While it's still hot, let's get going. Pick your starting 11 to take on the Brits. May 28th, might be just around the corner. Let me start with mine: --------------Jozy--------------- ---Donovan ---Adu----Dempsey--- ------Bradley-----Feilhaber------- ---Bornstein---Boca---Gooch---Dolo--- -------------Howard--------------- With Beasley still out injured, our left mid options would probably be Convey, Mapp, and perhaps Alvarez? After the Mex match, lots of folks probably don't want to see Convey start on the LM. Mapp/Alvarez seems like they still got a lot of work to do based on what we have seen last summer (was it the Copa?). So, I go with Donovan. I believe he started with the USMNT playing on the left wing? and did really well at it? so why not bring him back to left where he can take the ball down/inside the box with his speed? With Donovan on the left wing, we can now bring Dempsey down to the Right Wing where he's comfortable taking on the defender. This would leave Jozy up top by himself as the target man, with Adu underneath him making sneaky runs into the box. Adu has demonstrated that he does have an eye for goals with Benfica, or at least spray the ball to the forward/wingers like he did up in Canada. For once, i would like to see Jozy get services up top from Donovan/Adu/Dempsey at the SAME time. PS, i would also like to see Adu move out to the LW and Donovan up behind Jozy at some point during the game, just to mix things up.
Altidore Dempsey Beasley?/Convey Edu M. Bradley Donovan Bornstein Gooch Boca Cherundolo Howard I don't know Beasley's injury situation. as for center mid, I think Bob will probably start Edu.
From my recollections, Donovan started out as a forward, usually lining up on the right side, and was sometimes out on the right wing.....just as he is now. I can't remember a time he ever played on the left wing for the USMNT (although he did play there at least a time or two for LA this past season).
-----------------------Howard------------------ Cherundalo(C)---Onyewu----Spector----Bornstein --------Dempsey---Bradley---Feilhaber---------- --------------Donovan-----Adu----------------- ---------------------Altidore-------------------- I really like this alignment because Howard is our best goalie obviously, Cherundalo and Bornstein are very good at getting up and down the line and they would be required to do so in this alignment, I think they both would be very effective in this setup, Onyewu is the big powerful centerback but looked better in all the other areas against Mexico as well and hopefully that continues, Spector is the technical centerback with skill and still has good size, I really think this pairing could be very solid for us I hope we try it, in the midfield we have Bradley kind of sitting back and winning the ball, distributing around the field and allowing him to make timed runs into the box which he has done so well for Herenveen, he is not a destroyer he should be allowed to get forward when the opportunity comes, Dempsey and Feilhaber pinch in a little for the 3 man midfield, and I feel would be perfect for these positions they are a bit slow on sidemid and lack a little defensive bite at a pure center mid, but here they are pinched in some and get cover from Bradley, this lets them get forward a little and be creative, both of them are very dynamic and skillful players as is Bradley so we should have excelent skill coming out of the midfield, and linking up in attack, as well as being solid and compact defensively. Infront of them you have Adu and Donovan on the flanks interchanging, combining with Altidore and just doing everything they can to create chances be dangerous and create havoc in our final third, they could be deadly doing this, and lastly up top we have Altidore who I am very impressed with, with his size and physical presence he will be a force in the air and be able to win the ball and hold it up and traffic, as well as use his skills to take on defenders and go to goal if necassary or link up with midfielders making dangerous runs or laying the ball off for a scoring chance, Altidore has so many different things he can do he would be excellent in this role. I really think this lineup would be greatly effective for us, unfortunatly it is not an empty bucket 4-4-2 so probably will not be used by Bradley, especially not in this game because he will go out in fear of them when we should have no reason to do so.
what did i miss, we're playing england????? fifa nor ussoccer.com has this, i have the check thefa.com, and also to the starter of this post, the scottish welsh and northern irish all have claim to the title, brits, along with england
Yeah I just checked FIFA and we're not playing England.... Who started this thread and what information did you base it off of?
http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2008/02/reports-usa-vs.html#more and http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/sport/football/2008/02/10/usa-clash-can-land-becks-ton-98487-20314883/
It was reported by ives on his blog this morning. It's not official yet. http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2008/02/reports-usa-vs.html edit:Nerazzuri beat me to it. Sorry.
Not to mention http://blog.washingtonpost.com/soccerinsider/2008/02/morning_kickaround_2.html#comments
-----------Altidore------Donovan----------- -----Mapp---Fielhaber--Edu(C)---Adu-------- ---Bornstein--Subotic--Onyewu---Wynne---- I hope Cooper and Gibbs can play in this game too.
no way any of those guys start against England unless Bradley is in throw away mode.Edu captain hmm your avatar clearly shows
Although this match has yet to be written in stone, however when it is reported by both Ives and Goff, you might as well considered it a done deal.
England was to play a friendly agaisnt Ireland at Wembley, but Ireland is backing out and the front runner to replace them is the US team. I'm so going if this happens!!!
SI.com is also reporting this match, apparently the US replaces Scotland.... http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/soccer/02/11/bc.soc.usexhibitions.ap/index.html
Mapp deserves a look at least as much if not more than Convey. Bobby hasn't shown a thing in the premiership... but more importantly he hasn't produced at all for the national team. Feilhaber deserves it more than Bradley based off of national team performance it's that simple. When we're talking Derby v Herenveen it's a pretty irrelevant debate. I go off of what I see on the field with the national team/. I think it's time we start giving Wynne a look. No sense wasting our time with guys like moor and cherundolo who have already reached their peak. Clearly that peak isn't good enough to win at the world cup. Sure i'm stretching it a little bit with subotic, but be honest with yourself... you would be crazy to have your 2010 hopes set on Bocanegra, Demerit, and Conrad. Once again the status quo we have now isn't close to being good enough. Bob should experiment like crazy I don't care about results in friendlies.
I do agree that we should be giving our young CBs more starts in meaningful games.Fact is that compared to the other positions our CB prospect pool is actually quite thin.I dont think we had a solid CB who can consistently perform at a high level since Eddie Pope.
Why pick Feilhaber over Bradley?....for me, our best central midfield tandem is the two of them together... How the hell do you figure Drew Moor "has reached his peak?" He's only just turned 24 and has only been a professional for 3 seasons. (Not saying he'll ever be good enough to be good/great at the international level, but it's ridiculous to suggest he won't ever get any better than he is right now.) As for Cherundolo, he's the best we have (and probably have ever had...excepting Sanneh's form at the 2002 WC) at right back and he should start until someone better comes along...I don't see that happening this cycle.
To us. One sheep is different from another, to other sheep. (Sorry for screwing up Tolkein quote.) Actually, if they could have a British team, they'd have a lot better team. Giggs anyone?
Donovan on the left.???....That is like having a Beasley on the right The Brits will be salivating about that kind of lineup....