All-Purpose, Never-Ending Soccer Thread

In other words, for those who were auditioning to plant a seed in Bruce's mind, punch your ticket home. Now.

 

I was hoping for a better result as well, but this game was a throw-away for the US. Germany needed this win.

Oh and that US goal was a bit of fun.

 

I disagree. I think there were some bright spots for the US. Also, the team saw where they were lacking at times.

Look at who started in the back line. How many of them are supposed to start in the WC? What about the forwards? What about the midfielders?

Convey stepped up big time. Gibbs was fair. Johnson pushed the tempo. Klein hasn't played poorly since coming on.

 

No whining about the officials, Crass - they've done a very solid job.  Sure, the officials missed a few, but they missed a few both ways.  It happens, and you deal with it.

The mistakes in the back?  Yeah, that's what happens with MLS players.  For all your preaching about how good the quality of play is in MLS, you just saw three prime examples of MLS defending on the world scale will get you.

Ching, Berhalter, Zavagnin, Klein and Conrad, please pick up the white courtesy phone....

That said, I was really impressed with Convey and Johnson - about the only two that really stood out for me (besides Keller - none of the goals he could really do anything about - but he's always stellar).

 

Maybe so ... but to get drubbed like that, does it indicate that the level of talent between the starters and those immediately behind them is that large.

Understood that Germany is very, very good, and the match was on their home pitch. But still ... thank goodness it was a friendly, obviously.

Plenty to learn from this loss.

 

Zavagnin and Klein are going to Germany for the WC. Conrad is also a possibility.

And no, you can't blame that on MLS players playing there. It was MLS players that played solidly. If you go back 5-years, put the best MLS players in the same position and the score is 10-0. You have to recognize the progress.

I have never been happy with Conrad, but Bruce sees something in him and he could end up in Germany.

 

Were we watching the same game?  Good heavens, man, Klein made Zavagnin look like Zidane - and Zavagnin sucked balls.

 

Outing alert: Crass is Chris Klein....

Zavagnin and Klein may very well be going to Germany, but only if they have tickets. With the eight million midfielders we have, they're number 8,000,001 and 8,000,002.

At some point, you'll realize that if we're to win a World Cup, it's going to be with players playing overseas. They may have gotten their start in MLS, but to take that next step to the next level, they're going to have to go elsewhere.

 

Yes, it does indicate the distance between the stars and number 2.

This is where the US lags behind the super powers... Depth. The US doesn't have as much depth as Germany, England, France, Brazil, etc. The US stars are nearly even with them, now it is time for the bench to catch up.

Think about why the Spurs were able to win the NBA title. They had the depth on the bench.

With soccer, most of the team plays all 90. But there are injuries. There are yellow cards. Players are bound to miss action. So you need a solid bench.

Will Heath Pearce playe well on a back line full of inexperience? Of course not. But if you plug him in there with a few good players around, he could surprise you and play extremely well.

 

Klein looked solid. He was asked to do more in this game than normal. Zavagnin has been around and will be there.

And to this "At some point, you'll realize that if we're to win a World Cup, it's going to be with players playing overseas." Come on. When the hell did I say that an all MLS team would win the World Cup?

I consider MLS to be solid. And it needs to do what it is doing now: Producing quality American players that will take the next step. Some will travel overseas, some will stay at home. I hope that the league will get to the point that they don't have to go overseas. But that obviously isn't right now.

The league is 10-years old for shits sake.

As to the players, I think you can take a few MLS players, slap them on the current roster, mostly comprised of Europeans, and I think they can help them just fine. But an all MLS roster isn't going to get you out of the first round, obviously.

 

God Berhalter looked awful.
But, this meant 100 times more to Germany than it did do the USA.
Onyewu was certainly missed.

With the exception of the goal, Kahn looked like the Kahn of years ago.

 

The simple fact is RIGHT NOW the vast majority of our top team is playing overseas.  The only players who, if everyone were healthy, play in MLS that would make the first squad would be Eddie Pope, Landon Donovan, and Eddie Johnson/Taylor Twellman (one of the two will play alongside McBride).  And even Twellman and Donovan have spent time in Europe - I think Pope might have as well at some point, at least getting a tryout somewhere along the line.

Where we run into problems is when we have to have a team that's at least half MLS guys - like today.

With the depth we have in the midfield, there's almost no chance Klein and Zavagnin go to Germany. 

Beasley, Donovan, Reyna, O'Brien, Mastroeni, Lewis, Dempsey, Convey are all ahead of them right now.  Unless someone gets hurt, they'll be watching from their couch like you and me.  Bruce isn't taking nine midfielders....  And frankly, Zavagnin's 32, Klein's 30.... if he takes someone for the atmosphere, he'd be better off taking a young kid so they'll know what it's like in four years.