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OT: Landon Donovan Left Off USA WC Squad
- Thread starter UConnDan97
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Great article from 2012 re: Klinsman's overall strategy to win in Brazil. Very much attention to fitness and speed of the game. Almost fanatical. I had severe doubts that Donovan would make the 23, since about 2 years ago. Even though I was still surprised.
http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/st...roactive-playing-style-leander-schaerlaeckens
Superior conditioning underpins Klinsmann's master plan for taking the U.S. program to the next level, theoretically birthing a faster-paced game, increased possession and pressure on the ball, and a "more proactive" style intended to "go at the other team."
"It's part of elevating the level of the players, because the base of everything you do is how fast you can do it and how fast you can recover," explained Klinsmann. "So if you want to pick up the speed of play on a high international level, then you have to build a foundation for it. So everything we do, we do it with a lot of speed, with high intensity. You can't train slow stuff and then ask them to play 200 miles an hour [in a game]."
http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/st...roactive-playing-style-leander-schaerlaeckens
Superior conditioning underpins Klinsmann's master plan for taking the U.S. program to the next level, theoretically birthing a faster-paced game, increased possession and pressure on the ball, and a "more proactive" style intended to "go at the other team."
"It's part of elevating the level of the players, because the base of everything you do is how fast you can do it and how fast you can recover," explained Klinsmann. "So if you want to pick up the speed of play on a high international level, then you have to build a foundation for it. So everything we do, we do it with a lot of speed, with high intensity. You can't train slow stuff and then ask them to play 200 miles an hour [in a game]."
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Surprised too. But I get it and accept it.
I lucked into MLS All Star Game tickets last year and saw Landon play for a few minutes. Still felt like he was one of the best players on the pitch.
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Julian Green plays on the best Pro team in the world and has stood up quite well. He is not on the best team in the world because he lacks anything.
After that, the preseason games became more serious. Bayern Munich defeated Brescia 3-0 in Italy and Julian Green came on in the 60th minute. While not scoring, he was very dangerous against the Serie B club. He scored in the fourth friendly, a 6-0 win against SG Sonnenhof Großaspach. He then played the final 10 minutes in the fifth friendly against Hansa Rostock 4-0. “The training was very intensive and we have learned many new things—especially about tactics,” Green told ASN on playing with Bayern Munich's first team. “It was a great chance for me, and really fun. I have enjoyed playing with the older players and working with this great coach every day.” Playing with the likes of Jerome Boateng, Franck Ribery, and Thomas Muller on the best team in the world might seem intimidating to some, but Green has enjoyed the opportunity and fit in with the stars on the team.
Johanssen is more of a question mark. He has played internationally at a young age and obviously. Last he played in the Netherlands in their upper League. Had 17 goals in league play. Had the winning goal against Panama as well.
It's obvious that Klinsman values International competition and recent level of play rather than past World Cup experience.
intlzncster
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Well, then we are ducked (note: I think we kind of are). Because we have been banking on our team defense to see it through this one. Nobody ever mistook LD for a decent defensive player.
I don't see how this matters greatly in big picture. I personally would have kept LD on for the 15 minute offensive sub role, on creativity/skill alone (leaving aside fitness). That said, I don't feel (opinion), that having LD for 15m per game is going to be the difference between us advancing or going home. We literally have the group of death.
intlzncster
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Unfortunately he's been looking in as bad form as LD in club play.
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intlzncster
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To be fair, when you are a good goal scorer, and you have more caps than anyone in history (ex Kobe Jones), you will have more goals than anyone else.
If you look at goals per cap, its fairly even:
LD 53/156 = 34%
CD 36/103 = 35%
JA 21/67 = 31%
However I think if you look at total points, that's where LD shines. I'm too lazy to look up the stats though.
intlzncster
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From what I've read, I don't think it was a behind the scenes deal nor a personal ego thing of JKs. I think he's a typical old school cold blooded German, with a fixed view and structure of how he wants the USMNT to function. LD doesn't fit anymore, so he's out. Whether that methodology is too inflexible or narrow is up for debate.
While it's certainly a controversy from a pure soccer perspective, people in our country always want there to be more behind these sorts of things than there actually is.
intlzncster
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Also, I think you're doing Wondo a little disservice here. Yes, he's not on Donovan's level, but it hasn't been JUST friendlies.
Wondolowski was a hero of the U.S.'s triumph in last summer's Gold Cup with five goals in the first two games. He also scored twice in a friendly against South Korea in February, and once against Mexico in April. He has five goals in nine games for the San Jose Earthquakes so far this season.
intlzncster
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And very German! I personally like the discipline focus of JK. But I've some German ancestry, so...
intlzncster
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Then why is Altidore at on the squad?? He has been decidedly less than stellar for his club team.
In case of confusion, I'm just kidding with the first sentence there to make a point.
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He played very well for AZ then they sold his rights to Sunderland and he got a 4-year contract. He was in the dog house. Which Jozy will show up is the ?? Johanssen can come in and I think that Wondo will play with the chip on his shoulder and is my vote to be the hero of the WC.
On Sunday April 14, Altidore netted his third hat-trick of the season in a 6-0 victory over FC Utrecht.[40] On 9 May, he scored the winning goal against PSV in the KNVB Cup final, helping AZ to lift the Dutch Cup for the first time in 31 years.[41] Subsequently Altidore became the first-ever American to be named in De Telegraaf's "Team of the Season" after finishing with 23 goals in the Eredivisie and 8 in the KNVB Cup.[42]
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UConnDan97
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Look, again, I hope I'm wrong. But if you are going to use late-game appearances against Serie B squads or against teams like Grossaspach or Rostock, you're not going to convince me of anything. I hope Julian is the next great player for the US, but his resume has very little right now to suggest that he's ready to deliver the big-time moment. He might have the talent to do so, but he certainly hasn't yet done so...
UConnDan97
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Don't mistake what I'm saying. I'm not saying that I think Donovan is better than Dempsey. In fact, I'm one of the few who thinks that Clint Dempsey is the greatest American player ever to play.
What I'm saying is that Landon has proven that he can score in the big moments. You want someone like that on the team, even if it's on the bench, especially when you absolutely need a goal to get through to the next round. There are very few instances (i.e., troublemaker in the locker room) where you leave a guy like that home...
UConnDan97
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I'm not trying to do Wondo a disservice. What I'm trying to say is EXACTLY what you've already stated (above in bold). Since everyone knows that he's not on Donovan's level....why is Donovan sitting at home right now? Exactly my point...
intlzncster
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No, I got the point, I was just saying defending Wondo (a lot of people have been ripping on him for some reason). I think both guys should have been on the squad, and you could leave, oh I don't know, Johannsonn off. There's talk of Wondo not being on the roster in some corners, and I'm just like, "damn, what's a guy got to do to make the roster?" He's earned his spot.
Make no mistake, there would have been controversy throughout the WC if LD wasn't getting minutes anyway.
I'm one of the few who'd leave Julian Green on the team simply for the experience of being at the WC. He is unequivocally the future, so lets make his progress as accelerated as possible. I've always been a long term thinker for US soccer though, so YMMV.
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intlzncster
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Yeah, I think it's hard to argue he couldn't have been a valuable assert off the bench. I really think this is a case of JK's germanic discipline of sticking to the system he has decided to implement -- fast, athletic players who recover quickly.
JK reminds me very much of Bill Belickick in terms of his coldblooded sticktoitiveness towards his system. Zero leeway or sentimentality.
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In recent years, how much did Donovan' decision(s) to take time periods off from international competition influence his cut?intlzncster said:
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intlzncster
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I definitely think it did as well. JK is a ten toes in kind of guy. If you offer only nine, you are out.
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Like someone said earlier, if he had pulled that over here in Germany I would be mildly surprised if he ever played for National Team again.
I think LD being out is a combination of his fitness, not fitting into what JK has planned for Brazil, and JK also looking ahead to the future beyond 2014.
I'm certainly not wringing my hands over this; one player who very well could have been coming in as 2nd half replacement most likely will not make or break this team's final result.
UConnDan97
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That's not true. Let's be honest about it.
If Bastian Schweinsteiger took a "sabbatical", and then wished to return during WCQ (which is what Donovan did), he would either be let back on the team or the coach would be changed. The average player? Maybe you'd be right. The star? You're dead wrong.
I'll give you two recent examples from Italy that fit the mold of people who had lost their minds even more than Donovan: Balotelli and Cassano. Both found themselves back on the national team, and the coach found ways to reincorporate them into the team dynamic.
If the player is good enough, the coaches find ways to adjust...
SubbaBub
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The sabbatical is overblown and not relevant. If you understand the international calendar, it made sense for LD to take some time off, how much was entirely up to him. With MLS, national team duty for qualifying in 2008, Confederations Cup in 2009, WC 2010, off season loans to Everton, LD didn't have more than a week or two off at a time in years. For a guy that plays 90 minutes every match, that's an issue.
LD isn't as fast as he was in 2010, and has lost some of his first step. That's the soccer side of things. Since that's been his primary weapon, it's a concern, like Jordan not being able to dunk from the FT line. But, it doesn't mean he can't play or isn't fit. All it means is that he's wasn't a sure-fire 90 minute guy going both ways on the wing against the top clubs in the heat of the Amazon. A classification that includes every player from every country going to Brazil.
There is some score settling here that is not being told to the public. The left side depth chart is Davis/Green on the right it's Zusi/Bedoya. LD right now is better than all 4 of these guys. The only reason Zusi gets the nod on the right is because LD can play on the left.
LD isn't as fast as he was in 2010, and has lost some of his first step. That's the soccer side of things. Since that's been his primary weapon, it's a concern, like Jordan not being able to dunk from the FT line. But, it doesn't mean he can't play or isn't fit. All it means is that he's wasn't a sure-fire 90 minute guy going both ways on the wing against the top clubs in the heat of the Amazon. A classification that includes every player from every country going to Brazil.
There is some score settling here that is not being told to the public. The left side depth chart is Davis/Green on the right it's Zusi/Bedoya. LD right now is better than all 4 of these guys. The only reason Zusi gets the nod on the right is because LD can play on the left.
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Please elaborate.
Right, that's what I said. Bring the guy so we can leave him on the bench until we decide to put the only player on the field who can score in the game.
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intlzncster
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I wouldn't say that. There's plenty who can go a hard 90 in the heat. Some guys are just used to it. I'd put money on a number of the African guys at the very least. But at his age, yeah, I don't think there's many. Especially on the wing.
intlzncster
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As I've said before, JK buys into the 90 minute (as best they can) speed/athlete players. You saw that dynamic at work with Real yesterday in the CL Final (barely--but it gave them opportunity at the end). They looked physically stronger/more fit than Atletico in the last 15 minutes of regulation and all of OT. Atletico dominated the first 3/4 and then ran out of gas.
SubbaBub
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Real was out of gas too. They simply had more quality which when the legs go has a distinct advantage over a squad that relies on team cohesiveness. As for quality full 90 wings in Brazil, you can probably count them on one hand. LD used to be that guy. Whether he still was, was the a question, but if I had to guess I think he could do it. I know Davis can't and Green can't. Zusi probably can, isn't at LD's top level, but I like him and won't lose any sleep with him out there. Bedoya may have the legs and fight, but he doesn't have the quality. I'd put Johnson or Johansson on the left based on the squad named, both have good ball skills and can dribble.
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Atletico was missing Costa, which is for us like missing Dempsey or Bradley. Quality of Real Madrid's subs was high. Real threw defense to the wind. Without Costa it worked. Listened in Spanish. Much better analysis than Gus Johnson..
intlzncster
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Di Maria's speed and fitness is what created the chance that lead to the winning goal. One of the reasons he was man of the match was his speed/fitness though out the whole game.
You can say Real had more quality (which individually was true), but there's no doubt Atletico was crushing them most of the game. Real outlasted athletically until their skill could take over. They were still running hard up front at the end, while Atletico's guys were zombies.
Somebody forgot to tell Ronaldo that there was a game on. If he didn't take any free kicks, I wouldn't even noticed he was there (outside of one nifty interior pass). Didn't stop his shirtless hulk hogan celebration of course.
Will respond to the rest later, but it is raining on me now.
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The sabbatical was overblown except to the guys who worked their tails off the ENTIRE time. Time to move on. Make the best TEAM. Make the pieces fit. The job of any CEO in any organization
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