I truly believe that the Bruce will have a midfield that can both fustrate and aggitate the opposition. Already thinking back to the Qualfying of 02 Armas was pretty good on his own, but somehow there was something missing on the field and I truly believe that Ben Olsen once he will get back on the radar can do some real damage during qualifying. Actually I should say his is back but seeing the Confederations Cup as well as the Gold Cup coming this summer, both these men can add to a dangerous and talented lineup, that it could be possible that the USA can grab a double championship, abroad & confederational wise. Let's remember the 1999 Confederations Cup in Mexico where Olsen agitated and fustrated Lothar Mattaeus as well when Lothar came to MLS in 2000 when Olsen nicked him from behind in the Metros opener at Giants Stadium. Remembering what he means to both DC & our Nats Ben Olsen can be the missing link to our domination and intimidation during World Cup Qualifying in 2004 & 2005, as well as Chris Armas fustrating the opposition with his tough defensive midfield play. This is going to be an interesting new 4 year cycle with Bruce Arena back at the helm. I can't wait for the Confederations Cup & Gold Cup for this season. It's going to be a beautiful thing to see.
It will be nice to see Beninho back in form, but remember that flexibility will be important. Players like Pablo and Chris Klein may loom large as well.
hmm some quick ass questions: how is armas' injury doing??? is he training yet? will he miss many fire matches??
Personally, I think Mastroeni is a better player and I prefer him to Armas. I think Pablo adds more to the team than Chris does. Having said that, if Armas doesn't recover 100% from his injury, the idea of him returning to the USMNT is a moot point.
Wouldn't that be "when Olsen and Armas ARE healthy"? Thread titles using horrible grammer are annoying. Be more careful. Thanks.
What about all the damage we did when they weren't healthy? Armas isn't as good as Mastro. As far as Olsen, what about the other right wing player we have by the name of Reyna?
Mastroeni is a better midfielder than Armas. JOB and Reyna are also ahead of Armas on the depth chart at d-mid. There are probably others. Just my opinion, but I think for a number of reasons Armas' international career is effectively over.
Reyna is more of a central player for the US Nats, and he's battling his own knee injury at the current moment.
No thread re the US midfield should get this far without mentioning 2 names: Landon Donovan DaMarcus Beasley
Olsen runs around like a hyperactive child a little too much for my liking, but he does create some "spark" maybe. He just seems to get in the way of the other players too much. he needs to calm down a little.
Obviously Reyna is more a central player. I think he was somewhat of a revelation on the right side too, at the WC. Neither Olsen nor Armas will make that much of a difference.
With the depth we currently have, we no longer have to rely on any player. LD was healthy during 2002, while many of the stalwarts went down. Everyone brings a some unique things to the table, but BA has worked hard to provide a system that works - no matter who is available and healthy.
are i find it interesting that armas and olsen have been the 2 players plucked out of the IR list or where ever and thrown into this thread. yes these are pesky players, but they must be part of a team if they are going to be successful. 3 more years or tournies, friendlies and qualifiers is a period we should all enjoy. but i might as well just throw in 2 other names and say, when they're healthy, the US will do some damage. Pope and O'Brien. these two are on my list of vital contributors, ahead of both Olsen and Armas. I'm sure there are other interesting, and completely random pairings of pesky and/or injury-prone players (reyna and mathis, or perhaps twellman and beasley) that a lot of other posters could come up with. But where does that leave us?
my two cents: Reyna will see more time on the wings than in the center. just my guess ... but he's very effective outside and we have some options in the middle that we didn't have a few years ago.
I admire Armas' work rate and fire as much as anybody, but the guy has limited effectiveness against teams with quick midfielders.
olsen -- yes, armas -- no Olsen has shown a heck of a lot since returned to DC at the end of the season. He stood out in the game with Spurs and was all over the field in the Hondo friendly. How about this lineup? Friedel/Keller/Howard Bocanegra - Pope - Lewis Olsen - Reyna - Mastroeni - O'Brien - Beasley Donovan - Mathis/McBride
You won't see Lewis as a left back in a three back system. You will most likely see four backs. If the US plays 3-5-2, Donovaon or Mathis has to be the ACM. I like Obrien and Reyna, but neither one really is a scoring threat other than on set pieces. It was not surprising to see the US shut out against Germany with Reyna as the ACM. I am still pissed at Arena for playing Reyna there when he kicked ass on the right against Mexico. Just my two cents....