Futbol Talk

[reinko]

Any 'Scoopers heading to the match on Saturday afternoon at Gillette?  I know myself, Mrs. Reinko, and Mr. and Mrs. Lab Warrior are.


USA! USA! USA!

[Canadian Dimes]

based on Barca v. Man U.  that game could be ugly.

[GGGG]

How many top spanish players will be playing though?  They are still doing some euro qualifying this summer right?

[reinko]

How many top spanish players will be playing though?  They are still doing some euro qualifying this summer right?

The big names that won't be there are Xavi and Puyol, but everyone else got called up.

SPAIN ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (3): Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), José Manuel Reina (Liverpool), Víctor Valdés (Barcelona)

DEFENDERS (7): Álvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid), Raúl Albiol (Real Madrid), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Gerard Piqué (Barcelona), Carlos Marchena (Villarreal), Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), Andoni Iraola (Athletic Bilbao)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Santiago Cazorla (Villarreal), Andrés Iniesta (Barcelona), Bruno Soriano (Villarreal), Borja Valero (Villarreal)

FORWARDS (7): David Villa (Barcelona), David Silva (Manchester City), Fernando Llorente (Athletic Bilbao), Fernando Torres (Chelsea), Pedro Rodríguez (Barcelona), Manu Del Moral (Sevilla), Álvaro Negredo (Sevilla)

[groove]

Hope the Barca players won't be doing their diving and cheating. If Mastroeni was still on the US team we could have him go after Villa and show him a real foul.

[GGGG]

Ok nice. Warm up for euro qualifying then.

[MUfan12]

I'll be watching at The Highbury. Looking forward to it.

The only thing I want out of this game is a devastating injury to Torres.

[GGGG]

One more thing. How much time off do top players get?  A month?  A guy like david villa has basically been playing for almost two years it seems.

[groove]

I'll be watching at The Highbury. Looking forward to it.

The only thing I want out of this game is a devastating injury to Torres.

Or Villa

[groove]

One more thing. How much time off do top players get?  A month?  A guy like david villa has basically been playing for almost two years it seems.

Yeah, not much off season at all. Sometimes the top teams give some of the top players offtime during the summer tours.

[reinko]

Just found out they are giving these away in US Supporter section...I'm GEEKED

[groove]

sweet!

[jesmu84]

Unfortunately, Bob made some very questionable decisions on who to bring in to the US camp for the warm-ups and Gold Cup qualifying.

[MU B2002]

Unfortunately, Bob made some very questionable decisions on who to bring in to the US camp for the warm-ups and Gold Cup qualifying.

Care to elaborate further on this?

[NYWarrior]

Care to elaborate further on this?

Freddy Adu. 

[Pakuni]

Freddy Adu. 

Not sure it matters all that much since it's unlikely he sees the field ... err, pitch ... during any closely contested games ... err, matches.

[groove]

Freddy Adu. 

Yeah, I agree, Adu shouldn't be on the team, and the choice of Robbie Rogers is a leap. I would like to see Timmy Chandler on the roster but I think he had issues with his German club wanting him to have some time off this summer.

[MU B2002]

Freddy Adu. 

That was the only glaring issue I saw, but I didn't know if I was missing something in my uninformed evaluation of the roster.

[groove]

Not sure it matters all that much since it's unlikely he sees the field ... err, pitch ... during any closely contested games ... err, matches.

Normally I would agree with you but the Gold Cup matches are bunched up, so they are going to have to use the reserves more than usual.

[groove]

Because the Gold Cup begins on Tuesday, there are hints out of the USA camp that Bradley may not be using his top lineup in the Spain game, putting more priority on the Gold Cup opener. That would be very disappointing. Why schedule Spain at all then? You could have brought Switzerland or Norway or some no-name team if you are going to blow off the game. Sometimes the thinking of US Soccer is baffling.

[Pakuni]

Because the Gold Cup begins on Tuesday, there are hints out of the USA camp that Bradley may not be using his top lineup in the Spain game, putting more priority on the Gold Cup opener. That would be very disappointing. Why schedule Spain at all then? You could have brought Switzerland or Norway or some no-name team if you are going to blow off the game. Sometimes the thinking of US Soccer is baffling.

I'd venture to guess Norway or Switzerland wouldn't sell out a 68,000-seat stadium. US Soccer is a business, after all.

[groove]

I'd venture to guess Norway or Switzerland wouldn't sell out a 68,000-seat stadium. US Soccer is a business, after all.

Yup, you are correct. I would just be a little frustrated if I were to buy tickets to the game and then not see Dempsey and Donovan play at all. I would guess with each team getting 6 subs, we are likely to see the top starters get subbed out at the half.

[jesmu84]

Care to elaborate further on this?

Like everyone else noted, Freddy Adu has been given his chances. I'm not saying Freddy may not be successful in a different system, but with Bob at the helm, Adu doesn't have a good situation for his talents.

If it really is a club issue with Chandler, and not his possible move to joining the German national team, I'm okay with his exclusion.

Teal Bunbury should definitely have been given a roster spot over Wondolowski.

I can't believe they only brought Bedoya in once Feilhaber got injured. Bedoya is playing much better than Rogers currently.

I think we need to move on from Onyewu. He hasn't shown much of anything as of late. I would have preferred getting someone like Omar Gonzalez some experience.

I could also make a case for Brad Davis or Mixx Diskerud over Kljestan in the midfield. I don't think Sacha has ever produced much for the national team.

Edit: Basically, I think the US has to start getting younger sooner rather than later. The same core of players that carried us in the last two World Cups are going to be nearly useless come 2014

[groove]

Teal Bunbury should definitely have been given a roster spot over Wondolowski.

I can't believe they only brought Bedoya in once Feilhaber got injured. Bedoya is playing much better than Rogers currently.

I think we need to move on from Onyewu. He hasn't shown much of anything as of late. I would have preferred getting someone like Omar Gonzalez some experience.

I could also make a case for Brad Davis or Mixx Diskerud over Kljestan in the midfield. I don't think Sacha has ever produced much for the national team.

Edit: Basically, I think the US has to start getting younger sooner rather than later. The same core of players that carried us in the last two World Cups are going to be nearly useless come 2014

+1

Even when Onyewu was at his best he was always a clumsy, bulky bonehead move away from a penalty.

Klejstan only showed promise with the national team in those annual January friendlies that the US always seems to schedule against the Denmark B team. I always called them pity friendlies, a way to get MLS players easy caps next to their names.

[Golden Avalanche]

That was the only glaring issue I saw, but I didn't know if I was missing something in my uninformed evaluation of the roster.

Adu has actually been playing pretty well. The US needs a guy to sit below the strikers. Altidore is dying a slow death and Agudelo/Bunbury are too young so the longer Bradley relies on Dempsey and/or Landon to fill in those roles, he'll need someone who is familiar with them. Besides, this is really just a temporary solution until Holden gets back from injury.

My roster issues surround Bornstein (who sucks absolute donkey.....) and Rogers. I also don't think Wondolowski brings anything. He'd be marginal at best against Concacaf competition and embarrassed at any level above that. Also agree with the above poster who mentioned Diskerud. Brings more imagination than anyone not named Dempsey.