Photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The U.S. men's national team hit the practice field on Tuesday morning to begin preparations for its upcoming friendly against Honduras, and head coach Jurgen Klinsmann picked things up where he left off in September.
The emphasis of the training session was passing, as the players were put through different exercises before breaking up into two teams of seven for a small game with two mini-goals on each side.
Following the training, Klinsmann spoke with a handful of local media and discussed what he would like to get out of the U.S. team's friendly against Honduras on Saturday as well as the one against Ecuador next Tuesday.
"Obviously, we'd like to see a progression in our work," said Klinsmann. "I think the first two get-togethers with three games combined we saw a lot. It's a group of players that have a tremendous working attitude and willingness to learn and willingness to improve.
"So we step-by-step try to build something that really prepares us well for the World Cup qualifiers next summer, and building a core group of experience – the leaders in the group – and step by step introducing some fresh blood, some younger players with tremendous potential moving forward. So we're trying to combine things, we're trying to see a lot of different things on the field in our training sessions, and then see how we can mold those things together."
Here are more notes from U.S. training:
FINDING THE BACK OF THE NET
One aspect Klinsmann is looking to address during this camp is finishing. Through three games the Americans have mustered only one goal and have yet to get a victory. They also lost both of their September friendlies by the score of 1-0, but Klinsmann insists that it is a work in progress.
"Against Costa Rica, I thought we had enough chances to put it in the net and win the game," said Klinsmann. "Belgium was a bit of a different character, even if we scored a regular goal in the last couple of minutes which was disallowed for whatever reason, the referee only knows. But it's okay. Obviously you want to get to the next step and put this thing in the net, and it's a process and the players are aware of that. … We definitely would like to see a couple of goals coming up in the next few games."
BEASLEY'S RETURN
For veteran DaMarcus Beasley, this set of friendlies marks the second time he's been called in by Klinsmann. Beasley was included on the roster for the United States' friendly with Mexico back in August, although he did not dress for the game.
Beasley was not called into camp for the September friendlies, but he returns to the fold after playing well for Mexican club Puebla in recent weeks.
"DaMarcus, he completely moved out of his comfort zone," said Klinsmann. "Coming back from Europe and being all over the place with up and downs that we all have in our lives, he kind of got his act together and he made that step going down to Mexico and proving himself. It shows his character and it shows you his willingness to fight through different environments and difficult moments. I think you see a far more mature DaMarcus Beasley now than you have seen probably a couple years ago, which is natural, it's a normal process."
KLINSMANN ADDRESSES OMISSIONS
Klinsmann touched on some of his roster omissions, which include the likes of defenders George John and Omar Gonzalez and midfielder Benny Feilhaber.
"We have a huge list of MLS players. We watch games week in and week out. I send all of our staff people, Claudio Reyna, we send them out together and watch games. If it's in Mexico, if it's in Europe, we know where they are. At the same time, as I mentioned before in (last week's) press release, we don't want to shake up the group every time we get together too much.
"We saw that there are players that want to get into this group and they have all the case, but at the same time if you want to develop consistency and you want to improve the quality of the group right now, you need to bring them in regularly. I'm not a friend of – maybe that was the idea behind a game in L.A. and a game in Belgium, having the L.A. game played by the MLS guys and having the Belgium game played by the European guys.
"That might have been the idea, but I'm not that way. I want them to have a sense of national team balance, no matter if it's here or somewhere else. It's my opinion the best that are right now available. If there are injuries, there are injuries. But in general, I want the best players always here, and that makes it difficult now for Benny or for George John and Omar Gonzalez for example, I understand that."
USMNT NOTES
- Of the 22 players called in, 18 are currently in camp. Edson Buddle is scheduled to join the team later on Tuesday and Juan Agudelo, Tim Ream and Nick Rimando will get with the group later in the week following their respective MLS games.
- Assistant coach Martin Vasquez was at practice, but he is still not yet employed by the U.S. Soccer Federation.
- Jonathan Spector was the lone player not to participate as he continues to recover from a slight ankle injury picked up over the weekend. Spector jogged around the field, but was not involved in the team drills.
- The team did some running, worked on passing drills and wrapped up the session by splitting the field players into two teams (gray and orange) of seven. The drill involved two mini-goals on each side. Clint Dempsey served as a two-way player in the drill.
- The orange team was made up of DaMarcus Beasley, Michael Bradley, Teal Bunbury, Maurice Edu, Oguchi Onyewu, Michael Orozco Fiscal and Danny Williams.
- The gray team was comprised of Jozy Altidore, Kyle Beckerman, Carlos Bocanegra, Timmy Chandler, Steve Cherundolo, Jeff Larentowicz and Brek Shea.
- Altidore had his right ankle stepped on during the 7-on-7 game and was removed and tended to for precautionary measures. Dempsey took his place on the gray team.
- Dempsey looked sharp in the game, as did Williams. The TSG Hoffenheim midfielder/defender spent a good amount of time on the left side, but players moved about freely.
- There won't be an update on potential November friendlies until after the Euro qualifiers are played later this month, a U.S. spokesman said.
- The United States returns to the practice field on Wednesday morning.
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What do you think of Klinsmann's continued emphasis on passing? Do you see the United States beating Honduras on Saturday? What do you think about his comments towards some of his omissions?
Share your thoughts below.
Wynalda proolly deserved to get stomped… too bad it wasn’t on the mouth…
what are you talking about?
seriously, you’re one of those results equals performance minds? disappointed.
lol
What’s so weird about the word ‘attributes’?
And did you do that last bit on purpose?
I feel as though Gooch’s skill set is pretty contrary to what Klinsi wants to see as a central defender. However, I tend to agree with the fact that when he was healthy, he was one of our most important players.
Beas could really be something special if he’s got his mind right. Remember when he and Lando were the two next big things? Maybe this is Beasley’s last window of opportunity to be a great USMNT player.
How come you keep arguing with yourself? I mean, one doesn’t know why some other one posts replies to oneself….One does know it’s past one’s bedtime, though. G’night…..
+1
Actually, I think everyone has someone else’s opinion. At least, that’s my opinion.
OK — I”m done for the night…..
Just like his skivvies.
Touché is no Eboué
Their “attributes” are needed? Sounds like Klinsi-speak is wearing off on the fans.
I wonder would that mean in English…..
I agree totally.
Absolutely, JP.
I think he’s saying that Spector won’t be playing again — this time around.
really. results always matter, as do performances, etc. If again, for example, we’re impotent in the final 3rd, does it matter? if we are not, does that matter?
cheers
Gianfranco, this is excellent reporting. Thanks!
+1
” but I have a hard time claiming that I know more than Claudio Reyna and Jurgen Klinsmann.”
Most sensible comment on this blog Cairo
+1
Really? What tournament are we in? Is it qualifying?
“The USSF hired JK because,apparently they believed that by the time WC qualifying rolled around, he would have the best team possible assembled.”
disagree. Gulati screwed up by rehiring Bradley for the second cycle, panicked after Mexico, then reacted while his heart was beating fast with anxiety. Reyna and his motions were already in play pre-klinsmann anyway
I’m Sorry Bornstein was a pretty huge favorite for BB. Klinsmann lost Rogers and Castillo when they did not perform. With Ream and Orozco he hs not played them in big games like BB did with Bornstein. So far they have only been on the bench.
Aaron,
Greece played two Euro qualifiers on Sept 6 and Sept 12. If I remember correctly this was before the Blackburn transfer fell apart.
Now if Greece were really serious about permanently capping him for them then they should have capped him then.
They didn’t.
Either they were respecting his impending transfer to Blackburn or they just don’t rate him that much.
Either way, I remain unconvinced that Greece wants him that bad.
“If there are injuries, there are injuries. But in general, I want the best players always here, and that makes it difficult now for Benny or for George John and Omar Gonzalez for example, I understand that.”
abc,
I guess that depends on how you interpret “best players”.
We all have our favorites and think they are the best. So should we do it by an American Idol style Poll?
The USSF hired JK because,apparently they believed that by the time WC qualifying rolled around, he would have the best team possible assembled. Not by early October but by WC qualifying which starts next spring.
I’ll bet you all of your money JK’s idea of “best players” will look a lot different by then.
When BB was around he never said anything substantive about his reasons for selecting people.
JK is far more talkative and far more interesting to listen to but I think everyone has fallen into the trap of thinking his interviews mean anything more than what BB said.
They don’t.
If you read them very carefully you will see that he is leaving himself just as many loop holes as BB did. They just have different styles.
In other words it’s the same BS or coach speak if you prefer.
JK’s teams are supposed to have more of an attacking edge. A big reason for that just might be he suddenly has lot more attacking options than BB did.
I’ll be fascinated to see how much of JK’s attacking desire clashes with his playing experience. The man who introduced diving to England played on some very phsyical, very cynical,take no prisoners,type teams. Ask Wynalda who got stomped on by one of JK’s teams in the 1998 World Cup.
I’d prefer he said that, we are trying three new players at ……. so there was no room for bleeding three more at this time.
One doesn’t know if John, Gonzalez, and Cameron will make the grade. One does know that Klinsmann’s answer ‘consistency’ is weak, because what value is there in consistently bad.
Someone’s drank the Kool-Aid.
Klinsmann could have added “…the best players available who I think best fit into the system I’m trying to create, in the in the time window I hope to have. I want to show the US Soccer communities those players/attributes I value most and hopefully these attributes trickle down to the younger players. This is part of the process of bringing my ideas to bear on US Soccer while maximizing USMNT results.”
He’s weighting the importance of a bunch of variable, finds players that best fit these variables, and hopes the results = raised level of USMNT play in the near future, World Cup 2014 success in the mid term, and an improved soccer system in the US in the long run. I hope he can pull off all three.
I liked the comment but disagree with his conclusion. That may have been a perfect and only time to do just that.
That’s is the question, why aren’t John and Gonzalez projects that are called in ?
I don’t know if I would agree TOMG. BB had some head scratchers too. Time will tell. I guess everyone has their opinions.
I am a KLinsmann fan, but I am little nervous that he is leaving out players like Gonzalez, and John. I hope he calls on them in November.
Also I was hoping he would go for a younger team in general. It will be interesting to see how the Olympic team shapes up.
what a tremendous pile of BS this is
Chris Rolfe is a stud.
it’s the USMNT fan club in here mate.
+1
I think those friendlies will be in Europe; it would make a lot of sense to play a European team and an African team (in Europe) on that trip
I thought Coach’s whole thing was that you had to be playing for club, and playing well? it seems he cherry picks whom to apply that to
it’s remarkable, and revealing
no arguments.
these matches mean something. what are you talking about?
how do you come up with this, that Ream has better upside? please explain this position which you state as if fact.
Don’t think so, David. I do not think this is the Omar Gonzalez/George John fan club. It is rather the smoldering hard-core remnants of the BB Fan Club (aka Klinsmann Haters) who are not yet ready to move on and are trying to sow discontent with Klinsmann among USMNT fans. These jokers are not true USMNT fans, they are prikks with knives sharpened in the hope that our USMNT will lose so that Klinsman will be judged a failure and that they can tear him apart. Nice guys, huh? You should not waste your time trying to discuss with them. Ignore them. Just ignore them and let them wallow in their hate.
If Gonzo or John made the types of errors Ream has this year, they wouldn’t be in the conversation. Ream has been, quite simply, awful. He had another error this weekend against TFC, not tracking his man, which lead to a goal.
Can’t we demand that a player be solid at the club level before he becomes a national team regular? Gonzalez has demonstrated this, Ream has not.
How is that cherry-picking quotes??
“Best players” is the response he gave when asked specifically about not calling in Gonzalez, Feilhaber and John, and he mentions all three of them. By name. In the very same sentence.
okay, let’s cherry pick quotes.
“We saw that there are players that want to get into this group and they have all the case, but at the same time if you want to develop consistency and you want to improve the quality of the group right now, you need to bring them in regularly”
Touché
Totally Agree
True, but let’s face it: substitute the name Bob Bradley for Jurgen Klinsmann and watch the tenor of the discussion change. Don’t get me wrong: I’m glad people are a little more rational about things now, but something has to be said for the ridiculous, baseless and illogical abuse that was heaped upon BB for his selections.
If you have any objectivity, you’ve got to look upon the selections thus far by Klinsi as being much less logical and merit based than BB’s in general. People HOWLED at BB for not bringing in different guys, but he was WAY more inclusive than Klinsi seems to be. Many bashed BB for playing favorites, but his choices were clearly more logical and merit based than Klinsi who clearly has a BUNCH of guys that he likes for his team that don’t seem to jibe with current form. The only real BB “favorite” that could be argued would be Bornstein, but even that is understandable in light of the fact that the pool was just entirely barren at LB at that point.
I’m not saying that either approach is right or wrong, but the difference in the tenor of the comments is remarkable. I hope it’s just people growing up or smartening up, but I think there was also a weird, irrational hatred for BB that clearly had nothing to do with any of his actual decisions, but rather something going on inside the haters themselves.
So I wonder if John starts looking at Greece much more seriously if they ever call. Although he’d probably be a striker there the way they play
Wow, it is like the Omar Gonzalez/George John fan club in here. I assume Ream is consistently called in because Klins want to play out of the back and Ream can do that. His weaknesses have been exposed this season but at the end of the day I am sure most coaches feel teaching a young center back better positioning and working on strength and quickness is a lot easier than teaching composure on the ball. Yeah he has had to horrible giveaways in the league this year but only 2 over 2 seasons for a center back that doesn’t immediately booted out is pretty good.
Also notice he hasn’t played a minute under Klins. that should also be a sign that Klins sees him as a player of the future, not present. He is there to learn.
As for Orozco, I don’t much about him besides what I have seem under Klins and he hasn’t been that bad…
I agree that John and Gonzalez are worth looks, but they are hardly “clear upgrades” over Orozco and Ream. Orozco had a decent showing against Mexico, especially for a first senior team cap. He sucked a bit against CR, but it wasn’t an axe-worthy performance.
Gonzalez is in good form now, but he lacks certain aspects that could potentially hurt him at the international level. Speed, agility and ball skills come to mind. I’m not saying he shouldn’t get a chance to prove everyone wrong, though.
John hasn’t been in great form since the Blackburn fiasco. He and Ihemelu let in 5 (I know some were penalties) against the worst team in their CCL group. That said, I rate him higher than Gonzo, even though Gonzo’s doing better in MLS and the CCL.
Ream has ball distribution and vision qualities John and Gonzalez haven’t been shown to match. Yes, Ream’s season has been marked by some pretty amateur errors. Probably a victim of the ridiculous hype machine and expectations. He will surmount this, though.
To be fair, Rogers and Castillo weren’t called back in. Tim Ream has been in bad form, but he still has tremendous potential and he’s not worth writing off yet. Orozco had a relatively solid showing against Mexico. Larentowicz was actually very good in his limited minutes in September. Bunbury’s one of the only young, speedster-style strikers we have and has recently regained his form.
That said, Bedoya’s still settling with Rangers and only recently got his first start in League play. Gatt and Diskerud are still green, so they’re exclusion is hardly a contentious point. Gomez is old, and while I personally think he deserves another call up, he’s probably off JK’s radar now.
The only real omission to me is Kljestan, especially when Klinsmann has called in a relatively depleted midfield. Cameron definitely needs a look, but I’ll wait another 4 months or so before I start calling it a snub.