Photo by ISIPhotos.com
By IVES GALARCEP
CARSON, Calif.– While Eddie Johnson revealed at least one surprise in the upcoming U.S. Men's National Team roster for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, there will at least be one more.
Sources have confirmed to SBI that FC Dallas midfielder Brek Shea will not be called up by Jurgen Klinsmann for the upcoming qualifiers against Antigua & Barbuda and Guatemala.
There are no details yet as to why Shea won't take part in the qualifiers on Friday and October 16th, but it should be noted he left FC Dallas' last match, a 3-3 draw vs. San Jose last week, early with with appeared to be an injury.
With Shea out, and with Landon Donovan having suffered an injury late in the LA Galaxy's 2-1 loss to Real Salt Lake on Saturday night, Jurgen Klinsmann will likely need to look at new wing midfield options heading into the upcoming qualifiers.
Donovan was forced out of Saturday's match after landing awkwardly after taking a shot. He left the match soon after and at the final whistle he could be seen walking gingerly as he headed to the locker room.
What do you think of these developments? Think Graham Zusi will be a clear-cut starter for the upcoming matches? Who would you like to see called up in Shea and Donovan's place (if Donovan can't play)?
Share your thoughts below.
Good to hear Bradley started. He is so vital to our team right now. He could be captain if he keeps playing the way he has. Good idea about Dempsey dropping back into midfield. That will get goal-scoring machine Jozy Altidore onto the field full time.
With all these injured or semi-injured midfielders – Jones (out of last two games), Donovan (knee), Bradley (coming back?), Diskerud (late scratch from midweek game) – I am thinking we have to go with a 4-3-3. Dempsey can play forward/midfielder distributor.
Jozy—Dempsey—Gomez
Zusi—Williams—Gatt
Johnson–Bocanegra—Goodson—Cherundolo
I just choose Goodson over Cameron because Goodsen is a little bit older and more mature and that lineup is pretty young in general. Just hope we get some of those semi-injured back to full strength soon. Diskerud and Bradley. Maybe this is Joe Corona’s time to shine.
———————–ALTIDORE
DEMPSEY—————————————-ZUSI
————–BRADLEY————-WILLIAMS
————————-JONES
JOHNSON——–BOCA————-CAMERON——-DOLO
———————–HOWARD
Well said man…
And you know JK is going to do all this how???
with castillo at LB he’ll “partner Fabian with Danny Williams BEHIND a midfield TRIO of Zusi, Dempsey and Corona”?? That makes it how many midfielders total?? wow
I know this is unheard of… let Dempsey play his club team position at winger and play 2 true forwards… 1 forward usually isnt getting us anywhere
CHRIS PONTIUS YOU’RE UP!!!!
With all these injuries good news is, MB started today for Roma.
As far as wings go, you could still put Dempsey there even though he is better in the middle and put Corona/healthy Mix in the middle with Zusi on the right side.
This thread really got out of control as the news story above is about Brek Shea…
It could be that Shea is injured, but I am not sure he would have been called up anyway. At this point, I think Klinsmann has better options than Shea for the wings, such as Pontius and Gatt and I think Castillo would be a better choice at the current time for left winger than Shea. And maybe Klinsmann will surprise and start Fabian Johnson at left wing.
Kind of a weird story. Is that really true? In any case, my first thought when I saw the Eddie Johnson was called up was that Jozy will not be coming.
It is a fact that 95% of international teams win their international games after being up 2-0. Bradley said after the game that the U.S. was playing for a “third goal.” That statement seemed very strange given his propensity to field defensive-minded lineups.
The fact is that Bradley achieved what only 5% of teams do by not positioning his team to play adequate defense to protect a lead. He moved Erich Lichaj to right back from left back (where he was playing very well), and inserted one of his favorite players: Jonathan Bornstein. He could have inserted Jonathan Spector and right back, and kept Lichaj were he was. Mexico began to attack Bornstein as soon as he stepped on the field (it was like hungry rats on a piece of meat).
Coach Bradley played a major part in the U.S. losing the Gold Cup final, and his poor roster selections (Findley, Bornstein, Clark) cost the U.S. the opportunity to show better in major tournaments. He had an excellent run as coach of the national team, but it was time for him to step aside.
jozy altidore has been snubbed by klinsman as well. hottest player in europe and still gets left home. not a fan of the kid but its clear now jurgen has a problem with jozy. Im from NC was visiting holland and got a chance to catch AZ practice and spoke to jozy who said he will be in holland next week for az charity friendly which means he got the snub. I should be a reporter. they play in tessel, holland on wed.
+1 to Pontius
Hopefully Donovan will be fine.
Gatt has to get through his weekend game uninjured first. Even then, given Gatt’s brittle nature, Molde may hold him out injured.
JK made it clear he sees Gatt as an exceptional player. It’s not clear that he views Pontius the same way.
What is more likely is Castillo at left back, Fabian at midfield and Corona on the wing opposite Zusi.
atd did not say the Gold Cup was more important.
He just mentioned the fact that losing the Gold Cup final gave the USSF the excuse they needed to fire Bradley. Had Bradley not lost Dolo in the final and a very hot Jozy a few games before that,there is a good chance maybe we win the final.
Bradley lost the heart of his defence with injuries to Demerit (eye) and Gooch (knee) shortly before the WC 2010. They came back but they certainly were not the same. And of course, he lost the sharp tip of the spear when Davies got hurt.
It’s all hypothetical but are you going to tell me the US would not have been a lot more interesting if those injuries had never happened?
“what was wrong with Josh’s comments?”
Josh seems to think that JK is so illogical in his behavior that he might leave out Zusi from these upcoming qualifiers.
Given JK’s past behavior, Josh’s stance is illogical.
Zusi is practically JK’s pet project, a succesful pet project. This is the man JK has consistently called in when other’s thought he would not, the man who JK has very clearly been grooming to make up ,to some extent, for Donovan’s absence.
Should Donovan not make it, what seems most likely given how he has behaved in the past, is that for A & B, JK will shift Castillo to left back, partner Fabian with Danny Williams behind a midfield trio of Zusi, Dempsey and Corona, with Jozy or Gomez up top. Corona and Castillo apparently have had some success at Xolos partnering up on the left side.
If Gatt is sound, which seems unlikely, he may be called in to play with EJ, assuming he gets the call, in the second half. He would get the
call rather than Gyau or Pontius because he appears to more exceptional and talented than Pontius and is more polished than Gyau, who is very raw.
How many people on here have won a World Cup or European championship? Please show Klinsmann some respect. He wanted to play attractive football and from the jump he realized this country does not have any real creative players that can take over a match. Since it’s not his job to develop them, he goes with what he has.
I think a crucial WC qualifiers are a bit more important.
Well that pretty much solidifies Josh Gatt and Chris Pontius into teh line-up. Oh and Jones was still sidelined with an injury as well.
Of course, attacking midfield and winger issues and the answer is……call in a center back!
George John is your Bornstein isn’t he?
Bradley lost two of his most important players before the WC, then another before the Gold Cup, then two more DURING the Gold Cup — hell, it’s possible he’d still be coaching the USMNT but for the injury to Cherundolo in the GC final. . . .
Lol what? I what’s crazy about playing fabian at lw and Lichaj at lb? I know such a absurd idea lol. And the only player who has not gotten a call is gyau. So your telling me that calling corona in is alright but gyau is insane lol. I you know who is a good player? Kyle beckerman play him on the wing lmfao.
wish they would finally take Dallas’ best American player
I agree.
“and yes it was a good call but if he had it so dialed why not before?”
Did you ever hear of working players into a lineup?
Or do you expect that everytime a new guy is called up they will play like the second coming?
And if he doesn’t then he should be dropped forever?
what was wrong with Josh’s comments? I happen to agree with it.
And the plot thickens.
(This is sarcasm, no?)
Doesn’t matter who we play, we will win both games comfortably. We are the second best team in the region.
Even before tonight’s injury Donovan was showing signs of a still useful, but quickly aging player. He’s been so valuable for so long, but I’m afraid that he may not a core player by the time ’14 rolls around.
when you say “you people” you’re picking on everyone and just sound arrogant no matter what you have to say
that fans wonder what lineup may be seen at any time is more a reflection that Coach is still searching, and that fact couldn’t be more displayed than with Zusi’s start last game. and yes it was a good call but if he had it so dialed why not before?
and it’s no rip on Klinsmann that he’s still searching AND no rip on any fans who are aware of this fact and wonder if the 3 DM squad returns or not
so not “you people” but just you…slow down please man.
!
I would love to see Sacha Kljestan finally get a serious look under Klinsmann. It might be time to call in Wondolowki and alter the formation instead of trying to find a winger to replace Donovan. Otherwise, we might be counting on Zusi to retain his spot on the right flank as a straight swap for Donovan.
Haha that’s funny.
People are making things up to insult someone and Liga gets on their case, aggressively yes, and the person you have an issue with is Liga? Not the people talking out their a.sses to insult?
It’s just like politics. People lying left and right but don’t you dare call them on it or you’re divisive!
Boy I will say Klinsmann has had much worse luck with injuries to key players than Bradley did.
Gatt, Gyau, Corona and Pontius need to be capped in one of these upcoming games. Guys you are right. Logics eludes Klinsman. I admire the way Mexico is integrating their younger players with the older players. Thats why they reign supreme in CONCACAF. The USA has some very good technical players who are creative midfielders. Mixx is doing a great job this year. Well, I guess we’ll never see a creative and technical midfielder in the starting 11 while de boss is in charge.
Yeah, people deserve it.
Don’t come around trashing the coach for something they didn’t do. People spout stupid comments like that and I’m calling them out.
Nothing more condescending then mouthing off at someone for doing the opposite of what you claim they did.
No Beckerman. He smells like butt, and he’s useless against teams from countries that smell like butt.
Liga your such a condesending c**t it’s insane. Stfu it’s a message board.
Yeah, was that before or after Gatt got the call up for the qualifiers but had to withdraw with an injury?
You people just create these F**** fantasy worlds in your head and run with them.
Zusi, Corona step up, Gatt, or Pontius. We have options. Better not still play 3 DMs.. smh
I hear gatt and gyau are pretty good players and so is Lichaj who could play lb and fabian LW. But hey that’s just me talking nonsense. We all know non of this will ever happen… Sigh
What the heck is this comment?
How do you think Zusi got the chance to play well in a qualifier? Hello, Klinsmann called him in and started him.
Seriously, how did you even manage to write this comment? It’s like you think Zusi just magically appeared on the pitch and Klinsmann had nothing to do with it. By your logic, the logical and popular decision would be to not play Zusi since playing Zusi is just what Klinsmann did and you say Klinsmann doesn’t use logic.
Only if we can pair him with Beckerman….
(sarcasm is hard over type)
I would like to think Zusi fills one spot considering how he played in the last Qualifiers and in MLS since then, but then again this is JK. Logic and popular decisions goes out the window
Josh Gatt on the right please.
Looks like Graham Zusi just got real important.
hope Landon’s not injured
Pontius.
Shea wasn’t a lock, but he was pretty likely.
I mean even without an injury, Shea wasn’t a lock for a call.
We need Bradley back and in form–that’s about it.