For Ukraine:
GK: Howard, Guzan, Cropper
D: Packwood, Onyewu, Cameron, Morales, Ream, Castillo, Brooks
MF: Diskerud, Bedoya, Jones, Williams, Kljestan, Bradley, Shea
F: Green, Altidore, Agudelo, Johannsson, Boyd
Notes: The USSF website says 24 called in...I only read 22, so not sure what that's about. Very excited to see this roster in action. Lot's to prove and a good chunk of young talent called up. Will Packwood makes his much anticipated debut! Well deserved for him. Green is in as we've discussed, and surprise surprise, Mr. Alfredo Morales is a shock addition, but good. Not on the roster: Spector and Lichaj, both names I was expecting. Maybe they were the 24....
Find me at American Soccer Now to see my Starting XI!
Friday, February 28, 2014
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
The Game in the Ukraine
Next week the United States Men's National Team will gather in Frankfurt, Germany for a short but important camp that will (hopefully) end with a match against Ukraine. Whether or not the match remains in the distraught country is yet to be decided, but it's too important a match to get cancelled by Klinsmann and USSF. While the most deadly of the action has been in the city of Kiev, Kharkiv has also seen protests and a tense atmosphere. Thus probably not a good idea to risk anything with our players unless things cool off quickly or their safety can be insured. We do represent, in part, the West after all.
Time to get away from all that, though. Our attention turns now to who Klinsmann will call upon for this match. Who could sneak in last minute? Who is already a lock? We know that, due to the beginning of the MLS season, many players stateside will not be included in the squad. When it comes down to it, that's a hefty chunk of our team which will leave some big gaps for others to take. Bradley is possibly the biggest one to miss out, but fortunately Klinsmann knows what he brings to the table and at this time it might be best if he's in Toronto.
GK
Tim Howard, Brad Guzan, Cody Cropper: Pretty easy selection, really. Rimando, Johnson, and Hamid won't be called in because of the travel time and, to be fair, lack of minutes. There's no reason to bring them all the way over to Europe for several days, just to send them back. Cropper is close by and thus makes sense. Klinsmann has brought him in once before and could use this as another opportunity to break him in. He won't play in the game, but if JK even brings a third keeper at all my money is on Cody.
D
Geoff Cameron, John Brooks, Jonathan Spector, Tim Ream, Eric Lichaj, Oguchi Onyewu, Will Packwood, Fabian Johnson, Zarek Valentin: Not counting on Castillo or Beasley for this one because first, as with the MLS goalkeepers, JK knows what they offer, and second, that's a long way to come when options exist close by that need to be sorted out and proven. Yes, I'm looking at Spector and Lichaj mostly. With Herzog recently taking in Spector and Packwood at Birmingham City, I expect both to be in the squad, though I wouldn't expect Packwood to start. Brooks makes his return, Cameron and Fabian are shoe-ins, and Onyewu gets his big shot to make a real mess of the depth chart. My surprise pick? Yes, that's Zarek Valentin who, after achieving promotion with his club to the first division in Norway and receiving a contract with the very same club (Bodo/Glimt) deserves at least a call up and look by Klinsmann. For what it's worth, Valentin will have more of an impact during the next World Cup cycle if everything goes well.
MF
Danny Williams, Jermaine Jones, Mix Diskerud, Alejandro Bedoya, Conor O'Brien, Stu Holden, Brek Shea: My how the ranks have thinned here. I'm grasping at straws. This will be a huge chance for Danny Williams, who has been Man of the Match for Reading twice in the last three weeks and could use a chance to redeem himself in many of the fans eyes. Jones mentioned yesterday on his Instagram that he returns to action this weekend for Beskitas, right in time for this match. Bedoya and Diskerud still have much to prove ahead of this summer and will need to use this opportunity well or miss out. I'm not convinced on Conor, but threw him in here to strengthen our numbers and, to be honest, I believe he should get a look even if he won't impact the roster in Brazil. Holden is here simply because he nears his return to first team action and it would do him (and the team) well to have him in camp for morale, as well as to train (for which he has been cleared). Shea could use a bit of a boost right now after coming off the bench the last two weeks and he was likely to get the call anyway.
F
Jozy Altidore, Aron Johannsson, Terrence Boyd, Juan Agudelo, Julien Green: All of Agudelo's patience and hard work will finally pay off with a return to the USMNT. He's done well at Utrecht and will look to add to his resume another opportunity to shine with the national team, which in turn will strengthen his case for a work permit at Stoke. He will be duking out a spot with Boyd (and Wondo) however, who offers fierce competition. Jozy will look for some confidence in this camp, and lets face it, both he and Aron are locks for Brazil barring injury (knock on wood!).
Time to get away from all that, though. Our attention turns now to who Klinsmann will call upon for this match. Who could sneak in last minute? Who is already a lock? We know that, due to the beginning of the MLS season, many players stateside will not be included in the squad. When it comes down to it, that's a hefty chunk of our team which will leave some big gaps for others to take. Bradley is possibly the biggest one to miss out, but fortunately Klinsmann knows what he brings to the table and at this time it might be best if he's in Toronto.
GK
Tim Howard, Brad Guzan, Cody Cropper: Pretty easy selection, really. Rimando, Johnson, and Hamid won't be called in because of the travel time and, to be fair, lack of minutes. There's no reason to bring them all the way over to Europe for several days, just to send them back. Cropper is close by and thus makes sense. Klinsmann has brought him in once before and could use this as another opportunity to break him in. He won't play in the game, but if JK even brings a third keeper at all my money is on Cody.
D
Geoff Cameron, John Brooks, Jonathan Spector, Tim Ream, Eric Lichaj, Oguchi Onyewu, Will Packwood, Fabian Johnson, Zarek Valentin: Not counting on Castillo or Beasley for this one because first, as with the MLS goalkeepers, JK knows what they offer, and second, that's a long way to come when options exist close by that need to be sorted out and proven. Yes, I'm looking at Spector and Lichaj mostly. With Herzog recently taking in Spector and Packwood at Birmingham City, I expect both to be in the squad, though I wouldn't expect Packwood to start. Brooks makes his return, Cameron and Fabian are shoe-ins, and Onyewu gets his big shot to make a real mess of the depth chart. My surprise pick? Yes, that's Zarek Valentin who, after achieving promotion with his club to the first division in Norway and receiving a contract with the very same club (Bodo/Glimt) deserves at least a call up and look by Klinsmann. For what it's worth, Valentin will have more of an impact during the next World Cup cycle if everything goes well.
MF
Danny Williams, Jermaine Jones, Mix Diskerud, Alejandro Bedoya, Conor O'Brien, Stu Holden, Brek Shea: My how the ranks have thinned here. I'm grasping at straws. This will be a huge chance for Danny Williams, who has been Man of the Match for Reading twice in the last three weeks and could use a chance to redeem himself in many of the fans eyes. Jones mentioned yesterday on his Instagram that he returns to action this weekend for Beskitas, right in time for this match. Bedoya and Diskerud still have much to prove ahead of this summer and will need to use this opportunity well or miss out. I'm not convinced on Conor, but threw him in here to strengthen our numbers and, to be honest, I believe he should get a look even if he won't impact the roster in Brazil. Holden is here simply because he nears his return to first team action and it would do him (and the team) well to have him in camp for morale, as well as to train (for which he has been cleared). Shea could use a bit of a boost right now after coming off the bench the last two weeks and he was likely to get the call anyway.
F
Jozy Altidore, Aron Johannsson, Terrence Boyd, Juan Agudelo, Julien Green: All of Agudelo's patience and hard work will finally pay off with a return to the USMNT. He's done well at Utrecht and will look to add to his resume another opportunity to shine with the national team, which in turn will strengthen his case for a work permit at Stoke. He will be duking out a spot with Boyd (and Wondo) however, who offers fierce competition. Jozy will look for some confidence in this camp, and lets face it, both he and Aron are locks for Brazil barring injury (knock on wood!).
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