A 23-Man Surprise!

On 5/22 at around 3 PM Pacific time United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) Manager Jürgen Klinsmann shocked just about everyone by naming his 23-man roster for the World Cup.  Beyond the seven players that were cut the timing of the announcement is what caught everyone off guard.  Jürgen had said from the start that he was waiting until after the match with Turkey on 6/1 to make his final cuts prior to the FIFA deadline on 6/2.  

So what prompted Klinsmann to make this move a full 12 days earlier than expected?  Well according to him “We coaches had, over the last few days, a pretty clear picture on everyone involved in this process.  We sensed that this is the right time now to also have those conversations with the seven players that will be on standby from now on.  This is the right time to start working on details toward Ghana.” 

On one hand I can see removing the internal competition between teammates to let the guys that are going know where they stand.  The hope being that this fosters better team chemistry on the road to Brazil.  On the other hand how much could he really have learned in less than 10 days of training?  I think the more likely scenario is that he already knew who he was taking on the plane and was just going through the formal process.  The seven players that were cut from the preliminary roster remain on the “standby list” and can be called back into the side at any point prior to the USMNT’s first match on 6/16.  However after the 6/2 23-man deadline a change can only be made due to an injury. 

Of course the other reason for the surprise announcement could have been to get the media circus that cutting Landon Donovan created out of the way.  As I said in my 30-man piece I’m not shocked that Donovan didn’t make the team.  In fact, if you were reading the tea leaves the writing had been on the wall for a while now.  Granted most people don’t follow the USMNT as closely as I do.  So I understand the uproar from the general public about cutting the USMNT’s all-time leader in goals (57) and assists (58).  Landon also tallied 6 goals against Mexico and is only 8 caps away from Cobi Jones’ USMNT record of 164.  Donovan appeared in three World Cups scoring 5 goals and playing in 12 matches (both USMNT records) including the most famous goal in USMNT history (2010 versus Algeria). 

I watched Landon play against the Timbers on 5/11 (the day before the 30-man was named) and he did not look good…at all.  In other words, he was not someone I wanted on the pitch against top-flight competition for 90 minutes.  When viewed through the lens of a late game substitute I really don’t have much of a problem with taking Brad Davis and his exceptional left foot over Donovan.  They are both capable of creating a moment of magic and if Jürgen prefers Davis I’m ok with it.  

Now many out there have pointed to 18-year old Julian Green making the squad over Landon as ridiculous, and on that front I can agree.  Green plays in the fourth division of German soccer and has no real experience at the top level of the international game.  As a late sub he’s got speed to burn but he’s just as likely to make a big mistake as he is a big play.  The same cannot be said of Donovan who knows his way around the pitch when the pressure is on. 

The biggest shock to me in the final 23, and it’s not even close, is Klinsmann taking John Brooks over Clarence Goodson.  Brooks is another young (21) German with practically no big time international experience.  Making matters worse is that John has made at least one mistake in each of his three caps that has led to a goal.  That is not a quality you want in a center back.  Compounding matters is that Omar Gonzalez is also prone to grave mental lapses, meaning that both of our likely backup central defenders are extremely shaky.  Whereas Goodson is steady as a rock and I’d feel much better about our depth if he were still around. 

After Goodson and Donovan in the milder surprise category were Timmy Chandler and DeAndre Yedlin being included in the side over Brad Evans and Michael Parkhurst.  Chandler is yet another young (24) German (sensing a theme yet?) and Yedlin is only 20 with 2 caps to his name.  When Chandler burst onto the USMNT scene in 2011 I thought he was a godsend at a position where we were lacking (right fullback).  After a great start to his national team career he went into a funk and basically disappeared.  In his stead Evans (a natural midfielder) stepped up and filled in admirably throughout all of qualifying.  Jürgen treated Brad the same way he did Eddie Johnson, which is to say thanks for all the good work during qualifying but don’t let the door hit you on the way off the plane to Brazil. 

The inclusion of Yedlin over Parkhurst is a bit more difficult to explain and accept.  DeAndre is a speedy left back but by all accounts he has been really bad for the Sounders this season, and I mean really bad.  As opposed to Parkhurst who is the perfect kind of reserve you want at a World Cup since he can play all four positions across the back line.  Michael has been playing really well since he returned from Europe before this MLS season.  He was even named captain of the Columbus Crew prior to their opener.  Granted he didn’t feature much during qualifying but then again neither did Yedlin. 

As for the other three cuts Kyle Beckerman beat out Maurice Edu, Chris Wondolowski beat out Terrence Boyd and Joe Corona had no business even being on the 30.  I guess Boyd not being included could be considered bucking a trend since he is 23 and from Germany (Wondo must have looked great in training). 

Many have said that with this roster Klinsmann is looking forward to Russia in 2018, and that the 4-year contract extension he signed on 12/12/13 gave him the power to do so.  As a diehard fan of the USMNT I have to say this bothers me quite a bit.  I understand that we are in the Group of Death but that doesn’t mean you throw away four years so some young kids (that you may or may not have promised a spot to) can gain experience.  

All seven guys that were cut were unlikely to start but I’ve been watching World Cups since 1994 and shit can and will happen.  An injury, a red card or an accumulation of yellows all can strike at any time.  What Jürgen did with these moves is severely weaken our depth, especially along the back line where we are the weakest to begin with.  If Brooks or Yedlin sees the pitch I have a feeling they will make a costly mistake that Goodson or Parkhurst wouldn’t have.  Overall you’d have a hard time convincing any follower of the USMNT that this group is actually our best 23 players. 

I’m really looking forward to the start of the Send-Off Series against Azerbaijan on 5/27 in San Francisco (7 PM Pacific on ESPN2).  There are rumors of Klinsy switching our formation from a 4-2-3-1 to a 4-4-2 with the middle four being in a diamond shape.  Fabian Johnson looks to be our new starting right back too which is fine by me.  With most of our starting 11 locked in I’ll be watching two positional battles over the next 3 weeks.  I’m praying that Geoff Cameron beats out Gonzalez at center back and something tells me that Beckerman has a chance to unseat Jermaine Jones too.  We shall see… 

GOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS: DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Nürnberg), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders FC)
MIDFIELDERS: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jermaine Jones (Besiktas), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
FORWARDS: Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

Conference Finals

EAST 

Miami at Indiana – The two best records from the East face off in the series that everyone has been waiting on all year.  They split their season series 2-2 AND the last 14 games they have played against each other including the playoffs.  When things have been that even for that long there’s bound to be some bad blood and indeed these two sides don’t like each other much.  So there will be plenty of trash talking and near fracases after the whistle to look forward to.  

On the court the main event will be LeBron James versus Paul George.  George came of age against Bron in last year’s Conference Finals and something about the matchup brings out the best in Paul.  Lance Stephenson will be tasked with containing Dwyane Wade, a job that he is well suited for.  David West has always presented the Heat with issues so I expect to see a lot of Chris Bosh on him rather than the decrepit Udonis Haslem. 

Atlanta made the Pacers look vulnerable by spreading them out with five shooters and Miami has the personnel to do the same.  The problem for the Heat though is that Shane Battier and Rashard Lewis are barely playable at this point in their careers.  This has forced Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra to go deep into his bench and play James Jones, but a lineup of Wade, Ray Allen, Jones, LeBron and Bosh could really give Indy problems.  The flip side of that is the Pacers will kill Miami on the boards when that unit is out there.  That’s why I expect the Heat to play more conventionally than most with a lot of Chris Andersen on the floor whenever Roy Hibbert isn’t hiding in his shell. 

I know Indy has been floundering for months but this is what they have been waiting for since last year so I anticipate them being intense and ready to go from the jump.  That said they are bound to look bad for long stretches or even a game or two and I’m not sure they are mentally tough enough to recover anymore.  I picked the Pacers in the preseason, and even though I think they’ll put on a better showing than most, their offense just isn’t consistent enough at this point to hang with Miami.  Heat in 6. 

WEST 

Oklahoma City at San Antonio – Unfortunately the story line heading into the clash of the two best records in the West is injuries.  Serge Ibaka has been ruled out of the rest of the post season with a left calf injury.  This leaves the Thunder in a real bind as Ibaka was their best rebounder, shot blocker and third best player overall in the regular season.  Nick Collison will be called on to pick up the bulk of his minutes and rookie Kiwi tough guy Steven Adams will see some more run too.  The problem is that OKC’s fifth big man is Hasheem Thabeet and Thunder Coach Scott Brooks isn’t crazy enough to play him.  That means Kendrick Perkins also has to play more, much to the chagrin of the stat geek community.  

On the Spurs side Tony Parker is nursing a Grade 1 strain to his left hamstring.  Supposedly this isn’t as bad as the one he suffered in last year’s NBA Finals so he’s not expected to miss any time.  That doesn’t mean he will be his normal speedy self though and Patty Mills could see an uptick in minutes as his backup.  Kawhi Leonard will draw the Kevin Durant assignment but after that SA really has no decent matchup for the MVP.  With Parker likely hobbled and not the greatest defender to begin with I suspect Danny Green to be given first dibs on Russell Westbrook.  Honestly though there’s not a lot of great options for Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich when it comes to KD and Russ, which is probably why OKC went 4-0 with an average margin of victory of 9.3 points against SA this season. 

A big man rotation of Collison, Perk and Adams doesn’t exactly inspire confidence so it would behoove Brooks to go small with KD as his PF for stretches.  In fact the best lineup for the Thunder might be Reggie Jackson, Westbrook, Caron Butler, KD and one of Adams or Collison.  Scooter doesn’t really have a reputation as an offensive innovator but being unconventional might be the only shot OKC has without Ibaka.  The Spurs can matchup with anything Brooks puts out there but if Pop plays the combo of Tim Duncan and Tiago Splitter when KD is at the 4 that will be a problem for the Thunder that could land Durant in foul trouble. 

A healthy OKC proved to be far too athletic for SA this season so I don’t want to overreact to the loss of Ibaka.  At the same time I have a hard time seeing how any team could survive the loss of their third best player in the Conference Finals.  Then there’s Parker being less than 100% to factor in as well.  I have a feeling that this will be a better series than people think but I just can’t pick the Thunder without Serge.  Spurs in 6.

Who's Ready for the World Cup?

On 5/12 United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) Manager Jürgen Klinsmann announced his preliminary 30-man roster for the World Cup.  

GOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)

DEFENDERS: DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Nürnberg), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Clarence Goodson (San Jose Earthquakes), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Michael Parkhurst (Columbus Crew), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders FC)

MIDFIELDERS: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Maurice Edu (Philadelphia Union), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jermaine Jones (Besiktas), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)

FORWARDS: Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Terrence Boyd (Rapid Vienna), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes) 

The biggest shock was veteran striker Eddie Johnson’s omission.  Johnson hasn’t scored this season for DC United but he was a big part of qualifying.  He scored both goals in a much tighter than it should have been 2-1 win at Antigua and Barbuda in the semifinal round.  He also scored the go ahead goal against Mexico in Columbus, OH that allowed the USMNT to qualify with two games to spare.  EJ joins a dubious list of players that scored the clinching goal in qualification and then were left off the final roster (Steve Ralston in 2006 & Conor Casey in 2010). 

The fact of the matter is that Chris Wondolowski already has five goals for San Jose and Terrence Boyd tallied 20 goals in all competitions for Rapid Vienna including six times in his last four matches.  Jürgen obviously stuck to his word by taking who was playing the best right now meaning Eddie was squeezed out.  I’m sure it didn’t help that Johnson just ripped his teammates in the media either.  It’s also worth noting that a USMNT striker hasn’t scored in the World Cup since 2002 so Klinsmann leaving a proven commodity behind is a little risky. 

The next biggest surprise for me was Joe Corona coming out of nowhere to make the 30-man.  Corona barely featured during qualifying and with Jürgen bringing in so many other youngsters with potential I would have thought Brek Shea would get the nod instead.  I was also a little surprised to see Brad Davis’ name instead of Sacha Kljestan’s.  Lastly Timmy Chandler coming back from the dead probably cost Edgar Castillo his spot.  Guys like Michael Orozco, Tim Ream, Jose Torres, Danny Williams, Herculez Gomez and Juan Agudelo don’t have any right to complain as I see it. 

Here are a few other roster notes before I start breaking down who will make the cut for the final 23: 

> It’s interesting that two players are listed at different positions than in previous press releases from US Soccer.  Fabian Johnson went from midfielder to defender and Landon Donovan from midfielder to forward.  On Donovan Klinsmann had this to say; “I don’t see Landon as a midfielder coming in, I see him clearly as a striker.”  Intriguing to say the least… 

> Nine top-flight leagues are represented on the preliminary roster: USA’s MLS (15), England’s Premier League (4), Germany’s Bundesliga (4), Mexico’s Liga MX (2), Austria’s Bundesliga (1), France’s Ligue 1 (1), Netherlands’ Eredivisie (1), Norway’s Tippeligaen (1) and Turkey’s Super Lig (1). 

> A total of 25 players on the preliminary roster appeared in at least one FIFA World Cup Qualifier in the 2014 cycle.  The five who did not are John Brooks, Julian Green, Nick Rimando, DeAndre Yedlin and Wondolowski. 

FIFA requires that you take three goalkeepers so we are all set there.  As for strikers/forwards the final spot will most likely come down to who performs better over the next 2 ½ weeks between Wondo and Boyd.  That said it would not shock me at all if Landon did not make the 23.  Yes, you read that right.  Captain America is not a lock to make the roster (he has zero goals for LA this season).  Even if he does make it on the plane I see his role as more of a late substitute than a starter at this point in his career.  

In the midfield I don’t see how Corona makes it and Davis is just too one dimensional (great left foot on set pieces) for the biggest tournament in the world.  Klinsy’s next choice has to be between Kyle Beckerman and Maurice Edu since they are basically the same type of player.  I’ve read some people who say that Mix Diskerud is on the bubble too but I just can’t see leaving a player with his creativity and vision at home.  Then there’s the case of 18-year old phenom Green.  I doubt he’s ready for the biggest stage but there has been a lot of chatter about how Jürgen promised Julian a spot if he’d switch his national team affiliation from Germany to the USA. 

Defense is where it gets really tricky though since even at this late date almost the entire back line is still in flux.  Brooks has been shaky as hell every time he’s stepped on the pitch for the USMNT so to ease my nerves let’s wait four more years on him.  Brooks may actually be needed though if Omar Gonzalez (left knee) isn’t 100% fit.  Omar has been pretty bad this year for the Galaxy so I’m hoping that even if he makes the 23 that he doesn’t start.  When it comes to fullback for youngsters Chandler or Yedlin to have a shot they will need to really out play the more experienced Brad Evans and/or Michael Parkhurst during this training period. 

I’ll have another post previewing who I think should start for the USMNT and how I think they’ll fare in the Group of Death.  Meanwhile here’s the rest of their schedule leading up to their first match in Brazil and the preliminary rosters of their Group G opponents. 

5/14 – Camp opens at Stanford University

5/27 – Azerbaijan at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, CA at 7 PM on ESPN2

6/1 – Turkey at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ at 11 AM on ESPN2

6/2 – 23-man roster due

6/7 – Nigeria at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, FL at 3 PM on ESPN

6/12 – Belgium in Sao Paulo (closed scrimmage)

(all times Pacific) 

GHANA

GOALKEEPERS: Adam Kwarasey (Stromsgodset), Fatau Dauda (Orlando Pirates), Stephen Adams (Aduana Stars) 

DEFENDERS: Samuel Inkoom (Platanias), Daniel Opare (Standard Liege), Harrison Afful (Esperance), Jeffrey Schullp (Leicester City), John Boye (Rennes), Jonathan Mensah (Evian), Jerry Akaminko (Eskisehirspor), Rashid Sumaila (Mamelodi Sundowns) 

MIDFIELDERS: Michael Essien (AC Milan), Rabiu Mohammed (Kuban Krasnodar), Agyemang Badu (Udinese), Kwadwo Asamoah (Juventus), Sulley Muntari (AC Milan), Albert Adomah (Middlesborough), Wakasu Mubarak (Rubin Kazan), Christian Atsu (Vitesse), David Accam (Helsingborg), Andre Ayew (Marseille), Afriyie Acquah (Parma) 

FORWARDS: Asamoah Gyan (Al-Ain), Kevin-Prince Boateng (Schalke), Abdul Majeed Waris (Valenciennes), Jordan Ayew (Sochaux)

PORTUGAL

GOALKEEPERS: Anthony Lopes (Lyon), Beto (Sevilha), Eduardo (SC Braga), Rui Patrício (Sporting) 

DEFENDERS: André Almeida (Benfica), Antunes (Málaga), Bruno Alves (Fenerbahçe), Fábio Coentrão (Real Madrid), João Pereira (Valência), Neto (Zenit), Pepe (Real Madrid), Ricardo Costa (Valência), Rolando (Inter) 

MIDFIELDERS: André Gomes (Benfica), João Mário (Vitória FC), João Moutinho (Mónaco), Miguel Veloso (D. Kiev), Raul Meireles (Fenerbahçe), Rúben Amorim (Benfica), William Carvalho (Sporting) 

FORWARDS: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Éder (SC Braga), Hélder Postiga (Lazio), Hugo Almeida (Besiktas), Ivan Cavaleiro (Benfica), Nani (Manchester United), Rafa (SC Braga), Ricardo Quaresma (FC Porto), Varela (FC Porto), Vieirinha (Wolfsburg)

GERMANY

GOALKEEPERS: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Roman Weidenfeller (Borussia Dortmund), Ron-Robert Zieler (Hannover) 

DEFENDERS: Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Erik Durm (Borussia Dortmund), Kevin Grosskreutz (Borussia Dortmund), Benedikt Howedes (Schalke), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Marcell Jansen (Hamburg), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Per Mertesacker (Arsenal), Shkodran Mustafi (Sampdoria), Marcel Schmelzer (Borussia Dortmund) 

MIDFIELDERS: Lars Bender (Borussia Dortmund), Julian Draxler (Schalke), Matthias Ginter (Freiburg), Leon Goretzka (Schalke), Mario Gotze (Bayern Munich), Andre Hahn (Augsburg), Sami Khedira (Real Madrid), Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich), Max Meyer (Schalke), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal), Lukas Podolski (Arsenal), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund), Andre Schurrle (Chelsea), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich) 

FORWARDS: Miroslav Klose (Lazio), Kevin Volland (Hoffenheim)

Second Round

EAST 

Washington at Indiana – The Wizards come into this series healthy and fresh after five full days of rest.  As opposed to the Pacers who look unstable mentally after being pushed to the absolute brink by Atlanta.  The Hawks gave Indy trouble by spreading them out with five 3-point shooters on the court together but the problem for Washington is that their big men don’t shoot 3’s outside of the seldom used Al Harrington.  That means this series will be played much more traditionally with both teams playing two bigs most of the time.  I view that as an advantage for the Pacers even with Nene Hilario playing out his mind and Roy Hibbert looking totally lost.  John Wall and Bradley Beal paced the Wiz against Chicago but Indy has George Hill, Lance Stephenson, C.J. Watson and even Paul George to defend Washington’s young backcourt.  Conversely Trevor Ariza and Martell Webster have to be up to the challenge of limiting Paul George.  This series will undoubtedly be hard fought and not very pleasing to eye for long stretches and I think that favors the Pacers.  I’m sure some experts will be on the Wiz but I can’t do it.  Indiana in 7. 

Brooklyn at Miami – This is the series that everyone wanted to see since the Nets went 4-0 against the Heat in the regular season.  That 4-0 is a touch misleading since Dwyane Wade didn’t play in two of the games, three of the wins were by one point and the fourth was a double overtime game where LeBron James fouled out.  That said these teams are extremely even statistically so you can expect a few tight games decided in crunch time.  Paul Pierce and Andrei Kirilenko will be the primary defenders of LeBron with Joe Johnson, Shaun Livingston and Alan Anderson drawing Wade.  Kevin Garnett used to own Chris Bosh but KG will need help from Andray Blatche and rookie Mason Plumlee this time around.  Brooklyn Coach Jason Kidd likes to go small and play unconventional lineups but unfortunately for him Miami can match anything he puts out there thanks to the versatility of James and Bosh.  After having watched them in the Toronto series I worry that the Nets offense will go dormant now and then with the Heat taking advantage by putting big runs on them.  In the end I don’t see this as the epic contest that most do.  Miami in 5. 

WEST 

Clippers at Oklahoma City – These teams are pretty evenly matched statistically but the Thunder have the slight edge everywhere with rebounding being their biggest advantage.  OKC has the bodies in Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins, Nick Collison and Steven Adams to deal with Blake Griffin and the surging DeAndre Jordan.  Where I worry about Los Angeles is who defends Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook?  Matt Barnes is a decent option for KD but after him the drop off is huge with the next best alternatives being Danny Granger and Jared Dudley.  Normally I’d say Chris Paul versus Russ would be the main attraction but CP3’s right hamstring is obviously limiting his ability to move.  The best choice to guard Westbrook is probably Darren Collison right now followed by the rarely seen Willie Green.  The Thunder will need Thabo Sefolosha to get out of his funk to chase J.J. Redick and spend some time on CP3 as well.  At this point in the playoffs health becomes a determining factor and CP3’s hammy isn’t going to miraculously heal when there are games every other day.  OKC in 7. 

Portland at San Antonio – These teams split the season series 2-2 and are statistically pretty even with the Trail Blazers being the superior rebounding side and the Spurs better on defense and from the 3-point line.  The individual matchups are nice all around headlined by Damian Lillard versus Tony Parker in a battle of speed demons.  Then there’s LaMarcus Aldridge going up against his idol in Tim Duncan.  Not to be forgotten are Nicolas Batum and Kawhi Leonard trying to out-do-it-all each other.  Wes Matthews and Mo Williams versus Danny Green and Manu Ginobili should be entertaining too.  Lastly there’s role playing big men Robin Lopez and Tiago Splitter who will more than likely be cross-matched on Duncan and Aldridge respectively.  With the matchups so even coaching could be the difference maker and I have to side with SA’s Gregg Popovich over Terry Stotts there.  That said I’m seeing one blowout for each team on their home court with every other game being closely contested.  I know Portland just proved against Houston that they can execute in big moments but so can the Spurs and I like SA’s depth a little more.  Spurs in 6.