This is a crucial time in WC qualifying, it is not the time to bring in untested players (like Alan Gordon) and play mind games with players who have formed the core of your team. And why hasnt JK brought in replacements for Donovan and Shea? The US absolutely has to get 4 points from the next 2 games and anything that detracts from that is stupid. Klinsmann is doing things that do not help in that regard and may hurt. Things you are talking about, like toughening up, etc., are long term issues. We have a short term problem that, if not overcome, makes all the long term issues meaningless for the next 2 years.

Let's be clear here. At this point there is one and only one thing that is important. That is to qualify for the World Cup. If calling up Chandler could help with that, he should have been called up. If Altidore being on the team helps with that, he should have been called in. How many people actually think that Alan Gordon is going to be a vital cog in qualifying? Anyone? Based on reports,JK seems to be more concerned about making points than making the WC. Friendlies are for making points and sending lessons. Yes, you need everyone on the same page, but it doesn't matter much at all if they are sitting at home watching the WC in 2014. The US isn't good enough that it can gamble with its player selections and that appears to be exactly what JK is doing.

It's sure beginning to look that way. If he lets his personal feelings interfere with his role as manager and doing the best for his team, he shouldn't be manager, it's that simple. As for Chandler, the only questions should be: Is he willing, is he good enough and will he be disruptive to the team? If the answers are yes, yes, and no, there should be no question about him being invited. Trying to qualify for the WC is no time to be "sending messages."

This is great news. While it is no guarantee, Dortmund has become one of the top 10 or so teams in Europe now and joining their youth system can only improve his development by exposing him to some of the top youth competition around.

How do you define home grown and star? Dempsey was home grown and is pretty close to a star in the EPL and Donovan is the all time leader in goals for the nats and definitely home grown.

I think it is way to early to write off Gil. RSL has an excellent team and Gil started tonight in an important game against the Galaxy.

Soccer is headed for the big time. Now if only the mainstream press would pay attention. I'm a Galaxy fan and get the LA Times and their coverage of the Galaxy and Chivas USA is pretty pathetic. Much of the time for away games they'll rely on AP for stories of their games, sometimes they don't even report things like US Open cup games. And this is one of the better newspapers in the country, but their sports editor is myopic. This is all too common for US papers.

You must be jealous that only Man U can draw that much in the EPL.

The only issue I see is if Bradley is match fit in time.

For years I have been reading haters who attack Altidore, but those who really know the game recognize his potential. When he was at Hull he was stuck, mostly as a lone striker, on one of the worst teams in EPL history and some people said his lack of production showed that he had no ability. I remember one time he was trapped against the sideline by two defenders, one in front, the other behind. Jozy did a backheel and nutmegged the defender behind him, spun 360 degrees and took his own pass down the field. I've watched thousands of soccer games and can't recall seeing anyone doing that before. I knew then the kid had real talent. Now that talent is showing itself.

I didn't start watching that game until 5 minutes in. Thanks for the info. Bummer.

Luis Suarez went directly from the Dutch League to Liverpool. He's not the only top player who got his start in Europe in Holland and then went on to bigger and better things. It's a good feeder league.

Because of his physicality I think England or Germany would be a better fit.

If he keeps this up he might go in January.

To me he is kind of like Ibrahimovic in that they are both physically imposing target men with good touches. Don't know if Jozy has Ibra's flexibility. He's kind of a poor man's Ibahimovic.

Dempsey is still not hitting on all cylinders, but a goal is a goal and hopefully this will give him confidence to start playing the way he is capable of.

When it comes to fan support, the US used to do very well at RFK in DC. Although not soccer specific and an older stadium, there used to be terrific crowds there. Here's another angle not considered. The US should train at altitude and then hold qualifiers at Dicks Sporting Goods Park outside of Denver. When playing sea level teams like Jamaica, by the last 15 minutes we would have a definite advantage. Also, it would help the US prepare for games at Azteca. Denver also has the advantage of being a hub airport.

Agree with a lot of what White Kix said above. We have good play makers in Feilhaber and Adu. Maybe they don't play defense well enough for Klinsmann? Certainly they have made good things happen in the past. The best bet would be a healthy Stuart Holden as he is a pretty good all around midfielder and excellent passer and crosser. Wish he would recover from his injury. Donovan has the capability to also be a center mid creator, but then you lose his wing play. I think that having that play maker in the middle is what is holding back the US attack. I think Klinsmann has been counting on Torres, but Torres hasn't seized his opportunity like many of us had hoped. He looked good at times, and then disappears other times. I good coach/manager has to adapt to the strengths of the players he has to work with. I think Klinsmann is doing that and that has limited what he can do versus what he wants to do.

O'Brien was absolutely outstanding when he played in the WC for the US, but then he got injured and was never the same. I thought he was better than Reyna ever was. Glad to run into someone who appreciates him.

Great points since I was going to say the same thing and now I don't have to. It is too early to tell.

Im talking about a roster move, not necessarily who starts/plays. You can have Boca, Parkhurst or Goodson, Johnson and Cherundolo in the back if you have to move Cameron to the middle. You have a plethora of choices in the middle--Bradley, Jones, Edu, Williams, plus Donovan on the wing and maybe Dempsey in the mid if you play both Gomez and Altidore up top. Lichaj is the ultimate successor to Cherundolo it seems to me. Im not talking about him starting, but being on the team as a sub or fill-in, especially in case of injury or when you are playing a lot of games in a short time during tournaments.

First, I gotta say how brilliant Ives is because he and I are almost always in agreement. I first saw McCarty playing for a US youth international team--U17 or U20, can't remember which. He was always one of the best players on the pitch and it is good to see him perform so well this season. I think he deserves a look see from Klinsmann. He used to be a playmaker from the middle and did that job well. Now he is outstanding in defense. Both of these talents are wasted if he is on the wing. Ives is 100% right on the money. Since I'm mostly a Galaxy fan, hope Backe continues to make such mistakes during the playoffs, but it is too bad that McCarty's talents are being wasted and he is, in effect, being held back in his development.

Managers often make what seem to be curious, to say the least, player selections. With Bradley it was Bornstein and Ricardo Clark, who have now gone into relative obscurity. With Klinsmann it's Beckerman and ignoring Lichaj and kljestan. Cameron has shown at Stoke that he can play defensive mid, so the solution is obvious: bring in Lichaj and drop Beckerman. If you need to, you can move Cameron to defensive mid, or keep him in the back and you have another good defender in Lichaj available. I thought Lichaj should have been brought in for the Jamaica games since I think he has better speed than anyone else in the back line except for the Germans. He is the logical successor to Cherundolo and anyone starting in the EPL should be good enough for the national team right now.

You're kidding, right? Even though scoreless today, he still has 7 goals in 6 games.