Top Stories

Diskerud says he’ll miss Ukraine friendly

Mix Diskerud

 Photo by ISIPhotos.com

Mix Diskerud had a month to impress U.S. Men’s National Team head coach in January, and it looks as though that will be his last chance to play for the USMNT before May’s pre-World Cup training camp.

Diskerud will skip the Ukraine friendly after his club team, Rosenborg, requested that he be allowed to miss it so he can prepare for the start of the Norwegian League spring season. Diskerud revealed the development via Twitter on Saturday.

Rosenborg granted Diskerud permission to take part in the January training camp despite the fact it took place outside a FIFA date, and it appearas U.S. Soccer has decided to return the favor by granting Rosenborg’s request to leave Diskerud in Norway.

Diskerud’s exclusion from the upcoming camp would leave 23 players taking part in the two-day training camp ahead of Wednesday’s friendly against Ukraine. A match being played in Cyprus due to the political unrest in Ukraine.

The development is an unfortunate one for Diskerud, but isn’t likely to affect the U.S. team’s plans too much considering Klinsmann also has Michael Bradley and Sacha Kljestan in camp.

U.S. Soccer has yet to confirm Diskerud’s removal from the training camp.

What do you think of this development? Disappointed you won’t get to see Diskerud against Ukraine? What midfielders are you looking forward to see in action on Wednesday?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

      • especially since bradley’s out, i wholeheartedly disagree.

        since i don’t think there’s any way that klinsmann’s changing his view that jones is either our #1 or #2 CM, this is a perfect opportunity to see who we should pair up with him if bradley misses world cup games for whatever reason.

      • Big break for Sacha to show whether he can spell Bradley at this level. I’d like to see Williams get minutes but we already know what he can do.

  1. This only changes the odds that Williams and Kljestan get more minutes. I suppose the decision JK needs to make is if he wants to see either of those play with Jones or Bradley or if he might try them together. If Jones cannot play (recall he has been injured the past weeks and I do not think he has played in Turkey yet) then I suspect either could get a start unless JK decides to go with Cameron there.

    Reply
    • If he wants to play for the US then that’s great, if not then that’s OK too. Personally I thought we would have learned our lesson by now. If a players heart isn’t 100% into the national team it’ll come through no matter how talented the player might be be. So lets just let him make the choice when he is ready. End of story.

      Reply
    • Even Klinsmann goes on about the US missing out on a player like Rossi. However let’s face it, some players want to be front runners and some thrive off being underdogs. Rossi didn’t care about growing the sport here and his heart was with Italy and that’s fine. Many great players don’t show up for there national team and if Rossi’s heart wasn’t in it for the US, then I believe he would have been one of them.

      Reply
  2. Remember when Rosenborg let Diskerud go to the Gold Cup when they had Europa League qualifiers? I feel like the USSF owes them more than one.

    Reply
  3. Klinsmann’s use of the word hungry, or hunger is different than English. Germans use the expression: “mit Lust und Hunger” very often, about work or sports, it means doing one’s best. Literally translated

    it is “with passion and hunger”, but it is an idiom.

    The more proper translation is: With passion and desire.

    Reply
  4. Call in Lichaj!! He played all game today so him being excluded because of injury is false. Give the self proclaimed bad defender some competition.

    Reply
    • No, he did not play all game today. He was removed at the half because of injury, and Forrest gave up a bunch of goals after he left

      Reply
  5. I’m still wondering if this match will happen even outside of Ukraine seeing the way it’s headed there. It could be a situation where the players just don’t feel it’s right to play under the circumstances; I guess we’ll see.

    Reply
  6. Mix should ignore his team, and attend the camp. This would prove to Jurgen how hungry he is to earn a World Cup spot.

    Reply
  7. Aaaaand another reason why you play in MLS rather than Europe. Dempsey, who has a game 3 days later, is playing.

    Reply
    • And that makes a difference? Bruce Arena has been outspoken and complains a lot when his players are called out for international duty. Its not a FIFA date and Dempsey has been playing, kind of, so he is already fit. Mix has not been playing because of the winter break. It actually makes sense for him to stay with his team. Plus, Dempsey needs all the playing time he can get. He hasnt performed on his loan at all on his loan.

      Reply
    • dempsey is the *only* mls player coming to the game, and he’s actually in england right now.

      wtf are you going on about?

      Reply
      • I think Ives is right, Morales probably won’t make the 18 on game day. I doubt he benefits from this.

      • Really? I think hes been playing regularly for his club, and he can be a RB, or DM. I thought he could come in as a sub for about 10 minutes

      • For sure but I think JK uses others before him. Especially in midfield. I think his only chance of minutes are at RB.

      • in my opinion Alfredo Morales does not deserve to be called into this camp. He has not earned it. It could be that Klinsmann called him to have another young German American in camp in his attempt to Julian Green for the USMNT, along with Brooks and Boyd. Make him feel at home.

        As for Morales playing right back, I looked through the last three or so months of games and he has not played right back once. He has played holding DM and left winger and the past three games, I think, as a right winger. He has not always been a starter and some games not made the field or even the bench. But Klinsmann seems to think he is a talent although after Hertha Berlin jettisoned him no other 1. Bundesliga teams wanted him and he ends up at a lower levels 2. Bundesliga team. I am not going to be surprised to see Klinsmann-the-Tinkerer playing Morales as a winger against Ukraine.

      • Can’t say I disagree entirely but I don’t see words like “deserve” and “earn” meaning too much at this point in the game. Klinsmann is evaluating options at his positions of need, and while I def give you props for doing the homework on Morales form and performances, I’d have to suggest that Klinsmann has (or at least believes he has) some information from Germany that tells him he needs another look at the player. My guess is it’s as much about not having enough directobservational data to evaluate the player’s core competencies than anything to do with form, etc. and he probably does not expect too much. It would seem he’s got what he thinks he needs to make a decision on the individuals established pool at RB — just wants to make sure he hasn’t missed a piece. Perhaps he has somebody he trusts tracking the player who made a case for him given the need.

      • Agree with your point about the other Germans though… even if he is just one for the future, it’s not costly to bring him into the group for this session and increase the sense of belonging.

      • I disagree on the other AfroGermanicans being there to make him feel at home. One or two maybe. He might rhetorically question why Klinssy brought him in, but he still has a sense that he’s special. It’s not like Jurgan calls in everybody in Gemany with US citizenship. But if he gets there and finds another half-dozen youngsters in the locker-room all speaking flawless German, well, then he might get the feeling that they’re nothing special (as in they have no merit) and are being called up as Klinsman systematic effort to frantically bring every German with an American relation into his fold. Their presence could thus backfire as the mind mind of the prospect might erroneously reassure him that he is wanted because he has the solid german upbringing, and the Americans are lucky to have him even if he’s a little bit lazy, unfocused, or his touch a little off.

    • I hope it means we’ll see more of Williams and Kljestan. It’s been so hard to judge Williams for the USMNT because of limited playing time and, more importantly, too much of that time has been out on the wing. On the other hand, I think this could be bad for Kljestan who was played out of position in the playmaker role last outing. With Mix out, Kljestache may be forced to play playmaker again 🙁

      Reply
      • Williams and Kljestan definatly would be the next on the depth chart and have the most to prove but neither start unless JJ is injured. I see Jurgen starting 2 forwards (Jozy & Johannsson) in this game, 2 outside mids (Dempsey & Bedoya) and 2 holding mids (Jones & Bradley) so neither Williams or Sasha start

  8. we know he’s going to Brazil so it’s not a problem. he has such a rapport with the other players and has a growing fanbase. He’s going if for no other reason than for Norway to have 1 Norwegian at Brazil. he can do press coverage for the tournament for NRK

    Reply
    • Don’t be so sure….

      With Holden on the way back to recovery Mix might be the odd man out.

      Bringing Holden back would only be minimally risky as he could easily be a supersub in Brazil.

      His locker presence alone is invaluable

      Reply
      • I just don’t think Holden is going to see enough minutes for Bolton and certaintly for the usmnt to make a roster push

      • Don’t be surprised if he still comes to Brazil not to play but does what David Beckham did during the 2010 World Cup

      • That would be sad: “Look at Stu everybody. See how inspiring he is! Worked his tail off after multiple injuries and made it all the way to the office staff of the WC team! Woo-hoo!” He has rapport with some of the players, sure, but aren’t there several he would barely even know: Mix, Aron, Cameron, Besler, etc.?

      • Love Holden but…. injuries and recovery from related deficit aside, he’s barely seen the field in 3 years. I just don’t see it. He’s very fortunate to be where he is at this point… probably best to focus on just getting back into form and playing soccer. Another attempt at rushing it into international caliber play going 110% before he is ready is begging putting the final nail into his careers coffin.

      • I find your faith in Holden’s legs disturbing.

        Mix is on the plane, nobody else is a better choice behind Dempsey for that spot. Holden had his moment during the Gold Cup, but he just is made of tissue paper. It’s heart breaking, but way to predictable.

      • I have to disagree, I think Donovan is alot better than Dempsey in the hole because he’s much more of a creator and can break open defenses

    • I would rather see a healthy and in form Joe Corona in Brazil than Mix. Corona, quite frankly, would offer the team much more than Mix.

      Reply

Leave a Comment