By RYAN TOLMICH
After last year’s disastrous spell with Hamburg, Julian Green will not be going anywhere to start the 2015-16 season.
The U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder’s agent, Roman Grill, has confirmed that the winger “will remain at FC Bayern,” and will be tasked with helping lead the club’s second team, Bayern Munich II, win promotion to Germany’s third tier.
“The decision is final. Julian Green wants to assert himself at his hometown club FC Bayern,” added Katharina Schrott of acta7, Green’s representatives.”With this motivation and perspective in mind, he will give it his all also in the under-23’s. Another loan or even a transfer is out of the question.”
Green’s stay comes on the heels of a disastrous season with Hamburg, as the 20-year-old winger was limited to only five first-team appearances with the Bundesliga club while also spending time with the club’s reserves.
Now with Bayern’s U-23s, Green started the team’s season opener: a 1-1 draw at FSV Illertissen. Green will now spend time under former FC Basel head coach Heiko Voglel, who is tasked with helping the young Bayern contingent achieve promotion this season.
Prior to the decision, Green took part in Bayern’s preseason tour of China, with club’s sporting director Matthias Sammer stating that a “new beginning is possible,” for the young winger.
That beginning will start with Bayern’s U-23s, who return to action on Sunday against 1860 Munich II.
What do you make of the decision? How will Green fare this season? Is this decision what’s best for Green’s development?
Share your thoughts below.
With the U-23s wouldn’t he still be available for call ups, say for injury or mid week Cup games? Where as if he is out on loan he wouldn’t be available until next Summer.
With a loan it depends on how they set it up. I’m no expert but I’ve seen long term and short term loans ( a couple of weeks) and loans with a number of recall provisions and clauses in them and so on..
With the Under 23’s bringing him up whenever is probably a lot simpler..
Do the Olympic qualifying games fall on International breaks?
Certainly better than sitting on a bench somewhere. There are worse places to develop than Bayern’s U-23s.
The problem is the only place he isn’t sitting on a bench is in the fourth division.
That’s hardly a problem. Lots of 20 year old players would love to be in his place.
He’s in the Bayern system. Rummenigge, the Bayern president has made it clear they still see him as a valued prospect.
If they didn’t they would have just let him go like Dortmund let Terrance Boyd go a few season ago.
Bayern Munich are a lot of things but they are pretty cold blooded and they have very high standards. This the same system that didn’t think all that much of Landon remember?
Do you really believe think they would wait more than a New York second to cut the kid if they didn’t think he would make it and fairly soon?
I doubt Bayern are lacking for young talent in their system.
“I hate every American in the player pool, not named Landon Donovan, especially the ones who are actually not even American, because citizenship doesn’t mean anything. Roosevelt would be rolling over in his grave if he knew that all of these Germans helped us in the World Cup (have you already forgotten about the war!), and the best thing we can do is hope this 20 year german kid doesn’t amount to anything so it will add to the great Landon Donovan’s legacy, just like that Adu guy who’s playing in the rec league in Florida. Look how he turned out!”-Pretty much the story line in comments section of any article about Julian Green, written in America.
I’ve said repeatedly that, while I think wholesale recruiting of Germericans and other passport Americans is not in the best interests of US soccer, once they put on a US shirt they have my support. If Green earns a spot on the USMNT I’ll be rooting for him. But he should have to earn it, not be gifted it.
If they have your support, then why is this subject continuously brought up?
People who are obsessed with this subject tend to give Jones and Fabian a pass…
Why?
Because Jones started under Bradley and went from Yellow card machine to cult hero in Brazil.
Fabian is really really good, and is quiet. And the first contact/recruitment of him started with Rongen.
But I’d be willing to bet nobody has got the sack to walk up to Julians Dad and say,
“Thank you for your service to our country, and despite that enormous and proud smile you show every time they have shown you on TV, I don’t think your son should be playing for the US, because he’s not American enough”
For fvkcs sake, the only reason this is such a huge issue with some people is because there’s a big huge thing called an ocean that separates us from that other continent where all the countries are right next to each other… and because they don’t like Klinsmann.
Are people throwing a hissy fit a year later after Januszaj committed to Belgium? Why not? He was eligible for FOUR countries.
I’ve heard people mention Roberto Martinez as a usmnt coach… Would everyone throw a temper tantrum if other dual nationals committed to him? Why not? Nobody ever criticized Bradley for Jones, Chandler, Mix or Boyd or Fabian for starting the process under his watch??
Please move along…nothing to see here…. Next….
hey Bac, JJ has always been super smart with his yellows imo, anything but reckless. In fact, I’d say he’s as particular in his yellow cards as any player I can remember for the USMNT. very smart player
as for the Bradley comparison to JK’s pursuit of dual nationals, do you view it as the same? I don’t but Bradley made some moves there
cheers buddy
Nope, I don’t view BBs tenure, decisions, etc. the same at all. They’re two very different coaches, different people entirely. Right, wrong, or indifferent…
My point was that the ongoing Germericans thing is exhausting, and most people think JK is solely responsible for every one of them. I was just giving some hypothetical examples-If you read further up you’d see why I chose those two. I wasn’t comparing the coaches.
I read your post above, and you hit the nail on the head. Everyone has to be responsible for their own actions, I think his regression has more to do with what happened last year than anything anyone is saying about him here.
I think JK did the right thing, brought him in to a few friendlies to get some face time, try and boost his confidence, and then sent him with the U-23s and gave him time to get back to BM to get a plan for next year.
But it seems like people want him to fail because JK selected him…
It’s exhausting.
He’s got plenty of years to progress. I’m pulling for all those young uns…We need a few of them to separate themselves and get good fast.. Hopefully it starts with Olympic qualifying
gotcha. as always your thoughtful replies are a treat here. thank you
rooting for Julian’s failure is not my thing at all
Yea I’ve seen you say that before, because you have one of them things called a brain…
They don’t get distributed automatically upon enrolling in SBI University
beachbum,
Clearly, Bob could not have possibly have had as many contacts especially in Europe as JK.
Bob also did not have that instant recognition/ celebrity factor as JK. And finally, Bob did not have the kind of backing, financial or otherwise , from the USSF that JK has.
I don’t read minds so I don’t know what BB would have done if he had had the same juice behind him as JK does now but it would have been interesting to find out.
My guess is he would have been just as rabid about it as JK is. Why wouldn’t he have been? Do you remember the scrambling he had to do to replace Davies as the World Cup loomed.
Any manager worth his salt, and Bob is one of the best, would explore every legal avenue to add to his talent base. Guys like him don’t have to prove their patriotism by selecting only “Real Americans.”
hey GW, like I said, they weren’t the same so we agree.
the hypothesizing on what Bradley would have done is interesting but not my point whether I would agree with you on that or not (which matters not anyway); Bradley did what he did, and it’s not what JK has done on this front
and just to be clear, do I think there are Germericans and other dual nationals who are great for the USMNT? Absolutely.
Every American deserves an opportunity to represent the USMNT. Don’t care how. If a player qualifies and is willing to represent the USMNT on an international level, I am in full support.
With the exception of our Native Americans, we are all foreigners in some way.
Landon Donovan’s legacy in intact. What Julian Green does with his USMNT career has no effect on the legacy of what is easily the USMNT’s most productive player up to now.
And he went to the World Cup last year and Landon Donovan did not.
Smh.
Let me see…
You can’t argue Green’s quality so you bring up a behind the scenes deal that proves nothing about his development level and/or form. Green’s deal is an entirely separate issue. As is the personal conflict between Klinsmann & Donovan.
Good idea. When outmatched, change the subject.
Try and stay on theme.
Hey, at least Green contributed something.
Brad Davis, on the other hand…
Landon Donovan was left home for the joke that was/is Brad Davis. Of all the players taken to the World Cup by JK this was the one that should have been the focus of criticism. Everyone else taken either contributed to the team or gained experience for consideration in the future.
Who in our pool could play first team mins for Bayern Munich, some of y’all are crazy
Very few. You can argue that Michael Bradley wouldn’t be too far out of his league in short spurts (only as a defensive/holding midfielder role).
But we know that Julian Green can’t…yet.
Oh, and 5 minutes of pity time doesn’t qualify as being a 1st team Bayern Munich or Champions League caliber player.
Nobody said his few mins mean anything all I am saying is people are giving him a hard time for not getting first team mins with a top 5 club in the world when nobody else in our pool could.
Thank you for the clarification. I don’t hold that against Green.
At some point though he will need to show sustained quality at a level above the Bundesliga’s 4th division.
He was on loan at a Bundesliga club well below BM’s level and couldn’t get on the field (or the bench most weeks). And apparently no one else above 4th division level wants him this year. 5 minutes of garbage time in a dead rubber CL match do not make him better than every other US player. Even you can’t believe that.
I think it’s a good idea for him to take a step back, be somewhere there’s not going to be a spot light and he can focus on playing. Perhaps Bayern can start to undo the damage Klinsmann has done and get his career back on track.
We get it. You dislike JK. Message received.
But exactly how do you arrive at the conclusion that Green’s problems over the last 12 months should be attributed to a guy who he has seen for perhaps 10-15 of the last 365 days?
The biggest problem with Julian Green right now is Julian Green. JK can’t fix him from 8,000 miles away. Nor could Bradley, Arena, or whoever…. Blaming anybody in the US setup is absurd. He’s scarcely been a part of it.
I do not believe Julian Green needs “fixing”. What he needs is “improvement”.
Fixing suggests that he was playing at a higher level previously. Outside of a 15 second flash, these has been no evidence of any previous higher level of play.
Seems nitpicky but fine I can agree. Improvement.
Not true. In the Toulon tournament with the U23’s, there were times he was the best player on the field for the US.
There were other times when he was invisible, and he usually was only good for about 45 minutes before he vanished out of a game even when he was playing well…but the quality was there. The speed was there. The upside was obvious.
The match fitness, definitely not so much. I still definitely walked away with the distinct impression he was a lock for the USMNT’s U23 Olympic team.
Guy just needs PT at a decent level.
There’s nothing wrong with a 20 year old prospect playing in a U23 side, growing and developing. However Klinsmann is who decided to throw massive expectations on him and take him to a World Cup. Why shouldn’t Green expect to walk into the starting line up anywhere at this point.
So effectively what you are saying is: “Julian Green has entitlement issues…. but it’s JK’s fault”
This is coddling — a sense of entitlement should not be someone else’s fault. Culitivation of a proferssional mentality is one of the few things a player can actually control. Green is not the first teenager to be plunged into action at a major tournament. Nor is he the first to score there.
I understand that he is young, and he can be forgiven for some immaturity. But he needs to be responsible for his own mentality.
Either way it’s in the past now. Hopefully he can get some matches in, and be ready to bring something to Olympic qualifying in October.
+1 No doubt.
yes, he needs to be responsible for his actions, as do all the others in the equation too though, right? seems to me others have impacted this teenager’s mental and emotional state, whether positively or negatively, no?
I’m rooting for the kid but it appears he’s up against it. we’ll see
I don’t disagree. I think JK does probably have a deeper obligation to Green’s development than a typical relationship between a player and a NT coach.
I just think it would be sad and small if we actually blame a mentor figure for giving a prospect an exceptional opportunity (which he seized, at least for a fleeting moment). Inspiring people is not an exact science, and the jury is still out (in my limited view)
jury is still out…agree. and again, I’m rooting for him
regarding the exceptional opportunity afforded him, there was a lot that went into the decision to provide that exceptional opportunity, perhaps not all of it derived from what was best for Julian, my opinion, making the mentor tag at least a bit dubious to me
Diego,
“giving a prospect an exceptional opportunity (which he seized, at least for a fleeting moment). ”
You sniff at Julian’s accomplishment as if it was nothing.
The kid was brought in to be late game instant offense, most likely in a dire situation and he did exactly that. The kid came through in the clutch.
It is not his fault if Clint fails to score on his own last gasp opportunity and tie the game.
I am not sniffing at it. It was a great moment. Kid just needs more of them.
“The kid was brought in to be late game instant offense”
I would say you are partially right with that statement. I would modify like this;
“The kid was brought in (to secure his commitment) to be late game instant offense (in 2018)”
Why when Klinsmann needed to sub in a winger against Portugal & Germany Green was passed over by Klinsmann both times for a fullback who had to play winger because Green could not be trusted?
Klinsmann’s thought process against Belgium
“OK, we’re down 2-0, I need a speedy winger”
“Yedlin, get up, I need to you to play out on the wing again!”
“What? He’s in the game already?”
“Aron, get up. Move Clint out to the wing and you go up top”
“You’re injured?”
“OK, who’s left that can play out wide?”
“OK, Julian get up”
Desperation move to get fresh legs in against Beligium.
Credit to the kid, though. Made the great run/finish to get the game close.
SoccerDadinCali
If you bring a player to a 2014 World Cup he has to be ready to play right then not in 2018.
Every so called “2018 development kid” that JK brought to Brazil contributed in 2014.
Yedlin did his thing and was arguably the real late game offensive igniter
.
Brooks’ goal beat Ghana
Green scored a goal and gave the US a chance to tie. If you watched the game the US revived after Green scored and very nearly did tie it.
Unlike you I can’t read minds.
I don’t know what JK was thinking but I do know that in the Belgium game Fabian got hurt earlier than anyone would have liked so Yedlin went in earlier than usual.
Then Wondo went in with about 20 minutes or so to go, a move that would have worked had Wondo actually finished his chance.
If you watched the game the commentators said that JK would have to be cautious with that last sub because the game looked to be going into overtime and you might want to save that sub.
In overtime Belgium scored in the third minute. Green right away got up , warmed up and was going to sub in. But as you may know subs sometimes have to wait to get in a game. He was actually standing on the sidelines waiting to get in, with the score 1-0, when Lukaku ran over Besler and scored at the 105 min mark
Blame Matt for getting run over not JK for the 2-0 scoreline..
In other words all three so called 2018 development projects made very significant contributions.
Take away their contributions and the US would have been in deep horses++t.
Other players might have done more, they might have done less, but I prefer to deal with the real players who actually did something and thereby had a successful World Cup.
Can’t disagree with most of your post. The only part that I disagree is grouping Green and Yedlin with Brooks as development projects.
Brooks had shown sustained quality at an advanced professional level prior to the World Cup. Yedlin had at shown small flashes of quality at the MLS level while Green was still stuck in the Bundesliga’s 4th division.
SoccerDadinCali,
I’m a USMNT fan.
I couldn’t care less what a player’s club form is. Figuring out how that translates to the USMNT’s need’s is JK’s job and he is way more informed than I am.
I only care about how a player plays for the USMNT.
The 2014 World Cup team is history.
JK has to build a new team for 2018. The US has played 18 or so games since the World Cup, all friendlies except for the Gold Cup.
As far as I’m concerned the friendlies are preseason games so I take them all with a grain of salt.
Even the cluster f++k Gold Cup games have had some of the sting taken out of them because of the playoff scenario that existed prior to them being played.
Green has time to sort himself out. It appears that Bayern values him as an asset and will give him every chance to succeed.
I’m sure a cold blooded outfit like Bayern aren’t keeping him around to do JK a favors. I’ll guess they have lots of other excellent prospects waiting to take over Green’s spot should he falter.
There are more than a few 20 year old soccer players who would love to be in his situation.
And if he doesn’t make it , too bad. He has still made a good contribution to
the USMNT.
Though I’m pretty sure there are many good clubs not as stacked as Bayern who would be willing to give him a chance.
GW,
We probably agree more than we disagree.
USMNT prospects ahead of Green will find it hard to keep their spots in the pecking order if Green’s game grows into the wonderful skill set that he has. Time is his ally right now. No need to rush a well skilled 20 year old prospect.
You are correct, if any of the top prospects falter there will be even younger prospects ready to pounce on the opportunities.
Another stupid decision. Bayern has already made it plenty clear that they have no use for him this season. Playing 4th division does nothing for his development. Wasted time never comes back.
This seems like a good thing to me. Bayern obviously feel he has the talent to develop or they wouldn’t keep him around. And you can hardly fault a 20 year old for not breaking into the first team considering how stacked they are.
Best possible move for Green given his desire to stay with Bayern Munich.
Still only 20 years old, he’ll have plenty of opportunities to develop at a pace more in line with his current form.
I think this is the right move and is the perfect reset button from last year.
He had so much going for him, great momentum and trajectory within the Bayern system.
UNTIL the World Cup.
I think the World Cup selection was the worst thing for him. It hyped up expectations.
And I am sure Bayern felt pressure to jump the gun to give the kid first team minutes and sent him to Hamburg – which was a good idea in theory but loans do not work out for kids. Hamburg had no motivation for his growth and are always concerned about the here and now. Why would they care about his progress? Loans are designed for immediate impact. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, Green did not provide that – call it hype or maybe he just really is not at that level yet. If there is no immediate impact, sorry, you are sitting.
Being with Bayern’s youth team is the best thing for him. Getting back on track within the club. Yes, league play and playing at the fourth division is not good on paper. But it is being within the organization, coaches, and players that will really benefit him. I think more than anything, he needs to build his confidence. it was a humbling year for him – which could end up serving as an excellent learning experience that he builds of off and matures.
Great take.
Kid has talent, but obviously not ready for 1st division soccer in the Bundesliga. Hope Klinsmann has the same backbone that Bayern Munich has in tempering the hype and allowing Green to develop at a level where he can compete and earn his way up to the top team eventually.
Pretty sure that’s why he played with the U-23s in Toulon and not the senior team against Netherlands and Germany. Also, pretty sure he wasn’t called into the Gold Cup side as well, so I think Klinnsman has that backbone you are referring to.
True.
It just took a while. It was refreshing to see that Klinsmann finally stopped force-feeding Green onto the USMNT and allowed him to play and develop at a level where he can actually compete.
Hope that Green will make the most of his time with the Bayern Munich reserves and eventually develop into an international level player for the USMNT. The USMNT needs young wingers.
He stopped force feeding him to USMNT because he’s cap tied now.
He was Cap-Tied after the World Cup, but was still forced into the USMNT for the balance of 2014.
I understand your point, though.
“Hope Klinsmann has the same backbone that Bayern Munich has in tempering the hype”
JK is way ahead of you.
http://www.mlssoccer.com/goldcup/2015/news/article/2015/06/09/usmnt-head-coach-jurgen-klinsmann-says-he-wont-call-julian-green-gold-cup
In actuality, Klinsmann was way behind. Took him a while to see (or admit) that Green was overmatched at the international level. Hope JK resists the urge to force Green back in before he proves himself worthy of selection.
Refreshing to see that Klinsmann finally realized that Green was not an international level player…yet.
The next few years will be fun to watch as Morris, Rubio, Green, Agudelo, Hyndman, Wood and others battle to become the USMNT’s leading attackers.
In the minds of hardcore JK supporters, even his mistakes show his genius.
How is Green a mistake?
He’s 20 years old and already contributed an important goal in a World Cup. Not bad for a #22-23 guy on the roster.
Where is the mistake?
I don’t believe that Green to the World Cup was a mistake. Going to the World Cup was part of the deal.
If there was a mistake, it was after the World Cup. Continually calling Green into the full team when his form did not merit inclusion.
It’s a mistake to make deals involving world cup spots to guys who haven’t earned it. We could’ve used that world cup spot to give the greatest US player of all-time a spot on the roster. Or someone else who deserved it.
This guy has only played a handful of games above fourth division level and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change this year.
Obviously, you believe in a “deal” and that is fine, but I have yet to see any credible evidence of a “deal”.
Leaving the obvious LD aside for the moment who would have been the “Or someone else who deserved it.”.?
Bear in mind that Mix and Chandler did not play a minute and that no one expected Jozy who had previously hardly missed any USMNT time for injury, to get hurt.
lol…true. No smoking gun yet regarding the deal.
It’s really not a matter of who else should have been selected. Green was woefully unqualified to be selected at that time.
Some day I will have to research the last time a 4th division player was selected to play in the World Cup for a major country based on a 20 minute cameo in a friendly.
Add to that the poor form immediately after the World Cup leaves little doubt in my mind that there was a commitment/WC roster deal.
No proof, but if it quacks like a duck and looks like a duck; it probably is a duck.
SDC,
“Green was woefully unqualified to be selected at that time.”
You would not have picked him. However, that is you applying your criteria to a situation where your criteria are irrelevant. I prefer to go by what actually happened.
And what happened was the kid scored a goal that kept the US competitive in a knockout game they might have gone on to tie and probably should have. There is no getting around that.
“Add to that the poor form immediately after the World Cup leaves little doubt in my mind that there was a commitment/WC roster deal.”
The US has played 18 games since the World Cup, all friendlies other than the Gold Cup . How a given player did in those games has nothing to do with Brazil.
Fabian Johnson, who had a wonderful World Cup, has been largely mediocre when he has played. Does that mean he should not have gone to Brazil?
In your mind, this has become an article of faith and I would never argue against a man’s articles of faith. Of course, that does not mean those articles hold any water.
However you want to spin it the fact remains that a major country has never selected a 4th division player with a total of 20 minutes playing experience to its World Cup roster. Woefully unqualified is a fact, not an opinion.
Comparing Fabian Johnson to Green is laughable is this time. Johnson’s worst form is about 10 times better than Green’s best right now, don’t get silly. They are nowhere near the same level of player right now. That’s like comparing Johnson to Miguel Ibarra. No comparison, right?
SoccerDadinCali
“However you want to spin it the fact remains that a major country has never selected a 4th division player with a total of 20 minutes playing experience to its World Cup roster. Woefully unqualified is a fact, not an opinion.”
Care to show me the rules as to what qualifies a player to play in a World Cup?
Let me help you. Spin this link:
http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/tournament/competition/01/47/38/17/regulationsfwcbrazil2014_update_e_neutral.pdf
You will find that Julian Green has all the necessary qualifications. Oh and the manager has to select him. If a manager selects you and you meet the FIFA criteria, you are qualified.
You may not like it but since you are not the manager then your opinion remains just an opinion, however fervently you may hold to it.
“Comparing Fabian Johnson to Green is laughable is this time. Johnson’s worst form is about 10 times better than Green’s best right now, don’t get silly. They are nowhere near the same level of player right now. That’s like comparing Johnson to Miguel Ibarra. No comparison, right?”
I’m happy to be able to bring a little laughter into your life. We should all strive for that.
I compared two players , Fabian and Green, who went through the grind of the World Cup together. There has long been an alleged syndrome called “World Cup Hangover”.
Ibarra did not do go to the World Cup with the USMNT so he would not have been subject to World Cup hangover..
“I compared two players , Fabian and Green, who went through the grind of the World Cup together.”
First of all, a Brazilian vacation with the exception of a 15 minute cameo is not a “grind”. Can’t compare a player who played entire matches until injured to someone brought along to play only when there are no other options at his position. Not fair to compare Green to anyone that was on the USMNT roster. Those are all players who have shown a sustained quality of play above a reserve squad level.
About that World Cup “hangover”. Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn’t that refer to a comparison in play BEFORE and AFTER the World Cup? So, Fabian Johnson was in very good form before the World Cup, but then due to the World Cup “grind” was a lesser player after the World Cup. Thus, the World Cup “hangover”.
If Green had never shown any sustained quality above the Bundesliga 4th division BEFORE the World Cup and still has not shown any sustained quality above the Bundesliga 4th division AFTER the World Cup, how is that a World Cup “hangover”?
Since you cannot justify Green’s selection by his form either before or after the World Cup, I assume you have given up and resorted to the “Hey JK made a deal and he’s sticking with it” argument.
Soccer DadinCali
“Since you cannot justify Green’s selection by his form either before or after the World Cup, I assume you have given up and resorted to the “Hey JK made a deal and he’s sticking with it” argument.”
Your assumption is incorrect.
I don’t have to justify JK’s selection. I think it was a good choice but I didn’t make it. JK did . And as manager, that is what he is paid to do.
Besides, JK has shown a knack for unearthing talent, young or other wise and getting unexpected production out of them. Beckerman, Besler, Green, Brooks, Yedlin in the World Cup, Morris, and Wood later on just to name a few..
I don’t really care if there was “deal” or not. Like many of the “charges” against JK I have yet to see any rational evidence . Like the man said,” they said there were WMD’s in Iraq”, “ they said Anna Nicole married for love”. That’s how much credence I give to the so called Green deal.
As for the hangover business, do you seriously think the World Cup squad were on vacation? Is that was Mix was doing? Maybe you can get some insight from this link:
http://www.espnfc.us/arsenal/story/2470961/world-cup-hangover-cost-arsenal-title-says-per-mertesacker
I’m sure you can find many other, better articles but right now I’m too busy to do your research for you.
You know what’s funny. I can care less that Green was given a spot to the World Cup. If Green can get himself out of the Bundesliga’s 4th division and improve himself to be an international caliber player, it was a good deal for the future. So yes, give the kid a seat (a vacation for Mix and Green, not the entire squad) to Brazil and see how he develops after that to see if the deal pays dividends.
Given his skill set and confidence in his abilities, I think that there’s a good chance that happens. Hopefully sooner rather than later.
Although a year has gone by and Green has since been unable to produce for the USMNT, it’s possible that the USMNT can still benefit from the deal. JK took a calculated risk that had short term benefits. Only time will tell whether or not the deal is as fruitful for the long term.
We differ on Green’s level of play up to this point in his career. We can only judge on what we see. Maybe you have access to video where Green has shown a sustained level of quality higher than the 4th division of the Bundesliga. If so, that would justify your claim that Green is a victim of the dreaded World Cup “hangover” or that he is simply in a “slump” rather than accept that as of now Julian Green is a 4th division Bundesliga caliber player.
The next Freddy Adu?
In your xenophobic wet dream he will be.
Way too early to say it for sure but he’s well on his way. Flopping at every stop, the insubordination, alienating people. Guess we shouldn’t just assume all passport Americans are superior soccer players to people who grew up here. When we overcome that insecurity, our soccer will benefit.
Also, why don’t you get a dictionary and look up what xenophobic means before attempting to use that word to silence anyone who disagrees with you. Thanks.
xen′o•pho′bic adj.
A person who is fearful or contemptuous of that which is foreign, especially of strangers or of people from different countries or cultures.
And that is fitting for me because….?
I’ve lived abroad in Europe and South America and loved it. I’ll probably do it again. But a national team is supposed to be made up of guys from the country they’re playing for. Not people who’ve barely set foot here who qualify for a passport. And I realize other countries do it too.
I’d maybe be a bit more understanding of the celebrations every time one of these guys commits to us (after it’s clear they won’t make it for their home country) if they were better than the guys we already have. But with the exception of Jones and FJ, that hasn’t been the case.
Uhmmm, pretty sure you just made the case for your xenophobia. nice work.
Um, pretty sure you just proved you don’t know what the word means. Unless anyone who thinks a national team should be made up of players from that country is a xenophobe. Seems like if we adopt your definition we should stop having international football.
slowleftarm,
You asked for a definition I gave you one.
Actually I asked you to look up the definition. I already know it.
something is very slow about this gentleman, and i’m not sure it’s just his arm.
slowleftarm,
Okay but it seems churlish to not share it since so much discussion revolves around it.
Other terms I’d like to see defined and posted:
“world class”
“passport american” or “passport player”
Another tired and predictable response from Slow.
“Flopping at every stop”
Well not the world cup, jackhole.
I’ll admit he looked good in those 15 minutes, although the goal was a fluke because he shanked the volley and got lucky. Those are the only 15 minute in a USMNT where he didn’t look like he’d wandered onto the field accidentally somehow.
Now, he’ll probably score some goals in the fourth division and everyone will say he’s a superstar again.
The visceral reactions from his defenders are hilarious though.
And those 15 minutes were the only competitve minutes he has yet played for the US.
Adu has contributed nothing to a US World Cup effort so mentioning him in the same breathe as Green is premature.
Getting an important goal out of your # 22-23 player? As far as I’m concerned, he was worth taking to the World Cup..
Dismissing Green’s WC goal as a fluke discredits anything you will ever say about soccer.
So true @danny, you make your own luck and it was a great run just to get into the space.
Haha, such hyperbole. It was absolutely a great run and a perfect pass from Bradley but Green clearly did not hit the ball cleanly. Why can’t people admit that? It wasn’t a great goal – it was lucky.
And I admitted he was excellent in those 15 minutes but every other time he’s been on the field for the US he’s looked lost.
And I understand he’s not Adu yet, I even said that but the track record he’s amassed so far, while short, is not impressive.
didn’t hit it cleanly? the ball went straight of his foot on goal- not some out of control slice going in an unexpected direction… the amount of body adjustment and timing necessary to accomplish that is stupendous… even if it went off his off his shin straight toward goal I’d say the same thing. It’s like dismissing Wayne Rooney’s bicycle kick goal against Man City because it went off his shin. Was that lucky and not that impressive?
He didn’t hit it the way he intended but it still happened to go in. That’s luck. And even if he scored the greatest goal in history that doesn’t alter the failures of the past year and the fact he’ll be playing fourth division football this season.
He is still young though. It seems that Bayern sees something in him still. Hopefully he pans out and becomes a more consistent soccer player.
The only thing I don’t agree with is the “lucky” comment that you made about his goal. As a professional athlete, this “luck” is created from hard work and finishing runs. He created that opportunity and executed it. A pitcher in baseball is a perfect example. Don’t always hit their spots while pitching and balls will get squared up yet they go right to a fielder. It isn’t luck, it is just a result of the work that day.
That one good run/finish in the World Cup has overshadowed an inability to earn playing time at any level above the 4th division of the Bundesliga for over a year.
What is more telling of Green’s form or development level? A 15 second flash or 13 months of not so great performances?
The 15 seconds. By far.
It came in a World Cup game and put the US in position to perhaps tie the game, something they almost went on to do.
The 13 months came after the World Cup and is apropos of nothing. What has the US lost because Green had a post World Cup slump?.
Lol…figured someone would bite on that one.
How can Green be in a “slump”? Being in a slump suggests that Green was playing at a higher level for a sustained period of time, then saw his level of play decline. Has there been any evidence of a high level of play outside of the 4th division of the Bundesliga? No there hasn’t. So what you describe as a slump, is in reality his normal level of play.
I’m a golfer so I will give you a golf example. Tiger Woods is in a slump. How do we know this? Tiger was the most dominant golfer in the world for a sustained period of time. His level of play has taken a downturn from it’s previous peak. That is considered a slump.
Shaun Micheel is not in a slump. Who is Shaun Micheel, you ask? Shaun Micheel won the 2003 PGA Championship with one of the greatest clutch shots in PGA history. Never heard from him before or since. Is he in a slump?
You are trying to convince me that Green is Tiger Woods, when in reality he is Shaun Micheel, so far.
Your assertion that the past 13 months are inconsequential to Green’s development doesn’t make sense.
The 15 seconds showed that he has skill. The 13 months shows that he still has work to do to become a international level player, just like many other US prospects.
“The 15 seconds. By far.”
Please tell me you are joking GW?
In that case I am an excellent soccer player! Because despite being very limited in my soccer skills and performing sub-par in my amateur-level soccer games, I once got lucky and somehow scored this incredible goal that even Ronaldo might be proud of!
No one is trying to convince you of anything.
You posed a question I gave an answer..
And as I said tell me how Green’s lost 13 months hurts the USMNT in any significant way?
This isn’t golf. This is soccer.. Are you saying this period proves he will never be any better a soccer player?
Pretty harsh judgement on a 20 year old.
UCLABG,
Did you score your goal in the World Cup?
By the way have you been capped and are you left footed?
OK GW, so you agree that Green is not in a slump? If you can show me any sustained higher level of play, I would love to see it.
Also, nowhere will you read me suggesting that Green will not prove to be a better soccer player in the future. I hope that he is. I’m rooting that he will be. Great skill, quick, not crazy fast, but fast nonetheless. Great prospect. USMNT is short on young attacking wingers. Wishing for him to develop sooner rather than later.
I will argue that Green is not an international level player now. There is not any sustained proof that he is.
I do not believe that Green’s current level effects that USMNT. Never claimed on this thread that it did. If anything, the fact that Klinsmann is no longer force-feeding Green to the USMNT is a benefit. It is allowing players who have earned selection an opportunity that was otherwise reserved for Green, hopefully making the team stronger and deeper.
I’m left footed. Mostly played left-back in my playing days. Not sure why you asked but there you have it.
slowleftarm,
I was asking UCLABG about whether he was left footed.
Being left footed can be advantageous.
Context is everything. The coach who brought Green to Hamburg was fired before Green ever had a chance. Perhaps he didn’t train well or perhaps Hamburger SV was a mess, only avoiding relegation by winning a playoff. Either way, they weren’t likely to take a chance on a 20 year old kid. His bad run was no run at all.
And the excuse for not being able to earn a spot on the USMNT despite getting countless opportunities from Daddy Starbucks (Jurgen Klinsmann) himself?
Freddy Adu never scored a dramatic goal for the U.S. in the World Cup.
I had the same thought. Glad I didn’t post first, geesh.
The biggest difference is the Green hype really falls at the feet of one person. If Klinsmann hadn’t decided to take him to a World Cup he’d just be another youth player.
I guess playing time matters, but Green needs to do better than the B4.
I was thinking the B2 or Championship would be a good level for him right now, maybe MLS.
Instead the B4? Meh. Not sure what Bayern is doing there, or how it really helps him.