Photo by ISIphotos.com
With the berth into the Hexagonal round of World Cup qualifying already secure, the U.S. national team has the unique opportunity to play a World Cup qualifier with nothing on the line, which means having the chance to play some younger players and giving some new players a look.
Next Wednesday’s World Cup qualifier against Guatemala should offer us a chance to see some faces we haven’t seen with the national team in a while, and some players who have seen their stock rise in recent months.
We still don’t know who will make up the match roster, but we know we aren’t likely to see key starters such as Tim Howard, Landon Donovan, Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu and Michael Bradley. With that in mind, here is a lineup I wouldn’t mind seeing next Wednesday:
——————Kenny Cooper———Charlie Davies——————–
Jeremiah White ——————————————-Sacha Kljestan
——————-Jose Francisco Torres ——–Ricardo Clark————
Jonathan Bornstein—————————————–Sean Franklin
——————-Pablo Mastroeni——–Michael Parkhurst————-
———————————–Troy Perkins—————————–
Look for Mastroeni to get the start and give the team a veteran presence. With most of the top national team defenders being based in Europe, and playing regularly, I can’t see players like Jay DeMerit and Dan Califf being called in. I must admit that I don’t think the chances of Cooper starting are very good but it would be interesting to see him matched up with Charlie Davies (it also gave me a reason to run the nearly two-year-old photo above).
Charlie Davies and Jeremiah White are the two players whose stock I think has gone up in recent months with their club form. It doesn’t hurt that they can play in positions where the national team needs some depth.
Seeing Torres against Guatemala, which is known for its tough midfield, would be good, but he probably wouldn’t be on the left (where I initially placed him) because that would likely mean being matched up with Mario Rodriguez, who was very dangerous in the last meeting between these teams. Jeremiah White would be a good fit on the left against Rodriguez.
It is still unclear just which European-based players will make the trip, but with the long distance travel to get to Colorado from Europe you shouldn’t expected to see too many European-based players make the trip. That said, you have to wonder whether players such as DaMarcus Beasley, Maurice Edu, Clint Dempsey, Brad Guzan and Jozy Altidore will make the trip over in order to get a game in since they aren’t playing regularly for their clubs. If that foursome makes the trip the starting lineup would obviously be very different.
———————Jozy Altidore———Charlie Davies——————-
DaMarcus Beasley——————————————Clint Dempsey
———————Sacha Kljestan——–Maurice Edu——————-
Jonathan Bornstein—————————————–Sean Franklin
——————-Pablo Mastroeni——–Michael Parkhurst————-
———————————–Brad Guzan—————————–
Now it’s your turn. What lineup would you like to see? Keep in mind the fact that regular national team starters aren’t likely to make the trip.
Share your lineup suggestions in the comments section below.
Thats true weve never faced t&nt with a healthy kenwye jones. would make a huge differnence in the hex.
One premise of these lineups is that the outcome of the game is “meaningless”. Obviously, the USMNT has already qualified for the next round, so it doesn’t matter in the short run. However, it does matter for our FIFA team rankings, which Fifa is using increasingly to make seedings in international tournaments. We might well have had an easier bracket at the last world cup, if we had not treated our last games as meaningless. It is also not meaningless in the sense that we can have a lot to say about which team from our group goes on to the hex.
I have tickets so I want to see Jozy, Freddy and Torres for sure…fill in around that 🙂
let’s play all 18 at once. That will shake up the Guats.
I’d also like to see Jozy and Davies up top together. I think is potentially our best striker pairing. Let’s see cooper too, but I want to see how Jozy and Charlie work together.
I would like to see Gibbs get a half to see if he can get back to what he was on the verge of becoming before the injuries.
No Ching please- nothing aganist him, unlike most of you, but he is a known quantity.
I also would not play Beasley or Dempsey. Why risk injury vs. the hack happy Guatemalans?
I think every one just wants to see a Cooper Adu Altidore trio and I dont blame em. I think that Freddy will get his first national team goal against Guatemala AND it will be the winning goal AND it will be a BEAUTIFUL goal….you heard it here first….
———Altidore—Davies———
Torres—-Szetela—–Edu—–White
Bornstein–Parkhurst–Orozco–Wynne
—————Perkins————-
I would like to see how good Cooper really is. I would use the same line-up used vs TNT. With the exception of putting Cooper as a starter. Playing at home should benefit these young players.
coque, you’re b!tching about something. lock him out.
Harrington at left back, can we please get some speed and skill on that side
>all you guys do is b*itch.
Ah, the irony.
Thank you sawastky good rational answer. sorry for bitching.
“Semi-unrelated, but pics of Donovan training with Bayern:
http://www.fcbayern.t-com.de/popup_gallery.php?file=/de/misc/fotogalerie/17702.php&img=2&title1=Fotogalerie&title2=&title1=
Posted by: eric | November 12, 2008 at 03:02 PM”
Wow, it looks cold in Germany.
man it’s gotten to the point where you can’t even read the comments section. all you guys do is b*itch. ives should lock everyone out for a while just so these lame ass people leave
No need to play guys like Jozy, Adu, Edu, Beasley, Landy, Kljestan. It’s a meaningless game for the USA, which means there will be little experience to gain. So why risk injuring them? Try out some young guns.
……………..Cooper / Davies………..
McCarty / Torres / R. Clark / Holden
Bornstein / Parkhurst / Orozco / Wynne
……………………….Seitz……………….
doc soccer, re: Bornstein:
Bornsteing belongs at this camp because Bob needs to know if JB is still the #2 LB behind Pearce. Consider the history here:
BB converted Bornstein to a left back when he managed Chivas USA, and Bornstein played well there, exceeding the expectations of most of us who had never heard of him.
Then, BB took over the MNT job and gave JB a shot. After all, why not? Arena had no solid LB option, which brought us to the disaster of Eddie Lewis at left back in the World Cup.
Bob capped JB 12 times in the 18 2007 matches, and JB was not bad (I’m not saying he was good). JB played 4 out of the 5 Gold Cup matches, and thus he may have benefited a little bit from being associated with that success (Feilhaber, anyone?).
Then, while I’m not sure the order of events, Bornstein was injured and Bob turned to Heath Pearce. Pearce had only been capped 5 times in 2007, but was put into the lineup again in March 2008 in Poland and hasn’t come out since, holding the left back spot for 11 consecutive matches.
At his best (which of course was not all the time), Pearce was clearly better then JB, and he is no doubt #1 on the depth chart. However, he hasn’t been able to get on the pitch consistently for Hansa Rostock, so it is important for Bob to have a solid #2 option in case Pearce’s form suffers from lack of playing time.
Bornstein had a bit of an off year for Chivas, both due to his own injuries, and due to Preki playing him all over the field to cover for the rash of injuries that struck the team as a whole. I think JB logged time at LB, LM, and F. There may been been other spots too. Preki played him wherever the need was, which attests to JB’s versatility. Also, one of Chivas’s few consistent starters was Francisco Mendoza, who brings a similar skill-set to the table as an attack-minded left wing who can in back or in the midfield. Therefore, JB’s failure to log a full season at LB is due to a variety of factors and is not simply due to poor play.
Which brings us to the Denver game and this experimental mini camp. Bob needs to know who his #2 LB is. There aren’t a lot of options:
Bocanegra — has played LB for Rennes, but up to this point Bob has built the defense around having Carlos and Gooch in the middle, so switching him would be a significant change (but probably a good idea).
Spector — Prior to injury he was looking solid and was getting PT in the EPL. Has some ability to play RB, CB, or LB.
Orozco — Used at LB in the Olympics by Nowak, but did not particularly impress there, and (as far as I know) plays pretty exclusively as a CB for his club.
Beasley — Some have called for his conversion to LB, but considering how it went with Lewis, the fact that DMB does not play there for Rangers is a red flag.
Harrington — Seems to be at about Bornstein’s level in MLS play, but Nats experience yet.
Seems like Bob is giving JB a shot here to show that he belongs in the conversation. If he flops, then it will be time to explore other options. In either case, I don’t think Bob is snubbing Pearce at all. I’m sure he’ll continue to have Heath as the #1 LB for now. After 11 straight caps, and with the palce in the Hex secured already, perhaps Bob wants to leave Heath at his club in the hope that the he can devote more time to cracking the lineup.
Ives,
Way to give Sean Franklin some love. The kid is really special and has a bright future. I too would love to see him get some run next week. I’d be thrilled if he even got a cap.
I know a couple people have already asked, but do you have any idea why Marvell Wynne isn’t on this roster?
And as for the Euro players you mentioned, what about Adu? You mentioned Jozy, but I think Freddy is getting even less playing time at Monaco. It’d be great if he went to Colorado for the game.
Eddie Johnson.
Just kidding!
Where is Holden, Wynne and Rogers? I guess Rogers is still busy trying to win the MLS Cup but why not the other two? Surely they are better than some of the other scrubs that have been called into this camp.
Anyway my lineup would be:
……..Altidore…..Cooper…….
White….Torres…Maestro…Holden
Beasley..Parkhurst..Orozco…Wynne
…………..Guzan……………
I think Beasley should be the future left back of the team.
What is up with john bornstein, he doesnt even play lb for his club because he was defensive a liability. all he is is speed he cant cross cant go around defenders. queit frankly heath pearce is a better defender and much better going forward and could use the game time more.
IT’S ABOUT TIME THAT DUMMY BRADLEY CALLED IN KENNY COOPER! WE NEED TO MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME!!!!!
———-Kenny Cooper———-
———–Freddy Adu———–
Kenny Cooper———–Kenny Cooper
—-Kenny Cooper—-Kenny Cooper—-
Kenny Cooper———–Kenny Cooper
—–Kenny Cooper-Kenny Cooper—–
————-Brad Guzan————-
This stuff about subotic getting settled with his club is a bunch of crap. hes started every game hes pretty much settled at least more so than adu and altidore and bradely who dont always start but come back for the qualifiers. in honesty it doesnt take much time to get settled in a with new club as robinho was settling in with man city but what did he do? oh he flew all the way back to braizl for qualifiers. you call subotic in for the confed cup and the end of hex qualiys, you say you can guarntee him a spot on at team which will play in two major tournaments in a year. serbia will be lucky to make one.
Dolo-Gooch-Subotic-Boca
Charlie Davies is out…He just had his tonseles removed
Cooper…………………………..Ching
…………………Adu……………….
Torres………………………..Klestjan
…………………Edu……………….
Bornstein………………………Goodson
………..Mastroeni……Parkhurst……..
……………….Perkins……………..
is there a reason marvell wynne isnt being mentioned that i dont know about?
Too hard to speculate on who will be added at this point. Agree with those excited for more Jozy and more Torres, if they are included.
Not sure who to really be excited about from the group currently in camp:
Known commodities who have an important place already for the Hex = 2:
S. Kljestan (capped 11 times in BB era; good club year and emerging as a sometimes MNT starter), B. Ching (11 BB caps; has a role for now, at least).
Known commodities not expected to have an important role in the Hex = 3:
Mastroeni (11 BB caps; curious to see if he is converted to a CB as Ives suggests), Bornstein (12 BB caps; perhaps Pearce’s lack of club PT creates an opening for JB?), R. Clark (14 BB caps; once had a bright MNT fture, now has dropped down the depth chart as other central players emerged).
Guys who have gotten a look, but are long shots to get meaningful Hex PT = 5:
Parkhurst (3 BB caps; hasn’t shown that he’s any better than Califf, Demerit), Cooper (2 BB caps; carries the hopes of SBI Nation), Barrett (1 BB cap; scored 9 MLS goals but looked bad doing it), Arnaud (1 BB cap; strong club year, but kinda old to start an MNT career), Goodson (1 BB cap; was decent a year ago in MLS, but no star — is he vastly improved after a year in Norway?).
No MNT caps (at least under BB)= 8:
Casey (8 caps in the 06 cycle before going off the radar screen; a beast for the Rapids in the 2nd half of the season), C. Clark (a strong club year with 26 of 30 possible starts and 5 goals from the left wing), N. LaBrocca (28 starts and 30 appearances overall is impressive for an MLS rookie midfielder), C. Gibbs (finally healthy, found a place as starting CB for 9 Crapids games, but St. Pauli glory days were a long time ago), Franklin (again, a lot of starts for an MLS rookie (26), but hard to evaluate a player on the league’s worst defense), Perkins (came to the Jan 07 camp, back now after getting some good PT in Norway); Pickens (Invited to camp in Jan 07 and Jan 08, now back for no apparent reason after failing to sign when his time with QPR ended); Edwards (rookie out of Wake Forest who didn’t play much for a bad Toronto FC team).
I have consistently said Szetela needs more looks and he seems to be out of favor with the new Brescia Gaffer.
It appears as though Freddy’s stock is dropping quicker than the S&P 500.
Way too early to tell given that the roster has not been set.
Any comments about maybe Harrington at LB?
Bradley has asked for Jozy (who BTW has no goals so far today).
Going by Big Boss Man’s named roster so far:
GK: Guzan
LB: Bornstein
LCB: Gibbs
RCB: Parkhurst
RB: Franklin
LM: Colin Clarke
LCM: Mastroeni
RCM: Ricardo Clark
RM: Kljestan
ST: Ching
ST: Cooper
GREAT SUCCESS!
Scott
A question then: is he eligible? I mean he moved here when he was 14-15 and is about 21 right now so does he have citizenship? can someone clarify how long it takes to get citizenship?
Scott C- Movsisyan has stated publicly that he would like to repay the US by representing them nationally… however, if Armenia comes a-knocking he said he may decide otherwise…
Davies wont be there because of getting his tonsils removed. maybe something like this.
————Altidore—Cooper—————–
——————–Adu———————–
—Torres————————–Kljestan—
—————-Mastroeni——————-
—Bornstein——————–Franklin—
————-Goodson—Parkhurst———–
—————–Perkins——————-
or even
——————Altidore—————–
———–Adu—————Cooper——–
——–Torres—-Kljestan—Mastroeni—–
–Bornstein—Parkhust—Goodson—Franklin–
—————Perkins———————
But again, we have no idea who gets a call. I think Jozy should be a sure fire start should he get the call. He’s plenty rested since the Bilbao game in which he came in on the….92nd minute was it? but you get what i mean. I’d be intrigued to see how Adu and Cooper do on the wing seeing as how there is less pressure and more room to invent.
Semi-unrelated, but pics of Donovan training with Bayern:
http://www.fcbayern.t-com.de/popup_gallery.php?file=/de/misc/fotogalerie/17702.php&img=2&title1=Fotogalerie&title2=&title1=
I want to see Perkins in the net. He had a solid season in Norway, won himself some Euro silverware and has way more right to be called in than Edwards or Pickens. Guzan obviously deserves the #2 spot, but with the Hex a guarentee, I say put Perkins in.
I’d really like to see White and Davies; I’d also like to see Holden and Szetela. Szetela has been getting some good time and I thought he looked in his limited time vs. TnT. How about Yura Movsisyan? I don’t think he’s committed to Armenia, is he? He’s got great skill for a big man; I’d like to see him get a look.
It was fun watching some of the younger players play against T n T last month, but I want to see a few veterans mixed in with the young players, which might not happen for this one.
I think Jozy and Davies could make a great pairing up top, especially with the form Davies is in, and Jozy’s ability to get into dangerous positions.
Clark has been away from the set up for a while, and so has Bornstein, both of who should start against Guatemala.
——Jozy—Davies–
–Torres–Kljestan—White
———-Clark———
Bornstein–edu–parkhurt–Franklin
———-Guzan(?)———-
This formation doesnt give us a lot of defensive cover, which is why bradley will never use it, but it would be fun to see for a half or so.
Didn’t we clinch early so we can test out our future?
I want Altidore/Adu (preferably with Bradley in the middle)!!!
Charlie Davies will be unavailable due to having his tonsils removed. We’re not going to see him on the 19th.
I like the first line up.
ives, you didn’t mention adu as a europe-based player that you would like to see play. is there a reason he wouldn’t be called in? or is it just a snub to his starting potential in favor of replacing the altidore with adu in the hole partnership for a 4-4-2 with altidore and davies?
Ives, you need to check on the status of Davies. I don’t think he’ll be there.
I would like to see some of the USMNT subs, that haven’t been playing regularly to come in as well. So, Altidore, Adu, Edu, Szetela come on down!
Personally, I would prefer with go with untested / unknown and see how they do. So, Sacha, Rico Clark and Pablo don’t play. I don’t know how I’d put in their place, but if I were BB, I see who can step up their game!
As for Subotic, he probably won’t commit until next year as he wants to get settled with his club first (and see if Serbia or Bosnia, his other 2 choices) have a shot for WC’10.
Sushant
Dempsey is not coming back from what I understand. He should already have earned a start @ Fulham but somehow rock headed Roy Hodgson has not seen that. Demps will stay and fight it out. Davies will be back for sure since his season is over and I doubt Jozy will come back. He is expected to start today for Villareal by the way.
Convey scored in the reserve game recently for Reading… I would like him to get a chance to play some.
well i guess it simply depends on what euros will make the trip… since the game is on a wed. they could make the trip and still get home for this weekend… obviously the big names wont be coming (Dempsey, Howard, MB, etc..), but im curious about Jozy and Adu who are fighting for a spot on both club and country…
i would love to see Cooper start up top with Davies, but i would like to see Jozy’s stock raise with the USMN as well…
i think davies is a sure thing with his season being over and on quality form… so this is what i would like to see…
——-jozy———davies——-
—————-adu—————
—-white—-kljestan—-Holden—-
bornstein-Orozco-Parkhurst-franklin
i could go for a number of changes….
1.torres or kljestan in the middle
2.edu in the middle or back line
3.cooper up top for jozy (if jozy stays in spain)
and more possibilities depending on who BB can bring in…
Ives,
Any chance Freddy and Jozy get called in?
Clarence Goodson over Parkhurst. Goodson has a chance at the international level, Parkhurst never will.
I like that line up but I would switch Pablo with Edu. Edu looked solid there in the Olympics and I see him as the primary defensive sub for the Hex so having some more experience at CB is a plus.
It’s hard to know who is actually going to be there, but obviously we all want to see more of davies and cooper. I think getting davies in is more priority than cooper though. How about some SUBOTIC!!!