re: USMNT WCQ Squad Selection Discussion (UPDATE: DONOVAN/SHEA OUT FOR BOTH MATCHES)

Some of this is on him and some of it is completely out of his hands. I've been saying he should have called up Beasley to add some width but apparently he's not available.

Obvious snubs: Jozy, Lichaj, Torres. How many of us have even seen Gatt play outside of some highlight snippets? I'm not sure he counts as a snub.

I'd actually rather have Lichaj called up than Jozy at this point.

I don't know why Torres wouldn't be brought in at this point assuming he's available. Lichaj's in England (I assume) and hasn't played with the national team for a while. But Torres is used to playing with these guys, could play on the left and at left back in a pinch (this is apparently the definition of a pinch). Maybe we play Boca at left back.

I pretty much agree in normal circumstances. I wasn't even upset about him being left out initially, but that was before I knew we were decimated by injuries.

The only two big time snubs are Jozy and Lichaj but we could definitely use Torres at this point.

How fit is Bornstein?

Heath Pearce?

David Regis?

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David Regis

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Herculez Gomez to left-back

Jay Goeppingen to striker

To me no Jozy is the least of our worries. The entire left side is an absolute disaster on paper. Some of it is not calling up Lichaj, but mostly it's just all the injuries.

Boca at LB and Klejstan/Zusi as a sort of a left-sided central midfielder is all I can think of at this point.

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Jozy isn't a snub. The fact that he is the most skilled out-and-out American striker should have no bearing. The fact that he has been shite in an American shirt is all that matters.

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Not the best logic

So Wayne Rooney shouldn't play for England, because he's hot and cold with the national team? Mario Gomez has had his struggles with the German national team. Once he caught fire last season for Bayern Munich, Jogi Löw would have been roundly criticized for benching (let alone not calling up) his best goal scorer. Low didn't, and Gomez rewarded him with a near golden boot performance.

He has 13 goals in 52 appearances, most goals in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying amongst all USMNT players last cycle. Granted that's a low goals to caps ratio, it's a better rate than any striker in the pool besides Herculez Gomez with a meaningful future with the national team. (GAM may have a slightly better goals to game ratio)

shite lately, you may retort? Possibly, but who else has been scoring goals for us?

Last seven different scorers for the national team: Herculez Gomez, Clint Dempsey, Michael Orozco-Fiscal, Carlos Bocanegra, Landon Donovan, Michael Bradley, and Jermaine Jones

One of those seven is a true striker. Two are defenders. The other four are probably our best midfielders.

Hardly a prolific forward line. We don't have the luxury of bring the reigning Bundesliga player of the year in Marco Reus off the bench like Germany did at the Euros.

Example: Robert Lewandowski is the best Polish striker. Lewandowski will continue start for Poland, despite a less than desirable scoring record, because he's the best striker Poland has available. That's how international football works for 99% of national teams.


/rant

I guess we go with the old Bob Bradley standard of Bocanegra at leftback, despite the fact that he's too slow to keep up with quick wingers these days.

That probably puts Cameron paired up with Goodson or Edu (most likely Goodson) and Cherundolo on the left. Although Edu paired with Cameron at centerback would add two more center mids on the field. One step closer to Klinsman's master plan of an all center mid Starting XI.

Suck on that Vicente Del Bosque 4-6-0

0-11-0 FTW

Last man keeper, like in pick-up football in England.

Whoever is the furthest of our XI center mids gets to pick the ball out of the net, or prevent the goal from being scored; whichever is easiest.

We'll win. I don't fear that. Antigua is terrible. Last I read, the Guatemalan national team has three of its first choice centerbacks out with injury.

Klinsmann's roster decisions though are beyond questionable at this point. It's borderline befuddling to call-up four players nursing injuries, especially when two of them, Shea and Donovan, could have been replaced prior to announcing the roster.