A little more info on the January U.S. camp roster
by Steve Davis on Dec 20, 2010 10:33 AM EST
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There’s still no word on when the U.S. roster will be out for the January camp. Could be today, could be tomorrow. Might even be later.
But I’m hearing now that the roster may be even younger than what I wrote about over the weekend at SI.com. I wrote that it would be young and fresh enough to be very interesting. Now I’m hearing that it should qualify as damned interesting. As we all know, "damned" interesting is a lot more interesting than just "very" interesting.
In fact, there’s one prominent MLS team that will see five of its players in Bob Bradley’s January camp, including four that might surprise you. Three of them haven’t been capped. In fact, two of them were only part-time starters last year.
So everyone should remember all this when they say at some point in the future that Bradley didn’t look at enough players. And believe me, someone will say that. Probably the first time the U.S. gets nicked in qualifying or has a bad result in the Gold Cup this year.
Meanwhile, I also think it’s telling to examine who isn’t in the camp. Read on for one name that I don’t believe we will see at the Home Depot Center camp ...
I don’t know this for a fact, but it doesn’t sound like Bobby Convey will be invited to spend January in sunny So Cal. On the one hand, this is a young camp. Very, very young, as I said earlier. There will be some good MLS and Scandinavian league players who aren’t invited, but who will certainly be part of the U.S. lineup discussion going forward. Heath Pearce, for instance, probably won’t be in the camp, but he’s certainly still an option for Bradley at left back.
Reason? Simple. Bradley knows all about Pearce. He knows what the FC Dallas man can and can’t do.
So the same might be said for Convey. On the other hand, I wondered if perhaps this would be a re-entry alleyway for Convey, who played well along the left side last year for San Jose. I wondered if it would be a way to work Convey back into better graces, an opportunity for him to show that he has grown as a player and a teammate.
Looks like that won’t be the case. Then again, we won’t know for sure until the roster is out later today or later this week.
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my guess
“one prominent MLS team that will see five of its players in Bob Bradley’s January camp, including four that might surprise you. Three of them haven’t been capped. In fact, two of them were only part-time starters last year.”
From FC Dallas (in order of likelihood for a callup in my mind):
Brek Shea
Kevin Hartman
George John
Zach Loyd
Ugo Ihemelu
Eric Avila
Kyle Davies
Heath Pearce (putting him last in respect of your opinion, Steve)
wow.
I’m amazed I glossed over that one. That’s what I get for trying to squeeze in a comment while my boss wasn’t looking.
Also, if they deem Hartman too old, and the keeper pool is really shallow, there’s an outside chance they might want to take a look at Seitz.
And this is without mentioning other FCD products, like Dax, that have moved on but are likely to get a call. FCD has done an impressive job of building a young roster. Some serious transfer funds will be headed their way during the next few years.
I don't see the point
of calling in Kevin Hartman. He hasn’t been a USMNT keeper by now. He’s on the downside of his career. I can’t seriously think anyone wants him in the next WC. So why look at him?
by Shawn Gillogly on Dec 20, 2010 12:22 PM EST reply actions
Agree but
this camp should be about prepping for the Gold Cup next summer, not WC2014.
Win or lose, we will always be here for you.
by johnjahafanclub on Dec 20, 2010 2:00 PM EST up reply actions
Most of the guys ....
… who will play in Gold Cup are the A-listers. We know what they are all about. The January camp is always about new blood. This one especially so.
New Blood Should be secondary
to getting the guys who had great MLS seasons some playing time – Wondolowski, Buddle, Convey, Shea, Pearce, Braun etc etc.
Those guys can help us win NOW. I want them getting playing time in the Chile friendly prioritized over the kids/“future”.
The place for kids/“future” players like Agudelo, Omar Gonzalez, Ike Opara, Eric Alexander, etc, to really develop is on their clubs, not in national team friendlies. It was fine to give them a run around in the South Africa friendly but now is the time to focus on the Gold Cup. After all, it will be our only competitive match against Mexico for the next 4 years (assuming we bring our B/C squad to the 2009 gold cup.)
Win or lose, we will always be here for you.
by johnjahafanclub on Dec 20, 2010 4:13 PM EST up reply actions
Winning now is pointless
The only trophy that matters in for the USA now is the World Cup
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
Winning the gold cup will help us win the WC
b/c it will get us an invite to the confed cup in 2013… we will get our boys together playing competitive matches in a tournament format against other top national teams in the host stadiums. It’s a great warm up.
Win or lose, we will always be here for you.
by johnjahafanclub on Dec 20, 2010 10:52 PM EST up reply actions
So the old guys should win the Gold Cup so the young guys can get experience playing for a
speculative spot in the confed cup instead of just playing . . . the Gold Cup?
You may be on to something, but you lost me.
Are you telling me
You honestly think that Omar Gonzalez, Eric Alexander, and Juan Agudelo should be on the 18 man roster for the Gold Cup this summer over Cherundolo, Spector, Bornstein, Buddle, Torres, and Gomez? I think that’s nuts! The place for these kids to develop is on their club teams, not the national team.
Win or lose, we will always be here for you.
by johnjahafanclub on Dec 21, 2010 1:51 PM EST up reply actions
You have a point about the Gold Cup being important, but I don’t think that applies to the January camp and friendlies. Using the January camp as a team building exercise for the players that already know each other in preparation for a summer tournament wouldn’t make any sense.
Now is the time for Bradley to get a sense for every player that could potentially contribute in Brazil. See which youngsters rise to the top and earn the right to get some time with the first team.
As a moneyball/soccernomics guy,
I believe in the power of sample size. You shouldn’t make projections about 2014 starters based off of their performance in a 2 week camp in the off season. You should make your projections based off of season-long performance with their clubs. Besides, BB already had a chance to see the young kids in the South Africa friendly.
BB still would have had a chance to see plenty of young guys if he had called in Convey. My gut says this is a sign that Convey is not going to be called in for Argentina in March or the Gold Cup in the summer, which is sad, because I think he would be an improvement at LB over our current starting USMNT LB, Bornstein (who is not even left footed).
Win or lose, we will always be here for you.
by johnjahafanclub on Dec 21, 2010 4:55 PM EST up reply actions
yes, but...
season-long performance with their clubs for almost all in different formations and strategies than Bradley would want them in. If you think a kid’s promising, you bring him in, see how his attitude is, test him at different positions to see how he adapts, and test their performance at a higher level. You can’t get as good of a feel for such things remotely. Possibly with players in the EPL since that’s a high level already, and the managers already ask a lot more of the players tactically, but not with younger players in MLS.
Convey is 27 now
You think he’s gonna be too old to contribute in 2014 at LB age 31? Dolo, DeMerit, and Bocanegra were 31 this year.
Also, do you honestly think Convey will get called up for the March/May friendlies or the Gold Cup? I sure don’t. To me this is a sure sign that BB and/or USSF have serious personal grudges against Convey.
Win or lose, we will always be here for you.
by johnjahafanclub on Dec 22, 2010 12:06 AM EST up reply actions
I was talking about the general youth movement, I realize now that the topic was Convey.
My take on him is that he shouldn’t have made public statements about his dislike for Bradley. He’s not vital enough to the NT to get away with that.
True about him making those public statements
but BB also shouldn’t hold grudges.
I think Convey is vital. I think he is the best LB in the USMNT player pool right now, better than Bornstein and Bocanegra. Boca is too slow to play outside back, he is best at CB. I think Convey is slightly better than Bornstein defensively and far superior going forward. He delivers pinpoint crosses that at least this season were more accurate than even Donovan’s crosses.
Win or lose, we will always be here for you.
by johnjahafanclub on Dec 22, 2010 7:48 PM EST up reply actions
based on the personel available...
I’m wondering if Bradley should experiment with a formation without outside backs. There’s such a rediculous wealth of defensive mids, BB may want to fan three of them out with the CBs behind them. like this:
-———————Altidore——-??————————
-——————-Dempsey——-Donovan——————
Holden—————-mini-Bradley——————Jones
-————Boca———-Gooch——DeMerit—————
interesting
I think if BB wants to cram in 5 mids he would do 4-5-1 like he did in the brazil/poland friendlies instead of 3-5-2… he is too conservative to do 3-5-2.
Win or lose, we will always be here for you.
by johnjahafanclub on Dec 23, 2010 2:33 PM EST up reply actions
Terrible News if it's true about Convey
He is a guy who could step in immediately and start and probably improve our left back position. I think the current depth chart has Bornstein at RB with Bocanegra or Cherundolo at LB. What would be better for the team would be to bench bornstein, slot Boca or Dolo at RB, and put Convey in at LB. That would instantly improve the starting 11 in my opinion.
This camp is not just an opportunity to get super young guys in for BB to look at. It is an opportunity to see who is ready to help us win the Gold Cup next summer. That is our #1 priority – who can help us win NOW, not 4 years from now. We need to win the next gold cup so we can get an invite to the confed cup in 2013, which as we all know is invaluable experience prior to the WC itself.
Win or lose, we will always be here for you.
by johnjahafanclub on Dec 20, 2010 2:05 PM EST reply actions
"Young"
They’re only throwing off the average by including Emerson Hyndman. ;-)
'Gentlemen' he said,
'I don't need your organization,
I've shined your shoes,
moved your mountains and marked your cards,
but Eden is burning.
Either get ready for elimination,
or else your heart must have the courage,
for the changing of the guards.'
