**Official USMNT Soccer Thread**

For those interested in the US football scene, here's a great sight that provides news about youth football here in the states. Lots of work being put in to become a better footballing nation.

With the help of Swoosh, camps were held in Portland, Ore to help identify the country's young elite players. Check out the link for more details. :smokin

http://www.usclubsoccer.org/news/id...egon-identifies-countrys-elite-youth-players/


id² Training Camp in Oregon identifies country’s elite youth players

The first id² Training Camp of the current cycle targeting boys born in 2001 and girls born in 2000 wrapped up in Portland, Ore., this past weekend. A total of 65 clubs from 15 different states were represented among the 109 players who attended the four-day, comprehensive player identification and development camp from March 20-23.

Training and games were split between Nike World Headquarters and the Howard M. Terpenning Recreation Complex in Beaverton, Ore. Players had busy daily schedules of training sessions, competitions, team meetings and presentations. The camp curriculum for both genders featured heavy emphasis on high-level functional technical training and general team tactics.

The camp was led by id² Boys Program Director Gerry McKeown, id² Girls Program Director Rory Dames and id² Girls Program Associate Director Tricia Taliaferro, with top staff from around the country, many of whom work with U.S. youth national teams: Jason Dewhurst (FC Stars of Massachusetts), Stephen Kiss (Tualatin Hills United SC), Hideki Nakada (University of Oregon), John Newman (Princeton SA), David Richardson (Sockers FC Chicago) and Corbin Stone.

Top performers from the two Spring id² Training Camps, the second of which will be held April 3-6 at WRAL Soccer Center in Raleigh, N.C., as well as from a pair of camps to come in the fall, will be selected for id² National Selection programming at the end of the cycle. As part of the previous id² Program cycle, the id² National Selection International Tour to Italy targeting boys born in 2000 concluded earlier this month. Details of the id² National Selection Training Camp targeting girls born in 1999 will be announced soon.

An Olympic Development Program approved by the United States Olympic Committee and U.S. Soccer Federation, the id2 Program provides an opportunity for the country’s elite youth soccer players to be identified and developed, while also being scouted for inclusion in U.S. Soccer’s National Team programs.
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Roster for the Mexico match

GOALKEEPERS (3): Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)

DEFENDERS (8): DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Clarence Goodson (San Jose Earthquakes), Michael Orozco (Puebla), Michael Parkhurst (Columbus Crew), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders FC)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Maurice Edu (Philadelphia Union), Luis Gil (Real Salt Lake), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)

FORWARDS (4): Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Eddie Johnson (D.C. United), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

hopefully, Gil, Yedlin, and obviously Green, get a good opportunity to shine
 
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psk2310 said:
:rolleyes

It looks like a training or pre match shirt. Maybe it looks better on.

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I saw the kit in person..and I didn't like it. Same goes with the other new white kit.

I'm anxious to see what Green does on the pitch
 
dope piece on the US recruiting duel-citizenship players, really good insight.

Had no idea about the difference in culture between German/European players and our American guys with their on field and off field relationships.

Also, FIFA approving Green's nationality switch 
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the part about Boyd having to reconnect with his estranged American father got me kinda sad 
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Gedion Zelalem is next 
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[h1]Grabbing Green is the latest boost for the U.S.' recruitment drive[/h1]
Posted by Kristan Heneage

It took just one tweet from United States Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati to confirm the international future of a top prospect at Bayern Munich: 
 
FIFA has approved change of nationality for Julian Green--he's eligible to play for USMNT immediately.
— Sunil Gulati (@sunilgulati) March 24, 2014
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Green’s decision to commit to the United States has served as a significant boost to the national team program and is the latest success story for a recruitment drive which has sought to identify U.S.-eligible young talent based outside the country.

"For us, it was clear he is a young kid with a great future," U.S. men’s national team assistant coach Andreas Herzog told ESPN FC last week. "If there is a 50/50 chance with Germany and the U.S., we have to try everything to show him the possibilities he can have with the U.S. national team.

"We had to be fast. We had to be real quick and convince him American football is getting better and better and that he can have a really good future with us," he added. "I met him four or five times, and I was watching his games, then I tried to explain [to] him not only the positive things about us, but also the difficulties, such as the amount of traveling."
 

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Christof Koepsel/Getty ImagesJurgen Klinsmann's trusted assistant, Andreas Herzog (upper left), is in charge of the U.S.'s operations out in Europe.

Herzog is well-known in Germany after a decade playing in the Bundesliga with Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich and, in the case of Green, a previous stint as head coach of the Austrian U21 team also served him well.

"The best Austrian player, David Alaba, I think he has a good relationship to Julian Green," Herzog revealed. "If I’m coming to Munich and I talk to David Alaba -- I’m talking to Julian Green, everything is a little easier. It’s already a better start if you have a better relationship to people around our player."

Trips to Munich were not the end of the pursuit. Green was invited to the Frankfurt training camp and gifted a shirt byClint Dempsey. "I don’t know whose idea that was," Herzog explained. "Always when a player plays his first games, he gets the ball with signatures."

"There are a lot of things I’ve never seen before [in camps outside of the U.S.]; When I saw [Green’s] face, he looked really happy. It’s good for a young player that, right away, he got a good feeling for the whole staff and everything."

The news of Green’s decision has shed further light on U.S. Soccer’s operations in Europe. Based in Vienna, Austria, since 2011, Herzog and U.S. scout, Matthias Hamann, are engaged in a Europe-wide program to evaluate and monitor players, the roots of which can be traced back to 2009, two years before Jurgen Klinsmann took charge of the national team. 

It was spearheaded by Thomas Rongen (then working with the U.S. U20 team), who identified a number of potential players that could join the U.S. program: "I needed to go outside the country," he told The New York Times in November 2011. 

Rongen was instrumental in bringing players like Terrence Boyd  and Timothy Chandler  into camp -- both of whom qualified for the United States via their fathers in the U.S. military. 

In Boyd’s case, gaining U.S. citizenship meant reaching out to his estranged father, something Rongen also attempted to help with. 

"Thomas Rongen called me up for my first camp against France, but I didn’t have an American passport. He said to look for my family on social networks, and it worked," Boyd told ESPN FC recently.

A typical weekend for Herzog might begin in Birmingham, England, watching Will Packwood  before a return to Germany to see FC Ingolstadt and Alfredo Morales. With weekends the focal point of scouting trips (ahead of weekday conference calls with Klinsmann), Herzog is keen to stress that he is not only watching U.S. players, but also their opponents in this summer’s World Cup. 

"I was watching Schalke versus Real Madrid because of the three players of Portugal," Herzog said. "Then, I was watching Bayern Munich to get an overview of [Germany’s] national team players."

Herzog joined the U.S. setup after spells working with the Austrian national team, including one spell as interim head coach. After being overlooked for the position on a permanent basis, his former Bayern Munich teammate reached out to him. 

"Jurgen called me. Maybe he read it somewhere and asked me, 'Andi, what’s going on?'" Herzog explained. "He said, 'I want you in my team.' I said I will finish my contract with the Austrian federation then come right over."

Herzog allows Hamann to focus on the younger prospects while he targets those players ready for the senior national team. Also evaluating dual nationals and potential new recruits, Herzog’s assessments reach far past training sessions and matches. 

"It’s important to have a good relationship to the players, to their coaches -- maybe even a little bit to their agents -- to know what is going on in their future, what their thoughts are," Herzog said.

Tasked with convincing dual nationals that their future is with the United States, Herzog’s style is to remove any pressure on the candidate, and it has been well received by the likes of Boyd.

"I was roomed with John Brooks  last camp," Boyd explained to ESPN FC. "John is a close friend of mine since we played in the youth team at Hertha Berlin. He already represented Germany for the youth national team, so it was kind of a mixed thing for him. Every time he comes to see the national team, he’s always happy because the atmosphere is very nice.

"He’s already told me that with German players, it is just a fight. Not only on the pitch -- of course you fight for your spot. Off the pitch they are not friends. I don’t care if I’m with Aron [Johansson]  or Eddie [Johnson], we’re friends off the pitch, you know. We have one goal, we represent our country, we give everything to succeed as a country and if someone is playing or not, then just do better in the next training."
 

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Thomas Niedermueller/Bongarts/Getty ImagesJulian Green's decision to join the U.S. has drawn excitement from the team's fans.

Herzog believes training camps can also represent a haven for the European-based players. 

"Young players joining our group for the first one, two, three camps, we have to give them confidence and show them that we have a good feeling, a good understanding for his teammates and that he can trust the whole staff," he explained. 

"If he has a problem with the club and he comes to the national team and we keep going like crazy, it doesn’t help him at all. We have to be a little bit of psychologists and support him every way we can."

With Green’s commitment secure, Herzog is already pursuing other targets, including Arsenal’s Gideon Zelalem.

Not yet a U.S. citizen, the teenager’s future is uncertain, as is that of Herzog. "My contract finishes at the end of the World Cup, so we’ll see what the future is, what Jurgen wants to do," Herzog explained. 

One thing of which the former attacking midfielder is sure is the importance of U.S. Soccer maintaining its European outpost. "If you have so many players playing in Europe, it’s important you have someone in Europe supporting them, always contacting them and, especially, to support the head coach," Herzog said. 

As for whether Klinsmann feels guilt over poaching players from his own country, Herzog is adamant he does not. 

"No, it’s everywhere in Europe," he explained. "With the Germans, they have a lot of Polish-origin players or Turkish-origin players. It’s normal. If you see the roster and the squad from the German federation, they have a lot of young kids coming through. 

"For us, the U.S., it is important that if a player like Julian Green, if we have a chance to get him, we have to try everything we can do to get him."
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[COLOR=#red]Klinsmann Appoints Former World Cup Champion Berti Vogts as U.S. MNT Special Advisor [/COLOR]

CHICAGO (March 30, 2014) – U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has appointed former World Cup winner Berti Vogts to be a Special Advisor to the U.S. Men’s National Team from now through the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

A part of the Germany team that won the 1974 FIFA World Cup, Vogts brings a tremendous track record of success to the National Team. Having coached the squad to the 1996 European Championship – on which Klinsmann was a player – he is the last head coach to lead Germany to a trophy.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have Berti join us as an advisor,” said Klinsmann. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, both as a player and a coach, and he knows what it takes to succeed at the highest level. He was my coach for Germany in the 1990s and we have a great relationship. Through his time as the head coach of Scotland, Nigeria and Azerbaijan, he is obviously very familiar with our opponents in the group stage of the World Cup, and for us this is a huge bonus.”

In his role as Special Advisor, Vogts will aid in the development of training plans, help prepare scouting reports, and travel to observe matches of the USA’s opponents in the lead-up to the tournament and in Brazil.

Along with the announcement of Vogts, Klinsmann has added U.S. Soccer Youth Technical Director and Under-20 Men’s National Team head coach Tab Ramos to the coaching staff and is transitioning Martin Vasquez to other responsibilities within U.S. Soccer.

“As we move toward the World Cup, we are shifting some responsibilities within the technical staff that we believe will put individuals in areas of strength and provide us with the best opportunity to be successful,” said Klinsmann.

Vogts earned 96 caps for Germany, playing a total of 19 matches spanning three World Cups. Nicknamed “Der Terrier,” he famously marked Dutch legend Johan Cruyff in the 1974 World Cup final that Germany won 2-1 in Munich. He served as team captain from 1977-79, taking over for Franz Beckenbauer.

During a 14-year professional career in which he was twice named Germany Footballer of the Year, Vogts was an integral part of the Borussia Moenchengladbach squad that won five Bundesliga titles (1969-70, 1970-71, 1974-75, 1975-76, 1976-77) and two UEFA Cups (1974-75, 1978-79).

Vogts coached Germany from 1990-98, compiling a record of 66-12-24. In addition to the title in 1996, he had a second-place finish in the 1992 European Championship and led Germany to the quarterfinals in consecutive World Cups in 1994 and 1998.

Having coached the national teams of Scotland (2002-04) and Nigeria (2007-08), he has served as the manager for Azerbaijan since April of 2008 and will continue in that role.
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http://www.ussoccer.com/news/mens-national-team/2014/03/140330-mnt-adds-vogts.aspx
 
Junior Flores Speaks on Time at Dortmund, Klinsmann
In a comfortable neighborhood in Northern Virginia, U.S. Men’s National youth team player Junior Flores came one step closer to achieving his hopes and dreams this week.

After flying back and forth from Germany for much of the last two years after signing his contract with German side Borussia Dortmund, Junior is happy and determined to succeed now that he’s finally reached the time in which it goes into full effect.

Forced to wait until his 18th birthday due to U.S. Labor laws before he could begin to earn money and play games for Dortmund, Flores is confident at the beginning of his four year contract with the club.

“It’s a good contract, for sure. Most of the time I’m with the second team and now I can start playing games also. I just have to put my head down and work hard. That’s what everyone keeps telling me so that’s what I’ll do.”

As for first team opportunities, Junior said that currently they are few and far between. With the World Cup this summer and many first team players from Borussia Dortmund absent because of national team commitments, who knows what could happen.

Junior will fly back next week to rejoin his team, Borussia Dortmund II, who currently play in the 3. Liga. Fellow national team member Terrence Boyd helped Dortmund II gain promotion two years ago. His professional contract with Dortmund allows Junior to train with the first team if invited. For now though, he’s happy to train and begin playing games with Dortmund II as well as the U19’s.

Junior’s international career really began to take flight when he was invited to train at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida at the age of 15. He speaks highly of his time there.

“(IMG) was different, the lifestyle and the people I was around. The level was high all the time; everyone was training to have a spot on the (youth national) team. I enjoyed it a lot playing-wise.”

However, when compared to Dortmund’s Academy, Flores says it’s different.

“The level is just so much higher. Everyone is older. The higher level you’re playing at means the better you train. You train every day and you get better.”

Germany seems to treat Junior right. The language is “tough” but the lifestyle is “easy to work with”. He is currently learning German in order to better communicate with his coaches and teammates. Since he began to train with the reserve team of Dortmund, Junior was housed at the ‘youth house’ whenever he would journey over. He is now beginning to search for a place of his own and a car to get him where he needs to go.

“The city’s really nice. What I love about where I’m living is everything is so close to the training ground. The city and stadium are so close. In the youth house they feed you and take care of you. All you really need is clothes. When I’m on my own of course, I’ll have to take care of myself.”

Flores will play his games at Stadion Rote Erde, which lies next to Signal Iduna Park where the first team plays. Dortmund II sits in 13th place on 39 points, six points off relegation. The team trains every day, sometimes more than once, and the level and intensity of training can vary depending on whether or not there is a game the next day. He evens gets to train on the famous Footbonaut – a unique training machine that spits balls at varying speeds at a player (or sets of players) in the middle. The machine is designed to enhance skill and awareness.

“There’s so much stuff you can do with it, it’s insane. We use it all the time. You have balls coming at you high, low, as fast as you want them to come, and at different angles. Sometimes we have competitions between players to see who can do better. You can control it through your iPhone, iPad, or a computer. It’s used as our training sometimes where we’ll (use) it on a Monday (instead of training outside).”

Junior also has the opportunity to train occasionally under one of the best coaches in the game right now – Jurgen Klopp – who manages the first team and has been said to be keen on Flores.

“He’s a funny guy, he loves messing around. He’s always just kidding around. What I like about him is he always gives young players a chance.”

When it comes to the fans, Dortmund is well known to have some of the most fanatical in the world (Google: Yellow Wall). Junior says that even at the youth games the fans are intense.

“Oh, the fans?! I can’t even explain it, they’re just crazy. It’s incredible to see them.”

The excitement of BVB fans over Flores is palpable. Junior was showered by welcome messages from fans of the club on Twitter during his birthday.



Junior often gets a chance to be a fan himself, since he has VIP tickets to every home game courtesy of Neven Subotic, of whom they share the same agent. He says it’s quite the experience. Even when he’s not in Germany he’s still watching his club, as on last Tuesday when Dortmund played their bitter archrivals FC Schalke 04 (the former club of Jermaine Jones). The match ended in a disappointing 0-0 draw for Dortmund on their home soil in the sold out Signal Iduna Park.

Borussia Dortmund is packed with stars and offers a rich history. When asked who he looks up to within the club, he offers a humble answer.

“Everyone’s great. For being a young player, they just tell me work hard. I mean, everyone just says as long as you work hard Klopp will see you. When I was out there, at first I was supposed to be with the U19’s, but they saw me and I got moved up with the second team. Everyone’s a good guy there.”

Junior says he also looks up to Thiago Alcontara and Mario Gotze. They both play currently for rival Bayern Munich, but Gotze is a former Dortmund player.

Junior’s commitment to the United States continues to be strong. He likes Klinsmann and sees encouraging signs ahead for the national team and soccer here in the USA.

“I like what he’s done with the national team and he’s moving in a good direction. He’s doing a really good job. We’ll see how the World Cup goes, especially in this group.”

As a dual national, Junior is also eligible to represent El Salvador but says he is more than happy to represent the USA. Similar to a player who’s been in the spotlight of late in the national team pool, from a dual-national’s standpoint Flores thinks it’s good that Julian Green opted to represent the United States.

“It’s pretty crazy. He’s my age (18) but about a year older. I've seen him play, he’s a good player. It can be a difficult decision because your parents are from there and they want you to play for them, but it’s not a hard decision (for Junior). The US is going in a good direction.”

When asked about MLS, Junior says there’s still work to be done but it’s getting better every year.

“I feel like throughout the years the league is improving, especially being able to bring in Henry to the Red Bulls. I feel like they’re improving a lot, every year it gets better.”

“The intensity is not there (in MLS) as much, but you can see every year it’s improving. The fans are (growing); it’s just a different atmosphere from being in Europe and being in America. As a player, you can see it; you can feel it when you’re out there. MLS wants to improve, I can tell. I feel like they’re going toward the right step.”

Flores was offered at Generation Adidas contract by MLS, but he refused after being pursued by big European clubs, including PSG and Liverpool. Ultimately, he ended up at Dortmund in a situation that makes him happy and gives him a great stage to showcase his talent.


The US U20 team will meet next month to play in the Dallas Cup. With everything now coming together in his career, he’s not sure if he’s going to end up going. It’s a decision that he hasn't made yet, with important personal matters to be taken care of in Germany first now that he has to start a life there. The US coaches will keep their eyes on him. If it works out, he’ll go. For now, he’s focused on getting back and working hard at Dortmund.
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Supposedly Beasley and Orozco won't be released by clubs now (not a FIFA date)...so maybe Parkhurst at LB and Yedlin at RB?

Not sure what to make of the coaching change-ups. Opinions seemed to be mixed from soccer writers on Twitter.
 
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Here's the statement from US Soccer
[h1]  [/h1]
[h1]DaMarcus Beasley and Michael Orozco Denied Release for USA-Mexico on April 2[/h1][h2]No Replacements Will be Added for April 2 Match; U.S. Roster Stands at 20 Players[/h2]
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March 31, 2014

[emoji]169[/emoji] Matt West/U.S. Soccer
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IN THE IMAGE: U.S. Men's National Team defender DaMarcus Beasley

CHICAGO (March 31, 2014) – Puebla has refused the request to release U.S. Men’s National Team defenders DaMarcus Beasley and Michael Orozco for the match between the USA and Mexico on April 2. U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann will not add any replacements, reducing the roster to 20 players available for selection.

“We are very disappointed in the decision by Puebla,” said Klinsmann. “When the match was scheduled, it was with the spirit that both teams would have access to their domestic-based players for what is a very important game for those competing for spots in the World Cup. Both MLS and most clubs in Liga MX honored that idea. While we understand their position, it’s a huge opportunity lost for DaMarcus and Michael and doesn’t contribute to the continuation of this respected rivalry.”

The U.S. squad began gathering Sunday in ad***** of USA-Mexico, presented by AT&T, on April 2 at University of Phoenix Stadium. The match kicks off at 8 p.m. Arizona Time (11 p.m. ET) and will be broadcast live on ESPN, WatchESPN, UniMas and ESPN Deportes Radio. Fans can also follow the match live on Twitter @ussoccer.

More than 50,000 tickets have been sold for the USA’s final match before the start of the 2014 FIFA World Cup preparation camp.

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION – Detailed Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (6): Tony Beltran (Real Salt Lake), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Clarence Goodson (San Jose Earthquakes), Michael Parkhurst (Columbus Crew), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders FC)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Maurice Edu (Philadelphia Union), Luis Gil (Real Salt Lake), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
FORWARDS (4): Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Eddie Johnson (D.C. United), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
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I wouldn't mind seeing Parkhurst and Yedlin on the outsides.

But I could also see Jurgen throwing Edu or Davis in those spots 
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Much better than the polo shirts.  It's too much red for me though.  Kind of makes me think of like, Chile, more than the USA.

I would like to maybe have the red and white switched.
 
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Some other Nike athletes wearing the new away shirt; Eric Koston, Andrew Luck, Allyson Felix, Sean Malto, & Ndamukong Suh.

Maybe Suh can play a holding mid... :lol: Keep the midfield tiddy for US...

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Def growing on me (pause)... Looks good with the red shorts/socks IMO...

Also looks better with the number and nameset then plain...
 
I never understood why Nike doesn't offer the option to purchase the names set for their shirts (on their site)... :rolleyes

Even though it looks like a Bomb Pop come to life, may have to get the away shirt for my son if the Green nameset is available. :smokin

I wonder what it would've looked like with Red on top, white, & then blue on bottom with blue shorts & socks... When you mention the US colors, one always says "the red, white, & blue" in that order... :rolleyes
 
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I do like it much more with the red shorts/socks. Don't think it would look right with jeans/other shorts, so I'll probably just wait a year a buy when they show up at TJ Maxx for $20. I'll be damned if I go full-kit wanker...
 
psk2310 said:
I never understood why Nike doesn't offer the option to purchase the names set for their shirts (on their site)...
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Even though it looks like a Bomb Pop come to life, may have to get the away shirt for my son if the Green nameset is available.
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I wonder what it would've looked like with Red on top, white, & then blue on bottom with blue shorts & socks... When you mention the US colors, one always says "the red, white, & blue" in that order...
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This.

It's red, white, and blue. Not blue, white, and red.
 
:smokin

Julian Green training with the Red, White, & Blue errr the Blue, White, & Red!





Klinsmann taking about the coaching changes...
 
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