US March WCQ: vs. Honduras and Panama

http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/201...yers-for-honduras-panama-world-cup-qualifiers

Welcome back, Deuce. A Tim Ream sighting! Surprised that neither Kljestan or Feilhaber made it (Pulisic playing the #10 role?).

Yedlin and Lichaj are hurt so I am guessing Cameron or Orozco at RB. Villafaña or Beasley at LB (I am guessing Beasley will get the road start).

 

Do we really have no fullbacks in the US? Eight defenders named and six of them are center backs by trade and I don't see where we have any creativity in the center of the field unless we are playing one forward with Dempsey playing a deep lying second forward.

At first glance my frustration has not improved from Klinsman to Arena but I'm still hoping for points.

 

Kljestan and Feilhaber's omissions seem odd - and Pulisic can play as an attacking mid but it's better if he has somebody pull the strings to open him to the defense. Looking at the roster, who fills that bill? (Nagbe? Acosta? McCarty?). Wood should start - but with who? I think Jozy, most likely. Also, Dempsey will probably come off the bench. But what the hell do I know?

My boy and I have tickets to this match - his first WCQ and he's stoked.

 

You probably know at least as much as the rest of us not named Bruce Arena.

 

All I know is that I don't know.... However, I've never been a member of the "Know Nothing" party.

Seriously, the circumstances may indicate support for a bunker and counter squad, but I'd hoped the USMNT had taken strides past that one-dimensional approach - hence, the lack of a #10 (Pulisic needs to play on the wing opposite Johnson) makes me think a 4-5-1, at home, in a packed Avaya Stadium, against Honduras may be in the cards. D'oh.

COUSMNT.

 

You going to the game @nevzter?

 

I was reading a good assessment of the roster on goal.com but lost it. I did see this though.

http://m.goal.com/s/en-us/news/1616...n-johnson-forced-off-with-injury-for-borussia

Uh oh.

 

Found it. Should be interesting to see where Arena goes with this. Wood and Altidore have some good stats together (though arguably against inferior competition) so I would expect them to start up top. Are we still going with Bradley Jones in the middle? I don't know enough about McCarty but am disappointed not to see Williams.

http://m.goal.com/s/en-us/news/5384...g-roster-answers-some-questions-while-raising

 

Tim, me and the little dude are going to be in attendance. !!!!!! Do you know the way to San Jose???

Jones is suspended for cards - Williams would be helpful now. So would Benny and Sasha. Bradley gets the armband and a spot in the middle (by default - jeebus, it wasn't so long ago that this guy was to carry the weight, carry that weight, a long time). If it is 4-4-2, then I'd bet we see somebody attacking next to Bradley - if it is 4-5-1, then we may just bunker with 3 ( what???) holding type mids and 3 attacking types.

I'm just pulling most of this out of my arse but I do love a "back against the wall" USMNT moment - we've seen a few in the last 20 years...

 

No problem.
This comes to mind:


And this:


And this one rocks:

 

I'll be there!

 

Ill be there as well guys. meeting up with friends from Dallas, NYC and San Jose. We're in 118

 

I am not surprised about Williams not being selected but I really like Acosta and McCarty.

 

Bobby Wood out due to a back injury. Sacha has been added.

EDIT: Fabian is out with a hammy, it's getting uglier and uglier.

EDIT Part Deux: 34 Year old Wondo has been added...not sure if it's rock bottom yet, but it has to be getting close.

 

With so many folks on here being in attendance, hopefully there will be a pic or three and a match report. Speaking of three, just hoping the boys find a way to get 3 points in any fashion possible (an ugly 1-0 win works for me). COYRW&B!!!!

 

Wondo...I'm happy for him, but I am openly biased. I'm more concerned that two of the best US Bundesliga players are not going to feature. The US should still have enough to get three tomorrow.

 

I'm not opposed to Wondo as a replacement call up.

 

I hope Wondo makes me eat my words. Playing on his home pitch does help his case.