USMNT: The Big Think from Spring Friendlies

Write On Sports posted the piece to which I referred earlier today.

Seeing as I'm linking to it, it doesn't make sense to labor the points it contains, but I do want to note the general thrust of the argument it makes. The essential point is that seeing as we don't produce great players in this country, the main task comes down to figuring how to fit together the pieces we have. This is partly a reaction to the love-fest Feilhaber received after Ecuador, but it's more fundamental than that.

At any rate, I really struggled with the language I used and don't know that I ever found the correct phrasing for what I'm getting at. To give it one more shot: we've got good enough raw materials - not ideal, mind you, but good enough; the focus needs to be on training these guys to think better about the game. I didn't mention this in the piece, but I think Bob Bradley's headed in the right direction on this, at least conceptually. That's what I get from some of the quotes Marc Connolly dredged out of various people in articles about Michael Bradley and Benny Feilhaber. I think we're to a place where we just need to work on making the people we've got more effective. So, that's the point of the Write On piece. Hope y'all like it.

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USMNT: Bradley Puts Out the Call

As promised, U.S. Men's National Team (USMNT) coach Bob Bradley announced call-ups to training camp today. You can wade through the kiss-ass, blah, blah, blah release posted on ussoccer.com or work with the shorter, tidier version showing on USSoccerplayers.com, but they'll both tell you the same thing, right?

Since this will no doubt occupy many of us till the games themselves, let's do the like/dislike thing quick and dirty:

Dislikes
Kasey Keller - I write this as one who, on one of the most aggravating day of the past 365, smiled broadly after accidentally discovering Kasey Keller Boulevard in Yelm, Washington: Keller is a great 'keeper, but it's time to let go. I would have rather seen Marcus Hahnemann.
Brian Ching - He's recovering from injury; leave him be. There will be time later.

Dubious, but Neutral (yeah, this is cheating)
Eddie Johnson - When does this guy run out of chances? I'm OK with him being there, but...dang...

Likes
New Blood - While I'm almost certainly the only person even remotely associated with the U.S. soccer community who did not pitch a mini-tent about Jay DeMerit's call-up, I'm glad to see he's his shot. Ditto with guys like Frank Simek and Benny Feilhaber. I don't know anything about either first-hand (I've seen DeMerit a couple times now) and look forward to learning more.
Michael Bradley - I'm glad Coach Bob didn't quail before perceived and real "coach's son" taunts. If Bradley's not good enough, we'll all see it. But he deserves a chance to prove it.

All in all, I'm happy with what we've got. The Ecuador game ought to be worth a gander; Guatemala, probably not so much. Still, beats the hell out of last fall when there was nothing, doesn't it?

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