vs. Venezuela

This post is a little late in coming... sorry about that... I'll have something up for the Latvia game today (hopefully).

Let's start by saying exactly what last night's game was. It was a game very similar to the England B vs. Belarus game the day before. It was USA B vs. Venezuela. So, with that said, let's keep a few things in mind.

1) This is a team that will likely never see the field together again (barring a '98esque collapse in which the Ghana game becomes irrelevant).
2) Most of these players have never played together, even in localized positions. Some notable exceptions are Conrad and Onyewu and Dempsey and Albright.
3) Venezuela isn't a world cup team. They're comparable in skill to Ghana but without the top level experience that Ghana's central players have (Essien, Appiah, etc.)

Having said all that, there's still some important things to have learned.
1) Convey was superb. Totally deserving of his man of the match reward. But, perhaps more importantly, he was great on defense. He tracked back well and made several important steals and interceptions.
2) Bocanegra gives us excellent cover on the left. In fact, I think Arena's choice might be between which pair of players to play on the left. Lewis/Beasley or Convey/Bocanegra.
3) The US is starting to learn the type of service that Brian Ching likes. People make alot of his size, but he's not the McBride type of target player. He wants the ball to feet and short/low corners.

And now for the traditional player ratings:

Tim Howard: Looked good the few times he was tested. Had one near miss early in which he came out and the forward chipped him (although the replay looked like Howard may have forced a miss without Onyewu's clearance). Had a great save later as well. B+

Chris Albright: Solid on the right flank. Provided the width that Dempsey doesn't. Some good crosses but didn't have the dangerous night on set pieces that he had vs. Jamaica. B

Oguchi Onyewu: I'm sick and tired of the announcers fawning all over Onyewu. I like him, I think he's very good. But he's not the next Rio Ferdinand so let's stop kidding ourselves. He looked calm at the back but he shows a somewhat alarming propensity for hoofing the ball out of trouble at the merest sign of danger. His passes and crossing ability is shockingly good for a big man, though. B+

Carlos Bocanegra: No matter what the ref (or Jeff Carlisle) says Bocanegra did NOT deserve the second yellow card. Both players did EXACTLY the same thing. They jumped with their arms extended (try doing otherwise sometime... it's very difficult). Bocanegra's arm was at head height because he jumped HIGHER. The Venezuelan player's arm would have been at Bocanegra's head had he jumped higher... That issue aside. Bocanegra looked like the best defender on the night by far and showed that he's capable of playing the attacking flank role that Arena requires out of his outside backs. A-

Jimmy Conrad: Had a solid game but nothing to write home about. His marking was pretty good and he was able to keep up with the pace and physicallity of the game. There were times, on set pieces, that he lost track of his man, however. B-

Ben Olsen: For Ben, it was a tale of two halves. In the first half he was a bit lost. The few times he got in on the plays, his passing was suspect and he was generally a step behind the play. In the second half however, he really came alive. Breaking up passes and making some good passes from the back. I think Arena wants him to play deeper than he's been playing and that may have played a part. C- (1st half), B+ (2nd half)

Bobby Convey: Certainly the best player on the night. He reminds me alot of a young Ryan Giggs. Willing to use pace, guile, skill and strength to take on 3 players at once down the flank. His crossing was generally good but could be better. He also showed his ability to stay out of trouble and not get beat up (an improvement over the oft fouled Beasley). A+

Clint Dempsey: Dempsey is looking better and better but he's not the finished product yet. His defensive work, crossing and final touch could all use some polish. His inclusion also forces the right back behind him to play MUCH more aggressively and MUCH wider. This might be exploitable by the Czechs and Italians. B-

Josh Wolff: Once again, Arena played Wolff in an unusual position. I think he's trying to find a place for Wolff that makes sense but he's having trouble. He looked dangerous and creative but I don't think he's quite ready to play in the middle. His best bet at playing time is still in that wide right role as a late substitute. B-

Brian Ching: The Nats are finally finding good ways to get Ching into the action. They're learning that they can't just lob long balls at him like they do with McBride. Ching looked dangerous in front of goal and created a lot of chances that Donovan, McBride or Johnson might be able to clean up in the future (loose balls in the area mostly). His goal was well taken and the kind of opportunistic goal that we don't usually see alot of. B+

Eddie Johnson: Showed more aggression then he has in awhile. Still not the lethal striker that US fans were hoping for, however. His assist on Dempsey's goal was top notch, though. B-

All in all this was a solid performance from the team. To beat Italy we'll need to play better but this is a good stepping stone. Hopefully Latvia will show continued improvement.

So what did we learn tonight?

I just finished watching what has got to be the worst US performance in a long time. Yes, it hurt that we were playing in a pseudo-experimental formation... it also hurt that Reyna got hurt in the first 15 minutes and had to be subbed in... But we still should have beat Morocco. And the fact that they were able to sit back in a 5-4-1 formation and stall the whole game (We had maybe 2 really good chances) has got to give Bruce Arena fits, because it means that we lose if Italy gets a goal before we do.

The other thing that I noticed is that Pablo Mastroeni is just plain awful. Yes, I will grant you that he can tackle and break up plays. But what seems to escape people's notice is that his positioning and passing is horrible. Cherundulo probably should have played that ball out of bounds but rewatch the sequence on TiVo... Mastroeni is the guy following up the play and he's two concerned with going for the ball (double teaming a guy that could only have managed a tough, crossing left footed shot from 25 yards with only half the goal visible) rather then covering the wide player streaking in unmarked. The fact that he was named Sierra Mist Man of the Match is proof positive that Americans don't yet understand a game that doesn't have statistics.

On the positive side... O'Brien is looking better and better. Convey is the real deal and is going to replace Beasley on the left if Beasley doesn't step it up. Eddie Johnson has got a frickin' amazing vertical (I think he was 2 feet above the crowd on his header). And Cherundulo is quite solid and can provide width.

Grades and thoughts:

Onyewu: Not the polished product that he will be someday. He should also be concious of the tendency for referees to "assume" that the big guy fowled the little guy. This is a very human tendency and he should be concious of it. Still, I'd like to see Onyewu take on Adriano should we advance and play Brazil... That's a fight that would be very, very interesting. B-

Pope: Showed veteran skill for most of the game. His man never really beat him and he was silent for most of the game (which is good for a defender). Not the threat he used to be on set pieces but that might work to our advantage. B

Cherundulo: Looked good for most of the game. Provided good width which allowed Wolff to pinch in and be more threatening up front. People are going to say that he should have cleared the ball on Morocco's goal but let me suggest that it's possible (and only he could say for sure) that he was afraid of a quick throw-in that went over his head and caught him out of position. Still, he was one of our best players on the field. A-

Gibbs: Played in sort of a wierd hybrid left back/center back. He clearly isn't comfortable going forward but that might be okay if Convey or Beasley is playing in front of him. I'd anticipate seeing him start against Czech Republic (matched up against Pavel Nedved) and for Eddie Lewis to play the other games. B-

Reyna: Never good to see Reyna limp off hurt. Hopefully it's just a small nothing injury but we won't know until Friday probably. He's CLEARLY slower than he used to be and I think that a quick, physical, disciplined team (like Italy) will be able to exploit that weakness. NG

O'Brien: Doesn't yet have the fitness level that he'll need but he's making progress. His passes were very, very good and he was the only one that appeared to have the keys for the Moroccan defense. Really stepped up his game on both offense and defense after Reyna left the field. A

Donovan: Invisible for much of the first half. It's clear that Donovan doesn't know how to operate in midfield when he's not the playmaker. I'd rather us play him at forward or right midfield then in the center when Reyna and/or O'Brien are behind him. Looked better in the second half. C+

Beasley: Nowhere near as dangerous as he used to be. Having said that, he's a much, much better defender then he used to be and his speed means that most teams will be completely unable to exploit the flank he's on. Also, when Convey came in, he looked surprisingly competent in the middle of the field which is a plus in terms of flexibility. Convey's presence and performance shadowed Beasley's though and Beasley doesn't bring the crossing, dribbling offensive threat that Convey does. It may sound funny to say but I think Beasley might now be the "defensive" flank option. C+

McBride: The veteran forward looked good given his isolated position against a 5-4-1 defense. He was routinely double teamed and that restricted his effectiveness. His presence emphasized how lacking we are in creativity that we were unable to crack the defense. I'm a bit worried that he missed a couple of headers that he would otherwise have gotten and I wonder if he's slightly injured. B

Wolff: Josh Wolff showed exactly why he's not ready to play at forward. He squandered a couple of good chances and is looking more and more like he's only an option as a wide right midfielder. C-

Subs:

Mastroeni: Alright, I finally feel justified in unloading on Pablo. He did break up a couple of plays but they're almost always in the tackling way (rather then the more dangerous intercepting way). He's consistently out of position and his passing ability is downright horrible. He's also a thug on the field and should have gotten a yellow card. I was dumbfounded when they named him player of the game (as I said above, the goal was as much, if not more, his fault then Cherundulo's). D+

Convey: Bobby is looking more and more like this World Cup's DeMarcus Beasley. The difference is that, in Convey's case, he has much more experience then Beasley. His crossing is good and he's speedy and creative. About the only complaint I have is that he doesn't exploit space with his dribbles (he had a breakaway that he should have turned the corner on and he led an attack in which he didn't split wide when the whole left half of the field was left open to him. That being said, he was probably the most dangerous player for the US and looked really good. A

Johnson: Eddie was a poor substitution on Arena's part (not to criticize really, Arena likely just wanted to get him onto the field). He's not the player that you want on the field to exploit a packed in defense. He needs space to operate. However, I was VERY impressed by the header and I realized that's not the first time that his vertical leap has impressed me. If the US can exploit THAT trait then he might fulfill the promise he's shown. B-

Ching: The US just doesn't know how to provide Ching useful service. I'm not sure if that's his positioning or the service the team gives or what. Maybe I'll go back and watch the tape and try to figure it out. NG

Dempsey: I really wish he'd come in for Reyna instead of Mastroeni. Dempsey didn't have a chance to do much but he looked okay while he was out there. B

We looked pitiful. I hope some improvement is forthecoming.

The problem with the President's plan

Some people are just plain dense. And apparently, when it comes to immigration, everyone in America is dense. The President's speech last night was fairly good. But it ignores two key realities. Our country attracts MILLIONS around the world each year. The reason we have a problem with Mexican immigrants is because it's so easy to get here from there. But don't you think there are just as many, if not more, poor Africans, poor Asians and poor Eastern Europeans that would like to be here. The current immigration law limits legal immigration to a lottery system and puts a very heavy burden on anyone who wants to come here to live. So any solution that doesn't address this pent up demand is not a solution.

Let's look at the other flaw in the President's plan. The plan, as outlined last night, does not seek to address the fiscal problems associated with immigration. Some immigrants are a drain on society and some system needs to be put in place to filter those individuals out. My suggestion is limiting access to social services for a short period of time after arriving here. No unemployment, no social security, no medicare, no food stamps. This sounds harsh... and it is. But those are safety nets for people that have paid into the system. They are not, and never were intended to be, net cash flow TO individuals over a long period of time. Anything we can do to restrict that cash flow will both save us money, and discourage immigration from people that are coming to leech or coast.

Our society has become greatly imbalanced against unskilled labor. The fact that so many people want to come here to work in fields and on construction sites is proof of that. Our immigration law greatly favors those immigrants with some sort of upper level job skill. Our school system emphasizes training and where my parents thought that a college degree was a big deal, a college degree is now required for many jobs (witness the NC State basketball coach). What we are witnessing is the free flow of capital that capitalism needs to work. In this case, it's a flood of immigrants ready and willing to work at jobs that we've turned our back on. The solution is not to turn our backs on those facts but to embrace them and come up with solutions that match our goals with reality.

Forwards

This is the best group of forwards we've ever sent to the World Cup. But will it be enough?

Brian McBride: McBride is the rock in our attack. Playing for Fulham has honed his considerable physical skills and he still wins every header that comes his way, even in one of the world's top leagues. This will (likely) be his last World Cup and I'd expect him to want to go out with a bang. He's strong in the air and a good distributor of the ball and I would expect him to have a very, very good WC06.

Eddie Johnson: The newest name on people's lips. Eddie Johnson has all of the physical skills needed to play the game at a high level. He's also more than just a speedster now that he's bulked up a bit and he's always been pretty good in the air. Johnson's two problems are his attitude and his inexperience. He tends to get despondent and dissappear for portions of games. Unlike McBride, who is always hustling and scrapping, Johnson goes in spurts. His other problem is his inexperience, both with his likely strike partner, McBride, as well as at the top level. His goals have primarily come against somewhat weaker CONCACAF opponents. Against better opponents he has looked somewhat weaker. This could be a true, breakout tournament for Johnson, or it could prove that he's just not capable of playing at this level... Only time will tell.

Josh Wolff: It's rare that a striker is looked at as a utility player but in Wolf's case he definitely is. With 45 games and 9 goals his games to goal ratio kind of stinks (to be fair, his playing time in minutes isn't as high as that looks, because he's been a substitute... additionally, his time at striker isn't that high because of his utility). However, anyone who has watched the games he's played in can attest to how damaging his speed and passing ability can be. When paired with a truly proficient poacher (Donovan or Johnson perhaps) he could help unlock a stingy defense. Additionally, he's quite capable of playing on the wings and might be our only true right winger if Arena needs to go with a more Chelsea style of play (sort of a hybrid 4-5-1/4-3-3 type of look). Johnson and Donovan are likely ahead of him on the depth chart to pair with McBride but I expect Wolff to see a decent amount of playing time.

Brian Ching: The other surpise roster inclusion (along with Conrad). Somewhat less of a surprise then Conrad. Ching is a natural fit to replace McBride if there's an injury or suspension. Ching is a big body and good in the air. He's a tireless scrapper but he can be taken out of games if he's forced to drift wide by the defense. Needs to work on staying more central and involved in the game. He's only got 15 games and 3 goals for the Nats but he's a mature player and he's recently been on quite a tear with his club team.

Others:
Landon Donovan: Donovan is the only other "forward" on the current roster. At this point, I'd say he's 50/50 to start next to McBride. The two big determinants are going to be the health of Reyna and O'Brien and the form of Johnson. The other potential consideration is Dempsey's ability to adapt to the wide right role and his chemistry with Cherundulo.

Alternates:
Conor Casey: Some people feel he's the next great American striker. He certainly looked to be on his way before he was injured. Only time will tell how good he gets but he's a long shot for the Cup.

Chris Rolfe: The other young player. Potentially a good partner for Casey in the future. They form a nice big/little combo that might work. Again, a long shot for this cup.

Taylor Twellman: The suprise roster drop. Most people felt like Twellman would be there instead of Ching. However, Ching more easily drops into McBride's place without a change in tactics and that's probably the thing that put him onto the roster. Twellman is fairly quick and good in the air, but he's not the big body that McBride and Ching are. Twellman is a likely inclusion if McBride or Ching gets injured. But I would expect Noonan (see below) to be the replacement for Johnson or Wolff.

Pat Noonan: Can play forward but his likely ticket to a roster spot would be for Johnson or, especially, Wolff to get injured and Arena to put Landon's name in the forwards column in pen. Very similar to Wolff in terms of versatility and wing play. Ability to play forward is just another plus. Has a freakish resemblance to Screech from saved by the bell.

The unit as a whole: This is a tough group for me to grade. I feel like McBride and Donovan form a pretty good partnership with Johnson being the big unknown. If Johnson comes out firing and shows the world he can play at this level, then I think you're looking at an A+ grade. If Johnson can't perform then a Donovan/McBride tandem is likely and the grade is still a very good A (but the midfield would be weakened... that's an important consideration to keep in mind).

Goalkeepers tomorrow.

Back to economics for a bit

I've been focusing on the upcoming World Cup a lot lately. But I wanted to take a minute to get back to my other love, Economics. The debate over illegal immigration is about economics and sociology and very little else. I want you to consider a possible solution and then ask yourself why you oppose it:

Allow unlimited immigration if the immigrant can demonstrate:
No legal problems from the country of origin
A satisfactory command of the English language
Waiver of rights to entitlement plans (unemployment, medicare/medicaid, food stamps, etc.) for 2 years
Accompanied by increased enforcement of illegal immigration

Why would anyone be opposed to this? Here are the most common answers:

"They would steal American jobs": This has begun the catchphrase for people and the unfortunate reply is, "These are jobs Americans don't want". I say that it's an unfortunate reply because, like the argument it purports to contradict, it is wrong. Immigrants are neither more nor less likely to work crappy jobs then Americans. But, neither do they steal American jobs. In fact, the first argument hinges on the false assumption that there are a finite number of jobs in America. Let me say that again. There are an UNLIMITED number of jobs for people. That's the beauty of a market economy. If unemployment is high then start up companies can hire lots of people. The real problem is that we don't adequately encourage entrepreneurship. Would there be tough times in certain communities that were heavy centers of immigration? Sure... But we can address that with job retraining that probably needs to be done anyways. BTW: This is the same argument you should use against opponents of outsourcing, in case you were wondering.

"It would jeopardize our security": I just don't see this being a problem. The current system is so flawed and allows such a high traffic flow that our safety is already at risk. Incentivizing people to immigrate legally by making the process relatively easy would allow for a much more focused approach on those people coming across illegally. It would reduce illegal immigration to a manageable amount. And the unfortunate reality, as I see it, is that you can't truly do this unless you allow high levels of legal immigration. Our current system tries to metaphorically recreate the Hoover Dam to stop a flooding river. It just won't work. The best, and safest thing to do is let the torrent run its course and create a dam when the dust settles.

"It would change our culture": This is the one argument that I am the most sensitive to and the one argument that people voice the most quietly for fear of being called racist. It's the argument that Republicans are most worried about (because statistics show that immigrants tend to vote Democratic). But let's not forget, we impose a language restriction on legal immigrants. We've weathered immigrations storms in the past (Irish Potato Famine?) and have come away stronger. Our history has shown that waves of immigration lead to a stronger nation and economy and that second generation immigrants tend to be among the most patriotic and devoted citizens. Furthermore, if you truly believe that capitalism, free markets and democracy are the right choices than what are you afraid of? People come here because they want to leave their country. Sure, some want to recreate their homeland here. But, in my experience, those are relatively few. Most immigrants are attracted by the allure of America and the chance to create something for their future generations. I doubt that many Chinese immigrants want to recreate China. Most Mexicans who are old enough to remember the 80's in Mexico are probably grateful just to have a stable currency. Hispanics are among the most conservative of immigrant voters and, if the Republican party embraces immigration and frames Democrats as being against it then I see no reason they wouldn't reward that stance. Let's not forget, immigrants want to be small business owners and Republicans are traditionally against the biggest small business killer (the minimum wage).

So, I say, let's open up the flood gates. Let's let people in that want to be here. Let's not criminalize the act of wanting to be an American. With a few simple restrictions, we can make ourselves safer by knowing who comes in and also cast a substantial cloud of suspicion who choose to come here illegally.

Outside Midfield

We're pretty sparse at outside midfield so this will be short:

DeMarcus Beasley: Beasley (or DMB to the Nats faithful) was one of the big revelations of the '02 Cup. He went on to have a great next couple of years but some niggling injuries brought him back to the human level and he has looked decidedly average for the last year. Gone is the blistering pace... He's just really fast now. Gone is the assuredness to take people on. 18 months ago you would have thought he'd be a shoe in for a starting position... Now it's looking more and more like the only time he'll see will be on the right side of midfield.

Bobby Convey: Where Beasley has been on the downward trail, Convey has been going up, up and away! After a tough first year in England, Convey really settled into the rampant winger role for Reading. Arena has tried him out at left back and he could probably play on the right if we needed to, but why waste him there when he's been our most consistent performer for the past 5 games. He was the only thing good about the Germany game, he's looked great against other opposition and even the bigger teams haven't been able to intimidate him the way that they can Beasley. Let's not forget... Convey and Arena go wayyy back... When Convey was the youngest MLS player in the league's short history, he stayed with Arena and his family in Washington. Convey's got a bit of a meanstreak but I think it's the under control, tough type... not the Vinnie Jones type.

Clint Dempsey: Which brings us to Clint Dempsey. Dempsey is one of the most talented young players that the Nats have. Unfortunately he's stuck at a position that we have quite a bit of talent at. He can play anywhere in central midfield and one day, I expect, he'll take the reigns from Mastroeni as a central defensive midfielder. Until that day though, it's looking more and more like Arena is going to play him wide right. I feel pretty strongly that this creates a bit of a problem for us on that side. It puts a BIG burden on Cherundulo to get forward and provide width and crosses from the right because that is NOT what Dempsey is good at... On the other hand, Clint's ability to cut inside and be dangerous reminds me ALOT of Preki's early years with Kansas City... and you could do alot worse then emulate Preki in the early years.

Others:
Landon Donovan: Donovan has, at times, played everywhere in midfield. He can play outside right, which is what might happen if O'Brien, Reyna and Johnson are all healthy and firing on all cylinders. In a pinch he can play wide left, but we've got sufficient depth there that that seems unlikely.

John O'Brien: O'Brien can fill in wide left. Unless his health improves dramatically, I think that's where we'll see him as a late game substitute to shore up the defense and hold onto a lead. He has alot of creativity and attacking verve to go with the defensive skills but, given his health, it's tough to tell if he'll be able to use them.

Ben Olsen: The late addition to the squad and the player that surprised alot of people. He played out wide right at the begining of his career but his ankle injury slowed him down ALOT. He's still pretty dangerous from a technical standpoint and it wouldn't shock me to see him play out wide against slower ( i.e. Ghana) competition.

Chris Albright: Probably the most likely person to supplant Dempsey out wide. If Arena feels that he needs a true winger there then Albright is one of only two real choices (the other being Wolff). Albright's defensive skills and tireless work rate guaranty that the right flank won't be exposed either.

Eddie Lewis: Played wide left for most of his career. Has only now begun to make the transition back to left back. If we're in need of a goal, I would expect to see him move up to a true wing position while Convey takes a more interior position. If Arena feels the need to play a 3-5-2 then Lewis is virtually a shoe in for the left wing position.

Josh Wolff: His ability to drop back and play the role of winger is one of the reasons he's on the team. He has looked dangerous, quick and creative when playing wide for the Nats lately. Given his scoring drought (or dry season, to be fair), this is a position he could see a reasonable amount at. If the team is behind and Arena switches to a 3-4-3 then Wolff is really the only option out on that wing.

Alternates:
Chris Klein: A player that has showed alot of technical skill but never really gotten to play against the big time opponents. I like him and think he would have done well if he'd just had a little more experience.

Pat Noonan: One of the "surprise" drops from the team. "Screech" (I don't know if Revs fans call him that... but they should) has looked good for the Nats and the Revs. If Arena thinks he needs some more wide options then Noonan could get a call up if there's an injury.

Steve Ralston: Ralston is more of a traditional right winger. He's very Beckham like (though clearly not as talented) in that he supplies crosses and passes while hugging the touchline. His injury problems and natural lack of speed probably cost him a roster spot. I feel like he's best suited to playing CONCACAF qualifiers rather then playing in the big games.

The Unit as a Whole: We have two fairly solid and relatively experienced people at left midfield and a transplant at right midfield. This is the position I feel most insecure about and I worry that teams may be able to exploit our lack of width by clogging the midfield with two defensive midfielders (which is virtually certain to happen against Italy). Hopefully Cherundulo and Dempsey will create some chemistry and prove me wrong. B- (and without Convey it would likely have been lower.

Central Midfield

I've divided the midfielders into two groups... Central and outside... As we'll see, the WC06 roster for the USA makes this distinction artificial to some degree but I still think it's a good line to draw.

Central midfielders
Landon Donovan: Fast becoming the face of US soccer. Donovan is young and already a veteran international. If he maintains his health (which has been remarkably good thus far) he'll shatter all the cap and goal records for the US. His ability to play anywhere in midfield is a big plus and his skill at forward will allow him to play there if need be. Frankly, I believe he's a better forward then midfielder and i would not be upset at all if, come June 12th, he was McBride's partner up top. If Reyna and O'Brien are both 100% (unlikely) this may actually be the most likely scenario.

Claudio Reyna: Claudio Reyna's role in this team is something of a mystery. He can play anywhere in the center of midfield and in most positions on the right (from midfield to full back... winger is asking alot though). His passing skill and vision is tremendous but he may struggle against some of the faster teams.

John O'Brien: The other big question mark on this US team. O'Brien's health is going to affect quite a bit. If he's able to be relied upon then I would expect him to be used as a central midfielder, probably in place of Pablo Mastroeni. The more likely situation is that he'll be used as a substitute when we need to hold a lead (most likely if Beasley is playing on the left and we're looking threatened down the flanks). The other likely substitute role is to come in for a forward, Donovan rotating up to that forward's slot and O'Brien dropping deep to create a second holding midfielder. It's these types of situational uses that seem the most likely.

Pablo Mastroeni: I'm not a big fan. I've said it before and I really hate to harp on things but I worry about Mastroeni. I think he's pretty good at Center Back but i think he looks exposed and slow at defensive midfield. I also prefer my DMs to have more passing skill than Mastroeni has displayed. I wish Zavagnin had blossomed more with the national team but you've got make do with what you've got. On the plus side, he's improved since '02 and I think he's at least passable now.

Ben Olsen: My preferred choice at the defensive midfield slot. Benji has made quite a comeback (and scored a couple nice goals) to find himself on the WC06 roster. Olsen brings a much more attacking approach to the role while sacrificing none of the technical defensive skills. In reviewing the Jamaica game, however, I believe that their goal was more his fault than Frankie's. The passing lane that they were able to exploit should have been filled by someone and that someone is either Olsen, or someone that should have switched off with him. Having said that, if Olsen can get the chemistry/communication/positioning issues down, I think he'd be a better choice then Mastroeni in that role.

Others:
Clint Dempsey: I'm a big fan of Clint Dempsey. I know he's going to see most of his playing time on the right side of midfield, but I think he's the future for the USA at defensive mid. He has a natural feistiness that is required and his passing skills allow him to create from anywhere. I also think he's much more comfortable in the center of the field then on the wings. He's also a pretty good substitute for Reyna or Donovan in the even of injury.

Alternates:
Chris Armas: Broke everyone's heart when he missed WC02. It's highly unlikely that he'll find his way onto the roster but it would be an emotional pick if he were to make it. Better technically then Mastroeni but less of a physical specimen in terms of height and speed.

Kerry Zavagnin: A player that I really like that has yet to really blossom. Unfortunate considering his age. Zavagnin brings some of the playmaking skills that you like to see at the position but his inexperience and lack of pace leaves him marginalized when playing against top flight teams.

The Unit as a whole
This is probably one of our biggest strengths and we have a team with a LARGE amount of experience. I doubt many of them could start for top flight european squads but as a unit, they're very very strong. Additionally, there is quite a bit of depth at the position and, in some cases, our backups (O'Brien) are better than our starters. A-

The Full Backs

Sorry about the break... there was a little bit of a changeup in the lineup. Frankie Hejduk was diagnosed with a major knee injury and so, less then a day after being left off the team, Chris Albright finds himself on it.

Our list of Full Backs is thus:

Steve Cherundulo: One of the biggest locks on the team for a starting role. He has quietly done everything that Bruce Arena has asked. He can get forward, make crosses, defend and provide width without sacrificing the defense. He'll start at right back and will (likely) play every game there barring injury.

Eddie Lewis: Similar to Cherundulo in terms of playing style. He's slower than Cherundulo and not quite as experienced a defender (he's only played there for about a year). But he makes up for that with far better attacking skills. Where Cherundulo is capable at crossing Eddie Lewis is an expert. With Lewis and either Convey or Beasley in front, I expect the Nats to focus alot of their attacks down the left side of the field. Lewis also brings a good set piece element to the team (particularly on corners) that we are lacking. Without him on the field, Donovan takes the corners which leaves one of our most dangerous attackers out on the flanks.

Cory Gibbs: Nominally a central defender. I put him in this category because I believe he's more likely to play on the flanks then in the center. He showed himself to be a capable player on the flanks and he provides a more defensive option then Lewis on the left. He's similar to Onyewu but not as powerful which is why I think he's the 4th choice center back behind Onyewu, Pope and Bocanegra. Also, without Hejduk we're decidedly short on left backs.

Chris Albright: The new addition. Albright takes Hejduk's place but does not entirely replace him. Chris is comfortable along the entire right side and even at forward. He's dangerous (but perhaps not deadly) at set pieces and he provides some much needed cover at right back and at right midfield. What he doesn't do is give us much cover on the left. I think Hejduk's injury means that Gibbs and Convey have to be the left back backups in case of an Eddie Lewis injury.

Others:
John O'Brien: If he's healthy he's probably our best option at left back... He could also play anywhere in the center of midfield. Chances of being healthy are not good, however.

Claudio Reyna: Nats fans have gotten so used to seeing his name in the midfield that its easy to forget that he's logged considerable time for Man City as a right back. He's not the prototypical right back but he brings a creative verve that is not often seen at that position.


Alternates:
Todd Duinivant: Plays club ball for the Galaxy. Hasn't had much international experience but widely regarded as an up and comer.

The unit as a whole:
This is probably our weakest area, top to bottom, as a team. Eddie Lewis has questions around his speed and ability to defend (though he's done remarkably well with Leeds this season). Steve Cherundulo is top notch but his backup is a bit untested. Ditto for Lewis's backups. If there are further injuries at this position we could be left looking very exploited on the flanks. Split grade: Starters B+, Backups C-

WC 2010

Marc Connoly recently posted an '03 prediction of the '06 team that he and a friend made... It made me tart thinking about the team's future. There aren't alot of definite picks for the next WC. The ages of a lot of our mainstays (Reyna, McBride, Keller, Pope) are going to preclude them being there... Sooooo... here's my picks for the 2010 WC. I'm sure some of them will surpise people and some will be absolutely completely wrong... but it's fun nonetheless.

Tim Howard
Nick Rimando
Adin Brown

Oguchi Onyewu
Carlos Bocanegra
Cory Gibbs
Johnathan Spector
Steve Cherundulo
Chris Albright
Heath Pierce
Chad Marshall

Giuseppe Rossi
Landon Donovan
Demarcus Beasley
Eddie Gaven
Santino Quaranta
Bobby Convey
Clint Dempsey
Freddy Adu

Eddie Johnson
Chris Rolfe
Conor Casey
Will John

Some of these names are probably a bit out of left field. I think Rossi will not break into the Italian side and eventually succumb to the international call of soccer. Go ahead and post your lists if you'd like.

The Center Backs

I'll be doing my semi-daily (semi daily in that I might not have time to do it every day) analysis of our WC roster now that Arena has put it up. Remember, the final rosters aren't do until later (the 23rd?) so there can be changes up until that time.

Today we'll be starting with the Center Backs

Eddie Pope: The old veteran on defense. Eddie Pope has had injury problems off and on throughout his career but has always been a rock in defense for club and country when healthy. He is good in the air and comfortable with the ball at his feet. Injuries and age have not slowed him down much.

Ugechi Onyewu: The newcomer. Onyewu burst onto the scene for us about a year ago. He is a tall, physical player with surprising speed and quickness for a big guy. He can be a little TOO physical at times (I've been a bit surprised at the referee's leniency in cases) but he is intimidating and also a pretty good weapon on set pieces on offense.

Carlos Bocanegra: Bocanegra is a very experienced center back from Fulham. He's the 2nd youngest of our center backs (Onyewu is the youngest) but he has quite a bit of experience with the national team and in England where he plays with Fulham. He can play center back or left back (though he's not the marauding type of outside back). Solid but not spectacular.

Jimmy Conrad: The biggest surprise on the team. I don't know alot about Conrad but what i have seen of him I haven't been particularly impressed. He's not the physical specimen that Onyewu is and he doesn't have the vast experience that Pope has. He's an older newcomer (29) and I'm not exactly sure what he brings to the table for the nats.

Others on the team:
Cory Gibbs: I'll talk about Gibbs more in the Full Backs section. Suffice it to say that I doubt he'll end up playing in the center. I see him (particularly after the Hejduk injury) as a left back backup. He's probably 5th or even 6th on the depth chart for center back (Pope, Onyewu, Bocanegra and then Matroeni and/or Conrad).

Pablo Mastroeni: The only other person on the team that can play at Center Back is Pablo Mastroeni. I won't harp on him too much. I actually think he's a better Center Back then he is at defensive midfield but that's obviously not the way the Nats coaching staff feels.

Alternate:
Greg Berhalter: The guy that Conrad slipped in ahead of. Berhalter's stock has fallen recently as his lack of speed has been exploited in games. He's captain of a German club team and seems to be doing well over there. I would expect him to fill any vacancy pretty easily.

The unit as a whole:
This is a VERY experienced unit. Onyewu and Conrad are the least experienced (Onyewu in age, Conrad at the International level) but Pope, Bocanegra and Berhalter are all very experienced. They're all relatively quick and all very good in the air (which seems to be what the natural evolution of the position has become in the past 10 years).

Grade: B+. We're no Italy or England but we're far better off in terms of talent and depth then alot of countries.

Last minute roster prediction change

I think John O'Brien's lack of playing time is going to cause Arena to rethink that... I'm a big O'Brien fan. I love watching him play. But I think at this point you've got to consider whether or not he's likely to even be able to practice at 100% and contribute in that way.

I'm going to say that makes Olsen a definite and Albright a probable... But that does leave us a wee bit light at left back (lewis is the only one who plays there for his club)... you might see Heath Pierce or some other left back take that slot instead...

Tuesday at 6, we'll see how right I am ;)