re: Does Brek Shea have a permanent place on the team?

quote:

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Bedoya has been one of our 3 or 4 best players over the last year and a half or so.

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I would take the performances of Dempsey, Altidore, Bradley, Jones, Howard, Beasley, Besler, Beckerman ahead of Bedoya over the last year and a half. Donovan's 2013 GC performances alone may put him in that group as well.

However, it seems as though your opinion has some support, judging by the upvotes. So I am curious to hear what people think he does that's particularly special or valuable.

I am not anti-Bedoya by any means. I think he is a solid, reliable type of player. I feel he has good positional awareness and an intense work ethic. He has a strong motor and never ceases to stop working. I think Klinsmann likes his willingness to defend and contribute to team shape. That being said, I also feel that he lacks pace as a winger and has limited technical ability. He excels in games against weaker sides but can spend a good bit of time chasing the game against better opposition. In those games, he sort of gets lost and has a hard time getting on the ball. His instinct is then to drop and defend. I would like to see someone break through the ranks who can do more in terms of getting forward and adding some possession and flair to the midfield. Bedoya only has 2 goals and 3 assists in 39 international appearances. For a winger, not exactly deadly.


ETA: Sorry to the OP