Caleb Wiley is looking back to his old self for EFL Championship side Watford.
Wiley assisted once and played 90 minutes in Watford’s 1-0 home league victory over Hull City. The Chelsea loanee started his third-straight match for the club, going the distance for the first team in Watford colors.
After a goal-less first half, Watford broke the deadlock 10 minutes after halftime.
Wiley’s cross was finished off by veteran midfielder Moussa Sissoko, propelling Tom Cleverley’s squad ahead of the visiting Tigers.
Watford would hang on for three points, moving four points back of sixth place Middlesbrough for the final promotion playoff spot.
Wiley, 20, won eight duels in the match, completed two tackles, three dribbles, and made eight recoveries. The U.S. men’s national team fullback left the Vicarage Road pitch as one of the better performers on the night.
Watford will next travel to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, hoping to take another step towards a potential top-six finish.
DB
“I’m expecting a health chunk of first-team guys at this Gold Cup. ”
Define “healthy chunk”?
Diego and Patrick are first team. In terms of guys who have played very little Dest, Malik, Gio, Turner, could use the playing time. Six guys or 54% of a starting lineup. You could make a case for Flo. Seven guys or 64% of a starting lineup.
Is that healthy enough?
In Jedi’s case, rest as he’s played more minutes than anyone this season.
That said, I may be misremembering, but I seem to recall him mentioning he was expecting to be with the USMNT this summer.
I’m expecting a health chunk of first-team guys at this Gold Cup. They really don’t have a choice given how quickly the WC is approaching.
I’ve seen it mentioned in certain (mostly Mexican) media outlets that the U.S. would be bringing a B-team, but I think that’s speculation based on how they’ve handled recent GCs that, IMO, they can’t afford to do with this one.
DB
“I’m expecting a health chunk of first-team guys at this Gold Cup. ”
Define “healthy chunk”?
Diego and Patrick are first team. In terms of guys who have played very little Dest, Malik, Gio, Turner, could use the playing time. Six guys or 54% of a starting lineup. You could make a case for Flo. Seven guys or 64% of a starting lineup.
Is that healthy enough?
Good to see Wiley healthy. Should be interesting to see if Tolkin or Wiley is Jedi’s backup at the Gold Cup.
I don’t expect to see Jedi at the Gold Cup.
But if the A team is called in and show up and Dest has been playing, Scally or Dest will be the backup left back.
Of course the A team will be called up. Why wouldn’t Jedi be called up?
2tone,
Because a good run in the World Cup is more important than a good run in the Gold Cup.
And I don’t think it is true that if the A team does not come in, show how big their balls are and demolish everyone on the way to winning the Gold Cup that the USMNT will have lost the last chance to field a cohesive team for the World Cup. It will make you all feel better but that will evaporate quickly.
If it’s up to me, my 2025 Gold Cup team is anyone worthy-looking who is coming off of long-term inactivity and might need the games; Dest, Turner, Gio, Wright(?) and any other bubble person of interest such as Wiley, Paxton, and possibly Acosta if it looks like he might be eligible in time. And of course, Cole Campbell and Duane Holmes just to keep IV from having a cow.
The remaining slots I would fill with worthy Cupcake roster people, such as Patrick and Diego; we all know who the rest are by now.
In case you forgot here is the cupcake roster:
GOALKEEPERS (4): Drake Callender (Inter Miami; 0/0), Matt Freese (New York City FC; 0/0), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew; 2/0), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids; 29/0)
DEFENDERS (9): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew; 0/0), George Campbell (CF Montréal; 0/0), DeJuan Jones (Columbus Crew; 8/0), Shaq Moore (FC Dallas; 19/1), Jalen Neal (CF Montréal; 6/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 66/1), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; 30/3), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls; 4/0), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; 41/3)
MIDFIELDERS (4): Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami; 1/0), Emeka Eneli (Real Salt Lake; 0/0), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake; 1/0), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union; 1/0)
FORWARDS (7): Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC; 0/0), Caden Clark (CF Montréal; 0/0), Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas; 23/15), Brian Gutiérrez (Chicago Fire; 0/0), Matko Miljevic (Unattached; 0/0), Indiana Vassilev (St. Louis CITY; 0/0), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps; 1/0)
• The season ends for most of our Euros on May 25th.
• The Gold Cup is June 14- July 6th.
• Preseason camp most for many of the Euro teams starts around July 25th.
Because of the World Cup, for so many of our Euro players, getting off to a good start, a good first half of the season is especially important. So, their pre-season is important.
Normally our Euros get about a two-month break. The Gold Cup sits right in the middle of that.
To me guys like CP, Weston, Weah and especially Yunus, need a break, mental and physical. Jedi also looks like he needs a break. Jedi’s recent injury was reported as some form of tendinitis. I am no doctor but usually that indicates overuse, and rest is the only real cure. Jedi seems invulnerable but he is not. Waving the flag over his knee and singing the Star Spangled banner three times is not going to make his knee any less sore.
As for the Italian guys, most of them are not used to being used as much as they have been this past season. So it is an adjustment.
I get it, many of you will say “they are paid millions and are spoiled, blah, blah, blah… “okay, but they aren’t robots, and human parts wear out no matter how much you pay them. It helps but, in the end, money can’t buy you health.
We are not like France who can afford to lose a Karim Benzema early in a World Cup and still go to the Final. We have no depth.
The NL was a disaster, left y’all outraged over our wussiness and the Gold Cup is our last competitive set of games before Pochettino must choose his WC team.
On the one hand, I understand the desire to panic, do something, anything, pull out all the stops, win this thing and make everyone, especially the team, feel good about the USMNT.
Still, I am against that because:
1.The risk of injury, especially to our Italians and Jedi either during the Gold Cup or shortly thereafter because they did not get enough rest, is too high.
2.I think the USMNT can win the Gold Cup with a motley crew of revived inactives and the Cupcakers
Either way it will be a hard call.
Pochettino and his staff know a lot more about these guys and their current physical and mental state than I do. It may be that some of them are at that point in their careers where they just need to push
past the fatigue and go to the Gold Cup. I don’t know.
So, if Pochettino and his staff wind up calling in the A team and getting most of them, I would be okay with that as well.