World Cup 2014

[Smurf]

Time to start the thread as the US has named its preliminary 30 man roster (cut down to 23 by 6/2).

Here is your squad:




Keepers: Tim Howard, Brad Guzan, Nick Rimando

Defenders: Matt Besler, DaMarcus Beasley, John Brooks, Geoff Cameron, Timmy Chandler, Brad Evans, Omar Gonzales, Clarence Goodson, Fabian Johnson, Michael Parkhurst, DeAndre Yedlin

Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman, Alejandro Bedoya, Michael Bradley, Joe Corona, Brad Davis, Mix Diskerud, Maurice Edu, Julian Green, Jermaine Johnes, Graham Zusi

Forwards: Jozy Altidor, Terrence Boyd, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Aron Johannsson, Chris Wondolowski.


Notables missing: Eddie Johnson, Juan Agudelo, Sacha Kljestan, Edgar Castillo, Tim Ream, Brek Shea, Michael Orozco.

 

[Smurf]

Englands 23 man roster:

Keepers: Hart, Foster, Forster

Defenders: Johnson, Cahil, Jagielka, Jones, Smalling, Baines, Shaw

Midfielders: Gerrard, Lampard, Wilshere, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Milner, Sterling, Lallana, Barkley

Forwards: Rooney, Welbeck, Sturridge, Lambert

Stand By List: Ruddy, Flanagan, Stones, Carrick, Cleverley, Carroll, Defoe.

 

[Uncle Si]

I like both rosters. good to see both managers making a concerted effort to shed some (some) of the veterans who have just not bettered themselves over the last couple years. Johnson, Shea, Aguedelo, Ream and Kleistjan are notable omissions. Donovan will need to prove himself to make the final cut.

For England, a strange mix of vets and youthful talent. Henderson, Sterling, Ox-Cham, Wilshere, Barkley, Shaw, Sturridge, Jones are all U-23. then you have Cahil, Gerrard, Lampard, Lambert, Milner, Johnson, baines are on the other end of 20 (and into their 30s). I love the addition of Lallana.

Anyways, a month away. Exciting stuff

 

[Smurf]

there is an ESPN special airing tonight about the USMNT at 7pm EST.

 

[SeatownJay]

Klinsmann has named the 23-man squad for Brazil.

GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (8): DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Nürnberg), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders FC)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jermaine Jones (Besiktas), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
FORWARDS (4): Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

No Landon Donovan, which surprises me a little. Also from a Sounders perspective, Dempsey & Yedlin make it but Brad Evans doesn't.

 

[hawkfan68]

I'm not sure leaving Donovan off the squad is a good idea. Donovan > Johannsson. If anyone should have been left off, it should have been him. Just my 2 cents. Yedlin made it over Evans...that didn't make sense either.

 

[Uncle Si]

Very interesting choices. Left off 5 MLS players and used players from the German league (and Dutch) as direct replacements.

I think this selection shoes a bit more about who we are matched with than maybe who was better. He chose youth and speed (Wondo is faster than Donovan who had to be seen as a forward in this group)

On we go.

 

[JGfromtheNW]

Very interesting that Donovan was not chosen. I tend to think Si is correct, more a choice based on our match-ups.

I have only caught a handful of the Sounders games so far this season, but it really seems like Yedlin is vastly overrated. He is fast and full of energy, but he makes so many mistakes in the games I've watched. Bad passes, giving the ball away too much. Maybe someone can tell me I'm wrong? Like I said, I've only caught about half of the games so far this season. Yedlin reminds me of Rafael for United a couple years ago. Fast, energetic, but makes a lot of dumb mistakes that makes me question either his focus or experience in top level football.

I am pretty surprised that Yedlin made the team, but it really seems like Klinsmann wants to go for these young fast kids.

 

[Smurf]

Like Si said...seems pretty clear the selection is based on who we play...and I think a bit on 2018. Look at the squad players on this team. Brooks, Yedlin, Green, Diskerud...These are sub 21 year old guys, and in 4 years should all be starting 11 players for the USMNT.


Strait up, I think Yedlin starts at least one match in the group stage. Most likely vs Portugal or Ghana.


Donovan is being talked about a lot for being left out...but I think the writings been on the wall for a long time. The Cambodia thing was the start. That and he hasn't scored a pro goal since October 2013...He's not the same player he was, and Klinnsman hasn't, and won't pull punches when it comes to his squad.

I think Evans was a bit hard-done to be left out...maybe thats just my Sounder Bias...but he hadn't conceded a goal from his flank with the US team...not in the Hex, not in the Gold Cup. He's done everything asked of him...I think fitness was the main concern for him.

Parkhurst and Goodson were always on the outside looking in IMO. Better backs were available, healthy, and willing. Not shocked they got left out.

Edu has been hard-done since the Algeria game in 2010....Ever since that goal has been wrongly disallowed his entire football career has been in the toilet. He's either been off form, racially abused by Rangers fans, playing for Stoke, and now racking up losses with Philadelphia...Not surprised he's been left out. Beckerman's consistency made him expendable.

Carona and Boyd got beat out by Wondo...and Wondo deserves in. Has something like 76 goals over 4 years in MLS. That's as consistent as it gets. Dude finds the net. He's not the most talented forward. He's not the biggest. Not the strongest. But Wondo just gets it done. Great positioning. Great poacher. I have faith Wondo can get us a goal when our backs are on the wall.

Again, Devestated for Evans. He's worked so hard for this and came up short. Wish this weekends match was at home. I think Sounders fans want to show him how proud of him we are. He could use a 40,000 person hug right now.

The only thing I don't get from this roster...and I mean the ONLY thing I dislike about it...Timmy Chandler....I just don't get it. He's played SO poorly with the nats...and just seems lost. I don't rate him as a player at all. Odd inclusion to me.


I think we have a different back 4 for each of the group stage games. Backs will be swapped out often.

 

[Smurf]

Very interesting that Donovan was not chosen. I tend to think Si is correct, more a choice based on our match-ups.

I have only caught a handful of the Sounders games so far this season, but it really seems like Yedlin is vastly overrated. He is fast and full of energy, but he makes so many mistakes in the games I've watched. Bad passes, giving the ball away too much. Maybe someone can tell me I'm wrong? Like I said, I've only caught about half of the games so far this season. Yedlin reminds me of Rafael for United a couple years ago. Fast, energetic, but makes a lot of dumb mistakes that makes me question either his focus or experience in top level football.

I am pretty surprised that Yedlin made the team, but it really seems like Klinsmann wants to go for these young fast kids.

You answered your own question. That's why he's here. At some point we are going to need someone with blazing speed at RB to combat the attack on that side (ahem, Ronaldo)....Yedlin is here for that. He's here to run with Ronaldo. He likely wont attack much that game.

This is only the start for Yedlin. He'll be the starter in 2018...and probably European based too. He's going to get his experience...get it right now.

 

[hawkfan68]

I still feel for Brad Evans not making the team. It doesn't make any sense. He played well and did what he was asked to do. If he didn't make it because he played in the MLS and fitness, that doesn't really compute either. Yedlin is a MLS player. So wouldn't that factor in as well. Evans, IMO, is a better defender than Yedlin at this point. The positive in all this is that the Sounders have Evans back. So instead of losing 3 players they only lose 2.

 

[QuahHawk]

Team speed. When paying with the big boys US had been outmatched by speed to many times. Yedlin is a blazer and I understand the reasoning. Makes me excited for 2018 as a real shot to win it. I think we can take Ghana and Portugal. And if we can escape group anything can happen.

 

[HawkHouse]

I can't wait to see our team in action, we have to beat Ghana in the first match though, IMO. Otherwise, we're hard pressed to get out of the group. I think we're lucky to get a draw against Portugal and Germany so Ghana is our only hope.

Donovan being left out doesn't scare me, I trust JK to make the tough decisions as to what's best fro the team and the future.

I think if we make it out of the group, it could be considered a huge step for us.

 

[Uncle Si]

I can't wait to see our team in action, we have to beat Ghana in the first match though, IMO. Otherwise, we're hard pressed to get out of the group. I think we're lucky to get a draw against Portugal and Germany so Ghana is our only hope.

Donovan being left out doesn't scare me, I trust JK to make the tough decisions as to what's best fro the team and the future.

I think if we make it out of the group, it could be considered a huge step for us.

Tournament starts and ends with the Ghana game for me. Anything less than the full 3 and I just cant see the team leaving the group stage (unless someone else collapses)

As for Donovan.. I know alots been said about him being left off, and alot of old school fans have been disappointed (for good reason) that Klinsmann made the decision to move on. For me, all the reasons cited (his age, lack of scoring of late, lack of pace, lack of dedication to pushing himself outside the MLS, and being cited as a striker and not a mid) all make sense. But there may be something else.

But does anyone remember when Klinsmann first started? There was alot of disatisfaction in the US camp, and alot of it was being fed to the media from an unnamed player. I'm starting to wonder if that player was indeed Donovan. Seems there relationship (contributed by Donovan waiting for nearly a year to reenter the national scene) was always tenuous.

Either way, I think Klinsmann's message is clear on this. For US fans, its nice to finally have a manager hold the players as accountable as they would be elsewhere.

 

[SeatownJay]

Although I like watching the best players in the world at the top of their game, this is potentially good news for the US if Ronaldo isn't 100%.

http://www.espnfc.com/portugal/story/18 ... -world-cup

 

[Smurf]

We have to beat Ghana. If we beat Ghana we advance IMO.

We beat Ghana, we gain confidence and we can beat Portugal.


I think we can advance out of the group. I don't see a 2006 scenario happening.

I will make this prediction.

Chris Wondolowski will score one of the most important goals of the tournament for the US at some point.

 

[Smurf]

Half-time vs Nigeria in a warm up game.

US are up 1-0.

Jozy scored for the first time since October for club or Country. Good timing.

 

[SeatownJay]

And Jozy with a second goal. The US is in the best form tonight that I've seen from them since the Gold Cup. Definitely bodes well for the opener against Ghana, who are similar to Nigeria.

 

[Uncle Si]

We have to beat Ghana. If we beat Ghana we advance IMO.

We beat Ghana, we gain confidence and we can beat Portugal.


I think we can advance out of the group. I don't see a 2006 scenario happening.

I will make this prediction.

Chris Wondolowski will score one of the most important goals of the tournament for the US at some point.

If Chris Wondolowski scores a goal we can assume it would be a massive one...

Take 3 points from Ghana and I think we can advance. But I am not trusting the back four. Ghana is very underated going forward.

 

[Smurf]

We have to beat Ghana. If we beat Ghana we advance IMO.

We beat Ghana, we gain confidence and we can beat Portugal.


I think we can advance out of the group. I don't see a 2006 scenario happening.

I will make this prediction.

Chris Wondolowski will score one of the most important goals of the tournament for the US at some point.

If Chris Wondolowski scores a goal we can assume it would be a massive one...

Take 3 points from Ghana and I think we can advance. But I am not trusting the back four. Ghana is very underated going forward.

Agreed on Ghana mate.

I think our back line is getting better. Cameron and Besler partnership is coming around. Gonzalez is so far off form I want him nowhere near the field right now.

Fabian Johnson has shown why they sent Brad Evans home. Johnson is the first choice right back, and IMO has played the part. He is a major threat in the attack and doesn't sacrifice a ton in defense to do so. As long as the midfield and the CB's can cover, he is a good option to have going forward. He's been instrumental a good portion of our last couple goals.

I think Beasley has cemented himself at left back. He'll be the first choice there. Timmy Chandler is a disaster on the left. This will be Beasley's 4th world cup, if you can believe that. Assuming he plays he will share that with only a handful of players...names like Pele and Maradona.

With the formations I've seen from Jurgen one thing is clear. The width on the attack is coming from the outside backs. The midfield has been focused on being centralized during the majority of the run of play. The experiment today with Beckerman, Jones and Bradley just amplified that even more.

I like what I saw today tactically. 4-2-3-1 in defense, with a modified 4-1-3-2 in attack. Jones is a CDM next to beckerman when defending and one of the strikers slides back to left mid...then in the attack the strikers pull forward and Jones goes out to LM. Hampers Beasley's runs a little bit over there, but Johnson has been the main outside back pushing forward.

I don't think that Zusi, Davis, or Diskerud have shown enough defensively to justify putting one of them on the outside of midfield. I think Jurgen will prefer to play Beckerman in that role right in front of the CB's. His presence today greatly frustrated the Nigerians. I do worry about his pace though...In the dream world in my head he is replaced by Ozzie Alonso and the formation works better.

Bedoya I think starts at RM. He's the hardest working outside mid we have defensively. He hasn't been spot on in the offensive third, but I think he's defensive workrate helps him stay on the pitch more often then not.

I think Diskerud is going to be our first sub just about every match, and if its not we'll see Johansson or Wondo. 2 of those three will get time every match I think...though we could see a role player like DeAndre Yedlin, Zusi, or Brad Davis get some time depending on what we need.


Despite what Jurgen has said, I think that starting 11 we saw today is who lines up vs Ghana...If there is a adjustment to that 11...I think its Johnson out of RB and into RM with Bedoya going to the left. Yedlin or Chandler step into RB....If Jurgen changes it, I think thats how he does it.

But what do I know....