There is no debating that American strikers Herculez Gomez and Edson Buddle are in the best form of any American forwards on the planet, and this past weekend both strikers score two more goals to boost their chance of earning a surprising World Cup roster spot.
Here my is my take on Gomez and Buddle for Fox Soccer. It really is crazy to think where both players were just four months ago. Neither was anywhere near the U.S. national team radar. Now, with Gomez scoring a league-high 10 goals in Mexico and Buddle notching a record seven goals in the LA Galaxy's first four games of the MLS season, both look like good bets to be called up next month and one of them just might make the U.S. World Cup team.
What do you think of their recent hot streaks? Have they done enough to make you forget their past struggles? Still not convinced either player could help the U.S. national team? Hoping both players earn call-ups?
Share your thoughts below.
can’t imagine….josie is 5.11 and weights 175, buddle is 6.1 and weights 185. now there is two-tanks if I ever seen one.
they have a chance of EARNING A WORLD CUP SPOT! first is first, AS A FORWARD, you score ALOT OF CLUB GOALS YOU EARN A NATIONAL TEAM LOOK. Gomez and Buddle have EARNED A WC LOOK. so they will both get WC camp invites. NOW, WHAT THEY DO FROM THEIR WILL EARN THEM A ROSTER ON THE WORLD CUP TEAM!! and yes, in camp BOB BRADLEY SHOULD name the best in form players on the WC roster. But, as we all know he calls on his favorites, that being said altidore,ching, and davies makes team. buddle,gomez,casey,finley,etc all are vying for ONE WC SPOT,MAYBE. if, bradley wants 3 forwards to begin with,as we know,donovan and dempsey can play there.
This US team hasn’t been playing as a unit for that long. Davies, demerit, holden, torres, and bornstein are recent additions. Altidore, benny, edu, spector, and baby bradley have only been around a couple years. That’s half the squad right there.
Anybody who has the quality should be included. Years of service shouldn’t factor at all (aside from the effect experience might have in quality). The world cup isn’t a “thank you” to our soccer veterans.
I won’t be surprised at all if gomez, buddle and bedoya are called into camp, then fail to make the final roster. But man would it be great if at least one of ’em can make a spash…
that’s a fair point. i forgot that the season is over.
this lineup is probably the most educated one that I have seen in here. that is providing the assumptions but very close.
a number of fans don’t like Ching but Bob does and that’s what counts. Actually, I would not be surprised if Bob takes Casey before Buddle if Ching can’t go because they are both target forward types.
+1
This.
yeah i’d have casey on the bench and play dempsey with jozy if charlie can’t play. we can always use landon up top as well. we have more midfielders who are capable of playing against international competition. but we’ll see what bob does in may. i’m not going to get worked up over his player choices like i did last summer. unless he starts bornstein then i’ll go crazy.
and ??? you must be high to think that the goal scoring runs that gomez and buddle are on make them international scoring threats. they are reserves at best and i’d rather have casey coming off the bench in the last few minutes of a game (he’s decent in the air and can win the ball against big defenders). actually, i’d rather have mcbride come out of international retirement to be our last option as a late sub, but i don’t think that will happen.
i do like the way buddle is playing (his 2nd goal vs RSL was a great finish) and i haven’t seen gomez’s hot streak but i just think its difficult to take these guys based on the last few months. but like ives said this discussion is ongoing because there aren’t that many options.
I’m not talking about Gomez, I’m talking about Buddle. And by “time and time again,” I mean exactly what I said — Cunningham, Findley, and Cooper. You can also add in Twellman and Casey. Ching is the only MLS forward who has fared well in international competition, and this is because of his holdup play and his work-rate off the ball — he brings a lot more than just scoring ability.
As for 2002, well, if you have to go back that far, then you sort of prove my point, no?
He’d do well to take the time, after the Mexican league ends, to find a team in MLS to just train with and participate in scrimmages (see Beckham when he was at Arsenal).
I take Gomez – he’s bigger, so better suited against the physical presence of centerbacks and he’s scoring in all kinds of ways – headers, volleys, shots, tap ins, etc. We have no presence in the 18, but I think he could muscle his way in.
Whereas, I feel Buddle needs the perfect pass (which he won’t get at the WC) without massive pressure (again, won’t get).
“Since his presumed midfield replacement has a broken leg that doesn’t sound so hot. I know everyone seems to think Holden’s leg break is not a big deal but no one ever accused US fans of being sensible.”
Bedoya over Holden at RM so Dempsey could play up top. Bedoya is playing well and getting his 90 a week.
Yes, Holden might get a game or two in before the season is over, and yes he is a good player, but that should no way guarantee him a starting spot at the WC.
The ones you list were pure attackers – the European ones were support. Very harsh comparison.
And we can’t base this on 8 years ago! MLS and the world have moved a million miles away from that time. I would have to agree with the fact that in the last 2-3 years, MLS strikers (bar Donovan) have had an awful time against class teams. We’re not talking about Haiti or any of the islands here.
or maybe by this argument, we should, precisely, be playing beasley, mastroeni, hejduk, and whoever has the longest service regardless of current form.
I get the feeling we will Donovan or Davies up front a lot during this WC. So, no, you’re not a lunatic.
If anyone inflicts any pain, they are an idiot, there were no easy answers before the injuries.
Casey fits the need more, or at least the way Bob Bradley wants to play. Once Ching went out you could have written in Casey in ink. The real question is if Buddle will be our back-up plan if Davies can’t make it back.
Assuming Davies is not fully fit, am I a lunatic for thinking we would want to start Altidore and Donovan at forward? We have a fair number of talented midfieders, and Donovan can BURN defenses and Finish. I’m not very sophisticated when it comes to pairing players/tactics et al. Why wouldn’t Altidore’s muscle and foul drawing ability match well with Donovan’s speed and skill. Please explain why I’m wrong without inflicting to much emotional pain on me.
can someone comment on how ching and casey look in mls relative to buddle? i’ve not seen ching or casey play in the mls before, and so i’m wondering if they look as bad as they do when they’re wearing the national team shirt.
Seriously, you’re more worried about his real height than his real age?
Casey signed a long term deal with Colorado a couple months ago. He had tested the waters again but decided playing for his hometown club is just too good to pass up at his age.
Seems like the same thing happened to him in Europe as what happened to lots of players who head over there… it just didn’t work out.
Gomez…easily. Sorry, but we’ve seen what happens with MLS strikers at the international level. Casey, Findley, Cunningham, etc…..Gomez is scoring in the FMF where the striker quality is higher. Say what you will about the defense, but he would definitely be better than Buddle. Not a starter, but as a super-sub..maybe a starter? If you also want to get nit picky, when was the last time Manchester United came after an MLS striker? This is just strikers, not counting defensive players or goalkeepers….BUT, I both believe they deserve a look at the next camp….
excellent points. not to mention that these players also depended on skill and intuition (mcbride, donovan, mathis) more than all-out athletic ability (altidore, johnson, cunningham). buddle is a finisher. i haven’t had the privilege of seeing gomez play yet. these guys resemble the best of mls strikers, not the luckiest. plus, buddle has a working relationship with our best player!!
I heard Brian Ching is fluent in Dog. He’s like the freakin’ Dog whisperer. I also heard he had a little chat with Maradona’s dog a few weeks back and look how that turned out. Wayne Rooney has a pit bull pup and we need to get him on the phone with Brian.
But Gomez has played his last game before the world cup. We’re a month away from camp, do you call in a player who has been sitting that long who can no longer start at the club level anyway?
I need a link to that story, please?
I’ve never once looked at her face.
I think a lot of people foolishly think Buddle and Gomez will be competing for the starting 11. To give them both a simple look at a bench position only improves our striking options, and our managerial confidence.
He dropped off as he moved up age levels.
Eddie Johnson’s last MLS year started about the same as Buddles… there might be a real good comparison there… except EJ didn’t have Donovan setting him up.
Casey seemed to hold his own against Everton at the all-star game last year, I’d take him as our back-up “holding forward.” Can buddle or Gomez (who used to play with Casey, but of course spent most of his time in Colorado on the bench watching Casey play) play the speedster role if needed?
I dont think ching will be in the world cup thats just my take.
There is no way anyone is hated more then Ching. At the Nashville game last year some guy yelled “Ching You Suck” every time he touched the ball. And the rest of the people around him clapped every time he yelled it.
But isn’t Obama Cap-tied to Kenya, I heard that somewhere on the internet.
What alphanumeric characters? Whatchoo talkin bout willis
I should have mentioned that I choose Buddle to get the first start because he can mimic the game plan that we normally play (Hold Up/Target FW w/ Support).
I wish we had a 3rd warm up so that Herc could also get a start. I can not remember him starting up top as a FW since I’ve watched soccer. But since he is comfortable in the sub role based on his role with his club, it should not be a big deal to accept and thrive in this role with the Nats.
I usually don’t attack the poster, but seriously lay off the bottle, you just posted 4 meaningless posts in a row.
GK: Howard
LB: Spector
CB: Boca
CB: DeMerit
RB: Dolo
CM: Edu
RM: Bedoya
LM: Donovan
CM: Bradley
ST: Jozy, Dempsey
Buddle and Gomez, if they come, will not start.
Ching suck I rather have Gomez and Buddle go in
Casey over Gomez and Buddle are you high?
I’m sorry if it came off like I said that someone would take away Jozy’s starting spot. Hell no. I’m just saying that even our best healthy striker isn’t doing anything in league play. We need to reexamine our striking options.
Jozy has the spot.
4, pretty sweet ( for LA fans )
Plus all of American outside of LA would like to see BOTH of them gone for a few games.
Was this the fart?
What does that have to do with anything?
Yeah but Gomez has played his last game before the World Cup, does that factor in?
We could like answer your whole diatribe with one person, who has been playing regularly with the Nats: Benny Feilhaber. He’d start (in place of Holden) before Buddle or Gomez. Hell, Torres probably would too.
no way would these guys do much at the world cup vs. england. maybe they make it as a backup but really if we think about it they are just as likely to go cold soon (like the entire season last year for both of them) as they are to score a bunch of goals at the world cup. they are both playing well now but i’d take casey over them for his size and skill. whatever we’ll see what happens soon. hey ives when does bradley name the 30 players he’s calling in for the 2 friendlies?
I hope that was a joke. Brian McBride playED (as in, past tense) for the Crew prior to the 2002 World Cup. Listen to the Nordecke sing the next time you watch MLS, if ever.
Freddy Adu is not 5’8. More like 5’6. Why must wikipedia lie to us? Like Davies is 5’9 and Boca is 5’11.
Pretty straightforward to me if I’m Bob.
If Davies is 80% or better in terms of health, he goes.
Altidore goes.
Two more spots left.
If Ching is healthy, he goes. Bob likes a traditional hold up target forward.
One spot left. Gomez or Buddle. Buddle is in a similar mold to Altidore, so I’d lean Gomez, he can fill in for Davies, esp if Davies can’t go or to come off bench for CD. I think the only way Buddle goes is if Ching or Davies can’t go.
You know the US U-17 boys comprised of 15 and 16 year olds beat the Full Womens national team 7-0 down in Bradenton, right?
You just gave Buddle and Gomez more proof for their inclusion.
For you guys who like Casey. Tell us about him. What happened to him in Germany? Why did he come back to MLS? Any chance he can head back there?
Everyone used to say that about Ching and Landon.
What that got Ching was, he now thanks God every day for Bornstein and Sacha. They have freed him from the title of the player most abused by the USMNT fans.