World Cup 2014 - Official squads

Steve-O21 said:
He does have a lot of experience, but I think he started to burn his bridges with Klinsmann and the national team two years ago when he went on a self-imposed sabbatical right as the World Cup qualifiers were starting. Fortunately for Donovan, Klinsmann was gracious enough to allow him back into the national team setup for the 2013 Gold Cup -- where he was the tournament's best player -- and the final qualifiers in which he looked like he was going to be a sure lock for the national team. However, Landon has started off this season in very poor form, overweight, and injured. Chris Wondolowski (Donovan's direct competition) in contrast has started off the season in very good form and scored in the friendly against Mexico last month, continuing his international scoring streak from February's friendly against South Korea and last summer's Gold Cup. Klinsmann decided to go with the hot hand and I respect that decision. Honestly, I think more US fans should have seen this decision as a possibility given that Dempsey and Donovan play the exact same role under Klinsmann. Also (and surprisingly), neither of them have played up top together during the entirety of Klinsmann's tenure thus far (i.e., sabbatical, injury, manager's doghouse, etc.), meaning that Donovan was only going to be a substitute at best because Clint is the captain. I applaud Klinsmann for making a gutsy decision. Why take a possible distraction with you to Brazil when you need everyone's full concentration to have the chance of making it out of one of, if not the, most difficult groups in the tournament? Am I surprised? Yes. Am I worried? No, not as much as everyone else seems to be.





The Jozy that plays for the national team is completely different from the one that plays for Sunderland -- thank goodness!
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Wondow is probably one of the 5 bottom players going to the World Cup. This is all kinsman over inflated ego at work, Julian fucking green!!! Horrible! Most Americans probably thinks he plays with ribery and Robben every weekend. He is actually playing with Miranda and babadinga!!
 
gomito#10 said:
Wondow is probably one of the 5 bottom players going to the World Cup.
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Hyperbolic hogwash! Please provide some tangible facts with your opinion and I will give it more consideration. Do I believe Wondo will light it up in Brazil? No, but he is certainly not a bad player to have coming off of the bench. There are plenty of countries that would love to have a Chris Wondolowski coming off of the bench for them: Australia (Kennedy), Honduras (Costly), Iran (Ghoochannejhad), etc. Their starting strikers are nowhere near as consistent as Wondo is at club level. Wondo has also gotten better at the international level and I believe he is capable of scoring against a Ghana, Portugal, or Germany if called upon as substitute. I would actually compare him a lot to Clint Mathis -- not in terms of speed, but like Mathis he just has a knack for being in the right place at the right time.
gomito#10 said:
This is all kinsman over inflated ego at work...
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Yes, Klinsmann does have an ego, but I would argue that the decision to leave Donovan at home was less about making Klinsmann the star of the team and more about assembling an athletic squad that can deal with the intense Amazonian heat and the physicality of Ghana and to a lesser extent Portugal and Germany. In fact, I think Klinsmann may be taking a page out of Cesare Prandelli's game plan for this World Cup based on Italy's experience in last summer's Confederations Cup and all of the difficulties they encountered with player fatigue, injuries, and recovery time. If that is the case, I do not know how much Donovan could have realistically helped because of those added physical demands in addition to what I already opined in my previous post about Dempsey being the first choice false nine.
gomito#10 said:
Julian fucking green!!! Horrible! Most Americans probably thinks he plays with ribery and Robben every weekend. He is actually playing with Miranda and babadinga!!
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Watch it! Babadinga is a world-class player poised to break out anytime now! :P The decision to bring Julian is not a surprising one to me because I always expected Klinsmann to bring a couple of youth prodigies into camp. (I am on the DeAndre Yedlin bandwagon after all!) As a former collegiate soccer coach -- and one who spent a significant amount of time analyzing and recruiting talented prospects -- I feel like I have a pretty fair grip on reality and can identify a lot with Klinsmann's roster choices, Green included. I see his upside and believe that he, like Wondolowski, can contribute positively in Brazil. I am interested to see if and how he is used in the upcoming friendlies against Turkey and Nigeria. Those matches will go a long way towards figuring out Klinsmann's intentions for Green with this team.

 
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Steve-O21 said:
Hyperbolic hogwash! Please provide some tangible facts with your opinion and I will give it more consideration. Do I believe Wondo will light it up in Brazil? No, but he is certainly not a bad player to have coming off of the bench. There are plenty of countries that would love to have a Chris Wondolowski coming off of the bench for them: Australia (Kennedy), Honduras (Costly), Iran (Ghoochannejhad), etc. Their starting strikers are nowhere near as consistent as Wondo is at club level. Wondo has also gotten better at the international level and I believe he is capable of scoring against a Ghana, Portugal, or Germany if called upon as substitute. I would actually compare him a lot to Clint Mathis -- not in terms of speed, but like Mathis he just has a knack for being in the right place at the right time.



Yes, Klinsmann does have an ego, but I would argue that the decision to leave Donovan at home was less about making Klinsmann the star of the team and more about assembling an athletic squad that can deal with the intense Amazonian heat and the physicality of Ghana and to a lesser extent Portugal and Germany. In fact, I think Klinsmann may be taking a page out of Cesare Prandelli's game plan for this World Cup based on Italy's experience in last summer's Confederations Cup and all of the difficulties they encountered with player fatigue, injuries, and recovery time. If that is the case, I do not know how much Donovan could have realistically helped because of those added physical demands in addition to what I already opined in my previous post about Dempsey being the first choice false nine.



Watch it! Babadinga is a world-class player poised to break out anytime now! :P The decision to bring Julian is not a surprising one to me because I always expected Klinsmann to bring a couple of youth prodigies into camp. (I am on the DeAndre Yedlin bandwagon after all!) As a former collegiate soccer coach -- and one who spent a significant amount of time analyzing and recruiting talented prospects -- I feel like I have a pretty fair grip on reality and can identify a lot with Klinsmann's roster choices, Green included. I see his upside and believe that he, like Wondolowski, can contribute positively in Brazil. I am interested to see if and how he is used in the upcoming friendlies against Turkey and Nigeria. Those matches will go a long way towards figuring out Klinsmann's intentions for Green with this team.



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Google David Regis
 
Steve-O21 said:
Hyperbolic hogwash! Please provide some tangible facts with your opinion and I will give it more consideration. Do I believe Wondo will light it up in Brazil? No, but he is certainly not a bad player to have coming off of the bench. There are plenty of countries that would love to have a Chris Wondolowski coming off of the bench for them: Australia (Kennedy), Honduras (Costly), Iran (Ghoochannejhad), etc. Their starting strikers are nowhere near as consistent as Wondo is at club level. Wondo has also gotten better at the international level and I believe he is capable of scoring against a Ghana, Portugal, or Germany if called upon as substitute. I would actually compare him a lot to Clint Mathis -- not in terms of speed, but like Mathis he just has a knack for being in the right place at the right time.



Yes, Klinsmann does have an ego, but I would argue that the decision to leave Donovan at home was less about making Klinsmann the star of the team and more about assembling an athletic squad that can deal with the intense Amazonian heat and the physicality of Ghana and to a lesser extent Portugal and Germany. In fact, I think Klinsmann may be taking a page out of Cesare Prandelli's game plan for this World Cup based on Italy's experience in last summer's Confederations Cup and all of the difficulties they encountered with player fatigue, injuries, and recovery time. If that is the case, I do not know how much Donovan could have realistically helped because of those added physical demands in addition to what I already opined in my previous post about Dempsey being the first choice false nine.



Watch it! Babadinga is a world-class player poised to break out anytime now! :P The decision to bring Julian is not a surprising one to me because I always expected Klinsmann to bring a couple of youth prodigies into camp. (I am on the DeAndre Yedlin bandwagon after all!) As a former collegiate soccer coach -- and one who spent a significant amount of time analyzing and recruiting talented prospects -- I feel like I have a pretty fair grip on reality and can identify a lot with Klinsmann's roster choices, Green included. I see his upside and believe that he, like Wondolowski, can contribute positively in Brazil. I am interested to see if and how he is used in the upcoming friendlies against Turkey and Nigeria. Those matches will go a long way towards figuring out Klinsmann's intentions for Green with this team.



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Sorry mate but wondo at no point will ever be a better player then Landon , not ever. Especially today. This is the worst single decision ever made by a us coach
 
gomito#10 said:
Google David Regis
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I know who David Regis is and his situation was vastly different from all of the dual nationals that Klinsmann has capped during his tenure. Also, unlike Sampson in 1998, Klinsmann never promised any of his players (namely Green) a roster spot. That is a rumor and one which Klinsmann, Green, and Green's father have all flatly denied. The only players that Klinsmann suggested were locks for Brazil were Howard, Jones, Bradley, Dempsey, and Altidore. Even then, he still demanded that they earn their place.
gomito#10 said:
Sorry mate but wondo at no point will ever be a better player then Landon , not ever. Especially today. This is the worst single decision ever made by a us coach
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I don't believe I said Wondo was the better overall player. Rather, I was arguing that he is more deserving of a place in the squad over Donovan right now because of his excellent form over the last four seasons in MLS and his consistent contributions for the national team when he saw significant minutes. Couple those factors with Landon's sabbatical, poor form at the end of last season extending into the first three months of this season, and Clint's position and duties as national team captain and I can understand why Klinsmann decided to select Wondo over him. Now, if we were talking about 2012 and 2013 Gold Cup Donovan, then I would be in complete agreement with you. However, it's 2014 and it's all about "What have you done for me lately?" Unfortunately for Donovan, he seems to have just started to wake up.
 
Steve-O21 said:
I know who David Regis is and his situation was vastly different from all of the dual nationals that Klinsmann has capped during his tenure. Also, unlike Sampson in 1998, Klinsmann never promised any of his players (namely Green) a roster spot. That is a rumor and one which Klinsmann, Green, and Green's father have all flatly denied. The only players that Klinsmann suggested were locks for Brazil were Howard, Jones, Bradley, Dempsey, and Altidore. Even then, he still demanded that they earn their place.



I don't believe I said Wondo was the better overall player. Rather, I was arguing that he is more deserving of a place in the squad over Donovan right now because of his excellent form over the last four seasons in MLS and his consistent contributions for the national team when he saw significant minutes. Couple those factors with Landon's sabbatical, poor form at the end of last season extending into the first three months of this season, and Clint's position and duties as national team captain and I can understand why Klinsmann decided to select Wondo over him. Now, if we were talking about 2012 and 2013 Gold Cup Donovan, then I would be in complete agreement with you. However, it's 2014 and it's all about "What have you done for me lately?" Unfortunately for Donovan, he seems to have just started to wake up.
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Green is a mind boggling pick, similar to Regis
 
gomito#10 said:
Green is a mind boggling pick, similar to Regis
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Regis was an odd selection only in terms of team chemistry because he had never met or played with any of the players until the 1998 Send-Off Series matches. However, the US had a need at left back and Regis, who had been playing regularly on the left side of defense in France, could not only play that position; he could also feel somewhat comfortable playing at a World Cup with a bunch of new teammates because it was taking place in familiar surroundings. To his credit, he played well. His teammates on the other hand did not. Lalas and others have since made him the scapegoat.

Green is a different case because US Soccer and Klinsmann courted him so openly -- talking about him in the press on more than one occasion; announcing on USMNT Assistant Coach Andreas Herzog's and US Soccer's Instagram accounts that the USMNT were travelling to Munich to scout him live; inviting him to train with the USMNT in Frankfurt before he had decided to commit himself to either country -- all of which were done to prepare the players for the possibility of Green's selection as well as Green himself. So, I'm going to debunk the myth that it's mind-boggling from a team chemistry point of view. Now, from a playing point of view, I can understand your frustration or shock at Green's inclusion. However, remember than Landon also played for Bayer Leverkusen II (i.e., another fourth tier German side) in the buildup to the 2002 World Cup and that tournament panned out well for him.
bebo said:
I rather have Dempsey upfront then any of our front options .:(
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Um, bebo...Dempsey is playing up top. :P He would have started with Jozy on Tuesday if it wasn't for the injury he sustained in the buildup to the match. He sat as a precaution and will start against Turkey this Sunday.
 
Final Spain NT squad

Bo9aNjlCIAAFBvo.jpg
 
Really suprised with the inclusion of David Villa. His legs are gone. I would prefer to include Jesus Navas.
 
Netherlands Final 23 announced ...

Goalkeepers: Jasper Cillessen (Ajax), Tim Krul (Newcastle), Michel Vorm (Swansea)

Defenders: Daley Blind, Joel Veltman (both Ajax), Stefan de Vrij, Daryl Janmaat, Terence Kongolo, Bruno Martins Indi, (all Feyenoord), Paul Verhaegh (FC Augsburg), Ron Vlaar (Aston Villa).

Midfielders: Jordy Clasie (Feyenoord), Jonathan de Guzman (Swansea), Nigel de Jong (AC Milan), Leroy Fer (Norwich), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich), Wesley Sneijder (Galatasaray), Georginio Wijnaldum (PSV Eindhoven).

Forwards: Memphis Depay (PSV Eindhoven), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Schalke 04), Dirk Kuyt (Fenerbahce), Jeremain Lens (Dynamo Kiev), Robin van Persie (Manchester United).
 
Jesus Navas is injured, Del Bosque more or less said he'd take him if he wasn't injured.

Sad to see Llorente not going, but I suppose he doesn't really fit in Spain's system. He still could've been good as a pinchitter though.
 
If Nando got a call, Llorente shoul have too,.
The problem is there isn't much places left in that team, most of 'em are old guard now.
 
Croatia - Official 23-man squad for WC
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Goalkeepers:
Stipe Pletikosa (Rostov)
Danijel Subašić (Monaco)
Oliver Zelenika (Lokomotiva Zagreb)

Defenders:
Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk)
Dejan Lovren (Southampton)
Vedran Ćorluka (Lokomotiv Moscow)
Gordon Schildenfeld (Panathinaikos)
Danijel Pranjić (Panathinaikos)
Domagoj Vida (Dynamo Kyiv)
Šime Vrsaljko (Genoa)

Midfielders:
Luka Modrić (Real Madrid)
Ivan Rakitić (Sevilla)
Ognjen Vukojević (Dynamo Kyiv)
Mateo Kovačić (Internazionale)
Marcelo Brozović (Dinamo Zagreb)
Sammir (Getafe)
Ivan Močinić (Rijeka)

Forwards:
Ivan Perišić (Wolfsburg)
Mario Mandžukić (Bayern)
Ivica Olić (Wolfsburg)
Eduardo Alves da Silva (Shakhtar Donetsk)
Nikica Jelavić (Hull City)
Ante Rebić (Fiorentina)


Ivan Strinić, Niko Kranjčar and Ivo Iličević were left out due to injuries, while Kovač has decided that he does not need Milan Badelj,Igor Bubnjić, Mario Pašalić and Duje Čop.
 
Cuky said:
Ivan Strinić, Niko Kranjčar and Ivo Iličević were left out due to injuries, while Kovač has decided that he does not need Milan Badelj,Igor Bubnjić, Mario Pašalić and Duje Čop.
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Can only speak for Badelj of the four axed ones, but to include him after such a disastrous season would've been ridiculous.
 
I really dont understand the decision of Kovac about Halilovic. He had been constantly called.It would be an attraction to see this kid playing here.
 
Halilović didn't even manage to secure his place in Dinamo's starting lineup and he is still not good enough to be part of senior team. He wasn't even best player in Croatia U17 team on last tournament they were on.

He is very talented player, that is obvious. But he is, at least in my opinion, lazy, arrogant and still not mature enough to play at such a big tournament on senior level.

His time will come though, in few years.

@S-NipE
I agree about Badelj. Bubnjić is good defender, but those who made it into 23 are better to simply put it. Čop has scored around 30 goals this season (don't know exact number) but he is not that efficient player. If he scored just 1/3 of chances he got he would had scored at least double than he did. Pašalić is just like Halilović still not a proven player. Talented definitely, but he is oscillating in his form a bit too much still.
 
Louis van Gaal annouced his final 23 men squad for Holland today:

Goalkeepers: Jasper Cillessen (Ajax), Tim Krul (Newcastle), Michel Vorm (Swansea)

Defenders: Daley Blind, Joel Veltman (both Ajax), Stefan de Vrij, Daryl Janmaat, Terence Kongolo, Bruno Martins Indi, (all Feyenoord), Paul Verhaegh (FC Augsburg), Ron Vlaar (Aston Villa).

Midfielders: Jordy Clasie (Feyenoord), Jonathan de Guzman (Swansea), Nigel de Jong (AC Milan), Leroy Fer (Norwich), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich), Wesley Sneijder (Galatasaray), Georginio Wijnaldum (PSV Eindhoven).

Forwards: Memphis Depay (PSV Eindhoven), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Schalke 04), Dirk Kuyt (Fenerbahce), Jeremain Lens (Dynamo Kiev), Robin van Persie (Manchester United).
 
Terrible news for Mexico,

Luis Montes broke both his right his tibia and fibula minutes after scoring this goal:
https://mtc.cdn.vine.co/r/videos/C3...p4?versionId=bUeKFprJ0K1Pg8.skgZj5vvnwZ16_ULg

He was stupid to go for that challenge that way and it costed him the WC
https://mtc.cdn.vine.co/r/videos/C0...p4?versionId=.MTeHevGW3MhuG8bH44afJQok1qcYfYp
Segundo Castillo (Ecuador) might as well miss the WC because of the challenge

He was our #10, a smart small guy who can distribute the ball and shoot from anywhere..

sadly, this will be devastating for the team morale :(
 
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Javier Aquino (Villarreal) might replace him

UPDATE: Rafael Marquez is out of the game getting medical attention, he might have a fracture as well.

terrible day for our NT
 
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