Bring Back The Good Old Days

photo by hillary h	via PhotoRee

Correspondent Mark is somewhat disappointed by the early record of the new coach of the USMNT, Jurgen Klinsmann.  Correspondent Scott chimes in just long enough to agree to a man-crush on the new 'It' Boy of US Soccer, Breck Shea.

Mark:

I don't know how many of you out there watched the game against Ecuador Tuesday night, but Jurgen Klinsmann is quickly showing just how good Bruce Arena and Bob Bradley were. I can't remember a 1-3-1 period in recent US Mens Team history, and I'm not sure two goals in five games is the attacking style we were looking for. 

I'm not one to give up on a guy after only five games, but any hopes that Klinsmann was going to make this look easy have certainly been quashed. 

Bruce Arena, meanwhile, has quietly put together the second best season in MLS history. He also had the best season over a decade ago with D.C. United. I still think he's the best coach in the country, but I don't think we'll see him back any time soon. 

The only thing clear with the national team is that they are relying on two fullbacks who are going to be too old to play in the next World Cup (if the US qualifies) and that Breck Shea and Clint Dempsey are on a different plane than the rest of the team. 

Dempsey is the most skilled finisher in the history of the country, which unfortunately we only get glimpses of, because we can't get him the ball. 

And Shea is just an athletic monster. I saw him practice live last week in Miami, and he's just a freak. The US has never had a guy that big, that skilled and that fast. He plays a great wing (something the US has not had in years) but I think he could also play up top as a second forward; he's a handful running at goal. Some European Club is going to snap him up soon, and he'll actually play over there. 

One final comment on our new apparent strategy for the development of soccer players for the ntional team. We currently have the progeny of four African American servicemen who were stationed in Germany playing for the team. I don't think there is any greater indictment of American soccer than the fact that four of our national team players may end up being the German-born sons of American servicemen. That such a small population sampling could take 25% of our national team's slots should be a statistical impossibility. 

Scott:

Agreed all around.  I'm cutting Klinsi some slack because, as we know, he is very interested in looking at all the players.

Mark nailed Breck Shea.  He reminds me of Fernando Torres, both in looks and style of play at times.

After getting Reamed again, I doubt we’ll see Tim in defense anytime soon.  But Mark is right that we need to develop new fullbacks.  I like that Onyewu has  a spring in his step again.

And Juan Agudelo is not the answer up front yet.  I want to see Freddy Adu in there again.

Mark:

Yeah, there are few fullbacks who have had more bad things happen to them in such a short period of international time than Ream. 

I'm still not certain why George John and Omar Gonzalez, both of whom are huge studs in MLS, have not gotten a look. 

Agudelo just isn't explosive enough. He's more of a second forward, and we already have Dempsey, Donovan and about five others vying for that same role. I have no idea why he keeps getting brought back. He doesn't even play much for his MLS team. 

Keep the name Darlington Ngabe on your short list. He or Teal Bunbury may be our next great hope for an explosive forward.

This is farlieonfootie for October 13.