Comments

1. Is Danny Cruz not American? What country is he in now?

   Reply

2. Call up Wooten tons of unproven people keep getting calls. Also he plays and has been scoring in Bundesliga 2.

   Reply

   • Have you seen Wooten play?

     Reply

3. Klinsman won’t be around much longer. String of losses and continued conflict with the MLS and USSF isn’t getting any better. Wonder who will replace him in the coming year

   Reply

   • Tin foil hats back on sale!

     Reply

   • Why don’t you apply since you are obviously so knowledgeable?

     Reply

   • What conflict with the USSF?

     Reply

   • Old School/ Gary Page/ GW, you impress me. You guys are like trained attack dogs (i mean that respectfully), always ready to pounce quickly and ruthlessly whenever someone leaves you some anti-Klinsmann bait.

     But yes, GW you are correct. There is definitely no rift with the USSF. Sunil is the USSF and all indications are that Sunil and JK get along well.

     Reply

     • Actually, for all intents and purposes , on the men’s side of things, it seems JK IS the USSF.

       Sunil has been pursuing him since 2006 and one reason it took so long was the USSF board, it seems, were not willing to give him the power they wound up giving him anyway and that he seems to have now.

       While no one is immune to getting fired, it is going to take a lot more than what Inside Source is citing.

       When BB went into the 2011 Gold Cup, the knives were already out and being sharpened by people like LD who was no BB fan towards the end.

       I don’t see anything like that re JK.

     • I am a realist. When you look at the national team’s record in games that count, Klinsmann has done at least as well as any national team coach. Yes I know about 2002, but then it has to be weighed against the total disaster of 2006 under Arena. Also, as GW points out, Gulati has hitched his star to Klinsmann and his contract runs through the 2018 World Cup, so the USSF would have to eat his significant salary if they fired him in the near future. People who don’t recognize reality don’t deserve more than a flippant response.

   • Can’t be much of an “inside source” if you need to come here to ask that question….

     As a semi-tangent, I’m not sure many people here are aware of this, but you can actually email Sunil Gulati directly if you are so inclined… he has gone on record more than once stating that he attempts to reply to every single US Soccer related email, provided it is not profane or overtly confrontational. I can tell you from personal experience that he has been good to his word… I have emailed him 4-5 times over the last few years and have always received a credible response, usually within a few hours.

     As for his email address, I’m not going to post it here… but I assure you it is very easy to find if you know your way around Google (I’m sure “Inside Source” already has it, along with his home phone # and mailbox key).

     Go ahead. Try it.

     Reply

4. i believe FJ drew a PK on the 1st goal. he also had a hockey assist, not that it really means much but it was a nice pass that opened up the field.

   Reply

5. Does anyone have video of what celebration Bedoya and his teammates were doing after the goal? You barely catch the end of it in this clip, and I didn’t see any other angles online.

   Reply

   • the celebration was for his new born son. they were “rocking the baby”. the infamous “baby cradle” celebration.

     Reply

6. Jozy Altidore’s goal against Newcastle was unbelievable!

   Reply

7. Now that freddy is back, when is Finland expected to be on our list?

   Reply

   • Doesn’t Freddy have to actually get on the field in a real game first?

     Reply

8. re: bedoya’s goal

   can anybody tell me what the keeper was thinking on that one? he looked like he was actually trying to make himself as small as possible, which is the opposite of what i always heard.

   and the look on the keeper’s face afterward is classic.

   Reply

   • Hesitated. Worst mistake a goal keeper can make.

     Reply

   • Yeah, he hesitated and them seemed to brace for a boot to the gut rather than spread himself out for the save. He received neither.

     Reply

9. Curious to see how others currently view Geoff Cameron’s role with the USMNT during the coming cycle. Certainly, the “easy answer” is that he is a sure-fire selection for a 23-man side. After all, he offers impressive versatility, as well as strong experience, solid all-around skills, and the increasingly rare claim to meaningful playing time in a top-5 Euro league.

   However, he isn’t getting any younger (will be 30 this summer). He has never really made any position “his own” in the USMNT, and has found most of his minutes either as fringe starter, cover player, or a role-player in a customized formation.

   At his age, does anybody see him claiming a “Preferred XI” role going forward? Will he continue to be spot-starter, whose value is based in versatility? I like him and have no interest in him being phased out, but I just wonder if he USMNT role may be passing him by faster than we think. Seems his best chances a starting role in the upcoming tournaments may come at CB (where nothing seems certain) or perhaps a holding MF in a specific formation. JK does not seem to value him much as a wide player in the current model, and that is where he functions primarily at Stoke.

   Thoughts?

   Reply

   • Cameron’s roll with the USMNT will continue as Mr. Versatility. He’ll remain as part of the “A” squad for competitive matches/tournaments. How long this remains the case will depend on how the younger players develop and perform.
     With the movement of JJ to CB and the need to groom young CB options I don’t see Cameron being considered a CB going forward. RCB will likely be a rotation of Alarvado, Gonzalez, & Orozco.
     RB is still a possibility, but will be predicated on how Yedlin, Gotz, and Payne progress.
     CDM will likely be his best chance, but he will face stiff competition from Williams/Morales as Beckerman’s replacement.

     Reply

     • It’s Cameron’s misfortune to play for an unconventional national team coach. Jurgen has specific ideas for positions X, Y and Z which does not match Cameron’s skill set. Other countries have coaches that will just select the most accomplished player at each position and then formulate a strategy around the personnel that he has. Either way somebody gets left out.

   • i think cameron’s best chance would come if klinsmann decides to go with 3 at the back; he has the mobility and passing range to be a good rcb in that formation (although he’d probably still be competing with orozco for that spot). other than that, i think Lost in Space is right: he’s good enough to remain on the first team, but isn’t exciting enough in any one position to be a starter.

     also, he had a great game at right back against chelsea. hazard only made him look silly a couple times (so an unqualified success in my book), and both commentators repeatedly mentioned that he was superb.

     Reply

     • The 3 man backline is the answer

       The best lineup we can throw out there for the gold cup is as follows.

       ———————Duece—-Jozy————————–
       ——————————————————————-
       —–FabJo————–MB90—————Bedoya—–
       Shea—————————————————-TimC
       ———–M.Bes———JB————-Cam—————

       The wings are interchangable going forward and defending

       And MB90 is given full reign of the team.

     • I like your lineup, but did you forget aout Jermaine Jones or purposely leave him out? Personally i think he will be on the field somewhere in jo matter what lineup JK uses in the gold cup.

     • While this formation may best fit the US Player Pool the Back 3 is still an open contest as to who would Play where.
       LCB: Besler & JAB are the primaries…but who’s 1st?
       CB: Jones, Besler, Jab, Cam, Gonzalez. This spot requires an Orgainzer. Who best fits this is yet to be determined.
       RCB: Cameron, Orozco, Alavarado, Birnbaum, Hedges, Gonzalez.
       There haven’t been enough matches played with a 3 man back-line to know how well players will perform. May be to late to test/experiment with this before the Gold Cup.

   • I definitely respect what Cameron’s been able to accomplish.

     At the same time, I think he’s the perfect example of how a player’s worth should not solely be judged based on his league. He’s a very good player, but, on the national team, he’s “just a guy”. He’s had several opportunities to stand out, but just hasn’t. I’m not a huge fan of Jermaine Jones either, but he’s made a much bigger mark with his time on the nats.

     Perhaps that’s not a fair comparison because Cameron can also play right defense and perhaps a little central defense. The US remains thin in both spots, so he’ll likely find a roster spot. I just don’t see him as a long-term answer for the national team at any position.

     Reply

   • I think that Cameron is a casualty of the style of play that Klinsmann prefers to play.

     Personally, I think he is the best RB that we have in the player pool in terms of defending. However, Klins seems to sacrifice solid defending by our outside backs in favor of getting in the attack.

     I’ve seen people complain about Cameron’s spot appearances as a CB, and I agree. However, I believe that is a result of lack of playing time. If you are playing RB for weeks (if not months) and then come into the USMNT camp for a week or two playing CB in training, you won’t have the game reps you need to be a solid CB.

     If Cameron can hold his own against some of the top talent of the EPL as a RB, I think he is more than quality enough to do so with the USMNT. However, until Klinsmann decides defending is more important out of our DEFENDERS than attacking, I don’t see him taking control of the position.

     Reply

     • What is asked of Stoke’s right back?

       What is asked of the USMNT right back?

       Two different teams. If JK wanted a soild no nonsense defender first right back Lichaj would be on this team but JK wants Steve Cherundolo 2.0.

     • this ain’t your daddy’s stoke city.

       cameron at mark hughes’ stoke gets forward about as much as dolo got forward for hannover, and he looks just as comfortable doing so.

       i think it’d be more accurate to say that jk wants a more attacking cherundolo–i mean, don’t we all?

     • I agree with this. Cherundolo was never a dynamic full back per se, but was the most rounded out played at that position.

       Yedlin, F. Johnson & Timothy Chandler are all more attack minded fullbacks

     • Nate Dollars,

       I’d agree about Dolo. I still believe the reason the US was humiliated vs Mexico in the 2011 Gold cup final was that the loss of Dolo meant the US possession game suffered greatly without him and Mexico was able to swamp the midfield.

     • +1. In truth, it has become impossible to describe Steve Cherundolo’s USMNT career without spending at least a paragraph on the 2011 GC Final, a match in which he played 11 minutes.

       For a player whose career had been characterized by quiet reliability, “Conspicuous by his absence” barely begins to describe it.

       Among the many “What if’s” in modern US Soccer (Holden’s knee, Wondo’s miss Davies’ crash, LD’s exclusion, Rossi/Subotic, etc…. there are many more) I think it’s one of the few most USMNT fans would agree on– That day could’ve been different. Even if we didn’t win against a very credible Mexico side, things would not have gone down the way they did. Still stings.

   • He has never really made any position “his own”…

     This has been his greatest asset and worst attribute his entire career. Let us not forget that he also put in some impressive shifts at striker, too, back in Houston.

     I believed (and still do quite frankly) he was capable of claiming the centerback position given his athleticism and distribution but there’s been too many “minor” errors that add up over the course of a match. With that said, I’d still prefer him over Gonzalez who is prone to one MAJOR error each match at the international level.

     I wouldn’t rule him out to see time still at the holding midfielder if Danny Williams goes AWOL again and Jermaine Jones or Michael Bradley pick up an injury. Age aside, he may go mostly unseen through qualifying but his versatility is hard to ignore or pass up if he’s playing regularly, in decent form and isn’t injured. Wouldn’t surprise me to see him in Russia.

     Reply

   • Everybody accepts it as gospel that Cameron is only a sub, used basically as a fill in. I too, have emphasized his versatility as the reason he will be included on any national team roster for the near term future. However, I thought the consensus here was off base, so I went and checked his actual record. First, how soon we forget. He started 2 games in the WC at CB and started the last game vs. Belgium at RB. He only missed the Germany game, not leaving the bench in favor of Omar.. In all, during 2014, he played a total of 8 games and started every one. In 2013 he played in 12 games and started 9 of them. I didn’t bother with 2012 , but the last 2 years show clearly that he both plays and starts the majority of US national team games. Klinsmann would seem to value him more than we thought. BTW, at the beginning of this EPL season he reportedly told his coach Mark Hughes that he wanted to play defensive mid. I have previously written that I thought he sees his future as J Jones replacement in midfield and I guess that is where I got the idea.

     Reply

     • Your account is correct but Diego’s original question was in regards to Geoff “going forward”.

       If Geoff somehow becomes Stoke’s first choice, “permanent” holding midfielder or their first choice center back then he is in contention for those positions with the USMNT going forward.

       If not , then he will continue to be JK’s super utility guy unless all these young guns displace him. I think the odds are 60/40 against him being part of the 2018 squad ( assuming we have a World Cup).

       Unless Jesse Marsch and Ali Curtis take over the USMNT in which case his lack of identity will work against him.

     • Considering that another consensus here is that the CB positions aren’t settled and Chandler is still a bit of a question mark and considering that Cameron has become a regular starter for Stoke again, I don’t see any reason to see why Cameron wouldn’t be starting somewhere on defense for the national team over the next two years, minimum. As to the specific position, it would be probably where the greatest need is. If a player starts in the WC 3 out of 4 games, I think we should assume it likely that he will be a part of the plan going forward since the coach is unchanged, barring some other significant developments. I think that addresses the original question.

   • A lot of great responses and good food for thought. Many thanks.

     Reply

10. JB90

    Reply