1. Alright let's start by getting your reaction to the MLS All-Star team that we saw play a week ago.
I believe Ching just locked up a place in South Africa despite the fact I hate his game, the forward position is the biggest area of concern for the U.S. and he is clearly one of their top 3-4 forwards.
Bradley admitted at half that he liked Kljestian’s activity in the first half, and his game-winner had to have helped a more lack-luster second half performance. I see him going to camp with the U.S. until the World Cup, but how on earth could he earn a place ahead of Stuart Holden, or Torres that plays in Mexico, or Jermaine Jones for Schalke, or Maurice Edu of Rangers, or Freddy Adu (who I will ask you about in a second). I just don’t see it, he’s not as good as those players.
One other guy that really impressed me was Heath Pierce. Granted El Salvador is no England, Algeria, or Slovenia – but he was able to get up the left flank, cause problems, and send in terrific crosses. To me he would be great insurance at the left-back spot.
Outside of those player I would say Robbie Rogers and Clarence Goodson’s stock stayed the same. Rogers was too inconsistent and Goodson was not challenged by the ES attack. Eddie Gaven was solid, but I just don’t see him earning his way into camp there’s just too many guys ahead of him. And none of the other forwards – Jeff Cunningham, Robbie Findley, and Connor Casey – were dangerous. Add that to Ching’s brilliant second half, and I think each one of those guys are out.
What are your thoughts?
Every good coach has a contingency plan. A plan that answers “ What if…” That is what the last two games have been about. It was good to get a result the other night. But it was simply a game where a group of MLS players had their last chance. There is no question the European players will be the core of the team. But what if Dempsey isn’t back? What if Donovan gets hurt? What if… Bradley is taking only four players to Amsterdam from the El Salvador game – Bornstein, Goodson, Pearce and Findlay. That group is still in the picture. Will they make the team? It depends on injuries and how the European based players do in Amsterdam
I have to think that all the other players are out of the mix.
Now is the time to see about the European players. Bradley is calling in Eddie Johnson, DaMarcus Beasley, Maurice Edu, Frank Simek, Alejandro Bedoya, Jozy Altidore as well as Donovan, Bradley and the usual suspects.
Torres, Beasley, Bedoya, and Holden have been out of the national team picture for a while and are getting a chance because of current form. This is the final game before selection so the game will “make or break” WC chances for these guys!
2. OK, now back to Freddy Adu – the great enigma. To me Adu, who is still young, should be at this World Cup. There are few players in the U.S. pool of players that can break down defenders and cause real havoc on top flight defenses. The 3 Ds are the only ones I see – Donovan, Dempsey, and Davies – even Jozy really needs good service to be effective.
Although Adu has been inconsistent for the U.S. team and in Europe, he is starting to heat up in Greece scoring a couple of goals lately and a brilliant ball to his buddy to Eddie Johnson to set up Johnson’s first goal for the team.
What do you make of Adu and his chances to be on the 23-man roster?
Freddy Adu is an enigma. I don’t have a feel for where he is with Bradley. Since he is not invited to play in Amsterdam, I think he is probably out. There is no question his up and down form is a factor. From a coaching perspective, it is imperative that a national team coach knows what he will get from the players. At that level, you can’t count on a player who is so inconsistent. One let down and the team falls behind. Adu is just too much of a gamble for the US team.
On the other hand, Bradley should bring some players who may not contribute in SA, BUT will be key players in four years. Other national teams (Brazil and Germany) have done this for a long time. That gives the young player a sense of the magnitude of the WC and begins to prepare the player mentally for the next four years. At OWU I will bring freshmen to “tough away venues” even if they don’t play. I want them to get a feel for the place. In two years, when we come back, they will be playing. That experience adds to a confidence level for the young players.
3. Let’s also talk about the German team and their young guns – Thomas Muller, Marco Marin, Holger Badstuber (Bayern left back). These guys are rising super stars in the German ranks, especially Mueller, who has been unreal in his debut season for Bayern. Do you think any of these guys will play prime minutes in the World Cup or have any type of impact?
The 2010 World Cup also marks the end of Torsten Frings terrific national team career. Who will replace him? Perhaps Michael Ballack at that position and a younger player in the more attacking central role?
The death/suicide of Robert Enka leaves the door somewhat open in net for Der Deutschland. I like Remy Adler, but who do you forsee in that position – Adler, Tim Wiese, Bayern’s Hans-Joerg Butt, someone else?
What about up top at this point for Germany – Mario Gomez always seems to play well for club, he’s in top form right now for Munich, but he never plays well for country. Klose on the other hand can’t find time in the starting lineup, but is one of the all-time poachers in the World Cup and for Germany. Haven’t heard about Lukas Podolski lately, but he always plays great for country as well. Any other sleepers.
When Jürgen Klinsman was the German National Team coach he change the entire German Youth Program (with the help of Matthias Sammer). Germany is beginning to receive the fruit of that work. Germany has a number of very good young players. It will be hard for Marin, Badstuber and Muller to see significant time.
Marin has the best chance. He already has 7 caps for the national team. Badstuber did not make the roster for the game March 3rd v Argentina and Müller got his first “call up”.
The defense is talented and experienced. Mertsaacker, Lahm and Friedrich all have over 60 caps. There will be changes here after this WC. That is when Badstuber will break in. The midfield has five players with over 30 caps and Marin isn’t one of them. He, too, will find a spot there very soon. And Müller has to find time in a group that includes Gomez, Klose and Podolski. The three players you asked about will be at the core of the German team in the next few years.
Podolski is the German enigma. He has done well at the national team level but not at the club level. He left Bayern because he could not survive in the competitive FCBM environment. He is comfortable in Köln, but is not getting any better. His one and only move is running down the flank and sending the ball in. I think he will NOT contribute much für Deutschland in SA.
4. Not to blow smoke up your skirt, but you have the requisite credentials to take on MLS coaching gig or a higher level collegiate position. I know you also teach sports management at Ohio Wesleyan, but would there be another coaching position or job that could get you to leave OWU?
I have been asked to coach in the MLS (as head coach) twice and once as assistant coach. I was also asked to coach a WUSA team as head coach. I have had four offers to move to DI. So, I have had some chances to move on. I stayed at OWU because:
Each visit to another place reaffirmed in my mind what a good place OWU is/was.
The timing in my life at the time was not good – one MLS offer happened when my son Ryan was about to enter his freshman year at OWU. For better or worse I wanted to coach him. It was the best four years of my life and the most difficult four years.
My wife owns a very good business. It was not fair to ask her to leave because I wanted another coaching job. Family first.
I think every coach wants a chance at coaching the highest level. I did help Greg Andrulis during his first year with the Crew. I helped with all the training sessions. In his book, Leading with the Heart, Coach K said (after his 1992 Olympic coaching), I know I can coach in the pros, but I don’t want to coach in the pros. That’s how I feel
5. Why do you think allowing more foreign players killed the North American Soccer League, and why do you think it is killing the MLS?
To me the David Beckham deal was smart on many levels, but most importantly because it brought the “it-factor” – people were talking about the MLS when he first came to the league and novices wanted to see him play. Yes it was tabloid-esque in a sense, but it brought fresh faces to the game, people that either weren’t going before or weren’t interested before. They were able to sell out stadiums like Foxboro and other big American football stadiums they weren’t before and that in my opinion helps to build the game.
Although we have a name for those fans in Boston – they are known as “pink hats” because they became Red Sox fans after the team won their first World Series in 86 years in 2004, and going to games all of the sudden became the fashionable and trendy thing to do.
I think the MLS needs those fans though because some of those folks will get into it and it builds the league’s fan base. What do you think?
The NASL went under for two reasons. First, the Cosmos outbid everyone for talent; and second, there were too many foreign players. The rule in the NASL was that “you must have two Americans on the team”. That means there were few places for American players.
I understand the hard core soccer fan loved all those over the hill foreign players here (Beckenbauer, Müller, Pe;e etc). But blue collar American did not care about Giorgio Chinaglia . They care about Joe Smith 6”6” from Ohio State University. The NASL did not appeal to the 80% of fans who were not hard core!!
The analogy I always make is this; I told you the NASL rule (above). I played pro basketball in Europe in the early 1970’s. The rule there was, You could only have two foreign players! The quality of basketball was not great, but the Europeans persevered. And now? The Euro’s can play. How many Euro’s in the NBA? How many Americans in the Bundesliga? We were not patient!!!
6. You listed these guys – Peter Nowak, Dominic Kinnear, Sigi Schmid – as prime candidates to be the next U.S. team coach.
I remember Nowak as a Chicago Fire player and D.C. United coach, and will coach the expansion Philadelphia Union. Sigi had an incredible run with LA and coaches in Seattle. And Dominic had a great run with the San Jose Earthquakes and has won three MLS Cups overall… There’s a little bio info for our readers that don’t know these names.
However, I could not say why any of these guys would be a good fit to take the national team head coaching position. Could you explain why each one of these coaches is a good candidate to coach our Red White and Blue?
JK (Klinsmann) would be best for the US. Sigi would be next. He is a proven winner and has coached in college, the MLS and with the US U20’s. He has won championships at all stops. He knows international soccer.
Kinnear is a dark horse he has some international playing experience and does well in the MLS. His players give him high marks as a “player’s coach” (never understood that).
Nowak (and Thomas Rongen) have the international experience and know the US landscape. I do believe, however, that there is a “culture gap” between the US player and coaches from other countries – even English coaches!
7. You mentioned that the single-entity format of MLS is a problem. Before we crap all over it, what in your opinion are the strengths of this design?
What do you think would be effective solutions to the single-entity format of the MLS? How would new changes make the league better in your mind?
You mentioned something like only 3 franchises made a profit last season. Can the league actually survive with individual franchises?
Do you think more soccer-only stadiums are the way to go for franchise owners like the Krafts in New England, who for the time being play their games in Gillette without even coming close to capacity?
The EPL recently said that they single entity format may be the way to go. The EPL is in trouble. Man U; Chelsea, Portsmouth etc are all in big debt (Arsenal actually makes money – but has trouble winning trophies). The NBA, NFL and MLB are all in deep trouble. The constant friction/battle between the players (labor) and management is awful and is destroying the leagues. There has to be a major overhaul. The answer may be single entity.
The big problem with the MLS single entity is not so much the salaries (although that is a problem), but the way the MLS treats players. For example, if the Crew waive Frankie Hejduck, he remains their property?????? If he signs with someone else the Crew must be compensated.
‘til next week.
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