There are few things that get American sports fans more worked up than state pride.
Whether you're a Jersey boy or Cali dude, chances are you won't miss a chance to debate the merits of your state's best soccer players.
With this in mind, I thought it would be a good idea to ask readers to name their Best XI from players born and/or bred in your state (old school SBI Mafia members will remember the last time I did this). The criteria is simple. If a player was born AND lived at least five years in a state before he turned 18, then he qualifies for that state. Also, a player has to have lived five years in a state or played club ball in a state for five years BEFORE the age of 18. Simply being born in a state isn't enough, so no Brede Hangeland for Texas (sorry folks, he lived there for less than two years as an infant before moving to his family's native Norway).
Since it wasn't clear to some of you, this team is for current ACTIVE players, not an All-Time Best XI, though that could be a good exercise for another day.
I will get things started with Team New Jersey, which is a pretty good squad and would be among the favorites in a hypothetical tournament of states (California would have to be the favorite). Here is the Garden State's Best XI:
——Jemal Johnson —–Jozy Altidore———–Giuseppe Rossi–
Eddie Gaven——————————————–Nick Labrocca
——————-Danny Szetela—–Michael Bradley—————-
Jossimar Sanchez——Gregg Berhalter———-Jason Hernandez
—————————–Tim Howard———————————
Head Coach: Bob Bradley
——————————————
About the selections: I'm sure folks in Florida will object to Altidore being on Team New Jersey, but he was born in Jersey and lived in Jersey the required five years between his early years as a toddler and his two plus years playing for the Red Bulls. This doesn't mean Altidore can't be included in a Team Florida.
The same applies to Michael Bradley, who has actually called himself a Jersey Boy to me in the past, but who lived a good portion of his younge life in Illinois.
Those wondering about Jemal Johnson. He was born and raised in Paterson until he was five, before moving to England. He's the one player on the list who didn't spend any of his formative years in Jersey. If you think he's too much of a reach then you could also look to Alecko Eskandarian, who is the first player off the Team New Jersey bench. Others in the running include Stephen King and Vincenzo Bernardo. Someone asked about Gabriel Ferrari. While he did play high school soccer at St. Benedict's, he is a New Yorker.
The only non-pro on this team is U.S. Under-18 defender Jossimar Sanchez, who helps fill the void at New Jersey's biggest weakness, defense. Sanchez is the real deal, easily the best high school defender I've ever seen and a future star with a bright future. If someone has an established pro they want to recommend for the spot, I am definitely open to making the change.
Now it's your turn. Try and name your State's Best XI of active players (pros and youth national team players are eligible). California, Illinois, Florida and Texas are just some of the states I can see boasting some quality lineups.
Let's hear them. Who makes your state's Best XI?
I’m in California, but since it’s too easy, and a bunch of people have posted, here’s a Texas lineup…
4-1-4-1
GK Kristopher Minton (UCSB)
CB Nick Garcia
CB Ugo Ihemelu
LB Jose Burciaga
RB Drew Moor
DM Jose Francisco Torres
AM Stuart Holden
AM Clint Dempsey
LM Arturo Alvarez
RM Davy Arnaud
CF Kenny Cooper
Texas has a juggernaut of a team, with one huge weakness: no professional goalkeepers. Minton, the only Texan who starts in goal for a top-25 NCAA program, is the starting keeper pretty much by default.
O..H…I..O
well frankly this was rather hard
———-Brad Friedel———–
—Marc Burch—-Danny O’Rourke–
Chris Leitch—–Seth Stammler
?—-?–Troy Perkins(yeah the GK)—-?——?
———Chris Rolfe——
I guess we could fill the rest in with USL players. I think just about anyone else can take us.
Connecticut
…… Marcus Tracy ….. Steve Baumann
……..
………………..Kyle Martino……………
Johann Smith………………….Benny Feilhaber
……..Mickey Kydes………..Joe Morrone……..
Chris Gbandi ……..Pat Phelan……… Brian Bliss
……………….Bo Oshoniyi …………
Bench – O’Brian White, Lee Martins, Greg Sutton, Ron Glick, Olivier Occean, Luke Vercollone and Kristine Lilly
Coach – Curt Onalfo
Administrators – Ivan Gazidis and Sunil Gulati
@ American Dust
+100000000
You must include Mike Fisher in the starting lineup for Team Illinois. I think the readers are pretty young if they forget him.
CT also has Kyle Martino.. i dont think he is active anymore though but give us a break.
I dont know if Failhaber counts for CA…he moved to CA when he was 14 I think. And as far as I know Marcus Tracy lived in CT. I grew up playing against his brother since we were at least 12.
isn’t danny szetela from nj?
Maryland would have a fairly good team for the size of the state.
—- Kenny Cooper – Brian West —–
———- Freddy Adu ———-
Scott Buete – Mike Dello-Russo — Kyle Beckerman — Santino Quaranta
Rodney Wallace – Oguchi Onyewu – David Hayes
——— Zach Thornton ———-
Connecticut…
Benny Feilhaber, Pat Phelan, Johann Smith, Marcus Tracey…
anyone else got ideas? I am having a hard time thinking outside of people who played for my club…
I’m pretty sure that its safe to say that there is no state that could beat CA. We’re just too deep!!
fubar:
Here is a couple of PA players.
Jim Curtin
Chris Albright
Tony Donetelli – plays for Montreal
Jeff Parke
Great idea. I’m calling DC as well, since a) DC is not a state, and its players are thus up for grabs and b) all of what is now DC was once Maryland, because we are more giving and kind than Virginia. This might upset Virginians, but in the end it only really gave us Mike Banner.
Maryland/DC
4231:
GK: Zach Thornton (CD Chivas USA, MLS)
RB: Michael Dello-Russo (FC Dallas, MLS)
CB: Oguchi Onyewu (Standard Liege, Belgium)
CB: AJ Delagarza (Los Angeles Galaxy, MLS)
LB: David Hayes (last with Atlanta Silverbacks, USL-1; now on trial with San Jose)
DM: Scott Buete (formerly Atlanta Silverbacks, USL-1)
CM: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake, MLS)
RW: Santino Quaranta (DC United, MLS)
AM: Freddy Adu (AS Monaco, France)
LW: Mike Banner (Chicago Fire, MLS)
ST: Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas)
Bench/rest of the squad:
GK: Preston Burpo (Colorado Rapids, MLS)
GK: Nick Noble (Chicago Fire, MLS)
RB: Kevin Alston (New England Revolution, MLS)
LB: Rodney Wallace (DC United, MLS)
CB: Andrew Marshall (Crystal Palace Baltimore, USL-2)
CB: Shaquille Phillips (DC United Academy/USA u17s)
DF: Julio Arjona (DC United Academy/USA u17s)
RM: Larry Mark (Crystal Palace Baltimore, USL-2)
CM: Pat Healey (Crystal Palace Baltimore, USL-2)
LM: Stephen DeRoux (Montreal Impact, USL-1)
MF/FW: Joseph Gyau (FC Delco/USA u17s)
FW: Israel Sesay (Los Angeles Galaxy, MLS)
ST: Chris Hegngi (DC United Academy/USA u18s)
Coach: Sasho Cirovski
Ives says players can be called for more than one state (Jozy Rule), and I believe Cooper lived in Baltimore for long enough as a kid to qualify. Texas will just have to learn to share. DeRoux might be iffy on the required 5 years of state residence before 18, but I’m throwing him in anyway.
I’m just gonna hope we do this again in 10 years and CASL has produced some NC talent by then….
As an NC State and Chicago Cubs fan, i’m used to having to put hope in the next year….
Marcus Tracy is from my hometown of Newtown, CT.
The only players I can think of for CT both come from Newtown, Marcus and John Ball, who plays in the MISL for Rochester now.
so CT:
Marcus Tracy
John Ball
Ga sounding off:
Rico Clark
Clint Mathis
Josh Wolff
Miguel Guante-Vasquez
Heath Hardigree
Justin Moore
Jason Moore
Kyle Martino
Dustin Branan
Matt Reis
Jonathan Leathers
Lawson Vaughn
Blake Wagner
Kyle Helton
Zach Kirby
Sean Johnson
Bryan Dominguez
Cameron Wilder
Andrew Craven
Jordan McCrary
Jack McInerney
Ohio:
—- Xavier Balc – Konrad Warzycha—
———–Chris Rolfe————–
Kai Kasiguran-Danny O’Rourke-Kiki Willis
Eric Brunner-Marc Burch-Kyle Veris-Oliver Konteh
————–Brad Friedel————-
To add to the Colorado posts you are going to have to talk Lisi and Wes Hart out of retirement and do not forget Seth Trembly. To anchor the defense we can add Marcelo Balboa as he spent over five of his post-soccer formative years in CO.
Coach: Loren Donaldson
I never knew Bugs Bunny was from Connecticut.
And while i do like the choice of bob bradley as coach, I’d probably pick gene chyzowych, he is in the top 2 of all time winningest high school coaches and has been coach of the national team, even while it was for a short period of time before soccer was big here. And im not sure if exantus was here long enough, but he was an unbelievable talent at columbia, and he too could be picked over larocca.
Thought I might have more of a problem than I did – but not a bad representative 11 (with a touch of flexibility.)
G – Winston DuBose, NASL
B – Bruce Savage, NASL
D – Bobby Boswell, MLS
D – Tyrone Marshall, MLS
B – Cory Gibbs, MLS
DM – Robin Fraser, MLS
RM – Pete Marino, MLS
LM – Eric Eichmann, MLS
AM – Mark Chung, MLS
F – Eddie Johnson, MLS
F – Josmer Altidore, MLS
Bench:
G – Jay Nolly
G – Reggie Pierre Jerome
G – Chris Antonopoulos
D – Eddie Robinson
D – Bryan Arguez
D – Curtis Leeper
F – Mac Cozier
M – Henry Gutierrez
AM – Sam Zighelboim
AM – Alen Kozic
AM – Diego Walsh
F – Luchi Gonzalez
F – Jeff Cunningham, misses by 1 year. Moved to Florida at 14 (special dispensation from the Pope? 🙂
I’ll do my best to make one for North Carolina.
—————-Will Hesmer—————-
——–Darrius Barnes–Ike Opara———-
-Steven Curfman———Michael Harrington-
——–Logan Pause—-Sam Cronin———-
-Wells Thompson—————Justin Moose-
—————–Caleb Norkus————–
—————–Mia Hamm——————
Coach:
Bench: Alex Long (US-20 GK), Nick Millington (US-20 D, Wake Forest), Clyde Simms,
Couldn’t think of a coach and couldn’t think of any decent forwards from NC so I just put down Mia Hamm…. Not even sure she counts though.
All Arkansas team?
hmmm…
Alright…that didn’t work…all Arkansas player?
hmm….
Ah well
Interesting you chose labrocca over ferrari, he was in jersey for at least his high school years
Starting XI for Tennessee is represented by eleven Richard Mulrooney’s…
Anyone know other well known soccer players from Tennessee?
@ fubar
the wake website says tracy was born in PA but he attended high school and play his club soccer in Connecticut. He also lists his hometown as newtown conn.
California….where the girls state team can beat 47 of the United states mens team….
lol
=]
SURF FC (CALIIIIII)
Gk-Seitz
rb-frankie HEY DUDE (CAPTAIN) (I would pick cherundalo since he grew up in cali,but hes originally from illinois)
cb- Danny Califf
cb- Carlos bocanegra
lb-heath pearce
rm- rodgers
cm- kljestan
cm-edu
lm-lewis
fwd- LD
fwd- Allen Gordon! (haha)
subs include
Franklin
Conrad
FAILhaber
wynne
Sean Monaghan
why are people putting jozy as a FL if hes a jersey boy(hatian boy too)?…. he only when to the soccer school in FL
@American Dust: good stuff 🙂
G – Seitz
D – Pearce, Bocanegra, Califf, Cherundolo
M – Lewis, Edu, Bradley, Rogers
F – Donovan, Kirvoski
I have no idea on Ohio:
GK: Brad Friedel (Aston Villa), Troy Perkins (Valerenga), Ray Burse Jr. (Dallas).
D: Danny O’Rourke (Crew), Chris Leitch (NYRB), Eric Brunner (out of contract)
M: ?? (Espindoza, KC, played for OSU,, but not born in Ohio).
F: Chris Rolfe (Fire).
I need some help from there.
…..Even though Ives specifically shoots him down in the rules, the language of the rules allow his inclusion…..is what I meant
Colorado-
Matt Jordan
Stephen Keel
Nat Borchers
Todd Dunivant
Aaron Pitchkolan
Colin Clark
Brian Mullen
Mark Lisi (he’s retired, but still…)
Roger Espinoza
Conor Casey
Kyle Christiansen*
He went to DU for 4 years, drafted by Chivas this year. Couldn’t find another forward.
Technically Ives says the player had to be born and/OR lived there for five years. Hangeland was born in Houston, thus satisfying the OR statement. Technically Hangeland counts.
Connecticut
——Bugs Bunny–Bugs Bunny—
—Bugs Bunny——-Bugs Bunny–
-Bugs Bunny–Bugs Bunny–Bugs Bunny
–Bugs Bunny–Bugs Bunny–Bugs Bunny
————-Bugs Bunny———–
Steve Trittschuh is from Granite City, IL. not Missouri
Ohio:
GK: Friedel
D: Marc Burch, Chris Leitch, Dasan Robinson, Ofori Sarkodie
M: Seth Stammler, Danny O’Rourke, Sinisa Ubiparipovic, Kai Kasiguran
F: Chris Rolfe, Matt Taylor
Odd how many of these players have NYRB ties…
Connecticut
—Bugs Bunny–Bugs Bunny–
Bugs Bunny–Bugs Bunny–Bugs Bunny–
—-Bugs Bunny–Bugs Bunny——–
–Bugs Bunny–Bugs Bunny–Bugs Bunny–
————-Bugs Bunny———–
Texas Team
———–Lee Nyguen – Kenny Cooper——-
Holden — Torres — Duece — Davy Arnaud
Brek – Zak Whitbread – Omar Gonzales – Moor
– ——————GK—————— –
Ok, lol, i’ll admit i didn’t read the rules the first time around so here’s my revised list sans Hangeland, Agoos and Carla Overbeck
TEXAS XI
———Cooper——Dempsey———
—Holden—Torres—Arnaud—Nguyen–
Burciaga–Moor–Whitbread–Freeman
————–Mark Dodd—————
(Fwds) Kenny Cooper, Clint Dempsey
(Mids) Stuart Holden, José Torres, Davy Arnaud, Lee Nguyen
(Defs) José Burciaga Jr, Drew Moor, Zak Whitbread, Hunter Freeman
(Glks) Mark Dodd
(Rsvs) Jared Jefferies, Nick Garica, Omar Gonzalez, Arturo Alvarez, Josh Lambo, Brek Shea, Bobby Boswell, Ugo Ihemelu, Felix Garcia.
Pretty Good XI all in all i think. Not really much at the GK position, so if anyone knows anything i don’t, please feel free to throw in ideas.
I guess the Canadians should be allowed to play too, but only if they post an all-Newfoundland team first.
@fubar
Pennsylvania has to have Troy Snyder, he scored over 200 goals for Fleetwood High School, went to PSU, and was on the fringes of the US team. Most of his time was spent in the indoor leagues though.
I’m struggling for others, but hey, I’m from the soccer hotbed of Delaware.
Unless I’m leaving out someone obvious… Ohio:
GK Brad Friedel
RB Kyle Veris
CB Eric Brunner
CB Marc Burch
LB Chris Leitch
RM Kwame Sarkodie
CM Seth Stammler
CM Danny O’Rourke
LM Dasan Robinson
FW Chris Rolfe
FW Matt Taylor
That midfield is brutal, they’re all more defensive players then anything.
Texas:
Cooper Nguyen
Alvarez Torres Holden Dempsey
Shea
Garcia Ihemelu Freeman
Dodd
And shame on the people who didnt read the rules and included Hangeland.
Texas –
—— Lee Nygen – Kenny Cooper —–
Holden – Torres – Duece – Davy Arnaud
————–Brek Shae—————
Daniel Woolard-Omar GOnzales-Drew Moor
————–Kenny Cooper————
————(he’s that good)———-
TEXAS
——-Cooper——
——-Deuce——-
Alvarez———–Arnaud
—Torres—Holden—-
Castillo-Gbandi-Goodson-Freeman
-I guess Tyler Deric, we don’t do keepers-
Ohio…I grew up in Tennessee, but there’s only 5 or 6 players to ever play professionally from there, so I’ll claim Ohio since I lived there for 8 years.
Omar Cummings
Sinisa Ubi. (lived in Mentor, OH for a while)
Rolfe–D.O’Rourke–Stammler–Dasan Robinson
Burch–O. Sarkodie–E. Brunner–Leitch
—————Friedel(Perkins back up)—-
Alaska:
GK- Jeff Laird
RB- Jon Oliver
CBs-Matt Froehle,Seth Spidahl
LB- Pat Wier
RM- Ben Bailey
HM- Leaf Eggan
AM- Tim Valesco
LM- Jeff Wester
Fs- Mike Oliver, Bryant Smith
Coach: Dan Reynolds
“Geoff Cameron from Attleboro.”
Okay, Nine. Nine players! But at least one of the dudes I listed went to my high school, so I got that going for me.
“Hey, did you know Brian Ching is from Hawaii?”
You’ve got Tasha Kai, too, and she seems like the kind of person who’d mess you up if you left her out.