Just heard back from the Revs: X-rays on Twellman's foot were negative, and he's in camp with the team at present. The Magpie
Also, simplistic analogies can be made to apply to everything. I'm sure he has a home and can feed himself and his family, so he has already won. Enjoy it as it is. No reason to think or plan ahead. Absolutely no reason to try and make his position in life more secure, save up for college, retirement, get the kids stuuf they like, or himself. Just enjoy everything as it is now and forget about trying to improve things. What's the point...right? Can't be improved and everything is perfect.
I think a lot of people here are overreacting to this roster. I'm just happy that we are not going to see Walker and we will get a chance to see gooch and spector in the same defense. The rest are filler as far as I'm concerned. To everyone calling for more Europe-based players to be added: you're way off base. This game means little and at this time of year there is no reason to bring in a whole bunch of Europe players when we can fill in the holes with MLS guys. Would a little more experimentation be good? Maybe, but then many of the posts here want less and are calling for bringing in guys whose skills BA is well aware of. This seems like an ok balance and I'd be surprised if we didn't see a few additions by gametime.
Yes, my guess is that it's an incomplete roster. It would be odd to call in four keepers, and only five backs (although I suppose you could count Convey as a back).
This roster is not right. USSoccer.com has EJ and sanneh and a few other guys pretty obviously in the video, so this SA article has to be misinformation. I halfway wonder if this one wasnt done just for laughs. I certainly have had a few reading the posts on this thread this morning...
They are indeed closed to the public and are being held at the Crew training grounds in Obetz which aren't the easiest place to go watch practices unless you are allowed on the grounds.
The lineup doesn't seem right because so many accounts have placed Twellman, Sanneh, and Russell in camp. Spector was even listed on the wrong team. I don't believe this roster but it doesn't outrage me as much as others on this board. Those who seem to be upset over this roster have been the ones who have been upset at every roster. They wanted Dempsey, Spector, and no Frankie and Cobi. They got it and they are still upset. It seems believeable to me that this roster could be put out to confuse the Jamiacans. If true, I don't agree with it for 2 reasons. The first is that it is pretty low. Either put out an accurate roster or don't release anything. The second reason I don't agree with it is that it isn't necessary. Before our first game against them in August, they believed that our best player was Peter Vermes. Jamaica's scouting reports seem to suggest they are confused enough as it is and they don't need any more help from Bruce.
This isn't an "official" release from US Soccer. This is Ridge trying to get hits to Soccer America's website.
My guess is that Russell is in camp and Gaven is probably training with our u20's because I think he will be the captain of the team.
I hope indeed it's not official. There is no reason to let reserve players to play, even if they're playing for a brand. Reserve matches are pointless. Also, who in the world would swap an entire team? You test new individualities by swapping max 4 players at a time. It would have been interesting to see Gooch with Pope, not with a teammate without match form.
According to the thread in Yanks Abroad, https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=150198&page=1&pp=15, Russell may be hurt: If Russell is hurt, that really sucks for the guy. The only other time he's been called into camp -- for the friendly against Denmark -- he also got hurt.
Apologies if this has already been discussed in this thread and I just missed it, but does anyone know why Pope is missing? Is Pope injured?
Since Sanneh was obvious in the videos, he's obviously there. But since the training is in Columbus and Tony lives there, he's got nothing else to do, so maybe he thought he'd go hang out with the team and do a little training - but not an official call-up. Could be one explanation. But I still think this roster isn't real. I mean, Ramiro Corrales for crying out loud.
Good point. Tony is still rehabbing, in effect, and he might as well come out and get a run in... Anyone know if Arena or Myernick is running training right now? Video showed GM doing a session, but maybe BA is back now... Suarez isnt a national team calibre defender either, unless they want someone to go out and get one of the other teams forwards injured. That guy is like Brian Bliss or desmond armstrong terrible.
you gotta think that like sanneh, cunningham is out there just to keep warm. However, by calling in suarez to let him practice and not chad marshall? or martino? Again, camps are 25 people and the sa article had 22 names so that leaves room for gaven, russell, and sanneh or russel sanneh and twellman but albright and suarez and corralles? gagme!
Below is how I'd rate the depth chart, assuming the accuracy of this report, plus some players we know are in camp. For those who are griping about the Corrales inclusion, remember that Arena has called him into camp before, and also that he actually hasn't played terribly for SJ this year. He's made the AAXI list a couple of times, and has been the archetypal professional in San Jose. Arena likes him. Maybe just as a camp player, but he likes him. GOALKEEPERS Kasey Keller (Tottenham). Joe Cannon (Colorado) Matt Reis (New England) Jon Busch (Columbus) DEFENDERS Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado) Tony Sanneh (Columbus) Oguchi Oneywu (Standard Liege) Jonathan Spector (Manchester Utd) Bobby Convey (Reading) Chris Albright (Los Angeles) Dan Califf (Los Angeles) Ryan Suarez (Los Angeles) MIDFIELDERS Landon Donovan (San Jose) Clint Dempsey (New England) Ricardo Clark (MetroStars) Brian Mullan (San Jose) Kyle Martino (Columbus) Steve Ralston (New England) Ramiro Corrales (San Jose) FORWARDS Eddie Johnson (Dallas) Brian Ching (San Jose) Brian McBride (Fulham) Taylor Twellman (New England) Jeff Cunningham (Columbus) NUTMEG STARTING LINEUP ---------Johnson----Ching--------- --------Martino---Donovan-------- --------Clark-----Dempsey-------- Convey--Mastro--Onyewu--Albright ---------------Keller-------------- For all the griping going on about the roster, you put that lineup on the field and you've got one of the most talented, athletic, BIG, and skilled teams the US has ever assembled. That team could beat Jamaica. Not only that, but with a few changes based on some development I expect to happen over the next couple of years, I would take this team to Germany: --------Johnson--Donovan-------- ---------Beasley---Gaven--------- --------Clark-----Dempsey-------- O'brien---Spector--Onyewu---Dolo ---------------Keller--------------
Good post, but this lineup is a recipe for disaster against Jamaica. They are a very tall team, so we can't afford to play a relatively short central defender like Pablo Mastroeni. Califf or Sanneh will probably get the start opposite Onyewu.
Personally I see nothing wrong with a starting XI that looks like this: GK: Whatever flava now that Keller is probably flying out D: Convey at left back (more time there is good), Spector and Onyewu (excellent, young but should be quality), El Gato at right back MF: Mastro at d-mid, Donovan at roaming right-mid, Martino at a-mid and Dempsey on the left. F: McBride and Johnson
Well, a weak press can have its upside, where weak coaching does not. After all, it's a relatively short leap from a pressthat finds out things the coach is trying to keep secret to out and out harassment of the variety you see in the European press. Besides, if Arena was sleeping witht he same woman that the USSF director was, would you really want to know it? I wouldn't. A 'benevolent dictator' coach also has the positive side effect of providing a single point of blame when things are not going well, since you know no one else has the power to inflict some of his roster preferences on Arena. That's not always so obvious.
Please - for God's sake - Bill Belichek was able to keep under wraps the fact taht his best RB was going to be out and the nation is obsessed with football. You mean to tell me that the New England press was so small he could keep this under wraps. As a coach you search your opponents strengths and weaknesses and try to exploit them. The less you know the less ability you have to do that. Bruce Arena is not employed to keep all you jackasses happy b/c you know the roster three months in advance. He is employed to win and if his silence keeps Jamaica guessing then he has done his job for the day.