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Gatt to be replaced on U.S. Gold Cup roster

JoshGattUSMNT (ISIPhotos.com)

By IVES GALARCEP

Josh Gatt has had some bad luck with injuries in his young professional career, and it appears his latest injury is going to cost him a chance to impress Jurgen Klinsmann.

The knee injury suffered by Gatt in last weekend’s club match with Molde will force him to miss the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup, sources confirmed to SBI on Wednesday. It remains unclear just what the specifics of the knee injury are, but Gatt’s injury is significant enough that he will not be able to take his place on the U.S. Gold Cup squad.

The injury is a crushing blow for the 21-year-old Gatt, who was expected to challenge for a regular wing midfield role on the Gold Cup squad. Gatt has made two appearances for the U.S., including a start vs. Russia last year in his national team debut.

This isn’t the first time an injury has cost Gatt a place on the U.S. team. He was originally called in to be a part of the U.S. squad for World Cup qualifiers last September before a hamstring injury forced him out. He also suffered an injury in January of 2012 that forced him to miss Under-23 Olympic qualifying.

Gatt has battled a myriad of injuries on the club level as well, though he has managed to still play a key role in helping Molde win the Norwegian League title last year.

The U.S. team has until 24 hours before its opening Gold Cup match, on July 9th vs. Belize, to name a replacement, and the replacement must come from the pool of 12 players who were on the preliminary U.S. Gold Cup roster who didn’t make the final 23-man roster.

Here are the players Klinsmann can choose from:

Tally Hall, Matt Besler, Carlos Bocanegra, Omar Gonzalez, Brad Davis, Brad Evans, Benny Feilhaber, Eddie Johnson, Brek Shea, Graham Zusi, Alan Gordon, Bobby Wood

What do you think of this development? Who would you replace Gatt with on the U.S. Gold Cup roster?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Benny can’t even establish himself on an MLS team why should he be called up for the National team? We need to call players that might not get alot of play time (off the bat) with the first team like Brad Davies or Eddie Johnson……or Alan Gordon, whose playing really well right now.

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  2. I think this will be Brad Evans.

    With Yedlin returning sooner from the u-20 world cup than expected, he is likely to be on the bench, so it would be better to have him in the Gold Cup camp.

    Other options are Wood and Gordon.

    Shea, Zusi, Johnson and Davis are not options and Feilhaber has apparently fallen out of favor with Klinsmann in the past month.

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  3. Benny struck that wonderful volley against Mexico in 2007 that gave the US it’s last Gold Cup championship. That was the victory that placed the US in the 2009 Confederations Cup. But it may be a question of what have you done for me lately that rules the day. We’ll see shortly what Klinsmann will do.

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    • Dennis,

      2007 was six years ago.

      That is stretching your critique of the what have you done for me lately philosophy a very long way don’t you think?.

      Reply
  4. Not sure whether this has been reported yet by SBI, but Alfredo Morales has moved from Hertha Berlin to Ingolstadt.

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  5. WOOTEN! Doubt it happens since he is trying to get minutes with Kaiserlautern now that he is no longer on loan at SV $%#@hausen.

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  6. I say don’t name a replacement. None of the options are any good, and there is enough quality and numbers in camp to lose one. Sucks though, as I was looking forward to seeing a pure winger playing in US system.

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  7. In an odd turn of events which will give Benny Feilhaber the chance to play in the Gold Cup. I’d have to say he’s lucky given his current form at SKC is not the best. I have a soft spot for Benny, hope he gets selected.

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  8. Perhaps Feilhaber can find his form in the USMNT rather than at SKC?

    The problem there doesn’t seem to be that he has more or less fallen off, rather he is not in the condition that SKC likes to have their midfield in, as he has been subbed off at the 60th minute about every appearance this season.

    Granted, the rest of SKC’s midfield this year hasn’t helped him out much, the only real promise coming from Rosell.

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    • Baggins,

      Have you ever thought about blaming Benny for the state he finds his soccer career in instead of everyone else?

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  9. If JK is not allow to bring WCQ or Euro players for the group play then I would think Gordon is the logical choice.

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  10. Has to be Feilhaber, but only by process of elimination. I’d prefer Wood, but if he’s going to lose ground at his club, that makes no sense. They are not taking two SJ forwards, so Gordon is out. Seattle is going to chafe at losing Evans, Houston’s Davis has been hurt and they are in the midst of a bad run and can’t afford to lose him. Ditto Tally Hall. Feilhaber wins because SKC can afford to let him go, not because he deserves it.

    The wildcard is Bocanegra. Is Chivas USA really going anywhere this season? He would make sense, but there seems to be some reticence on the part of Klinsy to go this way…

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    • I would be surprised if its Boca. To me it looks like the plan is to have Goodson, Onyewu, and Orozco play the upcoming 4 games and then bring in Besler and Gonzalez to get some tournament experience. They could really use it if either will be starting next summer.

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  11. In any other club situation I would say not, but since the alternative is PT at the disaster that is Chivas, I say bring in Bocanegra.

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    • +1, zusi or ej would be the most like-for-like replacement but with i think we will be fine without another winger; better strengthen the weakest spot of the team CB… and ya Bocanegra isn’t missing anything in Chivas training camps..

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  12. Would love to see Wood in camp. Might be nice to have another option up top.

    Realistically, I think we will see Brad Davis called in. Yes, I know he saw some time in the qualifiers, but there are no true left-sided players in the midfielder group. (yes, I know Beasley and Castillo are in camp, but they are listed as defenders).

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    • I think this shows Klinsmann made a couple poor choices in the preliminary squad…Brek Shea and Bobby wood were never going to be part of the squad since they needed to be in preseason with his club and there are much better options than Alan Gordon. Magee and Agudelo come to mind as more deserving options.

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      • Why Magee? Because he’s started his ridiculous scoring streak AFTER the original roster was submitted?

      • He was playing quite well before the streak as well wasn’t he?

        Anyway, I don’t see this as a big issue in the first place. Gatt wasn’t likely to be a key player and I’m not too terribly concerned over his replacement. This just highlights our need to talk about something before this tournament starts.

      • Agreed re: Shea. Didn’t know that was the case with Wood.

        And, agreed re: Agudelo. I currently rate him MUCH higher than Wondo, Gordon, and Bruin. Plus, he is younger with more upside.

        Oh well, it is what it is.

  13. It’s a testament as to how far Chris Pontius has fallen that he is not even in this conversation whereas last year I would say he would be close to a lock for the Gold Cup.

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  14. Considering JK’s comments explaining the initial roster choices I would not expect Brek Shea to be added to the roster, since he is being given the time to try to impress Hughes and secure playing time at Stoke. I would also be very surprised to see Bocanegra chosen as he needs to establish himself at his new club and get solid playing time to regain form.

    I would expect Besler, OG, EJ, Zusi, and possibly both Brads to be left out of consideration due to their participation in WCQ. But that did not hold true for Run DMB, so maybe not.

    That leaves Tally Hall, Benny Feilhaber, Alan Gordon, Bobby Wood, and maybe someone named Brad.

    From that reduced list I would be choosing from Feilhaber, Gordon, Wood, and Davis.

    My choice: Wood

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    • Other comments here have provided more insight.

      If JK has an agreement with MLS not to use any MLS players who participated in June WCQ until after the group stage (Eric above) and Wood already turned down the call up to stay with 1860 (Zak1FCK above). Then that leaves only Hall, Feilhaber, and Gordon.

      I don’t like any of those options too much. Seems the prelim roster choices are coming back to bite us.

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      • ” Seems the prelim roster choices are coming back to bite us.”

        Gatt has yet to establish that he can be anything with the US team.

        How can you miss a guy you know nothing about?

        It is a missed opportunity to find out about him sure, but there will be others and if he is a good as everyone hopes he is then he’ll find a way.

    • I don’ think Klinsmann will bring a guy back already that he has had in camp all summer. He had an agreement with the MLS clubs about that. I expect it to be Feilhaber but Klinsmann is always good for a surprise here and there.

      I don’t think EJ will be added for the knockout stages. Zusi, Besler, and Gonzalez could certainly use the tournament experience with the US but Johnson has been around for quite a while and is a World Cup vet.

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  15. It has to be Feilhaber, Bocanegra, or Gordon. My guess would be Feilhaber even if he doesn’t quite deserve it. I suppose JK could just name one of the guys he planned to use as one of the 4 replacements and then just not use him until the second round.

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    • yeah.

      I really don’t feel the need to see Benny again at this point in time. Maybe if he starts turning it on in MLS for an extended period, but otherwise, he’s just filler. Really hope Klinsmann brings in someone else, even if it’s another position.

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    • I agree that Benny’s the best choice for a few reasons, even though he’s not doing so hot for SKC now

      1. Benny would just be depth. Donovan, Bedoya, Holden, Corona, Gomez, Beasley, Castillo, and Ashe can all play out wide.

      2. The call up would light a fire under his butt that might be just what’s needed to get him out of a slump. Might be.

      3. Wood would be the best choice from those available, but his club was already promised they could keep him, and if JK goes back on his word now that could be bad for the future

      4. Shea needs the preseason too, as most people at Stoke are skeptical of why he was bought.

      4. Benny would just be depth. Donovan, Bedoya, Holden, Corona, Gomez, Beasley, Castillo, and Ashe can all play out wide.

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      • When Benny was left off the roster for this last batch of games JK said something like they were confident that Benny would establish himself and prosper under Vermes at SKC as opposed to how Benny languished with the Revs.

        Read between the lines and that translates to ” do well under Vermes and then we’ll think about calling you back in”.

        Well Benny is languishing again so maybe it is Benny and not the Revs. I guess Benny isn’t very hungry and much as I love the guy, he should not be called in. He’s not fit physically or mentally.

  16. I’d go with Wood as the replacement since Feilhaber hasn’t been seeing as much time as he should with KC, and we basically know what we get with him (good, bad, or indifferent). Wood can play as a winger or a forward…so gives us a more like for like replacement for Gatt than Benny.

    If need be after group play bring in Zusi, Feilhaber, Gonzo, Besler, etc…to strengthen the squad for a run at the cup.

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  17. A like for like replacement makes sense. The most obvious choice is Shea. But with a new manager at stoke, he needs to be there. That’s more important. The second choice is Johnson. He’s played that wing position with relative success under Klinsmann. Sigi won’t be happy to lose Johnson again. So if he is indeed added to the roster it will come after the group stages. I will almost guarantee that.

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    • I think “like for like” is necessary for tactical reasons unless we are willing to play Beasley, Landon, and/or Wondo as a midfielder. We need wings on the team to ensure its danger in the Gold Cup and also to develop players in that role for the qualis and beyond.

      However, if you dump Landon or Wondo back, or push Beasley forward, then you can theoretically bring in Boyd and/or Wood. I think dumping a middie back would be wiser than depending on Castillo and Ashe, if you went that route. But personally I’d call in Shea, from the available list. There are others like Agudelo or Lichaj or the like I’d take off the list but everyone keeps saying we can’t change the preliminary roster.

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  18. Per JK’s agreement with MLS he can’t call in players who played in June qualifiers until after the group stage, so we’re left with Hall, Feilhaber, Gordon, or Wood. My guess is Feilhaber or Wood gets the call. Hall makes no sense as a GK, and I just don’t want to see Gordon near the national team. I’d love to see Wood, just so more people can see him/get to know him.

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    • Gordon really stepped up his game in the last couple of years. I wish United would trade for him. That’s the type of forward that we need.

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  19. Go with Feilhaber. Save Zusi/Johnson/Evans for the 4 mid-stream replacements later on. Let Bocanegra and Shea get settled with their clubs.

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    • JK has already said that Shea is returning to Stoke after friday’s friendly so he can get his club situation straight. That’s more important right now for him.

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    • Shea and Wood are in preseason for teams where they absolutely must bust their butts in order to impress their coaches if they want playing time next season. It will do more harm and good to bring them in.

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      • Yea, I was forgetting the issue with Shea trying to break in at Stoke and unaware of Wood’s situation… Guess that leaves Feilhaber.

    • Wood already turned down the call up to stay with 1860, he is not going to accept if Klinnsman calls to replace Gatt.

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    • Wood was initially called up and 1860 Munich asked to keep him since they plan on giving him a bigger role this season. JK honored this already even though he didn’t have to, so it’s unlikely he changes his mind.

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      • Anyway it’s better for him to stay with 1860 to break into the first team. Also he is young, there will be more opportunities!

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