*American Exports: Rangers optimistic over Bocanegra
Altidore with AZ Alkmaar
All Times EST.
*Yanks Abroad: Agbossoumonde Remains Optmistic
All Times EST.
All Times EST.
*US MNT 2011 Campaign CompletedAll Times EST.
*John to recharge despite opportunities to train in EuropeAll Times EST.
*Post-Match Quotes: USA vs. Slovenia
*U.S. Men's National Team Set for Match against Slovenia
All Times EST.Monday, November 14
*U-23 Camp: Taylor has a few tricks up his sleeveSaturday, November 12
*Klinsmann still upbeat despite loss
*Look for more Beckerman, Orozco
*The Throw-In: Trying to guess what Klinsmann's thinking
Bill Hamid (1)
Zarek Valentin (2) – Perry Kitchen (3) – John Anthony Brooks (4) – Timmy Chandler (5)
Amobi Okugo (6)
Will Packwood (8) – Mixx Diskerud (10)
Josh Gatt (7) – Jozy Altidore (9) – Brek Shea (11)
Hamid, Chandler, Altidore and Shea are all near locks – barring injury – to start at the positions above. I have a little baby hunch Perry Kitchen will slot into defensive midfield as the Olympic coach, Caleb Porter, played Kitchen in a holding role when the DC United man was at Akron.
(Post-facto update: completely missed Danny Williams here. I could see him slotting into the #6 or the #8. Pretty big oversight there, gang. Sorry about that.)
This lineup was made, of course, without the inclusion of any overage player – each team is granted three. I won't speculate as to who will go where, but I think the positions those players are most likely to fill are right back, holding midfield and central midfield.
Tim Ream might be going on trial with West Brom. Maybe. This according to British rag The Metro. I never really know what to make of stories like this, as foreign publications seem to publish any whisper of a rumor involving American players because they know how obsessive we are about this stuff. The story, as you'll note, includes mention of no sources and quotes only Ream's words to MLSSoccer.com earlier this week.
If the article in question guessed correctly ends up being accurate, Ream will be the third young American to secure offseason plans, as Bill Hamid (West Brom) and Brek Shea (Arsenal) will train with EPL clubs next month, and Sean Johnson could still potentially be headed on a trip to Manchester to train with the Red Devils. Should this Ream link bear real fruit, he would be the first to be on an official trial, though. I'll be rocking a backwards skeptic hat until something else becomes of this.
All that said, Ream took a ton of shit for his play this season with Red Bull – not all of it deserved. Yes, he had an alarming number of gaffes that directly resulted in goals, but what he offers his team in possession is much more difficult to quantify. And it didn't help he was paired with Rafa Marquez, a similarly styled read-the-game-and-stay-at-home type, for much of the season. Marquez's move to midfield and ball-hawking Stephen Keel's insertion beside Ream boosted the 24-year old's play from where I stood. I thought he was pretty damned brilliant in the LA series – particularly in leg two when he twice stoned goal-smelling Robbie Keane. Ask MLS Best XI Selection Jamison Olave – that ain't so easy.
I'm still up on his future.
Remember that awesome come back in the World Cup last year? Yeaaaaah, me to. That was aweseome.
Anyway, the U.S. rematch the side they bombed back against that day in Johannesburg on Tuesday in Slovenia. Let's just watch the highlights from that game.
Friday, November 11Former US MNT coach Bob Bradley has named the following squad for Egypt's friendly against Brazil on November 14 in Doha, Qatar.
*U.S. faces big test against France
*Slovenia announce roster to face USA on Nov. 15
According to Greg Seltzer at "No Short Corners", the US MNT is set to face Italy on February 29th in Genoa.
Sacha Kljestan with Anderlecht
