Americans Abroad

[ZooCougar]

If he can't do it at the Gold Cup, we need to wrap up a World Cup berth early. Because both of these players need to be cap tied.

I heard Gooch on the Men in Blazers podcast. He's been with Sunderland since he was like 10 maybe? He didn't even have an American accent, but he said that while he would entertain attention from Ireland, it would only happen if he were totally ignored. At least that was the sensing I got. Gooch and Pulisic traded jerseys when BVB played Sunderland in the preseason, and it sounds like he talks to Jurgen regularly enough.

I don't know much about CCV. What I do know is that like Gooch, he's been in the "program" for a while, and is probably our centerback prospect of the future. As you recall he was critical in the U-20 World Cup so you could be relatively certain that he knows that he is in Jurgen's plans.

If its me, I'm calling both in for October and November. I'd dump someone like Zusi or Wondo for Gooch and Orozco or Birnbaum for CCV.

As we have seen, Jurgen is a pretty effective recruiter. I struggle to think of anyone that has been called in that spurned the USMNT that we actually miss under his tenure. Tony Tchani opted to play for Cameroon, but it's not like he would get on the field if Nagbe couldn't.

 

[SAMCRO]

I hope JK uses these two friendlies to get a core group gelling for the matches v Mexico and @ CR. Sub in Gooch, CCV, and anyone else critical who needs a cap late in the match, (to lock them up), but he needs to have this team in good from right out of the gate for the Mexico and @CR games. Earning 4 or 6 points would be massive, but he needs a minimum of 3 points from these two games.

CCV and a few others may only play a limited role in qualifying for the '18 WC, but will play a much more involved role during the actual World Cup. Providing a lot of solid depth and meaningful minutes.

Gooch, CCV, Cameron, Yedlin all getting good EPL/League Championship experience over the next 2 years. Pulsiic, Wood, Chandler, Johnson all getting good experience in the Bundesliga the next 2 years, and if Miazga, Zelalem, and Green can get regular time with whichever clubs they are loaned to, it could bring a solid group of young guys in Europe to the USMNT fold (and I am sure I am missing on a couple names). Pair them with Nagbe, Sascha, Altidore, Morris, Jones, Bradley, Dempsey, and other MLSers and it will be a nice balance of youth and experience come 2018. Gotta get out of the Hex first though.

 

[businesslawyer]

FWIW, playing someone in a friendly (like the October matches) does not prevent them from switching (one time) to another country. You have to play them in a World Cup qualifier or a real international tournament (Gold Cup or last summer's Copa) to tie them to your nation forever.

 

[ZooCougar]

FWIW, playing someone in a friendly (like the October matches) does not prevent them from switching (one time) to another country. You have to play them in a World Cup qualifier or a real international tournament (Gold Cup or last summer's Copa) to tie them to your nation forever.

Tracking that, but just getting the call up is a nice way of reinforcing that bond. And it would be fantastic to wrap up the Hex early, but this is CONCACAF and we'll always get tripped up down in Costa Rica or something. It's inevitable.

 

[businesslawyer]

Tracking that, but just getting the call up is a nice way of reinforcing that bond. And it would be fantastic to wrap up the Hex early, but this is CONCACAF and we'll always get tripped up down in Costa Rica or something. It's inevitable.

Yup. If it was me, I'd play the home game against New Zealand with the 11 who would play against Mexico except for injuries, and I'd play a younger, developmental squad at Cuba.

 

[ZooCougar]

Lynden Gooch, Sunderland's young US star: 'I knew I was good enough'

 

[ZooCougar]

Julian Green transferred to Stuttgart. This will be good for him.

 

[LIuconn]

Yes it will. And Bobby Wood scored a heckuva goal yesterday - he should draw attention from some better clubs this summer

 

[businesslawyer]

Julian Green transferred to Stuttgart. This will be good for him.

Green going anywhere where he can play regularly right now will be a good thing. Hopefully he can find the field at Stuttgart and help it fight for promotion.

 

[ZooCougar]

Interesting. Former Bob Bradley USMNT assistant and current Red Bulls manager Jesse Marsch has been summoned to Europe and is rumored to be taking over Red Bull Salzburg.

Also, I may have mentioned this before but at the beginning of the month I recently flew from Newark to KC with former Red Bulls Coach and player Mike Petke. I told him that they were dumb for removing him even though Jesse was doing as good of a job. Mike told me that he thought he had been blackballed.

A couple weeks later he was hired to coach Real Salt Lake's USL team. Happy for that guy.

On the plane, I thought he might traveling to take KC's USL Job since their coach left to the San Francisco NASL club but I guess Bruce was running a conference about the new USMNT facility in KC.

 

[ZooCougar]

Looking like Pulisic's move to Liverpool is dead until the summer. Dortmund refuses to sell. He has scored in both friendlies they have played in the winter break.

Dortmund is trying to sign Gedion Zelalem.

 

[ZooCougar]

 

[businesslawyer]

Interesting. Former Bob Bradley USMNT assistant and current Red Bulls manager Jesse Marsch has been summoned to Europe and is rumored to be taking over Red Bull Salzburg.

Also, I may have mentioned this before but at the beginning of the month I recently flew from Newark to KC with former Red Bulls Coach and player Mike Petke. I told him that they were dumb for removing him even though Jesse was doing as good of a job. Mike told me that he thought he had been blackballed.

A couple weeks later he was hired to coach Real Salt Lake's USL team. Happy for that guy.

On the plane, I thought he might traveling to take KC's USL Job since their coach left to the San Francisco NASL club but I guess Bruce was running a conference about the new USMNT facility in KC.

What would he have been blackballed for? Overachievement?

 

[businesslawyer]

Looking like Pulisic's move to Liverpool is dead until the summer. Dortmund refuses to sell. He has scored in both friendlies they have played in the winter break.

Dortmund is trying to sign Gedion Zelalem.

Zalalem needs to be on the field somewhere. Anywhere. If Dortmund wants him because they want to play him, that would be great. But I'd be surprised if he helps them.

Same with Pulisic -- at his age it's all about playing. If he can get more run at Liverpool than Dortmund, great, but to make that move for less minutes would be a step back.

 

[ZooCougar]

What would he have been blackballed for? Overachievement?

He basically said he hadn't been seriously considered for anything since then. Getting an MLS head coaching job apparently is all about having the right powerpoint presentation and being willing to be paid less then the other guys interviewing.

 

[ZooCougar]

Zalalem needs to be on the field somewhere. Anywhere. If Dortmund wants him because they want to play him, that would be great. But I'd be surprised if he helps them.

Same with Pulisic -- at his age it's all about playing. If he can get more run at Liverpool than Dortmund, great, but to make that move for less minutes would be a step back.

Dortmund actually has a record of developing guys. But I think they want him to get minutes with their lower division side. I can't see Zelalem getting minutes any time soon with Arsenal.

Also Emerson Hyndman was loaned by Bournemouth to Rangers. I think signing with Bournemouth was a bad move for him.

 

[businesslawyer]

Dortmund actually has a record of developing guys. But I think they want him to get minutes with their lower division side. I can't see Zelalem getting minutes any time soon with Arsenal.

Also Emerson Hyndman was loaned by Bournemouth to Rangers. I think signing with Bournemouth was a bad move for him.

I think they signed him expecting to play him. I think the injury cost him his chance, and now he needs minutes to be able to challenge for a spot again. But I've never been impressed with Hundman's athleticism, although he clearly has good instincts.

 

[ZooCougar]

I think they signed him expecting to play him. I think the injury cost him his chance, and now he needs minutes to be able to challenge for a spot again. But I've never been impressed with Hundman's athleticism, although he clearly has good instincts.

I thought he looked pretty boss in the U20 World Cup. He was basically running things and had good free kick.

I kind of figured he would be like a Michael Bradley, when Bradley was good. He didn't get as many minutes at Fulham last season even though he was always good when he got on the field. Most of their fans thought that he was treated poorly.

 

[businesslawyer]

I thought he looked pretty boss in the U20 World Cup. He was basically running things and had good free kick.

I kind of figured he would be like a Michael Bradley, when Bradley was good. He didn't get as many minutes at Fulham last season even though he was always good when he got on the field. Most of their fans thought that he was treated poorly.

I'm higher on Hyndman than Zalalem. Hyndman may not have star all over him, but could develop into a very good national team player. Zalalem, as I"ve said before, to me has Freddy Adu written all over him. Outstanding ball skills, but not a lot of either size or athleticism. Obviously better scouts than I see something in him, but in the one game I saw him play for Rangers and 2 or 3 for the national junior team, I have not been bowled over.

 

[ZooCougar]

I'm higher on Hyndman than Zalalem. Hyndman may not have star all over him, but could develop into a very good national team player. Zalalem, as I"ve said before, to me has Freddy Adu written all over him. Outstanding ball skills, but not a lot of either size or athleticism. Obviously better scouts than I see something in him, but in the one game I saw him play for Rangers and 2 or 3 for the national junior team, I have not been bowled over.

I haven't seen him play at all for club teams. He needs to fill out a bit. I also read that it looked like the game was too fast for him in Scotland. OTOH he sometimes looked like the best player on the field for the U20s.

 

[businesslawyer]

I haven't seen him play at all for club teams. He needs to fill out a bit. I also read that it looked like the game was too fast for him in Scotland. OTOH he sometimes looked like the best player on the field for the U20s.

I never thought that. I thought he might have the best technical skills on the U20s, but never that he was the best player.

Again, I don't want to be overly negative -- I wish the young man nothing but success. But from the U-20 team playing in the world cup, I at no point thought he was one of the best players on it.

 

[ZooCougar]

I never thought that. I thought he might have the best technical skills on the U20s, but never that he was the best player.

Again, I don't want to be overly negative -- I wish the young man nothing but success. But from the U-20 team playing in the world cup, I at no point thought he was one of the best players on it.

Who was then? Aside from Arriola who was pretty good. But I can't think of anyone worth remembering other than Tommy Thompson who is just an athlete with low technical skills.

 

[SAMCRO]

Agree BL, Zalalem needs to get some run, anywhere at this point. He struggled with Rangers on loan last season (in the 2nd div. of Scottish football), he regularly gets pushed around but doesn't seem to have the speed to overcome that. Hope he turns out to be as good as Arsenal believes he could be when they signed him.

Pulisic has had a nice run in the 2 friendlies so far. I believe he'll have a very good second half of the season, and if Liverpool wants him the price will be pretty high.

CCV had a solid 90 minutes for Spurs v. Villa in FA Cup play last weekend. Granted it was Villa, but he looked like he belonged. Will be tough to get many minutes playing behind Vertonghen and Alderweireld (2 starters for Belgium's national team), so he will need to take advantage of the opportunities during FA Cup, and possibly Europa matches in February.

 

[ZooCougar]

This is with the U-23s this fall. He looks great. Just need to give him some time to grow.

 

[ZooCougar]

Agree BL, Zalalem needs to get some run, anywhere at this point. He struggled with Rangers on loan last season (in the 2nd div. of Scottish football), he regularly gets pushed around but doesn't seem to have the speed to overcome that. Hope he turns out to be as good as Arsenal believes he could be when they signed him.

Pulisic has had a nice run in the 2 friendlies so far. I believe he'll have a very good second half of the season, and if Liverpool wants him the price will be pretty high.

CCV had a solid 90 minutes for Spurs v. Villa in FA Cup play last weekend. Granted it was Villa, but he looked like he belonged. Will be tough to get many minutes playing behind Vertonghen and Alderweireld (2 starters for Belgium's national team), so he will need to take advantage of the opportunities during FA Cup, and possibly Europa matches in February.

Did Jurgen ever cap CCV? I heard that game on the radio. They called his name all day and they praised his play.

I am so afraid that Arena is going to screw up CCV just like he and Thomas Rongen did with Neven Subotic. Oh and Rongen is back working for Arena. He might as well hire that Cosmos goalkeeper guy that does the Red Bulls games. Glorified gym teachers.