Pre-match: USA vs Bolivia May 28th, 2018

We'd like to qualify next time.

 

b.t.w., Keaton Parks is in the "22" for the Benfica - Sporting derby tomorrow. He appears in the convocados twitter as "Keaton"

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Well that's an earth shattering revelation.

 

I assume most if not all the young US players currently getting minutes in Europe will be included in the roster vs Bolivia. Will it include the "older" players Chandler, Wood, Cameron, Lichaj, Ream, Green and Gyau since most MLS and some MFL players won't? Are we done with most of the older crew?

 

Glad to be of service.

 

Agree and while some of you are sure of certain things none of us actually really do know for sure. We just think we do. You may be right but you may not. I always go to motive and while it's usually money I don't see how MLS / SUM forcing the National team to play more or only MLS players makes more money if they don't play in the World Cup. Occams Razor is with a bit more fiddling with the roster, tactics and luck would have been enough the roster was in a generational lull. Good players in the older and most likely younger ages but the 24-30 group was the weakest in years. The best coaches in the world wouldn't have saved it they would have just puked and quit.

 

Some of the blame should go on fans who are now (and were) negative.

Players - in the age group you mention - who could have been developed with foresight: Hedges, Wenger, Rowe, Dom, Trapp, Nguyen. People will say I cant prove they would have been any better and what I would say is that they wouldn't have the problems an aging player like Cameron had, or groin surgery re-hab, or a questionable recovery from nerve surgery, etc.

the problem was we just couldn't get Jones and Dempsey out of the lineup and Hedges couldn't get a look because Klinsmann wanted the guy who played with America in Mexico whom I cant even remember anymore.

We could make the same mistake this cycle with Nagbe who is sort of this cycle's Jermaine Jones, playing for his final contract, a little old for WC 4 years away, etc.etc. The same people who insist this age group should get every game will be the ones who will be negative when we don't qualify.

 

Are you advocating that Hedges should’ve received more playing time?

 

Concentrate on the phrase "could have been developed with foresight".

 

Hedges isn't as solid this year as a couple of years ago. He's been good and defense is new so he may improve but I think his time has passed by. Too many as good or maybe better that are younger and in better leagues.

 

The fact is they are unbeaten in any arena this year apart from the postage stamp in the Bronx. He is a really good player for his club who wasn't introduced early enough to the international game to thrive there.

 

European-based players ought to be informed of their inclusions now because their seasons are about to end or have and they are required to be in shape for camp.

I think Mark Pulisic was intimating his son shouldn't be called up because he's worried about burnout or injury, but they could take it easy with him while he's still considered part of the plans. He should play about half the minutes in these matches. He hasn't taken part in the last few camps and we want to see how some of the newbies mesh with him. There is long-term interest in that. Sarachan and company have really been lollygagging when it comes to developing a core before the next official matches which will be here before we know it. If the U.S. would have made the World Cup he'd be involved in many more matches with higher chance of injury.

 

That is an interesting take. I would think you could say that our national team managers have identified some serious flaw and passed him over. Three USMNT managers have now taken a hard pass and the games he has been on the field were horror shows.

 

Yeah.................generationally speaking Hedges, Parker, Zimmerman, and others may be passed by. They're in between the last generation and the fast risers in Europe (CCV, EPB, Miazga, etc.)

Hedges may end up being Chad Marshall, which is a huge compliment. Marshall has been an elite MLS-level defender for a long time with only 12 or so caps to his name. Rarely started in big tournaments or events after the 2009 Gold Cup. A cap here or there. Hedges so far has 5, and played in the 2017 Gold Cup. I can see him getting a callup here or there, particularly when Euro players aren't available. He could get to that 10-12 or so range while being an elite MLS defender. Lest we forget, he's been a Defender of the Year in MLS (like Marshall) and has the ability to do so again.

With Ziegler next to him the FCD defense has been a lot stronger this year than last year. They've allowed the fewest goals in the league by a pretty substantial margin (less than a goal a game).

For the USMNT I just can't see Hedges being a regular. Really nice player, though.

By the way, Reggie Cannon of FCD will probably lead U20s in minutes this year in MLS play. [Mostly because Adams is likely to miss a lot of time with the USMNT.] Nice to have some young RBs in the pool to keep an eye on.

 

In the first game he saw minutes, which was with Klinsmann b.t.w., he made more defensive plays in 15 minutes than Yedlin had made in the whole game and Klinsmann played Hedges at rb.

After that game, Klinsmann never called him up again.

 

I think Hedges would be OK. He's a good player but his biggest problem is he's a very tall player but is a bit thin. He gets tossed around a bit by big power forward types. Of, course to be fair I would have to take an deeper look at our other tall defenders like Brooks (who may be one who stay injured) and Miazga and perhaps Glad who is even more rail thin. One point in Hedges favor is that he is now playing RCB for the first time and won't be hitting his stride until later in the year as he still doesn't look as comfortable as at LCB.

 

I try to get excited about upcoming US games.

Then I think about Sarachan running out a bunch of disorganized central midfielders who cannot create goal scoring chances. Then I think about US coaches and US soccer media raving about the team's play because they see a bunch of guys working hard, even if all that hard work comes to nothing. Then I think about creative prospects getting few minutes while the hard workers get most of them, because people like Sarachan embody the US Soccer culture valuing hard work over actual soccer skill.

Then I lose my enthusiasm for upcoming US games.

Get a coach who wants to play soccer, and maybe I will return as an enthusiastic, excited fan. But I feel no obligation to spend my spare time grinding through 90 of garbage ball.

 

Probably Klinsi told Yedlin to attack and Hedges to defend. Usually not much more complicated from him.

Whatever. Arena called Hedges in. He was outclassed against Martinique. MARTINIQUE!

Sorry, end of story.

 

http://americansoccernow.com/articl...ic-and-sargent-called-up-new-projected-roster
Thought I would compare my roster with Sciaretta' with the guys I did not hv on my roster in bold.Sciaretta has a 29 man roster so he needs to trim 6 field players. I"d trim all the ones in bold with exception of EPB.

-------weah/-rubin-------wood/sargent/novakovich-----pulisic/Johansson

--------saief/rowe----------------------------------------------------nagbe/lletget

------------------Adams/McKennie-------------------------------Delgado/Parks
----------------------------------------------------Trapp-
Garza/Robinson/Vfana------------------------------------------Yedlin/Chandler

-----------------------Parker/EPB------------Miazga------CCV/Zimmerman--
-------------------------------------------GK: Steffen/Bono/Hamid

Chandler: I was done years ago.
Zimmerman: Hasn't been in greatest form recently.
Garza.Robinson - 3 left backs is a bit much. Garza tends to be fragile and is more valuable to Atlanta than the USMNT. There's plenty of time to try out Robinson in future occasions.
Rowe - I don't think he is getting much pt with Revs.
Nagbe/Lletget - we need to move on from Nagbe. Lletget is playing well, I believe.
Johansson is injured
Wood just isn't performing. The charity box is empty. Sry, new ruthless attitude.
Rubin - eh. I think Dom is showing more pzazzz.

So, of the guys Sciaretta picked whom I did not have on my roster I'd consider EPB and Lletget worthy but I don't know whom I would drop from my roster. We could call EPB in November when Parker will be in playoffs.

I had Guzan instead of Bono in goal. I think we should have a top class keeper against the likes of France so at least we look like we can play correctly.

 

Jozy's out injured for this, so we get a chance to look at some different strikers.

Toronto FC star Jozy Altidore will miss the next 4-6 weeks after having surgery to remove bone fragments from his foot https://t.co/T5vSYnx6KD

— SI Soccer (@si_soccer) May 8, 2018

 

Except Nagbe won't be a beast in this year's WC.

 

Was he going to be there prior to this injury? I don't think so.

 

Yeah, I thought Sarachan said explicitly that he didn't need to look at vets like Altidore, Bradley, and Dempsey, since it was already clear what they offered.