“Guus Hiddink took South Korea to the WC semifinals and Australia out of the group stage.”

just wanted to add that Guus also took Russia to the semifinals of the Eurocup, no small feat considering they had to beat the (at the time considered unstoppable) Holland.

And the idea of needing stars to win a tournament is silly. Too many stars and you’ll turn into an enormous disappointment (think Argentina WC 2002 or Brazil WC 2006). What we need is for players to step up and BECOME stars during the tournament, and there are many players in the USMNT that can do that. Remember, a tournament is a marathon. Just because a player has scored many goals or has been considered “brilliant” by the public (cough Ibrahimovic cough) doesn’t mean they can do it throughout a small, competitive tournament like the Champions League or the World Cup.

Although I agree that we have to give BB the benefit of the doubt (although most would say we’ve done enough of that), the past few games have shown that either he knows very little about our younger players or he’s got some strange favoritism thing going on (ala Maradona with Argentina now).

I think we could have a very productive midfield with good linkup with the forwards in some version of this:

Adu – Bradley (or Clark) – Feilhaber (or Torres) – Donovan

———- Dempsey ———— Altidore —————

Dempsey and Adu can interchange on the right as needed, both being more offensive minded and that’s why our more defensive mid is on their side. I like the possibilities of Feilhaber – Donovan – Altidore passing and making runs on that side of the field. In a pinch, either Adu or Donovan can slide up to make a 4-3-3 work pretty well, as long as Freddy gets it into his head that he has to track back once in a while. You could switch Dempsey and Altidore around with the logic that Jozy and Freddy play well off each other (Youth Teammates) and that Dempsey + Donovan is a potent combination for creating space and crossing.

I could see wanting to sub Dempsey for someone like Davies, or even just putting Adu as a forward. But I thought Dempsey was our most creative player against Honduras – he made some silly mistakes but clearly knew what he was doing with simple passing and creating space. His finishing was atrocious but at times he seemed to be the only player on that side of the field who knew what he was doing. That to me is valuable, he has the skills and footie IQ even if the end product isn’t always there – I think that is more useful than Adu up top since Adu is much more hit or miss.

Just my two cents!

Now there are a lot of fans, me included who like skill. What I mean is we think that each spot should be filled with the absolute best player who can play that position.

For me those are the players like Torres, Feilhaber, and Charlie Davies. The thing is they probably don’t work with BB’s tactics that well, so what to do.

My solution find a coach who can use tactics that utilize our best players. Bob Bradley is not the man for the job. I don’t think he knows how to use our best and most creative players.

-”The number of people in a given population is not the sole indicator of success in any sport. Latin American countries have the luxury of football being their primary sport. Kids there want to play because those are the ones making the big bucks, making the news and the morning papers. The best athletes there choose football over other sports because of that. Our best athletes may start with soccer, but soon switch to football/baseball/basketball when they start middle school because there’s a better chance to succeed with it. Why should we be dominating CONCACAF?”

Because the talent in our existing player pool is greater than that over other CONCACAF teams. That’s all. I have no idea where your whole bit about population and football coming first in Latin America is coming from, that has nothing to do with what I was saying.

-”Do you really think having someone play on the US MNT is going to suddenly make them that good? They have to come there with that level of skill. Playing for the MNT is for those players who have already made it at the club levels, it’s not for training.”

No, it won’t suddenly make them that good, but it will help them develop, but I’m not arguing that the MNT should be a training system. I’m arguing that ability should be more of a deciding factor than “making it at the club level”. Conor Casey has made it at the club level more than Jozy Altidore, do you think Conor Casey should play instead of Jozy in a one striker formation?

-”I see the value of using Adu. I don’t think anyone argues against using him.”

Yes, Bob Bradley does. That’s part of the problem we’re discussing here.

-”But he has not earned a starting spot by any stretch of the imagination. He gets used about as much as he has really earned the right. He’s on the bench for his club.”

And Pablo or Beasley have? Beasley started six games this year for Rangers. Has he earned the right to start for the MNT?

-”I never said don’t be negative. I said don’t be so one-sided.”

Well sometimes you have to be one-sided to drive home an important point. If we patted Bob on the back the same time we criticize him and suggest he should be replaced, that would make us hypocrites and cloud our message, now wouldn’t it?

-”I’m no BB apologist, I just have respect for the job and it’s very easy to sit on the sideline and disagree with every little thing. You don’t know what’s going on in the background and will never have that insight, very few do.”

It’s also very easy to sit on the sidelines and blindly trust the manager. What background goings on would possibly affect the criticisms we have laid out? It’s all about what we see on the pitch (or what we’re not seeing on the pitch).

-”big picture is we don’t have enough talent to challenge for the World Cup this go around and the fact is we are doing fairly well given the circumstances.”

Once again, I’m not saying I expect us to win the World Cup this year. But unless we draw the toughest group of all time, we should contend to at least make it out of that stage.

-”Basically, get real. Name one US player who’s a star in one of Europe’s bigger leagues (or little leagues for that matter), please?”

You’ve already asked that and I’ve already answered, but you either didn’t see it or chose to ignore it, so here’s my previous answer once again: Yes, none of our players are legit stars in Europe, but that’s because all of our players will potential to be legit stars are young and aren’t even being given a chance on their national team. And to take that a step further, those young players are already deserving of more national team play and maybe impress European clubs at the international level and break down some of their biases against US talent.

-”I don’t mean just a player on a team, I’m talking a star. Without that quality, what coach is going to produce in the World Cup?”

Well, Greece won Euros without any major stars. Guus Hiddink took South Korea to the WC semifinals and Australia out of the group stage.

Again, I don’t expect the US to win it all next year, I don’t know where you’re getting that.

Davies has shown something, and should be slated for time. At forward, I would say we need to cast a wider net.

____
Just a quick note on why I chose age 25….it’s because those guys are clearly not in their prime years and won’t be there until 2014. They could have 2 to 3 World Cups left provided they’re playing well. So that’s 2/3rds of the roster who won’t be at their prime until the next qualifying cycle. The rest are veterans who are by no means on the downside of their careers (there isn’t a player on the Confed Cup roster is past their prime, unless injuries get the better of them).

I get down on Bob for situational substitutions (like Torres in Costa Rica) and strategical head scratchers like the dreaded empty bucket. But I don’t get down on him on his overall results or this idea that we’re not systematically introducing fresher faces into the pool / giving them adequate opportunities.

I’d be very interested to see how our roster stacked up strictly from an age and experience perspective vs other Conferation Cup teams.

- “First of all, congratulations on being the only person who puts value in FIFA rankings. Secondly, of course the US is doing well in CONCACAF. It’s CONCACAF! We should be absolutely dominating it.”

The number of people in a given population is not the sole indicator of success in any sport. Latin American countries have the luxury of football being their primary sport. Kids there want to play because those are the ones making the big bucks, making the news and the morning papers. The best athletes there choose football over other sports because of that. Our best athletes may start with soccer, but soon switch to football/baseball/basketball when they start middle school because there’s a better chance to succeed with it. Why should we be dominating CONCACAF?

“And what makes you think those kids will affect the senior squad before they turn 30? Bob’s awesome ability to not integrate our young and talented players to their fullest?”

The point is we have to deal with superior skill of existing players for many years to come, regardless of who we generate in our youth squads. It’s unlikely we will produce the skill of Messi or Ronaldo anytime soon. Do you really think having someone play on the US MNT is going to suddenly make them that good? They have to come there with that level of skill. Playing for the MNT is for those players who have already made it at the club levels, it’s not for training.

- “Then how do you explain Charlie Davies not playing? He’s playing at the club level. Also, if you can’t see the value of using Adu even if he’s been sitting on the bench in Monaco for eight months then I understand why you’re a Bob Bradley apologist.”

I see the value of using Adu. I don’t think anyone argues against using him. But he has not earned a starting spot by any stretch of the imagination. He gets used about as much as he has really earned the right. He’s on the bench for his club.

- “Wow, ok. Well, if you want a sunshine and lollipops look at the US MNT, go read the official US MNT blog. Also, understand that we’re not being negative here just for the sake of being negative. We’re voicing concerns that all US fans should have.”

I never said don’t be negative. I said don’t be so one-sided. I’m no BB apologist, I just have respect for the job and it’s very easy to sit on the sideline and disagree with every little thing. You don’t know what’s going on in the background and will never have that insight, very few do. The big picture is we don’t have enough talent to challenge for the World Cup this go around and the fact is we are doing fairly well given the circumstances.

- “That’s just complacent and ridiculous. If you spend all your time thinking about how satisfied you are, you will never strive to get better and achieve more. Dwell on what could be, Peter! DWELL ON WHAT COULD BE!”

Basically, get real. Name one US player who’s a star in one of Europe’s bigger leagues (or little leagues for that matter), please? I don’t mean just a player on a team, I’m talking a star. Without that quality, what coach is going to produce in the World Cup? I think this site DOES dwell on something that’s not within reach YET. We’re making rapid strives, but come on, get real.

Also, although he’s had his ups and downs recently, but there was a time when a red hot Kenny Cooper was being blatantly ignored. And Jozy all but had to part the red sea to get Bob’s attention.

-”I never confused adu with messi.”

Well do you confuse any other US player with any other Argentinian? We’re talking about Adu in relation to other US players here, not comparing him to Messi.

jozy altidore can’t legally buy a beer. I think he should pretty much have a permanent spot given our forward situation. Nobody is biased against using youth per se, but when watching the olympics, I never confused adu with messi. You’ll notice that when other nations call on youth, they also call on very special players and those players perform well and are proven commodities. I don’t want to knock Freddy, but I don’t put him near that class but do consider him a great situational player. Hope he gets chances to prove me wrong. You respect his ability much more. Cool. Agree to disagree.

Anyone besides freddy who is being held down?