Official Team USA Soccer Thread

[fatlever]

u-23 team beat fc dallas 2-1
http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_i ... ights.html
video highlight here

adu looked to be pulling the strings for the u-23 team in a cam role, where he belongs. shea and opara with the goals.

[PANDEMONEUM]

is Torres 100% ?
if he is this is what id like to see
4 attackers dempsey, donovan, altidore, buddle
2 controlling mids torres, edu
4 on D

-----------------------Brad Guzan-------------------------------
Chandler -- Bocanegra -- Cherundolo -- Spector/Goodson
---------------------------Edu-------------------------------
-------Dempsey -- Jose Torres -- Donovan----------
-----------------Altidore -- Buddle---------------

i also really like
Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim) and Danny Williams (Hoffenheim)

i want to see players that will actually play
our first real game is in June
3 months away
no more experiments

[fatlever]

i agree, no more experiments. its time for bradley to pick a formation and its also time for him to decide on a preferred central midfield partnership (that hopefully doesnt included beckerman going forward).

like you, if healthy, i really want to see more of torres. we dont have anyone else like him in the pool. he is the only one who can really control the pace of the game and string together passes under pressure.

edu, bradley, torres, jones, beckerman - who does JK prefer?

i like fabian better than williams, from what i remember. then again, williams was playing on the wing out of position last i saw him. that was painful.

[Sandlot]

I really want to see Dempsey up top with Jozy. Dempsey has been in great scoring form for Fulham lately.

[Sandlot]

Also would be interested to see Johnson at left back since thats where he's been playing for Hoffenheim.

[fatlever]

players dropping like flies for the italy game. jones, torres and now chandler, all unlikely to play. i guess this means we will see fabian johnson at left back and probably bradley and edu in the middle.

[fatlever]

talk now of donovan missing the italy game due to illness. this is getting ridiculous.

[LittleOzzy]

Shea, Kljestan replace Donovan, two more for US vs. Italy

Hamstring injuries to Timothy Chandler and José Francisco Torres and Landon Donovan's bout of bronchitis have forced the American trio to withdraw from Wednesday's friendly tilt between the US and Italy in Genoa. Head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has decided to call on Brek Shea and Sacha Kljestan to help fill the voids.

Chandler, who suffered his injury in Nurmberg's 1-0 win vs. Werder Bremen on Saturday, is ruled out for two weeks. Torres also picked up his injury on Saturday as Pachuca drew Tigres 1-1.

Donovan, on the other hand, has been fighting his illness for a few days. The LA Galaxy midfielder missed the last match of his Everton loan stint due to the illness and has yet to train with the Galaxy despite arriving in the US a week ago.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2 ... face-italy

Updated US Roster:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)

DEFENDERS (6): Carlos Bocanegra (Rangers), Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Michael Parkhurst (FC Nordsjaelland), Jonathan Spector (Birmingham City)

MIDFIELDERS (5): Michael Bradley (Chievo Verona), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim)

FORWARDS (5): Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), Terrence Boyd (Borussia Dortmund), Edson Buddle (LA Galaxy), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Brek Shea (FC Dallas)

[fatlever]

confirmed, donovan is out. shea and kljestian are in.

so not only is our senior team weaker but shea going to italy leaves the u-23 weaker.

[magik9113]

Shea belongs on the senior team though

[HasheemThabeet]

Shea has no real position, keep him off the team until he figures out if he's a midfielder or a forward

[magik9113]

is that not a coach's job?

[PANDEMONEUM]

is Torres 100% ?
if he is this is what id like to see
4 attackers dempsey, donovan, altidore, buddle
2 controlling mids torres, edu
4 on D

-----------------------Brad Guzan-------------------------------
Chandler -- Bocanegra -- Cherundolo -- Spector/Goodson
---------------------------Edu-------------------------------
-------Dempsey -- Jose Torres -- Donovan----------
-----------------Altidore -- Buddle---------------

i also really like
Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim) and Danny Williams (Hoffenheim)

i want to see players that will actually play
our first real game is in June
3 months away
no more experiments

well, that answers my question
torres is not 100%

now idk who to put on D
now that chanlder is out
we didnt have anyone to play there, before we moved chandler

and i DONT want to see Bradley
but now i feel hes going to start

now, i want to see a different formation
mostly cause i dont want Bradley to play, but hes the only other guy to play in 'torres' spot

4-3-3
-----------------------Brad Guzan-----------------------------
Goodson-----Bocanegra -- Cherundolo------Spector
----------Kljestan--------Edu-------Shea----------
-----Dempsey---------Altidore----------Buddle-----

[magik9113]

Bradley has been doing a solid job starting CM every game for Chievo in serie A. I too wanted to see Torres, but I believe Bradley should start no question

[PANDEMONEUM]

i cant stand Bradley
i want a CM to be creative
and create positive chance for his team
and for the USA team
our CM has to be extra good in creating chances

id rather go to a 4-3-3
and not have Bradley play at all

[fatlever]

but is edu really any more creative than bradley? edu never impresses me.

ideally bradley is paired with someone like torres or holden in the midfield (or in this case sasha - who i really used to hate, but i am ready to give him another chance).

i'd be OK with something like

-------------howard
dolo-goodson-boca-f.johnson
williams-bradley-sasha-shea
-------------dempsey
---------------jozy

i am not real fond of williams on the wing but we are running out of any other options out wide and i would prefer to keep dempsey central.

[PANDEMONEUM]

no, edu is not more creative than bradley
but i like him better as a Defensive or Holding Mid, more than Bradley
i feel Bradley takes too many negative touches
i use to hate Edu, but his natural position is Defensive or Holding mid
and he excels playing as the 1 or 2 in front of the defensive 4

and i dont feel that in a 4-3-3 formation
that Edu would have to create, he can stay as a DM or holding Mid
and that the opportunities should be created from the top 3 and other 2 mids

[PANDEMONEUM]

dont forget

The U.S. MNT will play four-time World Cup champion Italy
on Feb. 29
in Genoa.
Kickoff at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris
is set for 2:45 p.m. ET,
and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2.

[HasheemThabeet]

is that not a coach's job?

the job of his club coach, how is Shea ever gonna find out his spot once a month playing with the national team with a coach who loves to move the deck so far in his tenure? Guy should spend all his time with FC Dallas, I mean Shea has been pretty meh so far in his national career and it's not like he's been a monster for multiple years in the MLS.

Also with the CM debate, most of the guys are better suited as defensive holding mids except maybe Torres who isn't that good

[magik9113]

Italy's probable starters:
------------------Buffon;
Maggio, Barzagli, Ogbonna, Criscito;
-----Marchisio, Pirlo, Nocerino;
------------Thiago Motta;
-----------Matri------Giovinco

Prandelli looks set to hand Serie B rising star Angelo Ogbonna the start instead of Chiellini...definitely helps USA, but I don't think they'll be able to handle Pirlo and Giovinco/Matri up top
I predict 3-1 Italy.