Photo by ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
After repeated attempts to call him into the U.S. Men’s National team this year, only to be turned down on more than one occasion, It appears U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has grown tired of Timmy Chandler’s unwillingness to commit to the U.S. national team.
Chandler’s absence from this month’s U.S. roster is not because the fullback denied a call-up, but rather because Klinsmann did not offer him an invitation, sources at Chandler’s club team, Nuremberg, told SBI on Wednesday.
Chandler told SBI last month that he was open to receiving a call-up and getting cap-tied to the United States during the October qualifiers, but Klinsmann apparently did not deem it necessary to select the 22-year-old fullback.
That Klinsmann ignored Chandler for this coming camp may not be entirely surprising given that Chandler has rebuffed call-ups from the U.S. head coach in the past, not to mention previous coach Bob Bradley. Still, Chandler not getting selected when he said he was publicly open to doing so now means he cannot be cap-tied to the U.S. until the 2013 Gold Cup or World Cup qualifiers.
Chandler and Nurnberg have endured some struggles in the German Bundesliga in recent weeks, but whether that is part of the reason for the snub is not clear at this time. What is clear is that the Chandler saga is still not yet over and it won’t be for quite some time.
What do you think Klinsmann not calling in Chandler? Is it the right move given how many times Chandler has turned down call-ups in the past? Do you even want Chandler on the U.S. national team at this point?
Share your thoughts below.
You assume that Chandler garrantees a win. In which case, if he is a guarnteed lock for the W, maybe…maybe it is worth mortgaging your standing as a coach to kiss hiss a**. Chandler, while good and very promising is not Messi.
What you are keeping out of your point is the fact that it’s the coach’s job to manage a TEAM. At what length does a coach go and at what cost (team unity, team chemistry, etc) to chase down a slippery guy like Chandler who has talked the talked but did everything he can not to walk the walk.
This isn’t about American Honor, this is about a coach’s job – managing a team.
thanks for the info.
If Timmy Chandler helps improve our team I could care less if he turned us down 100 times, its that one time he accepts a call that matters. I want the US to win matches and all indication show he has the talent to help us do that.
Pull up the article then.
Because representing your country and the honor that’s attached with that is strange?
I find that statement to be quite “strange”.
Team cohesion and mutual respect among everyone in the squad doesn’t help win games?
I disagree.
I think Parkhurst is a liability. I don’t rate him at this level at all.
I like your post, Duneman, excellent points. And your last paragraph, in my mind, is the most important point. As I have said before, at some point the door to WC 2014 in Brazil has to close to Chandler. If Chandler in May 2014 gave up on a Germany call-up and telephoned Klinsmann begging to be put on the USMNT WC roster, I don’t think anyone in their right mind would support throwing one man off the team to make room for Chandler. In other words, May 2014 is too late to finally want to come on board. Then the next question is, at what point do you shut the door to Chandler. March 2014? October 2013? September 2013? etc. etc.
My feeling is the door closed for Chandler in September 2012 and should remain closed for the rest of the WC 2014 cycle and we go with players who are stomping on the bit to play and win for the shirt. And then after WC 2014, if Chandler is not cap-tied to Germany, then the door can be opened to him again. He will still be young and, hopefully, a bit wiser and more team-oriented and not as egotistical as he is now.
I believe it was from an interview that chandler gave, I would need to pull the article. But anyhow this whole thing is his doing so he is going to have to go through the consequences.
Why do you even bother defending Jozy at this point to these anti-Jozy proponent. If it was me I would not accept any call up from Klinsy from here on out. Doesn’t matter if I don’t get a call up from the US ever again. He already played in a world cup and that should be enough. There no need to gravel your way back to an unappreciative fan base and a coach who calls you out for antics you probably never committed and then questions your ability when he is calling in people with half the talent you got. But he doesn’t realize that the problem is not just you but with everyone he has called in at your position. So the coach need to take a look at himself and ask himself why his team can’t score instead of shifting the attention onto 1 player in order to mask the bigger problem.
As for Chandler if he wants to play for the USA let him make the call we don’t need to be calling him anymore.
Precisely.
Not sure what the confusion seems to be among our fellow fans.
-A player lacks commitment to the team: Don’t call him up.
-A player lacks effort and has attitude issues: Don’t call him up.
JK isn’t Dr. Phil and this he isn’t a Soccer Mom.
Some of you need to reevaluate your perspective of reality.
Oh, so we’re the anti-England but was say “arse”?!?!?
I think you’re right and Klinsmann was right to leave someone out if he didn’t think his work rate or attitude in training was good enough.
Parkhurst looks solid in the RB backup position (great form v. Chelsea/jamaica), and hopefully is a short term solution post Dolo
I must admit I haven’t seen much of EJ in current form but in the old days he wasn’t a high octane player, back then EJ’s game was to look for the through ball and beat them with his speed, I hope he has more moves than that.
Oh you heard it from a guy who heard it from another guy?
Timmy that’s just not a good story.
+1 to biff.
If I were on the USMNT I would think Chandler is unworthy of playing for the team.
Fool me once….
I am not a huge Klinsmann fan for a lot of reasons, but who says this is a snub against Chandler? When Chandler refused to join the team, Klinsmann had to pursue alternative plans. One of those alternative plans, Parkhurst, appears to be doing well. I think Chandler is probably a better long-term prospect, but I suspect that he would have been a bench player anyway, so why take that position away from a player who is committed to the team, playing well, and not a potentially negative influence on the locker room. I suspect that we will still see Chandler down the road, but maybe it is time for him to earn that call-up.
i understand people’s objection to Chandler and i would not argue against someone with a different opinion. because it’s just one of those subjects that is going to divide and people will always have different opinions.
personally, knowing he apparently said, for good this time, that he would accept the call in October, i would have tested it. especially now that Shea and LD are out, we are short on wingers, and Johnson may apparently be fighting the flu. we could use him (just like we could use Beasley, Gatt, or Pontius).
again, i truly understand when people get upset talking about the kid, but for me, i’d call him up and would be able to “let it go.” because no matter what, no matter his current poor form in Germany, the USMNT could use a young, talented right back. and this isn’t to say Lichaj is not that, but i’d like to have as many options as possible.
I don’t care about Chandler. Forget about him!
While I appreciate the skills and efforts of the guys that were raised in Germany I actually don’t really care about anyone that can’t sing our national anthem not playing for us.
Danke, dass ist mein liebe Sprache von Fussball artikeln
I don’t know if I’m hurt by his decision making. But from what I can tell, telephone lines run back from Germany to the United States too. If Chandler wants to make it clear, he can call Klinsi himself. Who knows though…maybe he already did?
No hard feelings. Please excuse my anger at Chandler for turning down calls to the USA. Sometimes my passion for the USMNT blurs my judgement. We will squash it here. In the end we both have a common passion and that is our national team.
I don’t know about moody, but he’s definitely foolish.
If he was really pinning his hopes on Donovan, that’s just stupid.
How the heck is he expecting to break apart the defenses of our opponents?
I thought he wanted to play possession football, but hoping for crosses to land on noggins is the exact opposite!
Who do we have that is truly a good crosser of the ball? No one!!!!
Donovan and Brek Shea are out out! Chandler’s been snubbed. Cherundolo can get boxed out by physical opponents.
It seems like we are completely reliant on heroics from Michael Bradley and Fabian Johnson. Graham Zusi may or may not be ready for this challenge. This is not the scenario we should be in in 2012!!!!
I’m really disappointed. Yes, I think we should win both games. But if Klinsmann sees that we lack an adequate number of attacking midfielders he needs to give some scrubs a chance who have true potential. Joe Corona should not be thrown into the deep end and asked to save us. Players like him, maybe Adu, maybe Joseph Gyau seem to have the ability to cut through a defense. But they need to be developed properly.
Right now I have the feeling we’re being turned into England-lite. And I don’t like it.
More than anything I really don’t like the vibe I am getting from Klinsmann. It’s great that he wants to create a competitive atmosphere. But beyond 3 or 4 players, he has no real core yet.
Bob wasn’t a sexy coach, but I have no doubt in my mind that the majority of the players would have run through brick walls for him. It wasn’t because he had a cool accent and an interesting resume. It was because he created an atmosphere of trust, respect, and honest hard work.
I see Klinsmann and I see NOTHING, but a guy who thought it would be cool to give players who kind of suck a legitimate chance. Let’s be honest. Without some STELLAR defending by Geoff Cameron and some good stops by Mr.Howard where the heck would we be?
I’ve got no problem with him snubbing Jozy if he’s getting too big for his britches. But if he just wants to play mind games and call what he’s doing attacking, possession oriented soccer, then I say it’s The Emperor’s New Clothes.
Jamaica had our backs to the WALL. Jamaica!?!
He’s got some serious work to do.
I think if we met I would respect you because you seem like a decent person in the comments since the first one, but I just thought that insult was uncalled for. I am sorry if I insulted you with what I said.
yes, you could have easily made that up, your comment shows how much class u have
it might be better for him not to play bc he is on a yellow, we need him more for the guatemala game, so sitting him out has a precaution for getting another card and bc hes sick might not be a bad thing
Chandler’s best position is not right wing, nuremburg tried him there last season for a couple games to a complete fail, now hes back at RB which is his best position
Of course, it’s entirely possible Jozy & JK have been talking all along.
1- If you keep calling a player and he says no …its not great for the team and makes the invited guys who DO show maybe feel less a part of the team or program. Nobody wants to be a second or third choice.
2- Dolo is such a massive talent for the US team, and his club….he has a leadership role, liked by other players, and is nothing but 1000% committed to the program. When you look at Dolo vs Timmy I would value Dolo more on commitment alone. We still need a solid 2 behind him…but we dont need to bump Dolo for someone younger but less display of heart at this point.
3- He hurt the team by playing in friendlies and not in the real games. We could have had someone else progress in the friendlies in his place.
4- Phone works both ways….if just says “i might be open to a call potentially in Oct” I am with JK here and would just ignore him going forward for key matches….MAYBE an invite to the gold cup, but not for something so huge as the WC qualifiers. If Timmy said “I have called the coach a few times directly and from my agent and even mentioned my goals to a few of the guys on the team directly. I begged all I could to get a call up, but it did not come.” …..THEN I could be on his side a bit and look forward to him being brought in…..but I 100% doubt he has done this….and him calling the coach to say “I am ready if selected going forward and 1000% committed” is about the only way I would like to see him brought in.
5- I get the “value” of cap ties….its good for your team and takes a player from another country potentially…..but I dont want players because of a cap tie. I want them in camp because they want to be in camp and will come in camp or move hell and earth to make sure they can be in the game. I mean Landon skipped an MRI and STILL showed for Day 1. Thats commitment.
My vote is with the players…if they want him in camp there are enough of the guys that will face him on the pitch or see him back in Germany or swing buy and say “We want you in”….if they dont see the need to push the invite, then I dont either. I dont think I have ever heard on of the players say “I talked with Timmy after the game” or “i sent him a tweet hoping i would see him in Miami.” So short of the guys making a push for him….or Timmy making a direct call to the coach and media saying for whatever reason NOW he is ready…i think it only hurts the team to put out an invite, regardless of his response.
Nothing against Timmy at ALL. If playing for the US does not mean what playing for Germany would I TOTALLY get it. If he just wants to focus on the money and career as a club player and save himself for the club and not take risks in the international game that is fine as well. (That was part of why Fridel took himself out of the mix….he wanted to extend his career so he retired from the international game and we had him for several great years and now have Howard in his place. So if we can respect that for previous US players its fine for a guy like Timmy to feel the same about the international game.)
Last- I dont think anyone involved would want him to ignore all the battles now and all the work and bonding taking place now and come strolling in on the Brazil squad saying “I am ready now danka for getting us qualified guys!!”
It’s clear by the reactions of fans and media that we are not accustomed to seeing our loveable underdogs tested and toughened up. JK wants to see nasty play? “Oh, that’s un-American”. JK wants the players to be in shape? “There are off the record reports that players are unhappy with the invasiveness of the blood tests”. JK wants to light a fire under a historically underperforming young star? “Please don’t make King Jozy mad. He is the best we’ve got and is from New Jersey.”
JK wants to forego humiliation in the locker room by not calling in a player that does not want to be part of the pool? Let’s call him in anyway.
This is why we’re paying him all that money. New ideas. Let him work his magic. If he fails, throw him out. But I refuse to go back to the Bradley/Arena mindset.
We are not in a position to ignore players of Chandler’s ability and should be looking to call him up whenever possible.
Playing hard to get, I like it
Direct quote from Jozy Altidore on Tuesday, October 2, 2012 about the national team:
“I’m the student here. I’m the player and I’m learning always. It doesn’t matter if I don’t understand. I have to get on the same page as the boss and all the senior players, not the other way around. I’m not a guy who can walk into the team and say, ‘Guys, adjust to me.’ That’s not my mindset. I’m trying to get on the same page as them, and until I do that I’m sure I won’t be playing. I want to try and do that as quickly as possible. I want to score great goals for the national team and be dominant for them.”
That, to me, does not sound like a player who needs a fire lit under him. It sounds like a player who is very cognizant of his place and already has an internal fire that he is stoking on his own.
+100
Yep, all good signs. Our coach is a egomaniac. Two instances in two days of his desire to play mind games instead of fielding our best team.
I think we need players who provide natural width like Chandler, and we all know that Cherundolo isn’t getting any younger and the “heir apparent” (after Chandler), Eric Lichaj, is having a tough time himself at Aston Villa.
All that being said, I would have done the same, let Chandler sit and brew for awhile and revisit the issue next year.
If he has that information and has made that decision then I am completely on board. But if that is the case, why not make it transparent what the situation is?
The problem is he’s already been called several times, and he’s said no several times… At the end of the day, I don’t want guys wearing the US shirt because it was their fallback option. I want players who take pride in representing the US on the field. They will take us farther than prima donnas any day.
I’m with you buddy. The goal is to win, or get further along in the world cup after all, not to protect the egos of “true” american players or the sensitive feelings of fans that are hurt by Chandler’s indecision.
Obviously none of us can know for sure what goes on in training, but from Klinsman’s comments and previous criticism from other managers, it would seem Jozy’s effort has not been on par with the other players. Jozy said he was stranded without service in the first Jamaica game, ok. Not sure how he can defend his poor effort in Columbus. The leadership comes from holding Jozy accountable despite his talent and history with the team. This earns respect from other players who can contribute, havent had a chance, but now realize if they keep working hard they will get a shot. Besides which, such efforts seem to have worked with Jozy when used by his club manager. Its safe to say JK knows how important Jozy can be when the hex and world cup come around.
I totally disagree.
Do you really think not calling chandler up this once, after he’s rejected however many callups, will so hurt chandler’s feelings that he will never play for us????
Just calling him up over and over reaks of desperation. he’s like the hot girl who keeps rejecting the same guy over and over because she wants the stud football player (i.e., germany), but only notices him when he stops stalking her and dates someone else.
chandler likely will never play for us, but if he ever wants to, he now needs to take the initiative, call klinsi up, and actually committ. it’s the right move
JK laying down the law. He is sending a clear message to certain players in the pool that playing for the United States is a privilege and an honor. If individuals do not see it that way, they do not deserve to be considered.
Gordon’s selection is a bit of a head-scratcher to me, but I’m sure I’m biased because I’ve never liked him, and therefore see his current run of good form as a fluke. But hey, Klinsman is exparementing, with what is essentially a third or forth-string striker. Personally I would have called up another SJ striker, but I understand that his NT form has always left a lot to be desired.
As far as Jozy’s concerned, I think his being overlooked is more to light a fire under him, a sort of “hey, you’re tearing it up in the Netherlands, now you need to pull it together for the NT.” I support that.
As far as Chandler goes, it seems like doesn’t really care about the NT, so forget him. We don’t need players that aren’t going to fight and claw their way into this team, simple as that.
Sorry, I’m concerned more with winning games that preserving some strange sense of american honor.
Your own opinion that is
I don’t think Jozy’s form with the USMNT has been bad. Everyone played poorly against Jamaica in Kingston, other than that, his performances have been workmanlike and showing improvement in my opinion. You are completely entitled to have your own, but in the very limited action he has seen under JK he hasn’t disappointed me.
Whether it be the team dynamic, Klinsman’s message to the team vs, his public persona, what has gone on with Jozy Altidore, or about Chandler, it is pretty funny that folks think they really have a clear picture based on blind speculation, rumors, or third, fourth-hand quotes they may have heard about in the media. Ought a coach make decisions based on he read or heard about, or through first hand experience and conversations with a player? If I am Klinsman and I have given Chandler numerous opportunities to come in and been turned down, there would come a time I would stop pursuing and say,” I would love to have you on the team…. if and when you are clear and commited to this team, give me a call.” Whatever the case, it is a fair bet that JK is more informed and better equipped to make the decision than I am. I’m looking forward to the coming games, 6 points and hopefully, an end to all this ridiculous drama and hysteria. Carrying on like a bunch of 13 year old girls in here.
My name is Mason Sizemore and i live in Bakersfield, California. Now am i still anonymous?
I know he isn’t going to read it personally, but an unsolicited personal attack or insult like that on a blog hiding under the anonymous pseudonym “Spank” shows something about your character.
+1 precisely