U.S. stock watch after Trinidad and Tobago win

2009-09-14T02:53:47-04:00

2009-09-10T11:12:57-04:00

2009-09-14T02:53:46-04:00

Bongo the chimp

La Grange 269102

33 Here's an interesting concept, having defenders play the ball out to someone wearing the same color jersey other than just mindlessly pumping the ball out of the back to the touchline or directly to the opponent. I watch the EPL and Serie A and all the defenders have that type of class. Why not us? I watch the USNT and MLS and cringe at our defenders lack of ability. That would start a better possession game because you can then string passes together. Of the current crop of defenders the only one I see do that regularly is Spector. And it seems to me that this concept would be a coaching point, reinforced by the coach if it were a priority. Seeing as how we blast balls out of the back into oblivion it obviously is not. As far Dempsey goes, if he connects on a tricky touch or fancy play he seems inspired, otherwise his play is downright awful. He doesn't track back defensively, he hardly seems to move defensively. In the TnT game I swear he could have won 2 or 3 balls simply by sticking a leg out. He has the class and the touch to be a factor in the offensive third, however, if he's not performing on the defensive side of the ball, he's a liability. Is he our Blanco? Do we go into games knowing we're going to play 11 on 10 when the opponent has the ball? 6851690

2009-09-12T00:56:39-04:00

bingyman

No City 862012

32 Coach: Klinsman GK: Friedel, Howard, Guzman with Friedel starting. Howard does not impress me. DEF: Spector, Bocanegra, Gooch, Castillo, Demerit, Marshall MID: Donavan, Jones, Torres, Holden, Edu, Felihaber, Clark, Bradley FWD: Ching, Dempsey, Davies, Altidore Dempsey is a forward, not a midfielder. Either bench him or let him play forward. Try starting him with Davies. Replace the coach to avoid serious embarrasment in the world cup. The team needs a serious sit down and talking to on the absolute necessity of playing possession football and stop clearing the ball or handing it back to the opponents. Torres and Holden need to start if we want to get past the first round.. 6836448

2009-09-12T00:49:42-04:00

bingyman

No City 862012

31 Coach: Klinsman GK: Friedel, Howard, Guzman with Friedel starting. (Bring back Friedel, Howard is suspect on long balls) DEF: Spector, Bocanegra, Gooch, Castillo, Demerit, Marshall MID: Donavan, Jones, Torres, Holden, Edu, Felihaber, Clark, Bradley FWD: Ching, Dempsey, Davies, Altidore - First Bradley needs to be replaced as coach to avoid embarassment at the World Cup - Try starting Davies and Dempsey at Forward, or bench Dempsey until he realises the team is more important. - Stop this Socccer Mom style - kick the ball up and hope to catch it before the other kidsl. Thats why you need Torres, Holden and Felihaber playing together and focused on possession football. 6836447

2009-09-11T14:19:32-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/688/3/thumb/sox_suck.jpg 439 NJ

Big_Perm

6903

30 kenny_b: I appreciate your opinion. I am by no means a fan of Hejduk and agree with you that other players deserve the spot. Bradley loves Hejduk, that is the problem. Same thing with Ching. I do not think Ching is good at anything other than shielding and checking, but Bradley likes him. Beckerman, in my opinion, brings more to the table than Clark, Dempsey (if he is going to play the way he has been) and certainly Bornstein. Bornstein is that defender that you play with where there is no reward for winning the ball because he has no composure and just boots it up field. Equals right back to defense. And what I see from Beckerman is someone that you can convert to a back who will have some level of patience and composure. 6829887

2009-09-11T13:59:34-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/688/3/thumb/sox_suck.jpg 439 NJ

Big_Perm

6903

28 New Players who I think should be on the roster: Beckerman, Holden I dont know how anyone is putting Jones or Castillo on the team yet... Have we seen them play with the core? No. Castillo is Mexican which is a totally different style of play. Jones is coming off a fractured leg injury, 6829480

2009-09-11T14:12:53-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/742/368/thumb/bunny.jpg 32 NV

kenny_b

Las Vegas 743028

New Players who I think should be on the roster: Beckerman, HoldenI dont know how anyone is putting Jones or Castillo on the team yet... Have we seen them play with the core? No. Castillo is Mexican which is a totally different style of play. Jones is coming off a fractured leg injury,

29 Sorry Big Perm, but I have to disagree. I think Beckerman's touch is way too heavy to merit a spot in international play. His energy and enthusiasm is great, but I find him technically lacking. I also think enough younger defensive players have somewhat stepped up that Hejduk is now finished internationally. Spector has been playing on the right for the U.S. but he plays out on the left for West Ham and I believe Castillo will prove to be capable. 6829726

2009-09-11T13:59:34-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/688/3/thumb/sox_suck.jpg 439 NJ

Big_Perm

6903

2009-09-11T13:55:12-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/688/3/thumb/sox_suck.jpg 439 NJ

Big_Perm

6903

27 You all seem to be forgetting that Bradley loves Hejduk in defense. he is hurt but will certainly be a part of the roster. In fact most likely a starter. Starting 11: GK: Howard Defence: Gooch, Bocanegra, Spector, Hejduk Midfield: Bradley, Donovan, Edu, Dempsey Forward: Altidore, Ching (even though he sucks) or Davies 6829377

2009-09-11T13:13:32-04:00

greatgame

Murrieta 152870

26 I like the idea of bringing Davies when the defense is less crisp. His speed would just kill them. I hope Borstein does not make it into the team. He is OK on defense but can not make a good pass. Marshall, Holden, and Beckerman are three new additions that impressed me favorably. There was another who played on the left side and had excellent runs forward with awesome passes but I can't remember his name. 6828489

2009-09-11T04:34:22-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/693/335/thumb/EadsBrigademainlogo_final-2_deluxe_t-full.jpg 131 WY

Virginia Daddy

Laramie 693975

24 Dempsey... You know, he's no played consistently, but he produces, and has done that at least consistently. To me, its hard to take someone off who is producing like that and has his upside. Until someone else can do this, he's got to be your guy, or until he stops creating goals. 6822119

2009-09-11T11:34:23-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/419/330/thumb/leaf.gif 4 OH

BuckeyeProf

Columbus 419770

Dempsey... You know, he's no played consistently, but he produces, and has done that at least consistently. To me, its hard to take someone off who is producing like that and has his upside.Until someone else can do this, he's got to be your guy, or until he stops creating goals.

25 Yeah, but... Q1: WHEN does he create goals??? A: When he gets to roam up top... typically late in the game once we sub out one of the strikers. Q2: What does he do when he's in midfield and out on the wing A: Not a darned thing worth mentioning. His passes have no pace, his touch isn't there, his vision and distribution are pitiful, and oh... this just in... he can't hold the ball under pressure in midfield. As a midfielder, he is a liability. As a striker, well, the results speak for themselves. The real question is do you bring him in as a sub, or do you move him into Charlie Davies' spot and use Davies as the late sub? Adding Davies speed late in a game once the defense is not as crisp might be a tremendous strategy. 6826436

2009-09-11T04:34:22-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/693/335/thumb/EadsBrigademainlogo_final-2_deluxe_t-full.jpg 131 WY

Virginia Daddy

Laramie 693975

<div class="photo_container image_right"> <div class="photo"><img src="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/grant_wahl/09/10/usa.wins/stuart-holden.jpg" alt="Double Click to select a Photo" /></div> <div class="photo_attributes" style="text-align:right;">Stuart Holden has looked lively off the bench in every game. <br />Jim Rogash/Getty Images</div> </div> <p>The U.S. just went from third place on goal differential to alone in first in World Cup qualifying in the span of two games -- how much does the wild, wild frontier of the CONCACAF Hexagonal rock? Still, if you're feeling uneasy about the Americans' form these days, you're not alone. If they play like that in nine months, it's going to be a short World Cup. Back to the task at hand, here's a look at how the U.S. bubble players performed after the <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/grant_wahl/09/10/usa.wins/index.html?eref=T1">1-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago</a> on Wednesday:</p> <h3>Making their case to stick</h3> <p><strong>Ricardo Clark.</strong> Let's not forget: We're talking about players who are making their case in <strong>Bob Bradley</strong>'s eyes, not ours. The holding midfielder had a sub-par first half and a less forgettable second half. Yet his rocket in the 62nd minute was the difference-maker against T&T. And in Bradley's world, that's enough to stay a regular on the team (Clark has delivered similarly before). Funny, because I can't remember a single touch that stood out the rest of the game. He was on his way to being subbed before hitting that goal. To me, yes, Rico is still a bubble player. The sooner <strong>Maurice Edu</strong> gets healthy and the closer <strong>Jermaine Jones</strong> gets to making his U.S. debut, the more in jeopardy Clark's place is.</p> <p><strong>Stuart Holden.</strong> Does this kid want to play or what? That's three straight qualifiers in which the Houston Dynamo youngster has come off the bench and immediately injected the U.S. attack with life. It's also three straight games in which the midfielder has created legit scoring chances the Americans couldn't bury. The more Holden steps on the field, the more I want him in the picture. Too bad <strong>Landon Donovan</strong> couldn't convert that pretty cross from him Wednesday night. Holden's purposeful performance stood out even more when you consider who he replaced in the 82nd minute: seriously lackluster <strong>Clint Dempsey</strong>.</p> <h3>Eyeing a rally</h3> <p><strong>Jonathan Bornstein.</strong> This might be simply because of how poorly he played against El Salvador. But Jonny B made a solid recovery in Port of Spain, making several key defensive plays and crucial tackles on a number of dangerous players, ranging from menacing winger <strong>Carlos Edwards</strong> to goal-hungry <strong>Cornell Glen</strong>. Was that good enough to keep him in the picture? Unclear. But it's a pretty safe bet <strong>Edgar Castillo</strong> will be in camp before the trip to Honduras next month.</p> <h3>Incomplete</h3> <p><strong>Chad Marshall.</strong> After playing reasonably well against El Salvador, Marshall rode the pine in Trinidad with <strong>Oguchi Onyewu</strong> back in the lineup. Hard to know where the Columbus Crew stalwart fits until Bradley figures out whether he prefers <strong>Carlos Bocanegra</strong> in the middle or at left back.</p> <h3>On the verge of a crash</h3> <p><strong>José Francisco Torres. </strong>Another match goes by where the 21-year-old Pachuca star can't get in the game. Take that for what it is.</p> <p>Where are <strong>Jonathan Spector</strong> and <strong>Benny Feilhaber</strong>? At this point, I don't think they're bubble players -- they're on the roster in red ink. But you may disagree. You have the floor: Who impressed and who disappointed?</p> 77021 http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/459/8/thumb/freedman_jonah.jpg 14 CA

Jonah Freedman

San Francisco 4618