Sacha Kljestan and Brek Shea have been called in as emergency replacements for the U.S. men's national team after a rash of injuries and illness hit the roster originally called in by Jurgen Klinsmann.
Landon Donovan (bronchitis), Timmy Chandler and Jose Torres (both injured) will miss Wednesday's friendly against Italy, and have been replaced by Kljestan and Shea. A few days earlier, Jermaine Jones was forced to withdraw with an injury as well.
Klinsmann is expected to make at least one more addition to the roster he will field against Italy in Genoa on Wednesday, but the roster is already suffering from injuries to the likes of Oguchi Onyewu and Zak Whitbread, though Whitbread's return to action for Norwich City this past weekend could lead to a call-up for the match.
What do you think of these developments? Disappointed we still won't see a Donovan and Dempsey pairing for the national team until May at the earliest? Excited to see Kljestan get the call? Who are you hoping also gets a call on Monday?
Share your thoughts below.
not in 2010. Onyewu was still injured and struggled in the training sessions leading up to the W.C. Torres had seen limited time at Pachuca due to nagging injuries, Beasley likewise had seen limited playing time due at least in part to injury. The best players for the US in the W.C. were healthy; Dempsey, Donavon, Bradley, Boca, Dolo and Howard. Altidore, Gomez, Buddle and Findley were all more or less healthy, but I’m not sure you would name them among the best.
I agree that playing Williams on the wing is not the way to go in the long run, but this is what Klinsi how Klinsi has used him so far, so we should try to minimize the experimentation in the a lineup that is already pretty experimental. I agree it would interesting to see a Willams/MB cm. If Edu starts I will be very disappointed. I don’t see how you can rate him above Sacha right now.
He’s out injured.
yes the pool has improved, and no need to rush Davies back. He has a great club that is doing the right thing with him. if he keeps progressing he could get a call for the summer games.
while no one should be excited about 3 holding mids and 1 forward this is probably the most realistic line up vs. Italy. possibly Kljestian in for Edu..
use this line up to keep the game in hand for a 50-60 min and then throw in boyd or buddle for on of the cm’s.
or move dempsey up top and put kleisten somewhere in the midfield…
shea-jozy-buddle/boyd
fabian-bradley-dempsey
lichaj-boca-goodson-dolo
may not be our A-tema, but its the best line-up we have on the roster if he calls in lichaj…maybe Benny up top if he gets called in and put spector at LB…
Corona and Adu need to stay with the U-23s. Lichaj needs to continue to get back to fitness before we talk about him again. He’ll be good to go by the summer. I would say it would be good to have him replace Shea on the U-23s, but doesn’t really make much sense to travel all the way there at this point.
I love Benny and have always liked him more than Sasha, but right now, Sasha plays in a better league and on the top team. Benny, who I think is awesome too, never played on a team that was at a higher level. Derby was one of the worst teams in the history of the EPL and the Danish league isn’t as god as Belgium.
Still two spots to be filled (only replaced 2 out of 4 so far), he could get the call. Personally, I’m hoping Beasley and Whitbread get it. But I’d be fine with Beasley and Feilhaber too.
Glad to see Sasha called up. Didn’t like the guy at all after his drop in form following his hat trick against Sweden. But he has stepped it up and is in great form. He deserves this call up!
I’d like to see Whitbread and Beasley called up for the final spots. Lets leave the U-23s as is. I do wonder if someone will get called into that camp to replace Shea though.
Jozy, Boyd
Shea, Bradley, Sasha, Dempsey
Johnson, Boca, Williams, Dolo
If Whitbread and Beasley are called in, I would drop Boyd to bench, move Dempsey up and put Beasley out wide. I am interested to see how Williams would do there given he has been playing well at CB for Hoff. I’d be ok with Whitbread starting as well.
The only reason I have Boyd starting is because I’m just curious to see how the kid will do.
“Not much bad?” Gonzo hurt his ACL (remember, Beckham hurt his Achilles on a similar loan a couple years back…not like it’s unprecedented), John hasn’t been signed yet and may have to return to Dallas hat in hand, and Landon is sick for the second time in a handful of months for a friendly. FWIW, none of them are 18 (Landon will be 30), these are not “developmental” in the true sense, it’s farming out our players over the winter.
Klinsi may not sign the paperwork and go on loan himself but he has been encouraging these sorts of loan moves and I think they are of limited overall cost-benefit value, because “proper rest” and “health” and “having the player when I need them” are countervailing interests. Landon used to be Mr. Reliable but ever since he went to a year-round schedule he’s experiencing breakdowns. Everton has given no hint of buying Landon; it’s a showy waste of time.
Anyone else unhappy that skilled players are out (Donovan, Jones, Torres and Chandler)? I would have preferred some skilled players to replace them like Feilhaber, Corona, Adu and Lichaj.
/facepalm @ Chandler….
“kljestan-and-shea-replace-donovan-torres-and-CHANDLER-on-usa-roster”
you have to have Sasha in that formation. Edu, Bradley AND Williams? they’ll be no one in the midfield moving forward…
yup. while williams hasn’t play fullback at all. someone people just make up positions for players.
he isn’t a LB for us? what does that even mean. he plays LB for his club. yes, he is a utility player, but this is a perfect game to see him at LB.
yes, dempsey is absolutely more of a winger than williams!! switch those two and i like it.
Funny how Donovan seems to have some problem whenever there’s a long plane ride involved
I totally disagree with the Brek callup. He should have stayed with the U23’s
Not a Sacha believer at all… maybe he’ll get some minutes and prove once again he shouldnt get any.
Benny must have totally pissed JK off. To call in a guy like Shea over Benny is an insult. Heck, to even call in Sacha over Benny is an insult. JK should work with Benny, not shun him. He’s emotional but then the best ones often are
yeah, williams isn’t good on the wing. i would put dempsey in williams spot, move sasha to dempsey’s spot and then but williams back there with bradley.
i’m hoping we play a 4-4-2 though.
or Donovan have something against Klismann since he hasn’t play in most of all friendly that klismann been a coach.
I think its funny that Davies (who has played in 2 of the last 3 games (as a sub yes)for Sochaux in Ligue 1) is completely written off. If this was back 10 years he would be a lock it up USMNT starter. I think I’m getting old…
Would love to not see Johnson wasted at LB, since the talent/vision in the midfield took a hit.
————-Jozy———
———–Dempsey——–
-Johnson—————-Shea-
——–Bradley-Sacha———
Spector-Bocanegra-Cameron-Dolo
Danny Williams could slot in at CDM for Sacha or at LB for Spector…he’s played both. All this said, we’ll probably see Johnson at LB.
——————-Altidore—————-
—————-Dempsey——————
—–Shea———Kljestan——-Chandler—
—————–Bradley——————-
Johnson—Bocanegra—Goodson—Cherundolo
—————–Howard——————-
Started v mexico and costa rica in summer 2011.
Yes, but not with Dempsey.
I don’t think there is any ambiguity in what he said. He is stating that you could mention Davies in a list of injuries that are affecting the current USMNT. But-for Davies injury, he may be on the current squad. You could say the exact same smart @$$ “what does [x] have to do with the current squad” about any injured player.
Kljestan is the most dapper-looking gentleman in the American pool.
And Dempsey is? Of this call up, without LD, no one really is. Dolo in the attack is the closest! It’s a friendly, I’d rather see some sort of an attempt at attacking, than parking the bus!
Are you saying LD travels around and works harder than the other top US players?
People get sick. LD is not as youhg as he used to be.
JK does not set Donovan’s schedule.
Im not pointing fingers to anyone in particular, but there is so much wasted thought about what could have or should have been with this person or that person in the team. Accept the circumstances and please move on. Backwards thinking gets you nowhere. Onward and upward!
What does Davies have to do with the current USMNT?
US fans are such excuse making whiners.
Shoulda, coulda, woulda,
The difference between the Spains of the world and the US is that with their back ups in long term (a guy like David Silva for example)they might have wound up making the team even better.
That is why JK keeps preaching competition, competition for spots.
Consistent health is not something a team can do that much about.
Consistent competition for places and the resultant development of depth is something you can do something about.
+1 Honest, respectful, and truthful. Nice work.
“Lame” is what I told Kljestan when he asked me what I thought about his hairstyle and mustache.
As you can see in the picture, he just told me, “Shhhhh.”
Danny Williams is not a winger!
Has he been injured for the last two months? I was wondering what happened to him.
Back before the first camp in Germany I was expecting our starting CBs at the Olympics to be Brooks and an overage CB like Omar Gonzalez. He totally disappeared after that, and after cycling through a bunch of CBs who are either likely not good enough (Fennel, Boss) or not really CBs (Kitchen, Valentin), my current feeling is the best duo would be Opara and Cameron. But I’d love to see Brooks get a chance. My worry is that it’s too late for him, he’s not at the current camp, that only leaves the final camp and that’s for the actual qualifying roster so I really doubt Porter would bring in new guys. Tough luck for him, but then again he is age eligible for the 2016 Olympic team….
I can’t see any conceivable way a fit Michael Bradley doesn’t earn a starting spot. He is one of our best eleven in any formation and nobody in the team knows Italian football better.
I don’t see anyone else being flown over from the States on such short notice, especially someone who is both redundant and already unable to play due to injury, like Beckerman. If Klinsmann calls someone else in, it will likely be someone who is based in Europe to fill an immediate need. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Eric Lichaj get a call due to our lack of depth at fullback or Zak Whitbread, who is now healthy again.
Fabian Johnson has played LB for like the last five games at Hoffenheim.
———Josy-Boyd——
———-Dempsey——-
—Shea————-Williams
———-Bradley——-
F.Johnson-Boca-Whitbread/Goodsen-Dolo
———–Howard———–
Williams is a D-mid. Has not been effective on the outside.
+10
if Castillo keeps starting and playing solid 90m per game i have no doubt Klinnsman will give him another shot. But it might be counter-productive to disrupt club play for a long trip to Italy and then back again. My conspiracy theory on Jose Torres is that his not really injured that badly, if at all, but after his three teammates were injured Saturday his coach wants to keep him close to home for the club. I bet Torres will be playing club ball this weekend.
Beckerman is injured now isn’t he. He also will be back. Klinsmann has made clear that Beckerman has locked a spot on the team. That said, Danny Williams the last few games as DM for Hoffenheim has looked v ery good and he will continue improving under the new coach.
wow. honest to gosh, that has to be one of the best posts ever on SBI.
they should bring in Lichaj or Zach Lloyd and see Fabian Johnson at lm/lw… that also would’ve allowed Brek to stay wit u-23’s. like someone already said earlier, these games were much more interesting about a week ago before both sides got depleted. tough break =
pretty sure donovan went to everton on his own accord. that was not a developmental move. besides freak injuries like gonzalez’s, not much bad can come from those stints. meanwhile they could be huge in terms of a young player’s development.
not too much merit to what you say (especially about brek). shea has been one of the best players for the us over the last year. sure he has been a little inconsistent, but he is a young attacking player, so that is going to happen. fact is, he is a very dangerous player and always provides a threat on the wing. kljestan needed to be called because of the circumstances. who knows if he’ll get any pt, but we need another midfielder who can provide something that we are missing without players like holden, torres, adu, (maybe feilhaber), and some of the younger guys available. thought – not a fan of this, but could be a time to give spector a chance in the midfield for the us.
last thing – don’t get so defensive when your original post is so negative. a lot of fans (and coaches) like to see players for what they bring to the table or for what their potential is. when you only point out negatives (and act like you should be some revered talent evaluator), you come across as someone who wants these players to fail and that is just lame.
As far as the U23’s go it’s good to see John Anthony Brooks finally back from his injury. He was out over two months after starting every game for Hertha Berlin II squad. He should help shore up the middle of the back line once qualifying comes around.
I wonder, does Davies count aymore? He may never find his former form, but that is due to injury…. Does that still count as an injury loss to the team or do we throw that one away since he is playing again.
MB has to start. let johnson play left back.