Official Team USA Soccer Thread

and1GS · Post #181 » by **and1GS** » Thu Oct 13, 2011 1:01 am

I actually don't even think he has to be a starter right now. He's 21, blessed with great height/strength/athletic ability, and he's definitely talented. The biggest issue I see right now is that he needs a position. Right now he has a striker's mindset but I see a better career for him as an outside mid.

He needs good coaching to aid that transition, first and foremost. He would get that at a top EPL club. He'd start at a place like Wigan, but so what? The US coaching system is so awful right now that he really needs proper direction more than anything.

PANDEMONEUM · Post #182 » by **PANDEMONEUM** » Thu Oct 13, 2011 6:34 pm

the 2 formations i like are 4-1-3-2 and 4-3-3
and this is what id like to see as our starters

Chandler, Bocanegra, Cherundolo, Williams
Edu
Brek, Torres, Donovan
Dempsey, Altidore

3 issues/questions with this though
-can Cherundolo play inside ?
-does Williams want to play R/FB ? (heard it was his natural spot but we have used him at M)
-when will Torres return from Injury ? how long til hes in top form ?

this is what i like for the Main Bench
Onyewu, Ream, Lichaj
Beckerman, Bradley
Kljestan, Adu
Aguedelo
Keepers Howard, Hamid

issues/questions with the Bench
-i dont like Onyewu and Bradley, but im starting to see that the other choices r not ready yet or just not good
-Lichaj, Kljestan, Adu, have not played in any of these friendly games, i really hope they get added to the roster very soon

this leaves 2 spots open
thinking the roster goes to 22

ThreeYearPlan · Post #183 » by **ThreeYearPlan** » Thu Oct 13, 2011 9:49 pm

Ream shouldn't be allowed near the team until he gains 15+ pounds. He's probably the most technically gifted defender on the team but he gets overpowered far too easily at this level. I'd rather go with an Omar Gonzalez over Ream right now.

Bunbury also deserves some burn as a striker imo

PANDEMONEUM · Post #184 » by **PANDEMONEUM** » Fri Oct 14, 2011 5:08 pm

idk how Bunbury plays
i havent seen him play enough

what position is Gonzalez ?
i thought he was more of a Mid
i completely forgot about him
isnt he a little slow ?

well, i would think its either Ream or Fiscal

PANDEMONEUM · Post #185 » by **PANDEMONEUM** » Fri Oct 14, 2011 5:40 pm

for the 2014 FIFA World Cup
our first game is the
Semifinal Round (June 8 – Oct. 16, 2012)
-Group A-
USA
Jamaica
Winner E (Second Round) - Grenada - Guatemala - St. Vincent and the Grenadines - Belize
Winner F (Second Round) - Haiti - Antigua and Barbuda - Curaçao - U.S. Virgin Islands

we "should" be able to win our group and advance
we have 8 months to figure out our roster and formation(s)

*
Final Round (Feb. 6 – Oct. 15, 2013)
•Three group winners and runners-up from Semifinal Round comprise a group of six teams.
•The top three teams qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup with the fourth placed team advancing to the intercontinental playoff against a team from Oceania.

my guess
USA, Mexico
then the 3rd team (and 4th) between Honduras, Jamaica, Costa Rica
unless theres a surprise by Cuba, Canada, Panama or a super surprise team

PANDEMONEUM · Post #186 » by **PANDEMONEUM** » Fri Oct 14, 2011 7:34 pm

The U.S. MNT will face France in its next match.
The game on Nov. 11
will be live on ESPN2, ESPN3 and Univision
at 3 p.m. ET
in Paris

jerrod · Post #187 » by **jerrod** » Fri Oct 14, 2011 10:08 pm

that's a friday, that's kind of annoying.

PANDEMONEUM · Post #188 » by **PANDEMONEUM** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 4:45 pm

U.S. MNT Make First Trip to Slovenia
for Friendly at Stozice Stadium in Ljubljana;
Match Will be Broadcast on ESPN2, ESPN3 and Galavision
Nov. 15th

theres the 2nd match we were waiting to be announced
i prefer this opponent
someone who is more our level
and we can play and try things that we have been practicing and training

Post #189 » by **KF10** » Thu Oct 20, 2011 12:33 am

USMNT rankings:

FIFA: 34th
ESPN: 40th
ELO: 38th

http://www.fifa.com/worldranking/rankin ... index.html
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/spi/rankin ... af?cc=5901
http://www.eloratings.net/america.html

Post #190 » by **magik9113** » Thu Oct 20, 2011 1:59 am

pretty bad, but that's how they've been looking

and1GS · Post #191 » by **and1GS** » Thu Oct 20, 2011 7:33 am

We've played like **** so that ranking makes sense.

Post #192 » by **magik9113** » Fri Nov 4, 2011 2:25 am

for France and Slovenia friendlies... kind of surprising that there are only 5 MLS players

US NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER

GOALKEEPERS (2): Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Tim Howard (Everton/England)

DEFENDERS (7): Carlos Bocanegra (Rangers/Scotland), Timmy Chandler (Nürnberg/Germany), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96/Germany), Clarence Goodson (Brøndby/Denmark), Alfredo Morales (Hertha Berlin/Germany), Michael Orozco Fiscal (San Luis/Mexico), Oguchi Onyewu (Sporting Lisbon/Portugal)

MIDFIELDERS (9): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Chievo Verona/Italy), Clint Dempsey (Fulham/England), Maurice Edu (Rangers/Scotland), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim/Germany), Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04/Germany), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), Brek Shea (FC Dallas), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim/Germany)

FORWARDS (4): Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar/Netherlands), DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla/Mexico), Edson Buddle (Ingolstadt/Germany), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy)

ThreeYearPlan · Post #193 » by **ThreeYearPlan** » Fri Nov 4, 2011 2:39 am

Beasley and Rogers are terrible, stop picking them

Post #194 » by **magik9113** » Fri Nov 4, 2011 4:00 am

my concern is the defense. Just looking at most of those names makes me sick

Boognish · Post #195 » by **Boognish** » Fri Nov 4, 2011 5:22 am

Gooch has got to go

ThreeYearPlan · Post #196 » by **ThreeYearPlan** » Fri Nov 4, 2011 6:00 am

magik9113 wrote:my concern is the defense. Just looking at most of those names makes me sick

that's like the 1st string d too

and1GS · Post #197 » by **and1GS** » Fri Nov 4, 2011 4:18 pm

Orozco really sucks and Onyewu is hot and cold, but Cherundolo is really good going forward and Tim Chandler is a monster. The problem is going to be up the middle because no matter how hard we try to force Steve into a CB role, he's an outside back.

I think we should run with Chandler-Boca-Onyewu-Cherundolo and see how it works.

I just hope we see less of Beckerman. Ya, his enthusiasm is appreciated, but he's a step and a half behind at all times and we have a surplus of average to slightly above average center mids. I'd rather have Jones, Bradley, or Edu in there over him. I guess it doesn't matter too much though as I'm pretty sure our starting two mids will be Holden/Torres when healthy.

sidenote: if Brek can develop some more before the WC we might stand a solid chance at making some noise. If he doesn't, no way we get out of the group stage.

PANDEMONEUM · Post #198 » by **PANDEMONEUM** » Fri Nov 4, 2011 4:47 pm

who is Alfredo Morales ?
does anyone know anything about him?

i thought we were done with fiscal
maybe hes there just for a practice guy

onyewu.
i didnt want him to return to the team
he has below avg skills, and i wanted someone with more ball control and possession abilities
but, everyone else we have sucks. so, hes back

y jermaine jones? whenever hes on the field, i never see anything positive out of him. hes just a guy.

please STOP bringing Robbie Rogers and DaMarcus Beasley to the team.
i dont even want them for practice bodies

PANDEMONEUM · Post #199 » by **PANDEMONEUM** » Fri Nov 4, 2011 5:03 pm

the 2 formations we have been going with are
4-3-3 and 4-1-3-2

i dont know if the MLS guys will be available
when do the MLS playoffs end ?

id like to see Alfredo Morales

chandler - bocanegra - morales - cherundolo
edu
johnson - dempsey - williams
brek - altidore

with that lineup
way more speed and youth on the offensive side
and less possession minded guys
we also have 2 big Forwards
idk if dempsey can handle that roll in the middle
or if williams/johnson r more suited
since williams/johnson play on the same club team
playing them together could be an advantage for us

PANDEMONEUM · Post #200 » by **PANDEMONEUM** » Fri Nov 4, 2011 5:12 pm

did some research
Morales can play RB or defensive Mid
and is not a starter on his club team

Forwards Juan Agudelo and Teal Bunbury were bypassed and will train with the Under-23 team as it prepares for Olympic qualifying.