We need a culture shift. Soccer is a competitive sport. Make those guys compete for their spots. If Altidore is not playing well and impacting the game, sub him off and give someone else a shot. Make it clear that this is their shot. Make it clear that the job is not just won in training or through historic performance...it's won by producing in the moments you have to produce. If that person doesn't perform, give someone else a shot.

 

I agree.

 

Bradley rotated Dempsey between wide midfield and forward. JK used him almost exclusively at forward. And, yes, he was the best forward of the past decade. Wood would be second best.

And, no, Altidore isn't 'fine' for Concacaf. If you can't get it done at home against Costa Rica and Mexico, and on the road against the rest then you're not 'fine'.

 

I would not believe Cameron if he told me it was raining outside. He got dropped by Bruce so he had to come up with an excuse.
Our play under Klinsmann was so sharp that we got off to the worst WCQ start in years! Klinsmann had no idea what he was doing. He was faking it.