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Let’s guess the roster

at 1:52 PM 2/22/2012 | Labels: Italy, Jurgen Klinsmann, US Soccer

By Jared Launius

...because, well, there's not much else going on and, well, everyone else is doing it.

U.S. Soccer tweeted this morning that Klinsmann will be announcing his roster for next week's friendly against Italy in Genoa tomorrow. Seems a little late on, no? The players, of course, already know, so it's not like they'll be getting there late. But, if memory serves, hasn't Klinsmann usually released his rosters earlier than six days before the friendly?

Anyway, this doesn't matter. We will have a roster to over-scrutinize tomorrow, and I need to guess the names we will over-scrutinize. It's important, you know?

Goalkeepers
Tim Howard (Everton), Brad Guzan (Aston Villa)

Klinsmann got a nice long look at Nick Rimando in January, so my hunch is that Guzan, who has – bares mentioning – played a club game more recently than has Rimando, will get his first Klinsmann camp run out. Howard, of course, will man the box for the full 90 against Italy.

Defenders
Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Tim Chandler (Nurnberg), Carlos Bocanegra (Rangers), Clarence Goodson (Brønby), Jonathan Spector (Birmingham), Zak Whitbread (Norwich), Michael Orozco Fiscal (San Luis), Edgar Castillo (Tijuana)

Oguchi Onyewu, I think, was probably in this team before the unlucky central back tore some knee ligaments last weekend. My guess is, with Goodson, Whitbread and Orozco Fiscal all in tow, no replacement will be named. Tim Ream, I think, deserves some time to settle in at Bolton, with whom he has yet to appear in a league game.

Yes, Michael Orozco Fiscal and Edgar Castillo. Both have been playing fairly regularly in Mexico and I think Klinsmann will be keeping his hands – for the most part – off MLS players this go round, as they are just settling into preseason with their clubs.

Zak Whitbread, who has been a regular in Norwich's surprising run to eighth in the Premier League table, deserves a runout for the first time with the full national team, I think. I recall Bob Bradley calling the British-American in last year and Whitbread declining. It will be interesting to see if there was anything to that.

Alfredo Morales is also a possibility here, I think.

Midfielders
Michael Bradley (Chievo Verona), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Jose Torres (Pachuca), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Jermaine Jones (Schalke), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla)

No big surprises from this group, I don't think. Jones seems a near lock to get a run out – as he did in January – to keep him fresh as he serves out the rest of his eight-game Bundesliga suspension. It helps that Schalke is a few-hour flight from Genoa.

Brek Shea is away with the U.S. U-23s for the first time (quick side note – why isn't Tim Chandler in U-23 camp? Thoughts, anyone?), leaving Damarcus Beasley as the likely fill-in on the left wing if Klinsmann deploys a 4-3-3.

Michael Bradley, I think, deserves a start against the national team from his club country. Bradley has fully regained MB90 status at Chievo, who are a mildly surprising 10th in the league table.

It will be incredibly silly if Sacha Kljestan is kept out of this group again. That's that.

Forwards
Landon Donovan (Galaxy), Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), Edson Buddle (Galaxy)

Klinsmann has listed Donovan as a forward in every camp he's held so far, so I expect that to continue. I'd be shocked if both Donovan and Buddle weren't strongly encouraged by manager Bruce Arena to stay with Galaxy as they gear up for their March 7 CONCACAF Champion's League tie. I certainly couldn't blame him, as Donovan is just now coming back from his Everton loan and Buddle has only been with Galaxy for a few weeks after a long, strange search for a Euro-based team in January.

Juan Agudelo and Teal Bunbury are also away at U-23 camp, so it would be interesting to see what would happen if Buddle and/or Donovan aren't available.

By Jared Launius

There's tons to discuss from what were two pretty interesting friendlies for the U.S. men this week, but I'm not sure how substantial most of it is. I'm just not sure how many times I can write "results should be taken with a grain of salt" so many times before I start questioning my own sanity. But hey, let's whirl.

The Personnel

The biggest takeaway from this camp, I think, might have been how effective moving Clint Dempsey into the center of the pitch and nestling him in behind the striker was. Dempsey excelled in that free role each match, linking with Jozy Altidore ahead of him and finding the game behind him all while picking spots to question the backlines of Honduras and Ecuador. Even when Landon Donovan comes back into this team, I can't see how Klinsmann could move Dempsey out of that spot.

Nearby, German-American du jour Daniel William showed enough to prove he's worth keeping around, though whether that should be as the #7 is questionable. The Hoffenheim man was steely enough on the right wing, but didn't come near equaling what his left-flank counterpart, Brek Shea, posed in attack. Williams has played right back, left back and holding midfielder with club, and you could see why every time he had a chance to face up a defender – the ideas don't seem to be there. I certainly think he did enough to replace Jonathan Spector as team utility man, though.

Notable too were the performances of Portuguese-infused Oguchi Onyewu and wrong-footed Tim Chandler, the former of whom is experiencing a seeming renaissance and the latter of whom was effective on each end of the pitch playing on his wrong foot – particularly with Manchester United's Antonio Valencia baring down in game two.

Elsewhere, goodbye, Michael Orozco Fiscal. I appreciate the effort, but I think there's a law sitting around here somewhere that says you can't get torched by a fake backheel and stay on the national team. I'll see if I can find it.

The Performance

The good continues to intermingle with the bad as the Yanks make an oasis of good play look like a mirage with harried midfield play and an inability to finish off chances. But when it's nice, man, it's pretty fun to watch. Chandler, Shea, Dempsey and Altidore combined on a few different occasions in the final third in each match, lacing sharp, one-and-two-touch passing with decisive movement off the ball and, although it only gave us one goal, it dangled a nice shiny carrot I'll gladly keep chasing.

Tactically, the 4-3-3 was again featured, with Dempsey doing what Michael Bradley and Landon Donovan have been unable to do before him in truly embracing the free role. He helped keep possession on several occasions by popping up near the ball, be it in the middle of the field, on the wing or all the way off back the center back's feet. That was needed, too, as both Maurice Edu and Kyle Beckerman each sat deep – a little too deep in Edu's case if you ask me – rather than link box-to-box. Edu foraged up the field more than Beckerman, but not enough for a #8.

Width was given by both Chandler and Shea on the left and sporadically on the right by Williams, Cherundolo and, in game one, DeMarcus Beasley. The play on the left in particular was encouraging as Chandler and Shea are both babies of the 90s. It was really fun on those few occasions Altidore drifted all the way to the left flank to collect a pass from Shea or Chandler – those three have a chance to play multiple World Cups together.

But let us not get ahead of ourselves. The spine of this side struggled with it's distribution, as Onyewu and Bocanegra were stellar defensively but not exactly David Luiz and Thiago Silva on the ball (not unexpectedly, of course) while Edu and Beckerman sat too deep and struggled to consistently link play. This put a strain on Dempsey, who had to drop back for the ball a few times too many and often stranded Altidore (and, later, Agudelo) – particularly against Ecuador. Jose Torres would have been a welcome upgrade over Edu in my eyes.

Defensively, some suspect marking and positioning (uncharacteristically by vets Cherundolo and Bocanegra and chararacteristically by Orozco Fiscal) forced Tim Howard into some brilliant saves against Honduras, but that was shored up (perhaps with the simple insertion of Onyewu?) in game two – Ecuador's only real chance was Jaime Ayovi's header that found the back of the net. Bocanegra marshaled a mostly tight line that the inexperienced Chandler held as well as anybody.

Ultimately, the U.S. leaves camp with a +0 scoring margin in two matches despite getting the better of the run-of-play both matches. I hesitate to call it a step forward from the Costa Rica and Belgium matches, but it certainly wasn't a step back either. Given the level of experimentation in personnel and injuries to Jose Torres, Stuart Holden and Landon Donovan, I'm not sure it could have gone demonstrably better.

The Highlight

It would be too easy to go with Clint Dempsey's composed left-footed bender against Honduras, so we'll look elsewhere. Even marks for two quick but spectacular build-ups in the second half against Honduras.

On the first, Chandler passed through traffic to find Shea on the left wing, who cut inside before lashing a ball across the middle to Dempsey, who dummied for Edu, the latter of whom laid it off first time to an unmarked Williams on the right corner of the 18-yard box. Williams' ensuing shot was stopped before it could find the back corner of the net, but the build-up was pretty neat.

Later, Williams passed inside to Dempsey, who played Altidore through the defense. Altidore, the younger version of whom would have likely forced a shot when a defender closed down his shooting angle, instead threw a hesitation on said defender to free up just enough space to expertly square the ball across the box to an unmarked Brek Shea. Shea, foiled perhaps by the weather, slipped and rolled over the ball to spoil what was a very clever build up. No goal, but very spirited play.

The Lowlight

The afrorementioned Carlo Costly faux-backheel to fake Orozco Fiscal out of his shoes and provoke what I thought was a bookable foul was pretty rough. But that was an isolated mistake by a player who probably has no business being in camp. An honorable mention, too, for Tim Ream losing Ayovi for the goal, but Ream's entrance seemed a goodwill gesture more than a "hey, we're counting on you to maintain this clean sheet, kid" sort of thing.

I'll go with an uneven back line allowing Jerry Bengston in behind the U.S. defense in the first half against Honduras. Bengston might have been a torso offside, but the defense didn't put itself in the position to get the call as Cherundolo and Chandler were on one line while Orozco Fiscal and Bocanegra were on another. It took a great save by Howard to keep the game even.

Player Ratings

These are aggregated ratings from both matches.

Goalkeepers:
Howard – 7 – The U.S. #1 was fantastic against Honduras but had little to do against Ecuador – there was little, if anything, he could do about the goal.

Defenders:
Steve Cherundolo – 5 – I was shocked last month when the Hannover captain was benched for his club, but the generally sure-footed Cherundolo wasn't the best in distribution in either match and was beaten for speed on more than one occasion against Ecuador. I can't help but wonder if that ankle injury he picked up in the Gold Cup final is still nagging, and if that might explain his dip in form. I certainly don't know, but Cherundolo didn't look himself this week.

Michael Michael Orozco Fiscal – 3 – Orozco Fiscal has already been piled on enough by both myself and others around the web and media. This level is, I think, just too much for him.

Carlos Bocanegra – 5.5 – El Capitan's unusually shaky performance against Honduras was picked up by a strong showing three days later in New York. Bocanegra doesn't fit Klinsmann's mold of center backs who can start the attack from the back, but with Tim Ream's form careening down, it's hard to see who replaces the 96-times-capped defender any time soon.

Tim Chandler – 7 – If you remove the context from this rating, I might not give Chandler such high marks. But, given that he was thrown out on the left defensive flank with a right peg and, on his second time out, admirably corralled Antonio Valencia, I can't help but laud his performance. He still looks uncomfortable crossing with his left foot, preferring, when he can, to cut the ball back onto his right, but his defending was solid. I haven't forgotten how admirably Eric Lichaj performed out there in Gold Cup, but Chandler is certainly staking his own claim and has the head start with Lichaj out injured.

Oguchi Onyewu – 7 – Onyewu's return to form and fitness was certainly the feel-good story of camp, as I'm not sure there's a person out there who wasn't devastated for the giant center back when it seemed his national team career was done after not dressing a single Gold Cup match. It certainly appeared that old explosion was back against Honduras and Ecuador, as was that loping, sneaky pace he used to earn a contract with AC Milan in 2009. His distribution is still suspect (if not improved), and it always will be, but a healthy and in-form Onyewu is still a fantastic asset. Welcome back, sir.

Jonathan Spector – 4 – Per tradition, Spector was solid enough in defending attacks from the flanks but rarely ventured forward. His cross on Dempsey's disallowed goal against Honduras was nice and evoked emotions of Confederations Cup 2009, but Spector should never be a player relied on for much beside generally mistake-free, but unspectacular defense.

Tim Ream – 3 – To be sure, Ream showed poor unawareness when his mark scored Ecuador's goal – he didn't even know the ball was being delivered until a full step behind – but he still showed some nice composure and distribution when he had the ball at his feet. Bottom line, though, the Red Bulls man can't be counted on until these gaffes are eradicated – he's been making similar mistakes for club most of the season.

Midfielders:
Kyle Beckerman – 4 – Beckerman, as his role called for, stayed at home defensively and took few chances with his passes. Still, though, I thought his tackling was brash at times and he left teammates out to dry with inaccurate and soft passes on multiple occasions. He was solid enough at eating up space and quelling attacks, but I'd like to see others – namely Michael Bradley, Mo Edu and Danny Williams – tried out in that #6 slot before Beckerman gets another shot.

Maurice Edu – 4 – I'm not sure Edu has the game to play box-to-box at the international level. The Rangers midfielder was tasked with filling the Jose Torres role and struggled, too often sitting too deep and looking shaking on the ball at times when venturing forward. This was punctuated with two big gaffes at the top of the box against Ecuador – one mishit to give away possession and squander a scoring chance after a great combination by Shea and Dempsey and then a complete swing and miss after a poor settle later on. He was fairly replaced by Bradley at halftime.

Clint Dempsey – 7 – Dempsey might not be a true #10, and I'm not sure how many non-Brazilian there are of those in the world anyway, but he showed this week he can certainly fill that role capably in a U.S. kit. Dempsey drove the attack in both games, scoring a fantastic goal and having another unfairly disallowed against Honduras and giving Ecuador something to think about all night Tuesday. We'll see if Klinsmann leaves him in that role once Landon Donovan returns – remember the two still haven't played together under the new manager.

Michael Bradley – 6 – Bradley had the look of a player in good form with his club, as the Chivo Verona holding midfielder looked crisp and decisive on the ball, rarely taking chances down field but consistently playing safe, smart balls, all while making a few of his trademark late runs into the box and providing safe cover for others to venture up field as well (not at the same time, obviously). I'd like to see him get a few run outs as the #6 next month, assuming Klinsmann calls in his full team.

Forwards:
Jozy Altidore – 6. 5 – No, he didn't score, but the AZ Alkmaar striker continued to show off his newly found axillary skills, holding the ball up well, laying the ball off effectively on the flanks, venturing out wide to combine with runners and getting himself into good spots. Those are things he's never done consistently at this level (or any level for that matter), so we'll forgive the no-scoring thing a while longer – especially given the service wasn't exactly raining in. He didn't disappear from either match, which was a very encouraging sign.

Brek Shea – 6.5 – I'd have him at a 7, but missing that sitter against Honduras brings him down a notch. Otherwise, Shea showed a fantastic ability to combine with Chandler, Dempsey and Altidore and terrorized right backs for the entirety of his 135 minutes. Shea, I think, is one of a handful of must-starts at this point. He's perfectly suited for the right wing in the 4-3-3 as he provides width but can also, on occasion, get in behind the defense with diagonal runs with or without the ball. He also, when needed, provided cover for some of Chandler's marauding runs forward – there was a solid minute against Ecuador when Shea and Chandler seemed to have switched positions as the former stood beside Bocanegra and the latter was positioned all the way up the field pressuring an Ecuadorian defender with the ball.

Daniel Williams – 5 – I said most of my piece about Williams earlier. He labored admirably as the #7, but I think that role is Landon Donovan's when healthy. Still, Williams did enough to earn more opportunities, even if it's at another place on the field. I'd like to see him take Spector's handyman role

DaMarcus Beasley – 5 – It was vintage Beasley against Honduras, as the former PSV standout made several speedy runs at the Honduran defense and had a few chances to score. Against Ecuador, however, Beasley drifted inside too often. Given that he had replaced Shea, providing width was of even more importance, and he didn't give it. He's just nowhere near as effective when pinched in.

Juan Agudelo – 5 – I'll say this for the 18-year old: when he dips in form, his work ethic doesn't dip with him. I don't think Agudelo has done enough recently to warrant any jumps in the depth chart, but the future is still blindingly bright for the Red Bull striker.

Edson Buddle – 4 – The U.S. was out of gas and ideas by the time the Inglostadt striker entered the Ecuador match, so it's hard to draw too much from his abbreviated shift. He showed some nice hold-up play, but a few chances to control the ball in the box were also squandered. He's still, at best, 3rd in the pecking order behind Altidore and Agudelo, I think.

Jurgen Klinsmann Interview with Jorge Ramos

at 6:21 PM 10/12/2011 | Labels: Jurgen Klinsmann, US Soccer

Post-Game Reaction

at 2:55 PM 10/09/2011 | Labels: Jurgen Klinsmann, US Soccer

On Jurgen and expectations

at 12:38 PM 9/23/2011 | Labels: Jurgen Klinsmann, US Soccer

By Jared Launius

It's always important, I think, to point out the rather inescapable fact I don't really know anything. This is something one of my writing models, Joe Posnanski, likes to often remind his readers, and it's a plan I think is worth shadowing. Because really, I don't know anything. I'd like to think I know things, but I really just, for the most part, have things I think.

Sure, there are some things I know. I know Jurgen Klinsmann is the coach of the U.S. Men's National Team, for example. I know he wants to play a more creative, expressive style than his predecessors. I know he wants to change the culture of youth soccer in this country. I know he's off to a 0-2-1 start in friendlies against Mexico, Costa Rica and Belgium. There are other things I know, too, like the fact the U.S.'s colors are red white and blue and that we have 50 states, but not a whole lot else relevant to this discussion.

I do think, though, we're having a hard time wrapping our Yankee brains around exactly what is going to happen under Jurgen Klinsmann. Or, perhaps more accurately, what we think should happen under Jurgen Klinsmann.

There's no real poll out there that says "78 percent of USMNT fans and pundits have unrealistic expectations of Jurgen Klinsmann, while 11 percent have realistic expectations, nine percent are too pessimistic and three percent abstained". But I have the idea, both from fans and media alike, there are already some unfair expectations being placed on the German.

* * *

Let's start with one thing: U.S. fans, I think, tend to overrate the national team. This is totally fair and totally understandable and I'm totally guilty of the same thing. One of the great things about being a fan is thinking your team is better than it is. But the problem, I think, is when that tendency clouds rational thought. Sure, when the U.S. plays against Spain, I'd LOVE to think we can stand toe-to-toe with them. But, when we ultimately and predictably don't, it's important to remember, oh yeah, it's Spain.

I was rather shocked by how many columns, blog posts, tweets and so on I read after Costa Rica and Belgium friendlies voicing frustration with the results. It sadly, I think, illustrated one of more negative aspects of this fan base: it's obsession with results.

The results of three friendlies a full year before ANY sort of meaningful competition should be about as important as a player's ability to do a backflip penalty. Sure, it's neat and would be fun to watch, but it's not in the least bit necessary. But, well, we have this obsession with winning no matter the contest.

That obsession with winning has long stunted the development of American players – favoring winning tactics at youth levels over developing the skills to play soccer the right way. Sometimes, soccer education and growth fly in the face of results. So does experimentation.

What's going on at the senior team level right now is not at all dissimilar. We clamored throughout Bradley's tenure for more attractive, attacking soccer. If that call is made, it's important to understand what it takes to get there – particularly for a footballing nation predicated on developing players who bunker defensively and counter/rely on set pieces offensively. It's not easy as simply saying, "Okay Landon, Clint and Jozy, play pretty now!" You can't just insert Jose Torres into midfield, remove Jonathan Bornstein from left back and POOFTA! expect to be Germany. Let's give Bob some credit: if it was that easy, he would have done it.

These aren't surface-level changes Klinsmann is trying to make. He's asking an entire player pool to consider the game a new way. He's bringing in players with negligible international experience and trotting them out for 90 minutes. He's trying guys in new positions alongside players with whom they've never played. These are things that take years – yes, plural – to develop. I wouldn't be surprised nor particularly offended if kinks are still being worked out when World Cup Qualifying begins next summer. I have little fear it will interfere with this side's ability to qualify, but there will be nervous moments, I think.

And that should be fine.

* * *

The term "exponential growth" is often attached with U.S. soccer from about 1990 to now. That's fair, I think. The national team has made it to every World Cup since 1990 after not qualifying for forty years. It's emerged as the second-best team in its region. American players have earned minutes in each of Europe's biggest leagues. The list goes on. You know it all, I'm sure.

But, well, here's the thing about exponential growth – it's got a ceiling. This isn't just some number on a graph. The U.S., I think, might be about as far as it's going to get from having a legitimate domestic league, putting more money into the national team and getting more kids to play soccer.

It's baby steps from here forward – no more jumping dozens of spots in the world rankings in a matter of a few years. The peers of the national team now aren't the minnow nations without the resources to match the States like they were 15 years ago. Up here, the competition is established nations with proven youth setups and an understanding of how to play the game at the highest levels. You don't pass them by being bigger, stronger, faster and running harder. Not with any sort of frequency, at least.

I think we're having a hard time grasping as much. We have, in some ways, been spoiled. Many of us grew up in a soccer culture wherein a palpable growth was present from cycle to cycle. Klinsmann isn't taking over the 2002 national team full of youth and the first generation of American players to have experienced national success. He's taking over a team perhaps deeper than it's ever been, but maybe not considerably more talented.

When Klinsmann was hired, it was interesting to read how many fans and pundits said the expectation should be World Cup quarterfinals in 2014. If that's the expectation, I fear Klinsmann may leave under more turmoil than his predecessor. Sure, anything can happen in a one-off, but the reputation of the U.S. internationally, I think, is a team that can get out of it's group if the situation is right.

My fear is that what Klinsmann brings won't be appreciated. I'm not saying results in the big competitions don't matter, because they do. If he fails to qualify for the World Cup, that's a big problem. But I'll judge Klinsmann on his ability to establish something resembling a national style that isn't bunker ball. I'm looking for a clear improvement in the philosophy structure of the youth system, not a run to the World Cup's final eight.

I'm reminded of something a motivational speaker who came to my high school said. I'm paraphrasing here, but he said something to the extent of "to reach something you've never attained, you have to try something you've never done." If, ultimately, the U.S. wants to stand toe-to-toe with Spain, it's going to mean trying things never attempted by this nation.

That, I think, is what Klinsmann intends to do. It's our job to understand there's going to be changes along the way.

Video: Klinsmann post match interview

at 7:46 PM 9/06/2011 | Labels: Jurgen Klinsmann, US Soccer

A Roster Reaction

at 2:36 PM 8/26/2011 | Labels: Belgium, Costa Rica, Jurgen Klinsmann, US Soccer

By Jared Launius

You've likely already seen it, but here's the 24 men called into Jurgen Klinsmann's second U.S. National Team camp:

GOALKEEPERS (2): Bill Hamid (D.C.United), Tim Howard (Everton)

DEFENDERS (9): Carlos Bocanegra (Rangers), Edgar Castillo (Club America), Timmy Chandler (FC Nürnberg), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Zach Loyd (FC Dallas), Michael Orozco Fiscal (San Luis), Heath Pearce (Chivas USA), Tim Ream (New York Red Bulls)

MIDFIELDERS (9): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht), Jeff Larentowicz (Colorado Rapids), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), Brek Shea (FC Dallas), Jose Torres (Pachuca)

FORWARDS (4): Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls), Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), Teal Bunbury (Sporting Kansas City), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)

And here's my token analysis.

I should probably start by calming any sentiment Michael Bradley's exclusion is some sort of coup or indication Klinsmann agrees with some of you that his 60 caps are rooted in nepotism and not merit. This camp convenes at the exact time Bradley hopes to be settling in at a new club (which, Greg Seltzer says, currently looks to be Roma) and Klinsmann himself acknowledged as much when the roster was announced. I remember reading in several places that Klinsmann favors Bradley, and I have little doubt he is viewed as a crucial cog going forward. If you truly think Klinsmann favors Jeff Larentowicz over Bradley, lie off Big Soccer for a few days.

I would echo similar sentiments on Jermaine Jones and Rico Clark, though, at this point, I'm just not sure how much anyone cares about Jermaine Jones and Rico Clark. So I'll move on.

Things get a little more murky when looking at the wing backs brought into camp. Eric Lichaj had presumably established himself as Bob Bradley's first-choice left back, but Klinsmann has yet to call the Villa man in. I think Zach Loyd is a very nice player, but I certainly don't rate him higher than Lichaj. Perhaps Lichaj was also given a chance to secure a loan. Or maybe Klinsmann is serious about not bringing in players not receiving club minutes – that would explain Bill Hamid's inclusion over Brad Guzan. At any rate, good for Loyd – a hard worker and by all accounts a great guy – for getting another shot to impress the new manager.

I also find it interesting Tim Ream was called in despite a poor run of play with Red Bull of late. Along with Rafa Marquez, Red Bull have – on paper – perhaps the best centerback pairing in MLS. But with Red Bull reeling – and the defense being the main culprit – I'm semi-surprised Omar Gonzalez, Chad Marshall or Michael Parkhurst didn't get a runout. Tells you, I guess, how serious Klinsmann is about building from the back – something I wholly support.

No other big surprises in back for me. It wouldn't have been fair to make any judgements on either Edgar Castillo or Michael Orozco Fiscal after one match, so it's good to see Klinsmann continuing to live up to his billing as a guy that wants to make his players feel comfortable and not fear getting jerked after one off performance. I wasn't particularly impressed by either guy against Mexico, but one game is never enough to banish nor lionize.

Goal and nice performance aside, I'm not sure I fully comprehend Robbie Rogers' second-straight call-up. Mix Diskerud has been as consistent an as they come at the club level the last two years, still Klinsmann is yet to call the attacking middie in. Perhaps more worrying is the fact Diserud's exclusion comes on the heels of rumors Norway is making an attempt to reign the Stabaek man back into it's national team for good. I'll agree with US Soccer Daily that I'm not particularly concerned Diskerud will change national loyalties again, but it would be nice to see him called in – for nothing else – to extend a friendly hand to Diskerud (and a not-so-friendly stiffarm to Norway).

Speaking of stiffarms, do we chalk Ale Bedoya's second-straight exclusion as a product of his trying to get settled into the side at Rangers? I hate to bang this drum again, but remember when Robbie Rogers was called into the Gold Cup roster over Bedoya? Remember how that turned out? This is obviously of much less importance than Gold Cup, but it's still a bit concerning to me.

The other point of discussion in midfield, I think, is A) the inclusion of the latest German-turned-American, Fabian Johnson and B) his being listed as a midfielder. Now, I'll freely admit I've seen nothing but the same grainy highlights of Johnson you all have seen, but I thought what made him most desirable is his ability to play left back. I'm not snobbish enough to turn away a guy playing well in midfield for a Bundesliga team, but the fact he plays there – and not on the left defensive flank – certainly takes some of my Hofbrau buzz away. Regardless, it's good to see Klinsmann call Johnson in just a week after the latter's announcement he'd entertain the U.S. if it called.

I don't think Jeff Larentowicz was called in for much beside roster depth and for Klinsmann to get a bit closer look at him. Don't expect to see the Rapids man travel to Belgium – particularly with everything Colorado is chasing right now.

The most interesting thing about the forward corps, I think, is the youth. Leaving out Donovan – because he's not an out-and-out forward – the forwards called in are 18, 21 and 21. Juan Agudelo, Teal Bunbury and Jozy Altidore figure to each bring speed, energy and the ability to run at defenders to each friendly. That's not to say, though, I fully support the group.

I don't know what Herculez Gomez has to do to get called into a friendly, and I'm not exactly sure what Teal Bunbury has done to warrant a call-in over at least a dozen other names I could pull up. I like Teal. I worked for Sporting KC this summer and thus A) spent some time around him and found him to be a very likable, gregarious guy and B) saw every minute of every game he played in from mid-May to mid-August.

What I saw on the field each week was a player who struggles with a lot of the same little things that have plagued Jozy Altidore. Like Altidore, Bunbury is a big body with speed, power and a very strong right foot. But, also like Altidore, Bunbury struggles with a lot of the craft that goes into being a center forward. Despite the body to do so, he struggles (and sometimes seems disinterested) in holding the ball up. His movement off the ball doesn't do enough to help keep possession, get himself in good spots to score goals or free up space for teammates to run off him. He tries too often to do everything by himself, and that often results in loss of possession and the squandering of a decent scoring chance.

Case in point on Bunbury: you probably saw Seattle's thrilling two-goal comeback on Sporting KC a few weeks back. What you probably didn't see was, right before Seattle's first goal, Bunbury had given possession away after trying to take on three Seattle defenders by himself – also ignoring a wide-open Chance Myers streaking unmarked to his right. Bunbury instead took an ill-advised 30-yard shot that never looked to trouble Kasey Kellar. Seattle then streaked right up field and scored it's first goal. That was three bad decisions by Bunbury on one play: trying to take on a defense without numbers, failing to spot a wide open teammate trying to support him and then taking a poorly-chosen shot.

Now, this is all understandable. A player with Bunbury's natural gifts didn't likely have to learn to do those things before arriving in the professional ranks because he could do so much by himself. He still has a lot of learning to do – and I have little doubt he'll get there. I saw a lot of improvement in those departments throughout the season. But the fact remains Bunbury isn't even the first-choice American striker on his club right now – that title goes to CJ Sapong. It's a bit of a curious choice to me, but, as I've said, the talent is certainly there.

Here, by the way, I'll drop the requisite note that Jozy Altidore might finally be turning the corner, and I, for the first time in a long time, really look forward to see how he plays with the national team. The goals are encouraging, yes, as he now has (I believe) more goals in four games with AZ Alkmaar as he had in three years with his four previous clubs combined. But what was most encouraging for me while watching AZ's Europa match yesterday was Altidore's seeming willingness to do all those little things I discussed in regards to Bunbury. Altidore held the ball up, did well off the ball and pressured high on defense all day.

This is too small a sample to say Jozy is finally on his way to becoming the player we've always known he can be, but its certainly encouraging. I'm excited to see if he brings that apparently humbled game to his first camp under Klinsmann.

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