Arena names invitees for USMNT January camp | The Boneyard

Arena names invitees for USMNT January camp

SAMCRO

SAMCRO

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It's all MLS (the European players are all in season... Bundesliga is the only league that takes a winter break, but they resume games 1/20). Two friendlies scheduled against Serbia (Jan. 29) and Jamaica (Feb. 3)

Zardes, Nagbe, Felhaber all invited.

LINK
 
About what I was expecting. I also half expect Dax and Benny to start the next WCQ
 
Camp Cupcake in session. Still Wondo, but at least no Beckerman (or Donovan)
 
ZooCougar said:
Benny is good, I liked Juergen but he got that one wrong.
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meyers7 said:
Camp Cupcake in session. Still Wondo, but at least no Beckerman (or Donovan)
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O.K., I'll bite. What do you have to be negative about exactly? That we have a camp that European based players can't attend? Even when the alternative is to lose the opportunity to have a camp at all and it was never meant to represent our first team? What?
 
businesslawyer said:
O.K., I'll bite. What do you have to be negative about exactly? That we have a camp that European based players can't attend? Even when the alternative is to lose the opportunity to have a camp at all and it was never meant to represent our first team? What?
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Camp JV team is better. Benny is the best #10 in the pool though. Only Sacha came close to those numbers over the past 2 seasons.

I know some people that are pretty well connected to Sporting KC ownership. Word is that Benny got blackballed by a few players (probably led by Beckerman, strong hunch) and he has been excluded over conflicts.
 
ZooCougar said:
Camp JV team is better. Benny is the best #10 in the pool though. Only Sacha came close to those numbers over the past 2 seasons.

I know some people that are pretty well connected to Sporting KC ownership. Word is that Benny got blackballed by a few players (probably led by Beckerman, strong hunch) and he has been excluded over conflicts.
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I thought both Benny and Sachs deserved chances from JK long before Sachs got his. But as much as I disliked JK, if we want to be fair neither one of them seized their spots when they got the change to earlier in their careers.
 
businesslawyer said:
I thought both Benny and Sachs deserved chances from JK long before Sachs got his. But as much as I disliked JK, if we want to be fair neither one of them seized their spots when they got the change to earlier in their careers.
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Weren't they regulars under Bradley? I think Benny was on the field a bunch in South Africa in 2010.

Benny really changed since he transferred to KC. He's more of a two way player and way more fit. His free kick ability is scary good which is why he has so many assists. Honestly, if Sporting hadn't resigned him to a new contract then I probably would have canceled my tickets because he was one of two or three players left worth paying money to see.

He had rep for being lazy on the defensive side of the ball. The good thing with him is that is low mileage for his age.

Sachs was really mediocre in Belgium. Which is why I think Jurgen was unimpressed. But... Every time I have seen him in person in MLS he stands out and is usually the best guy on the ball. Both are pure #10s and are the best at that role regardless of which league they are in.

Even still, Jurgen kept calling in AWFUL Mix Diskerud over those guys. Mix can't even get on the field in MLS and absolutely nobody wants him.

One thing that I agree with Bruce Arena on is that we need a better passer in the middle. Michael Bradley has fallen off and Jermaine Jones is unreliable. Bedoya is not really all that great centrally in my opinion.

The other thing I will agree with Bruce on is trying Graham Zusi at right back. This was something Sporting did with him one or two times last season and it didn't look bad at all. He just doesn't have the pace to be a forward anymore. That poor guy declined precipitously after the last world cup.
 
businesslawyer said:
O.K., I'll bite. What do you have to be negative about exactly? That we have a camp that European based players can't attend? Even when the alternative is to lose the opportunity to have a camp at all and it was never meant to represent our first team? What?
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Wondo. What?
 
businesslawyer said:
If you ever see Wondo on the field under Arena in a meaningful game I'll listen. But for a 30 man roster of just MLS players to make the camp work, it's hardly stupid.
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Never said stupid, just pointless. A 29 man roster probably works just as well.
 
meyers7 said:
Never said stupid, just pointless. A 29 man roster probably works just as well.
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Would it be pointless if Arena thinks his senior status and work ethic make him a good example for newer national pool players at the camp?

I'm on your side about wanting to see him ever play meaningful minutes for us again, but with Pulisic, Johansson, Bobby Wood, Boyd, Rubin, Perez, et al. All playing in Europe, I just don't think his inclusion is worth mentioning.
 
businesslawyer said:
Would it be pointless if Arena thinks his senior status and work ethic make him a good example for newer national pool players at the camp?
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Yes.

You have Rimando, Beasley, Zusi, Bradley, Jones, Bedoya, Kjlestan, Altidore. You think they can't handle the leadership stuff? You just GOT to have Wondo in there, or everything will fall apart??????

You know, I didn't say it originally, but it is stupid.

businesslawyer said:
I'm on your side about wanting to see him ever play meaningful minutes for us again, but with Pulisic, Johansson, Bobby Wood, Boyd, Rubin, Perez, et al. All playing in Europe, I just don't think his inclusion is worth mentioning.
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Anytime he is associated with the MNT, it's worth mentioning....in a negative manner.
 
Through the first 25 minutes of USMNT v Serbia and there's a LOT of rust on the US (about what you'd expect since they're in the MLS off-season). Bradley playing very deep for a midfielder, almost playing more of a 5-4-1 as opposed to the 4-2-3-1. Serbia's 'C' team is giving the US 'B' team/MLS'ers all they want, and the US is lucky to not have been called for a trip in the box.
 
I can't even begin to fathom the criticism that would be heaped on Jurgen for starting Zusi at RB and essentially playing "World Class" Bradley as a center half.
 
There is no one who knows how to finish. No confidence with the ball in front of the net.
And I forgot how bad the US players first touches are.

These announcers are REEEAAACCHHIINNNGGG to find something positive to say.
 
SAMCRO said:
There is no one who knows how to finish. No confidence with the ball in front of the net.
And I forgot how bad the US players first touches are.

These announcers are REEEAAACCHHIINNNGGG to find something positive to say.
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Maybe the best thing that could happen is to miss the World Cup so that we can finally get serious about soccer.
 
Zusi had a decent game at right back. I thought Marshall and Birnbaum were a nice pairing together. And I finally got the Nagbe start that I have been begging for.

I'm not going to criticize Arena too much for today because he couldn't use some of the foreign based players. But one thing that made me shake my head is why he stuck with Bradley and Jones in the middle during a friendly against the Serbian third string. This was the time to see what else we have. It's not like Jones and Bradley need time to get used to each other. It was a wasted opportunity...
 
I didn't watch - too busy taking in the sights at Torrey Pines. Did we find one or two new players that can contribute for our 'A' team?
 
Arena is at Craven's Cottage today watching Tim Ream play for Fulham v Tottenham. They mentioned that Geoff Cameron may not be back in time for the March qualifiers.
 
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