For U.S. men's national team fans praying to see a youth movement of attacking talent along the lines of what Mexico displayed during the Gold Cup, there's some hope emanating from Norway.
U.S. international midfielder Mikkel Diskerud scored twice in Stabaek's 3-3 draw with Tromso on Sunday, notching his first goals of the season. He twice made runs down the center to be in position to finish into an empty net. He likely could have had a third goal, but his first-time volley of a cross inside the area was hit high. Diskerud also conceded a penalty in the game, but the ensuing spot kick was saved.
The 20-year-old Diskerud figures to be a part of the national-team set-up in the coming years. He assisted on Juan Agudelo's winning goal in the United States' friendly against South Africa in November, and he was part of Bob Bradley's January camp and appeared in the friendly against Chile. He was also on the U.S. roster for March friendlies with Argentina and Paraguay but did not feature in either match.
Highlights of Diskerud's goals from Sunday's match are after the jump:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVxWYtezWKI]
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What did you think of Diskerud's performance? Do you hope to see more of Diskerud in a national-team jersey down the line?
Share your thoughts below.
what are you basing that statement on?
NO. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. doesn’t mena the clock isn’t broken. JB needs to go away for a long while, just like Ricardo Clark.
I’m not saying it was all his faulty, but folks know he’s the chink in the armor.
spector belongs in the midfield, not the backline.
a bucket with holes is more useful than JB.
Oh my gosh everyone stop whining about the Gold Cup we lost and I understand we are all upset but what done is done we gotta move on. Please, everyone get off this what if, should have, could have bull about Spector coming in. We need to focus on the future for the USA. Us reliving the Gold Cup and talking about Bradley’s poor coaches decision is not going to help us and leaves a sour taste in everyone’s mouth. As the SBI staff told me stop kicking a dead hoarse that is already dead. 🙂
Chandler is not going to play for the US. Let’s get over him before we get disappointed.
What astonishes me about Diskerud is that he is the reason Agudelo is now playing for the USMNT. Diskerud’s set up for Agudelo against South Africa was the best piece of footwork I’ve seen from a USMNT player in YEARS. But, naturally Bradley doesn’t see that.
Spector is just a disaster at outside back, he offers nothing outside of the ability to whip in a good cross, which is secondary at best in this situation. He may have got the Prem and played outside back, but that was horrible and short lived. I dont like Bornstein at all, but everyone once and a while he plays well. Outside back is just a disaster for us and Bob keeps bringing in the same failures on rotation.
One of the problems with the US this past Gold Cup sounds really simplistic but it’s true.
The best quality US players aren’t playing at their best positions.
Edu is quality, and didn’t feature but sometimes can be a CB. Spector didn’t feature but was considered a FB. Boca was deemed a CB.
Dolo, Klechstan and Bedoya provided the wing play from the RB position and midfield positions… And so forth….
The results are a disjointed game against a quality opponent. There seems to be about 12 central midfielders by their nature and a bunch of utility defenders.
Look at Mexico for example, they suffered a bit from this in SA. This coach, Chepo finally stuck to some basics. The wide men are true out and out wingers, not converted forwards like Vela and Dos Santos, but Guardado and Barrera.
I couldn’t name you a true winger in the entire US player pool, and Donovan has always been a hybrid type winger, forward.
Granted a true LB, a true Left sided wing, ditto the right side are hard to find but this is the powerful US Soccer we’re talking about isn’t it???
I was talking about how much more I would rather have Mix than Klejstan (not to mention Rogers) at the Gold Cup, and got into an argument on this thread. I find it funny how opinions alter so quickly.
are you nuts, flare and creativity ? you must have lost your mind, this is the US we talking about. Its all muscle and Hustle skills have no place on this team. now lets fall behind and trying to work out way back with some luck and hustle boy. We dont need no difference making players round these parts.
I don’t think Mix is cap-tied to the US yet. I hope he doesn’t change his mind about playing for the US.
With all due respect, it doesn’t take hindsight to know Bornstein isn’t capable enough to play for the USMNT. Watch any game he has ever played for the US and you get your answer.
It’s so reminiscent of Ricardo Clark and Bornstein against Ghana. Everyone knew they were the wrong choices except Bradley, the one person who SHOULD know.
No one would have faulted Bob for bringing Spector even if Mexico would have scored 4 goals going at his side. Why? Because while Spector isn’t fast, and probably would have ended up conceding a goal eventually, his insertion wouldn’t have completely disrupted the tenuous “organization” that our back 4 was already clinging to.
I don’t think anyone can make a defensible argument for that substitution. You simply don’t weaken the whole to ensure 1 player gets to play he “strong” position. ugggh.
Bradley gambled, it failed, the US loses.
end of story.
why is it people still think JB has wheels? he is an average runner. JB should have never seen the field specially after he was benched by his mexican club team. do you think Mexico didn’t scout him out in case he played? BB, just made a very costly error. Spector at right, would at least made Mexico think about it, with JB it was no brainer to go after him.
It’s not love for Spector. It’s lesser of two evils.
Before the injury it was clear Mexico were targeting our LB. To that point Lichaj had been pushed but had held his own.
Why put easily our weakest defender there? At the very least make Mexico change their point of attack and go left at a quasi Prem level player.. rather than stay the course targeting a quasi mexican league level player.
Plus Spector clearly has more minutes at a higher level and more recently than JB.
His names not Bradley so it will be hard to get minutes in any meaningful game.
Seriously how are there no articles about Bradley getting replaced or any journalist at least putting the question to Sunil?
Why is there no heat on Sunil because of the US average run in the Gold Cup, the mediocrity of the Womens team, ditto for the U-17 boys who are about to get kicked out of the WC and of course the U-21 who failed to qualify but took years of underachieving to fire Ronger?
Or for the lack of technical ability at all levels?
That’s Mix against Chile in January.
The addition of Adu was more a headscratcher.
The call up of Rogers was a WTF?
and Bornstein is just not quality. and stop talking about Timothy Chandler, in re the Gold Cup. He declined the invite.
Mix’s goals were pretty pedestrian, born more off of good runs than skills, but he definitely has shown skills before and it’s good to see him making energetice runs off the ball and showing good work rate. That, positional awareness, and defensive awareness and effort will be the keys to getting him in the mix (groan) for serious MNT duty. He already possesses a better skill set than Sacha or Bedoya (possibly MB and Jones as well, though they are more defensive minded). He reminds me a little of a young Stu Holden though I don’t know if he has Stu’s work rate.
No Offesnse, but –
ANYBODY BUT BORNSTEIN.
The story claims that mixx didnt feature in either the Argentina game or the Paraguay game… but if i’m not mistaken that’s a picture of him “featuring” against Paraguay. It must be warmups..
While JB was mostly at fault for goals 1 and 2 (even though MB deserves some blame for #1) I don’t see him as primarily responsible for number 3 at all. Poor clearance from Bocanegra then he didnt get back to close out Barrera. Bornstein was on Gio further up the field and had no chance of getting back in time
I would really like to see Spector get some time at CB. I think that will be his only real chance at playing time in the future and I think he could be effective next to Tim Ream. Wouldnt mind seeing this formation in our upcoming games
Howard
Chandler – Spector – Ream – Lichaj
Holden – Jones
Dempsey – Adu – Donovan
Altidore
No, he isn’t. At outside back at least. Spector is a sub par athlete and slow to boot, a complete liability on the outside, very easy to expolit. TImmy Chandler on the other hand is real f ing talent
THe game did not changed, they did go after Bornstein but they had been on the attack already, I blame the fullbacks and Midfielders for not stopping the runs that were coming down the middle in the first 10 min. of the game. Chandler’s speed and defense could have helped I agree, but Dolo’s injury was part of the problem.
All indications were that Bradly did try to bring in Chandler, so I can’t see how you could possibly blame him for that. On Bornstein, I agree that he is not good enough and, in retrospect, it is easy to say we should not have put him in for that game. However, at the time, I thought it was the righ move. Spector is incredibly slow and has shown a penchent to get beat very easily by fast/quick attackers. That is Mexico. At least Bornstein has speed. Again, easy to call the correct shot after the game has been played.
As soon as Bornstein went in teh game was over. Mexico immediately started attacking him because they knew he could not stop them and that he would simply back heas way into to six yard box which he did time and again. The first three goals are directly attributable to his positioning and inability to defend. If Spector went in at right back, he could have held up better because Mexico’s left side was hurting from the semi-final round. Their strength was on their right. Our strength defensively was Lichaj’s size and speed on the left side. The game completely changed as soon as Cherundolo left and the backline was reconfigured. It was a sad way to see us go down, but it was not because we could not have won, it was because BB made a huge tactical error. The first being not having Timothy Chandler in team, the second being loyal to a very good guy, but not a strong player in Jon Bornstien. I wish Jonathan well, but I do not want to see him on the MNT roster anymore because he cannot compete at the level especially when he has not even been playing for his club.
well BB seemed to be right about giving Adu a chance, he was criticized more for Adu than Rogers, can’t win them all, we currently don’t have near the depth that mexico has, that is not a new problem, but these young guys give us hope
More experienced, could have played RB which would have prevented Lichaj from having to move out of position.
What a poacher. He looks better in a forward position than our forwards do.
He’s better than Bornstein.
in the games for the US, I meant. The goals in the clip were pretty straightforward…
He should have been on the gold cup roster in place Rogers who has shown time and time again that he will never live up to his potential. How many more chances is that kid gonna get??
Absolutely. JP.
I really don’t understand the sudden love for Spector. We’ve seen time and again that he’s not a very good defender. If he gets a chance to play in the midfield somewhere, he could develop into a real contributor to the USMNT, but he’s just not a good fullback.
That announcer makes more sense to me than John Harkes.
+1 He shows nice creativity and a bit of flair. I’d like to see more of him in meaningful games.
any coincidence all of the goals came from their right, our left, side?
This is why Chandler should have been in the line-up … or at least Spector
I think we should be praying to see a youth movement of defending talent after Saturday’s display.
Down the line? Was hoping to see him in a jersey last week.