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World Soccer XII: South Africa Awaits

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Re: World Soccer XII: South Africa Awaits

Craig P. said:
Our "everyone healthy" lineup would look something like this:
Howard - Bocanegra, Onyewu, DeMerit, Cherundolo - Donovan, Bradley, Clark, Dempsey - Altidore, Davies

There's room for some shifting depending on form and opponent; against England, I might expect to see Bornstein on the left to match up with Lennon, which would bump Bocanegra either to the middle (with DeMerit going to the bench) or the bench. Spector might play ahead of 'Dolo. Edu might pass Clark. Goodson might pass DeMerit. Tim Ream is getting a lot of plaudits for his first couple of games for the cows, and it seems like an awfully long shot for him to make the World Cup squad, but stranger things have happened.

As far as injury cover goes... Goodson looks to be the first backup in central defense. Forwards have been shuffled, I could see any of Dempsey, Eddie Johnson, Robbie Findley, Jeff Cunningham, or Herculez Gomez taking a second forward spot if Davies isn't ready to go.
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Bornstein should not even be in the discussion anymore. It will be a disgrace if he makes the 23 man roster.
My 23, for what it's worth:
First XI:
Howard
Spector Onyewu Demerit Bocanegra
Dempsey Bradley Edu Donovan
Altidore Davies

Bench: Guzan, Goodson, Cherundolo, Holden, Clark, Torres, Gomez
(5 who do not make bench: Bedoya, Hahneman, Pearce, Feilhaber, Beasley)

Edu gets the start over Clark, who hasn't played in over 3 months. Spector and 'Dolo pretty much a toss up.
 
Re: World Soccer XII: South Africa Awaits

I still don't know why retroactive yellows and reds on video review for dives isn't allowed in the same manner that its used for tackles or off the ball stuff. Oh wait, yes I do. FIFA is run morons.

But to be fair, La Liga and its teams are know for being particularly soft. There seem to be a lot more fouls granted for minor stuff and players going down in an anticipation of contact.
 
Re: World Soccer XII: South Africa Awaits

WeWantMore said:
Bornstein should not even be in the discussion anymore. It will be a disgrace if he makes the 23 man roster.
My 23, for what it's worth:
First XI:
Howard
Spector Onyewu Demerit Bocanegra
Dempsey Bradley Edu Donovan
Altidore Davies

Bench: Guzan, Goodson, Cherundolo, Holden, Clark, Torres, Gomez
(5 who do not make bench: Bedoya, Hahneman, Pearce, Feilhaber, Beasley)

Edu gets the start over Clark, who hasn't played in over 3 months. Spector and 'Dolo pretty much a toss up.
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Bornstein will make it sadly. He lucked into playing the one position where we have no good option starting. Just him and other players slotted in out of their ideal position at LB
 
Re: World Soccer XII: South Africa Awaits

BoomGoestheDynamite said:
Bornstein will make it sadly. He lucked into playing the one position where we have no good option starting. Just him and other players slotted in out of their ideal position at LB
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See I think this is Bob's logic, and I think it's incredibly, irrefutably, faulty. We do not need to Bornstein just because he plays left back. Carlos Bocanegra starts at left back EVERY week for Rennes in France. Jonathan Spector has started multiple games at left back for West Ham this year. Both of these players are immensely better options than Jonathan Bornstein. Even Heath Pearce should be ahead of him, based on past form in US friendly games.
 
Re: World Soccer XII: South Africa Awaits

WeWantMore said:
Bornstein should not even be in the discussion anymore. It will be a disgrace if he makes the 23 man roster.
Click to expand...

You're overreacting badly. On his day, Bornstein is a very solid defender (you may recall he shut down Messi in Copa America 2007), and he's the only one on the prospective roster that I'd trust with an assignment on Lennon. (It should be noted, though, that including him would tend to lead to a roster crunch. I'd like to see everyone on your bench make the final roster, and someone has to get cut. It may end up coming down to Bornstein vs. Pearce for the last defender spot.)


My 23, for what it's worth:
First XI:
Howard
Spector Onyewu Demerit Bocanegra
Dempsey Bradley Edu Donovan
Altidore Davies

Bench: Guzan, Goodson, Cherundolo, Holden, Clark, Torres, Gomez
(5 who do not make bench: Bedoya, Hahneman, Pearce, Feilhaber, Beasley)
Click to expand...
If I remember right, everyone makes the bench at the finals. It's only in the qualifiers that the gameday roster is trimmed to 18.
 
Re: World Soccer XII: South Africa Awaits

WeWantMore said:
Carlos Bocanegra starts at left back EVERY week for Rennes in France. Jonathan Spector has started multiple games at left back for West Ham this year. Both of these players are immensely better options than Jonathan Bornstein.
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Both of those players would scare me to death matched up against Aaron Lennon. I'd be fine with them against Algeria and Slovenia (in fact, I'd like Boca out there for both games), but not England.
 
Re: World Soccer XII: South Africa Awaits

Bornstein couldn't handle the wingers Denmark and the Netherlands threw at him, what makes you think he can handle Lennon? Name the last time Bornstein performed well in an "A" international?
 
Re: World Soccer XII: South Africa Awaits

WeWantMore said:
Bornstein couldn't handle the wingers Denmark and the Netherlands threw at him, what makes you think he can handle Lennon? Name the last time Bornstein performed well in an "A" international?
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I'll reiterate that I'm not a fan of Bornstein's, but he looked pretty good from my seat at RFK for most of the game against Costa Rica.

And you do carry a 12 man bench at the World Cup.
 
Re: World Soccer XII: South Africa Awaits

Man, can't believe I forgot about him during my anti-Bornstein rant, but Edgar Castillo also is a better option in my opinion.
 
Re: World Soccer XII: South Africa Awaits

Has any thought been given to moving Dempsey up top, putting Davies on the bench as the speed spark that comes in in the second half, and starting Holden at right wing?
 
Re: World Soccer XII: South Africa Awaits

To be clear, I don't hate Bornstein. I feel bad for taking up the last page of the thread discussing him.
I think he is a mediocre American left back, we can win with him if it comes to it, and we certainly could do worse (hello Marvell Wynne). What frustrates me though, is that Bob Bradley seems incapable of trying any other options at the position. As I've pointed out above, Bocanegra, Spector, Castillo, Pearce, all play left back for their club teams (maybe not Pearce so much anymore, I understand FC Dallas may be looking to shift him to midfield, but still). Yet Bornstein is still the only player who Bob has given a long look at the position.
 
Re: World Soccer XII: South Africa Awaits

AMC said:
Has any thought been given to moving Dempsey up top, putting Davies on the bench as the speed spark that comes in in the second half, and starting Holden at right wing?
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Yeah, I think that's definitely a fine plan, or similarly, play Donovan up top, with Beasley or Bedoya in Landy's spot out on the left.
 
Re: World Soccer XII: South Africa Awaits

Nobody on this team is going to do a great job defending Lennon, because Lennon is really good and really fast. That's kind of how it works. I'm just happy the DMB at LB experiment is dead.

IMO, the best way to neutralize Lennon (to the extent that that's feasible) is to attack on that side so he has to help out on defense.
 
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Re: World Soccer XII: South Africa Awaits

ExileOnDaytonStreet said:
This is exactly why soccer isn't more popular in this country. There need not be any more reasons.
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Them and Real do that all the time. If I had to pick a Spanish side to like, it would be Valencia or Atletico. They seem to play the game without all of those stupid theatrics. And Exile, United have been down before going home. Just ask Roma and Milan how they did.
 
Re: World Soccer XII: South Africa Awaits

3W said:
Wasn't it conventional wisdom that the USMNT was probably better without Ching?
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I think he can hold the ball very well and this could be handy for killing off a game. Once we get beyond a healthy Davies and Altidore, our forward pickings are pretty slim. I do hope we take Herc Gomez, who has been absolutely lighting up the Mexican League this season.
 
Re: World Soccer XII: South Africa Awaits

I don't think I've ever seen Gomez play, but there are things (in the McBride skill set) that Ching does better than any of our other forwards (at least other than Gomez) do.
 
Re: World Soccer XII: South Africa Awaits

WeWantMore said:
Man, can't believe I forgot about him during my anti-Bornstein rant, but Edgar Castillo also is a better option in my opinion.
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I don't think Castillo has ever shown to be a competent defender at left back. Bornstein has, even if he's been prone to mental hiccups the last couple of times he's played.
 
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