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Johnson’s flu adds to mounting USMNT woes

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Photo by ISIphotos.com

Add Fabian Johnson to the list of players who could be sidelined for the U.S. Men’s National Team’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

Johnson is currently suffering from a flu infection and is expected to miss out on Friday’s trip to Antigua & Barbuda, according to German outlet Kicker. Johnson’s status for next Tuesday’s home game at Livestrong Sporting Park against Guatemala is also in question because of the flu.

The report makes it seem as if Johnson is not currently training with the U.S. in Miami, stating that he could join them this weekend if he recovers from the flu. U.S. Soccer did not respond to the validity of that in an immediate inquiry.

If Johnson is out, he would join Landon Donovan and Brek Shea as players called into this camp that will be unavailable for the final two games of this round of qualifying. It would also leave head coach Jurgen Klinsmann with one less option to deploy out wide, which might force him to call in some replacements.

Jermaine Jones has also arrived in camp carrying an injury.

What do you make of this development? Is it time for Klinsmann to summon some replacements? Who would you like to see Klinsmann turn to if Johnson can’t play?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Call in Pontius, Adu and Lichaj, and all will be saved

    *Pontius for Shea
    *Lichaj for Johnson
    *Adu for Donovan
    *Brad Davis(LM,LCM..three double-digit assist seasons in the last five years) for Beckerman (we have Williams Bradley and Jones)……..oh wait becks is not hurt or doesn’t have the flu (Damn)

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  2. “Of course, the news looks a little worse knowing that Edgar Castillo, the only other natural left-sided defender on the roster, has aggravated a foot injury in training. Nobody knows the extent of the damage, but he’s being evaluated.”

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  3. The report says Johnson never made it to Miami? Didn’t U.S soccer just post a picture where he’s suited up and sitting with the rest of the team?

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  4. Wait a second, benny boy, you were the one yesterday saying no reason to call in extra players after donovan and shea pulled saying Klinsi has it all under control while some of us worrying about Murphy’s Law thought better safe than sorry and call in today Klinsi rather than wait until the next disaster. Game in in two frickin days.

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  5. i’m thinking this is the plan to be honest. we might just be now finding out, but the coaching staff would have known. my guess is they planned to play Boca at LB if needed. but Castillo might still get the nod assuming the rumor he picked up a knock today turns out to be false. either way, one has to assume Boca has always been the emergency option at LB.

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  6. We needed Johnson’s width going forward against A&B. Boca is an answer there if there are no other options at all, but he offers absolutely nothing there offensively in my opinion.

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  7. Are you blind? Can you just not read? It says in the story us soccer did not respond to them when they asked to confirm or deny if this was true.

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  8. Maybe JK should have been studying the injury report instead of showing his tactical genius by calling up EJ and Gordon.

    Or maybe JK is going to “Juan Carlos Osorio” us and start Gordon at left back because “he’s tall and Antigua has a lot of tall players.”

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  9. currently looking for the link. another blog (which will go unmentioned) had one of their mods post something about Castillo picking up a knock.

    i have not been able to confirm anything. that’s why in that other thread i asked SBI if this was at all true. hopefully not…

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  10. Last time we saw Lichaj in the red, white, and blue he was playing left back for us in the Gold Cup, and at that point he looked like the long awaited answer we were looking for. Fabian Johnson is no doubt better, but Lichaj’s shifts were energetic and he provided the same type of width that Johnson does going forward with good link-up play, marauding runs, and very few 40 yard passes into a 50/50 ball. Besides, if both Castillo and Johnson are out, who else do you say we bring in?

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  11. this is what annoys me. the secrecy behind USSF and the USMNT. this is not the Fing CIA. i’m not asking for every dirty detail about stuff behind the scenes, but i feel like fans should know if the STARTING LB for us is SICK and can’t play. these aren’t just friendlies.

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  12. I believe Klinnsman is under incredible pressure. Knowing his background he should come through. The big question is whether the team can come through. If Donovan and Shea are back at there teams and JK DID NOT call in any players to backup the players on the roster right now I would be very disappointed. “we will make do with what we have” is very arrogant.

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  13. And to add to this, I just read an excellent article on Klinsmann’s woes and the writer noted that Klinsmann felt the right thing to do on Monday was to call in an injured Shea with three goals and two assists all season, but he ignores Pontius (12 goals, four assists), Houston Dynamo’s Brad Davis (seven goals, 12 assists) and Wondo who can play wide.

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  14. they could play boca at left back with cameron and goodson in the middle. Not alot of speed but it could get the job done in Antigua.

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  15. this is ridiculous because apparently Castillo injured himself today. what is the deal with USSF acting like this is the CIA?! refusing to answer a simple question. come on already.

    at this point, JK absolutely needs to call in back ups. we need a fullback (Lichaj, Chandler, or even Spector would do). and we need 1-2 wingers. if Beasley is also injured, that leaves Gatt and Pontius.

    this is just absolutely ridiculous though.

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  16. We already know that Shea flew in to see the USMNT doctors and that Donovan was apparently not forthcoming about the severity of his injury. He chose to skip the MRI and told the USMNT that he felt better.

    I fail to see how that’s Klinsmann’s fault.

    There’s also a chance all the reports are bogus.

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  17. Lichaj just makes 40 yard passes into a 50/50 ball. Overrated and not a fan of his game. Not much a fan of the english game anyway. I think it is way too fast and takes away from technique and tactics…

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  18. Would be nice to get a comment from Klinsmann or a US Soccer spokesperson to confirm the Kicker story. Did SBI try? In any case, I find it disturbing that we as USMNT fans have to learn this from a German sports publication. Why did Klinsmann or US Soccer not announce this already (assuming that the Kicker story is accurate)?

    I am becoming more and more baffled as the week progresses. First we have Klinsmann calling Donovan and Shea even though they were injured and then sending them home and now this bombshell. Fabian Johnson, in my mind, is one of the most important members of the team. And on another thread bryan says he has seen reports that Castillo got a knock in training. And all we have is silence from US Soccer, which in previous camps was spitting our several press releases and video reports a day.

    It just all seems so bizarre and makes me very uneasy about what is happening and wondering if this is some sort of calm before the storm. Klinsmann better get off his a** and get his fricking act together and call in some back ups gosh darn it go to heck before we get additional injuries and/or yellow card suspensions which we know can happen with Concacaf refs in the wink of any eye.

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  19. Its time to stop playing games coach, we need to qualify and Guatemala is going to really come after us. Time to call some deployments

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  20. The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but SOCCER tries the hearts or men…

    You know we beat Mexico in Mexico with a side that was relatively untested. We may look back on this weekend as a crucible from which we find some really valuable players.

    That said, it’s time to call in Beasely, Pontius, Lichaj.

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  21. “Is it time for Klinsmann to summon some replacements?” — I would think so! are there even 18 healthy players on the entire squad?

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  22. Just heard that Castillo injured himself too.

    I was joking earlier about voodoo, but this is insane. Brad Evans and Pontius maybe?

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