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Players who should have been called in for the USMNT November friendlies

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Over the last year, the U.S. Men’s National Team has seen plenty of new faces come into the squad.

Interim manager Dave Sarachan has made the best of an unenviable position, as he’s brought in young talent to set a foundation for whoever takes over as the full-time manager.

Despite bringing in the likes of Timothy Weah, Josh Sargent and Tyler Adams, there are still a few players on the outside looking in deserving of opportunities with the USMNT.

Below is a look at a handful of players who should’ve been given a chance to impress in the November friendlies against England and Italy.

Russell Canouse

This whole article could be dedicated to D.C. United midfielder Russell Canouse and why he should be included on the USMNT roster.

While Wayne Rooney and Luciano Acosta were busy lighting the nets on fire in Washington, D.C, Canouse was an absolute destroyer in the middle of the park. The 23-year-old hasn’t had a ton of experience with the USMNT, with a call-up in January being his latest inclusion.

Although central midfield is the deepest position on the depth chart at the moment, Canouse still deserved a chance to prove what he has alongside Adams, Weston McKennie and Wil Trapp.

Although Trapp is worthy of being in the team, Canouse outplayed him down the stretch of the Major League Soccer regular season and is worthy of a shot ahead of a player the coaching staff knows enough about.

Christian Ramirez

The USMNT needs forwards to step up in the absence of Jozy Altidore and Christian Ramirez is the top American scorer in MLS over the last two years. Although he got lost in the shuffle a bit at LAFC, he still has 23 goals over the last two seasons and that should’ve been rewarded.

At forward, we know what Bobby Wood is capable of and Andrija Novakovich hasn’t blown anyone away in his recent call-ups. With the opportunity at forward there for the taking, Sarachan should’ve called on the 27-year-old to see what he’s capable of at an open position.

Brooks Lennon

At 21, Brooks Lennon fits the bill for what the USMNT is looking for. On top of that he’s a right back and a versatile player with experience in advanced positions and the Real Salt Lake man is the perfect prospect to take a look at.

Right back is DeAndre Yedlin’s position to lose, but it never hurts to cultivate depth at every position, which is why Lennon would’ve been the perfect addition to the squad. Lennon isn’t the only RSL player deserving of a call-up, but it looks like Lennon, Justen Glad and Danilo Acosta will have to wait for January camp.

Lynden Gooch

An in-form player is an in-form player, no matter what league he plays in. Lynden Gooch is off to fantastic start with Sunderland in League One, and he’d be a perfect option on the wing as the USMNT try to figure out the depth chart at that position as well.

At the bare minimum, Gooch would’ve entered November camp full of confidence and ready to take charge at a position that still needs some clarity. At 22, he still has plenty of time to develop with the USMNT’s young core, and he shouldn’t be slighted for playing in the third tier of English soccer.

Stefan Frei

The newly-crowned MLS Goalkeeper of the Year is headed to Europe next week while the player who should’ve won the award is not, even though the goalkeeper depth chart still needs some work. Frei, who was a January camp call-up in 2017, recorded 114 saves and 18 wins as the Seattle Sounders clinched a first-round bye in the Western Conference.

With Ethan Horvath only just earning first-team minutes at Club Brugge and Brad Guzan getting closer to the end of his career, Frei would’ve been a perfect option to challenge Zack Steffen every day in training for the No. 1 goalkeeper spot.

Andrew Wooten

The last year has been all about giving some fringe players chances to impress so why not give Andrew Wooten an opportunity?

The 29-year-old forward, who plays for Sandhausen in the 2.Bundesliga, has four goals this season and he netted nine tallies two years ago in the German second division.

As we’ve noted already, no one has stood out enough to solidify the first few spots on the forward depth chart. With four goals in his last seven goals, Wooten at least deserves a look before the first team reassembles at some point in 2019.

Comments

  1. Robles along with Long anchored the Red Bulls defense that allowed only 33 goals in 34 games; only Seattle with Frei was close with 37 goals allowed.

    True Robles is 34, but he has shown no signs of letting up. He played all but 3 league games for the Red Bulls since 2013, while NY won 3 Supporters Shields.
    He is a guy who has consistently been overlooked for the USMNT.

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    • He’s been left off because people have memories what Haiti did to him.

      If you play the +4 game he’s 38 end of the cycle. Pass.

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  2. Since some seem confused, the pattern of results since Sarachan took on the team is DLWLDLWWDD. 3W 4D 3L. If you start from after the soft May friendlies we have won one game. I don’t understand the complacency, including regarding selection. If “this” is the group you want to settle on, well, “this” isn’t winning yet. Some of that may be coaching or system.

    A lot of the patterns of action people are used to were the practical flipside of routine qualification, success, and a more gradual roster turnover. Those teams didn’t need many new players and the goal was light experimentation but around a core and not rocking that boat. This last team didn’t qualify and then much of it evaporated for old age. What is the core we are preserving? If we try to bring Bradley or other old team leaders in people go batty, probably rightly so. Nor is there a success to preserve. Or at the moment a successful group of identified kids. So to me it’s odd to settle back into an all star team mentality like we’ve returned a veteran winner. Any position we are not comfortable with should be a cattle call for new ideas. Any position where we think we know the starter should still be a fight for the bench. I think there are a handful of sure things, but not even XI to run out.

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    • Right now the goal is to build a squad to compete against CONCACAF opponents. Can the roster as it stands compete against anyone in the region? Most likely anyone not named full-strength Mexico. The strength of schedule is certainly debatable, the idea would be after this year this squad shouldn’t be intimidated or afraid of anyone and that they won’t develop bad habits that only work against weak opponents. Sarachan has brought in a huge amount of new players, but with our pool it just isn’t sustainable to bring 15 to 20 new players everytime, you need to bring back players who have proven themselves at the club level or in previous call ups. We also cant call every guy who is on a roster in Europe or anyone with an American father. That’s not how you build a cohesive unit. If we are going to keep revolving players until they can beat Colombia, Brazil, and France we will never settle on a squad.

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    • With the young players that are being used, it is unsurprising that the results are not mostly in the W column.
      Replacing the present U-23s with other U-23s will not change that in any significant way.

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      • Getting a couple more seasons experience will improve the W column (not necessarily experience with the USMNT, but with solid professional clubs),
        Of course, then they won’t be the youngsters they are now and people here will be clamoring to replace them with the next new bright shiny kid.

      • Y’all are confused. How do you squad build without a fair amount of player scouting? You want to keep identifying Amon type players who can contribute or perhaps even start. In terms of talent it’s an iterative and cumulative process. It’s not that any one trial team will likely win this difficult schedule, it’s we shouldn’t even try. Identify 23 good players over several tryouts and then put the best together. This we have so many positions up for grabs in some cases he just calls back out people who were recently frustrating eg Robinson.

        The problem is Sarachan is actually trying to get results and not doing so. If you try and squad build and then you can’t win then you really aren’t accomplishing your goals at all.

  3. Canouse deserved a call-up. Ramirez no thank you. A Lennon return to England would have made a good story (Glad benched 3 of last 4 games, Acosta hasn’t played in months). Frei, I guess he’d be good. I think there were probably some better names that could have gone on this list.

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  4. Meh none of these guys get me all that excited beyond a January camp call-in for the MLS’ers (and even then, I really don’t need to see Ramirez….).

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  5. ???? Frei has been poor this year. An in form player is an in form player no matter what league they play In?! LOL, simplistic hyperbole. Joke statement. Joke assertion.
    Wooten…whatever. Morales….whatever. Just because Alfredo plays in the Bliga doesn’t mean he should be there. Anyone who has truly followed his career knows what he is. It ain’t no difference make. A limited mediocrity and it isn’t worth calling him in for the sake of anyone younger. As in typical self loathing, insecure, limited knowledge US fan fashion Alfredo will keep getting better and better the lesss he is called in.

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    • What are you talking about? After a slow start Seattle ended up with a conference leading 37 GA.

      Stats 2018
      Frei 76% saves 1.03 GAA
      Melia 72% 1.18
      Guzan 66% 1.24
      Johnson 71% 1.28
      Steffen 64% 1.28
      Gonzalez 69% 1.33
      Bono 66% 1.67

      I think Robles is the only MLS keeper with a lower GAA.

      I would take him to January camp to lock him in vs Swiss, and because if these are our keeping options he’s better than at least Horvath for the moment.

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      • The Swiss haven’t called him in 17 years I don’t think you need to worry about capping Frei. The two Swiss regular keepers are starters in the Bundesliga for good clubs and the next couple in line are youngsters that are the 2nd keeper for Bundesliga clubs, they aren’t coming for a 32 year old in MLS. Also you left off Hamid who had 81% save percentage in his half season so either MLS save percentages aren’t indicative of talent or Hamid should be on this snubbed list instead.

      • Hamid looked poor against Ireland. As with Horvath, I want the GK spots earned. So no Hamid. Hamid would be just going in circles on the usual suspects. Who else has something to show?

  6. Others I’d suggest, with a Euro tilt since the games are there: Gonzalez (GK, Dallas is done), Olosunde, EPB, Maloney, AJ, Wright, T. Tillman, Hyndman, Manneh, Amon, Ariyibi, Holmes, Morales, Parks, Payne, Sabbi, K. Scott, Balogun, Lankford, Sabanadzovic,

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      • Aron Johannson is a “kid?” I think I remember him knocking out Panama singlehandedly.

        I mentioned Frei right below this, who is “keeper aged.” Gonzalez and Manneh are fairly veteran for young players. Morales is 28. You didn’t read close enough I guess.

        No, it’s not “anyone with a pulse,” the “pulse” list would be 10x as long, a good chunk of my list already got at least one cap, but not a long look. FWIW unless you want Bradley or Nagbe back most of the novel options are going to be like 20. There are few Frei or AJ type veteran players hiding right there in the open.

        Y’all pretend there’s no one else and then if given a list it’s “oh, anyone with a pulse.” You’re just complaining to complain.

      • To put it differently, quite a few recently capped players seem to be out there for having a pulse and not for how they play, so how do you like them apples.

      • And at least one idea behind several I proposed is switching/cap tying people. Or do we want to continue the recent trend of losing those jousts. As Green and AJ showed sometimes that has to be done preemptively/early. Or you can wait til Tillman turns 23 and fight Germany over him.

    • “I think I remember him knocking out Panama singlehandedly”. Classic IV hyperbole. The guy was on the field for 28 minutes. He scored an ultimately meaningless stoppage time goal after Zusi had pretty much shattered Panama’s will with the equalizer.

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      • Are you seriously:
        (a) pretending Aj sucks?
        (b) ignoring how that WC qualifier went?
        (c) ignoring he’s in the B.1?
        (d) ignoring he had 17 goals for AZ one season?
        (e) ignoring he played in Brazil?

        He’s a nice little finesse striker who is still young enough he could help. If people are going to throw around Zardes I am going to offer a genuine sniper who has actually done it in a qualifier, and been deemed good enough to make a WC 23, no matter how much you try and discount it.

      • The only real questions on AJ should be if he is healthy, if he’s fit, and whether like Davies or others his knock has done something permanent to his abilities. Otherwise, even more so than anyone on my list save Frei, put him out there and see what he’s got. That particular one is well duh and what is hyperbolic is suggesting not just otherwise but that it’s crazy to think so.

      • I said none of those things. Just made light of your ridiculous comment about that game. Stop changing the subject.

      • SBI gave you one good idea and I gave you a few and you can correct our spelling or perceived over-excitement. I think Frei is better than Horvath and Guzan, and I think AJ is a technical striker young enough to contribute who is worthy of the level and would fit in with this team. One thing I think he offers we could use is he like Sargent is more of a technician or sniper. I think we are getting in the attackers we need but sometimes you need a little precision. Sargent is the future of that but AJ can offer a similar option.

      • Spelling? WTF are you talking about? Do some homework before you embarrass yourself again IV. Nonsense claims right and left. The skeletal remains of Aron Johannson are not worthy of a call up, and they haven’t been for years. Nor did he “single-handedly eliminate Panama”. Poor guy is borderline dead. You are either delusional or lazy with this stuff.
        ************************
        Ironically, I would rate your spelling as consistently flawless.

    • Regarding AJ, when was the last time he started a game for his club team? He’s so full of rust they’d need to spray him with WD-40 before he goes onto the pitch. He should have gone back to the Dutch league where he could have played regularly,.

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      • GP — yeah it’s sad. Poor Aron is in no man’s land, and probably even further down the pecking order at Bremen thanks to Sargent. Given his injury history and salary, he basically un-transferrable and un-loanable. He’ll collect a paycheck and medical rehab until his contract expires in 2019, but he’ll face an uncertain future. Hopefully he finds a landing spot where he can contribute. Last thing we need is yet another “what might have been” story, but it doesn’t look good.

    • AJ hasn’t even trained with his club this season due to injury. You bashed the call up of De La Torre as “pecking order” and then listed Olosunde that hasn’t played a match for Man U since February. Payne has been credited with one match for Excelsior U21s. Lankford is hurt hasn’t played in over a month. Balogun and Tillman have not filed switches so neither is eligible. Hyndman is odd, and I’d be ok with Wright but keep in mind Schalke II is in the 5th division not 4th like Bremen. Amon is rumored to be joining the U20s for round 2, which makes sense since he started for the USMNT last break. As far as Frei, I don’t think you need to worry about the Swiss stealing him and he’d likely be released if Seattle advances (in progress as a write) anyway.

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      • The ones who have or have not filed switches is a fake argument cause the whole point is to try and cap them. You can’t cap who you don’t call. Did we try? QED. One of the patterns of this coach is he has his 23-30 players he focuses on and we have not made a special effort to cap the Freis, Gonzalezes, or other dual nationals. We already lost one last November.

      • Sargent was playing for youth teams when he took off for us. But I think you’re missing my point on de le aTorre which is he not only is a reserve but was not really one of the more exciting U20s to me. I thought he was bland mush. So bland YNT mush PLUS reserve team pro status. I literally do not see the point. The others I have listed, many were in fact more attractive U20 players, or I feel like they have shown more traction.

      • I also feel like y’all are so intent on picking apart my ideas for fun that you wouldn’t even care if they perhaps were the next surprise Amon of some upcomng camp. Or if in the case of AJ or Frei they could contribute immediately. To then pivot back to talking up mediocrity when we aren’t yet winning games much is strange. Until we’re winning we should be beating down doors to find anyone we can. Oddly complacent for a team getting mostly buzzsawed this fall. I like several of them (Weah, Sargent, CCV, Steffen, Pulisic, etc.) but many I think are mediocre mush who can’t outshine Acosta of all people, and should be challenged to see if we can do better. I had a long list of random mids because I think few of the mids have truly stood out.

  7. I don’t think we should be calling up MLS, period, they could be done in January.

    But Frei is an inspired idea. I would like to see some fresh keepers and Frei is down near 1.0 on GAA. Good keeper I long assumed was Swiss cap tied.

    I would like to see Canouse and Lennon to see what they have. Ramirez and Wooten didn’t stand out at a well stocked position. Gooch strikes me as sloppy Arriola crossing Pt. 2. I’d prefer to take it in either the Amon burner direction or someone more technical like Saief.

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    • It would have been dumb not to call in MLS players, especially since it a FIFA window. People need to face fact that MLS will always be a contributor to the NT, and allowing the best of MLS to play away games against the likes of England and Italy is a big thing, how wlelse do you expect fans and management to see what our domestic league players can do against that sort of quality?!

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      • So was it then smart to call in Pulisic last May, when he looked like he didn’t want to be there or have any legs? I am not engaging in MLS vs Europe from snobbery. I am fine with MLS in September and October. My point is these are players now at the end of their season probably beat to crap and tired. Some have playoffs to go back to possibly. Many of them are known quantities where a couple friendlies won’t tell us much new. You can run them into the ground some more or you can rest them and see them in January or March. I understand the pressure this schedule places on the coach to distort his call sheet. But the smart play is rest MLS and use this to test European options. And if you look at many European sited friendlies in the past that is often how we use these sorts of games, is almost split squad to check out players over there. Then you kick the tires on MLS in January when they are fresh. Then we come back and meld the two for the spring and summer.

  8. Definitely agree with the first one….Canouse has picked up his game….Trap hasn’t proved himself much on the international stage….he always seems a step behind….

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