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I figured I might as well start a thread to talk about next months Gold Cup.
Here is the official 23 man roster as released by US Soccer today
USMNT Gold Cup roster
Goalkeepers
Guzan, Brad Chivas USA (USA)
Howard, Tim Everton (England)
Keller, Kasey Borussia Mönchengladbach (Germany)
Defenders
Bocanegra, Carlos Fulham (England)
Bornstein, Jonathan Chivas USA (USA)
DeMerit, Jay Watford (England)
Hejduk, Frankie Columbus Crew (USA)
Onyewu, Oguchi Standard Liège (Belgium)
Parkhurst, Michael New England Revolution (USA)
Simek, Frank Sheffield Wednesday (England)
Spector, Jonathan West Ham United (England)
Midfielders
Beasley, DaMarcus Manchester City (England)
Bradley, Michael SC Heerenveen (Holland)
Clark, Ricardo Houston Dynamo (USA)
Dempsey, Clint Fulham (England)
Donovan, Landon Los Angeles Galaxy (USA)
Feilhaber, Benny Hamburg SV (Germany)
Mapp, Justin Chicago Fire (USA)
Mastroeni, Pablo Colorado Rapids (USA)
Ralston, Steve New England Revolution (USA)
Forwards
Ching, Brian Houston Dynamo (USA)
Johnson, Eddie Kansas City Wizards (USA)
Twellman, Taylor New England Revolution (USA)
I don't care for the Hejduk and Ralston selections, Pearce(for Hejduk) and another forward like Cooper(for Ralston) would have been better selections IMO.
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Looks like they are bringing the big guns for the Gold Cup, which makes one wonder just how many scrubs they are going to bring to the Copa America considering they already said that many players won't play in both.
And I echo the sentiment around Pearce and Cooper, but if I remember right I think Pearce was dealing with some sort of injury. I dont know if that is still having any effect though.
Looks like they are bringing the big guns for the Gold Cup, which makes one wonder just how many scrubs they are going to bring to the Copa America considering they already said that many players won't play in both.
And I echo the sentiment around Pearce and Cooper, but if I remember right I think Pearce was dealing with some sort of injury. I dont know if that is still having any effect though.
Bradley says he is going to try to bring 8-12 players from the Gold Cup to Copa America, its anyones guess who those 8-12 are. The sissy MLSers will probably go back to their clubs (I'm looking right at Landon Donovan with that sissy remark) because obviously club is more important than country.
Pearce has played the past few games for his Danish club and is set to play for them this weekend as well. Maybe you are thinking of Convey?
Zak Whitbread is another player who deserves a shot this summer. I'd also like to see some of the U20's get some serious chance at PT once their U20 WC run is over (Altidore, Adu, Szetela and Ferrari especially).
Bradley says he is going to try to bring 8-12 players from the Gold Cup to Copa America, its anyones guess who those 8-12 are. The sissy MLSers will probably go back to their clubs (I'm looking right at Landon Donovan with that sissy remark) because obviously club is more important than country.
Pearce has played the past few games for his Danish club and is set to play for them this weekend as well. Maybe you are thinking of Convey?
Zak Whitbread is another player who deserves a shot this summer. I'd also like to see some of the U20's get some serious chance at PT once their U20 WC run is over (Altidore, Adu, Szetela and Ferrari especially).
Sorry but you can't put that on Donovan. Club football needs him too.
Not quite sure what makes him a sissy. The guy loves playing for his country, but if the club demands it then he should go back. Its just unlucky that MLS is a summer league.
Oh yeah, and IMO club is more important than country. I support the national team with a passion most will never know but at the end of the day i'm a football fan because of my club. They are there week in week out, country is just an added bonus.
Sorry but you can't put that on Donovan. Club football needs him too.
Not quite sure what makes him a sissy. The guy loves playing for his country, but if the club demands it then he should go back. Its just unlucky that MLS is a summer league.
Donovan = sissy in my book since he has zero desire to go overseas and improve his game because he gets "homesick"...great players seek out better competition to improve their games. Donovan has always flopped outside of the US--whether its for the National team or whether it was at Leverkusen.
Oh yeah, and IMO club is more important than country. I support the national team with a passion most will never know but at the end of the day i'm a football fan because of my club. They are there week in week out, country is just an added bonus.
I'll never ever say club is more important than country. A player should be proud to represent his country and every players goal should be winning games for your country and ultimately winning the World Cup.
Club provides the income but representing your country defines a player.
Donovan = sissy in my book since he has zero desire to go overseas and improve his game because he gets "homesick"...great players seek out better competition to improve their games. Donovan has always flopped outside of the US--whether its for the National team or whether it was at Leverkusen.
Whilst I see him as a shining light helping to raise the MLS profile. There are plenty of players that don't move to a different country because they like where they are.
With the club v country thing I have always been a Leeds fan and always will til the day I die, you cut me and i'll bleed white (unless i'm watching the Suns and of course purple blood will come a flowin!). The majority of people I know will always pick club over country because their club is a constant in their lives, whilst the national team is often filled with players we hate on a week in week out basis.
Don't get me wrong, I was screaming blue murder when Pope got sent off against Italy and ran out of the house screaming when Beasley scored, the missus had to come get me to tell me it was dis-allowed.
And I echo the sentiment around Pearce and Cooper, but if I remember right I think Pearce was dealing with some sort of injury. I dont know if that is still having any effect though.
Here is some more on Pearce, from ESPN.com...
"But is there really no room for someone like Nordsjaelland left back Heath Pearce? The Californian was called into camp last January, and the last image most observers have of him is his defense-splitting pass that sprung Kenny Cooper for the final goal against Denmark. Yet Bradley would not even hint that Pearce's exclusion means a trip to Venezuela is in his future. It makes one wonder if Pearce's proclamation to Soccer365.com last winter of being "the best left back the U.S. has" -- a not so subtle dig at Bradley fave Jonathan Bornstein -- might have rubbed the U.S. manager the wrong way."
I certainly hope this isn't the case with Bradley, he needs to get our best players in camp especially if Pearce is our best left back (and I think time will prove he is--he's a better player than Bornstein from what I've seen). This is one of my worse fears with Bradley a bias for MLS based players especially those he coached previously, sort of like Arena with players like Agoos and Olsen.
With the club v country thing I have always been a Leeds fan and always will til the day I die, you cut me and i'll bleed white (unless i'm watching the Suns and of course purple blood will come a flowin!). The majority of people I know will always pick club over country because their club is a constant in their lives, whilst the national team is often filled with players we hate on a week in week out basis.
I'm not as much a club fan because a US National Team player will always be an American throughout his playing time but he could play for several clubs during that same time period. Country is the one constant of a players career. There are so many champions in club soccer around the world but ultimately only one in International football--the World Cup holders and that should be every players goal above anything else.
If I had a favorite MLS team and that team was Chicago, I'd have a really hard time cheering for Cuathemoc Blanco because of who he represents in international soccer, in fact I'd probably be disgusted to have him on my favorite team. I honestly watch club games for 2 things 1) to see what Americans are playing and how they are doing and 2) to be entertained by watching high quality soccer...which really is why I have no favorite club but rather favorite players.
If we keep a better squad for the Gold Cup instead of the Copa America, it will be a HUGE mistake. The Gold Cup may be our own domestic prize cup, but we NEED to put our best foot forward in the other tournament, and get the best experience we can out of it.
As for club v country? I love Newcastle United, as many can attest, but between the Magpies winning the Premiership and the US winning the World Cup? I'll take the WC, thanks.
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Veni, vidi, vici--this goes out to all our NFC West chums
Thank you for breaking the circle of suck, Bidwill--Stout, December 7 2008.
If we keep a better squad for the Gold Cup instead of the Copa America, it will be a HUGE mistake. The Gold Cup may be our own domestic prize cup, but we NEED to put our best foot forward in the other tournament, and get the best experience we can out of it.
I agree we can win the Gold Cup with a lesser squad. We won't advance out of the group stages without our A team at Copa.
The first warm up game is June 2nd versus China, the roster for that match will consist of the European based players and players from Chivas USA(as they are the only MLS team with that weekend off). That means we will probably see players like Razov, Guzan, Kljestan and maybe some unknown like Matt Taylor.
With the club v country thing I have always been a Leeds fan and always will til the day I die, you cut me and i'll bleed white (unless i'm watching the Suns and of course purple blood will come a flowin!). The majority of people I know will always pick club over country because their club is a constant in their lives, whilst the national team is often filled with players we hate on a week in week out basis.
I have the impression that the British generally feel more loyal to their club than the national team. I feel the same way for baseball and basketball. I want my pro team to win. I don't care if the US wins international competitions in those sports. But the MLS has been around for just over 10 years, and the number of people that would rather see their MLS club succeed before the US team has to be miniscule.
Landon Donovan, and every other MLS player, should want to play in all USMNT matches and not be concerned with their status with their club.
I have the impression that the British generally feel more loyal to their club than the national team. I feel the same way for baseball and basketball. I want my pro team to win. I don't care if the US wins international competitions in those sports. But the MLS has been around for just over 10 years, and the number of people that would rather see their MLS club succeed before the US team has to be miniscule.
Landon Donovan, and every other MLS player, should want to play in all USMNT matches and not be concerned with their status with their club.
I think as MLS grows stronger and has been around for a much longer time then US fans will start to feel the same way. My dad was a Leeds fan and his dad before him so history plays a big part.
The US sports analogy is a good one. How many people would want Team USA to win the Olympics over the Suns winning a title. I wouldn't predict many.
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