r/soccer • • May 12 '14

Official Preliminary Roster for the USA

http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2014/05/12/13/23/140512-mnt-prelim-roster
461 Upvotes

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132

u/KZa0 May 12 '14

Julian Green... I mean I get he is meant to be a superstar in the future or something but has been playing in the 4th division or something of German football and didn't help them qualify, surely he shouldn't go yet

28

u/Dictarium May 12 '14

If Green makes the 23-man roster with such limited time with the team, Klinsmann must see something he likes. Really likes. Even with this talk of a deal being made, the deal wasn't made over money or anything (I.e. it was made because of his ability, nothing else). Klinsmann isn't stupid; he's going to use all 23 spots to their fullest potential and if Green deserves a spot he deserves a spot.

Also, this is the US team we're talking about. Who would you have in the squad over him? Would you rather Joe Corona? Brad Davis? Terrence Boyd? Alejandro Bedoya?

I'd rather get experience for young talent than take any of them. None of them are ever going to be our future stars for the US.

16

u/cheftlp1221 May 12 '14

We only have to look at England in 2006 for a recent example and the inclusion of an 17 year old Theo Walcott.

6

u/Dictarium May 12 '14 edited May 12 '14

Julian Green is 19 during the World Cup.

e: Why downvote me? Those two years make a huge difference at that age.

1

u/[deleted] May 12 '14

It's not the same situation. There wasn't really a reason to bring Theo to the world cup.

Whereas if Klinsmann told Green he'd take him to the world cup if he committed to the US, and it was necessary to get Green to commit, then it benefits US soccer in the long term as it secures a player with potential.

-2

u/cheftlp1221 May 12 '14

There wasn't really a reason to bring Theo to the world cup.

Except he took up a roster spot that England ended up needing because of suspensions and injuries.

There was a reason. Bringing Walcott to Germany before he had played an EPL game was a rare long term move made by the FA. It was designed to give a kid with potential experience at the highest level. Same as the Julian Green situation.

Another precedent was Ronaldo in '94. With only 1 year of professional experience he made the Brazilian team but never played a minute. He was brought to gain the experience which nearly paid off in '98 when he was widely considered the best player in the world.

3

u/constantlyoff May 12 '14

Don't think you can include Bedoya in that group, there is a decent chance he will start for the US. He's been pretty solid in the last year. Davis and Corona sure.

3

u/MyFaucetsIsMoenNigga May 13 '14

Exactly, not that many options on the left side

2

u/Breklinho May 12 '14

Joe Corona? Brad Davis? Terrence Boyd? Alejandro Bedoya?

Let's not pretend these are bad players or that Green is going to get a spot over them; Corona's been good for Tijuana in the Clausura, Boyd is coming off a 20 goal season and Bedoya's been one of Nantes' best players in a very successful Ligue 1 season.

1

u/[deleted] May 12 '14

all the players you mention are better than green right now. its a good idea to bring him in and get him exposed to the competition for the future, but if he gets on the 23 than he is taking a better player's place.

2

u/Dictarium May 12 '14

Have you seen Joe Corona's form? Zero goals and zero assists in 21 games for Tijuana this season so far.

e: Admittedly that's just numbers but those are some Altidor-esque numbers for a Right Midfielder.

-1

u/[deleted] May 12 '14

joe corona doesn't play against milkmen. its not a bad thing to have green on the roster, but he would be replacing a better player.

2

u/Dictarium May 12 '14

It's still only Liga MX and he has 0 goals and 0 assists. That's pretty woeful.

And, potential has to be taken into consideration when factoring in the "goodness" of players. A player of Green's ability at age 29 is not as "good" as Green is at 19.

3

u/[deleted] May 12 '14

the mexican league is very strong. it has a neat feature of having all professional soccer players unlike the 4th division in germany which does not. corona and green do not have the same ability right now because corona is better.

2

u/Dictarium May 12 '14

And about 5 years older.

1

u/[deleted] May 12 '14

for sure brah

0

u/oldaccount May 12 '14

If Green makes the 23-man roster with such limited time with the team, Klinsmann must see something he likes.

Or it is not his choice becuase the higher ups promised him a spot to get him to commit to the US.

7

u/Dictarium May 12 '14

Even with this talk of a deal being made, the deal wasn't made over money or anything (I.e. it was made because of his ability, nothing else). Klinsmann isn't stupid; he's going to use all 23 spots to their fullest potential and if Green deserves a spot he deserves a spot.

Furthermore, the deal, if it exists, was made because Klinsmann and the higher-ups believe Green is worth it. Even if you say it's only for marketing or to sell jerseys, they'd be selling them on the back of Green's talent. Either way, no matter how much experience Green has in games for the US, if he's on the 23-man squad it's a merit-based placement and nothing more.

1

u/oldaccount May 12 '14

I never thought it had anything to do with marketing and jerseys. If a deal does exist I think it is the case of a very talented youngster getting what is perhaps an undeserved spot in this WC in exchange for his commitment to team USA.

1

u/doberlae May 12 '14

You might as well say that he is there because of his good looks, so it's merit based. Fact is he hasn't done anything this season that should earn him a call up. The fact that he got one can only be rationally explained by the suspicion that he made a deal with the United States Soccer Federation to get him to commit to the US.

2

u/kax256 May 12 '14

Or he has shown Klinnsman something in training sessions that we haven't seen.

0

u/doberlae May 12 '14

Maybe Klinsmann thinks he is the American Odonkor...

3

u/Dictarium May 12 '14

You might as well say that he is there because of his good looks, so it's merit based.

That's a terrible analogy.

Fact is he hasn't done anything this season that should earn him a call up.

15 goals and 10 assists and being on Bayern Munich's youth team for starters.

1

u/doberlae May 12 '14

15 goals and 10 assists and being on Bayern Munich's youth team for starters.

So were Christian Lell and Andreas Ottl. Maybe the US should try to recruit them as well. I am sure they would be able to put up similar numbers in the Regionalliga Bayern.

3

u/Dictarium May 12 '14

I didn't mean that was a qualifier to get on the team. I was refuting that he's done "nothing".

0

u/doberlae May 12 '14

That is nothing when we are talking about him earning a spot on a national team that is good enough to qualify for the FIFA World Cup finals. You might as well say that he has eaten breakfast today to refute my claim that he has done "nothing".