USMNT Talk

[Midas Mulligan]

I didn't see it. But he's 16. Someone's got to teach him. It's too perfect.

Hopefully, as an NYC and US fan, we see a lot of it in Europe soon.

He played a few games with Charleston and looked like the best player on the field this year. He's not too different than where CP10 was at this age (I mean, he's arguably better than Chris was at the same stage but I refuse to expect a similar trajectory. The thing that is so amazing about CP is how he makes next to zero mental errors. You just can't expect or coach that - it has to be inherent or equivalent in that it's learned over a decade of progression).

 

[Keith Putnam]

The new FIFA rankings are out and the USMNT has been placed #28, wedged right between Bosnia-and-Herzegovina and Iran.
http://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/ranking-table/men/index.html

 

[adam]

The new FIFA rankings are out and the USMNT has been placed #28, wedged right between Bosnia-and-Herzegovina and Iran.
http://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/ranking-table/men/index.html

Haha! Those rankings are a real joke. But FIFA is a joke. So it only makes sense :/

 

[Keith Putnam]

Haha! Those rankings are a real joke. But FIFA is a joke. So it only makes sense :/

Fair enough, but it's also kind of all we have. Where would you place the USMNT?

 

[adam]

Fair enough, but it's also kind of all we have. Where would you place the USMNT?

They belong somewhere toward the bottom of the top 15 teams. However, based on our most recent form, I would not argue being closer to 20 then 15. I just can't name 20 teams in the world that would beat us on a consistent basis.

 

[FootyLovin]

Haha! Those rankings are a real joke. But FIFA is a joke. So it only makes sense :/

They may be a joke, but we should also all take a moment to appreciate what USMNT/JK accomplished in 2014. Getting out of a group with Germany (3) and Portugal (8) and very nearly toppling Belgium (5) in the knock out - that was more special than we sometimes recognize.

 

[Paul]

The new FIFA rankings are out and the USMNT has been placed #28, wedged right between Bosnia-and-Herzegovina and Iran.
http://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/ranking-table/men/index.html

They belong somewhere toward the bottom of the top 15 teams. However, based on our most recent form, I would not argue being closer to 20 then 15. I just can't name 20 teams in the world that would beat us on a consistent basis.

They may be a joke, but we should also all take a moment to appreciate what USMNT/JK accomplished in 2014. Getting out of a group with Germany (3) and Portugal (8) and very nearly toppling Belgium (5) in the knock out - that was more special than we sometimes recognize.

Are you guys familiar with the ELO Rankings? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Football_Elo_Ratings

It's generally considered to be more accurate than the skewed FIFA rankings. The USMNT is currently ranked #33 in the world by the ELO formulation.

 

[mgarbowski]

Are you guys familiar with the ELO Rankings? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Football_Elo_Ratings

It's generally considered to be more accurate than the skewed FIFA rankings. The USMNT is currently ranked #33 in the world by the ELO formulation.

 

[Taurus]

Ethan Horvath is moving to Belgian side Club Brugge.

http://www.espnfc.us/story/3031381/...th-seals-move-to-belgian-champion-club-brugge

 

[Gotham Gator]

Ethan Horvath is moving to Belgian side Club Brugge.

http://www.espnfc.us/story/3031381/...th-seals-move-to-belgian-champion-club-brugge

Wonder if he will get PT there.

 

[Midas Mulligan]

Camp Cupcake roster announced:

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION

GOALKEEPERS (5): David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes), Stefan Frei (Seattle Sounders FC), Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake), Luis Robles (New York Red Bulls).

DEFENDERS (10): DaMarcus Beasley (Unattached), Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC), Greg Garza (Atlanta United FC), Matt Hedges (FC Dallas), Taylor Kemp (D.C. United), Chad Marshall (Seattle Sounders FC), Keegan Rosenberry (Philadelphia Union), Walker Zimmerman (FC Dallas), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City).

MIDFIELDERS (12): Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas), Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Benny Feilhaber (Sporting Kansas City), Jermaine Jones (Unattached), Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy), Kekuta Manneh (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Dax McCarty (New York Red Bulls), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), Chris Pontius (Philadelphia Union), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC).

FORWARDS (5): Juan Agudelo (New England Revolution), Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy).

Graham "Damnit" Zusi and Benchwarmer Brad on the squad. But no sign of the patron saint of Belgium at least.

I also don't really see the point of bringing up Chad Marshall, unless it's just to have a backup for actual games. He's old and too slow for the international game.

Also, Dax and Wil Trapp suck. That's all I got.

 

[Ulrich]

Camp Cupcake roster announced:



Graham "Damnit" Zusi and Benchwarmer Brad on the squad. But no sign of the patron saint of Belgium at least.

I also don't really see the point of bringing up Chad Marshall, unless it's just to have a backup for actual games. He's old and too slow for the international game.

He's off pulling strings during the USSF / NASL / USL negotiations. He has higher aspirations than being a player and is positioning himself to take the Iron Throne from King Sunil.

 

[Midas Mulligan]

He's off pulling strings during the USSF / NASL / USL negotiations. He has higher aspirations than being a player and is positioning himself to take the Iron Throne for King Sunil.

Holy Shit! He is on the roster. My mind blanked him out somehow the first time around.

More relevant to your post, Stefan Frei could totally be a GOT name.

Also, when did he get his citizenship? And why in the hell do we need to call up 5 keepers to play two games? Rimando is so past it, I can only assume he's there in a coach-like capacity.

ETA: Taylor Kemp is shit. And old. Old shit makes me sad. (oops, he's only 26. he looks and plays like an old man, though.)

 

[Tom in Fairfield CT]

No surprise that is a backwards looking roster.

The bulk of it is exactly who Klinsmann would have brought. Then you have the camp fodder "brought in for a closer look" Then you have the sacrificial offerings to the soccer writers, Dax, Feilhaber, Agudelo.

Plus Stefan Frei, WTF

 

[adam]

Just nice to see Benny and Nagbe back. Let's hope the blacklist has been burned and everyone gets an equal chance.

 

[Midas Mulligan]

Just nice to see Benny and Nagbe back. Let's hope the blacklist has been burned and everyone gets an equal chance.

I don't want an equal chance for Rimando, Wondo, Zusi, or Evans. They've squandered their right to equality.

 

[adam]

I don't want an equal chance for Rimando, Wondo, Zusi, or Evans. They've squandered their right to equality.

Be honest. Without being a Klinsi favorite, will they make the 18 on merit? I'm hoping they are all done as well. Let's hope the team is now based on talent/potential, because that group is short on both.

 

[Midas Mulligan]

Be honest. Without being a Klinsi favorite, will they make the 18 on merit? I'm hoping they are all done as well. Let's hope the team is now based on talent/potential, because that group is short on both.

Agreed.

Frankly, I don't much care about this camp. What I most want for games that matter is to park Geoff Cameron as our deepest midfielder and build a midfield around him that works. Preferably one where Bradley is either knocked to the bench or back to his 2012-13 form. I would probably guess that should be two of Nagbe, Koochstache, and Danny Williams. There might be a couple of others I'd think of if I spent a bit of time on it. But damnit, I don't want to see this panic ball that Bradley inevitably causes with his inability to handle pressure.

 

[Tom in Fairfield CT]

Agreed.

Frankly, I don't much care about this camp. What I most want for games that matter is to park Geoff Cameron as our deepest midfielder and build a midfield around him that works. Preferably one where Bradley is either knocked to the bench or back to his 2012-13 form. I would probably guess that should be two of Nagbe, Koochstache, and Danny Williams. There might be a couple of others I'd think of if I spent a bit of time on it. But damnit, I don't want to see this panic ball that Bradley inevitably causes with his inability to handle pressure.

Arena plays a 442, so get ready for Bradley and Jones in Midfield, with central midfielders plopped on to the wings.

 

[Ulrich]

Arena plays a 442, so get ready for Bradley and Jones in Midfield, with central midfielders plopped on to the wings.

He has on occasion gone 3-5-2 but that's a rarity. The one thing that is certain is that there will be two and only two forwards at the start of games, and one will be a prototypical CF target man with the other a fast Striker running below/off him.