RyTof and JD: Altiscore Strikes Again

JD: The USMNT kept the win streak rolling with an exciting win over Bosnia and Hertz Rent-a-Car. Klinsmann patched together a lineup of Europe-based players and for some reason Eddie Johnson. I guess other MLS players like Besler, Gonzalez, and Zusi must be so firmly entrenched in Jurgen’s lineup that he didn’t bother flying them over.

RyTof: Eddie Johnson isn’t that bad. Last World Cup, Bradley paired Altidore up with Robbie Findley for the majority of the time, simply for the sake of Findley’s pace.  Johnson is fast, but also big and strong, much better than any of the three strikers not named Altidore the USA utilized in South Africa. Gomez, Buddle, Findley.

JD: Eddie Johnson is probably wishing he hadn’t been flown in for this one either, because despite his (Bradley and Altidore fueled) goal he had a pretty bad game. Meanwhile newcomer Aron Johannsson looked electric and Jozy Altidore was about as good as we have ever seen a forward in a U.S. shirt.

RyTof:  Aron Johannsson was impressive, and there could be a future for Brooks in the back line if Besler and Gonzalez don’t prove to be long term answers, even though Bosnia’s last goal was a result of a little folly by Brooks. Kljestan had a good game I thought during his time in the match, spotting Bradley making a thirty yard run up the field to set up the Yanks’ final goal.

JD: Johannsson seems like a dynamite pickup for the US. I would love to see him pair with Altidore in a few of these upcoming qualifiers, at least as a sub. Brooks is an exciting up-and-comer who seems to have a lot of potential. As we all know center back is currently a very weak position for the USMNT, so we could really use him. Honestly I didn’t have much of an issue with the way he defended Dzeko on that goal. It was a great play by a world class player.

RyTof: Brooks could end up being very solid. He’s only twenty years old, so I don’t see him being up to starting in the next World Cup, but beyond that, who knows? Back to Kljestan though, I don’t think he’s ever gotten enough of a chance to be an important player in the USMNT. Why does Kyle Beckerman have nearly as many senior team caps as Sacha? Look at the players in the 2010 World Cup side that occupied the spot Kljestan would have. Ricardo Clark? Maurice Edu? Kljestan’s been playing well with Anderlecht, one of the top clubs in the Belgium league, and just recently signed an extension with them.

JD: I have been satisfied with Kljestan’s recent showings for the Nats. I don’t have nearly the infatuation with him that you do, but I do think he is a good guy to have a round. I don’t see him as an A team starter barring a serious rash of injuries, but he is definitely a good depth player. He should be on the World Cup team. Let’s talk about the real star of this Bosnia game though, Jozy Altidore.

RyTof: Three goals, cool. I love to see him playing well, but I’m not going to get too excited. He played great in 2009, and in the 2010 World Cup America’s strikers didn’t score a single goal. Hope it doesn’t happen again this time around. Maybe he just worked great with Charlie Davies. I wonder how the scope of USA soccer would look if Stuart Holden and Charlie Davies hadn’t had their career ruined by injuries. I imagine they’d both be starting for the National Team.

JD: Really, you’re going to dismiss his recent accomplishments because of a bad tournament he had three years ago? Altidore didn’t just have three goals, they were three quality goals. He also added a nice assist. He has now scored in each of his last five games for the USMNT, the longest streak ever by a US player. Altidore had a monster season for AZ Alkmaar last year which earned him a transfer to Sunderland. If you can’t see a difference between current Altidore and 2010 Altidore I don’t know what to tell you. He has clearly developed a lot as a player in recent years which is to be expected for a player in his early twenties. If anything Altidore’s success shows the danger of getting down on young players and writing them off before they fully develop. 

Rytof and JD: Gonzalez gets DP'd

RyTof: Omar Gonzalez recently became the third ever defender in the history of Major League Soccer to sign as a Designated Player, following Torsten Frings and Rafael Marquez.

JD: Hopefully he doesn’t become as much of a villain to the USMNT as those two guys.

RyTof: The terms of the deal have not yet been announced, but it is expected the best defender in the country would be awarded with a lucrative contract. Gonzalez is the first American defender to sign as a Designated Player, and has played in all six of the United States recent World Cup Qualifying matches.

JD: It is probably going to be a big contract considering he reportedly had offers from around the world to choose from. He has a huge impact for the Galaxy when he is on the field. The numbers speak for themselves: the club wins 62.7% of available points when he plays compared to 39.6% without him. Great move for LA to lock him up.

RyTof: I care about the National team much more than any club team in the world, and this isn’t what is best for the National team. Gonzalez is already the best defender in the league, as evidenced by the fact that he’s the only back liner to be tagged as a Designated Player. He should be off to a stronger league with his sights set on becoming one of the best center backs in the world. I don’t see him getting a whole lot better than he already is without stronger opposition to push him.

JD: I too would have liked to see him go to Europe to challenge himself and improve as a player, so we agree there. Going to big leagues in Europe can really help a player as long as he is getting playing time. Just look at what Europe has done for Bradley, Dempsey, and Altidore, the USMNT’s three best players at the moment. All three have vastly improved as players due to challenging yet comfortable club situations. I’m not as confident as you are that Gonzalez is the best defender in the league, but that’s an argument for another time.

RyTof: I would have liked to see the Galaxy acquire one of the big stars they’ve been linked to, such as Lampard or Kaka. Those players would be instrumental in the midfield, and even if they couldn’t still keep Gonzalez, he would gain valuable experience overseas, beneficial to the National Team. As far as the Galaxy are concerned, they have a fair amount of defenders on their bench that could handle Gonzalez’s vacancy: Kofi Opare, Lenardo, Tommy Meyer. I think the club could have been better off signing a bigger name.

JD: The Galaxy made the right choice in keeping Gonzalez, from a purely soccer perspective. I already showed the numbers, Galaxy are a much better team with Gonzalez on the field. If those other defenders are so great why can’t they get the job done when Gonzalez is out? The MLS isn’t Harlem Globetrotters exhibition league, it’s not all about big names and offense. Results are what is important and defenders are vital to getting good results. I don’t have any problem with a defender getting DP’d.