I could understand it if he was trying to call in younger guys to see who might be ready for 2018 but he fucking called in Alan Gordan
Benny supposedly has some light criticized of JK back when JK first took over and now Benny is basically frozen out is the story that I have heard. We played Joe Corona, Mix, Zusi in the Gold Cup and none of those 3 have played close to as well as Benny since the WC. Besler also responded to the media after JK criticized the team for lack of fitness after the WC and Besler hasn't really played since instead going with people like Alvarado who was embarrassing bad and Brooks who was better than Alvarado, but also bad. Besler could easily help the team at the 2018 WC. He isn't like he will definitely be aged out at 31 as a CD.
Poku looking strong need to get him to switch to America. All City midfielders getting involved sans Mix. Pirlo with an assist for both teams. McNamara with a goal and an assist. Poku with a goal and an assist plus was dangerous all night.
http://news.yahoo.com/5-mls-players-ready-for-a-usmnt-call-up-140739016.html Spoiler Next month sees the U.S. Men’s National Team take on Peru at RFK Stadium in the nation’s capital, Washington D.C. . After the disappointing performance in the Gold Cup last month, many have called for changes, most notably at the head coach position. One criticism Jurgen Klinsmann has often faced is his difficult relationship with Major League Soccer. The German coach is a big advocate of American players plying their trade in Europe, but as many have found that is often not a guarantee of regular playing time. With that said, here are five players that are ready for a call-up to Klinsmann’s squad. Sebastian Lletget - LA GalaxyThe San Francisco native has only recently moved to Major League Soccer after spending his formative years with West Ham United. Highly rated by the Hammers coaching staff, he simply couldn’t earn first team minutes and his loss has certainly been Bruce Arena’s gain. Netting 6 goals in 11 games, Lletget has seamlessly slotted into the LA Galaxy first team and proved to be a difference maker for the club very early on. Technically sound and able to play centrally or out wide he has previously represented the U.S. at U17, U20 and U23 level. Still just 22-years-old and with room to grow, he has earned rave reviews from across the league including teammate Robbie Keane: “He’s good on the ball, he’s very clever, and he scores goals,” Keane said. Ethan Finlay - Columbus Crew SC Currently joint top in Major League Soccer for assists, Ethan Finlay is enjoying a fantastic year for the Columbus Crew SC. An impressive combination of pace, on-field intelligence and technical skill, he has proven incredibly dangerous down the right hand side for Gregg Berhalter. Far from a traditional - chalk on your boots winger - Finlay can still cross a ball very well. That could prove useful for a team that struggled with a lack of creativity during the Gold Cup. Particularly for strikers like Aron Johannsson, having someone like Finlay in the team could see him find the back of the net more often thanks to his dangerous service into the penalty area. Discussing his season, teammate Justin Meram said: “Ethan’s just getting on the assist sheet and he’s doing a great job of that. Ethan’s just punishing them and putting the right balls in the right places.” Showing he could be ready for the big-stage with his performance during the MLS All-Star match, this piece of skill was a particular highlight. Matt Miazga - New York Red Bulls Centre-back has been a position of some intense debate for fans of the USMNT. Many feel John Anthony Brooks of Hertha Berlin is the long-term option but a partner for the German-American has yet to be found. Tottenham youngster and fellow double-barrelled defender Cameron Carter-Vickers could be that man but so could Matt Miazga. The Polish-American defender was on trial with New York Red Bulls sister club Red Bull Salzburg in January before being allowed to return to the Big Apple. Standing at 6 foot 4 inches, Miazga’s presence is one of the first things that strikes you about him, along with his composure on the ball. Graduating from substitute to starter this season for the club, he has improved significantly from the beginning of the season. “In preseason, his one-on-one defending wasn’t great,” said teammate Sacha Kljestan, “He gave guys too much time and space and it was too easy to beat him.” A lot has changed since then though. Shutting down David Villa in the Hudson River Derby this past weekend, Miazga has proved to be a vital cog in the Red Bulls machine and a call-up to the national team could be a good evaluation of where he is at on his development path. Benny Feilhaber - Sporting Kansas CityUnfortunately for Feilhaber, a call-up is unlikely and he knows it himself. Admitting he does not expect to add to his collection of caps, Klinsmann was asked recently why he does not pick the joint leader for assists in Major League Soccer. “It’s a simple answer,” Klinsmann said. “There are other ones ahead of him.” That is becoming increasingly hard to stomach with each passing performance in which Feilhaber thrives. Some have suggested his personality clashes with current USMNT members, but regardless he deserves a chance to impress. Positionally versatile and blessed with great technique, his creativity could have been a huge asset during the Gold Cup. The difference maker during his side’s 3-1 victory over Toronto FC at the weekend, this was just one of many games Feilhaber has influenced this season as his ability to dictate the game shone through. Deserving of a chance it seems that the former Hamburg man has done all he can to earn a spot: “I can honestly say everything he’s told me [to improve on] is something I can check off the list as something I have improved on,” Feilhaber told the Guardian in June. “Whether it be my fitness, my leadership, my working for the team, being selfless for the team, being a 90-minute player that isn’t turning on and off through the game.” Perry Kitchen - D.C. United I must confess, I was deciding between Kitchen and Dax McCarty when I made this last pick as both have been impressive this season. Eventually I opted for Kitchen as he’s younger and could be a long-term answer. Selected during the 2011 SuperDraft, Kitchen turned down a trial with Belgian outfit Anderlecht in order to begin his career in Major League Soccer. Operating as a number 6 in a deeper lying role for D.C. United, the talented midfielder has been central to the club’s success this season as they sit atop the Eastern Conference. Blessed with good distribution and solid decision making, he seems the perfect replacement for the ageing Kyle Beckerman, all while offering better mobility across the field. Making his debut for the national team earlier this year, now would seem the perfect time to install Kitchen (no pun intended) in the team and allow him time to grow into the role and the demands of international soccer.
NAT FUCKING BORCHERS WITH THE STOPPAGE TIME GOAL AT THE 96TH FUCKING MINUTE TO WIN THE FUCKING GAME AGAINST HIS FORMER TEAM RSL I may or may not have a place in my apartment complex with the celebration and primal scream that happened afterward. holy fucking shit. (literally the last fucking possession of the game that led to corner kick and magic)
Kei Kamara tweeted out a few pics of him at a local bar in all his Chelsea gear to watch the City/Chelsea match
Last night was the second time in league history a team trailing by two goals in the 80th has come back to win.
Top 5 on MLS's Most Valuable Teams list, per Forbes: Seattle Sounders, $245m LA Galaxy, $240m Houston Dynamo, $200m Portland Timbers, $185m Toronto FC, $175m http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...referral&utm_content=News&utm_campaign=Unpaid
No matter how many times I look at the MLS standings it still blows my mind to see the top teams in both conferences with so many losses. DC United with 9 losses is just weird. I guess you get used to seeing in the Euro leagues the top teams only having a handful of dropped games
How Big Sam never even gave him a sniff at WHU is really amazing. Not saying he'd have been some guaranteed starter but not even one sub appearance, and had only one FA Cup start with a bunch of reserves.
This fucking guy @NYCFCNation: Kreis:"It's challenging to manage guys that I looked up to, to be honest. I was still playing when they were beginning their careers & after @NYCFCNation: emulating those world stars as a player, it can be hard to be in a position where you have to manage them & make critical decisions."
I look at it as one of the appeals of MLS. While teams like LA are always in the hunt you have so much parity that on any given night you can win/get beat by anybody in the league. Obviously the style of play isn't as high, but you see the records (especially in the west where everybody is close together, besides the Galaxy in the last 2 months) and even the Timbers who are in 4th are just a couple losses away from back to fighting for their lives even though they are in 2 spots clear of the 6 line right now. Enjoy it while you can because as the sport grows in this country eventually the parity will grow farther and farther apart.
I think you are starting to see a gap form if LA keeps playing as well as they did this weekend. But I agree for now you really don't know who is going to win a given match and that is great.
The issue for LA will be keeping this team together. They have 4 DPs (Keane, Gerrard, Dos Santos, Omar). They are two players in Zardes and Lleget that will have to get paid when their contract runs out. There has been talk of Zardes moving this transfer window because their is no chance that they can pay him long-term. Omar contract is up and I don't think they can resign him either. Lleget at this trajectory will require DP money whenever his contract is up especially if he is with the USMNT. They will always be good because they spend the money and Arena is the best manager in MLS especially at navigating the cap and finding pieces that fit for cheap. They is definitely growing parity between teams that spend and teams that don't spend because of the 3 DPs and now the Core Roster Spot, but don't think it will ever get to too far out of wack because the limits are still pretty tight and a lot of teams can spend up to the max with the 3 DPs. Seattle should be right there year in and year out. No reason that Toronto, NYCFC won't be able to put it together eventually. A lot of other teams like SKC, Red Bulls, OCFC, Montreal, Portland are willing to spend to be in the mix. Might not sign the big names, but will likely max out the 3 DPs. I still think teams like RSL, Colorodo, NE can win by being smart and signing 1-2 DPs, but going to take everything coming together. Red Bulls is legit this year and they have 1 DP, but players like Miazga and McCarty are Best XI types and the team plays well together.