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Hmmm...he's certainly being used differently, but I think he's seeing stiffer competition in International play which is exposing his weaknesses IMHO. Bradley is one of the most overrated players on the team IMHO. He's young, so it's not like I'm writing him off, but I think it's safe to say his play at the international level has been disappointing.
good lord no. Altidore must remain in the middle of the field where he size and power can be of use. He would get eaten alive outside since his skill set does not involve quick dribbling or a great first step.As for Adu, I still don't know where his best position is but I do hope the coaching staff realizes that even if they don't find a perfect position for him, that he will still add value and a skill set that does not exist in the US team. As good as Donovan is (IMO the best US player alive right now), even Landon can not do the special things that Adu can. I am not talking about tricks either, I am talking about that nano-second ability to see and thread a killer pass.
it will be interesting to see how he does in qualifying....
Sweet goal by Germany. too bad for the Croat Defender who set the ball on the tee for Germany. Good game so far. Does Germany have a 2nd in them? 10 mins to go.....
Yes, let's not write off the 20 year old that has become a mainstay for the USMNT. I'm sorry you are disappointed in his play but he's playing an extremely difficult position at an elite level and performing adequately at that. He makes a lot of "rookie" mistakes but if you think he is overrated, I think you have completely unrealistic expectations from the guy at this point.LHUCKS said:
Linesmen are really inconsistent tonight. Gomez was onside and called off a few times while that last run by Croatia the forward was two steps offside.Sweet goal by Germany. too bad for the Croat Defender who set the ball on the tee for Germany. Good game so far. Does Germany have a 2nd in them? 10 mins to go.....
why does everyone continually want to stick our best player out on the wing where he can be neutralized and marginalized?Have people not been seeing that he is by far at his best when he plays centrally and not on the wing? He has been by far the best player in MLS by playing centrally and when he is at his best for the US, it is also a central position. And when Landon is at his best, he lifts the entire US side. Sadly his consistency is not what it needs to be for our best player.I will never get the "play him out wide" issue. Its almost like people have only seen him play a couple of times.B Maverick said:
Hi Tlef,I have watched a ton of Jozy's games. He does not really possess the skill set to be a winger.He has good footwork, especially for his size, but his main strength, is well, his strength and power. In the middle of the field he has the ability to hold off two player while going to goal. He also has something you can't teach and thats a goal scoring knack (even if it seems to go astray at times in MLS).As you said he is not a great player yet (or arguably even a consistently good player yet), but its obviously his potential that every one sees and hopes he can grow into.But lets for a second protend he was a great striker. That wouldn't mean he would be a good wing player or a good holding midfielder. Look at Van Nistrelroy for example. One of the most potent strikers of his generation and he came from a culture in Holland where they believe in training the kids growing up in every position and even he would look lost on the wing.Back to Jozy, I am sure over time he could learn to use the touch line to his advantage and might learn the skill to cross (some players never learn this), but why would the US bother? His potential is in scoring goals, not in providing them from the wing, IMO.The best of the best of the best can move between wing play and striker and be affective at both (Henry and CRo both spring to mind here), but those are truely special players. Even in our wildest dreams for Jozy, he is not going to be anywhere close to that level.
I feel the same way about England. But I'm glad to see Germany lose as well.Personally, I think Germany can take Portugal, as the have the defenders and MF to neutralize the Portugal attack, and can make plays on set pieces and through Klose to make it interesting.The Germans losing a football game will never stop making my day!
By your standards Cristiano Ronaldo should be in the center. He is the best player on the planet and plays mostly on the left MF. I am not comparing the two as players, just your analogy of the US' best player not being effective on the outside.With a good playmaker in the middle who will switch the ball and set LD up, getting "neutralized and marginalized" wont happen. LD may be our best player, our best central player, etc, but HIS best position is out wide. His speed and services are better suited for the outside. His ability to get in behind the defense is better on the outside. Right now, he may need to play center until we find a playmaker for the middle. BUT ultimately, his best is from the wing.
To further your point, with the speed of LD getting him in behind the defense to make a run at the goal is easier from the wing as well. That also plays to his strengths.
I think a great (true) winger is the second most valuable asset to a team behind a great GK. And it's the most difficult position. There just aren't many of them. I haven't seen Altidore much, but what I have seen of him he doesn't look to me like he has the ball skill to be a winger. The job of a winger is to stretch the defense sideline to sideline. And you can only do that if you stay out there. So many "wingers" today tend to drift inside. And this defeats the whole purpose of the position (I think that's why you think you see so much space out there).I don't know if any of the guys here are old enough to remember him or even if you are whether you followed English football in the '70s and early 80s. But one of the best true wingers to ever play the game was a Scottish player named John Robertson who played for Nottingham Forest. He was a magician. As for why a great central player can be neutralized on the wing, that sideline is a pretty nice additional defender. And a FB who knows how to use it can kill you unless you are a magician.
I will ignore the snide comment and just inform you that Becks plays a more central role for the Galaxy. He does not play his normal wide wing role.Also Landon does not normally play in the midfield. He is an out and out striker for the Galaxy.Outside of those two things, your comment was right on the money
When the US produces a player 1/10th as good as Deco, I would be fine with Landon outside.
exactly. The US does not have this player. You are recommending a switch that is almost certain to marginalize our best player. Its not logical with the current make up of the team.If Adu could assume this role in the middle, I would be more than happy to have Landon outwide. The sad thing is that Freddy is pretty much the only player in the country who might fit the good playmaker role and we all agree that he has a long way to go to be an affective 90 minute a game player at the club level, much less at the international level
Check out Landon's youtube links. You will see that he gets behind the defense through the middle MUCH more than on the wing. On the wing his blazing speed is mitigated a bit by going against speedy wing defenders. I would argue that there is not a single center back in the World who has the pace to keep up with Landon once he kicks it into high gear. Thats why you see so many of his break away goals come via the middle part of the field.
Its a shame that our best player can disappear from times in games and you are right, when that happens its better he is stuck out in the wilderness instead of the middle of the park.Although I think we can all agree it won't matter too much. If Landon visits LA-LA land too often, we are screwed no matter where he plays on the pitch.
Really? Shows how much MLS I watch.I stand corrected.Personally, I would think that Becks in the central midfield would be a huge liability on the defensive end. He's got heart, but poor defending skills. He's not an endline to endline midfielder.I will ignore the snide comment and just inform you that Becks plays a more central role for the Galaxy. He does not play his normal wide wing role.Also Landon does not normally play in the midfield. He is an out and out striker for the Galaxy.Outside of those two things, your comment was right on the money
Adu better be on that list.
He choose Europe over MLS. He was transfered from Germany to England at which point his experience in picking splinters out of his butt sky rocketed from never seeing the field. At the most crucial time in his development as a player he is not playing.MLS needs to fix this issue with in the next 5 years to make sure kids don't run over seas for the paycheck only and stop developing right when they need it the most.I don't blame the players for grabbing the checks though. From what MLS pays any non big name player, I wouldn't play their either if I had an offer 3-4 times bigger (sometimes much bigger).
Hard to say. Its not far off to say that the only squad in the top 10 he would roster on would be Greece. None of the others he would even have a sniff.As for the other teams, there are plenty of spots when he would fit in and and some where he would see significant playing time. There is a huge drop off in depth of talent once you get past the top 8 or so countries.
He barely played this past year, IIRC. He's shown some flashes (the Mexico goal...) but I haven't seen enough out of him to warrant a consistent inclusion into the squad. I'd rather see Bradley, Edu, Kljestan, etc. than Feilhaber at this point.andy_b said:
This is an interesting argument. I have to think about it....andy_b said:
I felt awful for Poland until I realized the linesmen missed the offsides on their goal.It actually made me feel good to see the Austrians going nuts when Vastic hit that strike. It was like Trinidad and Tobago earning that draw against Sweden in the 06 World Cup....here's a team that probably shouldn't be here playing their hearts out. They were on the back foot most of the game....but football is a results game.jonessed said:
Ok I want to revisit this because I think it's a fun argument. LD, at his current level, which is his peak, would not start for any of those top 10 teams, and would probably make the Greek squad. I agree with you there.But I think you're leaving out the contingency factor that comes with playing for years in a top country against top competition. I realize that Donovan played in Bradenton, FL with the likes of Bobby Convey and Beasley, but I mean real competition. If LD was, say, Brazilian, he would be a hell of a lot better player than he is right now. Am I saying he'd be on the Brazil squad? No....probably not. But growing up with Brazilian coaches, playing Brazilian ball against top youth players (for a point of reference, LD and Kaka are the same age) instead of US college scrubs (no offense...I'm nowhere near scrub-worthy myself), he would be a much much better player.Growing up in a more soccer-charged country would have given him a much better shot of being a star overseas. You think Landinho, the not-quite-good-enough-to-make-the-Brazil-squad MF/FW would have sat the bench at Bayer Leverkusen? I doubt it, personally.I honestly think that if he was born in a different country, with different coaches and different competition, he could have cracked a top 10 squad, and maybe even started every once in a while.andy_b said:
He had a stretch of 4 or 5 games where he looked like the second coming to me, and then he dropped off the face of the earth. Bradley has really stepped up, but Edu and Kljestan haven't blown me away. He and Bradley were actually looking like they were developing some chemistry for a few games there. At the very least, something to build on...
I mentioned it in here a few days ago, but I really want to see more out of Kljestan. Something about him...great first touch, good vision...I'd like to see more. I have no feelings towards Edu one way or the other. As for Bradley, I think he's got the potential to be a good CM for a long time....just needs to get a little more polish. Some games he controls the midfield....other games, he's completely anonymous.
DISASTER STRIKES 23 MINS IN.... 1-0 CROATIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!i know you wont see this but i am tormenting you telepathically!
still my team Regarding Austria v Poland - I agree it was a weak call for the PK, but like diving, if they don't start calling those type things it is only going to get worse. Beside, Hooray for Austria and Beer For Life for Vastic!
