USMNT Post Gold Cup/Rebuild for WC Qualifying

[Kay20]

FIFA rankings today (which we all know are suspect but I said I'd post the news):

Mexico #9 (above Argentina)
USA #24

Our spot feels about right - though not sure about the Aussies 2 spots above us. We are right with Turkey, australia and Slovenia. Mexico climbing above Argentina feels wrong but that will be corrected post Copa America.

Sigh. I feel like I'm being kicked while I'm down.

On a positive note - the Gold Cup final was Fox Soccer Channel's highest rated telecast ever. The fan base continues to grow.

 

[EFC NY]

ESPN pimping that game helped with the ratings. Since ABC/ESPN have realized how valuable WC telecasts are to them, they are making a huge effort to grow viewership, even if its indirectly w/ a FSC telecast. Don't underestimate how much ESPN (via SportsCenter) sets the agenda in the States as to what people watch.

The FIFA rankings don't mean anything. After about 10 teams, there are maybe as many as 40 that are the same, and we are in the group of 40. I don't believe that Mexico is in that top group, btw. Basically Brazil, Argentina, and the usual European suspects are a notch above the rest. Other than that there is not much that seperates USA, Mexico, Ireland, Japan, Serbia ....

 

[pfim]

England is 4th in the rankings, which should tell you all you need to know about the rankings.

 

[Kay20]

England is 4th in the rankings, which should tell you all you need to know about the rankings.

I literally busted out laughing. Horrible.

(in other USMNT related news, MLS signed Torsten Frings today. Yes, handball Frings.)

 

[Kay20]

And the US youth team (U17) bombs out of their world cup losing to Germany 4-0.

What a crappy week for US soccer. Sunil Gulati must have a migraine of epic proportions.

Come on US ladies, do us proud!

 

[Rook]

FIFA rankings today (which we all know are suspect but I said I'd post the news):

Mexico #9 (above Argentina)
USA #24

Our spot feels about right - though not sure about the Aussies 2 spots above us. We are right with Turkey, australia and Slovenia. Mexico climbing above Argentina feels wrong but that will be corrected post Copa America.

Sigh. I feel like I'm being kicked while I'm down.

On a positive note - the Gold Cup final was Fox Soccer Channel's highest rated telecast ever. The fan base continues to grow.

FIFA ratings are bunk. If Mexico is no.9 then the state of world footie is awful. Mexico isn't making it past the round of 16 with that back line and keeper. We didn't have much in the way of attack but the few times we were in the final 1/3rd we carved them up. Remember this squad needed extra time in the semis.

Bocanegra will be the captain for 2014. Who's going to replace him in the lineup a few years down the road? Goodson? Ream? You are having a laugh. Plus you could play on the back line well into your 30s. Not sure what happened to the young generation we had one of the most talented squads in the U-19s in Toronto a few years back. Best case senario is that between Davies, Agedulo, Adu and Altidore 2 of them become solid contributors on the next WC team. Other than that I can't see any of the current under 25s making a mark. No matter who the coach is for better or worse we are going to have to rely on the vets for the next WC.

I actually don't think its all gloom and doom either. When we play against teams that don't sit back we can score against almost anyone and we don't have a decent striker on the squad. If Gooch is fit, he's by far our most talented CB and we'll have an adequate back line. With or without Bornstein if Gooch was healthy then Mexico wasn't putting 4 past us. Hopefully Holden won't be in a wheelchair 2014. I think center pairing of Bradley/Holden would be much better than Bradley/Jones who for the most part are the same player.

 

[Kay20]

FIFA ratings are bunk. If Mexico is no.9 then the state of world footie is awful. Mexico isn't making it past the round of 16 with that back line and keeper.

Bocanegra will be the captain for 2014. Who's going to replace him in the lineup a few years down the road? Goodson? Ream? No matter who the coach is for better or worse we are going to have to rely on the vets for the next WC.

I agree with you as well on Mexico - they'll be reset after Copa America and fall to 10-15, which is where they should be imo.

I'm not even going to comment on England's placement - shows how bad these ratings are.

I disagree with you on Boca. He is slow today, and will only get slower. His positioning makes up for his slowness today, but it ain't gonna happen in 3 years. I only want 3 30+ year olds on the pitch for the US - and we know who they are going to be (the double D and Howard).

Ream, Gonzalez, Gooch, Whitbread, Opara - we have CB options. We've got three years to motor through them and get them better (or back to health). I think we'll make it.

Boca should also not be playing tons of games like in the past to make room for the younger players. He won't be on the pitch as often - so we'll be seeing a new captain at some point. In the all Euro squad that'll be Howard or Dempsey.

 

[chicoazul]

England and Mexico are utter dung.

 

[Kay20]

England and Mexico are utter dung.

I wish Mexico was Chico. Sigh.... The good news is that it forces the US to get better to keep up - only a good thing. I can't wait until our qualifying games against them. We are a sterling 0-24-1 in their national stadium. That win has to come at some point.

 

[hotsauce421]

I agree with you as well on Mexico - they'll be reset after Copa America and fall to 10-15, which is where they should be imo.

I'm not even going to comment on England's placement - shows how bad these ratings are.

I disagree with you on Boca. He is slow today, and will only get slower. His positioning makes up for his slowness today, but it ain't gonna happen in 3 years. I only want 3 30+ year olds on the pitch for the US - and we know who they are going to be (the double D and Howard).

Ream, Gonzalez, Gooch, Whitbread, Opara - we have CB options. We've got three years to motor through them and get them better (or back to health). I think we'll make it.

Boca should also not be playing tons of games like in the past to make room for the younger players. He won't be on the pitch as often - so we'll be seeing a new captain at some point. In the all Euro squad that'll be Howard or Dempsey.

I honestly think you need Boca and/or Cherundolo in there for a while longer while we bring those young guys in. Them being there, on the pitch, will help to phase them in and cement their place on the team without being thrown into the fire right away. For this reason, the armband should stay with Boca for now. Eventually those guys will (hopefully) be ready to take over on their own and then someone will need to step up and take it.

Looking at our back line, it does make me nervous in that I don't think any of our defenders from last year will be there in 2014, and no one right now looks like they are ready to take their spot, except maybe Lichaj (who I thought came into his own at the Gold Cup -- does need to get playing time at his club, though). Gooch is a hopefully, but he'll be 32 and he wasn't exactly setting the world alight last year. Because of this, there could be a possibility that Bocanegra or Dolo would make the squad in 2014 -- for cover if nothing else.

 

[Tchnique]

Chandler is an extremely capable backup to Cherundolo. That spot I'm not so worried about, and I fully expect Chandler to be starting during WCQ.

As for the CB's, let's be honest. CONCACAF has only one major threat to the US and that's Mexico. I'd start figuring out who the CB pairing of the future is during WCQ. As for Gooch, he needs club time and prove that he's fully back from his knee injury for me to give him a starting spot.

 

[Kay20]

I honestly think you need Boca and/or Cherundolo in there for a while longer while we bring those young guys in. Them being there, on the pitch, will help to phase them in and cement their place on the team without being thrown into the fire right away. For this reason, the armband should stay with Boca for now. Eventually those guys will (hopefully) be ready to take over on their own and then someone will need to step up and take it.

Looking at our back line, it does make me nervous in that I don't think any of our defenders from last year will be there in 2014, and no one right now looks like they are ready to take their spot, except maybe Lichaj (who I thought came into his own at the Gold Cup -- does need to get playing time at his club, though). Gooch is a hopefully, but he'll be 32 and he wasn't exactly setting the world alight last year. Because of this, there could be a possibility that Bocanegra or Dolo would make the squad in 2014 -- for cover if nothing else.

I don't disagree with you on the bolded section at all - I think those guys will need to train the newbies. It's just a question of when they get phased out imo. They shouldn't be 2014-ing unless they are spectacular at age 36 (Dolo might be, don't think Boca), and even then you're right, backups.

But this next year should be a transition out. Chandler has the RB position sewn up, Lichaj has the LB position sewn up (although Brek Shea is starting to light MLS on fire right now), it's CB that's our problem. We need to try folks until we find the right combo.

 

[Kay20]

Two friendlies: 9/2 Costa Rica in Los Angeles (Home Depot Center); 9/6 Belgium in Brussels. Belgium announced and official, ESPN announced 9/2 though still waiting on federation. Dates make sense.

Because the dates are close together and on separate continents, I expect an MLS based Costa Rica squad and a European based Belgium squad. Makes sense also with the level of opponent. Although what sucks is MLS has games that week. Sigh. In particular LA.

9/2 (MLS) my guess at a line-up:
Rimando
Franklin - Gonzalez - Ream - Loyd
Donovan (c) - Feilhaber - McCarty - Shea
Agudelo - Davies

Bench: Johnson/Hamid, Bunbury, Rogers, Wallace?, Wynne?, Pearce?, Gaven?, Opara?, John?
Who you're watching and why: 1) CB pairing of Gonzalez & Ream - the future? 2) Left Side of Loyd & Shea - can either cut it? 3) Do we have any forwards here?

9/6 (Euro) line-up guess:
Howard
Chandler - Boca (c)/Whitbread - Goodson - Lichaj
Bradley - Jones
Bedoya - Adu - Dempsey
Altidore

Bench: Boca/Whitbread, Guzan, Dolo, Diskerud, Kjlestan, [insert two U20 squad players - notably 1 forward or 1 winger or 1 LB]
Who you're watching and why: 1) The entire back line - can they cut it, and cut it together? 2) Bedoya & Adu - was the Gold Cup a fluke? 3) Altidore - has his form improved? 4) Diskerud and the youngsters if we stick them in.

 

[Tchnique]

Good news today as Chandler reiterates his desire to play for the US in 2014 and has no interest in representing Germany. That's a relief.

 

[TX Bill]

Nice.

Would have liked to have seen him during the Gold Cup.