USMNT: To Rüssia With Love

[soxfan121]

Two wins in the Netherlands and Germany going into the High School Invitational.

 
Stuart Holden is singing my tune!

Klinsmann took heat for the results, and issues with the team earlier this year. But patience has been rewarded. I dunno that there's gonna be anymore criticism over fitness or giving up late goals to lose games. 
 
If they rampage through the GC, it must be viewed as a complete vindication of the "schedule the hardest opposition you can find for friendlies" strategy JK has relentlessly pursued since the WC ended.

 

[DJnVa]

when is the next rankings released?

 
 
July 9th.
 

 

[teddykgb]

It sucks to watch Holden as an announcer. He was a good player I wish we could have seen him at his best

 

[Dummy Hoy]

He's not ready to be on the full side.

 
But isn't he not locked in? I'd probably rather have him getting cap tied  and on the bench than watching Wondo again.

 

[SoxFanInCali]

 
But isn't he not locked in? I'd probably rather have him getting cap tied  and on the bench than watching Wondo again.

Didn't he have to file for the one-time switch since he'd played for Germany's youth teams?  That would mean he's locked in.

 

[Titans Bastard]

 
But isn't he not locked in? I'd probably rather have him getting cap tied  and on the bench than watching Wondo again.

 
He'd have to file a one-time switch to leave the US program at this point, but he's not fully locked in.  It would be easy to lock up Zelalem, particularly because he could be swapped out after the group stage.  However, perhaps the US brass has taken a lesson from how Julian Green has been managed over the past year and are taking it slow with GZ.
 
Zelalem is having a good experience with the U-20s.  He may be involved in Olympic qualifying this fall.  There will be plenty of NT soccer for him over the next year that will keep him involved.

 

[Titans Bastard]

Didn't he have to file for the one-time switch since he'd played for Germany's youth teams?  That would mean he's locked in.

 
http://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2015/01/27/gedion-zelalem-usmnt-citizenship-fifa-problem
 
This article explains the issue:
 

 
That is an important distinction for FIFA, though, because, according to the organization, players that are naturalized citizens must live in the country they wish to represent internationally for at least five years from his 18th birthday.
 
Therein lies the problem. Zelalem just turned 18 on Monday, and with things going well with the Arsenal youth team, the chances of him coming back to the U.S. (not to mention having to stay for five years) are practically non-existent. 
 
U.S. Soccer is on it. According to ESPN, the federation has appealed to FIFA for a special exception to the rule based on Zelalem’s time attending school in the United States – he lived in the USA from 2006-2013 – before making the move to Arsenal. U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati expects the request to be granted. 

 
 
If he had played for Germany's U17s or U19s in official games before acquiring US citizenship, it would have been impossible to play for the US.

 

[Cellar-Door]

 
He'd have to file a one-time switch to leave the US program at this point, but he's not fully locked in.  It would be easy to lock up Zelalem, particularly because he could be swapped out after the group stage.  However, perhaps the US brass has taken a lesson from how Julian Green has been managed over the past year and are taking it slow with GZ.
 
Zelalem is having a good experience with the U-20s.  He may be involved in Olympic qualifying this fall.  There will be plenty of NT soccer for him over the next year that will keep him involved.

UsSoccer says his move to the US was his one time switch.
http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2015/05/29/08/29/150529-u20mnt-four-new-guys

 

[Titans Bastard]

UsSoccer says his move to the US was his one time switch.
http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2015/05/29/08/29/150529-u20mnt-four-new-guys

 
Maybe the waiver precludes a switch to another country?  Or else they are just wrong in the press release.  Either way, it wasn't the same as Johnson or Jones because Zelalem never suited up for Germany in any relevant capacity.
 
In any case, I am not worried about Zelalem jumping ship.  If he wanted to play for Germany, he had opportunities to do so and ultimately turned them down.

 

[americantrotter]

It sucks to watch Holden as an announcer. He was a good player I wish we could have seen him at his best

Way to bring this Bolton born US fan back down.

Great game. That second goal was class.

 

[SoxFanInCali]

If he had played for Germany's U17s or U19s in official games before acquiring US citizenship, it would have been impossible to play for the US.

 
Yeah, it looks like he played some U15 and U16 games for Germany, plus an U17 friendly, but turned down a spot in the U17 EURO tourney so he would still have the chance to play with the US.

 

[Senator Donut]

If he had played for Germany's U17s or U19s in official games before acquiring US citizenship, it would have been impossible to play for the US.

Are you sure that's correct? Diego Costa appeared for Brazil before becoming a Spanish citizen, but was able to make a one-time switch. Did he take advantage of another loophole?

 

[SoxFanInCali]

Are you sure that's correct? Diego Costa appeared for Brazil before becoming a Spanish citizen, but was able to make a one-time switch. Did he take advantage of another loophole?

He only appeared in friendlies for Brazil, not any FIFA-sanctioned match.

 

[Titans Bastard]

The Guardian wants to know why Benny Feilhaber isn't on the Gold Cup provisional roster.
 
Feilhaber has been pretty epic for a little over a year now; he's clearly stepped up his fitness and focus and become a guy who brings it every game, for the whole game.  Perhaps it's too little, too late for a 30 year old and it's not worth shedding too many tears.  But, I will say, this is a team that is being built around Bradley.  If MB has to miss a key game with a small injury or suspension, who slides into that role?  Feilhaber would be the best fit, I think.  I would prefer to keep him on the fringes of the team to maintain familiarity with the system in the event that he's needed.
 
All that being said, I think it's a pretty solid 35-man roster and Feilhaber is really my only quibble.  Well, Brad Davis seems more than a little pointless, but I'll let it slide as long as he stays on the alternates list.

 

[Mr. Wednesday]

So, the US FIFA ranking should climb a bit---wins over #1 and #6.

Not much, though... they were friendlies, whereas European teams are banking bonus points for playing qualifiers.

This is always a bad time for us in the FIFA rankings, though the Gold Cup (continental championship bonus FTW!) will help.

 

[dirtynine]

Self-serving post alert, but because these have been well-received before, I'll give it a shot. Clean Sheet Co., my soccer/design/apparel shop, has a new USMNT-inspired design ready for the Gold Cup: The Cannon.  Based on the Gonzales / "Come and Take It" flag which itself was a direct challenge to Mexico. It's in the pre-order/backer stage now; we need 25 to make it and we're at 19 or so, so it's looking good. As always, Soshers can use "CROCKPOT" to get a few bucks (15%) off.  Will ship in time for the Gold Cup.  I wrote up the design story here and it can be pre-ordered here. 
 

I try not to overdo it with this stuff but I thought this was worth calling out for fellow USMNT fans or those who love disputes over heavy artillery. 

 

[MentalDisabldLst]

Well, I guess that's wittier than another "Dos a Cero" joke.

 

[dirtynine]

In a very macabre twist, Wikipedia for the Battle of Gonzales includes the following passage:
 

 
 
Two Mexican soldiers were killed in the attack. The only Texian casualty was the bloody nose suffered by the man bucked off his horse.

 
That was 180 years ago. Probably somewhat anecdotal. 

 

[BoredViewer]

Rubin can't finish in the dying seconds.  0-0 heading to extra time.
 
Quite a match.  Good chances for both sides (though probably more for the Serbs), it's raining, both teams really leaving it on the field.
 
Steffen and CCV are having quite the games.

 

[Cellar-Door]

Lose 6-5 in the 9th round of penalties.
Steffen was excellent, but CCV and Rubin in particular took terrible penalties.

 

[Billy R Ford]

Tough way to go out for the US. Why did we let the English guy take a PK again?
 
Kidding of course, the team played well this tournament and I'm excited about a lot of these guys.

 

[Jimy Hendrix]

US 0 for 2 on those damn tippy-toe penalties.

 

[Jimy Hendrix]

Spurs central defender prospects also 0 for 2 on penalties.

 

[scottyno]

USA only made 1 sub right? Why not sub in 2 more bench guys more suited to take PKs if it gets 8-9 deep?

 

[BoredViewer]

USA only made 1 sub right? Why not sub in 2 more bench guys more suited to take PKs if it gets 8-9 deep?

 
Injuries/suspensions.  Team was pretty depleted for this match.

 

[Titans Bastard]

Just watched most of the game....I forgot to set the damn DVR to record extra time, so I got cut off just after Serbia almost scored in the 5th minute of extra time.  Strong performance from the US, but the team found it tough to generate many dangerous chances.  The first 90 minutes felt like a chess match with both defenses looking strong and well organized.  Serbia and the US both had a few chances, but there weren't a ton of good looks.  Sounds like I missed a painful set of PKs.
 
The US looked like midgets out there against Serbia and with all the injuries and suspensions, Ramos didn't have a lot of tactical flexibility.  The Rubin/Thompson partnership up top is tough because both prefer to play underneath as a second forward.  Rubin would have been more effective if he had been paired with a speedy guy (Tall or Jamieson, both injured) or a target forward type (Novakovich, not released by Reading).  But there was nothing that could be done and Rubin/Thompson was the best option under the circumstances.
 
Not the best game from Hyndman and Zelalem.  At times Zelalem needed to be more decisive going forward, but I think a few things worked against Hyndman/Zelalem as well.  1) the defensive midfielder behind them (Delgado) isn't a great ballwinner, physical presence, or distributor, 2) Serbia was prepared to close them down in numbers, and 3) Rubin and Thompson both like to drop deeper for possession, leaving a lack of passing options for the midfielders.  I still like both of them.
 
Arriola was a warrior out there.  CCV and Miazga were so solid, as they were all tournament.
 
Promising effort from the US overall.  I liked the effort against Serbia considering all the unavailable players.  A lot of these guys are going straight to the U23s.
 

USA only made 1 sub right? Why not sub in 2 more bench guys more suited to take PKs if it gets 8-9 deep?

 
After Sonora was subbed in, the only available subs were two GKs, two CBs, and a fullback (who is also the worst technical player on the team).  This team was badly depleted.

 

[Vinho Tinto]

Brazil, Mali, Senegal, and Serbia. A good reminder that you don't want to get too caught up in the winning of youth titles.

 

[dirtynine]

I know this is a forward looking thread - but 5 years ago today (just about this very minute, in fact), we were all loving life. 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbn3rOPmR9w

 

[cromulence]

I was actually furious, as I'd instructed my sister not to spoil anything since I was stuck at work and would be watching a bit later on DVR. Of course she texts me after Donovan scores, not just spoiling that but also the results of the England-Slovenia game and that we'd won the group. Such a strange feeling - really happy that it happened, but so so upset that I'd had the moment taken away from me. It still bugs me.

 

[dirtynine]

Gold Cup roster.  I cut and pasted from US Soccer; the years are previous Gold Cups played in.
 
GOALKEEPERS (3):
Brad Guzan (Aston Villa/2007)
Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake/2011, 2013)
William Yarbrough (Club Leon)
 
DEFENDERS (7):
Ventura Alvarado (Club America)
John Brooks (Hertha Berlin)
Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC/2009)
Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy/2013)
Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach)
Tim Ream (Bolton Wanderers/2011)
 
MIDFIELDERS (9):
Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake/2009, 2013)
Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes/2011, 2013)
Michael Bradley (Toronto FC/2007, 2011)
Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo/2005)
Mix Diskerud (New York City FC/2013)
Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt)
DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham Hotspur)
Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy)
Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
 
FORWARDS (4):
Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC/2011)
Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC/2005, 2007, 2011)
Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar)
Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes/2011, 2013)
 
 
The Revs are unaffected; Aguedelo and Nguyen didn't make the final cut.
 
ed. formatting 

 

[Cellar-Door]

Wondo? Really?
 
At least Brek Shea got left at home.

 

[Tangled Up In Red]

So who is/are the left back(s)?

 

[cromulence]

Wondo over Morris annoys me. As for LB, I guess Fabian Johnson is moving back there again. 

 

[Cellar-Door]

So who is/are the left back(s)?

Fabian.
Alvarado, Evans, Ream, Chandler and Yedlin have also all played LB for their clubs at various points.

 

[Billy R Ford]

Not a huge fan of leaving Besler off (especially with Cameron on hiatus), but he's in the alternate pool so I think there's a good chance he gets called up for the group stages.
 
My bigger concern is not having a direct back-up for Altidore. He's coming off injury and him getting hurt burned the US both last summer and the 2011 Gold Cup. I'm hoping Agudelo gets the call in the group stage for this reason. EDIT: Actually now that I think about it, Zardes could play that role. He's listed as a midfielder but I think he can play the lead striker role well. That makes me feel a lot better about the roster.
 
Other than that I think this is a really good roster. Judging from the looks of it I'm expecting the 4-4-2 diamond to continue, which gets the best out of the team I think.

 

[Titans Bastard]

No Shea, Garza, or Beasley means that Fabian is locked into LB for now.  That's a good thing, especially in the group stage where the USMNT will face more opponents in a withdrawn defensive shell.  FJ's forays forward will help break down defenses.
 
Do you remember when JK didn't bring backups for Jozy or Beckerman at the World Cup?  Well, he just did it again.*  Here's hoping they stay healthy and un-suspended.
 
Davis is a real headscratcher.  Taking a look at him some years ago when he was a top performer in MLS is one thing, but he's 33 now and hasn't been as influential as he was in his prime for several years now.  And even in the best of times he's never looked great for the US.
 
I am surprised that Ream made it over both Besler and Orozco.  However, Ream can fill in at LB in a pinch, which helps.
 
 
 
* One thing very much worth keeping in mind is that JK can replace up to six players with alternates from the provisional roster after the group stage is over.  So he can adjust for injuries/issues and may also have held some guys back from the group stage for various reasons.  (KC has a lot of CB injuries, for example.)

 

[DJnVa]

No Jordan Morris? Why not give him some run here?

 

[Pxer]

I was actually furious, as I'd instructed my sister not to spoil anything since I was stuck at work and would be watching a bit later on DVR. Of course she texts me after Donovan scores, not just spoiling that but also the results of the England-Slovenia game and that we'd won the group. Such a strange feeling - really happy that it happened, but so so upset that I'd had the moment taken away from me. It still bugs me.

You need to request vacation days like the rest of us degenerate USMNT fans.

 

[Pxer]

Naming Wondo to the roster (again) really is just incredible.

 

[soxfan121]

The entire provisional roster is the potential replacement roster, right? 
 
I'm kind of annoyed by some of the choices but I honestly have no idea how much control Klinsmann had versus MLS and/or Stanford University. I mean, it looks like Besler isn't there because Kansas City has a CB depth problem - was JK asked not to take Besler? Did Besler ask out because of his club's situation? Or was he not a viable choice for another reason? 
 
I mean, we know Danny Williams (at least) isn't involved because he and JK agreed that securing first team, starter minutes for his club was more important. And we can presume Yedlin is involved because Tottenham is hoping some strong performances make the loan-phone ring. 

 

[Billy R Ford]

I mean, we know Danny Williams (at least) isn't involved because he and JK agreed that securing first team, starter minutes for his club was more important. And we can presume Yedlin is involved because Tottenham is hoping some strong performances make the loan-phone ring. 

 
Same goes for Geoff Cameron, Stoke City asked him to take the summer off to rest/recover and he complied.

 

[McBride11]

I probably missed this when we discussed the provisional roster - is Wood not being offered a spot to continue recovering his knee? Or is his German club requesting he not play?
 
Anyone but Wondo please.

 

[Spacemans Bong]

Do we really have only one USMNT player in the EPL? Wow, feels like a big change from 2010 or 2006.
 

I know this is a forward looking thread - but 5 years ago today (just about this very minute, in fact), we were all loving life. 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbn3rOPmR9w

 
I had a college job at the O2 Arena in London, and Bon Jovi were playing. Their roadies and I were the only Yanks in the bar we were at, and we went completely nuts. One of the best moments of pure, unbridled joy in my life. I was happy in 2004 but it wasn't the same, in both instances you knew it was coming. This, I didn't. My Fever Pitch/Michael Thomas moment. 

 

[Titans Bastard]

Do we really have only one USMNT player in the EPL? Wow, feels like a big change from 2010 or 2006.

 
Two at the moment - Yedlin and Guzan.  Cameron's club requested that he be left out to rest some lingering injury issues.

 

[Titans Bastard]

https://twitter.com/DougMacESPN/status/615908475156049920

 

[Cellar-Door]

Guess we know why Morris isn't on the Gold Cup roster now.
Stress fracture in one leg, getting surgery.
 
https://twitter.com/GrantWahl/status/615960736842559488

 

[DJnVa]

Well, that sucks.

 

[Titans Bastard]

It also came out a little while ago that Shea has been carrying an injury, which is likely why he was not named to the roster.

 

[Titans Bastard]

https://twitter.com/BrianSciaretta/status/616231296839364608
 
 
Doesn't sound too serious.

 

[Titans Bastard]

 
United States coach Jurgen Klinsmann has named Michael Bradley as captain for the upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament.
 
Klinsmann opted to hand Bradley the role for the upcoming tournament to allow Clint Dempsey to focus on his playing duties in the wake of an incident in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on June 16.

 
http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/story/us-national-team-michael-bradley-named-captain-for-concacaf-gold-cup-070115
 
 
 
It feels to me a bit more like Klinsmann is using the Dempsey incident as a pretext to give Bradley the captaincy, something that was going to have to happen one way or the other soon enough, rather than pure punishment.  I'd have done the same thing.