Why are people talking like Gooch is one of our best players?

Let's see Bobblehead, Cornrows, Great Photos (Borghetti, Gold Cup game winner), excellent nickname

All he needs is a shoe deal, a commercial, a rap song, a chant at matches, and a pop-star girlfriend .

 

Ursula's post is where I began reading this thread. Such a good post I don't feel the need to read the rest of the thread.

Thanks, Skip.

 

I expect Arena to tinker with the lineup based on the opposition, but I DO NOT expect him to change his central back pairing unless there's an injury, or we change formations.

IOW, he'll pick two and ride them.

Also, for what it's worth...I saw Gooch play a game at UVA when he was at Clemson and he was the best player on a field that included Eskandarian and Martino.

When Clemson went down 2-0 he moved to right mid and didn't miss a beat. He's big, fast, strong and can play with the ball at his feet.

 

Back in October, some Belgian TV announcer said Gooch would playing in England soon, and Gooch responding by saying something to the effect that he dreams of playing in the Premier League, but given a choice, he'd prefer to play with Middlesbrough or Bolton so he could play more games.

Has anyone heard any trade rumors since the window opened? Has his recent 3 game suspension for red cards made him less attractive in the EPL marketplace?

 

in usa today last spring, arena was quoted saying he expected gibbs and onwewu to be his starters june of 2006...

soccer america might have the story entirely wrong...

usa goes with two of out pope, berhalter, and bocanegra, it will be 3 and done

 

Do you have a link or can you provide a quote from SA about this? I searched their site and couldn't see anything obvious.

 

Sorry, it's in the latest print issue (has DMB on the cover, I got it in the mail a few days ago). I don't have that issue with me at the moment.

FYI, that same issue predicts Arena's 23-man roster for the Cup. The predictions pretty much read like the consensus bigsoccer.com wisdom, right down to Chris Rolfe being a late darkhorse forward candidate. You wouldn't find anything to quarrel with. Which is what made the rather strongly worded statement that Gibbs and Gooch wouldn't start due to a lack of experience that much more surprising.

 

gooch's performance against mexico showed more than bocanegra could ever show...

gibbs shut down of van niistelroy on holland speaks volumes for what he could do...

soccer america must be going throough withdrawal over the loss of their northern california mls side....

I'll bet a lot of money, gooch or gibbs will start over the likes of berhalter or pope...

bocanegra has some chance, but I don't see him but being 3rd in the central defender mix....

now if arena goes double d-mid, that's about the only way the 'experienced' guys have any shot...

whomever plays against poland and, more importantly, germany should be a preview of june, sans injury

 

lol i think they totally missed the boat on this one

 

With the exception of Pope, Gibbs and Gooch have finally given us defenders that can make a mistake and actually CATCH UP to the player that beat them. You have to match up athletically and we finally do. Makes like a lot easier than having to rely on perfect organization and shape to defend (Agoos, Berhalter, etc.).