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Davis hopes to take advantage of final World Cup opportunity

US Men's National team

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  1. I like Davis and his ability to put in quality crosses. He is on the bubble at best but I would be happy to see him make the Word Cup 23.

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  2. Davis, to me, is very similar to Steve Ralston of the Revolution. Ralston didn’t get called into the national team until relatively late in his career and was a quality assist man. Ralston provided some spark, especially in some qualifiers. However, the US is much deeper now and we also have Feilhaber to be a playmaker as well as Donovan. Because of that, I doubt he can make the team.

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  3. great guy, great professional but i think he is on the outside looking in for sure. i don’t think he’ll make it to Brazil unless there are injuries.

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    • It’s great to have him in camp. I like how his particular skills push everyone else at that LM spot. To completely lock down that position, a player needs to be better than everyone else in every way; i.e., possess Davis’ passing, Shea’s speed, etc. so there’s no reason to look to someone else.

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      • totally understand the arguments for having him. his left foot is golden. but he certainly won’t be starting and JK could easily decide he wants to use a spot on depth for another position instead. this is just my hunch that JK won’t end up bringing him. nothing else, just taking an early guess.

  4. another player in contention for one of the final spots. not on my 23 right now but i could see it happening.

    there are a few position battles where a MLS player is up against a European player; i see Jurgen giving the South Korea game to guys like Davis, Goodson, E. Johnson & Feilhaber and the Ukraine game to their European based competitors Shea, Brooks, Boyd & Kljestan

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    • Disagree. I think the order should be reversed. Shea will be our impact sub if he continues to get minutes at Barnsley/Stoke. The questions is whether Jurgen will take Castillo or Davis or neither. We have Fabian Johnson and Donovan and EJ that can play the left wing already.

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      • EJ is worthless on the wing. He’s good in a 2 striker formation or as a lone stiker (ala Jozy), but out wide in a 4-2-3-1 I don’t like him.
        If Agudelo gets consistant in Holland I believe he’ll jump above EJ in the pecking order.

  5. Davis out of the team.

    He is too slow to ever play on the wing in the World Cup and is constantly trying to sell cheap fouls. Yes, his left foot is luxurious, but that is not enough for me to keep him in the team.

    USMNT already has enough older players (LD, Beas, Deuce) in attack, IMO we don’t even need Herc or Goodson around. If Klinssman seriously wants this team to compete in 2018, then NOW is the time to integrate some younger guys into the regular roster.

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    • You can certainly argue whether Davis’ left foot and ability to hit a cross/set piece is enough to get him on the team. I’m on the fence there; I think we’d be better off with someone more capable of being an impact sub off the bench in a variety of scenarios as opposed to a specialist like Davis, but I also wouldn’t be mad if he was on the plane when it’s all said and done. That said, Brad’s age and ability to contribute past this cycle won’t be a factor in that decision. Klinsmann’s sole focus is 2014. If he thinks Brad Davis gives him a better chance to compete in Brazil, then Brad Davis gets on the plane. He can worry about the 2018 cycle after he’s done figuring out how to get out of a group with Ghana, Germany and Portugal.

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  6. No doubt he may deserve a backup LM position ahead of younger prospects, but does he have the motor to play on both sides of the ball against Ghana, Portugal and Germany?

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  7. One marker the US has “arrived” will be when talented kids like Brad treat it as a profession from the beginning, and do not squander those early years. The relative lack of competition makes it easy for US kids to coast on talent alone: that catches up with you.

    I still remember the stories of the crappy food Charlie Davies lived on, that shocked the people at Hammarby when he arrived there.

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      • Charlie Davies was a destroyer pre-injury imagine what could have been if he had not been in that wreck. The Jozy/Davies tandem was something to watch because Jozy had the pass and Davies had that explosive and killer finish. Example the goal that silenced the Azteca

      • Certainly not “all” but there have been several who fell into the big fish/small pond trap. All that talent can mask bad work habits which, again, always catches up with you.

        The role of college in US development does not help, with the short schedule and obvious temptations. Charlie Davies finished with BC at 22 and still thought he could eat Taco Bell as a Pro. He turned it around eventually but, for many, they miss their chance.

  8. I think that he actually has a good shot at making the 23-man roster. We have some guys probably in the first 20 or so who are versatile and can play different positions (Beasley, Cameron, F. Johnson, Donovan). This will give JK the option of filling the last couple of spots with some guys who offer something different. The team lacks guys who can cross and Davis fits that bill. He came in late and helped the US get back in the match in the last qualifier against Panama. I think he ended up with two assists in that match. While I don’t think that he has a chance of starting, he can be viable option off of the bench if we need a goal and we are not getting anything done playing through the middle.

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      • I don’t see why not. He did just that against Panama. Not much experience, true, but going down the wing and sending in crosses against tired defenses seems like potentially a good thing to bring off the bench.

    • He has a very powerful left fit and can also finese the ball on service when needed. I would love to have him as a late game option on the left side if a goal is needed.

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  9. I like Davis. He showed well for the team in 2013 and as long as his form holds I would not be unhappy to see a tough experienced guy like him in Brazil. Might need a player like him on certain occasions.

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    • I agree. I personally think he and Shea are battling for that spot. While Shea clearly lacks Davis’ experience, and have different skill sets, they are both the type of wildcard player that Klinsmann might like to have around in certain situations. In Davis’ favor, a stand-up veteran presence, had a great year with the Dynamo, and plenty of tournament experience (twice held aloft the Gold Cup). In Shea’s favor, more hair. Let’s see what happens.

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