USMNT In's and out's.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story ... 61&cc=5901

Just saw this article about Mr. Bradley bringing up MORE fresh faces to the USMNT.

Looks like Adu and Danny Szetela got calls. I am a bit perplexed about some of the people left out for the friendly. I wonder why Keller, Tim Howard and my favorite, Frankie Hejduk have been left out.

Granted Keller is on the older side, but he is still one of the US's most experienced and intelligent keepers.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

 

Frankie is old, but he is still one of our better defenders on the outside. No one can doubt his pace down the wing and helping out on the attack.

And I had forgotten about Keller's retirement. Must have came right after the Gold Cup. My bad.

 

The MLS players were carefully selected to limit impact to the MLS teams in the playoff hunt.

I do have to laugh that they still have Benny listed as a SV Hamburger player (he plays for Derby County FC).

 

No way Bradley could or would take Frankie... Look at the Crew's schedule...he ALREADY knows him, anyway.

He also knows what Howard can do. Needs to see Hahnemann.

 

no donovan? yay!! :banana:

he's only had 3 appearances so far this season. anyone know why?

and Esbjerg is in Denmark, not Norway. AP writer forgetting to fact check? Who knew!

and I really like seeing Edu on the squad. He's been a stalwart on a poor tfc side.

 

There are a lot of questions surrounding the national team. What is the purpose of fielding this team for this game? Is this another opportunity to see how our European based players are going to do against European competition? Is it an opportunity to see some new players getting their first caps? I do not know, but it provides a lot to discuss.

I am not sure how well the US will do in these games because it is another team that is thrown together with potential chemistry issues. How long will this group get to train together? This is not the same team that played Sweden, and I am not saying it should be. But, what is the purpose of playing in Europe? I thought it was to give our main players the experience of playing against teams outside of our region, especially in Europe where our first team has a dismal record.

On the upside, I love to see that the US has a lot of depth at several positions. I am happy to see the young guys get the opportunity to play against good competition. And, pretty much anytime the US takes the field, I am fired up to watch the game. I am looking forward to seeing Feilhaber Bradley and Dempsey playing together. I want to see how Freddy's game will fit with these guys. I know that Onyewu needs to work on his defense.

I know it appears that I am waivering on how this thing will go, but I am curious what others think about this team as well as what the purpose of fielding this team. I know this is a much better team than the one that went to Copa America, but I am wondering if this is the same thought process.

I do understand that the MLS is going into the playoff push, heck, I am a Galaxy fan (as hard as that is at this time - but now with a 4 game win streak). I know I have rambled enough.

 

Until the MLS honors International Fixture dates, we will continue to have this issue.

 

Good article about a great young US player

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/w ... index.html

 

Edibella, l think Bradley just took all the European players that he wanted to see and MLS players whose teams are out of contention for the playoffs. He's getting a look at everyone. There is plenty of time before we have to play any serious matches, especially against Euro teams. It's hard to be patient about it though 'cause we've yet to see Bradley put the same team on the field so you really wonder what his first team would be. Even in the Gold Cup, he used lots of different players.

I also am concerned about no Spector and Simek. All I can hope is that Bradley feels that he saw them in the Gold Cup. Spector started in the finals vs Mexico. They both played well, right?

I'm sure Howard is not there to give Hahnemann a chance and to avoid returning a GK with a dislocated finger to Everton.

Dempsey is listed as a Forward. Obviously that's what he's been doing of late for FFC but has he played that for the MNT before? Adu listed as Midfielder. I wonder if he'll use two or one up front. If two, Dempsey and who?

Anyway interested in everyone's starting lineup and looking forward to the match.

 

CHICAGO (October 9, 2007) — U.S. Men's National Team head coach Bob Bradley has named 21 players to the initial roster that will train in Europe in advance of the team’s international match against Switzerland. Kickoff against the co-hosts of the 2008 European Championship is set for Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 8:30 p.m. local time (2:30 p.m. ET) at St. Jakob's Park in Basel, and the match will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel and Galavision. Fans can also follow the match live on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker.

I should be in the chat. Lowsy weekday games.

:|

 

This strikes me as very much an experimental roster selected to see what various guys bring to the table, rather than a roster put together to try to maximize our chances of winning a game. Consider:

Two of three goalkeepers have never been capped at the senior level; Hahnemann, if he plays, gets a chance to prove he deserves to compete with Howard for the top spot.

Cherundolo hasn't played much because he's not healthy; Califf hasn't been a regular lately. Pearce and DeMerit get a chance to try to displace Bornstein and Onyewu. Purdy (who I've never even heard of) maybe gets his first cap.

Edu and Szetela have never played at the senior level before, Adu just once briefly. I don't think Lewis has played for the NT since the World Cup last summer.

Dempsey is apparently going to be used as a forward. Zizzo has one brief senior cap. Zimmerman has none, and Bradley probably wants to cap Findley before Trinidad & Tobago does.

Sure, there are some familiar faces, including guys like Boca and Gooch and Bradley and Feilhaber and Beasley who are major parts of the core of the team for the next few years, but Bradley is definitely trying some things out here.

 

Do any of you think this team can beat the Swiss? They probably will be fielding their best eleven.

 

This gets back to some of the questions I was asking. It appears to be an experimental roster like jmh said above. I am not sure what this team can do against the Swiss top XI. It appears as though Bradley and the Federation are trying to accomplish a couple of things, but I am not sure winning is the main priority. It appears as though this is similar to what they did for the Copa America except they have a better crop of players.

 

You sound tired and confused.