US MNT v Canada

This friendly snuck up on me. The guys Der Kaiser has to choose from are:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Tally Hall (Houston Dynamo), Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire)
DEFENDERS (8): Tony Beltran (Real Salt Lake), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), A.J. DeLaGarza (LA Galaxy), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Connor Lade (New York Red Bulls), Alfredo Morales (Hertha Berlin), Justin Morrow (San Jose Earthquakes), Jeff Parke (Philadelphia Union)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (out of contract), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders), Benny Feilhaber (Sporting Kansas City), Joshua Gatt (Molde), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
FORWARDS (4): Juan Agudelo (Chivas USA), Will Bruin (Houston Dynamo), Eddie Johnson (Seattle Sounders), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

Who would you like to see start?

My choices would be:

Hall
Beltran, Gonzalez, DeLaGarza, Morrow
Beckerman (only because he appears to be the only def mid on the list), Zuzi, Mixx, Benny and Bedoya
EJ

subs: Juan, Wondo, Gatt, Davis

 

http://www.soccerbyives.net/2013/01/usm ... -more.html

Little snippet on Zusi. By all intents and purposes, he's not long for MLS - don't know what'l happen thereafter, but he's earned his chance.

I thought Beitashour was named, but I guess not. He should have been.

 

He got injured during the camp. Same with another player, I forgot who.

 

Beitashour and Edson Buddle left camp with injuries.

Sounds like it will probably be Gonzalez and Besler at CB (they both started and played well in the scrimmage against Tijuana last week from I read).

I am guessing Beckerman will start and will probably get the arm band (if not Beckerman then I am guessing Gonzalez for the arm band).

This Canada team is pretty inexperienced and young. They lost to a "B" team Denmark, 4-0, on Saturday.

 

Wow, that team has been training together for nearly a month and they looked like a bunch of players training together for the first time. Compare that to the Canadian team who has only been together for a week and was just outclassed by a Danish B side in a 4-0 thrashing. They created better chances at at least clearly had a plan and a coach.

As for the USA players I like Gatt a lot. He is fiesty and hungry. Also things clearly improved when Benny came on, which is encouraging in terms of knowing he is still someone we can really on for a spark in the offense. I didnt see the quality that everyone talks about regarding Gonzalez last night. Lots of times I thought the defense looked totally disorganized, and when he tried to distribute the ball it was mostly ineffective. Beckerman looked good beside a bunch of younger MLS players and he seems a decent guy if he would only fumigate that rats nest on his head.

Why Mix didnt make it into the line-up I have no idea. Hopefully it's because Klinsmann has already decided on him, but if that's the case it seems a seriously stupid decision. The kid hasnt had that many matches with the US that he wouldnt benefit from another prior to WC qualifying, which is a week away.

 

I'm feeling the Jed Clampett syndrome about this effort...pideefull, pideefull.

At least we prevented DeRosario from burning us, as he very well could have, and almost did. Best player on the pitch, IMHO.