USMNT Roster for March qualifiers released...

[SAMCRO]

G: Howard, Guzan, Rimaldo
D: Brooks, Beasley, Cameron, Gonzalez, Orozco, Ream, Villafaña, Zimmerman
M: Acosta, Bedoya, Bradley, Johnson, Jones, Lletget, Nagbe, McCarty, Pulisic.
F: Altidore, Dempsey, Morris, Wood

Discuss....

 

[LIuconn]

Bruce likes em playing MLS ball! How TF can Dax McCarty make it over Sacha (is he hurt?)
If he has no plans on playing McCarty, Beasley, Bedoya - why not include guys like Hyndman or Kitchen?

My lineup:
Howard
Ream, Brooks, Cameron, Johnson
Nagbe Jones Bradley Pulisic
Wood, Altidore

Dempsey first off the bench if he's in shape.

Ideally I'd stick Pulisic in an attacking central location and build the wingers around him, but we have to GRIND OUT THE WIN. Such crap. Should let Pulisic be the guy, pair him with Kitchen and let Hyndman and Nagbe/Fabian flank him.

Lord I can't stand this team. We have players in better leagues playing more meaningful minutes than these guys.

 

[SubbaBub]

Too old. I know qualifying is job #1, #2, and #3 at this moment, but jeez.

I also dont like that none of our proposed midfielders and one forward have scored any goals. Wood needs to be on the field, period full stop. So does Pulisic. So what is the formation is he intends on shoehorning both Dempsey and Altidore. Is Clint really going to be a team player and accept subbing on at 65 minutes?

I am pleased Kljestan is left off. He's not an international player, even against legit CONCACAF sides. The side shown above with Johnson and Ream flipped and Bedoya over Nagbe is what you will likely see. Disappointed that Yedlin and Lichaj were left off, wouldn't have minded seeing Green back in camp. We will need to get these younger guys in camps to see how they fit in. There are enough new names in back and midfield, but I don't think any of those guys are going to be game changers in 2018.

Bedoya is solid both ways, that's why he is on the squad and will likely start ahead of Nagbe.

 

[Excalibur]

Too old. I know qualifying is job #1, #2, and #3 at this moment, but jeez.

I also dont like that none of our proposed midfielders and one forward have scored any goals. Wood needs to be on the field, period full stop. So does Pulisic. So what is the formation is he intends on shoehorning both Dempsey and Altidore. Is Clint really going to be a team player and accept subbing on at 65 minutes?

I am pleased Kljestan is left off. He's not an international player, even against legit CONCACAF sides. The side shown above with Johnson and Ream flipped and Bedoya over Nagbe is what you will likely see. Disappointed that Yedlin and Lichaj were left off, wouldn't have minded seeing Green back in camp. We will need to get these younger guys in camps to see how they fit in. There are enough new names in back and midfield, but I don't think any of those guys are going to be game changers in 2018.

Bedoya is solid both ways, that's why he is on the squad and will likely start ahead of Nagbe.

Well, Yedlin is hurt, so that explains his omission, but I felt that Lichaj should have been added though I'm not sure over whom.

Having Johnson as a midfielder is an immediate improvement. Having Pulisic as one is a disappointment.

 

[ZooCougar]

This roster is a joke. Where is the creative midfielder?

#Bruceout

 

[UConnDan97]

McCarty in, Zusi and Klejstan out. Unless there are injuries, that's a little surprising. However, McCarty is playing his strongest ball and does a lot of dirty work. Having said that, he may not see the field anyway.

I prefer Nagbe. I'd also like Nguyen to get another shot at some point. Other than that it was pretty much the roster I expected from Arena.

 

[ZooCougar]

If Sasha and Benny aren't getting called in, then I don't see how Nguyen would get a look.

 

[SubbaBub]

Well, Yedlin is hurt, so that explains his omission, but I felt that Lichaj should have been added though I'm not sure over whom.

Having Johnson as a midfielder is an immediate improvement. Having Pulisic as one is a disappointment.

This roster is a joke. Where is the creative midfielder?

#Bruceout

Have you two been introduced? Anything other that Pulisic playing in the hole under the two forwards is a huge mistake.

 

[UConnDan97]

Also, if Pulisic plays centrally instead of on the wing, I think it would be a huge mistake. Hopefully one that Arena doesn't make...

 

[UConnDan97]

If Sasha and Benny aren't getting called in, then I don't see how Nguyen would get a look.

His shot would only come as a friendly. He's not going to make a qualifier roster without producing in a friendly or two. I did think that Arena favored Benny, so I'm a little surprised by that too...

 

[LIuconn]

why is playing CP in the middle is a mistake?

 

[UConnDan97]

why is playing CP in the middle is a mistake?

Because he is in world class form on the wing at Dortmund...

 

[HuskyHawk]

Because he is in world class form on the wing at Dortmund...

Agree that's probably his best slot, but the USMNT has nobody who can hold the ball and distribute out of central midfield. We have more options on the wing.

 

[UConnDan97]

Agree that's probably his best slot, but the USMNT has nobody who can hold the ball and distribute out of central midfield. We have more options on the wing.

I'd much rather play any of the other midfielders in the central role with pretty much no exception (maybe Bedoya). Nagbe could fill that role, even though I think he would prefer to be on the left side. McCarty could do it, although I don't think he'll start.

We have so few players that can play at that level. You just can't take the one we got and put him in an unfavorable position. Let him be the full danger that he is, and plug holes with others...

 

[HuskyHawk]

I'd much rather play any of the other midfielders in the central role with pretty much no exception (maybe Bedoya). Nagbe could fill that role, even though I think he would prefer to be on the left side. McCarty could do it, although I don't think he'll start.

We have so few players that can play at that level. You just can't take the one we got and put him in an unfavorable position. Let him be the full danger that he is, and plug holes with others...

Not saying he should, just saying I understand the impulse. Somebody is going to be out of position on any national team.

 

[ZooCougar]

Have you two been introduced? Anything other that Pulisic playing in the hole under the two forwards is a huge mistake.

WRONG do you even watch him play?

 

[SubbaBub]

WRONG do you even watch him play?

I watch him play, but we have plenty of guys to play wing. We have no one to play attacking midfield at an acceptable level.

Maybe we get to a point we can confidently play a 4-3-3 variant with Pulisic, Wood, and someone like Zardes or Morris across the top line, but today is not that day.

We are a 4-4-2 base program right now. If you are playing Jones and Bradley then Pulisic plays left wing. I don't think we should be playing both much longer.

 

[SAMCRO]

Fabian Johnson was subbed off in M'gadbach's Europa game in the 15th minute... They didn't say what the injury was, but that is not good news.

 

[LIuconn]

heard it was a hammy, so that puts him in serious doubt for next week.

Regarding Pulisic - yes, he's in great form out wide but he's our best offensive player and playmaker. He should get more touches and those come from playing in the middle of the field.

In my opinion we should build the whole thing around him in the middle of the field. Flank with Hyndman/Nagbe and let Perry Kitchen clean up behind him

 

[UConnDan97]

If Dempsey is fully fit, and I don't know that he is, he would be the obvious choice for attacking central midfielder. There really isn't any other "trequartista" on this roster. It's what makes the omission of both Klesjan and Feilhaber so mind-boggling.

Pulisic has to stay on the wing. Hope for a healthy and fit Dempsey, or you push Nagbe into the central role...

 

[businesslawyer]

I don't get this Kichen/Hyndman love. Kitchen wasn't better than guys not on the team when he was in MLS. So he's playing in Scotland. That league isn't better than MLS. Sheesh.

Hyndman played successfully in the Championship but couldn't break onto the field on the Premiership. So he's like Danny Williams and Jonathan Spector and Danny Williams and others who are close to national team level but not quite there. As we've learned, just because you play in a major European league doesn't mean you are automatically going to help the USMNT. See, e.g, Alfredo Morales and Tim Chandler.

I'm surprised he didn't pick Klejstan, and might have gone differently in one or two selections, but it's a reasonable team and it's up to the coaches and players to get at least 4 points from the 2 games.

 

[LIuconn]

+ love for Gooch, let's not leave him out either. At this juncture I'd rather have some of the younger 20-somethings hanging around instead of the elder statesmen that won't (or shouldn't) see time. -- especially since we're not facing the meat of CONCACAF.

Looks like Tim Howard will be between the pipes with Guzan bowing out for this round of qualifiers. That's good!

 

[Waquoit]

I am pleased Kljestan is left off. He's not an international player, even against legit CONCACAF sides.

I disagree. And not just because of the ridiculous "not an international player" line. You could use that against most of the team. Pulisic is the best player by miles, out greatest resource. Kljestan worked with him better than any other player. Our best chance is to build the team around Pulisic. We need players to complement him.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Cmon, no Wondah-miski? How can anyone live?

 

[ZooCougar]

Bruce Arena is an idiot.