Pretty interesting that we should have 3 defenders starting in the Bundesliga this year (Cherundolo, Sanneh, Berhalter) and it would appear 3-4 players starting in the EPL (Kirovski makes 4?). And from all reports it seems Reyna is doing very well there. The one thing the US hasn't produced is an offensive player that has enough quality to make it as a starter in one of Europe's 4 major leagues. However, we do have a host of young strikers with the potential to go abroad and succeed (Casey, Donovan, Twellman...). I think its pretty clear that European teams are now looking to Americans as bargain buys, but MLS isn't letting the WC players go abroad (or at least not for the going transfer rates). This could lead to a very interesting WCQ campaign where our "star" players are actually home based and our fringe players are actually the ones playing in Europe. I still feel with MLS's quality of play that we would be wanting to have 2/3s of our WC squad coming from teams that play in the big European leagues if we want to make see a largely improved national team. Landon says maybe MLS good enough, but does anybody else see it as good enough to keep the USMNT as a quarterfinalist threat for Germany?
When you consider that only one non-MLS player scored a goal for the US in Korea, you have to say yes. Sachin
point taken, but... If you take the 3 first half goals against Portugal out. We had 4.5 games played with only 4 goals scored. I'd say that is NOT enough offense and that it was indeed the offense and not the defense that was our problem. We blew quite a few chances against Korea, Germany, and Poland. Also, its a bit misleading to say that all but 1 goal was scored by an MLS player when all the forward play was really MLS (sure JMM played some, but not much and not in a let's get a goal mode). As well as having a Euro based player make a run down the wing to set up 3 (Reyna, Sanneh, Lewis) of the 6 goals we scored while a 4th was from a great ball from JOB (getting rid of the own goal). Our forwards definitely did not create goals. Landon did beat a German defender to create a chance but failed to put it away. But I could see the arguement that if the cup were played with a Donovan with a year or two more experience he might have had 4 goals instead of 2.
Um...maybe you missed where he said "the one thing the US hasn't produced is an offensive player that has enough quality to make it as a starter in one of Europe's 4 major leagues."
Kirovski will be an offensive player - and probable starter, as will Casey. I don't think the statement is true.
casey... starter? i thought he was behind a few people right now... i can see him being one in the future, but i didn't think right now... jovan, definitely
OK - I guess I may be overstating Casey's status, but he should get plenty of playing time. I should have said they both have a chance at starting. Jovan is also still a question mark at this point, although less of one.
You could make an arguement that Donovan HAD 4 goals instead of 2. The own goal awarded to Jorge Costa could have been a goal for Donvan. Costa did nothing to direct the ball toward goal, it merely deflected off him, unlike Agoos hitting a perfect left-footed volley or Escobar knocking it into the net in 1994. Also, I don't think we will ever see a goal get called back like the one Donovan "scored" against Poland right after their first one. And if anyone other than Khan had been in goal for Germany, he would have had another one. But, alas, all of what I just wrote is semantics. Your point is accurate, but I stand by my arguement that MLS players can shoulder the goal-scoring load for the US. It would be great to see Casey net 10 goals for Hannover this year, but we're OK anyway. No one will confuse us with Brasil, but I think we can hold our own. Sachin
Yeah...Ronaldo got credit for a goal that was kicked into the net by the defender and Donovan didn't get credit for a goal that deflected off a defenders back and went into the net. So I'll say that with 2 years more experience Donovan would have likely netted 5-6 goals instead of 2.
Re: Re: US and Europe That call still bothers me - I wouldn't have had to whiteknuckle the remote control while praying that Portugal didn't score vs Korea, most likely.