The Official US Soccer thread

[Zeno]

Those players sound nice, but you gotta be cautious because this is all starting to sound like the Freddy Adu ridiculousness from a few years ago.

I think the expectations with Adu were so high it ultimately hurt his development--at 14 he started buying in to his own hype and was resented by veterans. To be honest if you dismissed the hype he isn't a failure, if ten yrs ago we had said we had a guy who was playing in the top division in Greece at 20 yrs old we'd be ecstatic...the next couple of years will be real telling for him, wherever he goes the first thing he needs to consider is playing time and like Altidore he needs to shake the rep of not giving it his all in training.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

Speaking of Adu, here's an SI.com article on him from April. It isn't very pretty. I still think he has a very good chance of making a decent impact in the future with the USMNT, but not at the superstar level. So it seems that Greece probably isn't the best place for him to be able to develop, but he has to be running out of chances in Europe. So where next, a return to the MLS? That might seem like coming home in shame, but there's a reasonable precedent for USMNT guys reigniting their careers by coming back after failed excursions elsewhere.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/grant_wahl/04/26/adu/index.html

 

[Zeno]

Speaking of Adu, here's an SI.com article on him from April. It isn't very pretty. I still think he has a very good chance of making a decent impact in the future with the USMNT, but not at the superstar level. So it seems that Greece probably isn't the best place for him to be able to develop, but he has to be running out of chances in Europe. So where next, a return to the MLS? That might seem like coming home in shame, but there's a reasonable precedent for USMNT guys reigniting their careers by coming back after failed excursions elsewhere.

Adu should do everything in his power to go to The Netherlands and develop his game the way Michael Bradley did. Barring that Sweden where Davies went or Denmark where Feilhaber went...he could play in all those leagues. Returning to the MLS is not going to happen, at least anytime soon--they won't pay him what he is getting paid now and I doubt he would swallow his pride and come back.

He is just 21 yrs old though, not exactly a soccer has-been, but he needs to make sure his agent makes smarter decisions for his career.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

Brazil is bringing their youth brigade for the US friendly, only four players from the WC.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/soccer/07/26/brazil.roster.ap/index.html

 

[Shzm13]

Gil & McInerney were the only 2 US players to play well in that tourney. Gil was very impressive--best US player in the tourney, McInerney was better in qualifying then he was in the tourney but he still played well(11 goals in 15 U17 games--2 in the U17 WC).

The US defense was an abomination though.

The US did make it out of the group stages before losing to Italy. Mexico didn't make it any further.

EDIT: It was the U20 team that had the terrible defense not the U17 team, I had them confused. You probably didn't pay attention to the U20 WC SHZM because Mexico failed to qualify for the tournament. I do wish the U17 WCQ Tourney had finished because the US & Mexico were cruising through qualifying and look destined to face off in the CONCACAF final--we had scored 12 goals through 3 games and Mexico 11.

Eh, U17 is usually where the real talent starts to show.

Although there are occasional gems, like the guy you see on the sig

U17 World Cup is in Mexico next year. We have some youngsters in Barcelona, Lyon, Atletico Madrid, youth systems who should be fun to keep an eye on.

 

[Chaplin]

Steve Cherundolo made captain of his club Hannover in the German Bundesliga.

http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/ne...ender-steve-cherundolo-named-captain-hannover

Big deal for American soccer.

 

[Zeno]

The US U20 team won the Milk Cup finishing with a 3-0 record beating Denmark, China & Northern Ireland. It wasn't the US' "A" team as they left a lot of their MLS based guys home and Lletget was recovering from an illness. It was a solid B team and they had a good showing, hopefully it carries over to qualifying.

FYI Mexico finished 4th with a 1-1-1 record...losing to Denmark in the 3rd place game.

 

[Zeno]

U17 World Cup is in Mexico next year. We have some youngsters in Barcelona, Lyon, Atletico Madrid, youth systems who should be fun to keep an eye on.

Yeah I saw Mexico was hosting, should mean good things for them. I can't believe FIFA approved Juarez as a host city though. If the US gets put in the group who play their games in Cancun I might have to consider going though.

FWIW U20 WC is in Colombia.

 

[Shzm13]

Juarez is a mess. Im really surprised they got picked to host as well.

Guadalajara, Monterrey, Cancun are all beautiful cities.

 

[Zeno]

US Roster for Brazil friendly on Aug 10...

GOALKEEPERS- Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton)

DEFENDERS- Carlos Bocanegra (Saint-Étienne), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)

MIDFIELDERS- Alejandro Bedoya (Örebro), Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus), Jermaine Jones (Schalke), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht)

FORWARDS- Edson Buddle (Los Angeles Galaxy), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake), Herculez Gomez (Pachuca)

No Onyewu, Dempsey, Holden or Altidore (or Davies for that matter)

Nice to see Jermaine Jones finally get healthy enough to participate.

 

[Mulli]

Let me know when they fire Bradley. Until then, I boycott.

 

[Zeno]

Let me know when they fire Bradley. Until then, I boycott.

Well his contract expires in December and he hasn't been extended. I'm hoping this is his last time on the sidelines for the US.

 

[gr000000vy]

Bradley should not be extended but I have to think he will be... He won the group that included England... Never mind that we were EXPECTED to get out of the group... Never mind he made a mockery of the striker position and Center mid....

 

[azsouthendzone]

Bradley should not be extended but I have to think he will be... He won the group that included England... Never mind that we were EXPECTED to get out of the group... Never mind he made a mockery of the striker position and Center mid....

He also has made a mockery out of the line up for this friendly. This is not the World Cup and it should be used as a way to bring in new, young, talent.

Also heard Freddy Adu is about out of options in Europe. May he be coming back to MLS? He need to get his life in order.

 

[Zeno]

Two roster changes were made for the Brazil match, Altidore replaced Jones and Omar Gonzalez replaced Marshall.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

Altidore's goal for Villarreal vs. Besiktas

 

[Zeno]

Nice to see Altidore score...it is about time. The rumor still persists of him going to Turkey though and playing for the same team he just scored against.

 

[Zeno]

Next game Oct 9th VS Poland

http://www.ussoccer.com/News/Mens-N...oland-on-Oct-9-at-Chicagos-Soldier-Field.aspx

The U.S. Men’s National Team will face Poland on Oct. 9 in Chicago, the home of the U.S. Soccer Federation. Kickoff at Soldier Field is set for 7 p.m. CT, and the match will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel and the Univision networks

I wonder if Bradley will still be coaching at that point?

 

[Renz]

U.S. Soccer, Juergen Klinsmann talking
By Doug McIntyre and Luke Cyphers
ESPN Insider
August 28, 2010

U.S. Soccer has met with former German team coach Juergen Klinsmann about the national team coaching job, currently held by Bob Bradley, according to a source with knowledge of the discussions.

The source indicated Klinsmann, who turned down the Yanks' job after the 2006 World Cup, met with U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati and said Klinsmann is interested in the position, but gave no other details.

A U.S. Soccer spokesman declined to comment. Klinsmann did not immediately return an e-mail message.

On Thursday, Gulati met with Bradley in Los Angeles in what U.S. Soccer has described as the latest in an ongoing series of meetings about the coach's future. Bradley, who led the U.S. team to a victory in the World Cup Group C before bowing to Ghana 2-1 in the Round of 16, is under contract with U.S. Soccer through December.

The U.S. manager has a 38-21-8 record since taking over the squad in 2006. He guided the team to an upset of eventual World Cup champion Spain and a second-place finish in the Confederations Cup in 2009. He has been mentioned as a candidate for the Aston Villa manager's vacancy in the English Premier League and told the BBC that he would be interested in that job.

http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/news/_/id/5505040/klinsmann-gulati-discuss-us-coaching-job

 

[Stout]

Yes! Get this done!

 

[Chaplin]

It's Danish second division, but Benny Feilhaber scored a hat trick for his team today. Rare for an American to do that in a European league.

 

[Zeno]

It's Danish second division, but Benny Feilhaber scored a hat trick for his team today. Rare for an American to do that in a European league.

Yeah...there sure aren't a lot of times with that happening. Goff wrote about it on his blog...

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/soccerinsider/2010/09/american_midfielder_benny_feil.html#comments

I have a feeling Feilhaber will be a winter transfer target for some mid-lower table EPL or Bundesliga team.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

US to play Chile in January, probably at the Home Depot Center in LA.

http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_...t-united-states-to-play-chile-in-january.html

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

US roster for the Poland and Colombia friendlies. New names are Eric Lichaj (who signed a new contract with Aston Villa a few weeks ago), Jermaine Jones, and Brek Shea. No Donovan or any other MLSers except the two FC Dallas guys.

GOALKEEPERS- Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton)
DEFENDERS-Carlos Bocanegra (Saint-Étienne), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Eric Lichaj (Aston Villa), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan), Michael Parkhurst (FC Nordsjaelland), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)
MIDFIELDERS- Alejandro Bedoya (Örebro), Michael Bradley (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus), Stuart Holden (Bolton Wanderers), Jermaine Jones (FC Schalke), Brek Shea (FC Dallas)
FORWARDS-Jozy Altidore (Villarreal), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Eddie Johnson (Fulham)


http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_...calls-in-20-players-for-usmnt-friendlies.html

 

[Chaplin]

Edson Buddle has stunk it up since the World Cup, so no surprise he's not on there.

I will say that we need to make a decision on Dempsey. Is he a RM or a striker? With our problems at the forward position, I say make him the #1 striker and be done with it. He's certainly better than any other option we have.