Top Stories

A closer look at USMNT pool players who could use moves this winter

Brek Shea Stoke City (Getty Images)

By FRANCO PANIZO

Clint Dempsey may reportedly be heading back to Fulham in January, but he is far from being the only American who could use a move at the start of the new year.

Several U.S. Men’s National Team pool players are currently in substantially worse club situations than Dempsey – who is  expected to be loaned out by the Seattle Sounders in the coming weeks simply to round into form ahead of the 2014 World Cup – and are in need of securing transfers or loans if they want to have any chance of playing in that prestigious tournament next summer. U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has said previously that consistent playing time is a key ingredient for players hoping to make it to Brazil and that should raise the urgency of those who are currently stuck in tough situations.

From talented youngsters like Brek Shea and Joe Corona to a World Cup veteran like Maurice Edu, there should be several players weighing their options in the coming weeks. After all, finding consistent and meaningful minutes at the club level in the coming months will essentially be the only way to make a statement to Klinsmann in what will be a World Cup year.

Here is a closer look at the players who need to make a move this winter in order to have a shot at making it onto the plane to Brazil:

BREK SHEA

Playing time at Stoke City has been hard to come by for the young winger, and he even admitted recently that he needs to find consistent minutes in the near future in order to improve his standing with the U.S. team. Shea somewhat recently made his season debut for the Potters with a 31-minute cameo back in late November, but even that should not be enough to keep him from exploring other alternatives next month.

MAURICE EDU

Edu’s lack of playing time at Stoke City has made him a bit of a forgotten man despite the fact that he is one of few U.S. central midfielders to have previously played in a World Maurice Edu Stoke City (442) Cup. His decision to remain with the Potters this past summer has proven to be the wrong one, as he has been limited to mostly reserve games with the club, and it is hard at this point not to see Edu switching addresses in the coming weeks.

OGUCHI ONYEWU

Onyewu may have just recently joined Queens Park Rangers, but it was revealed recently that his contract runs through the end of January. If Onyewu continues to sit on the bench and not play, expect him to look for yet another club as he tries to convince Klinsmann that he is the type of veteran presence that the American back line needs ahead of its tough World Cup group games against Ghana, Portugal and Germany. His status as a free agent will surely help if it comes down to it.

MICHAEL PARKHURST

With the right back situation still seemingly unsettled six months out from the World Cup, Parkhurst could throw his name right back into the conversation if he secures a move away from FC Augsburg. Parkhurst has yet to dress in a single league match for the German club this season, and is in dire need of a move. The veteran nearly managed to do so in the summer, but was unable to find an ideal situation. Expect that to change in January.

JOE CORONA

One of the bright stars of the 2013 Gold Cup, Corona has seen his U.S. stock fall JoeCoronaClubTijuana1-CorinthiansCopaLibertadores2013 (ClubTijuana)immensely over the past six months. He has fallen behind others at Club Tijuana and is struggling to receive the type of playing time that earned him so many looks from Klinsmann earlier this year and in 2012. Corona will need to either regain his starting spot with Xolos quickly or find a new situation stat, because the competition in the U.S. midfield is deep.

—–

Which players do you think have a realistic chance at making the World Cup team if they secure a move this winter? Where should some of these players go? Do you see any of them playing in Brazil next summer?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Why was there no commentary for the Sunderland/Chelsea game? Terrible.

    Our number striker is playing against one of the best teams in England and there is no commentary?

    Ives, you need to get it together!!

    Did anyone watch the game? I saw the highlights? Seems to me that Jozy should have scored on that play. He needs to be quicker.

    Reply
  2. anyone able to watch Sunderland vs. Chelsea? it appears Jozy had a shot saved and then right after that Borini got the equalizer…right before the game ended. did Jozy’s shot actually lead to the goal?

    1-1 100th minute.

    Reply
    • Saw a quick highlight and yes. Jozy took a shot inside the penalty stripe that was easily blocked but bounced out wide giving an open look for Borini. On the winning goal, he was just indirectly involved by drawing defenders that provided space for Sung-Yueng Ki to move and finish.

      Reply
    • It wasn’t clear even on the replay because the TV saht wasn’t close enough, but the announcers gave props to Jozy for making a good move to get a shot off which was deflected by Schwarzer (a great save, said the announcer) which bounced to Borini at the far post who shot it in from an angle. At another point Jozy redirected a poor shot onto goal that was blocked off the line by Essien. Schwarzer might have also gotten it, but Jozy edid well to get it on goal in a bang–bang play.

      Reply
      • Jozy should have scored. He waited too long and then had to make space for himself. Granted he did make space well and was calm on the ball, he really should have just buried it the moment it touched his feet.

        He needs to be quicker. It’s the EPL. Against Germany and Portugal, there wouldn’t be room for mistakes like that.

      • maybe he could have scored, but his run set it up, and his first touch on that ball and composure in the box was sweet

        more cool imo was Jozy’s continued energy throughout the match and Sunderland’s crescendo of effort and belief after scoring

  3. Now that we know our opponents for the group phase of the WC Klinsmann and his staff can work out a strategy to combat their strengths. Based on who we are facing we should expect a physical match against Ghana, a speed & technical match against Portugal, and a bend don’t break match against Germany.
    To compete in these matches JK needs to address the outside backs…getting speedy defenders who can be physical. Best options at this time are F. Johnson, T. Chandler, E. Lichaj, Cameron, and possibly Cherundolo (although Cameron may not be best against Portugal).
    CDM’s will need to be smart…cutting out the passing lanes and making the hard tackles while also distributing quickly to the 3 attacking mids. Bradley & Jones are the 1st stringers and perfect for Ghana & Germany. Bradley & Williams/Edu/Cameron may be better suited for the Portugal game.
    Attack wise if Donovan, Dempsey, Bedoya, Zusi, are in form and start matches as the attacking midfield I’m less concerned about who comes in to relieve them. Corona & Shea are the decent choices for 20 minute shifts….but neither are able to start. Would love to see Green or Gyau step into the sub role…but don’t see it happening.

    Reply
    • You know your football man. I like your ideas and insights.

      “Bend not break” against Germany is it for sure. I think that if the team beats Ghana and does so well, they will beat Portugal. They are a little overrated IMHO.

      Ronaldo is as well for that matter. He is fast and can finish with the best of them but I am still not sold on him as this unstoppable machine. I know many will not like that but I’ve watched enough Real Madrid and Portugal games to see through it. That hattrick he scored to get Portugal in the World Cup was due to world-class passing, not a world-class striker. He just needed to run REALLY FAST and not screw up. Go back and look at the film; it’s those passes, which were truly something else, that got him those goals. That and his quick feet.

      The fullback situation is truly the USMNT biggest problem. Who will they be? Will JK be stubborn and stick with Evans and the Beas? Will he get it that F. Johnson is our leftback and Cameron our RB?

      Can the Jones Bradley pairing actual bear fruit against these great teams?

      Will Jozy actual live up to expectations and score or will he mind-screw himself and crash?

      Reply
    • Did you watch the game?

      Give us a Jozy report. The Sunderland boards are a mixed bag. Some say he was good not great others trash him.

      I saw the highlights; he should have scored IMHO on that run-at-the-goal play.

      Reply
      • couldn’t watch it, and i heard the same as you: some loved him, some hated him. so he probably had a middling game that confirmed people’s biases (although they did beat chelsea, so that counts for something).

      • Yeah, I get what you are saying.

        I bet he played better than most of the haters are willing to admit. Sunderland is such garage that it would be hard for anyone to shine on that team. The supporters felt that for most of the match the team was terrible, not just Jozy (based on reading their boards).

        I still say Jozy should have scored. It was the perfect opportunity. He waited a a tad too long and then…well, someone else gets the credit. I hope he learns from it. There is no margin for error in the EPL.

      • hated his performance yesterday? ha! note who reported that BS and judge them accordingly imo. Interestingly, the commentators noted how pathetically poor the service to Jozy was and is on that team but how he kept playing hard and fighting, and he did. His first touch on the ball that played him into the box was top shelf along with his composure on the ball on that play. Give Schwarzer some credit but also Jozy, whose run opened up the play for the goal to be scored

  4. I didn’t realize that Clint was in a bad team situation. Thanks for pointing this out Franco.
    What a du mb way to start out an article.

    This site has really fallen now that Ives doesn’t write for it.

    Reply
  5. Pretty sure Joe Benny Corona is the best player on that list. What about JF Torres though? We need a holding mid with his confidence on the ball in Brazil.

    We have all of these destroyers and box to box midfielders. No one who is content to sit in the middle of the park, take and turn under pressure like Torres does.

    Reply
  6. Pontus would be awesome if he could be healthy. A change of scenery would revitalize his career and give him a good shot for the WC. This is all coming from a DC fan

    Reply
    • I don’t know why I keep defending him but I think he does show flashes of that form. No he isn’t consistent enough since coming off the injuries. However I just think if he could find some regular playing time then perhaps we could actually see where he is at.

      Reply
    • Fair point, kind of like Agudelo they both made initial US and MLS splashes, then seemed to be going through the motions waiting on their European move, and their careers have lost momentum ever since.

      Reply
      • Agudelo’s been playing well pretty much the whole time since his initial splash. Injuries and an unfortunate (but understanble) failed work permit appeal have hurt his situation, not bad form.

        Depending on how the spring works out for Agudelo, he could definitely be back in the mix. Klinsmann trusted him against Russia (his last USMNT appearance) and he didn’t disappoint. He didn’t make the Gold Cup roster, but that probably had more to do with settling in at NE.

  7. EDU doesn’t even make the bench neither does Parkhurst.

    They need a move ASAP not just to be in contention for Brazil, but for their careers.

    Let’s be honest. Gooch hasn’t been a regular with the NT for a while. Sure he’s gotten like a few caps over the past few years but his NT was pretty much over once his recent injury at Sporting Lisbon in spring 2012.

    Corona is an option but only that.

    My question is who do you want as a starter, Zusi or Bedoya? Zusi has been great for a year now but Bedoya’s recent form for his French club is AMAZING

    Reply
  8. Joe Benny to the Philly U!!! We need creativity and he needs mins. And I don’t give a D**N about money. after all the jokers we’ve paid in our short history (pajoy, kleberson, adu, prifirio, etc..) i don’t care what it takes, get him! it’s not like we play our most creative play anyway. *cough cough* Torres

    Reply
  9. If edu can find playing time or gets a transfer, I can see him making the squad. His WC experience coupled with the fact that he’s versatile gives JK a better option over someone like beckerman and klejstan!! Danny Williams is also playing for one of those last cm spots so it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out after the new year! Parkhurst could also sneak a spot if he finds playing time somewhere because let’s face it, he’s an upgrade over Evans and you have to believe jurgen is over the the TC soap opera at least for this cycle

    Reply
  10. Seriously? Brek’s appearance as worst in history? Having fought his way back from injury and getting a 30 minute appearance, first of the season I mind you, you say the worst ever in HISTORY??? just stupid comment after stupid comment… Id like to see him get more than one chance, blow all of those chances, then I’ll bash him… Until then let the lad get some minutes and wait to dissect his every move. I look for him to get some PT tomorrow against Man U hopefully. You fairweather USA fans really annoy me, jsut wanting to bash our lads every chance you get… WE got a rough WC draw, hard enjhough as it, leave the negativty elsewhere man….

    Reply
    • Brek’s last game is generally considered to be the worst in history by most analysts or at least in the top five. You are probably not paying attention.

      Reply
    • The over the top hate for Shea makes it hard to actually even judge him sometimes. They were already down 3-0 to Everton, and yet his performance was the worst? Not to mention he was out of position on the right wing.

      Reply
      • Did you see that one Gold Cup performance of his? He just kept kicking it out of bounds. Its amazing how bad he can be. Its like he lacks all fundamental soccer skills. But then he’ll kick it at people, run fast, and do something good. He’s like 97% total crap and 3% great.

      • Good point. He was easily the worst player in the pool that saw minutes this year. Just woeful most of the time. Maybe he needs to take football more seriously, or we just need to accept that he is not a great player.

      • Shea is not a 90 minute player. The match against Cuba was horrible for Shea. Maybe another player deserves the spot right now. One successful cross cannot make up for how terrible he was against Cuba, and Austria. Going into the World Cup, we’ll need much better. He cannot even break into the team at Stoke. I’m not disparaging the man, though it may seem that I am. He is just not ready for the World Cup. May never be.

      • Shea is too hot and cold lately. Unfortunately, (like the Cuba match), Shea was VERY cold in his one shot as a sub for Stoke this season. That’s not gonna win you many more chances. Let’s not forget Shea was decent in all his appearances during the Gold Cup after the Cuba match. He was also apparently very good for Stoke in preseason before finding himself on the wrong end of a dirty tackle.

      • The Gold Cup final should have been 2-0 as Shea put a cross right on EJs foot. Even in his Cuba match he put in one cross that Herc should have scored on but Corona ran into him.

      • It’s all bull hype with Shea. He will loose the ball 5 times then 1 time beat a defender and is then declared amazing. When he does get past a defender he can’t create and looks awkward.

        I do agree he’s a head case and lazy but that’s never reported. He has looked extremely lazy with defense.

      • over the top hate? doesn’t seem that way to me. Instead Shea is the victim of appearing to be the teacher’s favorite without having to earn it like others seem forced to earn it. That will get some daggers sent your way whether earned or not

    • We have better players in the USMNT pool than Shea. He isn’t “there” yet, and may never be. I don’t see it as negativity but as an honest assessment of talent.

      Reply
    • I find Shea to have all the positive and negative characteristics listed here. However, he has been a spark player helping the USMNT break out of scoring slumps. He can provide that brief spark of speed, athleticism, and (yes) skill that results in critical goals late in the game.
      The brazilian Ronaldo was like that late in his career. He would wallow about uselessly, then suddenly burst into action for a brilliant goal. No, Shea is in not Ronaldo in any facet, but can provide his own USMNT moments of brilliance. Is that worth a spot on the team?

      Reply
    • Anyone who thinks Shea’s appearance in USMNT history has never seen Jeff Agoos play for the USMNT. Where do I begin? That goal for Portugal in ’02? The red card against Mexico in Azteca (BTW – this was the worst performance in USMNT history,….red carded in the first half in Azteca!! Talk about hanging your team out to dry!)? The assist to Dion Burton against Jamaica in RFK! Does anyone remember the look on Kasey Keller’s face,….daggers! Etc., etc., etc.

      Reply
  11. Brek Shea is not good enough for the Premier League at this time, and will likely never be good enough if he isn’t right now. He has not looked good in quite some time as a starter. I do not get the hype about Shea.

    Reply
    • Shea is big, deceptively fast, and is left-footed. He was able to dominate for 1.5 seasons in MLS with his athleticism, but bottom line: he’s not a very good soccer player and mentally he’s a basket case. I really don’t get the hype either.

      Reply
      • +1

        I totally agree.

        Although he does play that one-trick pony role rather well. He has done it many times. Many he can do it again?

      • Or LD plays up top with Keane and slot Corona in the midfield. LA’s midfield lacks creativity. Joe Benny would add some.

      • No way in hell a Mexican club does a loan with an MLS club. That would involve a Mexican club admitting that an MLS club is on the same level with them. And TJ is facing Galaxy in Champion’s League in March. No way they’d hand one of their weapons to the Galaxy, even if they’re not using it themselves. That said – Corona would make a nice fit in the Galaxy midfield. Give them some attacking options they’ve been lacking since LD moved up top.

      • How is it admitting they are on the same level? Wouldn’t loaning one of your players who doesn’t play to an MLS team mean that you are on a higher level?

  12. being behind the team captain in the depth chart has not helped Parkhurst at all. I’m glad he made the jump to a bigger league, but he needs match minutes. there was some talk about him going to a low Serie A or high Seria B clube before the last transfer window closed but the club could not free up the funds in time…. hopefully that can be rekindled. I truly think that his is the addition we need the most. i love all of the players mentioned here, but we could take or leave any one of them. But another player who can fill in at right back or as a mobile center back? we can’t have enough of those guys climbing the ladder right now…

    Reply
  13. Joe Corona of the names above has the potential to offer the USMNT the most next summer in Brazil. Unfortunate that he did not get club playing time in the autumn. Seems most likely to have been a problem with the coach that hopefully gets straighted out in January.

    Parkhurst could be a bench option in Brazil. I don’t blame him for sticking around Augsburg to keep collecting his first truly big European salary, and might even make financial sense for him and his family to stick in Augsburg through the end of his contract in June 2015. But Augsburg is playing hardball with him keeping him off game-day rosters apparently to force him out and appears unlikely to subsidize his salary at a lower level team to get him off the books. The team is playing great without him and they want him gone. Period. There was a story in the local paper that he and his agent Lyle Yorks are meeting this week with Augsburg management.

    http://www.augsburger-allgemeine.de/augsburg/sport/Die-WM-ist-in-Gefahr-id28054997.html

    And Brek, well that appearance of his a few weeks ago for Stoke will go down as one of the worst in the history of soccer and he has not been on a game-day roster since.

    Reply
  14. Edu and Parkhurst have the clearest paths to a WC spot among them.

    As of now there are only two 100% locks for the roster in CM-Bradley and Jones. Beckerman is 75% there, Mixx is 2/3s-Edu can supplant one of them, or join them as we know JK likes his CMs in bunches and with Portugal, Ghana and Germany coming at USMNT, he’ll need all the CM defensive prowess he can get to break up the attacks…just the risk of a Jones or Bradley two yellows in first two games risk is worth bringing another defensive CM…

    since Dolo is not yet 100% and Chandler is M.I.A., Parkhurst could grab the #1-2 RB spot from Evans -depending if JK decides that Cameron’s best position is on the bench and not at RB, CB or CM, like he has most of the time. If Dolo and Chandler both go, Parkhurst stays home, along with Evans.

    Onyewu has the pedigree, but that foot speed and passing touch are such a huge question marks at this point. Gonzo and Besler are today nowhere near in terms of club and country experience and on-field performance where Gooch was at his peak in 2009, but unfortunately neither is he…

    Shea and Corona are both victims to the numbers game in the US attack-for once, too many qualified attacking players (assuming all healthy) between: LD, Deuce, Jozy, AJ, Zusi, Fabian, Bedoya, Boyd-that’s 8 already for four forward and four wing roster spots-someone from that group would have to stay home fo Corona and Shea to have a shot. Bedoya would be the most likely option-except he is playing and playing very well aparently.

    Reply
    • I’d say Shea is the biggest possibility. He’s an obvious favorite of JK and does tend to find a way to become an asset in sub situations. I could see Parkhurst maybe slip in but again doubtful – we are beginning to see the backline form with the choices that JK has brought in for the last couple of games. Injury bug could eventually bring Parkhurst in but if I was to bet money on it my guess is Shea.

      Reply
    • Last paragraph,….agreed. Bedoya has put a hurting on several other’s chances. He has elevated his game playing for the USMNT and in France. Good for him.

      Reply
      • Bedoya and Zusi are neck and neck for the starting RM slot. At this point, expect both in Brazil unless some more wide midfielders appear out of nowhere.

  15. Jeepers, a backline consisting of Onyewu, Boswell, and Franklin lined up in front of Hamid would be an infinite improvement over what DCU fielded last season.

    If Gooch comes to MLS, he’ll be DCU bound .. can’t buck the recent trend of players requesting to “go home” (Parke, Magee, etc).

    Reply
    • It’s not going to happen for a few years. No one is going to give him DP money…i would be a massive financial step down for a long shot at the WC.

      Reply
    • From the Houston experience Boswell is a mobility nightmare and needs an athletic pair to help cover his space. Gooch post knee doesn’t seem mobile either, and he was never a motor guy anyway. Boswell and Gooch would be tough on deadballs but if they were on an island against a counterattack I think they’d be run by like……well, Byers from Antigua.

      Reply
  16. Save for a sub appereance from Shea, I dont see any of these players making an impact in Brazil this summer anyways. I also agree with Rory in that Jozy situation could def use a change but due to his situation I find it highly unlikely.

    Reply
    • It’s better for Jozy to be facing an uphill battle (while getting PT) at Sunderland than moving to either, A) a similar crappy situation, or B) a team he will be a bench option for.

      Reply
  17. Really hard to see any of the above making the world cup team. Shea is a wild card, in every sense, so if he gets a transfer and turns it on, then he’s got a chance. Other than that, only Parkhurst has a very tentative chance because he plays the position we’re weakest at.

    Reply
  18. Why is Onyewu even in this story? I am thankful to him for past contributions but the world keeps turning and he is just not going to be in the mix.

    Reply
    • Gooch is only 31. There are plenty of good examples of CBs that can contribute into their mid-30s. Now, I don’t know if there is a good list of CBs with the injury history Gooch has, but the fact that he’s injured/bounces around so much makes him seem older than he is.

      One more major injury might do him in for good, but if he were to come back to MLS at this point, he might be able to resurrect his career. The problem is, any team would be foolish to spend a DP spot on him… that would be like playing Russian Roulette with a mostly-loaded revolver. Scandinavia might be a good option where he has enough quality to be pencilled in as a starter but can still get paid more than in MLS.

      Reply
    • +1

      but the contrast between AZ and Sunderland is so great that you can’t blame him for it. Still, he needs to be getting his minutes to be sharp.

      Reply
    • The last game I saw Jozy play for Sunderland, he was one of the few bright spots for them. All he can control at this time is his performance and he is doing well with that. A jump in January would not guarantee him a better situation (well perhaps better teammates, but not certainly) and almost certainly not better opponents.

      Reply
    • He needs to stick it out there, for at least a year, and prove that he is a EPL forward. Its not like he is burried on the depth chart.. If he finds form and service at the same time it could be a great finish to the year

      Reply
    • Amen. I know people like to talk up moral victories and the inherent value of being in certain leagues, but our striker pattern is a player finds a good home (Dempsey/Fulham, Jozy/AZ), thrives, makes their rep, and then often enough makes a move too many and becomes ordinary again. The best forward of late seemed to be AJ, who ascended into Jozy’s AZ spot and thrived. Jozy struggled and Dempsey disappeared.

      I think a midfielder can get his work in on a bad team, have an off year, but be fit and ready to play for the Nats. Forwards in contrast I think it’s important for them to be scoring for club so we can play a hot hand. Even if much of it is Sunderland’s fault, I’m leery of assuming a striker with talent but in a tough situation can just turn it on like a light switch. I thought this was the story of Jozy’s career to date….which is why I wasn’t a fan of leaving AZ before Brazil. You finally find a league and team where you score to potential and so you bounce yet again?

      Reply
      • Mr. Voice,

        “moral victories and the inherent value of being in certain leagues,…..You finally find a league and team where you score to potential and so you bounce yet again?”

        There is nothing “moral victory” about the fact that Jozy is right now a better all around player than when he was at AZ and is better prepared for what will greet him in Brazil.

        Whether Sunderland stays up or not is immaterial.

        Assuming Jozy’s status at Sunderland does not change dramatically, and it shouldn’t, he’ll have half a season left facing some of the best defenses and defenders in the world. That is an actual value not an “inherent value”.

        Finally, you are assuming Jozy had the choice to stay at AZ. That seems unlikely.

      • Jozy staying at AZ would have gimped Aron’s growth. Plus, players have a very short window in which to make money. Sure the WC is the crown jewell of all things sport and can serve as a springboard to very lucrative contracts, but players aren’t bound by the WC cycle. Jozy had an opportunity to cash in, and he did. I question the club he went to, DiCano is a joke and that squad is overall crap; but I don’t question his timing.

    • Seem to hear lots of mention of Jozy leaving AZ as being a mistake, but we can’t be so sure that was a realistic option. They seemed pretty primed/determined to do what they do…. develop a player/cash in on him. Who knows what his options were, but there wasn’t exactly a gold-rush going on for his services… perhaps Sunderland was his best option.

      And… bleak as his season has seemed on the stat sheet, his play has actually been promising in many regards. Jozy has continued to work hard in spite of the situation and has often been the only threat posed by his team. Glamorous it has not been, but in some ways, I think this is better preparation than knocking in goals in the dutch league…. it is an education that will serve him and us very well in Brazil if one considers our opponents and the way these games will likely play out. I would not anticipate games full of wide open attacking soccer with heaps of quality service his way. It’s much more likely we will need our striker to make the most of scant opportunities and even something out of nothing for us to succeed…. to stay patient, keep doing the right thing and working through. This has seemed to be a weakness with Jozy in the past where he seemed to grow frustrated, lose interest and stop working. Human nature is, we all like to do what we are best at and avoid our weaknesses, but it isn’t how we grow. The most impressive thing I’ve seen with his game at Sunderland is he is having to face/deal w/ his greatest liability in the past and thus far, sticking with it, putting in blue collar, workmanlike efforts. In short… gained heaps of patience and maturity. For that reason, personally, I am fine with him staying put.

      Reply
    • what makes you think Sunderland are in the least bit interested in allowing their new, expensive, and desperately needed FORWARD to leave on a transfer? It’s not like their scoring goals in bunches

      Reply
  19. Edu posts a lot on Twitter, but it’s easy to forget he still plays. Shea saw the bright lights of Stoke and went for it. He’s good for one good play per game and that’s about it. Gooch is done. Parkhurst could probably latch on in MLS or go back to Scandinavia. Corona is the most interesting, because he has shown that he can play quite well for club and country, but just fell off the map for some reason. Before taking a chance on him, a club should inquire as to what happened in Tijuana? He could fit well into many MLS teams or stay in Liga MX.

    Reply
  20. Onyewu should come to MLS, enough sitting on the bench in higher profile leagues, come get playing time. I doubt he makes the WC roster regardless but don’t spend the rest of your career bouncing from bench to bench.

    Reply
    • Tough balance here. Gooch undoubtedly makes a lot more on the bench at QPR than he will as an all-star (if possible) in MLS. So, knowing that the end of one’s competitive career is looming, may make him prone to make the $$ while he can.
      I agree with you on Shea, but he is still quite young and could improve given the right coaching. Besides, Klinsi loves him, so that will be interesting.
      Joe C. is the best option of this group. My preference is for him to win back his starting role with Xolos, whatever that takes.
      Parkhurst could still be an option for RB, but he has to play. I think there are several better options, but anything (injuries, dip in form, etc.) can happen between now and when the roster is announced in May and you want even the backups ready for June.

      Reply
      • Hmmnnn… I don’t know if we need another injury-prone player, especially at the non-ideal age of 31. If he weren’t so often injured, that wouldn’t be a horrible age.

      • The link between Frank Yallop and QPR is pretty strong and its one of the clubs he plans to scout soon. That coupled with Chicago’s need to strengthen their back line tells me if Gooch comes to MLS, Chicago is the likely destination. As a Fire fan, I am not so sure that is a good thing as his salary will eat a big part of the cap and like mentioned below, he is injury prone.

      • Gooch to his hometown team, DC United. Wait, that may not be a good idea. His injury problems all date back to the Costa Rica game there.

    • The timing is all messed up for Gooch now. He chose England, didn’t play there. He could find another English team on that schedule but if you can’t play Championship there are not guarantees. MLS won’t start until February/March/April. For all practical purposes I thought he should be done after Antigua, but his window is shrinking towards the infinitesimal.

      The other European based players listed face the same timing issues but they are at least more in favor.

      Corona being in the Mexican offseason will probably either find favor with the new coach or slide across to another MX team on mutual agreement. I actually think he has the best prospects of the lot because he was previously playing well and getting some Gold Cup time. His services should be in demand. I agree if he does nothing and his PT doesn’t change he might be borderline for Brazil. But he has enough good film he could have a bad year and still be 23 material. The others…not so much.

      Reply
      • i rate joe corona pretty highly, and so i have to wonder, however misguided it may be, if his recent standing with his club may slightly be due in part to his participation with our NT in the gold cup. I am not intending to paint Liga MX with broad strokes, but i am curious about his situation, and would love to hear insight from any Xolos followers out there.

      • are you suggesting that perhaps him being an american is the issue? BEcuase, if so, you should take a look at their roster, there are what, 5 americans?

        If you’re suggesting that time away from his team is the reason, then maybe, but I doubt it.

      • I think he would shine in MLS. Would love to see it happen as I think, no matter what team he played for, he would be fun to watch.

Leave a Comment