Omar Gonzalez is waiting for another U.S. national team call-up, and much like many American soccer fans and observers, he has been left wondering just when that next call will come.
The MLS Defender of the Year favorite has yet to receive a call from, or spoken to, new U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, and in my recent Fox Soccer piece on his national team status, Gonzalez talked about that fact, as well as about his recent comments stating he would be open to a call from the Mexican national team.
Give the story a read. Gonzalez's candidness is eye-opening and will leave you wondering even more just when Klinsmann will call up a 23-year-old centerback who has established himself as the best defender in MLS.
What do you think of Gonzalez's comments? Surprised he hasn't gotten a call-up yet from Klinsmann?
Share your thoughts below.
yea man i didn’t say he should start over gooch. i said he should at least make the sub bench as a gooch type replacement should the big guy get fatigued or suffer injury (god forbid)
The question is did you notice Ream in the same game? My problem is that Ream is getting calls and not Omar when Omar is a better CB in MLS and is a year younger. Ream looked sloppy vs LA, OG looked solid in the same game.
alot less than through the fingers of BB
Wilyboy,
Berhalter and Gooch come to mind.
That would be a TERRIBLE decision. And where did you hear such a thing? Please give a source. I suspect you are just another person trolling with information they simply created out of thin air, huh?
Unfortunately he is going to have to probably wait again this month, unless the Galaxy lose tomorrow night. Which I hope they don’t.
“will be”??
Starting these 2 in international play today would be suicide. They need to develop more and prove they can be successful in bigger leagues before that should be considered.
Boca and Gooch are our best central defense. Boca’s age is a concern for Brazil though, but I think he still has a WC in him.
Where, EXACTLY, does the story say that? Please be very specific. Where did it say that?
+3 I didn’t think of that.
Well, one was a MLS defensive star and has had solid years starting in Europe… What have the other 2 done?
in the face!
Yes, you could argue that. But it would not be true.
I heard he might get a spot on the Olympic team as one of the three over age players..
Why? Boca, Gooch and Goodson are 3 better options, and you could argue that long-forgotten Parkurst (silently anchoring his team’s defense in Denmark to a solid season) deserves a call over Cameron or John or Omar or Ream.
To be honest, he’s basically competing for the back-up back-up’s spot, i.e. what Ream currently has.
At this point, Boca, Gooch and Goodson are ahead by a lot. However, if Ream got a look, I suppose Omar could get invited to a camp sometime.
This said, Omar needs to take a humble pill too. He’s talking like he’s owed a call-up when really he’s not proven he can be effective anywhere other than MLS. Before he can start talking himself up like that, maybe he needs to prove himself in a bigger league.
Truth be told, he’s a fringe player right now and hasn’t done anything that warrants an automatic call-up in my view. Then again, Ream has done even less and he got called….
Good one. Gosh, I miss YWTC.
Well this Crap about Omar and John is crazy. There are other player as well that need to be call in for the USNMT who maybe better. OK if either Omar or John get call in the better freaking bring their A game and not stink. Cause they really would look like stupid especially Omar since he is public talking or expressing their frustration for not been call. I don’t hear Adu, Benny, Bedoya or other for not getting a call back. I’m a Galaxy and yes I would like Omar get a chance but I see him make sometime the stupidest mistake of passing the ball that will cost a goal or almost a goal. Well Omar I hope you get your chance and PROVE yourself that you are good for international level and not just league level. Because there are a lots of those type of player.
I’m not too worried either. People are FREAKING out about this. We haven’t had many games, it’s VERY early. I agree that Omar deserves a call up, but I don’t think he deserves it MORE than Ream or Orozco. I wish JK, now that we have some games under his belt, would start rotating in Omar and John. But this idea by fans that Omar is SO MUCH BETTER than Ream or Orozco is ridiculous. If anything, John is the one with EPL interest. Point is, relax. It would be nice to see JK reach out to him. I think, as the US coach, he should be doing that.
he is NOT leagues above those two. he deserves a call up too, but don’t be delusional.
Now that Omar has said the US is his first choice he is never going to get a Mexican call up. I’m not too worried about this. It’s very early in the WC cycle and I have no doubt Castillo & Orozco will be exposed and flame out.
main issue is not to many teams roll out two central defenders who are in their early 20s
+2. they could clean up each others mistakes nicely.
If that is the case, and if Cameron and John also didn’t get called up, someone needs to punch Klinsy in the face.
Gooch may not fit the system either, but he is a veteran leader, not another young 20 something who doesnt have the experience. I do think he should get a chance though.
No, multiple players who were not called in for various games mentioned conversations they had with Bradley. Hell he is the one who told Charlie Davies that if he wants to get called back in, he needs to move to MLS and actually play games instead of sitting on the bench at Sochaux.
Not true. Torres said Bob hadn’t been in contact at all since the WC.
It’s funny how Klinsmann wants more Mexican-Americans involved with the team, and chose Castillo and Orozco Fiscal over Gonzalez and Herculez Gomez.
But he’s European so he must know what he’s doing!!1!
I agree with this.
But, I would like to see him get a chance. Then perhaps he can become the new whipping boy for all of the supporters when he gets beat by a forward with speed and skill.
I always got the impression Bob was “in contact” even if he wasn’t calling in a particular player. Anyone know if that was true? Perhaps some of the reaction is due simply to the silence.
I don’t have a problem with Klinsy’s allowing his call-ups to speak for themselves, but I also have no problem with a player publicly stating his desire to be in the team.
100% agree
both have to be given a chance together, it is mind-boggling if they don’t. The only thing holding Cameron back is that he only has less than 10 games as a defender this year, but everybody acknowledges he is one of the best so given time i hope he gets a call
All MLS players with teams still in the playoffs may be out of the running for this call-up if Klinsmann wants to ensure that they are available for the full camp. So, it may be a non-story about Omar’s exclusion for this particular set of games (although it obviously doesn’t explain his absence from previous games).
he’s like gooch 2.0 because hes younger. if we are worried about distribution solely, then gooch wouldn’t be around because he is a punter, and everyone is anointing gooch as one of our starting CB’s. it’s BS to say he doesn’t fit into the system we are trying to establish because gooch doesn’t either if we are only worried about distribution from the back. if we want a gooch-like sub on the bench, theres none better in our pool than omar
whatever happened to players being patient? It’s not as if the WC is next summer. He has 2.5years. Plus I’m sure he’ll be in Europe by then, so a leg up over the competition. Chill Omar
Not enough calls pre-klinsi.
I wanna see Gonzalez and Cameron together. That would be a fast, strong backline.
Frankly I think this story is being over-covered. He’s done well in MLS, is young, and his size and strength are impressive. All this is enough to merit his being seriously on the radar for the nats going forward. But the suggestion that he hasn’t been called in yet under Klinsi is some kind of unjustifiable goof or midjudgement is way overcooked. I just saw him in person this past weekend in NYC, and while he had some imposing physical moments, he still looked quite raw on the ball, and beatable in terms of pace. It’s just inaccurate to suggest that he is ready to step in and be anything like an answer right now on the international level.
I think the thing people don’t talk about much is what a good pairing Omar and Ream would be. I don’t think ream should stop getting calls so Omar can get them. i would like to see them play together. I think they would be very complementary. each seems to excel where the other does not. Ream is clearly better at distribution and with the ball at his feet. Omar is better in the air and at man marking. The two together would be a dynamic tandem I think.
Kid deserves a shot. He’s pretty quick for his size and has great body control. He’s always shoulder-to-shoulder even with the small, quicker guys. He’s still young enough to learn some new tricks. At least get him in camp so Klinsi can evaluate him and let him know what he needs to work on. He has enough tools to warrant at least that, no?
Confusing sentence structure: Orozco and Gonzalez Mexican Americans, in different leagues.
What puzzles me is what JK thinks he has to choose from. Orozco always seemed to be a symbolic gesture, why not another Mexican American who plays in MLS?
His reasons hopefully do not include chaffing at Gonzalez’ consideration of Mexico or a lack of faith in MLS defenders. Afterall, name one central defender for the US who didn’t start out in MLS? Jay Demerit, and his story was too crazy not to make into a movie.
I cant see why he hasnt even been called in to camp so Klinsmann can get a better look at him.
OMAR is great at man on man defending and he is the best in the air. He is suspect with his ball skills for the international level. I do think he should get a run with the national team. He is a way better defender than Michael Orozco Fiscal or Tim Reams. Reams is better with the ball at his feet but is a mediocre man defender.
The only logical reason is that Klinsmann doesn’t see his distribution as being adequate for the type of system they are trying to implement. In all other areas, he is leagues above Orozco-Fiscal and Ream.
No remember Klinsmann has 100% control of the national team. No one else has a say what so ever.
so basically, this article is telling us omar did not get called up for france and slovenia.
Wonder how many non German/americans will slip through Klinnsman fingers.
If he’s waiting for a call, that’s an awfully big phone.
It’s a mystery to me why Omar hasn’t gotten more tries.
I’ve got a suspicion it’s someone else in the USSF and not the coaches who put the mojo on Omar, and John. Perhaps they have a thing against 6’4″ CBs.