So playoffs are here lets play an entirely different formation than we’ve played all year! I like the idea behind playing this 32-3-2 formation with both Marfan and the Sheannomenon playing as wingers and Migz moving back into the hole to play as the third defender. It’s a very cool idea but there’s a few obvious reasons its not working well so far.
1. Brian Carroll isn’t sure where to play. He hasn’t had much of the ball and is usually one of the most important ball controllers for the team.
2. Sheannon hasn’t gotten enough action going forward. He started off attacking a good amount, but he’s been pulled back by some strong wing play from the Dynamo.
3. Gabe Farfan looks totally lost. He just looks flustered and uncomfortable.
Positioning has been very confused, the Dynamo have dominated possession and they looked as good as we were afraid they would on set-pieces. If Migz stays in, the game will be won or lost by that position and the mess it creates for everyone.
The strike force of Le Toux and Mwanga has looked good, but I expect to see someone come in to start the half who will drive possession and make the possession more effective. I can’t see Miglioranzi staying in the game much longer, he doesn’t look bad, but his position is causing problems. They have to figure out that first and foremost before this game gets out of hand. I expect Torres to come in for Migz although I could see it being Adu, or even Okugo playing a more natural DM position than the hybrid sweeper spot Migz is playing. The Union are only down 1, but they are being outplayed by Houston and need to change something to get to the end of this game safely. They can absolutely mount the comeback; there’s tons of time left, but they do have to make a change. Nowak’s got his hands full here; I’m very curious as to what changes he makes.
Freddy Adu wants to win according to MLSsoccer.com and he thinks the team can do it. There’s no reason to believe they can’t get past this weekends matchup against the Dynamo, not that it’ll be easy but it should be an extremely even tie. There are no teams above us who we absolutely couldn’t compete with. The Union have pulled out 13 points in 12 matches against the remaining playoff teams which is a little bit better than averaging a tie. No team remaining has beaten them twice, although they have tied just about everyone. The Union may not be favorites but they’re not long shots either.
The Dynamo are the first match of course so all attention is on the game tomorrow. The Dynamo have many points of scoring with four players all tied for the lead in scoring whereas the Dynamo will most likely be able to keep the Union from scoring if they key in on Seba Le Toux who has taken twice as many shots and score twice as many goals as any other Union player. Of course that’s easier said than done. Of Houston’s scoring leaders, Brian Ching and Will Bruin are the leaders in Goals per 90min, which may make them seem like the biggest threats, but their attack is also led by Geoff Cameron Brian Boswell and Carlo Costly who are all sure to feature and threaten at some point during the series.
Brad Davis is the most important player to the Houston attack, garnering MVP consideration. He leads the team in assists and is only one behind the leaders in goals scored.
Tally Hall will also be absolutely integral to Houston’s success whenever they play. He’s been one of the best goalkeepers in the league this year and could single-handedly stop the Union from scoring.
The Houston attack is on average four inches taller than the Union defense which could factor in quite a bit on set pieces. Of course Valdes and Calliff both have more success on set-pieces than their respective heights would lead you to believe. For the Union, the whole series will probably be won or lost on whether or not they can keep Houston from scoring on set pieces and whether or not Tally Hall makes enough mistakes to let us slide something through.
Houston has been the hotter team recently, but the Union definitely have a shot if they show up and play their best game. Houston will have to do the same.
The Right-Back spot is one of the deeper spots on the roster and one of the most talented. New players are coming in to break through old players and we could feasibly have three players who play right back for club being forced into other positions because they’re too talented to leave on the bench. A position of strength and a position of promise. The Left Back spot has been a troubling one, but that’s exactly why I decided to list this as one spot. I highly doubt that Jurgen will call in a worse LB instead of just switching a young RB over. Even if he would, a lot of these players are so versatile its not even an issue. Bob had switched players back and forth between both sides and Jurgen has continued to do so. These positions aren’t different enough to count separately.
Steve Cherundolo-32 Hannover
Obviously Dolo’s the incumbent. He’s got the spot until somebody steps up and grabs it out of his hands. Of course another right back playing in Germany has had a few attempts to do so. The biggest concern about Dolo going forward is his age. He’s 32 now. He’ll be 35 by 2014. I haven’t seen a single thing to show me that Steve’s going downhill by any meas. He’s still one of the best and probably the most under-appreciated American soccer players of this generation.
Timothy Chandler-21 Nurmberg
One of the key points of interest in the recent “Germerican” movement. Johnson and Williams haven’t looked bad in their time with the team. Jermaine Jones was a nice addition. Even counting Klinsmann leads to a bit of an up and down view of it. Chandler is why people are excited about the sudden influx of German players. At least for me its more about the sudden influx of players who can play like Timmy Chandler. As young as he is, as versatile as he is, and as talented as he is I honestly expect Timmy Chandler to not only be starring in the 2014 World Cup. I expect him to be the best player on the field in most matches by the time 2018 comes around.
Eric Lichaj-22 Aston Villa
A lot of us have pegged Lichaj as most likely to fill the Left Back spot, and he really doesn’t have much of a shot behind the two players above. When he gets back from injury he should be competing more for the left back spot which puts more pressure on both of the players above him. A good player whos got a spot on the team for sure.
Zach Loyd-24 FC Dallas
Also a natural Right back having a very sucessfull season with FC Dallas, and building report with Brek Shea(which may make him a good option on the left), Loyd has been one of the many players who are considered to have a shot at stepping into the hole at Left Back. Although Timmy Chandler has filled that well I can’t imagine Klinsi wants to keep him there long term. Loyd should definitely get a serious look.
Jonathan Spector-25 Birmingham City
Specs has had his high points and his low points but I really do love having a player like him as a 12th man. Need a CB? He could fill in. Need a RB or LB? He could fill in. CDM? CAM? Anywhere along the back line and up the core of the middle of the field Spector could play. I expect most of his time to come at the outside back position but he could just as easily vie for a role farther up the field.
Sheannon Williams-21 Philadelphia Union
Sheannon has really come on this year with the club. He showed a few flashes last year but nothing as good or consistent as he’s done this year. If you want offense from the back he can give you a ton of that. There’s been many times this season that Sheannon has led the attack and even gone on breakaways all by himself. He, along with Loyd got a lot of talk when Dolo went down in the Gold Cup and the hole at Left Back opened even wider.
Danny Williams-22 Hoffenheim
He just joined the team and is expected to fill in the central midfield, but he was also considered an option at Left Back by many. I had assumed he’d fill one of the holding Midfield spots, but when Jurgen used him along the right flank it brought that question back to my mind. Danny could play RB if we needed him to. I don’t think we need him to but he looked good enough to earn another look somewhere on the field in his little playing time with the team.
Fabian Johnson-23 Hoffenheim
We’ve seen very little of Johnson too, but as with Williams I believe from what I have seen and read that he’ll earn a spot on the team easily and quickly compete for a starting spot somewhere. The influx of talent to this team is exciting. Bob saw a lot of these players so I’m by no means blaming him, but we are still at a point where the USMNT is growing rapidly. As for Johnson, he’s been mentioned mostly at LB, but thats where the hole is. I’m very interested in seeing where he ends up being played.
Bobby Convey-28 Earthquakes
I’m not saying Bobby Convey has no chance of ever making the team, but as with many of the names mentioned in BigSoccer Left Back threads, it seems pretty hopeless. He’s pretty old to bring in. Convey’s a relatively good defender in MLS now and had a small place on the USMNT roster for a short time, but he’ll be 33 by 2014 and there’s so much depth at right back that there’s no need for him. Or most other players on BigSoccer threads whether too old, too young or just not good enough.
So here’s my suggestions. I’m going to give one depth chart for this spot assuming that the top two will be the starters and everyone from there on will be depth. Very few of these players can only play one side so there’s no reason to draw a line between them. They’re almost all better on the right side anyway.
WCQ: basically the team I would play in a game tommorow
1. Cherundolo
2.Chandler
3.Lichaj (I know he’s injured but he still has a spot pretty comfortably).
4.D. Williams and Johnson (I haven’t seen either enough to choose but if I had to I’d go with Williams purely because he’s played with the team already).
WC2014: the team as I project after a few years of settling, for whatever that’s worth.
1. Chandler
2. Cherundolo (unless he voluntarily retires he’s not going anywhere).
3. Johnson
4. Lichaj
A few other notes, I expect Danny Williams to be on the team but I’d still probably peg him as a midfielder which is the only reason I left him out of the top ranks here. Chandler could do the same thing of course and slide up to RW. Also I expect Spector to be on the team because of his versatility. He’ll show up on about every list I do except Keeper. Sheannon will definitely get a chance to prove himself and I wouldn’t put it past him to step farther up in to the battle but I just don’t see it as of yet at least. Any one else you think might get a shot? Or should?
A bit of a plug for a friend, but they’re better than any coverage I’ve heard on WIP or any other local radio station.Show starts at 2 for anyone interested.
The remaining possibilities for the playoffs. The Fire managed to keep the Union out of the Wild Card spot, but there are still a few possible circumstances remaining. They all come down to the Dynamo-Galaxy game this weekend, unless the Dynamo manage to pull out a win (very possible considering they are facing a Galaxy team that will most likely be taking the game off to rest up for the playoffs, the Union will have second place in the Eastern conference in their second year of existence. Either way we have a few extra days off for the Wild Card round but the Dynamo game does still matter. If the Dynamo don’t pull off a win PPL will host the second leg of the teams first ever playoff series against the 3rd seed Columbus Crew. If the Dynamo do win though, they would get the second seed in the East, and the Union’s 2011 post-season would start against Houston, just like the regular season did. The higher seed gets to host the second leg of a two game set.
Union Loss 48 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Win 49 Crew Loss 47 1. SKC 2. Dynamo 3. Union
Union Loss 48 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Tie 47 Crew Loss 47 1. SKC 2. Union 3. Crew (H2H)
Union Loss 48 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Loss 46 Crew Loss 47 1. SKC 2. Union 3. Crew
The Union beat Houston on the road in that first game (1-0) and tied them at PPL (1-1), pulling out 4 pts against the Dynamo. They split the series against Columbus; both teams won their home games (2-1 at Crew Stadium and 1-0 at PPL) so each team came out with 3 pts.
I’m gonna go ahead and assume that everyone has seen this already but the SoB’s invasion of RBA has reached an entirely new level. Red Bull is welcoming us. This might as well have been a huge white banner of surrender. I understand coordinating with them to put them all in a specific section, but how do you welcome the opposing teams supporters group this openly on your website? Somebody must have lost a bet.
Not that the crowd isn’t important but there’s an even more important game going on on the field. There were two of the top scorers in the league and some of the most promising talent. Le Toux had a hard start to the season but came out on fire as soon as he started. Thierry Henry had a legitimate shot at the Golden Boot until sticking his not-so-golden boot into Roger Espinoza’s back and earned a red-card which means he’ll miss the game. Rafa Marquezz is still Rafa Marquez in name at least. Tim Ream and Juan Agudelo are both fighting for USMNT spots. Luke Rodgers has shown to be the heart of this team. Henry being out means that Dane Richards, still one of the fastest players in the league, or Agudelo one of the most promising young players will start(its assumed it’d be Dane). They’ve got talent and could easily pull off a result at home. The Union will also be missing Veljko Paunovic for this game with a hamstring injury.
And that’s all they need. A tie and the Red Bull are in the playoffs. The Union are already in but have a chance at ending up first in the east in their second year in the league with one of the youngest teams in the league. (As an aside, this team looks good now, but Mwanga, both Farfans, McInerney, MacMath, Okugo, Torres, Pfeffer and a few others could be around fror a long time. They’ve got potential to do big things the next few years, especially if Nowak can keep the core of older players alongside them.) The easiest way for the Union to get the top spot in the east would be a win and a loss or tie by Sporting Kansas City, but here are the possibilities. I went with the top four teams(SKC, Union, Crew and Dynamo) because they’re the only teams that have a chance to move into the top three spots. Red Bull could also end in fourth, but the odds are low and I’m primarily concerned with whether we get first and whether we get a bye. If we win we definitely get a bye, although there are other ways we could get one. Anyone who reads this whole thing, I commend you. To keep it simple for the rst. If the Union win they probably get 1st. If they tie they probably get 2nd. If they lose they probably get third. Its not likely that they wind up without a bye but its possible if they don’t pick up the win tonight. This is as big a game for us as it is for NYRB.
Union Win 51 SKC Loss 48 Dynamo Win 49 Crew Win 50 1. Union 2. Crew 3. Dynamo
Union Win 51 SKC Loss 48 Dynamo Win 49 Crew Tie 48 1. Union 2. Dynamo 3. SKC (Goal Differential)
Union Win 51 SKC Loss 48 Dynamo Win 49 Crew Loss 47 1. Union 2. Dynamo 3. SKC
Union Win 51 SKC Loss 48 Dynamo Tie 47 Crew Win 50 1. Union 2. Crew 3. SKC
Union Win 51 SKC Loss 48 Dynamo Tie 47 Crew Tie 48 1. Union 2. SKC (Goal Differential-9) 3. Crew
Union Win 51 SKC Loss 48 Dynamo Tie 47 Crew Loss 47 1. Union 2. SKC 3. Crew (Head to Head)
Union Win 51 SKC Loss 48 Dynamo Loss 46 Crew Win 50 1. Union 2. Crew 3. SKC
Union Win 51 SKC Loss 48 Dynamo Loss 46 Crew Tie 48 1. Union 2. SKC(GD-9) 3. Crew
Union Win 51 SKC Loss 48 Dynamo Loss 46 Crew Loss 47 1. Union 2. SKC 3. Crew
Union Win 51 SKC Tie 49 Dynamo Win 49 Crew Win 50 1. Union 2. Crew 3. SKC (H2H)
Union Win 51 SKC Tie 49 Dynamo Win 49 Crew Tie 48 1. Union 2. SKC (H2H) 3. Dynamo
Union Win 51 SKC Tie 49 Dynamo Win 49 Crew Loss 47 1. Union 2. SKC (H2H) 3. Dynamo
Union Win 51 SKC Tie 49 Dynamo Tie 47 Crew Win 50 1. Union 2. Crew 3. SKC
Union Win 51 SKC Tie 49 Dynamo Tie 47 Crew Tie 48 1. Union 2. SKC. 3. Crew
Union Win 51 SKC Tie 49 Dynamo Tie 47 Crew Loss 47 1. Union 2. SKC 3. Crew (H2H)
Union Win 51 SKC Tie 49 Dynamo Loss 46 Crew Win 50 1.Union 2. Crew 3. SKC
Union Win 51 SKC Tie 49 Dynamo Loss 46 Crew Tie 48 1. Union 2. SKC 3. Crew
Union Win 51 SKC Tie 49 Dynamo Loss 46 Crew Loss 47 1. Union 2. SKC 3. Crew
Union Win 51 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Win 49 Crew Win 50 1. SKC (GD-2) 2. Union 3. Crew
Union Win 51 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Win 49 Crew Tie 48 1. SKC (GD-2) 2. Union 3. Dynamo
Union Win 51 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Win 49 Crew Loss 47 1. SKC (GD-2) 2. Union 3. Dynamo
Union Win 51 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Tie 47 Crew Win 50 1. SKC (GD-2) 2. Union 3. Crew
Union Win 51 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Tie 47 Crew Tie 48 1. SKC (GD-2) 2. Union 3. Crew
Union Win 51 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Tie 47 Crew Loss 47 1. SKC (GD-2) 2. Union 3. Crew(H2H)
Union Win 51 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Loss 46 Crew Win 50 1. SKC (GD-2) 2. Union 3. Crew
Union Win 51 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Loss 46 Crew Tie 48 1. SKC (GD-2) 2. Union 3. Crew
Union Win 51 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Loss 46 Crew Loss 47 1. SKC (GD-2) 2. Union 3. Crew
Union Tie 49 SKC Loss 48 Dynamo Win 49 Crew Win 50 1. Crew 2. Union (H2H) 3. Dynamo
Union Tie 49 SKC Loss 48 Dynamo Win 49 Crew Tie 48 1. Union (H2H) 2. Dynamo 3. SKC (GD-9)
Union Tie 49 SKC Loss 48 Dynamo Win 49 Crew Loss 47 1. Union (H2H) 2. Dynamo 3. SKC
Union Tie 49 SKC Loss 48 Dynamo Tie 47 Crew Win 50 1. Crew 2. Union 3. SKC
Union Tie 49 SKC Loss 48 Dynamo Tie 47 Crew Tie 48 1. Union 2. SKC (GD-9) 3. Crew
Union Tie 49 SKC Loss 48 Dynamo Tie 47 Crew Loss 47 1. Union 2. SKC 3. Crew (H2H)
Union Tie 49 SKC Loss 48 Dynamo Loss 46 Crew Win 50 1. Crew 2. Union 3. SKC
Union Tie 49 SKC Loss 48 Dynamo Loss 46 Crew Tie 48 1. Union 2. SKC(GD-9) 3. Crew
Union Tie 49 SKC Loss 48 Dynamo Loss 46 Crew Loss 47 1. Union 2. SKC 3. Crew
Union Tie 49 SKC Tie 49 Dynamo Win 49 Crew Win 50 1. Crew 2.SKC (Goals For-5) 3. Union
Union Tie 49 SKC Tie 49 Dynamo Win 49 Crew Tie 48 1. SKC (Goals for-5) 2. Union 3. Dynamo (H2H)
Union Tie 49 SKC Tie 49 Dynamo Win 49 Crew Loss 471. SKC (Goals for-5) 2. Union 3. Dynamo (H2H)
Union Tie 49 SKC Tie 49 Dynamo Tie 47 Crew Win 50 1. Crew 2.SKC (Goals for-5) 3. Union
Union Tie 49 SKC Tie 49 Dynamo Tie 47 Crew Tie 48 1.SKC (GD-2) 2. Union 3. Crew
Union Tie 49 SKC Tie 49 Dynamo Tie 47 Crew Loss 47 1.SKC (Goals for-5) 2. Union 3. Crew (H2H)
Union Tie 49 SKC Tie 49 Dynamo Loss 46 Crew Win 50 1. Crew 2.SKC (Goals for-5) 3. Union
Union Tie 49 SKC Tie 49 Dynamo Loss 46 Crew Tie 48 1.SKC (Goals for-5) 2. Union 3. Crew (H2H)
Union Tie 49 SKC Tie 49 Dynamo Loss 46 Crew Loss 47 1.SKC (Goals for-5) 2. Union 3. Crew (H2H)
Union Tie 49 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Win 49 Crew Win 50 1. SKC 2. Crew 3. Union(H2H)
Union Tie 49 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Win 49 Crew Tie 48 1. SKC 2. Union (H2H) 3. Dynamo
Union Tie 49 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Win 49 Crew Loss 47 1. SKC 2. Union (H2H) 3. Dynamo
Union Tie 49 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Tie 47 Crew Win 50 1. SKC 2. Crew 3. Union
Union Tie 49 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Tie 47 Crew Tie 48 1. SKC 2. Union 3. Crew
Union Tie 49 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Tie 47 Crew Loss 47 1. SKC 2. Union 3. Crew (H2H)
Union Tie 49 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Loss 46 Crew Win 50 1.SKC 2. Crew 3. Union
Union Tie 49 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Loss 46 Crew Tie 48 1. SKC 2. Union 3. Crew
Union Tie 49 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Loss 46 Crew Loss 47 1. SKC 2. Union 3. Crew
Union Loss 48 SKC Loss 48 Dynamo Win 49 Crew Win 50 1. Crew 2. Dynamo 3. SKC (GF-5)
Union Loss 48 SKC Loss 48 Dynamo Win 49 Crew Tie 48 1. Dynamo 2. Crew (H2H) 3. SKC (GF-5)
Union Loss 48 SKC Loss 48 Dynamo Win 49 Crew Loss 47 1. Dynamo 2. SKC (GF-5) 3. Union
Union Loss 48 SKC Loss 48 Dynamo Tie 47 Crew Win 50 1. Crew 2. SKC (GF-5) 3. Union
Union Loss 48 SKC Loss 48 Dynamo Tie 47 Crew Tie 48 1.Crew (H2H) 2.SKC(GF-5) 3.Union
Union Loss 48 SKC Loss 48 Dynamo Tie 47 Crew Loss 47 1. SKC(GF-5)2. Union 3. Crew (H2H)
Union Loss 48 SKC Loss 48 Dynamo Loss 46 Crew Win 50 1. Crew 2. SKC(GF-5) 3. Union
Union Loss 48 SKC Loss 48 Dynamo Loss 46 Crew Tie 48 1.Crew (H2H) 2.SKC(GF-5) 3.Union
Union Loss 48 SKC Loss 48 Dynamo Loss 46 Crew Loss 471. SKC(GF-5)2. Union 3. Crew
Union Loss 48 SKC Tie 49 Dynamo Win 49 Crew Win 50 1. Crew 2. SKC (H2H) 3. Dynamo
Union Loss 48 SKC Tie 49 Dynamo Win 49 Crew Tie 48 1. SKC (H2H) 2. Dynamo 3. Union
Union Loss 48 SKC Tie 49 Dynamo Win 49 Crew Loss 47 1. SKC (H2H) 2. Dynamo 3. Union
Union Loss 48 SKC Tie 49 Dynamo Tie 47 Crew Win 50 1. Crew 2. SKC 3. Union
Union Loss 48 SKC Tie 49 Dynamo Tie 47 Crew Tie 48 1. SKC 2. Union(GD-9) 3.Crew
Union Loss 48 SKC Tie 49 Dynamo Tie 47 Crew Loss 47 1.SKC 2.Union 3.Crew (H2H)
Union Loss 48 SKC Tie 49 Dynamo Loss 46 Crew Win 50 1. Crew 2. SKC 3. Union
Union Loss 48 SKC Tie 49 Dynamo Loss 46 Crew Tie 48 1. SKC 2. Union(GD-9) 3.Crew
Union Loss 48 SKC Tie 49 Dynamo Loss 46 Crew Loss 47 1. SKC 2. Union 3. Crew
Union Loss 48 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Win 49 Crew Win 50 1. SKC 2. Crew 3. Dynamo
Union Loss 48 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Win 49 Crew Tie 48 1. SKC 2.Dynamo 3. Union (GD-9)
Union Loss 48 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Win 49 Crew Loss 47 1. SKC 2. Dynamo 3. Union
Union Loss 48 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Tie 47 Crew Win 50 1. SKC 2. Crew 3. Union
Union Loss 48 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Tie 47 Crew Tie 48 1. SKC 2. Union (GD-9) 3. Crew
Union Loss 48 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Tie 47 Crew Loss 47 1. SKC 2. Union 3. Crew (H2H)
Union Loss 48 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Loss 46 Crew Win 50 1. SKC 2. Crew 3. Union
Union Loss 48 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Loss 46 Crew Tie 48 1. SKC 2. Union (GD-9) 3. Crew
Union Loss 48 SKC Win 51 Dynamo Loss 46 Crew Loss 47 1. SKC 2. Union 3. Crew
Image by NathanF via Flickr
-Brek Shea is only getting better.
-Danny Williams is good, but Ecuadors Left Back is very good.
-Clint Dempsey is starting to find his place in Jurgens formation.
-Landon will presumably fill in for Danny Williams at RW
-Onyewu is back and has probably earned a place in the starting lineup.
-Michael Orozco may still have something to say about that. He was out for injury in the Ecuador game and only an injury brought him off against Honduras.
-Tim Ream will have no say in who starts. Spain was a valid excuse, and Ecuadors good too, but the kid has leaked goals for Red Bull too.
-France won so we’ll probably be playing them next month. Also Henry apparently doesn’t play for France in competitive matches anymore. I don’t pay enough attention to the Euros.
-Timmy Chandler has established himself at LB. So much so that when Dolo did come out Spector took over RB and Chandler stayed at LB.
-Chandlers offense has gotten somewhat better from the left, but not what we’ve seen from the right either.
-Everyone hates Kyle Beckerman and his fluid backpasses. I think he looked better than anyone else in the spot. I think he’d also look real good if we put a Stu Holden or a Danny Williams-type player next to him.
-I wish Spector would’ve gotten another shot at LB. He didn’t look bad against Honduras there. He looked pretty bad against Ecuador at RB. If Spector can play LB it allows us to move Chandler to RW and keep Dolo on the field.
-Tim Howard is still the key to any success this team will have in the near future.
-This team is getting newer and younger fast and it will take time for them to start congealing and picking up more goals.
-Maybe it was just me but I thought Jozy pulled off some of his best hold-up play against Ecuador. If he can do that consistently I won’t be calling for a second striker.
-Agudelo looked fine. Buddle didn’t look like anything. I literally didn’t see him after he came in.
-Edu looked good while he was in, but he played very high. If that player is going to play so high, I’d rather see a more creative player fill it. Holden would be good. Bradley may fit a little better. Even Landon could do it. I’d love to see Torres play from there with his passing ability, but there’s no way I’d give him that much responsibility defensively.
-Run DMB is back on the field and not looking bad at all. It’s very cool to see players who aren’t around very often come back in and suceed.
-Most importantly, Jurgen may not have made this team better but he absolutely made it deeper. I don’t think he has a total handle on MLS yet (calling Ream over Gonzo and John and Agudelo over a few others with such consistency), but he’ll get there. He’s brought players back in who can still play and has looked at players in Europe who were the kind Bob would miss (Johnson, Williams although Bob did bring in Chandler).
-It’s hard to lose 1-0 but that game had 1-0 written all over it from the start. Both defenses played well. Howard played well as usual and it was just a matter of who would make the mistake. As usual it was Tim Ream. I like what the kid can do but he doesn’t belong on this level yet. He has to prove it with club. He did last year, but he fell back this year. Maybe he’ll turn it around but he’s been struggling.
Image by Albumen via Flickr
God, if my primary goal here was to have a high page-view count all I would need to do is write endless articles on this kid. I swear articles on Brek Shea are the only thing anyone wants. I love the kid as much as the next guy (although maybe not as much as the Germericans Chandler, Johnson and Williams. All of whom I expect to start come qualifying) but really there are other players on the team. I’ll get a thousand hits for a story on Brek Shea from months ago. It makes no sense
The Big Rooster has recently been rumored to go to just about every team in Europe. Apparently “his agent” has been spreading teh idea that Brek Shea has offers from each of the big five clubs in the EPL. Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal all apparently want to bring him in.
In the interest of not forcing you to read the drivel that I write here is a quick summation of reasons why Brek Shea should not go to any of these teams no matter how much money they offer him. Ashley Young, Juan Mata, Andrei Arshavin, Samir Nasri, and Stewart Downing. 4 of these players have just been added to their respective teams. Four of these players are under 27; two are under 24. The fifth is Andrei Arshavin. These are the left wings of the big five clubs in the EPL. Exactly how many minutes do we expect Brek Shea to get behind these players?
Jozy went to Villareal. It was celebrated as a young American player getting a great chance on a top team in a top league. He sat on the bench for a few years with little hope for long term success.
Freddy Adu went to Benfica. It was celebrated as a young American player getting a great chance on a top team in a top league. He sat on the bench for a few years and got loaned around with little hope for long term success.
I’m sure there are other examples but these are the two most prominent in my mind. If Foghorn is going to sign with one of these teams he had better hope he gets a good loan deal and doesn’t get stuck on the bench.
Brek was on trial with Bolton a few years ago, and a few years ago that was probably a bit too high for him still. Right now he could go in and play, maybe not start but at least compete for a starting spot, in a mid-table European team. Bolton is about the level at which he would compete now. Playing for a prestigious club is nothing if you’re not playing.
He would never touch the field for a top European club so whats the point in him going there? Yea it’s kind of cool to say that an American plays for United or Chelsea or Arsenal( I have lower opinions of Liverpool and City, but I guess that’d be cool to some.) Tim Howard stopped any interest I had in that. He went to United and looked not so good. He may not have been ready to succeed at that level. he’s gone to Everton and is widely considered one of the best keepers in the world. If Brek Shea signed with United his chances of actually playing a meaningful game for them would be about as good as Clint Dempsey’s chances of playing a meaningful game. Yes its possible some pieces could move around and there could be a space made available, but not likely.
I don’t expect Brek Shea to come back to MLS next season. I fully expect him to be playing in Europe a year from now. I hope very much that he is actually playing though and not playing around while buried on a top teams bench.
Image via Wikipedia
If the USA is known for producing anything on the field it is top quality goalkeepers. We have a short history of skill, longevity and pure numbers that is far ahead of anything else we’ve been able to do on the soccer field. Obviously there is an entrenched #1 so I’m focusing a bit on the #2 or the #2#1. Whatever. The battle to backup/replace Tim Howard. Listed below in no particular order, but at the end that is a particular order.
Tim Howard-Everton 32
Obviously the USA number one for the forseeable future. He could easily start for the nats until 2018. Great everything. Again Tim Howard is the US goalkeeper of the future. There is no reason to question this, I could have easily skipped this position entirely and a few friends suggested I do, but I’d like to take a look at everyone. The number two spot is far from locked up.
Brad Guzan -Aston Villa 27
He was, up until recently pretty entrenched at the second spot, but he hasn’t been called up by Jurgen yet and he’s not starting for Aston Villa sitting on the bench behind the Irish Shay Given. Not sure what he’s got going on much anymore but he was expected to be Timmy’s replacement at one point. I’m not sure he’s quite there anymore.
Marcus Hahnemann -Everton 39
Looks a bit less likely to come back into the team with every passing day. He’s still playing at a high level but he’s a backup for club, and at 39 no more than a back-up for country any time soon.
Brad Friedel-Tottenham 40
Friedel is another player who would’ve been a hero for the USA if not for Timmy Howard and Kasey Keller holding out the spot for so long. He’s still holding is own, starting for Spurs. He’d be as good a back-up as we could ask for but he’s not much of a replacement for Timmy Howard because of his age.
Bill Hamid-D.C. United 20
Here’s where the players start being less ready to start now, but more prospective replacements. Bill Hamid is really the prime option Jurgen has given us so far as a possible replacement. He’s called a different set for the next few friendly’s so maybe he’ll be cycling people in, but Hamid also has Howard’s support behind him.
bpmangan
mattsant16
Pat
