The U.S. men's national team began its pre-World Cup training camp today in Princeton, New Jersey today and the mood was a happy and confident one as the squad prepares to begin work on building the team that will represent the United States at the World Cup next month.
SBI will have a series of stories from training camp throughout the week so stay tuned for those. For now, here are some tidbits from the first day of training:
Tim Howard (quad), Chad Marshall (hamstring) and Jay DeMerit (ab strain) were held out of practice rest some slight knocks. Howard said the injury wasn't anything to worry about. Eddie Johnson was also sidelined with the hamstring injury he suffered last week, while Carlos Bocanegra was nursing an ab strain of his own.
Bradley addressed the decision not to call in Charlie Davies, saying that both Sochaux and U.S. national team evaluations were involved in the process that led to him not being called in.
Bob Bradley is hoping to have the squad for the World Cup picked by the Turkey match on May 29th. The team departs for South Africa the next day, so there's a good chance the final 23 will be chosen before the second of two home friendlies. That means the friendly vs. the Czech Republic on May 25th could make the difference in some roster battles.
When asked what his preferred position was, Clint Dempsey revealed that he likes playing on the left wing, so he can cut in on his right foot and take shots. As for playing forward, Dempsey said he likes playing there if the team he's playing for is struggling to move the ball, but that if the team is moving the ball well then he'd rather be in midfield.
I will be back with some updates on Stuart Holden, Marcus Hahnemann and Carlos Bocanegra so stay tuned for those. In the meantime, you can read my Fox Soccer story on the position battles to watch for in training camp.
Which position battle are you most interested in? Which player are you looking forward to seeing play in the upcoming friendlies?
Share your thoughts below.
“… and playing Edu and Torres in the middle…”
I like it, but you’re never going to see it.
Remember Jozy, and Davies were forced on Bradley as his boys stunk up the Con Fed Cup.
I want to see what Gooch looks like after being off for so long and I want to see what we do at forward.
what are the prospects of M Bradley sitting and playing Edu and Torres in the middle. We might actually see some free flowing football, especially with Clint Dempsey up top. (Yes I know Bradley is good… but would Bob every be bold enough to try it)
hmm… I wouldn’t count on Altidore taking England’s defense with only physical strength. Ledley King and Ferdinand are no minnows. He will be lucky to use his strength to get enough space for flick on/pass back to an on running mid or Dempsey. I’d love for it to be otherwise but his play for Hull really is the proof. (though by the end of the season he was drawing fouls which is progress)
in agreement… I don’t really understand the Ching hate. If Ching is healthy he can play the holdup forward role when needed. It really is up to the coach to know when to play him and when to put in a speedster. He could be a good sub for Altidore or as a late sub to run the defense ragged. Basically he is a known entity. We know he no speedster but he was one of the best players on the field against Holland and they had a very solid defense.
Ives, need some help up there? I’m good at transcribing!
Buddle has some terrible touches up top in his last game for LA. Don’t ridicule me for saying this, but … I’d almost rather have Ching up top than Buddle.
I’d rather have a striker in good form over an overhyped player who has one goal this season whose coach recently criticized him for being a lazy player.
Sorry, but you’re the insane one.
Sorry, by “jacked” do you mean in good shape?
I’m old enough that jacked used to be a negative thing, so I’m not sure if you meant that…
idk if anyone has said this yet but dear god does gooch look jacked!
What errors are you talking about. He made one horrible pass in the Confederations cup.
Beasley is a huge asset to the National team, his experience and his great ball control is needed. His passing is needed as well. Remember that long pass he gave Dempsey against Ghana. He does that all the time! Watch him play more often. He will be on the final 23, and I’m sure he will play a part that shuts peoples mouths. It was one bad pass people! He deserves respect for what he has done for our team, and for the moral he brings into camp.
I agree, his favorite move is to flick the ball past the defender on one side and run around the defender on the other side….i see very little in the way of step-overs, cruyffs, etc.
What?
Again…. you are insane. Buddle has been inconsistent for years and because of one good month you want him to start over the only striker we have that has played with the top level talent we will see in South Africa…. please stop!
Over this past season Bradley has really matured. He did not get a single Red Card over the entire Bundesliga season granted you do see less red in Germany but i think the person you have to worry about is Clark.
http://www.yanks-abroad.com/get.php?mode=content&id=5931
LEFT BACK of the Future?
But you are forgetting that Altidore is physically superior to any CB we will be playing against and that takes a toll on the defense speed should be brought on in the 60th-70th minute
Deuce isn’t CD9, but he’s got plenty of pace. He’s frequently the first to 50-50 balls in the EPL. It’s like running from the bear in the woods (after he sh**s). I don’t have to be the fastest in the group, I just have to be faster than you. Deuce has *that* speed…enough to beat the CDs he’ll face.
FulhamPete, you’re a moron!
If you’ve got Altidore healthy, then why start Beasley…
Jozy-Buddle
Deuce-MB-Edu-Stu
Boca-Gooch-Demerit-Spector
Timmy
Troll. Jeez.
Under you’re assumption you’re missing Donovan & Jozy, right? A more practicle example would be to have Jozy and one of the Central Midfield players or Centeral Defenders out due to Red Card or accumilations. Additionally would depend on the opponent we’d be facing.
In my thinking I’ve got Boca playing on the Left against England, unless Gooch is unable to start. Against anyone but England I’d slide Boca back into the center if DeMerit/Gooch were unavailable.
Center Mid I’m acctually expecting at least 1 of our CM’s be be suspended. Therefore I I’ve got Benny/Torres to back Bradley and Clark to back Edu.
Wing Mid You’ve got Beasley/Bedoya to back Donovan and Holden/Bedoya/Benny to back Dempsey in the event Clint of Landon are injured/moved to forward.
Striker you’ve got Buddle/Dempsey to back Altidor or Gomez to replace Buddle. And in a pinch you could use Bedoya as a speed option at striker as well.
Whatever happens, we’re not doing anything unless Jozy is paired with speed. Last ditch effort throwing Deuce up top at 60-70 is one thing. Them paired from the get go simply don’t have the speed.
I have a lot of different lineup ideas, but the core typically stays the same as everyone else with only a couple asterisks that could go either way. The only thing I write with confidence – Buddle or Ching up top with Jozy is a joke.
He could if he so chose. My patience is wearing thin with his poor fitness and training habits. He should take a page from his good pal Charlie and realize he has an opportunity we all would give anything for and play like a man – which means hustling all the time.
“Lettuce, tomato, onion? Salt, pepper, ketchup?”
i like the idea.
Game 1–MB with two yellows/injury from a cheap shot by Terry
Game 2
————Altidore——Ching————
——-LD—–Benny—–Edu—–Demps——
———Boca—Jay—Gooch—Dolo———
——————THoward——————
I think BB will go with Altidore and one of the “others” to start the game with both LD and CD in the midfield. Then, when/if we need a goal, look for CD to move up top and replace the other forward, BB to bring in an attack-minded mid (Torres, Feilhaber, etc), and for Gomez to come off the bench in a last ditch effort. Hopefully, we won’t be needing to score goals late, but if experience is any guide, we will.
I’m not sure what the Seriously? is about. I was responding to Ive’s comment that Boca was one of our two best central options. I don’t agree. He’s not an ideal option at either position, when viewed from a broader perspective. But I’d rather have him playing left back than Bornstein, who does dumb things routinely.
Donovan is in the best position to be a playmaker on the wing. He is by far our best player. We need to cater to that. Would certainly rather push Clint up top and have Holden wide right.
Not sure about the back four, but the front 6 are spot on. I would want Holden to play more conservatively, getting back and tucking in so the midfield can shift across allowing Edu more freedom to cover for Dempsey if he’s slow getting back without creating huge spaces out in front of the CBs for Roo, Gerrard and Lampard to exploit.
Fair enough. How about Bent Spoon? Watch out for the Princeton ice cream wars!
The one’s he scored actual goals with?
When England are in the final third, I would want to see either Donovan or Jozy hugging the touchline of whichever FB has gone forward, ready to get up the flank when we win the ball. This tactic will ensure Donovan finds plenty of space to do his counterattack QB routine from and will turn England’s strength at CB against them.
Rather than leading the line, Jozy can play a bit deeper and let Terry and Ferdinand or whoever decide whether to step out to him and keep a higher line or to stand around marking air. Let Dempsey do what he does and find the spaces between defenders cutting in from the left.
I think we all know who is going to win a battle like Ching vs. Terry.
Epic Fail on Torres > Feilhaber
Last I checked Feilhaber SONed Spain in the Confed Cup…… Torres could not sun Costa Rica
I know fans think they entitled to way more than thay actually deserve, but there are not may days to work with here. Please let these guys do their thing and prep properly for the Cup. There will be plenty of time to hang out and take pics and be fans during the send off matches and more so after the Cup.
He could, but I think Bradley is conservative and will have 8 defenders, 8 mids and 4 forwards. I can see him taking Pearce and four forwards: Altidore, Ching, Buddle, Gomez
Not the way I want to see it shake out but I can definitely see Bob going that way.
That makes me happy too.
cencalifutbol? Where in CenCal? I’m in Fresburg. Is there ANYWHERE good to watch footy in this desert?
So where can we catch players for pics? To give them support ?? This is not Barcelona so why so much Nazi and mystery crap? Ives any idea if any events for the fans? The ones that make everything happen. What’s up with the people of us soccer why do they act like the gestapo? I understand training but fans deserve some sort of access to meet and cheer players
I think there’s a big piece we’re missing, and I haven’t seen much of it in discussion.
Bradley needs to consider what his needs are when players get injured/suspended.
So, when Jozy scores a Game winner against England, then rips his jersey off in celebration earning him a second yellow (He IS 20, after all, not the most emotionally stable age.), who do we play against SVN? I think it becomes Demps and Buddle/Gomez.
It’s a head coach’s responsibility to account for these things, and that may involve keeping a lesser talent for depth/contingency rather than a better player because he’s, well, better.
An interesting set of threads to start would be to Inj/Susp each projected starter, and THEN pick the lineups.
I’ll start: Donovan gets a straight red for intentional handball Henry style goal. (yeah yeah, I know, not a red…but according to the English, this thing is fixed anyway.)
Here’s my 11.
Dempsey-Buddle
Beasley-Bradley-Edu-Holden
Boca-Gooch-Demerit-Spector
Timmy
Gomez, Torres, Bedoya off bench.
Discuss.
“When asked what his preferred position was, Clint Dempsey revealed that he likes playing on the left wing, so he can cut in on his right foot and take shots.”
Huh? Isn’t it usually Donovan on the left and Dempsey on the right?
You’re thinking of positions in really static terms that don’t really apply to what happens on the pitch.
The whole point of starting Donovan up top would be so he could get into the wide areas vacated by England’s advancing fullbacks and pull one of the CBs out into wide areas. His running in the outside channels is what made Charlie Davies so effective against Egypt, Spain and Brazil last summer.
Dempsey doesn’t have the same speed, so he wouldn’t be able to do this job as well as Donovan could. What Dempsey does have is timing, and pulling a CB out wide would give him the opportunity to use it.
Boca did better in the middle than at left back with Fulham, but I’d say his best trait was that he could score when moving up for free-kicks. Just not fast enough to play left back, and it seems you can count on him to make one or two gaffes a game, which is less than ideal for a defender.
Donovan has been playing as well as he ever has on the wing so IMHO, playing him as support striker just doesn’t make sense. Further, Donovan shone at Everton on the right wing and Dempsey prefers the left. I just wonder whether Bob will consider this in his configuration.
Then you haven’t been watching him long enough. I’ve seen him play before MLS started, when he was 17. He never had individual skill. By individual skill, I mean technical ball skills to beat defenders 1-on-1 using fakes, stepovers, etc. Like Chris Waddle, Ronaldinho, Adu, Davies. Granted, he is quick, fast and very good tactically but he has no individual skill.
jozy
dempsey mando holden
edu bradley
spector demerit (gooch or boca) dolo
timmy
i dig this
I’m not a fan of Ching, but I can accept him making the squad. I don’t want to see him starting though. For the role he plays, I don’t know that we have any better options to put on the bench, as much as I wish we did.
I’d recommend Thomas Sweets over halo pub, but to each their own.
Bornstein isn’t too far behind.
yea he’s definitely getting a red.
Ching used to tie Jozy’s shoes before games
exactly