Why aren't we talking about this yet? Post your projected lineup:

--------------Keller-----------------
Dolo----Onyewu-----Berhalter----Lewis
-------------Mastroeni(hopefully)----
Dempsey-----------------------Beasley
-------------Donovan-----------------
----------EJ-------McBride-----------

subs:
Twellman for McBride
Spector for Lewis
Convey for Dempsey(I know it's not his natural position but we need to get him on the field somewhere)

I could see Twellman starting instead of EJ since he has the "hot hand" and EJ hasn't had much time playing yet.

Also, if they show a guy in an Aggie cap with a puffy black jacket on and a little pregnant girl with him you'll get a glimpse of dubag.

Put Boca in for Berhalter, Zavagnin in for Mastroeni (due to injury), and Twellman for EJ and you've got my projected lineup. I wouldn't be surprised to see Arena go with Wolff over both Twellman and EJ, though.

Id like to see us give mighty mouse(twellman) a shot with Mcbride...Id prefer to get convey in the game since we havent seen him much and boca is in good form w/ fulham so I think he will get the mins...Id also rather not have spector see the field at all...I think he is a prospect for 2010 not for this one and we need to worry about what we got going on now..

I think Ag@Rice is an idiot

I totally forgot about Boca. He should get some time against Poland. Probably at Spector's or Berhalter's expense.

Boca will definitely be playing, besides giving up the goal this weekend in a 2-1 loss he's been playing really solid. I think we'll probably see EJ on Wednesday, Arena keeps mentioning that he's almost at 100%, but I would also like to see Twellman and Wolff as we're going to need to rely on them this summer.

why would you play twellman with mcbride? Do you enjoy havin 2 forwards that play exactly the same?

quote:

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why would you play twellman with mcbride? Do you enjoy havin 2 forwards that play exactly the same?

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I think it would be interesting to see what the two can do together before the WC. If our outside wingers can serve in a good ball, they could be a very good combination.

On a side note, why is it that almost every post of yours has a condescending tone? Do you enjoy being a jerk to others?

woohoo!! we got the international players back...I feel now about US soccer like I normally do in August when I think the Ags will go undefeated in football. Wish I could go to the games in Germany.

(no, i dont realistically think we'll go undefeated...i'm just pumped)

EJ will start? I mean, I hope so, but would be supprised...

BTHO Poland!

quote:

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why would you play twellman with mcbride? Do you enjoy havin 2 forwards that play exactly the same?

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Fulham's forwards have done pretty damn well when McBride and Helguson are up to top. It's Chris Coleman's favorite pairing by far.

If I remember correctly, this is the only day that managers are required to let players go on international duty. Since the next game is against Germany and German based players will be available, I think you'll see more of the players based in England then the ones in Germany. Of course, there are only 2 but I wouldn't be surprised to see Berhalter get little to no playing time and for Arena to try some funky option as he searches for a backup up to Cherundolo.

I think Lewis will get the majority of time at left back with Spector subbing in for him...or maybe in for DaMarcus and seeing Eddie move up to midfield. Twellman will get a good look up top I think with EJ getting some time as well. Could be the only time that Bruce has a chance to see who clicks with Brian best.

start Onyewu and Keller. that's all the U.S. needs.

Onyewu 7

Polska 0

Not sure how far some of yall go back. I've been a USMNT fan since early 80s. Qualifying for World Cup then was a dream. Forget about competing once there. Most of players came from college without any professional experience. Finding 11 guys who wouldn't embarass themselves was a challenge. The few talented players that ended up overseas seemed embarassed by the US team. Just a handful of those guys would ever see the field today.

What a difference! Now we have to worry about freeing our players from US, German, English, etc leagues. Instead of wondering who could possibly play, we're having discussions on 2nd string attacking midfielder. I love it.

While I'm reminescing...Anybody think that Clint Mathis wouldn't even be a blip on radar in 2006? I know he was bit of a headcase, but never thought he'd fall this far in just 5 years.

Beat the hell out of Poland.

Yeah, I definitely didn't think Mathis would fall this far this fast. As for the EJ or Twellman saga, I would like to see what Twellman and McBride can do together. I think they have similar styles but both have shown they will run themselves all over the field to help the team and they can put goals in the back of the net. Honestly I don't think EJ's game is that much different than Twellman's it's just that EJ is much more athletic.

[This message has been edited by dubag (edited 2/27/2006 11:01p).]

Maybe I'm crazy, but I never really liked Mathis. Even when he had that crazy exhibition game against Germany, I didn't feel he would play like that every game. Whatever my feelings about Wolff, I would rather have a hustle player like him than a nutjob like Mathis who didn't seem to give a crap sometimes.

In any case, I've been a fan since the 94 World Cup. I didn't know anything about our team other than the fact that some dude named Tab Ramos was in a huge amount of Snickers commercials and was on the team.

I probably would have lived my life in soccer ignorance if not for the fact that on the same day OJ was cruising the freeway in a WHite Bronco, Pennypacker was packing to spend the summer with his grandparents in Mexico.

Once I got there, World Cup mania was in full effect, and I had to throw in with the Americans for pride sake. I didn't know we weren't that great(relatively) at the time. Nonetheless, I was hooked and have been following our team since then.

In talking about this, does anyone remember who our starters were in 94? There was Meola, Lalas, Balboa, Dooley?, Ramos, Stewart, Wynalda off the top of my head. That was a pretty decent group it seems, at least when compared to 98. I think we had Keller, Burns?, Regis?, Pope, Dooley?, Reyna, McBride, Stewart, Wynalda, Kirovski?. Was Ramos still around at that point? In any case, Burns and Regis really didn't seem to fit.

When did Llamosa play for us? Was that in 98 or 2002?

Other players than you didn't mention from 1994...Keller, Cobie Jones, Wegerle, Clavijo, Harkes, Caliguiri, Murray, Burns.

Llamosa played in 2002.

I was under the impression that keller wasn't on the 94 team due to a fallout with Bora?

How could I forget Jones and Harkes? That was a pretty big oversight.

what is the status on john o brien I tried the ADO site but its not in english

I believe Ramos was the one that got his skull fractured in the Brazil game when he got hit by a flying elbow. I hated the Brazil team at that time...love to watch them now except for when they play the USA.

(speaking of the 94 WC)

[This message has been edited by randy828 (edited 2/28/2006 11:40a).]

hey..my memory is not so bad! YET!

1994
Started all four games for the U.S. Men's National Team at the 1994 FIFA World Cup and assisted on Earnie Stewart’s game-winning goal against Colombia
Suffered a fractured skull when he was elbowed by Leonardo in 1-0 loss to Brazil in Round of 16

"Can I ask you a question?
What is it?
It's an interrogative form of sentence, used to test knowledge. But that's not important right now."

O'Brien hasn't recovered enough to see the field yet. I'm also not actually trying to be a jerk usually, unless I say something like "you are a moron". I just don't think twellman and mcbride would be a good pairing. Neither one possesses the foot speed I prefer to be paired with a possesive, ball winning forward. They do put a lot of pressure on the defenders and are above average with the ball at their feet. I guess its an interesting idea, I just think we could do much better.

when is he expected back? As far as the two forwards its just interesting to see what could happen, I find most of the time our expectations dont always pan out. I think pushing landon and beasley forward more will compensate for the lack of forward footspeed. I see it as the holding midfielder using the fowards as target men to spring our two midfielders along with using them as target men in the box. But again my expectations dont mean a damn thing all that matters is chemistry...

How many subs are allowed in FIFA sanctioned friendlies?

Aren't there usually like 6 subs allowed in friendlies?

I think they can have as many as decided on before the game. One of the games a few weeks ago had something like 6 or 8 subs per team.

Against Poland we will be able to use 6 subs.
Also, Ag@Rice is an idiot.

Brazil 1 - Russia 0 in -1C temp in Moscow, without Ronaldinho. They win wherever, whenever..I would love for us to get there one day.

Game is scoreless after 8 minutes. It's snowing moderately.

20 minutes expired, still scoreless. Game is very choppy, lots of physical play. Both teams brought their best players. A few scoring chances for both teams.

The US looks horrible.

Getting nothing from the forwards or zavagnin. We look dangerous on the outsides, with dempsey and cherundolo playing well. Lewis with good overlapping runs, but poor service into the box.

Our forwards look horrible, and they dont seem to be putting out a lot of effort, and zavagnin(and to a lesser extent donovan) are not doing much at all. Its to be expected from zavagnin, who doesn't belong at this level, but donovan needs to step up as a leader.

Also, is anyone else not surprised twellman is disappearing again now that we are playing a good team?

Scoreless first half. Poland's defense is pretty stout. But US attack has been uninspiring. The few times we've slowed down and built up, we've done alright. The 'put head down and dribble real fast move' isn't going to cut the mustard against Poles.

Cherundulo just missed on free kick from 25 yards out. Real beauty right before half.

Poland had several good chances. They were sucessful with long ball throughout the half.

Keller was outstanding as usual. He punched away a few good crosses, came out on some breakaways, etc. With him in goal, we have a shot against any team.

Oh yea, berhalter sucks.