re: Julian Green has opted to play for the USA

My computer's been in pieces for the past 3 days so I missed this, but I'll react now anyway.

HOLY frick! I'M SO GOD DAMNED AMPED! HELL YEAH!

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Alexi Lalas: It is a good thing in that it is a form of competition that the United States has won. What we often won’t say, however, is that the reason these players pick the United States is that they know they can’t play for the alternative. Signing up for the United States is often an admission they are not good enough.

Bennett: Isn’t this what makes the Julian Green case so fascinating? He is too young to make such an admission. We simply do not know yet how good he will be. Yet, he has looked inside himself, asked himself what is important to him and felt the hunger to take to the World Cup stage. He wants it now.

Lalas: Which is not a good enough reason. There has to be something emotional about the decision to play for the United States. Believe me, if you are just a mercenary, that will manifest itself on the field for you, or off the field for your teammates.

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Jesus Alexi frick off. He simplifies the whole thing to, "They're not good enough for Germany." As much as Germany has progressed from 70 years ago there is still discrimination against people who aren't exactly "German." Some of the other Germericans talked about it and how they never really felt like they belonged. I'm pretty sure FJ could get a spot on the German team, but that didn't stop him for wanting to play for us.

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He simplifies the whole thing to, "They're not good enough for Germany."

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There are very few countries on Earth right now who could field a World Cup roster as strong as Germany. The kid is 18 with limited first league experience. The fact that he has any with a team like Bayern says that he's someone to be excited about. Unproven? Sure. He could end up being the next Fredy Adu. I know this may seem like bullshite, but a big part of me believes that people like Alexi hate the fact that he didn't have to "earn" his way to the World Cup like a lot of these hard working patriots fighting for a spot. I could see people being upset by it, but there's no reason not to go for it.

With our position going into the World Cup, taking on someone like Julian Green as assets moving forward is the best thing that could happen. If he develops into a decent first team Bundesliga talent, that's better than most of what we've got available to us right now. International football is just like any sport. You either field a team with the best possible talent available to you or you watch other people win. After all of the doubt, we ended up landing the kid, and suddenly, everyone's tries to act like they're not going apeshit inside. The kid has trained with and been named to match day squads with players of a caliber that is absolutely incredible. If even just for him to see us lose and get that spark for the next World Cup, we need to have him on that plan to Brazil. We already are under the gun so why not make some risky moves.

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(Hopefully the Klinsy doesn't sideline him for weeks with a too powerful high five before the first game).

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If anyone has the raw power to sideline someone with a sick high five, it's Jurgen. Dude just oozes win. With the way this dude is poaching young talent from Europe to play here, I'm ready to put up the statue of him already.

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I know this may seem like bullshite, but a big part of me believes that people like Alexi hate the fact that he didn't have to "earn" his way to the World Cup like a lot of these hard working patriots fighting for a spot. I could see people being upset by it, but there's no reason not to go for it. 

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There's probably some truth to that.

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You either field a team with the best possible talent available

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That's how it works in FIFA 14. Real world has chemistry considerations, and I think that's something to consider.

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The kid has trained with and been named to match day squads with players of a caliber that is absolutely incredible.

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Nathan Ake and Josh McEachern are occasional appearances in Chelsea matchday squads. Would anyone be up in arms if they were American?

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eal world has chemistry considerations, and I think that's something to consider.

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Definitely agree, but you also can't be so concerned with it that you leave your best guys behind.

I have to think that Jurgy has told the kid - come in, integrate, work your tail off, impress everybody (internally at practice, training, etc.) with not only your talent but also your hard work, and there's a good shot at a ride on the plane.

Good for US

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That's how it works in FIFA 14. Real world has chemistry considerations, and I think that's something to consider.

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You should send that to Jurgen just in case he doesn't already know that.

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Tim starting at Everton? Everton's about 4 levels lower than Bayern.

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Timmy is world class and in a different world where he comes back to United after his Everton loan, he would have been heir apparent to Edwin van der Sar. How long he would have kept the gig is a different story, he lost the job at United in his 20s (pretty early in a goalkeeper's career).

chemistry is important. the idea that Green will disrupt that more than say a new MLS call-up strikes me as misguided.

Lalas shills for the MLS, and that's fine, i suppose, but it (and his '98 experience, it seems) clouds his judgment. perhaps his best point on having pride/wanting to play for country seems to have been made accidentally when referring to Subotic (if you believe that he wanted to play for us and we bungled handling him) considering his shaky tenure with Serbia.

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That's how it works in FIFA 14. Real world has chemistry considerations, and I think that's something to consider.

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Wait... FIFA isn't the same as the real world? Tell that to my Ultimate Team, bro.

Honestly, I figured that was a given. I just think that by that point, he'll be just as ready as anyone. I just think that they've rolled out the red carpet to try to get him here so they most likely plan on him making the trip unless he disappears from the face of the Earth or misses a match. Clint Dempsey gave him a jersey with his name on it. You're telling me that meant nothing to either side? That's chemistry building 101.

If he ends up in Brazil, it's because he should be there. I highly doubt Klinsmann, the man who told Clint Dempsey that his spot wasn't guaranteed and that he hadn't done shite by playing in the Premier League, would just give him a spot, but I'm sure he did promise him a chance to get a spot. The fact is that Green came to compete to get to the World Cup this year, and if he comes in and works for it, he should go. I don't agree with this nonsense I've read on Grantland and shite that he shouldn't even be considered to go because of how much it hurt Jeff Agoos to get replaced in '98, which isn't even a comparable situation. The people calling the shots have been scouting this kid and trying to pull him here for years. If he shows any signs of life, he's a viable option simply to give him that drive and experience for the next one.

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Nathan Ake and Josh McEachern are occasional appearances in Chelsea matchday squads. Would anyone be up in arms if they were American?

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I would be happy to have any player moving up in big European clubs available to the team, even though comparing Chelsea to Bayern is damn near blasphemy*. We need to get our next wave of US mainstays to the World Cup with the group we've had around for over a decade, and it's important we establish those now considering the less than amazing history of the young guys coming up. We already have a group of death. Get the Baconator and Green out there with something to prove and remind Clint that Tottenham didn't make him a god. Don't forget. A young guy playing in the Regionalliga joined the squad and became the legend also known as Landycakes. We just have to keep Green's arse at Bayern, and we'll be fine.

*Disclaimer: My hate for Chelsea in no way includes the god that is Eden Hazard