With a game Sunday, ya' had to figure that Glenn Myernick would have liked as few of the teams that feature U23 players as possible to advance. So far, with one series still to be determined, that's worked out as well as he could hope. KC, which has no healthy players in the U23 pool, is one of the teams still alive. So is New England, the only team in MLS without a current youth national team player. In terms of U23 players, the Chicago-DC series was a push so it didn't really matter to Mooch which team advanced. (Though I bet he would have preferred Beas and Co to Esky and his teammates.) With the LA-SJ game still to be played, here is who Mooch could have available: COLORADO Kyle Beckerman, Seth Trembly, Nat Borchers, Casey Schmidt COLUMBUS Edson Buddle, Kyle Martino, Nelson Akwari, Michael Ritch DALLAS D.J. Countess, Brad Davis (who has health questions), Eddie Johnson, Jordan Stone, Phil Salyer, Mandi Urbas. DC Bobby Convey, Doug Warren, Alecko Eskandarian, Tino Quaranta, David Stokes, Brian Carroll, Devin Barclay (if healthy) NY/NJ Ricardo Clark, Mike Magee, Eddie Gaven, Jake LeBlanc, Kenny Arena, Tim Regan Plus, he's got whomever is available from the Quakes (Landon, Saunders, Levesque, Walker) or the Galaxy (Lewis, Ochoa, Gonzalez, Gomez). And, he could call in his Euros, Oguchi Onyewu, Alex Yi, Conor Casey, David Johnson and David Yelldell, (plus, technically, Zak Whitbread, Frank Simek, Kenny Cooper and Frank Karbassiyoon, but I don't expect any of them to get summoned) and he's got Chris Wingert and maybe Adolfo Gregorio from the college ranks. In otherwords, even with four teams in the playoffs, Myernick should have more than enough bodies to take an 18-man team to St. Kitts.
Well, Lewis and his LA teammates are available! (As an aside, I think Sigi goofed not putting Lewis in at about the 80th minute mark to counter some of SJ's subs.) Here's a guess at an 18 for St. Kitt's. Countess, Warren Lewis, Stokes, Onyewu, Yi, Wingert, Borchers Beckerman, Martino, Convey, E. Johnson, Clark, Carroll Buddle, Casey, Eskandarian, Magee
Quality or quantity? Mooch might have wanted in an ideal world to have his best two under 23s available. But in any event, there should be enough available for this match. Assuming no Euros, I would go with the following: Countess Wingert Borchers,Akwari/Arena, Lewis Clark Beckerman Martino Convey Buddle Magee
I thing there will be Euros. According to articles I read on/in both TopDrawerSoccer and Soccer America, Mooch is in Europe scouting the 23s there. I don't think he'd scout them if he didn't plan on using them.
Well he certainly is going to use them at some point, so I would expect him to scout them since -- well it is is only job when he doesn't have a camp going. The question is whether he calls in Euros who are playing with their clubs for a match that is not on an international game and is not a difficult one. If Mooch follows the Arena theory of peace with the clubs, he will gamble and not call them in. Since the risk of a Yi losing his spot with his club is higher than the risk of losing to St. Kitts, I know what I would do.
man i feel sorry fot st. kitts. this is an excellent striker tandem and midfield for not having the two best u-23's available, damn i wish i could see this match in person...should be a fun offensive explosion by our squad.
I would go with the following: Countess Wingert Borchers Stokes Lewis Clark Beckerman Martino Convey Buddle Eskandarian/Gaven
I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times.. Martino is over-rated.. Convey hasn't exactly been playing all that well this year but he usually comes up big wearing the USA shirt no matter what level it is.. Flame war on me shall now commence.. Have at it........