An all MLS side can't get it done against Jamaica...and the World Cup is under 2 months away!!!
For those of you who watched last night's US National Team match...I'm sorry. You weren't treated to the beautiful game. There were fits and starts...but nothing American fans have come to expect from the best we have to offer.
Ok, you got me. The match against Jamaica last night was the US Nat "B" team of sorts. Yes, Landon Donovan was there and in the first half he was the shining star. Yes, Eddie Pope was there and he held together the defense. Yes, Pablo was there and as a Rapids fan it pains me to see him play well in central defense for the Nats after leaving enough room for Houston to score 5 goals 10 days earlier. So some of the regular stars were in Cary, NC last night. However, last night was more about the B teamers. It was a chance for the MLS guys to put their last claim on a part of the 23 man World Cup squad.
By now you know me well enough to know we're first going to look at where these guys learned to play. Question #1...did they go to an American college and play soccer? Let's see...
Only three of the players from last night's match didn't go to an American college. The last three guys on the list didn't see any playing time yesterday.
You see a lot of the major college programs listed; UCLA, UVA, Maryland and IU. The guys coming out of the smaller school have got to be thanking MLS for finding them because in the past ten years, if you weren't at a big soccer power, you weren't getting looks on the national team. As I've said before, some players take longer to develop than others and the college system is a good place to learn.
That being said, not all of these guys are going to the World Cup. In fact, I suspect that between 8-10 of these guys will make the trip to Germany.
First, I think the following 4 players are locks; Pope, Pablo, Landycakes & JOB. They all proved themselves in the last World Cup and have been a big part of this qualification cycle. JOB is the only one who hasn't featured heavily in Bruce's plans over the last 2 years because of injury. However, O'Brien is getting healthy at the right time and when Landon calls you the best soccer player in the country you've got a good chance of making the team. JOB has to hope his injury bug will take off this summer. Heck, all Americans have to hope that is the case because we're a better team with him on the field.
Next are the maybe's. There are two classes of maybe's in my eyes. A's & B's. The A's are young, hungry and just flat out talented. The Bruce showed in the last World Cup that those are the guys who surprise you in big games. DaMarcus Beasley was in this group before the 2002 cup. His MLS play got him noticed, his speed and creativity got him on the team, his desire made him a star on the world stage. This time around I think the A's are; Albright, Dempsey, Wolff and Johnson. Last night the addition of Dempsey and Johnson really perked up the US attack. Jamaica saw a lot less of the ball in the second half and a lot more quick steps coming their way and it was Dempsey and Johnson providing most of the magic. Without their performances last night I would have fallen asleep on the couch. Albright has the skill and has learned the right back position well. He's the lowest rated A in my book. Wolff isn't my favorite player but I've got to give him respect. He has some flashes of brilliance...I said some, not tons.
The B's are guys who have been around the block with the Nats but I don't think...or I hope...they're not going to make the team. I consider the B's to be; Hejduk, Ralston, Olsen, Noonan, Twellman and Ching. Last night Ralston closed the door to his World Cup dream. His play was uninspired and slow. Dempsey came in and changed the game, drastically improving the position after Ralston. Dempsey may not be the ball crosser Ralston is, but Deuce adds a lot more to a game. Hejduk will actually make this team I fear. The Bruce has a crush on him or something. I find Frankie reckless and unskilled. Yes, he has sprinters speed but that won't win you games. Olsen's stock has risen recently and he is finally earning some of the praise he received when he joined MLS. I hope to see him in the coming camps because I think his heart is in the right place. Noonan is a good player but he's shown too many times that when it counts, he's out. Same goes for Twellman and Ching. If we need a bench striker I'd take Twellman over Ching any day, hopefully Bruce will too.
Meola was only there last night to get his 100th Cap for the Nats. A nice gesture from Bruce to one of the innovators of the sport in our country. Without Meola there would be a lot of young kids not following this sport in New Jersey. Reis is a thug and I am thankful there are a bunch of keepers ahead of him in line. If he makes the team and actually plays in a World Cup match he will actually try to injure the other team's strikers....just ask Alecko Eskandarian and Fabrice Noel. Garcia is a quality center back in MLS but we've got a lot of options there and he hasn't had a great chance at this team, unfortunately. Zavagnin could make the team if Pablo goes down injured...which there has a good possibility of happening.
So that's what I think of last night's roster. The team out there last night really needed the wing play of RUN DMB, or the target up top in Brian McBride, or the control of Reyna, or the keeping of Keller. Thankfully all those pieces will fall together in the final month before the cup, because if this team went to Germany, it would be 1998 all over again.
Ok, you got me. The match against Jamaica last night was the US Nat "B" team of sorts. Yes, Landon Donovan was there and in the first half he was the shining star. Yes, Eddie Pope was there and he held together the defense. Yes, Pablo was there and as a Rapids fan it pains me to see him play well in central defense for the Nats after leaving enough room for Houston to score 5 goals 10 days earlier. So some of the regular stars were in Cary, NC last night. However, last night was more about the B teamers. It was a chance for the MLS guys to put their last claim on a part of the 23 man World Cup squad.
By now you know me well enough to know we're first going to look at where these guys learned to play. Question #1...did they go to an American college and play soccer? Let's see...
| Player | - | College | |
| Tony Meola | - | UVA | |
| Chris Albright | - | UVA | |
| Eddie Pope | - | UNC | |
| Frankie Hejduk | - | UCLA | |
| Steve Ralston | - | FIU | |
| (Clint Dempsey, 55) | - | Furman | |
| Ben Olsen | - | UVA | |
| Pablo Mastroeni | - | NC State | |
| Landon Donovan | - | N/A | |
| Pat Noonan | - | IU | |
| (John Obrien, 67) | - | N/A | |
| Josh Wolff | - | South Carolina | |
| (Eddie Johnson, 46) | - | N/A | |
| Taylor Twellman | - | Maryland | |
| (Brian Ching, 46). | - | Gonzaga | |
| Nick Garcia | - | IU | |
| Kerry Zavagnin | - | UNC | |
| Matt Reis | - | UCLA |
Only three of the players from last night's match didn't go to an American college. The last three guys on the list didn't see any playing time yesterday.
You see a lot of the major college programs listed; UCLA, UVA, Maryland and IU. The guys coming out of the smaller school have got to be thanking MLS for finding them because in the past ten years, if you weren't at a big soccer power, you weren't getting looks on the national team. As I've said before, some players take longer to develop than others and the college system is a good place to learn.
That being said, not all of these guys are going to the World Cup. In fact, I suspect that between 8-10 of these guys will make the trip to Germany.
First, I think the following 4 players are locks; Pope, Pablo, Landycakes & JOB. They all proved themselves in the last World Cup and have been a big part of this qualification cycle. JOB is the only one who hasn't featured heavily in Bruce's plans over the last 2 years because of injury. However, O'Brien is getting healthy at the right time and when Landon calls you the best soccer player in the country you've got a good chance of making the team. JOB has to hope his injury bug will take off this summer. Heck, all Americans have to hope that is the case because we're a better team with him on the field.
Next are the maybe's. There are two classes of maybe's in my eyes. A's & B's. The A's are young, hungry and just flat out talented. The Bruce showed in the last World Cup that those are the guys who surprise you in big games. DaMarcus Beasley was in this group before the 2002 cup. His MLS play got him noticed, his speed and creativity got him on the team, his desire made him a star on the world stage. This time around I think the A's are; Albright, Dempsey, Wolff and Johnson. Last night the addition of Dempsey and Johnson really perked up the US attack. Jamaica saw a lot less of the ball in the second half and a lot more quick steps coming their way and it was Dempsey and Johnson providing most of the magic. Without their performances last night I would have fallen asleep on the couch. Albright has the skill and has learned the right back position well. He's the lowest rated A in my book. Wolff isn't my favorite player but I've got to give him respect. He has some flashes of brilliance...I said some, not tons.
The B's are guys who have been around the block with the Nats but I don't think...or I hope...they're not going to make the team. I consider the B's to be; Hejduk, Ralston, Olsen, Noonan, Twellman and Ching. Last night Ralston closed the door to his World Cup dream. His play was uninspired and slow. Dempsey came in and changed the game, drastically improving the position after Ralston. Dempsey may not be the ball crosser Ralston is, but Deuce adds a lot more to a game. Hejduk will actually make this team I fear. The Bruce has a crush on him or something. I find Frankie reckless and unskilled. Yes, he has sprinters speed but that won't win you games. Olsen's stock has risen recently and he is finally earning some of the praise he received when he joined MLS. I hope to see him in the coming camps because I think his heart is in the right place. Noonan is a good player but he's shown too many times that when it counts, he's out. Same goes for Twellman and Ching. If we need a bench striker I'd take Twellman over Ching any day, hopefully Bruce will too.
Meola was only there last night to get his 100th Cap for the Nats. A nice gesture from Bruce to one of the innovators of the sport in our country. Without Meola there would be a lot of young kids not following this sport in New Jersey. Reis is a thug and I am thankful there are a bunch of keepers ahead of him in line. If he makes the team and actually plays in a World Cup match he will actually try to injure the other team's strikers....just ask Alecko Eskandarian and Fabrice Noel. Garcia is a quality center back in MLS but we've got a lot of options there and he hasn't had a great chance at this team, unfortunately. Zavagnin could make the team if Pablo goes down injured...which there has a good possibility of happening.
So that's what I think of last night's roster. The team out there last night really needed the wing play of RUN DMB, or the target up top in Brian McBride, or the control of Reyna, or the keeping of Keller. Thankfully all those pieces will fall together in the final month before the cup, because if this team went to Germany, it would be 1998 all over again.
posted by Bonji at
11:34 AM
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