GOALKEEPERS (3): David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes), Ethan Horvath (Molde FK), William Yarbrough (Club Leon) DEFENDERS (7): Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin),Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Moenchengladbach), DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle) MIDFIELDERS (8): Paul Arriola (Club Tijuana), Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Lynden Gooch (Sunderland), Perry Kitchen (Hearts), Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund), Danny Williams (Reading) FORWARDS (5): Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Julien Green (Bayern Munich), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Bobby Wood (Hamburg SV)
I dig it expect for the goal keeper omissions. Bedoya should not be there either, sad to say, but the dorection things should go in.
Mixed group of vets, young guys, and fringe players who haven't gotten a chance in a while. Wish we'd gotten Agudelo over Wondo. Wondo is old and has gone cold, whereas Agudelo is in great form. It'll be nice to see a young keeper get a chance. Edit: Also disappointed not to see Nagbe. I thought these games might be a good chance to see him start for the first time for the USMNT
No Bill Hamid. 2nd game is in DC... Agudelo should be here over Wondo given his form. Johannsson left off is totally reasonable, back from injury more important to stay at club. Starting to think Villafana will never get a chance to play left back for the NT. There has to be something more to his exclusion. He'd rather use Chandler at LB. Noticed he didn't call up Acosta. Would like to Zimmerman for January camp. Positives: Arriola, Gooch, Kitchen, Kljestan Meh: Wondo, Bedoya
Wondo. I shouldn't get cranky over his perpetual inclusions, given that he seems to be a given. Always. But it still pisses me off
You thought he'd actually integrate any new MLS players when he didn't have to? If so, you have paid zero attention to 5+ years of samples. Villafana too. He came through MLS and then went to Mexico. That's not Klinsmann's preferable path he wants to create for players. Ideally it would be Europe straight away, but he'll take development in Mexico, and if you go to MLS you better magically find your way to a decent European league otherwise back door through January camp when he has to call up MLS players. Villafana and Hamid also get scapegoated as part of the "lost generation". Now he's got two. I think the Wondo inclusions classify as a mental disorder at this point and will make the next DSM manual.
Perhaps the biggest story besides Gooch getting his first call up is the goalkeeper situation. I'm sure both Guzan and Howard will be back for the Mexico game, but might be telling who he rates for the future of the position. And there's no Hamid either. Didn't Klinsmann kind of knock him in the media? IMO Hamid has to move to Europe now. He seems to be behind in the depth chart. Has to do something to get Klinsmann's attention again. Also consider Guzan has looked shaky and rides the bench in PL. Howard age.
Agudelo would have been nice. Nagbe and Acosta as well. I mean Nagbe hasn't gotten a real shot yet despite the previous callups.
Nagbe is not a forward though. And like i been saying before with Dempsey out for the rest of year or even maybe done career wise. It would make to call up wondo.
Villafana may never get a chance with the USMNT. Wondo's inclusion makes zero sense. Agudelo, Johannsson, even Wooten would have been better.
Besides the WC roster leaving off Donovan, this is the worst roster he's named, I don't think its even close. Oh wait, I think I'm forgetting 2015 Gold Cup, so maybe only second worst since then.
The players just had to read the (deserved) negative press clippings during Centenario, which fueled them for a good week and a half of performances, until the bottom dropped out.
Why is he calling Wondo? I mean he's a failsafe for beating minnows, but we don't actually have to win these games.
We absolutely deserve to get beat badly against Mexico and Costa Rica. Blame the President of the federation for keeping this coach. These two friendlies are against pub sides. If we actually manage to lose, I'd be surprised. Klinsmann will claim the team is playing well. Good thing we are about to start the Hex with some teams capable of beating us.
Tough start but also great if we can get out of the 2-game set with 4 points. Mexico has very good attacking options and will be difficult even though it's in Columbus. We never seem to play well down in Costa Rica. 0-2 start would have people calling for his head again.
Based on who's started the most in which positions this year, the lineup basically writes itself: Bingham; Yedlin, Cameron, Brooks, Johnson; Bedoya, Bradley, Kljestan, Pulisic; Wood, Altidore
I do believe that the value of this roster and this pair of friendlies would be in determining once and for all if Timmy Chandler might be worth anything in a game that involves an plane flight and 70 degrees or more.
If Villafana isn't going to be called up for this camp then he just isn't going to get called up. - Who is our backup LB going into qualifying? Maybe Acosta out of position? Or Besler out of position? Neither are on this roster... -It would be nice to get Johnson into midfield where he's been playing in the Champions League but judging from this roster, that doesn't seem to be on Klinsmann's mind. -Where is Chandler going to play? I think he's been at CB for his club, but we have plenty of better options there.