2010 HWCI World Cup Pool - Pando! or Gordo?
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PANDO! or GORDO?
2010 FIFA World Cup

 

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P.B.P. ARRIVES ON FANTASY ISLAND!

 

Everyone > Just think on this > What if defensive midfielder JERMAINE JONES was healthy and fully-integrated into the National Side? A classy warrior in the middle .. ..

 

I believe that we would still be playing and would have beaten URUGUAY to make it into the Semi-Finals .. .. Like I said, FANTASY ISLAND .. ..

 

And, here is our starting lineup for our first group match in Brazil 2014:

 

GK: Tim Howard

D: Jonathan Spector – Omar Gonzalez – Oguchi Onyewu – Eric Lichaj

DM: Michael Bradley

AM: Landon Donovan – Benny Feilhaber – Stuart Holden

F: Joseph Claude Gyau – Clint Dempsey

 

Like I said, FANTASY ISLAND .. .. 

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HEAD COACH

 

BOB BRADLEY

 

> Did a very good job in putting together a piecemeal club that was shattered when OGUCHI & CHARLIE went down .. .. May need to be mindful of picking ‘lunchpail’ players over the more-talented side members .. ..

 

And, as ENG taught us, the ‘old school’ camp will get old after a while .. .. Hope USA G.M. Pam Perkins takes a good long look at how the ENG Camp got real old, real fast .. ..

 

Brazil 2014: Fine by me, as long as he keeps things fresh, we should be okay

 

GOALKEEPERS

 

TIM HOWARD – Magnificent shot-stopper who is nearing 100 Premiership shutouts .. .. His defense of crosses and reading of the game can get a little iffy .. ..

 

> Just barely average for me; Wished he came up with a few more big saves and allowing the first GHA goal was soft .. .. His positioning has always been questioned and you can raise a question that every single GA could have been stopped .. .. 

 

Brazil 2014: I wouldn’t mind one bit if we found a more complete GK .. ..

 

DEFENDERS

 

CARLOS BOCANEGRA – Classy defender would love to be in the center and may be forced to play on the left after the nauseous showing by Pearce v. CZE .. .. 

 

> Terrific all Festival long – Knew he couldn’t keep up with the speedier wingers, so he tucked in and double-teamed the middle .. ..

 

Brazil 2014: PLEASE YES > USA doesn’t have a more complete defender

 

JONATHAN BORNSTEIN – Thought he got cut, wished he got cut .. .. Just hasn’t proved he can play against INT competition and hold his own for a long stretch of time .. ..

 

> Maybe it was indicative of the US defence that he played as many minutes as he did .. .. Didn’t do too badly and didn’t hurt the team .. .. Added some hustle .. ..

 

Brazil 2014: We’ll see > Needs to polish his game and perhaps go overseas

 

STEVE CHERUNDOLO – Still a little short for me, but faces top-flight competition every week and it looks like Coach Bradley wants him to come forward more often!

 

> Top-rate Festival performance; Finally saw the Cherundolo that everyone has raced about!

 

Brazil 2014: see Carlos Bocanegra

 

JAY DEMERIT – You wouldn’t think a guy who played at Watford would be suck a key, but he is .. .. Vet of the Confed Cup run still having some vision problems .. ..

 

> Lunch-pail warrior did a good job for us .. .. Might not be a world-class defender but he contested every ball, was strong in the air and is the best-passing central defender that the USA ever had .. ..

 

Brazil 2014: No complaints here

 

OGUCHI ONYEWU – Will always get picked on when in INT competition because of his size .. .. Wish he were healthy, but whatever his health, he’s got to play .. ..

 

> Wish he didn’t get hurt in 2009 otherwise it could have been a different story; His rustiness showed in how he was reading the game .. ..

 

Brazil 2014: Needs to polish his game more and get lots of minutes against top-rate rivals .. .. Needs to up his game for the USA to move forward .. ..

 

MIDFIELDERS

 

MICHAEL BRADLEY – Everyone loves him and I hope we still love him in July .. .. Hasn’t bowled me over yet with his passing but he’s another who plays A+ foes weekly!

 

> I LOVE HIM NOW! Great Festival performance and did everything out of the midfield – He’d be even better if he didn’t have to do all the work .. ..

 

Brazil 2014: Should be the heart & pulse of USA by then

 

RICARDO CLARK – For me, he’s always been my guy @ D-Mid because he’s a terrific defender and doesn’t give the ball away .. .. But MO is starting to grow on me .. ..

 

> Sad; Directly responsible for the Gerrard (ENG) goal and gave the ball away v. GHA for their goal .. .. Hope his game speeds up in Germany and adds some polish

 

Brazil 2014: Sure – I think he’ll be fine

 

MAURICE EDU – Showed v. CZE he can play in the back as well .. .. Midfield destroyer is strong in the air with a wee bit of a scoring touch now .. ..

 

> Kind wish now he started every match; Has leaped Rico Clark in my mind .. ..

 

Brazil 2014: We will need him

 

BENNY FEILHABER – Cultured player in the center might be a starter, might not see a minute .. .. Good first touch and ability to hold the ball got him his WC spot .. ..

 

> USA came alive whenever he was on the pitch; Massively-talented and is the only other player other than LANDON & CLINT that has a touch of brilliance

 

Brazil 2014: SURE STARTER

 

JOSE TORRES – Could be the ‘secret’ that surprises the world .. .. Doubt nobody else know much about him and he may have the best pitch vision and passing range of anyone on the side .. .. Can be used in the middle, or left, or just to hold the ball and kill the game!

 

> I still like him; Will need to move on from MEX and get more minutes someplace playing in the middle and recognizing his responsibilities going forward and defending … ..

 

Brazil 2014: Could be a key for the USA in years to come; Could be a starter by 2014

 

FORWARDS

 

JOZY ALTIDORE – Bags of skill and can inherit the power-forward role that CHING would have supplied .. .. May open a lot eyes worldwide – at least one hopes so .. ..

 

> Saw 50% Jozy this month; Still a bit bothered by injury, personal issues and a lack of minutes @ Hull City .. ..

 

Brazil 2014: SURE STARTER if he gets club goals & minutes

 

EDSON BUDDLE – Mercurial finisher who has the best technical skills of any forward .. .. Probably best as a starter and may not get many minutes unless a starter goes down .. ..

 

> Probably should have started instead of ROBBIE – just more skillful and talented than him .. .. Under-used this past month .. ..

 

Brazil 2014: If he keeps it up > Sure

 

CLINT DEMPSEY – I hope he plays up top with JOZY and was deadly there with Fulham this past season .. .. And, I think USA is better with him up top & Holden on the right .. ..

 

> Probably the only US player capable of starring on a top European club! Has all the technical abilities, size and drive to make it .. .. And he’s unpredictable!

 

Brazil 2014: SURE STARTER

 

LANDON DONOVAN – Now is the time! Bianca is banging someone else and all the drama with his estranged dad if finally over! TIME FOR TAKEOFF!

 

> Well, I guess he was banging someone, other than Bianca – Brazil will be his FOURTH World Cup already! Still, can’t see an US team without him

 

Brazil 2014: SURE STARTER

 

ROBBIE FINDLEY – Part one of the Ex-LA shock force! Will use his speed late in the match if the USA needs it .. ..

 

> Speed – YES; Skill – NO .. .. Just a bit player who is lucky he made it to South Africa!

 

Brazil 2014: Lucky if he’s in the PDL by 2014

 

HERCULEZ GOMEZ – Gritty finisher who finally gets his reward! Good two-way player who will track back and harass others .. .. Will hurl himself into the penalty box late!

 

> Maybe he should have been used more than Robbie .. ..

 

Brazil 2014: You never know, but I doubt it

 

PBP Gordo

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