We are less than two weeks away from the U.S. men's national team's upcoming friendlies against Poland and Colombia, meaning it's time to think about who U.S. head coach Bob Bradley may be calling in for those matches.
With the MLS schedule in full swing we aren't likely to see many MLS players called in for the two friendlies, but with so many teams having their playoff dreams all but ended, it might wind up being easier for Bradley to call in a players set to play in the New England-Houston and CHivas USA-Toronto FC matches that weekend (and he could also call in some MLS players just for the Colombia match).
The bulk of the U.S. roster for the upcoming friendlies will be European-based players, leaving us to ask the following question. Which players are you hoping get call-ups?
Who do you want to see? Eric Lichaj? Eddie Johnson? Jermaine Jones?
Share your thoughts below.
It seems to me a player should earn his way onto the USMNT.
“it was a crime how little he saw the field in South Africa.”
You know this because? Holden was coming off a very recent broken leg.
Lichaj has 0 appearances for Villa in the EPL and a few Cup appearances for them. This hardly consititutes a fantastic, can’t be ingnored career, particularly as he plays right back, not currently a position of need for the US. He needs to prove he is an EPL level player. If he continues down his current path he should play for the US but in terms of the USMNT he hasn’t earned anything yet.
Doyle is an 18 year old who was called up for Derby mostly because 5 forwards were injured and they had no other bodies available. That is hardly what you would call earning the right to be called up by the USMNT.
Yes he’s a professional soccer player and apparently has a pulse and an American passport but I haven’t read one report that said he was the next Brain McBride and that the USMNT would be crazy not to cap him.
As for Mix, he has already declared his intention to play for the US is just 19 and plays for a league with a talent level arguably on par with the MLS.
How about letting these guys prove themselves first?
Kofi Sarkodie.
I forgot to mention Brek Shea and other standouts from the U-20 squad. The national youth teams are there for a reason, use them.
Give Altidore a break. He is a 20 year old making the bench in La Liga for a club that is in a European cup competition which he occasionally plays in. How many of the other current USMNT players were doing that at 20? Not many.
The Eddie Johnson ship has sunk a long time ago and is now a reef at the bottom of the sea, full of beautiful plant life and hammerhead sharks.
There are three players I want to see on the roster sheet:
1. Jermaine Jones
2. Tim Ream
3. Andy Najar
Tim Ream
Also, Seb LeToux expressed interest in playing for the USMNT last year.
Depending on who gets called up I’d like to see something like this:
———–Howard———–
Dolo–DeMerit-Gonzalez–Boca
——-Bradley–Jones——-
Holden—Feilhaber—Dempsey
———Altidore———–
Likely Subs:
Brad Guzan
Maurice Edu
Alejandro Bedoya
Clarence Goodson
Jose Torres
Eddie Johnson
Herculez Gomez
Eric Lichaj
Possible subs:
Daniel Williams
Oguchi Onyewu
Jonathan Spector
Brian McBride (to honor him)
Edson Buddle??
Sean Franklin??
Geoff Cameron?? (Houston out of playoffs)
Chad Marshall?? (Crew game on Oct 8)
Steven Lenhart??
Jonathan Bornstein?? (Chivas out of playoffs)
Justin Braun??
Kevin Alston?? (Revs out of playoffs)
Again not sure about the call ups. Galaxy players might get called up since their game is 2 days before the Oct 9th Poland match, so we might see Gonzalez, Buddle, and Franklin. But I doubt we’ll see Landon. He deserves a break.
Doubt we’ll be seeing Ream since he has a game on Oct 9th and NY is still in the playoff race. Ike Opara is still hurt from what I know and it’s too soon for Gale Agbossoumonde. I figured it’d be a good audition for DeMerit. Marshall and Goodson are possibilities at CB as well. I doubt we’ll be seeing Onyewu. Bob will let him try and break into the squad at Milan. Bocanegra could play CB as well, just kinda depends on the LB situation. Chivas have a game on Oct 9th but they are pretty much done so Bornstein might be available. Doubt we’ll see Heath Pearce as FC Dallas has a game on Oct 9th and Dallas is in the playoff race. Edgar Castillo is either hurt or just not playing.
Spector might get called up but he hasn’t played for West Ham in a while and Bob might let him stay in England to work back into the squad. Eric Lichaj might get called up but I doubt he’ll start at LB or RB. Daniel Williams is a possibility, but I don’t see it. He’s not getting much playing time lately.
Andy Najar won’t be eligible to play for the USA for a few years. He’s a Honduran citizen with a green card.
and there’s how I pwn at fifa.
Ah. I forget that people follow other sports as well. Carry on.
oh never mind…. just read that he’s still struggling with Sochaux’s reserve team and isn’t expected to return until January. Chin Up Charlie!
Why has no one mentioned Charlie Davies? Did I miss something?
I would deffently like to see Jones, Felheiber, and Davies. I would also like to see DeMeritt get some playing time along with Onyewu. Then of course there will be Bradley, Guzan, Dempsey, Altidore, Howard Bocenegra, and the other consistants other then Donovan who I see actually being left off becuase of the playoffs.
My Dynamo are out. Geoff Cameron???
Andy Najar! And fast!
That being said, you’re right…it will never happen. Was just saying that it Could BE legally possible
I don’t know if there is a specific rule against it, but I couldn’t see why FIFA would care if an 18 year old permanent US resident/ green card holder, who has not chosen his national side yet, (and is on the path to citizenship) just came to practice and kicked around a bit with the team. There may be a rule against foreign players on the practice field trying to see how they gel with a team for the possible future, but I’m not a FIFA attorney.
Who should Bob call-up? Isn’t it obvious? Whoever Sunil tells him to call up.
Plus Convey and BB don’t see eye to eye…Convey basically said that as long as BB is coach he will never be on the national team again.
Even though it’s only a friendly and he wouldn’t be cap-tied, it would still be a positive gesture to make him feel welcome for the future. He shows promise. Apparently, there is a good vibe in the locker room with the USMNT; Maybe they’ll make him feel welcome enough not to switch to play for the motherland
i want bob bradley to send a message to the guys not playing for their clubs. altidore, onyewu, spector, gomez, clark , etc.
18 man squad
goalies: guzan, sean johnson
defense: alston, bocanegra, bornstein, cherundolo, goodson, orozco
midfield: bedoya, bradley, dempsey, edu, feilhaber, holden, jones
forwards: braun, ching, eddie johnson
I don’t really care who plays so long as they try a 4-5-1 to see if they can find places for all the midfielders.
Altidore
Feilhaber Holden Bedoya
Jones Bradley
Boca Goodson Parkhurst Lichaj
Guzan
Torres in for Feilhaber, Edu in for Jones, maybe give Tony Taylor or Mix Diskerud a shot. Jozy in over Dempsey because Dempsey could probably use a rest. Would be cool to see Boss or Lletget, but they aren’t ready; they’ll have to wait until the January camp. Also, we’re comparatively stacked at right back — can’t ANY of them play on the left?
+1Assuming Chicago will release him for the game.
DCU have been mathematically eliminated from the MLS playoffs. I think Santino could probably be called up.
How can the team keep the ball when youre playing a man down to arsenal and whoever else is was? thats probably the main reason why he has the most tackles
anyway, my name is jrdossantos cuz im a fan of the mma fighter Junior Dos Santos:)
he’s real good, lot better than Holden
and brock lesnar
Here is LA Galaxy.com’s predictions:
http://www.lagalaxy.com/news/2010/09/roster-predictions-ahead-us-friendlies
No, I’m talking about not being able to close down the space right between the defense and midfield.
Why is it that new is always better? Change is not always better. Bob Bradley is not tactically inept. he’s tactically inflexible. Klinsmann is tactically inept but tactically flexible. That’s why fans want him; he’s willing to try anything. Whether it be all out attack or pure defense. Screw that. It’s not always us playing it safe. It’s us playing it smart. We shouldn’t have to take a chance. We’ll know when to hire a coach like Klinsmann, now is not the time.
AFAIK Najar isn’t eligible to play for the USMNT
That is quite a statistic. A great crosser, AND a good tackler. Of course, this is only so far, but I would imagine if we could have him do what Landon did against Spain and pinch in almost as a central midfielder then it would really help. Sort of like a hybrid right midfiedler/central midfielder the same way Ramires, Elano and Alves do for Brazil. The 4-2-3-1 with Holden as the central attacking midfielder would also work.
+1
He has capabilities as a forward and seems to have done well as a goal threat, regardless of his actual goal return. He’s got size, strength, speed, skill, and a lot of confidence. Similar to Ronaldo almost.(SIMILAR!!!)
funny. You talk about Onyewu, then you include Spector who hasn’t played for West Ham in quite a while
I get what you’re saying. But if you’re talking about Birsa, you’re talking about the Slovenia game, and Jose Torres was paired with Bradley.
break shea isn’t being groomed as a forward and can’t finish anyways.
Miguel Angel Ponce
I wonder if USSF has had any talks with him regarding the national team. That being said it seems like he cares more about playing for Chivas then anything else. But he’s still young. I just hope he doesn’t commit to Mexico
Not really Bob’s style. If Boss was in MLS he would get called up, but tell me when Bob has ever called up a division 2 player or a youth national player who isn’t getting playing time in Europe?
True. But we’ll see if Bob will call him up though. He tends to respect MLS teams wishes. So even though Chivas are basically done, they still do have a game on October 9th.
Stuart Holden is the most prolific tackler so far in the EPL: http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11096_2705370,00.html
What about Davies? Is he available to make an appearance yet.
BB will probably stick with MLS and unsigned players IMO until the games of importance kick off.
But I think Holden, J Jones and Feilhaber need some recognition.
I’m still mad at Sunil for not giving klinsmann a shot. US soccer needs to take a chance, we always play it safe!!
Lets give Preston Zimmerman a call up. At least name him to the camp.
+3 for McBride
I am down to get young players in the team as much as the next guy if they prove they are ready aka theyve been doing well at club level.
but the suggestions of players like agbossomounde, jeremiah white, lee nguyen, alex zahavi, zizzo are absolutely inane. be prepared to be disappointed if these are the players you want to see.
Baby bradley should stay in Germany. Yeah he scored a goal last weekend but his team is playing horrible ball.
I expect MB’s coach would appreciate dad giving his kid a break to help ensure his squad doesn’t go down to Bundesliga 2.
That opens central midfield spots to Holden and Jones, with Edu coming in for Jones early in 2nd half. And Torres coming in for Holden.
Dempsey similar to baby Bradley doesn’t need to prove anything to USMNT; Fulham would appreciate BB giving Demps and EJ both a break.
So that opens slots to newbies like Brek Shea and in the back to Boss, to show they can run with the big dogs. Or more likely just to show them how far they still need to go.
ryan smith is from engerland.
+1
Daniel Williams…but last I knew he was sitting on German benches, not getting playing time.
when your team cant keep the ball, you tend to need to tackle quite often