On February 6, Coach Klinsmann trotted out an almost entirely European side. That's not the controversial take-away message for this entry.
From that ill-fated line-up, only Omar Gonzalez, Eddie Johnson, and Jozy Altidore were not in the list of highest point-scorers for one of the top European leagues - but Altidore is 3rd on the Dutch league's goal list this season so he doesn't count.
Put differently, does Coach K rely too heavily on the best-regarded players in the best leagues as a sort of All-Star squad or does he do enough to provide a winning combination that matches the collective talents available to the USMNT? He has made no secret that he wants players to increase their playing time, something that the MLS season does not provide enough of but does that also mean that strong candidates get overlooked?
By default, Honduras could only field 1 player in the top 600 in Europe (Figeroa of Wigan Athletic), a player who would not crack the top 5 on the US squad. Still, Honduras made the US team look as if it was suffering from a collective-bout of food poisoning throughout the match.
We are only 1 game into the hex but the question is worth posing. Do US coaches traditionally rely too heavily on the "top" players available, without seeking out team players who allow the stars to succeed or are the best club team players also the best national team players?
Who is a player who gets overlooked for the US team and why do you think he has not yet been tapped?
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| Source: thesoccerist.com |
this is quite the long blog post, but a lot of good information. I think Jonesy from FC is going to go on a streak in the next few games. Look for him to climb the ranks.
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