If you could field a team of younger US Nats vs a team of "Veterans" who would you start for each team? Youth=25 years old and younger Vets= 26 and older with at least 20 caps youth: gk: T. Howard Lb: B. Convey cb: C. Bocanegra cb: C. Gibbs rb: S. Cherundolo dm: R. Clark am: L. Donovan lm: D. Beasley rm: E. Gaven fw: E. Johnson fw: D. Arnaud(wild card) it would be great for someone other than myself to name the vets starters thanks
------------Friedel -----Sanneh Pope Mastroeni Klein---Reyna----Armas----JOB ------------Mathis -------Wolff----McBride There, at least now you've got a real veteran team to choose against. -------------Howard Cherundolo Bocanegra Gibbs Convey --Gaven Clark? Donovan Beasley ---------Casey Johnson Edited to include Casey -- and with Donovan in midfield, I think it's basically a wash. I'd take the vets though if I had to choose. Note the the USSF: this is one hell of an idea for a friendly.
Which Johnson? The one that plays well in US youth tourneys or the one that doesn't produce well enough in MLS for the Burn/ FC Dallas or what ever they are called.
Johnson has been the best forward in Dallas this year. He now has a high ankle sprain and will be out for about three more weeks but he is the most frequent target for other teams GM's so I think your info is out of date. Besides just think how he would do runing with Donovan and Beasly. That is some serious speed and they all like give and goes in traffic.
Keepers: Friedel vs. Howard, pretty even at this point. Defense: Sanneh/Pope/Mastroeni/Vanney or Hejduk vs. Cherundolo/Gibbs/Bocanega/Convey, with a healthy Sanneh I might give the edge to the veterans for now since the most of the young line havent faced high pressure intenational matches yet. I still think Convey is better suited for the midfield but so might Mastroeni. Youth is fine for midfielders or forwards but you don't want rookie mistakes from your back four. There will be another group of young defenders to choose from once Marshall, Spector, Simek, and Whitbread get a little older. Midfield: Lewis/Reyna/JOB/Armas vs. Gaven/Donovan/Clark or Dempsey/Beasley Another tough call, the young line looks exciting but neither Gaven, Clark, or Dempsey have proven themselves yet. The veteran line are all good passers and solid defensively but could any put the ball in the goal? Maybe they could put Mathis at Attacking mid. Forward: McBride/Wolf or Mathis vs. Casey/Johnson or Twellman or Eskandarian Again there's a lot of young options but has the young group proven themselves? Right now I'd give the edge to the vets with Wolf staying healthy and McBride and Mathis looking good overseas. Overall: While the U26 team would have some of our most exciting and talented players, it would also have some positions filled with VERY inexperienced players plus less international exposure. If I had to pick one of the teams today Id go with the proven veterans but a lot can change in two years and its nice to know we'll have decent backups at every position.
Y'all should check out the Metros GAA when Rico Clark starts before you pencil him in anywhere. He'll be great someday, but that someday is at least 18 months off. Unless you want the "youth" squad to spend most of their day picking the ball out of the net.
GK - Howard D - Gibbs D - Bocanegra D - Marshall LM - Beasley RM - Gaven DM - Clark HM - Dempsey AM - Donovan CF - Twellman CF - Buddle Subs: Countess, Garcia, Curtin, Beckerman, Mapp, Convey, Noonan
Youth Team: -----------Howard-------------- ---Gibbs---Marshall---Boca------ -------------Convey-------------- Gaven-----Donovan-------Mapp -----------Casey------------- -----Esky----------Buddle----- Senior Team: -----------Friedel-------------- Sanneh--Pope--Mastro----Vanney ------------JOB---------------- Klien-------Reyna----------Lewis ------Mathis----McBride------- I'd take the youth team.
yes cause everyone knows that the metrostars have the best defense in the world... i mean come on, eddie pope and ricardo clark only hold that unit back by the way, i'd take the youth team over the vets... what about including spector and cooper in there? cooper led man united reserves with 13 goals arriving midseason and spector is said to be ready for 1st team action. Just cause we haven't been able to see them doesn't mean they aren't ready i'd bet cooper is one of our better young fowards, (has any of the young mls fowards caused you to say wow?) but as of right now spector would probably come off the bench behind gibbs and boca.
US youth: ---------------------------------Howard---------------------------------- Cherundolo-------------Gibbs-----------------Bocanegra------------Convey --------------------------------Dempsey---------------------------------- --Gaven---------------------------------------------------------Beasley-- --------------------------------Donovan---------------------------------- --------------Eskandarian-------------------------Casey------------------ US vets: ---------------------------------Friedel----------------------------------- Sanneh--------------Pope--------------------Berhalter-------------Vanney ---------------------------------Reyna----------------------------------- --Olsen---------------------------------------------------------JOB/Lewis ---------------------------------Mathis----------------------------------- ------------------Wolff---------------------------McBride----------------- I wanted to include Kyle Martino & Brad Davis but neither is having a great MLS season. I also left off Eddie Johnson because Alecko Eskandarian is doing SOOO well at DC. For the vets, a pretty easy group to figure out IMHO. The thing that stands out IMO is the incredible depth that we've developed in the last several years, mostly thanks to MLS!!!
if you could wing it logistically, i really like the idea of a feeder B team that the A nats would train and play against. here we'd avoid the restrictive cherry-picking of the current system. rather, you'd have a ready-pool of ALL the best young MLS-ers. well, one can dream.
It's all pretty close except the veterans have such an insane advantage at forward I can't pick them losing.
I just realized that I listed the starting teams but no winner. IMHO it would be close, mostly because of Donovan & Beasley, but the vets would get the edge. Friedel, Pope, Reyna & McBride are TOO much to overcome.
Wow, you saved me the trouble of posting my lineups. I agree 100% with the youth lineup, but would change to a box midfield of Reyna-JOB/Mathis-Lewis for the veterans. I like the youth team, though finishing problems could plague them, and set pieces would favor the veterans Goalie: Slight advantage to the veterans Defense: Different strengths and weaknesses. --I like the youth CBs (I'm not a Berhalter fan, and Pope isn't a great organizer) --Convey could get embarrassed on the dribble --Vanney and Sanneh could be embarrassed due to lack of speed. Midfield: Big advantage to the youth team. No way can Reyna, Lewis, or a Lazy Mathis keep up with the speed of the youth. Dempsey is solid and physical, Gaven has amazing skills, DMB will run around them, and Donovan can make incisive runs. Forwards: Big advantage to the veterans. Casey isn't McBride yet, and Eskandarian may be hot, but he's no Josh Wolff.
After seeing some line ups I would take the youth to be the mens vets. Speed would kill the vets, I also noticed someone said that Pope, Reyna and some others are to much for youth, but young guys in MLS tear Pope apart and Reyna is to slow and his passing isnt where it used to be, also its nice to see Armas not included in anyones line up
I think I'm the one who posted that Pope & Reyna, along with Friedel & McBride would be TOO much for the youths. I think the youths could more than hold their own v the vets but I'm not sure if speed ALONE can make up for the lack of experience. Regardless of what people think, experience DOES matter. Pope & Reyna may not be "young studs" anymore but when there's a BIG game for the USMNT, they bring their "A" game ALMOST always & I want them in MY lineup. As far as Armas, I don't "dislike" him as much as most of BS does but do think that we should look to another player (Reyna IMHO would be great) in that "destroyer & ball-winner" role.
Yeah, but the youth have more than speed ALONE. Granted, Pope & Reyna may bring their A game in a big game...so does Donovan and Beasley. I mean, the Bruce himself said it on the "Our Way" DVD...it was Donovan and Beasley inspiring the vets, not the other way around. I'm going for youth.