**Official USMNT Soccer Thread**

[krispacinla]

*Prays to God EJ hamstring is more serious*

Who else is going to join us for the game @ the ESPN ZONE IN LA?

 

[cincoseisdos]

Originally Posted by In Yo Nostril

Originally Posted by CincoSeisDos

Originally Posted by IYE2

Meh dont really like em. Im sure this had prob been asked but does anyone know a legit site I can get a usmnt Dempsey jersey?

Soccerplus.net

what great website design

The site is trash but they're legit as they come.

 

[krispacinla]

Soccerplus.net is the best soccer shop in socal. Period. Really great peeps, specially the owner. Dude is always customer friendly.

 

[deepinthajeep]

EJ's hammy is NOT serious...

sorry. Give dude a break, he's not that bad.

Here's some interesting commentary on ESPN.com in regards to possible starting formations.

[h2]U.S. tactics will be key to advancing[/h2]
By Leander Schaerlaeckens
ESPN.com

Two days have passed since U.S. coach Bob Bradley released his preliminary 30-man World Cup squad. With the shock of Charlie Davies' exclusion from that list somewhat digested, it's come time to think about Bradley's tactical options.

Bradley is expected to have the U.S. play much the same way it has in the past half-dozen or so qualifiers and friendlies. His selection of the regulars from those games for the preliminary roster gives absolutely no rise to the notion that how his team ought to play has changed.

More likely than not, assuming everyone stays fit and Oguchi Onyewu regains an acceptable physical condition, Bradley will start the following lineup:

                              Tim HowardJonathan Spector    Jay DeMerit    Oguchi Onyewu    Carlos Bocanegra                  Michael Bradley      Maurice Edu    Stuart Holden                                  Landon Donovan                    Clint Dempsey      Jozy Altidore

However, all-purpose tactics are a luxury a team like the U.S. can probably not afford. Every now and then, tactics will have to be adjusted.

Here are three suggestions for alternative tactics and what would and wouldn't work about them:
[h3]4-3-3[/h3]Against a defensive, park-the-bus kind of opponent -- can anyone say group-opponent Slovenia? -- the U.S. will have to get more creativity onto the field to break down its adversaries. The 4-4-2 standard, as illustrated above, is designed as much as anything to shield the defense. So why not employ a 4-3-3 in such a scenario?
Pros: In the below setup, Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan slide forward and are relieved of any defensive duties. While one striker and a holding midfielder disappear, spots for José Torres and Benny Feilhaber open up, injecting the team with as many creative players who are strong on the ball as possible, facilitating service and keeping the possession necessary to break down its opponents. Nevertheless, Michael Bradley remains as a stopper with license to inch forward, providing a first line of defense against the counterattacks defensive teams speculate on.

Cons: On defense, a 4-3-3 ordinarily becomes a 4-5-1, as wingers drop back to help on defense. In the tactic drawn up here, they wouldn't. For that reason it isn't likely to be embraced by Bradley, who puts a premium on defense.

                              Tim HowardJonathan Spector    Jay DeMerit    Oguchi Onyewu    Carlos Bocanegra                  Benny Feilhaber               Michael Bradley          Jose TorresClint Dempsey                 Jozy Altidore          Landon Donovan

[h3]4-5-1[/h3]
Against an opponent that is particularly strong in midfield -- like England, another first-round opponent -- it might be sensible to again withdraw a forward and play him in a central midfield role, just in front of the holding midfielders. This will help protect the midfield from being overrun while also giving players like Dempsey and Donovan a good launch pad to initiate their runs from when the U.S. transitions into offense after winning the ball.

Pros: As seen below, the U.S. would play with two wingers, potentially with DaMarcus Beasley on the left, who demonstrated against the Netherlands in March that he still has the attacking fortitude to be dangerous on the breakaways. With very offensive-minded wingers like England has, gaps would most likely emerge on the flanks in quick counterattacks, creating room for the wingers.

Cons: The 4-5-1 was tried in qualifying and in previous tournaments but didn't catch on. Jozy Altidore isn't considered strong enough on the ball to hold it up by himself. Beasley and Dempsey also have a tendency to cut inside, an instinct that would have to be suppressed for this tactic to work.

                              Tim HowardJonathan Spector    Jay DeMerit    Oguchi Onyewu    Carlos Bocanegra                  Michael Bradley      Maurice Edu   Dempsey/Holden            Dempsey/Donovan       Donovan/Beasley                             Jozy Altidore

[h3]3-5-2[/h3]
It's been advocated that the U.S. play in a 3-5-2 from the start of the game. Such a setup could be imprudent, as most modern teams play with wingers, which would leave the U.S. with just one defender to handle both an advanced striker and a deep one. However, late in games, when the U.S. is in dire need of goals, 3-5-2 could make sense, removing, essentially, right back Jonathan Spector and inserting in his stead an extra winger, with, as illustrated below, Donovan moving up top or behind the striker and Dempsey taking up the spot not occupied by Donovan.

Pros: This would leave intact the line of holding midfielders, hopefully sustaining the advantage in the midfield while creating service from the wings and runs and shots from distance from behind a pair of strikers, inevitably splitting the defense one way or another and creating chances. This attacking overload is heavily dependent on maintaining possession, meaning that the linchpins would be Bradley and Edu, who essentially can't let any balls get behind them.

Cons: Not all U.S. defenders are good distributors from the back. Their service would be important in the process of building attacks and could be lacking.

                              Tim Howard             Jay DeMerit    Oguchi Onyewu    Carlos Bocanegra                  Michael Bradley      Maurice Edu    Stuart Holden                                  DaMarcus Beasley                             Dempsey/Donovan                  Dempsey/Donovan      Jozy Altidore

So what would all this mean for Bradley's final roster of 23 players he is due to anoint by June 1?

Fourteen players would have a starting role in one of the above tactics. Seven others -- Marcus Hahnemann, Brad Guzan, Jonathan Bornstein, Steve Cherundolo, Clarence Goodson, Ricardo Clark and Brian Ching -- already appear to be locks as backups.

That would leave two spots, one in midfield and one up front, to be divided among Alejandro Bedoya, Sacha Kljestan and Robbie Rogers in midfield, and Edson Buddle, Robbie Findley, Herculez Gomez and Eddie Johnson up front. Defenders Heath Pearce and Chad Marshall would most likely get cut.

The above is just food for thought. But any success at the World Cup will depend on the tactical savvy to get the most out of what Bradley has available. To advance far into the tournament, or even make it out of the group, really -- considering how different the U.S. opponents are -- he'll have to put his thinking cap on.

Leander Schaerlaeckens is a soccer writer for ESPN.com. He can be reached at leander.espn@gmail.com.

thoughts?

 

[shabooyah1124]

Pics from Princeton

 

[deepinthajeep]

=

BUM

 

[krispacinla]

ROFL@ BORSTEIN. Dude is wack.

As for the formations. I like the traditional 4-4-2 because IMO we are a counter attacking team. Although I do like that 4-3-3 Suggestion by Leander.

My starting lineup would be

Howard

Spector----Boca------ Gooch----- Demerit

Torres-----Bradley----Edu------Donovan

Dempsey---------Altigoal

 

[shabooyah1124]

Gomez reaps benefits of a career season
May, 17, 2010
MAY 17
3:21
PM ET
Comment Print Email Share
By Luke Cyphers and Doug McIntyre
PRINCETON, N.J. -- For Herculez Gomez, the first day at the U.S. pre-World Cup training camp was, in his words, "kinda surreal."

The hot striker was back in a U.S. camp for the first time in three years, after earning his only two career caps at the 2007 Copa America. He admitted he hadn't expected to be here back when he started his club season for Puebla in Mexico's first division.

A longtime MLS player with Los Angeles, Colorado and Kansas City, Gomez expected to take advantage of the Mexican league schedule, which offered him his first summer off from soccer in six years. "I had a European vacation planned," he says. "I was going over there with my girlfriend."

But Gomez's incredible hot streak with Puebla altered his itinerary. The Las Vegas product began scoring, and kept scoring; soon he was leading the Mexican league in goals, en route to becoming the first Yank ever to win a foreign scoring title, finding the net 10 times.

After goal No. 5, he says, was approximately when the buzz started. Maybe the 5-foot-10 poacher with the quick first step could help fill the hole left by U.S. striker Charlie Davies, who suffered multiple injuries in an October car accident and sent U.S. coach Bob Bradley hunting for forwards.

The buzz kept growing as Gomez kept going. Not only was he the first American to win the scoring crown in Mexico, he was only the second player in the history of his club to do it.

He became a national sensation in Mexico, surrounded by media after every match. "It was a huge deal," he says. "They really took to me and treated me as one of their own. I was never treated like an outsider."

But he refused to get caught up in it. Gomez has always shown a nose for the goal, but injuries -- especially an ACL tear in September 2007 -- seemed to have derailed his national team dreams. He never spoke with anyone at U.S. Soccer during his streak, and kept his head down until he got official word of the call to camp. "I still didn't believe it until I heard I was actually going to be in this camp; even then I had some doubts," he says. "I think the whole world found out before I did. Inside I was like, 'Wow,' and then it was the same mentality: Back to work."

He's not going to make any predictions about whether he'll make the trip to South Africa, and he's not going to discuss his future beyond the national team camp, even though he's a free agent. "It's the first time in my life I've ever been a free agent," he says.

Asked if he knew of any offers for his services, he said, "Yes, I do." Then he laughed, and left it at that. "My only goal right now, my biggest goal is this camp … doing as much as I can to take advantage of this great opportunity that life's presented me."

Part of that opportunity is a chance to be with a U.S. team that's welcomed him wholeheartedly. "It's been unbelievable," he says. "I've been having a great time. It's been a while, and just being out here with these guys, I'm just trying to soak it in. More than anything, soccer's just fun right now."

As Gomez spoke some more about his unexpected chance, Yank star Clint Dempsey walked past Gomez and said, loud enough for the media to hear, "Si, se pueda."

Yes, you can.

 

[deepinthajeep]

^ I feel that.....


Why not have Jay play inside w/ Gooch like Confed Cup...I thought they made a good pair then.

Although it does scare me to picture Franky Lampard runnin full-speed at Carlos on that left wing.

I shutter at the thought.

 

[in yo nostril]

Originally Posted by CincoSeisDos

Originally Posted by In Yo Nostril

Originally Posted by CincoSeisDos

Originally Posted by IYE2

Meh dont really like em. Im sure this had prob been asked but does anyone know a legit site I can get a usmnt Dempsey jersey?

Soccerplus.net

what great website design

The site is trash but they're legit as they come.

i think ill stop by the store then since you guys say its a good place. its not too out of the way.

 

[deepinthajeep]

Anyone know how to embed video from the Official site?

http://www.ussoccer.com/M...Media-Center.aspx#/video

 

[deepinthajeep]

yuku!!

 

[wayne looney]

Howard

Spector----Boca------ Gooch----- Demerit

Torres-----Bradley----Edu------Donovan

Dempsey---------Altigoal
switch DeMerit & Boca, put Holden out wide for Torres imo

i like the idea of having Demps and Jozy up front instead of Clint playing in midfield...he seems to play his best there anyway

will be interesting to see what lineups Bradley will go with in the warm up matches

 

[michaelfoooo]

less than a month away

 

[deepinthajeep]

Got these from the MNT Official Blog and ESPN Blog respectively.

#8
[table][tr][td]

GOOCH!

All 30


http://www.ussoccer.com/Social/MNT-...&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest
[/td][/tr][/table]
Wednesday at Training

 

[socluis90]

3 weeks 2 days. CRAZZZY!

our next friendly is czech republic right?

 

[krispacinla]

^^Correct. Revenge

 

[socluis90]

yup i hate how those bastards whooped are $!$+% to start of 06.

I just mass text my friends to see whose down to head out to ESPN Zone that morning, trying to get a head count on my part. Let's start getting the official count going though.

 

[krispacinla]

Here is the count so far.

KRISPACINLA +2
MICHAELFOO
951GUERO
SOCLUIS90

Is the head count so far. I might get IAMDOPEINBED AND Larry45 to roll as well. Waiting on them to confirm. Guero is coming with you right?

 

[951guero]

Yeah im going with that joto, we should be around 4-6, and im hoping cincoseisdos comes through too

 

[cincoseisdos]

Originally Posted by 951guero

Yeah im going with that joto, we should be around 4-6, and im hoping cincoseisdos comes through too

What are the prices lookin like at ESPNzone?

 

[951guero]

They range anywhere from 4 and up..think domestic is 4, import its like 5 or 6..the liquor is the worst, they dont put #@@@ in them

 

[krispacinla]

^^^^No te preocupes de los precios carnal, We got you meng 0_-!

 

[socluis90]

I got u 562. Just roll on thru brotha! I just got confirmation for 5.

 

[socluis90]

I got u 562. Just roll on thru brotha! I just got confirmation for 5.