TICKER: JUAN AGUDELO being lined up by HANOVER as their main
summer target .. ..
Let’s get
one thing straight right off the bat > the USA will make any group look like
the GROUP OF DEATH .. .. If they struggled that hard to get out of their subpar
group in ’10, everyone will prove to be formidable rivals .. ..
That said,
HERR JURGEN is the absolute right man for the US job .. .. Taking firm control
of the USSF program across all levels is the only way to raise the US level of
play .. .. For the USA to reach a WC Semi-Final one day, an efficient
ruthlessness is needed to run the ‘factory’ .. .. Call it a European-slant, or
whatever you like, the USSF is on the right trajectory .. .. They won @ MEX –
They won @ ITA .. .. The results may not appear by July 2014 (hopefully it
will), but the measuring stick will come with the ’16 Olympics & ’18 WC ..
..
Remember
how the public demanded that CHARLIES DAVIES be invited to the 2010 WC Camp?
Even the wonderful US fans can use a little tough-love .. ..
And,
finally, on to the soccer medias sacred cow of Landon Donovan –
When Herr
Jurgen said that the 2013 GOLD CUP was a priority, he meant it .. .. Enough
said .. .. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GOALKEEPERS
BRAD GUZAN – After 2010, I was more than willing to make him
#1, but Tim’s form in ’13-14 has moved BG to #2, possibly #3 .. .. Allowed 3+
goals in his last 9 ENG matches .. ..
TIM HOWARD – Yes, I gave him an 8.5 rating in 2010 but his
performance in SAF was far below-average for me > All 5GA were not Golazos
and I believe at least one, or more, could’ve been stopped .. .. With 118 Lifetime ENG Premiership clean sheets now
in hand, I’m hopeful he will live up to the ’14 rating, and he’ll need to .. ..
NICK RIMANDO – When JK said that if you go all in for the 2013 Gold Cup you
won’t be forgotten in 2014, Nick is the first winner .. .. Has proven to be a
class GK and could be #2 right now over a faltering BG .. ..
’14 Ranking: INT Class
(0-10 scale): 8.0
’10 Ranking: INT Class
(0-10 scale): 8.5
DEFENDERS
Not a single DEF from
the ’10 WC side made it to Brazil .. ..
DAMARCUS BEASLEY – Everyone remember
FRNAKIE HEJDUK and job he did in Japan/Korea? DB has proved himself to be a
hard-working, athletic wing defender like FRANKIE was .. .. Could be useful
coming forward and is another recipient of the great effort in the ’13 Gold Cup
.. ..
JOHN ANTHONY BROOKS – Tall and talented, the
enigmatic Hertha Berlin defender has been a fave of JK for a while and has spent
time in the US youth ranks .. ..
MATT BESLER – Clearly the leader of
the ’14 defense .. .. Will need to be flawless overseeing a very ‘iffy’
backline that could, if jelled, be pretty decent .. .. Just needs to be solid
w/ no mistakes!!
GEOFF CAMERON – For me, my preferred
central partner w/ MB .. .. Clearly, the most technically-talented CB the USA
has right now and can do just as well as the holding-MF .. .. If he and MB keep
their signals straight, the middle of the defense shouldn’t be too leaky .. ..
TIMMY CHANDLER – If FABIAN moves into
MF, TC comes into right-back .. .. The only RB invited into camp that has INT ability,
it would be a good sign if we don’t have to see a lot of him .. ..
OMAR GONZALEZ – After watching OMAR
since his very first LAG match, I can say for certain that he is over-rated! If OG was not 6-5, I
doubt he would have made the 30-man roster .. .. Average feel for the game +
Average technical ability puts him on the bench, hopefully .. ..
FABIAN JOHNSON – Skillful winger can
help in back or in the MF .. .. Great touch and vision will help him get
involved in most of the goals the USA will score in BRA!
DEANDRE YEDLIN – JK loves his athletes
and DY is that dude .. .. Along for experience and may get a call if JK needs
blistering pace down the right .. ..
’14 Ranking: INT Class
(0-10 scale): 5.0
’10 Ranking: INT Class
(0-10 scale): 8.5
MIDFIELDERS
KYLE BECKERMAN – Long-lost twin of
JERMAINE JONES separated at birth; same playing style, same grit, same
toughness & same hair! Overdue to make his WC debut and able sub for his
brah!
ALFREDO BEDOYA – Quickly-becoming a
fixture @ LM for JK; Two-way player with skill and just a pinch more technical
ability & quality than GRAHAM ZUSI .. ..
MICHAEL BRADLEY – On the verge of becoming an INT-quality player,
he’s become the hard-working engine of the USA side .. .. The bad-passing, evil
twin of MB appears once in a while, but he and JERMAINE JONES has become the
spine of the USA side .. ..
BRAD DAVIS – The 2014 equivalent of JOSE TORRES in 2010; Sublime, cultured left
foot that will bring top-rate service on set-pieces late in matches .. .. BD
& MIX are the super-subs!
MIX DISKERUD – I think the most mercurial, talented MF in the USA side .. ..
Tremendous feel and instincts for the game .. .. Like CLINT, he may be
relatively quiet for an entire match, then pop up in just the right place &
time to score a GW-goal somewhere .. ..
JULIAN GREEN – Well, JK bet his Bayern Munich career on LANDON DONOVAN and JK is
betting his USA career that JULIAN will be a revelation at the Olympics and ’18
WC .. .. Has great feet and is not afraid to run at his markers (hear that,
Landon!) .. .. We’ll see .. ..
JERMAINE JONES – I firmly believe that JJ could have made a big
difference in ’10 and I think he could have that same impact in what will
probably be his only WC for the USA > Like THOMAS DOOLEY, he fully-committed
himself to the USA and is now quite comfortable in the side and with his role
on the team .. .. Great feel for the game, and might be best in MBs role, but
is nonetheless happy bringing his skill to holding-MF .. .. Nice vision on the
ball and can uncork an accurate long-range bomb if left unmarked .. .. He, and
FABIAN, are good bets to be the unheralded Yanks that could make a difference
in BRA .. ..
GRAHAM ZUSI – Call him HERR JURGENs guilty pleasure (minds out of the gutter,
please) .. .. Rightfully so, when JK took over the US program, he gave MLS very
little credit .. .. But, GZs hard-work, quality set-piece service and solid
instincts won JK over and cemented a spot on the right side of MF (and made
Landon excess baggage) .. .. JK even said how much the US missed the MLSers in
the snore-fest v. UKRAINE .. .. Takes some player to change JKs mind .. ..
’14 Ranking: INT Class
(0-10 scale): 8.0
’10 Ranking: INT Class
(0-10 scale): 8.5
FORWARDS
JOZY ALTIDORE – Why couldn’t the WC be held last summer?! JOZY
was laying them to waste in the ‘12-13 season and would have entered the
Festival as one of the most lethal finishers in Europe .. .. 2014? Not so much,
but he still brings an important physical presence up top .. .. If CLINT is
ever going to be in contention for a WC Golden Boot, it will be JOZY holding
the ball up for him, and/or MB .. .. If Jozy scores early v. GHA, we could be
in for a long stay in BRA .. .. J
CLINT DEMPSEY – We all hoped that someone would lead the USA to
the next level in ’06 and ’10 .. .. We hoped it would be a hard-edged,
hard-working, hard-practicing, ruthless player with world-class skills and
instincts .. .. We all thought (wrongly) that player was LANDON, but behold –
that person was right in front of us all along >> CLINT! One of a very few Americans that can create his own shot and
somehow vulture an opportunity out of nothing .. .. Like JOZY, it bodes well if
we can get Deuce on the score sheet early v. GHA .. ..
ARON JOHANNSON – 26 GOALS in ’13-14!
In any other year, you could be leading the line for the USA .. .. Brief,
former teammate of JOZY, AJ is the perfect striker partner should the USA play
with two strikers up top .. .. Seems odds-on that he’s going to score for the
USA somewhere in BRA!
CHRIS WONDOLOWSKI – Last, and not least, another recipient of the
2013 Hard Work Award; Prototypical poacher who puts himself in good spots and
does all the dirty work that JK appreciates .. ..
’14 Ranking: INT Class
(0-10 scale): 7.5
’10 Ranking: INT Class
(0-10 scale): 3.0 (If Landon doesn’t run @ people)
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