Photo by ISIphotos.com
by GIANFRANCO PANIZO
With the amount of defenders getting nicked up during the U.S. Men's National Team training camp in the build-up to their opening match of 2009 against Sweden, you had to wonder if Bob Bradley was going to use a life-line on yet another defender.
A defender did get a ring but it wasn't an MLS-based player. Instead, Michael Parkhurst took a transatlantic flight from Denmark to fill in for the U.S. team's injury-plagued back line.
Last month, when Parkhurst signed with Danish club FC Nordsjaelland on December 9, it was assumed that he would not be called in during their winter break so he could adjust to his new lifestyle and teammates. It appears that a recent rash of injuries to defenders forced head coach Bob Bradley to change those plans.
Parkhurst represented the United States in the 2008 Olympics and last played for Bob Bradley in the U.S. team's final 2008 World Cup qualifier against Guatemala.
Think Parkhurst is the defensive hero the United States needs in this camp? Think Bob Bradley should've saved Parkhurst the long flight and instead called up another MLS Defender? Do you see Parkhurst getting the start against Sweden?
Share your thoughts below.
Me and a couple friends are driving up to the HDC from San Diego. Anyone else gonna be there?
No doubt Tim. Wynne has great Physical attributes but is too fundamentally challenged to succeed.
i can easily see him getting time against sweden, but i dont see him getting any time during the WC in 10. the back line is set in my opinion and if i see him getting any time it would be the last few minutes in a group game
he will start! why else would bob bring him in!?
The athleticism, yes, but the touch? I very much doubt that he’ll improve technically, and that’s rather frightening.
I think Conrad’s nose for goal should still be respected, but all the injuries have taken his speed and he’s not getting that back. The US is still very dependent on set pieces (watch the 2008 goals video if you don’t believe me), and we should keep a pipeline open of our aerial threat CB’s. So my pick would be to rotate in Jay DeMerit again and check out where he’s at, or maybe Goodson if he isn’t there. But Parkhurst was one of the most talented guys left to consider.
But Drew Moor?!? That guy is not international quality, he got his look and was very limited at that level, and hasn’t significantly improved his game. If he does, fine, but Wynne is the RB prospect who is putting it together and has the athleticism to make the leap.
Here could be your starting 11 vs Sweden’s C team…Not bad considering who is there.
==========Jon Busch===========
Wynn / Califf / Parkhust / Bornstein
Gaven /Holden / Clark / Rogers
——-Cooper / Davies———
I actually feel DMB could be a decent left back for us…much like I thought Bornstein was going to be. I watched Bornstien shut down Messi for 60 mins and now apparently he has never regained that presence….DMB is fast and actaully very good in a poke away tackle. Can keep up with wingers etc…
I know this is unrelated, but how does this look to people?
Altidore Donovan
Torres Bradley Sacha/Edu Dempsey
Beaz Boca Gooch Dolo
Howard
Should have called Nat Borchers.
Can you say depth issues? Wow dragging parkhurst away from a new team to play against a Swedish C/D team? Why not just roll with Chad Marshall and Clarence Goodson and bring in an unknown commodity to get their feet wet in the pool camps.
NATO, you should also add Spector and Simek to that list. If they are healthy, BB has put them in the mix in the past.
thomas, a few years back Bocanegra played LB for the Nats. It wasn’t pretty. He was too slow.
This is loosely related to Parkhurst.
I hear that Bocenegra often plays outside on the left for Rennes. I wonder if with the greater depth at central defense for the U.S. Bob has considered playing Bocenegra in the same spot. The knock against Parkhurst at the international level seems to be his size but if he were inbetween Bocenegra and Oneywu it seems that would be less of an issue. Is CB too slow for the outside at the international level or why have we never seen him there?
2 cents.
I could of understood not including Parkhurst or Boswell, by all means, but what the hell has Drew Moor done to be snubbed so badly by Bradley!!?
i doubt he’d bring him over this early in his danish career if he weren’t going to start him. wynne, califf, parkhurst, and wingert is the likely back line.
“””BTW, the rumor is that Conrad apparently lead a player revolt in last January’s Camp …
…well he’s done in Bob’s eyes.”””
Which means, to me, that as soon as Dad is fired, Conrad should be recalled immediately by the new coach and given the captaincy, for life…
nate borchers
scraping the bottle of the barrell
Well, the Danish league has hardly begun training yet. So it won’t interfere to much.
Def agree with Santino Quaranta. He deserves a spot at least for a friendly. I even believe that DCU’s Clyde Simms deserves a spot too.
4now. Orozco is in the middle of the season for San Luis.
I echo what you said about Quaranta. He used to be one of the players we looked forward to seeing develop…..we seem to lose alot of players with that story.
BTW, the rumor is that Conrad apparently lead a player revolt in last January’s Camp and couple that with a poor first half against Sweden…well he’s done in Bob’s eyes.
DeMerit, Califf, Wynne, Marshall, Parkhurst, Marshall, Bocanegra, Orozco, Gooch, Cherundolo, Pearce
of the above, which 8 will be on our World Cup roster?
Don’t forget Goodson for qualifing. He’s a guy BB seems to really like and will figure into the summer plans. He got call-in’s inspite of being on second division team he eventually led to promotion as the league MVP.
There’s no way Conrad could get fit in time for this match. The call-up makes sense. Is Orozco injured, though? Or just out of favor.
Disappointed to not see Santino Q. in the mix.
He will start. Still don’t know if it’ll be enough, but it’s better than before.
If Bradley dragged the guy across the Atlantic, he better play. If not,…Bradley will have jerked Parkhurst off. Odd about Conrad. I always thought he was a good dressing room guy. Apparently, something has changed.
Conrad should get a call-up in my opinion.
His combination of great positioning and rugged tackling makes him a great center back. a Parkhurst-Conrad centerback pair sounds pretty good in my opinion. We also might not wanna worry about him not getting into the camp. BB may just want to bring in the younger defenders. BB’s roster for Sweden next Saturday isn’t limited to the players in this camp.
Let’s see we have Pearce, Bocanegra, Gooch and Cherundolo as our starting defenders. And DeMerit, Califf, Wynne, Marshall, Parkhurst, Marshall to choose from. We need 7 or 8 of them for the World Cup.
Yeah Parkhust should start. But he’s at best on the bench during qualifying.
Conrad is great for MLS, but not for qualifying.
Thank goodness. But what’s the deal with Conrad?
Hells yeahhhh
I suppose this is proof that Jimmy Conrad’s national team career is over.
Except maybe Jimmy Conrad, who does have international experience, but its obvious Bradley wants no part of him for whatever reason.
There really isn’t any other defenders in MLS that are international quality.