 |
| USA 2010 |
USA All-Time Team
African American Players
German Americans/American Germans
Hispanic/Latino American Players(USA)
The US Men National Team reached the Round of 16 of World Cup Finals in 2010. It was not the best ever showing by the US in the tournament, but the American fans should be happy with the result. They made three comeback matches in the first round. However, in 2010, the USMNT was missing a few players who could have been eligible to represent them. Brede Hangeland, Neven Subotić, Jermaine Jones, Giuseppe Rossi and Vedad Ibišević were all finding successes playing at the highest level in Europe that season while Fabian Johnson was emerging as a player in Bundesliga. The addition of the more established players playing in the top European leagues would have improved the team. Perhaps, the USMNT could have gone further.
Added: Neven Subotić, Brede Hangeland, Fabian Johnson, Jermaine Jones, Giuseppe Rossi, Vedad Ibišević.
Dropped: DaMarcus Beasley, Edison Buddle, Herculez Gomez, Clarence Goodson, Maurice Edu, Jay DeMerit.
Note: Since this is a fun blog, many details of the eligibility issue is overlooked. I do not know American citizenship laws. Vedad Ibišević and Fabian Johnson would have issues with their eligibility for the US team in 2010. Brede Hangeland could probably apply for citizenship because he was born in the US. Neven Subotić and Giuseppe Rossi would not have much issue. Jermaine Jones was eligible in real life by 2010. Ramiro and Rogelio Funes Mori probably could not obtain citizenship due to the rumor that their family was undocumented immigrants living in the United States.
Prediction
The USA narrowly lost to Ghana in the round of 16 during the extra-time. With the additional of 5 to 6 starters, the Americans might have a better chance against Ghana. In the real World Cup Finals, Ghana got eliminated in the next round after a controversial tactics by Luis Suarez of Uruguay. Ghana should have gone through to the semi-final. Can the American do better than Ghana in the quarter-final? Ghana did have a home field advantage, the World Cup being held in Africa. Without home advantage, Uruguay might be a tougher opponent for the Americans, but we would never know.
African American Players
German Americans/American Germans
Hispanic/Latino American Players(USA)
Sweden World Cup1950
Austria-Hungary 1954
Argentina World Cup 1958
Scotland World Cup 1970
United Kingdom World Cup 1970
England World Cup 1974
Austria-Hungary 1954
Argentina World Cup 1958
Scotland World Cup 1970
United Kingdom World Cup 1970
England World Cup 1974
Brazil 1982 with Careca, etc
United Kingdom World Cup 1982
Netherlands Euro 1984 with Cruyff, Van Basten, Gullit
United Kingdom World Cup 1982
Netherlands Euro 1984 with Cruyff, Van Basten, Gullit
Italy Euro 1992
United Kingdom World Cup 1994
Yugoslavia World Cup 1994
France World Cup 1994
Germany World Cup 2002
Netherlands World Cup 2002
United Kingdom World Cup 1994
Yugoslavia World Cup 1994
France World Cup 1994
Germany World Cup 2002
Netherlands World Cup 2002
USA World Cup 2010
If Ronaldo and Messi played for Australia in 2006
Brazil 1982 with Careca,etc
Ireland/Northern Ireland Combined Team 1986 World Cup
Yugoslavia World Cup 2018
If Ronaldo and Messi played for Australia in 2006
Brazil 1982 with Careca,etc
Ireland/Northern Ireland Combined Team 1986 World Cup
Yugoslavia World Cup 2018
Added: Neven Subotić, Brede Hangeland, Fabian Johnson, Jermaine Jones, Giuseppe Rossi, Vedad Ibišević.
Dropped: DaMarcus Beasley, Edison Buddle, Herculez Gomez, Clarence Goodson, Maurice Edu, Jay DeMerit.
Note: Since this is a fun blog, many details of the eligibility issue is overlooked. I do not know American citizenship laws. Vedad Ibišević and Fabian Johnson would have issues with their eligibility for the US team in 2010. Brede Hangeland could probably apply for citizenship because he was born in the US. Neven Subotić and Giuseppe Rossi would not have much issue. Jermaine Jones was eligible in real life by 2010. Ramiro and Rogelio Funes Mori probably could not obtain citizenship due to the rumor that their family was undocumented immigrants living in the United States.
Prediction
The USA narrowly lost to Ghana in the round of 16 during the extra-time. With the additional of 5 to 6 starters, the Americans might have a better chance against Ghana. In the real World Cup Finals, Ghana got eliminated in the next round after a controversial tactics by Luis Suarez of Uruguay. Ghana should have gone through to the semi-final. Can the American do better than Ghana in the quarter-final? Ghana did have a home field advantage, the World Cup being held in Africa. Without home advantage, Uruguay might be a tougher opponent for the Americans, but we would never know.
 |
| Clint Dempsey and Brede Hangeland for the USA 2010? |
Team
GK: Tim Howard (Everton)
Tim Howard is one of the greatest ever goalkeeper from the United States. He led the USA to the 2nd round at the World Cup Finals in 2014 with stunning performances throughout the tournament. He also went to the World Cup Finals in 2006 and 2010. Howard started his career with the North Jersey Imperials before making a move to the MetroStars. His appearances soon attracted the attention of Manchester United, who signed him in 2003. He moved to Everton in 2007 where he was a star player with Everton.
GK: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa)
Guzan was second overall pick in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft, signing for Chivas USA, with whom he was the 2007 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year. In July 2008, he joined Aston Villa for a fee of $1 million, where he has made over 100 Premier League. appearances. Since 2006, he has been capped by the USA. He is mainly a backup to Tim Howard. He went to South Africa 2010 and Brazil 2014.
GK: Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
He played for the Seattle Sounders and the Colorado Rapids before signing with English club Fulham in 1999. While at Fulham, he enjoyed loan spells with Rochdale and Reading, before signing permanently with Reading in 2002. In 2009, he transferred to Wolverhampton Wanderers. He has won nine caps, featuring as back-up for Kasey Keller and Tim Howard in two World Cups.
RB: Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96)
Steve Cherundolo played for the University of Portland before turning professional playing in Germany. He was the captain of Hannover 96 of the German Bundesliga, where he spent his entire club career. He later served as its captain and set the team record for Bundesliga appearances. For international level, he earned 87 caps and played for the United States men's national soccer team at the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups.
RB/CB: Jonathan Spector (West Ham)
Jonathan Spector was a youth product of Manchester United in England. He played on loan at Charlton Athletic, then in 2006 joined West Ham United. He then spent five-and-a-half seasons with Birmingham City. In 2017, he joined Orlando City in the MLS. He earned 36 caps and went to the World Cup Finals in 2010.
CB/LB: Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes)
Carlos Bocanegra started his career playing NCAA soccer with UCLA. He joined Chicago Fire in 2000. He also played professionally in England, Scotland, France, and Spain. His longest European stint was with Fulham, where he played from 2004 to 2008. He earned over 100 caps with the United States between 2001 and 2012, serving as captain for six years. He played in the World Cup Finals of 2006 and 2010. He also won two Gold Cups for the USA.
CB: Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan)
During his professional career from 2002 to 2015 he played for clubs in France, Belgium, England, Italy, the Netherlands, and Portugal. His most prolific club years were with Standard Liege of the Belgian League with whom he made over 100 league appearances from 2004 to 2009, before moving to A.C. Milan in Italy. At Milan, he was remembered for a big fight with Zlatan Ibrahimović during training. Capped over 60 times. He played in the WC Finals of 2006 and 2010.
CB: Brede Hangeland (Fulham) * new addition
Hangeland began his career with Viking. In 2006, he moved to Copenghagen. From 2008 to 2014 he played for Fulham, helping the team to the 2010 UEFA Europa League Final, but was released in 2014 after the club's relegation, subsequently joining Crystal Palace. Hangeland was capped 91 times, 48 of them as captain, and scored four goals for the Norway national team.
CB: Neven Subotić (Borussia Dortmund) *new addition
Born in the former Yugoslavia, he moved to the US in 1999. He joined 1.FSV Mainz 05 youth team making his first-team debut in the 2006–07 season. In 2008, he signed with Borussia Dortmund. From 2008 to 2016, he played for the club and was at one point considered the best defender in the Bundesliga. In 2017, he went to Koln. Subotić played the youth team of the USA, but represented Serbia in the senior level. He earned 36 caps and went to the WC Finals in 2010.
LB: Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA)
Jonathan Bornstein was a son of a Mexican mother and a Jewish father. Drafted by Chivas USA, he was MLS Rookie of the Year in 2006. He also played for Tigres de la UANL and Queretaro in Mexico. In 2018, he joined Maccabi Netanya in Israel. He later played for Chicago Fire. He went to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup Finals. He had 38 caps in total between 2007 and 2011.
LWB/LW: Fabian Johnson (VfL Wolfsburg) *new addition
Johnson was born in Germany. He is the son of an African-American serviceman. He began his career with 1860 Munich. He also played for VfL Wolfsburg and Hoffenheim. At the time of writing, he is playing for Borussia Mönchengladbach. He was capped by Germany at the youth level, but he played for USA at the senior level. He went too Brazil 2014. He had 57 caps between 2011 and 2017.
CM: Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04) *new addition
Born in Germany to an American father and German mother, Jermaine Jones played for Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen, Schalke 04, Besiktas,mBlackburn Rovers, New England Revolution. At this moment, he is with Colorado Rapids. Jones represented Germany at the senior level, but not in an official game. He later filed for a switch to the United States. He made his debut for them in 2010 and played at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
CM: Ricardo Clark (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Clark played two years in college at Furman before being drafted second overall in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft by MetroStars. He also played for San Jose Earthquakes, Houston Dynamo, Eintracht Frankfurt, Stabæk and Colombus Crew. For the USMNT, he earned 34 caps between 2005 and 2012. He played in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup where the USA reached the Final. He went to the World Cup in 2010.
CM: Jose Francisco Torres (Pachuca)
Torres was recruited by Pachuca while he was still attending high school in Texas. He broke into the starting lineup during the 2008 Apertura season in central midfield. He appeared in all three matches at the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup for Pachuca. In 2012, he was transferred to Tigres UANL. He was capped 26 times. He was a member of 2013 Gold Cup winning team.
SS/AM: Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy)
Landon Donovan is perhaps the greatest American player of the modern era. He is the all-time leading scorer for the US national team. He represented the USA at three World Cup Finals. In 2002, he was named the best young player at the World Cup Finals. He was Honda Player of the Year for 6 times and US Soccer Athlete of the Year for 4 times and numerous awards in MLS. He had a brief spell with Leverkusen before returning to MLS. With LA Galaxy, he won four MLS Cup.
--
Roger Espinoza grew up in the US. He was capped by Honduras since
2008. In 2010, he was playing in the MLS, but I prefer Fabian Johnson
over him.
-- Without injuries, Giuseppe Rossi could have became one of the greatest American-born players ever, but injuries had kept him from reaching his potential. In the summer of 2010, he was actually injury free. The season before the World Cup Finals, he starred for Villarreal. Coincidentally, Jozy Altidore was also a player under contract with Villarreal in 2010, but he was on loan to Hull City after failing to make an impact with the team. That season, he only managed to score a single goal. Rossi would be ahead of him in 2010. He is on my Villarreal All-Time team and he is the club's all-time leading scorer.
-- Jozy Altidore, Edison Buddle, Herculez Gomez and Robbie Findley went to South Africa. I needed to drop two of them to make rooms for Giuseppe Rossi and Vedad Ibišević.
-- In 2010, Jozy Altidore was projected to be the future of US Soccer. So I am adding him to the team.
-- Edison Buddle had not played for the USA for 7 years before
the WC Finals, but he was great in the MLS right before the WC Finals. Herculez Gomez's career was actually going downhill even as late as October, 2009 when he was released by Kansas City Wizards. He suddenly experienced a career revival early in 2010 with Puebla in Mexico. Both players seemed to be in form that year. However, Coach Bob Bradley started Robbie Findley in the first two World Cup matches, which probably meant that Coach Bradley had more confidence with Findley than Gomez and Buddle at the beginning of the tournament. So I selected Findley because it would probably be Coach Bradley's idea at the time of the selection.
Formation
The formation is based upon the one used by Coach Bob Bradley against England on the first match in South Africa. Carlos Bocanegra was used as a leftback on that match. All six of my original starters also started for my all-team for the USA. They are all their prime. Five of the additional players made my starting lineup. In 2010, Brede Hangeland and Neven Subotić had better club careers than the original starting centerbacks.
Formation
The formation is based upon the one used by Coach Bob Bradley against England on the first match in South Africa. Carlos Bocanegra was used as a leftback on that match. All six of my original starters also started for my all-team for the USA. They are all their prime. Five of the additional players made my starting lineup. In 2010, Brede Hangeland and Neven Subotić had better club careers than the original starting centerbacks.
Tim Howard is one of the greatest ever goalkeeper from the United States. He led the USA to the 2nd round at the World Cup Finals in 2014 with stunning performances throughout the tournament. He also went to the World Cup Finals in 2006 and 2010. Howard started his career with the North Jersey Imperials before making a move to the MetroStars. His appearances soon attracted the attention of Manchester United, who signed him in 2003. He moved to Everton in 2007 where he was a star player with Everton.
 |
| Tim Howard |
Guzan was second overall pick in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft, signing for Chivas USA, with whom he was the 2007 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year. In July 2008, he joined Aston Villa for a fee of $1 million, where he has made over 100 Premier League. appearances. Since 2006, he has been capped by the USA. He is mainly a backup to Tim Howard. He went to South Africa 2010 and Brazil 2014.
GK: Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
He played for the Seattle Sounders and the Colorado Rapids before signing with English club Fulham in 1999. While at Fulham, he enjoyed loan spells with Rochdale and Reading, before signing permanently with Reading in 2002. In 2009, he transferred to Wolverhampton Wanderers. He has won nine caps, featuring as back-up for Kasey Keller and Tim Howard in two World Cups.
RB: Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96)
Steve Cherundolo played for the University of Portland before turning professional playing in Germany. He was the captain of Hannover 96 of the German Bundesliga, where he spent his entire club career. He later served as its captain and set the team record for Bundesliga appearances. For international level, he earned 87 caps and played for the United States men's national soccer team at the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups.
 |
| Steve Cherundolo |
Jonathan Spector was a youth product of Manchester United in England. He played on loan at Charlton Athletic, then in 2006 joined West Ham United. He then spent five-and-a-half seasons with Birmingham City. In 2017, he joined Orlando City in the MLS. He earned 36 caps and went to the World Cup Finals in 2010.
CB/LB: Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes)
Carlos Bocanegra started his career playing NCAA soccer with UCLA. He joined Chicago Fire in 2000. He also played professionally in England, Scotland, France, and Spain. His longest European stint was with Fulham, where he played from 2004 to 2008. He earned over 100 caps with the United States between 2001 and 2012, serving as captain for six years. He played in the World Cup Finals of 2006 and 2010. He also won two Gold Cups for the USA.
 |
| Carlos Bocanegra |
During his professional career from 2002 to 2015 he played for clubs in France, Belgium, England, Italy, the Netherlands, and Portugal. His most prolific club years were with Standard Liege of the Belgian League with whom he made over 100 league appearances from 2004 to 2009, before moving to A.C. Milan in Italy. At Milan, he was remembered for a big fight with Zlatan Ibrahimović during training. Capped over 60 times. He played in the WC Finals of 2006 and 2010.
CB: Brede Hangeland (Fulham) * new addition
Hangeland began his career with Viking. In 2006, he moved to Copenghagen. From 2008 to 2014 he played for Fulham, helping the team to the 2010 UEFA Europa League Final, but was released in 2014 after the club's relegation, subsequently joining Crystal Palace. Hangeland was capped 91 times, 48 of them as captain, and scored four goals for the Norway national team.
CB: Neven Subotić (Borussia Dortmund) *new addition
Born in the former Yugoslavia, he moved to the US in 1999. He joined 1.FSV Mainz 05 youth team making his first-team debut in the 2006–07 season. In 2008, he signed with Borussia Dortmund. From 2008 to 2016, he played for the club and was at one point considered the best defender in the Bundesliga. In 2017, he went to Koln. Subotić played the youth team of the USA, but represented Serbia in the senior level. He earned 36 caps and went to the WC Finals in 2010.
 |
| Neven Subotić |
Jonathan Bornstein was a son of a Mexican mother and a Jewish father. Drafted by Chivas USA, he was MLS Rookie of the Year in 2006. He also played for Tigres de la UANL and Queretaro in Mexico. In 2018, he joined Maccabi Netanya in Israel. He later played for Chicago Fire. He went to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup Finals. He had 38 caps in total between 2007 and 2011.
LWB/LW: Fabian Johnson (VfL Wolfsburg) *new addition
Johnson was born in Germany. He is the son of an African-American serviceman. He began his career with 1860 Munich. He also played for VfL Wolfsburg and Hoffenheim. At the time of writing, he is playing for Borussia Mönchengladbach. He was capped by Germany at the youth level, but he played for USA at the senior level. He went too Brazil 2014. He had 57 caps between 2011 and 2017.
CM: Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04) *new addition
Born in Germany to an American father and German mother, Jermaine Jones played for Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen, Schalke 04, Besiktas,mBlackburn Rovers, New England Revolution. At this moment, he is with Colorado Rapids. Jones represented Germany at the senior level, but not in an official game. He later filed for a switch to the United States. He made his debut for them in 2010 and played at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
 |
| Jermaine Jones |
CM: Stuart Holden (Bolton Wanderers)
Holden played NCAA soccer with Clemson. Later, he joined Sunderland, but never received any chance. He made his name with Houston Dynamo before joining Bolton Wanderes in 2010. He was part of the United States squad at the 2008 Summer Olympics, 2009 and 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup and 2010 FIFA World Cup. Since his debut, Holden has gained 25 caps and scored three goals.
CM: Benny Feilhaber (AGF)
Born in Brazil, Feilhaber moved to the United States as a child. In his club career, he played with Hamburger SV, Derby and AGF. In MLS, he played with New England Revolution, Sporting Kansas City and LA FC. From 2007 onward, he has earned over 40 caps. He played in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup where the USA reached the Final. He went to the World Cup in 2010.
CM: Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach)
Michael Bradley is the son of former US head coach Bob
Bradley. He played professionally in Germany, Holland, Italy, England
and now, in MLS. He was best-known for his stint with Borussia
Mönchengladbach. He was the first American player to play in Serie A
since Alexi Lalas. He played for Chievo Verona and Roma over there. He
joins Toronto FC in 2014. At the time of writing, he earned 140 caps.
He played in the World Cup Finals in 2010 and 2014. Holden played NCAA soccer with Clemson. Later, he joined Sunderland, but never received any chance. He made his name with Houston Dynamo before joining Bolton Wanderes in 2010. He was part of the United States squad at the 2008 Summer Olympics, 2009 and 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup and 2010 FIFA World Cup. Since his debut, Holden has gained 25 caps and scored three goals.
CM: Benny Feilhaber (AGF)
Born in Brazil, Feilhaber moved to the United States as a child. In his club career, he played with Hamburger SV, Derby and AGF. In MLS, he played with New England Revolution, Sporting Kansas City and LA FC. From 2007 onward, he has earned over 40 caps. He played in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup where the USA reached the Final. He went to the World Cup in 2010.
CM: Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach)
 |
| Michael Bradley |
Clark played two years in college at Furman before being drafted second overall in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft by MetroStars. He also played for San Jose Earthquakes, Houston Dynamo, Eintracht Frankfurt, Stabæk and Colombus Crew. For the USMNT, he earned 34 caps between 2005 and 2012. He played in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup where the USA reached the Final. He went to the World Cup in 2010.
CM: Jose Francisco Torres (Pachuca)
Torres was recruited by Pachuca while he was still attending high school in Texas. He broke into the starting lineup during the 2008 Apertura season in central midfield. He appeared in all three matches at the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup for Pachuca. In 2012, he was transferred to Tigres UANL. He was capped 26 times. He was a member of 2013 Gold Cup winning team.
SS/AM: Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy)
Landon Donovan is perhaps the greatest American player of the modern era. He is the all-time leading scorer for the US national team. He represented the USA at three World Cup Finals. In 2002, he was named the best young player at the World Cup Finals. He was Honda Player of the Year for 6 times and US Soccer Athlete of the Year for 4 times and numerous awards in MLS. He had a brief spell with Leverkusen before returning to MLS. With LA Galaxy, he won four MLS Cup.
 |
Landon Donovan |
FW/AM: Clint Dempsey (Fulham)
Clint
Dempsey was perhaps the most successful American-born outfielder
playing in Europe. He was best remembered for playing for Fulham
between 2007 and 2012. He was their top-scorer for two seasons. He was
also their Player of the Season twice. He has also played for New
England Revolution and Tottenham Hotspur. At the time of writing, he
plays for Seattle Sounders. He has over 130 caps for the USA. He
played in the World Cup Finals of 2006, 2010 and 2014.FW: Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake)
Findley
played college soccer for the Oregon State Beavers and amateur soccer
for the Boulder Rapids Reserve before turning professional in 2007; he
played in Major League Soccer for Los Angeles Galaxy and Real Salt Lake,
before moving to English club Nottingham Forest in January 2011. capped
11 times. Three of the caps happened at the WC Finals in 2010.
FW: Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal) *new addition
When Rossi was 17, he was signed by English club Manchester United. He had loan spells with Newcastle United and Parma before joining Villarreal in 2007. After five-and-a-half years with Villarreal, he returned to Italy, signing for Fiorentina in January 2013. In January 2016, he was sent on loan to Spanish club Levante, while he spent the following season on loan with Celta. Born in the US, Rossi chose to represent Italy. he made his debut for Azzuri in 2008, but injuries through his career limited him to 30 caps.
When Rossi was 17, he was signed by English club Manchester United. He had loan spells with Newcastle United and Parma before joining Villarreal in 2007. After five-and-a-half years with Villarreal, he returned to Italy, signing for Fiorentina in January 2013. In January 2016, he was sent on loan to Spanish club Levante, while he spent the following season on loan with Celta. Born in the US, Rossi chose to represent Italy. he made his debut for Azzuri in 2008, but injuries through his career limited him to 30 caps.
 |
| Michael Bradley and Giuseppe Rossi |
FW: Vedad Ibišević (1899 Hoffenheim) *new addition
His family moved to the USA in 2001, where he played soccer in High School and college. In 2004, he joined PSG. Then, he joined Alemannia Aachen, and in 2007, he moved to 1899 Hoffeneheim, where he played until 2012. From 2012 to 2016, he played for Stuttgart. At the time of writing, he is with Hertha Berlin. In 2008, he won the Idol Nacije award(Bosnian Footballer of the Year). From 2007 to 2017, he has earned over 80 caps for Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was selected for the 2014 World Cup, where he scored Bosnia's first ever goal in a major tournament.
His family moved to the USA in 2001, where he played soccer in High School and college. In 2004, he joined PSG. Then, he joined Alemannia Aachen, and in 2007, he moved to 1899 Hoffeneheim, where he played until 2012. From 2012 to 2016, he played for Stuttgart. At the time of writing, he is with Hertha Berlin. In 2008, he won the Idol Nacije award(Bosnian Footballer of the Year). From 2007 to 2017, he has earned over 80 caps for Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was selected for the 2014 World Cup, where he scored Bosnia's first ever goal in a major tournament.
ST/FW: Jozy Altidore (Hull City)
Started with NY Red Bulls, Jozy Altidore moved to Europe in 2008, joining Villarreal in Spain. He had loan spells with Hull City and Bursapor. In 2011, he moved to AZ in Holland and to Sunderland in 2015. At the time of writing, he played for Toronto FC in the MLS. Since 2007, he is a key player for the USA. He has over 110 caps. He played in both World Cup Finals in 2010 and 2014. He scored a goal against Spain the semi-final of the 2009 Confederation Cup.
Started with NY Red Bulls, Jozy Altidore moved to Europe in 2008, joining Villarreal in Spain. He had loan spells with Hull City and Bursapor. In 2011, he moved to AZ in Holland and to Sunderland in 2015. At the time of writing, he played for Toronto FC in the MLS. Since 2007, he is a key player for the USA. He has over 110 caps. He played in both World Cup Finals in 2010 and 2014. He scored a goal against Spain the semi-final of the 2009 Confederation Cup.
 |
| Jozy Altidore |
Players Pool
Ramiro Funes Mori (Argentina), Eddie Gustafsson (Sweden), Rogelio Funes Mori (Argentina), Roger Espinoza (Honduras), DaMarcus Beasley, Edison Buddle, Herculez Gomez, Clarence p;Goodson, Maurice Edu, Jay DeMerit.
Ramiro Funes Mori (Argentina), Eddie Gustafsson (Sweden), Rogelio Funes Mori (Argentina), Roger Espinoza (Honduras), DaMarcus Beasley, Edison Buddle, Herculez Gomez, Clarence p;Goodson, Maurice Edu, Jay DeMerit.
Squad Explanation
-- Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan, three of the greatest American soccer players, were at their prime. Steve Cherundolo, Carlos Bocanegra and Michael Bradley were also on my all-team for the USA.
--
There are only three MLS-based players on my team. It is only one less
than the actual team. The 2010 MLS Cup was played between the
Colorado Rapids and FC Dallas. Not a single player from neither team
went to this World Cup Finals for both the real and this "fake: team.
--
Eight played in England. And seven others were based in Bundesliga.
Two of the players were German-born Americans, and both were not on the
original World Cup team.
--
Both Brede Hangeland and Clint Dempsey played in the Final of Europa
League in 2010 where their club team Fulham lost to Atletico Madrid.
--
Giuseppe Rossi was included in Italy's provisional 28-man 2010 World
Cup squad, but failed to make the cut for the final 23-man
squad. Neven Subotić went to South Africa, but only started a single
game. Bosnia and Herzegovina advanced to the UEFA second round
qualifying playoff, where they lost to Portugal. Vedad Ibišević played
in both legs. Brede Hangeland was the captain of the Norwegian national
team, but Norway did not qualify for the World Cup Finals. They were
the only second place team in the group stage that were eliminated.
Goalkeepers
-- Eddie
Gustafsson who was born in the United States played 10 times for Sweden
between 2000 and 2010. In 2010, he played once for Sweden. The United
States did not need him for this World Cup Finals. I am happy with the
three existing goalkeepers.
-- Brad Guzan only played 10 games for Aston
Villa in the 2009-2010 season, but none of them was in the
Premier league. He was an understudy to Brad Friedel who was their
starter. Friedel had retired from the national team since 2010. I had
no intention of bringing him back. I did not need him and altered the
goalkeeper position when I had Tim Howard.
--
Marcus Hahnemann only joined Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer of
2019. He beat out starter Wayne Hennessey half way through the season.
He remained first choice keeper for the remainder of the season, helping
the club attain survival. His form ranked him as "the Best Goalkeeper
in the World" using the Castrol Performance Index system, helping earn
him a one-year contract extension.
Defenders
-- Neven
Subotić was 21 in 2010, but had established himself as a star defender
for Borussia Dortmund. In the 2009–10 Bundesliga season, Subotić was
one of only four players in the entire league to play every minute of
every league match. He also went to the actual World Cup Finals playing
two games for Serbia. Neven Subotić has represented the US at youth
level. So his citizenship was not an issue in 2010.
-- Brede Hangeland was born in Houston, Texas, but his Norwegian family moved back to Norway. In 2010, he was a key player as Fulham reached the UEFA Europa Cup Final, playing alongside Clint Dempsey. He turned 29 in June, 2010. He was the club's third in appearance that season. He was eligible for the US through his birth rights. If the USSF got to him before he was cap-tied to Norway, he would have helped the US national team. In real life, he was capped 91 times, 48 of them as captain. He earned "honourable mention on my All-Time Team for Norway.
-- Brede Hangeland and Neven Subotić would replace Jay DeMerit and Clarence Goodson. DeMerit was playing for Watford of the EFL Championship in 2010, and Goodson was ironically playing club football for IK Smart in Norway.
-- In the 2009-2010 season, Oguchi Onyewu was not playing much for AC Milan, but I would have take him over Jay DeMerit to South Africa because he was still rated as among the best American centerbacks at the time. If I were the coach I would have gambled on him. However, I would not be surprised if Coach Bradley took DeMerit to the World Cup Finals in Onyewu's place. In the actual World Cup Finals, I thought DeMerit outperformed Onyewu.
-- In the real world, Fabian Johnson did not become eligible to play for the USA until 2011. In our imaginary world, he got his paper work ready by 2010. In 2009, Johnson was a starter for Germany's Under 21 team as they won the UEFA European Championship. That team was widely considered to be the greatest Under-21 European champion. Manuel Neuer, Mats Hummels, Jérôme Boateng, Sami Khedira and Mesut Özil all played in the World Cup Finals in 2010 for Germany. However, the starting left back for the USA in 2010 was the US captain Carlos Bocanegra. Meanwhile, Jonathan Bornstein was of one of Coach Bob Bradley's most frequently used players before the WC Finals. So Johnson probably would not unseat the two players. However, I decided to take Johnson over DaMarcus Beasley.
-- Brede Hangeland was born in Houston, Texas, but his Norwegian family moved back to Norway. In 2010, he was a key player as Fulham reached the UEFA Europa Cup Final, playing alongside Clint Dempsey. He turned 29 in June, 2010. He was the club's third in appearance that season. He was eligible for the US through his birth rights. If the USSF got to him before he was cap-tied to Norway, he would have helped the US national team. In real life, he was capped 91 times, 48 of them as captain. He earned "honourable mention on my All-Time Team for Norway.
-- Brede Hangeland and Neven Subotić would replace Jay DeMerit and Clarence Goodson. DeMerit was playing for Watford of the EFL Championship in 2010, and Goodson was ironically playing club football for IK Smart in Norway.
-- In the 2009-2010 season, Oguchi Onyewu was not playing much for AC Milan, but I would have take him over Jay DeMerit to South Africa because he was still rated as among the best American centerbacks at the time. If I were the coach I would have gambled on him. However, I would not be surprised if Coach Bradley took DeMerit to the World Cup Finals in Onyewu's place. In the actual World Cup Finals, I thought DeMerit outperformed Onyewu.
-- In the real world, Fabian Johnson did not become eligible to play for the USA until 2011. In our imaginary world, he got his paper work ready by 2010. In 2009, Johnson was a starter for Germany's Under 21 team as they won the UEFA European Championship. That team was widely considered to be the greatest Under-21 European champion. Manuel Neuer, Mats Hummels, Jérôme Boateng, Sami Khedira and Mesut Özil all played in the World Cup Finals in 2010 for Germany. However, the starting left back for the USA in 2010 was the US captain Carlos Bocanegra. Meanwhile, Jonathan Bornstein was of one of Coach Bob Bradley's most frequently used players before the WC Finals. So Johnson probably would not unseat the two players. However, I decided to take Johnson over DaMarcus Beasley.
--
DaMarcus Beasley (winger) was struggling with Rangers that season (see
below). If Coach Bradley had a very good alternative, Beasley might
have been dropped. I moved Bocanegra to the central defender his
natural position.
 |
| Fabian Johnson |
-- Christian
Fuchs is a also a left back. He was capped-tied to Austria since 2006.
He has family living in the United States, but his American connection
was not strong enough. I doubt that he would ever play for the US. He
is not considered for this blog.
-- Ramiro Funes Mori had not made his professional debut. His brother already did. Please see below for more details.
-- Gōtoku Sakai of Japan was born in New York. In 2010, he was only playing for Japan Under-20 team.
Midfielders/Wingers
-- Michael Bradley is the son of US head coach Bob Bradley. He was playing for Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2010.
-- Pachuca
won the title with a 1–0 home win against compatriots Cruz Azul in the
second leg of the CONCACAF Champions' League final in April. Jose
Francisco Torres played in both legs. He also played well in a friendly
match against Turkey for the USMNT right before the World Cup Finals.
--
Jermaine Jones had declared his eligibility for the USMNT in 2009. He
even joined the US camp in March, 2010, but an injury prevented him from
joining the team at the World Cup Finals. Jones was 29 in 2010 at his
prime. He would have made the team in South Africa if he was injury
free.
--
With the inclusion of Jones, I needed a single midfielder. Coach Bob
Bradley used Stuart Holden, Benny Feilhaber and Ricardo Clark
frequently throughout 2009 and right before the World Cup Finals.
Maurice Edu played well at the World Cup Finals. However, he was seldom
used during the World Cup qualifiers. Coach Bradley would not have
known about his performance in the World Cup Finals before he went to
South Africa. I assumed that he would be the most likely player to be
dropped before the World Cup Finals based on the number of his
appearance.
--Stuart
Holden only joined Bolton Wanderers that January after he was named to
Major League Soccer All-Star team and MLS Best XI in 2009. He was also
named in the Team of the Tournament in Gold Cup in 2009.
-- Ricardo Clark also left MLS after the 2009 season. He joined Eintracht Frankfrut.
--
Clint Dempsey could operate as a winger. On May 12, he replaced Bobby
Zamora in the 55th minute of the 2010 UEFA Europa League Final, thus
making history in becoming the first ever American to appear in a major
European final.
 |
| Clint Dempsey |
--
During the 2009–10 season, DaMarcus Beasley saw little playing time
with Glasgow Ranger. He seek for a transfer to increase his chance
with the 2010 World Cup team. In real life, he stayed in Ranger, and
made the World Cup team despite not playing much. This period of his
career was dark. He did not feature much until the next World Cup
qualification in 2013 when he was converted into a left wingback. So I
did not take him.
Forwards
--
Vedad Ibišević scored 12 goals in Bundesliga that season, which made
him one of the top scorers in the league. He would make the US team
ahead of other American forwards. In real life, he came to the United
States in 2001 as a high school student. He was discovered by Paris St
Germain and left for Europe before becoming an American citizen. He never
became qualified to play for the USA. But since he went to the USA in
2001, he would have gotten 9 years to grain his citizenship under a
different situation. I stretched the reality further and added him to
this World Cup team.
I do not believe that he ever considered playing for the USA, but this
is not a real team. He is a hero in his native country. He is a member
of my Bosnia and Herzegovina All-Time team. He was on Bundesliga Team of the Year as well as ESM Team of the Year in the 2008-2009 season.-- Without injuries, Giuseppe Rossi could have became one of the greatest American-born players ever, but injuries had kept him from reaching his potential. In the summer of 2010, he was actually injury free. The season before the World Cup Finals, he starred for Villarreal. Coincidentally, Jozy Altidore was also a player under contract with Villarreal in 2010, but he was on loan to Hull City after failing to make an impact with the team. That season, he only managed to score a single goal. Rossi would be ahead of him in 2010. He is on my Villarreal All-Time team and he is the club's all-time leading scorer.
-- Jozy Altidore, Edison Buddle, Herculez Gomez and Robbie Findley went to South Africa. I needed to drop two of them to make rooms for Giuseppe Rossi and Vedad Ibišević.
-- In 2010, Jozy Altidore was projected to be the future of US Soccer. So I am adding him to the team.
-- Edison Buddle had not played for the USA for 7 years before
the WC Finals, but he was great in the MLS right before the WC Finals. Herculez Gomez's career was actually going downhill even as late as October, 2009 when he was released by Kansas City Wizards. He suddenly experienced a career revival early in 2010 with Puebla in Mexico. Both players seemed to be in form that year. However, Coach Bob Bradley started Robbie Findley in the first two World Cup matches, which probably meant that Coach Bradley had more confidence with Findley than Gomez and Buddle at the beginning of the tournament. So I selected Findley because it would probably be Coach Bradley's idea at the time of the selection.
--
Yura Movsisyan who grew up in the United States chose to play for
Armenia in August, 2010. I did not consider him for this team.
-- Ramiro and Rogelio Funes Mori (Argentina) were twin brothers who moved to the United States in 2001 at age 9. They were star high school players in Texas. In 2010, they were not American citizens. They were reported to be undocumented immigrants, but given that they were in the United States for so long, they might be able to obtain citizenship under an alternative timeline. In 2010, they were 19 years old with River Plate in Argentina. Ramiro had not made his senior debut, but Rogelio was already on the first team. He even featured against Boca Juniors before the 2010 World Cup Finals. He was rated very high in Argentina. So he would have been capped by the United States if he was a citizen and his heart was with the United States. Both brothers went on to represent Argentina. Rogelio became an all-timer with C.F Monterrey. He switched to represent Mexico in 2019. However, I decided not to take them for now.
-- Ramiro and Rogelio Funes Mori (Argentina) were twin brothers who moved to the United States in 2001 at age 9. They were star high school players in Texas. In 2010, they were not American citizens. They were reported to be undocumented immigrants, but given that they were in the United States for so long, they might be able to obtain citizenship under an alternative timeline. In 2010, they were 19 years old with River Plate in Argentina. Ramiro had not made his senior debut, but Rogelio was already on the first team. He even featured against Boca Juniors before the 2010 World Cup Finals. He was rated very high in Argentina. So he would have been capped by the United States if he was a citizen and his heart was with the United States. Both brothers went on to represent Argentina. Rogelio became an all-timer with C.F Monterrey. He switched to represent Mexico in 2019. However, I decided not to take them for now.
 |
| USA Vs Ghana World Cup 2010 |
The formation is based upon the one used by Coach Bob Bradley against England on the first match in South Africa. Carlos Bocanegra was used as a leftback on that match. All six of my original starters also started for my all-team for the USA. They are all their prime. Five of the additional players made my starting lineup. In 2010, Brede Hangeland and Neven Subotić had better club careers than the original starting centerbacks.
Formation
The formation is based upon the one used by Coach Bob Bradley against England on the first match in South Africa. Carlos Bocanegra was used as a leftback on that match. All six of my original starters also started for my all-team for the USA. They are all their prime. Five of the additional players made my starting lineup. In 2010, Brede Hangeland and Neven Subotić had better club careers than the original starting centerbacks.
No comments:
Post a Comment