Photo by Perry McIntyre/ISIphotos.com
It happens every time the U.S. national team releases a roster for a friendly or meaningful game. Fans and pundits clamor that a certain player or certain players who didn't make the cut deserved the call-up.
Thursday's roster release for the November friendlies against France and Slovenia was accompanied with a similar reaction.
Even though Jurgen Klinsmann has developed a pretty consistent pattern of whom he is and is not going to call up, the fact remains that a handful of U.S. internationals have been playing well at their clubs without getting the reward of a call to U.S. camp.
Players like centerbacks Omar Gonzalez and George John, who have yet to be called in under Klinsmann only to watch Michael Orozco Fiscal continue to get chances despite struggling on the international level, come to mind. So too does striker Herculez Gomez, who has been in form and scoring for Estudiantes Tecos but hasn't gotten a U.S. look despite the Americans mustering just two goals in five games under Klinsmann's watch.
Creative midfielders such as Sacha Kljestan, Benny Feilhaber and Freddy Adu were also passed over this time around and don't appear to be high on Klinsmann's current pecking order based on his brief track record.
Who do you think was the biggest USMNT snub for the November friendlies? Cast your vote after the jump:
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How did you vote? Which player that wasn't called in do you think deserves a call-up the most? Anybody not on our list that you think is most deserving?
Share your thoughts below.
As a pinata.
I agree with your snubs. I disagree that Omar is competing against just Gooch/Goodson. I see him competing for call-ups with everybody. If the conclusion is, will he beat out Boca, Gooch, Goodson, than ask that of the others and call no one else in.
‘He is not fast enough’….’international quality’
Are Puyol and Pique fast enough? WC and CCL winners. There are many not fast CBs.
Adu was the only bright spot in a dismal Gold Cup. Love to see him surrounded by Donovan, Shea, Altidore, and Dempsey.
Sasha should’ve been #1
I don’t get leaving out Freddy Adu.
I understand mentioning Adu & Feilhaber because they have been with the US team for long periods of time & contributed heavily, BUT… Mentioning those two before Davis or Labrocca Ives (or whoever wrote this)? These are two midfielders who were far superior to both of those players in MLS this year & they continue to get a severe snub.
that is obnoxiously dumb. let’s see graham zusi try to earn a starting spot at schalke…
I would take Geoff Cameron over Ream and Gonzalez put together any day.
I would take Wondo over Gomez any day…I don’t understand the huge hoopla for that guy. He would never be considered NT caliber if he was eligible for Mexico…never. He is in a minnow team and he is not 6th place like many want you to picture. There is like 4 others with the same amount of goals. So he is 10th place. So what? Wondow has been consistent even if he is not playing striker role. But in the list you missed another guy who has been consistent for two, three seasons and talented…Geoff Cameron.
look guys omar is slow, i rather go with goodson and onyewu and PARKURST.
hercules is too old hes what like 30 ???? plus he is not international type/level
i think ROLF SHOULD GET CALLED UP
yes, hes overdue by 2 years. Should be a lock come January. He can provide a spark down the middle in every third of the field.
Alan Gordon.
Orozco Fiscal is just not very good. So, the biggest snub has to be the guys who lost out on a position to him – John and OG. At least Gomez lost out to strikers who can stake a somewhat credible claim to a position on the roster based on their performances.
Wondo should definitely be in the poll at least. I didn’t get his success until I watched him in Seattle a couple of weeks ago (the Keller send off). He’s one of those guys that knows where to be and then puts the ball on frame when it comes to him. I don’t know if he fits in Klinsmann’s system, but give him good service over 10 games and he’ll score as much as most of our forwards. Put it this way–everyone in the park knows he’s San Jose’s only goal scorer, and yet he scores goals.
And can we stop picking on Bornstein? The guy made mistakes but played hard and did his best. Not good enough for the team, but an admirable guy who came when his country called. Picking on him is getting really old.
I can’t wait to see Holden and Lichaj back from their injuries so we won’t have to see players like Orozco, Beckerman, and Rogers AGAIN!!!
Also thanks for letting us know what is appropriate for this forum. I mean, it’s your site right, and not the author’s? You’re Ives Galarcep, right dude?
My gut says we will be shut out twice, again. Jurgen is looking to be the first USMNT coach in the modern era to be hired and fired in less than 6 months.
How are they supposed to stay fit if they haven’t played any matches for 2-3 months?
There’s a big difference between physical fitness and game fitness.
Hope Timmy doesnt hurt his back picking the ball out of the net against France
He has barely gotten any chances with the USMNT. He has repeatedly earned the chance to get to play.
I mean, it’s not like Donovan scored a hat trick the first time he got called up. Yet he was given more call-ups and eventually he turned out to be all right.
See how that works Tim?
Wondo absolutely deserves a call-up. If he gets a chance to play and knocks in a few goals, all of the SBI folks and BigSoccer folks will instantly change their tune about him.
Most fans only want to see goals scored, and guess what? Wondo can do that. In the meantime, enjoy watching another pair of shutout losses Getrealtie19.
No snubs. This isn’t the forum. Gut says that Klinsman will try to win these games starting and subbing what he thinks is he best side rather than use these games to test players. None of the alleged snubs are current starters or immediate subs on this team and there won’t be a real camp to evaluate players. Wait for January.
Gomez and Klestjan. there are others as there always will be, but those two top the list this time to me
I meant to post this here not up higher…
Does anyone think Geoff Cameron deserves a shot at CB???
1. Gomez
2. Kljestan
Kljestan would be #1, and is probably more deserving that some of the German guys playing limited minutes, but I don’t think they were necessarily bad selections.
Gomez, on the other hand, is our only in-form striker scoring goals right now. If Buddle isn’t too old for a call up, neither is Herc.
Hamid should play against Slovenia, but we want Howard for the full 90 against France for sure.
Does anyone else think Geoff Cameron deserves a shot???
He used to be, but he has shown well in his GC appearances and against Mexico (under Klinsmann).
I also wouldn’t say Europa league soccer is “weak opponents.”
Then why does Agudelo look better than Wondo on the pitch during USMNT games?? I Believe neither of them should be on the team right now. Why doesn’t CJ Sapong get a call up to either national team?? Biggest snubs are Gomez and Sasha.
I would had left Roger. There are a few players that can play RM on the team. Johnson, Donovan and Shea can all play RM and play it better then Roger. So why was he even called up if he’s not even going to be use. Rogers is basically a wasted slot.
Gomez isn’t expected to start. Jozy is going to start but Gomez can come in as a super sub and hopefully poach a goal or two. No one is saying bring Gomez in to start but bring him in as a sub. Maybe his poaching ability might rub off on some of these guys.
I see what your saying about Gonzalez but fiscal has not done much to prove he belongs
Klejstan is a turnover machine against good competition. He only does well against weak opponents or when a team is sitting back defending a lead. If pressed he loses the ball.
If guys like Jonathan Bornstein get 38 caps, then Wondolowski deserves more than 5 to show what he’s got.
Wondo leads the league in goals two years in a row, finishes top of the Castrol Index… yet somehow you say he is inferior to Agudelo who can’t even get off the bench in said league? LMAO!
I agree. Chris is healthy and playing well. Great skill with the ball. He could fill Holden’s shoes while Stu heals.
I do think you’re right that The Powers That Be think he’s not fast/quick enough for the pace of international play, and if he is, it seems to be a point he’ll never prove by playing in MLS. He should really move to a faster league as soon as possible if he wants to muscle his way in.
In that sense, Gomez is more puzzling, because he plays a position and role we could really use an option for (because right now we really have none), and he plays in a better league than ours (or the one Edson Buddle plays in, for that matter), and seems to be having some success. You wonder why we’ve seen so much of Torres, Fiscal, and Castillo from the same league (and Beasley too) but no Gomez.
Wondo is not an international caliber striker. Sorry
What puzzles me the most is that Tim Howard played every minute of the 5 games under Klinsmann. Why not give some playing time to his backups? What if, god forbid, Howard is injured? We have no one with international experience behind him.
Outside of Adu, none of these are starters or better than anyone we have on the current roster. John/Gonzalez would be behind Bocanegra, Oneywu and Goodson. Gomez is doing well in Mexico but hasn’t done much in his limited chances with the Nats and is getting old. Feilhaber could definatley be part of the mix, however, Williams and Jones have similar skill and play similar positions. I don’t have a problem with the selections I’m more concerned about the starting lineup.
LOL, awesome
I agree that we aren’t creating any chances. But is the answer to structure your roster as if this trend will continue? I don’t think so. Herc….IN!
Eddie Gaven
Eddie Gaven
Worse than Ream? Helen Keller says yes!
See i believe the jaunary camp will be when we see everyone on rhe snub list. Ithink he wants to see who’ll stay fit and have a true assesment of where the mls based guys are.
I would understand the Sacha Kljestan but to be honest he gives the ball away way to much for my taste. It also seems pretty clear that either fabian johnson, Jose Torres or Stuart Holden have that on lock.I would have left off a d-mid and included gomez. He along with buddle were scoring during the world cup but were left off in favor for findley by bradley. The dude is a poacher and all he needs is a half chance to put one away.
Chris Rolfe
I’m also not really annoyed with Klinsmann not calling up Gomez. He finishes chances, yes, but have you seen the USA making any chances for their strikers( Namely Altidore)? Not really. Gomez is a finisher and that’s really it. A fairly deft touch, excellent positioning/movement, and a great finish, but he doesn’t help his teams create chances – he simply finishes them. So if we’re not creating chances for him, then what good is he? None. We need a striker like Jozy who gets involved in creating chances( Donovan against Costa Rica, Shea against Honduras). Gomez isn’t physicallly or technically gifted really, so he’s really not of much use outside of finishing. Don’t get me wrong, someone needs to finish, and if we create chances and Jozy simply isn’t getting on the end of them, then Gomez should be getting a chance, but that’s not the case currently.
Yeah, he has been very sheltered by the midfield and pressure it puts on the other team.