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> > {account of Dooley leaving FC Kaiserslautern to train
> > with USA natioanl team deleted}
> >---
> >Comments? Great news, I really hope the United States Soccer Federation can
> >find a way to get back Harkes, Ramos, Wynalda, Wegerle (and perhaps Keller,
> >Stewart and Klopas as well) for an extended period of time before the World
> >Cup starts.
> While having the foreign-based players here would lead to better
> team play, the foreign players have much to gain individually
> from playing abroad. From what I have seen of Harkes, Ramos and
> Dooley, they are much better technically than the US-based
> players, and I think that playing against better competition has
> helped in that regard.
This, of course, depends on what kind of schedule the US team has. I think that
fielding a full-time, full-strength national team for the US Cup, Copa
America *AND* Gold Cup would've helped tremendously. These are for the most
part very competitive tournaments, with the US team playing many of the teams
they will face in the World Cup finals next years. As it is, Bora had to rest
the European-based stars for the Copa America and I doubt he's going to include
them for the Gold Cup either - or am I wrong?
---
Sure, Harkes and Wynalda have learned a lot - but surely bringing them back for
eight months or so wouldn't hurt their skills? Most European-based World Cup
players are tired by the time the finals start in June, Premier League teams
play 70 games per season and John Harkes said nobody is 100% fit after that.
Imagine what the US team could do if they were being run as a club team
(already true to some extent - too bad the best players rarely are available
for selection). Have them play a tailor-made 40-game schedule against good
teams from across the world, make sure they are well- prepared and rested when
the World Cup begins and I would be very surprised if they fail to make the
quarterfinals. And it would be of great help to soccer's "image" as well,
a bit like playing six US Cups from Feb.-Nov. on American soil. At least 20
games on ESPN, with one or two matches on national TV like the recent
USA-Germany encounter in Chicago. On paper, the marketing opportunities would
be enormous..."America's Team."
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> However, I'd hate to see the young players miss out on some
> valuable experience by buying out their contracts to move them
> out to Mission Viejo; I really think that they'll be more
> valuable to the national team staying another year gain
> football experience and becoming better, more complete players.
Of course, only the six*** best players would be on the team and guys like
Stewart and Klopas might prefer to play for their respective club teams rather
than sit on the bench for the national team. That's how Wynalda ended up in
Germany, he was disgruntled by lack of playing time and joined Saarbrucken
mainly to show Bora what he was capable of doing. The way the current system is
working, Saarbrucken/Sheffield/Blackburn etc. own the right to the American
star players and only release them for international duty when they're not
needed back home. If I had my way, the system would be reversed.
---
As for the "depth players" unable or unwilling to join foreign clubs, I'd
like to form a "B/C" team based in California or Texas and play a 40-game
home/away schedule against the teams in the Mexican 1st division. This way, as
many as 50 players ("A" national team, foreign-based players, "B" team)
would get the chance to play top-class soccer.
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