All-Purpose, Never-Ending Soccer Thread

What do you expect out of the JV?

 

Second to dead-fucking-last.

 

Not with a bang, but with a whimper.......

Doesn't matter too much, they'll be ready if and when they're needed starting this time next year.

 

One year from now, when the US is slogging away in World Cup qualifying on some God-forsaken potato patch in Central America, the results from these three Copa America games won't matter one bit.

The experience of playing good teams in a hostile environment, however, will endure. Or would you rather have the kids get their first taste of such an atmosphere in Mexico City during the Hex?

 

It seems to me that there are a lot of people that are really upset about this. Eric Wynalda, a complete hack if you ask me, was putting out the same cray; Why didn't we send our best??!!??!!

Well, Eric (and the rest complaining) it isn't very easy to do so. In fact, I would consider it rather problematic and extremely difficult to do so.

1) Gold Cup was the most important tournament that the US was playing in this summer. I don't give a shit how the Copa America rates on the world scale. In terms of importance to the US, because that is what counts here, the Gold Cup was number 1.

2) Let us look, real quick, at the schedule for the Gold Cup: June 7 then 9 then 12 then 16 then 21 then 24. Hmm, that doesn't appear to have a lot of time off in between the games. I wonder how the players felt after the tournament ended.

Copa America's schedule began June 28 then July 2 then 5. Again, not too many days between the dates. So, what we have is some of our best players, who just finished a long season in Europe, going out and playing in the Gold Cup day after day with sparse breaks in between. Should we really expect those "best players" to sacrafice the rest of their summer (which would probably be some vacation time) to play in another tournament?

Just picture what would have happened for, say, Beasley if he was on the Copa America roster. His season just ended in Europe and now he's playing in a game every two days for (given the US gets out of the first round) damn near a month and half!

Are you kidding me? Seriously! Some people just have no common sense.

3) Bradley's squad did have some dubious inclusions and there was no one that could score. I definitely agree with this, but when I looked back and thought about why, for fucks sake, did Hercules Gomez get a shot, I thought about the current crop of strikers.

Jozy Altidore would probably have been a good inclusion. But, as we know, he's playing in the U-20 World Cup, a tournament that we would like to do well in.

Chris Rolfe would have been a good inclusion. Oops, he's injured.

Kenny Cooper would have definitely been someone to see. Oops, he's also injured.

Nate Jacqua? Well, he was also somewhat injured.

I don't fault Bradley for bringing Johnson and Twellman. I do not like the inclusion of Gomez. I don't even fault him for bringing Charlie Davies as I think Bradley just wanted to get a good look at him and see what the hell this kid can do.

I am certain there could have been better selections than Kyle Beckerman, Eddie Gaven, Drew Moor, and Bobby Boswell. While Marvell Wynne quickly showed that he wasn't ready, I do not fault Bradley for his inclusion. The guy has some serious flash and I was thinking that he could use that speed to blow past people and do some damage. Oops.

So, what do you take from Copa America? I would say that the US has a dearth of top level talent. The depth just isn't there. The starters that we had going into Copa America are not currently being pushed. They aren't being challenged for a roster spot. Yes, there were some bright spots but there were a lot more black holes exposed.

 

This gentleman is just a touch more succinct than our Pastor:
http://mondaymorning10shirt.blogspot.com/

 

I'm not complaining about sending the JV squad. I understand the reasoning behind it.

 

Not against seeing what they kids could do, either. But was it too much to ask to sprinkle a few 'A' guys in order to stay competitive? In particular, why no Donovan (who is in-season) or Dempsey (who didn't play many minutes for Fulham this spring, anyway)?

As for the ones actually in Venezuela, I liked Felhaber, Bornstein and E. Johnson (but I knew that already). Of the newbies, few seemed ready to help the MNT anytime soon, which was disappointing. I tend to think our U-20 team has much better talent on display.

 

Would someone be kind enough to post updates on US-Brazil?

I just traded my TV and VCR for a pulled pork sammich.

 

FlipSide, as I mentioned previously... If Donovan, Dempsey, etc, had played in the Gold Cup and then gone to Copa America, they would have gone for 1 and half months playing in a game nearly every 3-days.

There wouldn't be anything left in the tank. They wouldn't have the energy to keep up with Argentina. They wouldn't have the legs to keep up with Paraguay. They probably would have beaten Colombia though.

Then, you have to realize that Dempsey and Beasley, are currently training with their European squads. (Actually I think Beasley is on vacation right now.) So, you are removing whatever rest, which is neccessary, that they will get.

It just isn't a fair way to go about things.

 

Sure Trooper, I'll be watching.

 

Thanks, GB.

You are an officer, a gentleman and a snappy dresser.