Surely Duane Holmes is among the top, but is he is the biggest? https://chasingacup.com/duane-holmes/
1. Duane Holmes---actually made a huge impact in his limited minutes with the US. Under Berhalter, and given Adams's absence, he has been the best-looking center-mid, so far. Performances at club level have reached new levels. 2. Tim Chandler----still playing at a high level. Could be a right-sided mid for the team. 3. Antonee Robinson---was horrible, along with everyone else, in the match against Jamaica. But last season was only his second as full-time starter at club level. Has gone on to become one of the best LBs in the C'ship.
Fredo Morales, Tim Chandler, Ventura Alvarado, Duane Holmes (injury?), Eric Lichaj, Ike Opara, and Antonee Robinson are major snubs. Add in Darlington Nagbe although due to failure to commit. Maybe you can add Andrija Novakovich, Emmanuel Sabbi, Erik Palmer-Brown, and Jordan Siebatcheu. I’d rate: Call ASAP: 1. Fredo Morales - We need bite in this team. 2. Antonee Robinson - We need left backs. 3. Timmy Chandler - Too in-form to ignore. 4. Ventura Alvarado - Need quality CB’s. Need to be considered: 5. Duane Holmes 6. Emmanuel Sabbi 7. Erik Palmer-Brown Outsiders: 8. Ike Opara 9. Eric Lichaj 10. Jordan Siebatcheu
The common theme running through EB's list is that virtually all of the names are challenging to spell correctly, which might be just enough to tilt the scales against them.
He did something on his first touch, that an entire team of Americans could not do for 100+ minutes...….. Score a goal vs Belgium in a World Cup. /
I could be wrong... so BS mafia don’t crucify me, but I predict that Holmes won’t have a bigger impact than Tyler Boyd. Now, Fredo is different. He fits this team well. We need someone who can be the “Pablo Maestroeni” of this generation. Someone to protect Pulisic, Reyna, and company.
I think Holmes is more well-rounded than Boyd, but yeah, there's there's a very good chance Holmes has already missed his best window to play USMNT games. Lots of talented youngsters coming up and a hopefully healthier core of Adams and McKennie in CM, combined with few friendlies in the near future... I don't see Morales as that guy. People portray him as a strong defensive player, but I don't see it. I think they just say it because he's not that great at offense. But he's not a strong defender in open spaces, he doesn't cover a ton of ground. He's already 30 and I've never seen him pop in the minutes he's had with the USMNT either when he was younger or recently. I really don't even understand what he brings to the table. If you're comparing him to how Roldan has played ... okay? But I've got a lot better CM options, and I don't even think Morales is really a DM.
I think he has decent mobility, pretty good defender also pretty good in the air, alright contributor in offense, he doesn’t fumble all over himself with the ball - like Roldan. But his main contribution is his bite. He plays aggressively. We have such a passive group of players that we need someone who likes to go in hard on tackles.
I don't think there's any guys who were viable that he hasn't given any opportunities to, unlike Klinsmann where that would be normal. But he does have plenty that he's under-used significantly - Antonee Robinson, his brother from another mother Miles, Paxton Pomykal, Ethan Horvath, Duane Holmes. Antonee, Paxton, and Ethan standout from that list; in part due to often underwhelming alternatives and themselves excelling against decent comp.
Pablo also protected the back-line while distributing well. Two things Morales doesn't do. I think we've seen enough to label him a try hard who wouldn't have been an asset.
Antonee Robinson stands out as he's gotten no opportunities under Berhalter at a position of weakness. I think Horvath should have gotten some run as well; I'm not sure I really agree that you need to be playing to get time in a friendly at GK. Miles, Paxton and Holmes all had very ill-timed injuries, so it's tough to tell what would have happened. If Berhalter has competition, it's happening in camp -- I do think in general he should alternate more often in game play. Sargent should have gone to the Gold Cup. I think with more time the young players would have won out in the roster. I am afraid that Berhalter's tendency to experience and cohesion will have a WCQ roster that includes Roldan over Holmes or Pomykal, for example. I do think we are free of Trapp and Lovitz. I hope. With just Nations League and likely right into WCQ ... does someone like EPB or even Antonee Robinson get a shot? Strong club performances in good league mean that they should be looked at. But without friendlies, I wonder if they will.
Yeah I chose Robinson off that list, too. Hopefully now he's been cleared to play, he'll be involved in the next US camp, whenever that is. Agreed on Egg, and the worry is real. Sure, we might be rid of Trapp, but we still have the Lion's caps record hanging over us. It looks like his most likely lineup has Bradley or Yeuill as a "must start", which will mean Reyna or Morris gets put on the bench. That's the scariest thing in my mind right now wrt the US lineup.
I think we can qualify with Jackson Yeuill or Michael Bradley there if the rest of the team is reasonably healthy. I don't think it's *optimal* but I don't think a McKennie/Adams/Yeuill midfield is the major problem. I'd much rather solve LB, for example, or have a healthy and clear CB pairing. Or have someone step up healthy and strong at striker. Qatar is a different story.
With CP, McKennie, Brooks, Adams, Dest, qualifying out of CONCACAF will be a cakewalk. Fact that Bradley is even being discussed with any kind of seriousness is patently ridiculous. He's probably not among the best 30 players in our pool, and getting worse daily (also coming off an injury). His MLS salary just got axed by 80%, and only by that little because Toronto felt bad. I don't mind Yeuill - maybe he's out 20-30th best player? Cool, be part of the rotation based on injuries. Maybe he keeps improving as a young player. To play behind two of our best players who are defensively inclined? While also being responsible for Morris or Reyna to sit on the bench? Nahhhhhhhh.
Well, he’s still my #3 best center midfielder if we don’t count Nagbe. Maybe Pomykal surpasses him soon but he’s still valuable to us.
Not a snub, exactly, but I wish Kellyn Acosta would recover his form and get a recall. We could use a free kick specialist who can play multiple positions.
I can scarcely conceive of a way for Michael Bradley to get 14 more caps. And by "scarcely" I really mean "not at all".
Sorry, just realized that this post quoted @gogorath. I meant to quote @yurch10 (and his comment--for the thousandth time--about the conspiracy to get MB the caps record).