tOfficial General Soccer Thread (2009-2010) season)

[ctspartan]

Originally Posted by RyanNoel

Just wanted to drop in and say thanks for the support for my writing. I don't get paid for it and am just doing it to make sure I get some writing done each day.

I'm glad that some of you enjoy it.

I just put 2 new articles up yesterday:

The Kenny Cooper Conundrum

An American Giant in Athens?



Thanks!!

Ryan Noel

As usual, you hit the nail on the head:

As much as we all love Jozy and are swooning over his future in the Red, White, and Blue shirt – it’s hard to ignore his lack of technical development in the last few years.
With New York, he burst on the MLS scene as a man-child. His speed and size belied his age, and he overcame older veterans with elite physical ability. Defenders were overwhelmed by Jozy’s combination of speed, size, and agility.
I’ve often said that the MLS is a league of athletes, where the fastest and biggest can dominate.

And again:

It’s the technical parts of the game that still elude Altidore, as his first touch and ability to control the ball under pressure are still works in progress.

Dead on. After he scored that goal in the Confed, all the pundits adopted a conspiracy of silence on how technically awful his game was - he hasn't added a thing in two years - in fact he seems to have regressed technically in the past year.

You're the first one to not only highlight this but attempt an explanation. Good work - you should be writing for Soccernet instead of Carlisle and Chang and maybe even Galarcep, who at least does contribute an insight now and then.

[ctspartan]

Originally Posted by Denver Spartanhead

Right now Dempsey is the best US National Team field player both for club and country. No way he doesn't start whenever he wants to. I agree about Casey, he looks old and feeble and is slow as hell. I agree about Ching, I would have to see some good results this year for him to make the roster(although if the WC happened today he would make the squad).

Did you notice the difference in Dempsey's game when he got to one-touch with Donovan and Davies vs when he was all alone with nobody to service or get service from in the previous game (Italy?). When Donovan's on, he's our best player, simply because he plays defense (at least in the last year anyway) like a pit bull, whereas Clint still wanders around a bit without marking. But yeah, offensively Dempsey is our one constant threat.

Anyway, if BB has brain cells (not always a certainty), he'll keep the Demsey/Donovan/Davies combo on the field as much as possible. And get Altidore some one-touch possession coaching asap.

[arfabe16]

Originally Posted by ctspartan

=I honestly question how much the ESPN guys really know about soccer, or whether they've spent any time at all overseas to see how the game is played.

.

FWIW, I worked for ESPN Soccernet for a bit and although I don't really know about their US soccer guys, Dom Raynor (one of their main guys for European football, Champions League, etc.) knows the game better than anyone on this board, and it's not even close.

[Cym Jim]

[sarcyspice]

inter milan and barcelona are negiotion is what could end up being a blockbuster deal...

having already ready agreed to send defender maxwell from inter to barca for 5 million euros, they are now looking at some sort of swap deal, Zlatan Ibrahimovic for Samuel Eto'o and Alexsandr Hleb (and i presume a bit of money)

in other european transfer news... brazilian captain Lucio is going to Inter from Bayern, Stewart Downing goes from Middleborough to Aston Villa for 12 million pounds....but won't play to near xmas because of injury,

but the busiest club in europe transfer wise in the last couple of days may well be deposed french Champs, Lyon, they have signed porto striker Lisandro Lopez for 24 million euros, and lille midfielder Michel Bastos for 18 million euros

[SBSpartan]

Originally Posted by Cym Jim

I second that.

[RyanNoel]

I've got this thread bookmarked and I'll continue to drop in and discuss this stuff with you guys.

If you ever want some new perspectives on the games and such, drop by the "Ape Room" over at Phog.net. I'm a massive Kansas Jayhawk fan and spend most of my free time on that site. There are quite a few knowledgeable soccer guys over there and we have some really long, quality threads on the games, both for club and country.
It's also one of the best "Off-Topic" forums around with a good cross-section of different fans (not just Jayhawks).


Anyways, thanks again for the complementary remarks on the writing.

I don't have any background information on my site, but in case you were wondering (and most people question me on this because I have no initial credibility, etc.):
I grew up as a reasonably good goalkeeper in the south (made a few regional teams, got called into national pool once because of a laundry list of injuries to other keepers - nothing like being 29th on the list!). I had quite a few small D1 offers, but I was also a high-level tennis player and decided to accept a full ride to Troy St. University (in Alabama, I lived in Birmingham) for academics and tennis.

Anyways, I'm a soccer guy through and through and hope I bring some good insight with my writing.

What do you guys expect from the game tomorrow night? I haven't put up my "Back Four" post on the game yet, but here's the lineups I both expect and wish for:
Expect

Ching
Rogers...........Holden........Quaranta
Pause........Beckerman
Pearce....................................Evans
Marshall....Goodson
Perkins

Wish we would see this:

Cooper.......Ching
Holden
Rogers....................Quaranta
Cronin
Pearce...............................Conrad
Marshall......Goodson
Perkins

I'm not sold at all that Brad Evans belongs anywhere near this national team (unlike Ives Galarcep and a few others), so I wouldn't mind if we played a good defender like Conrad out of position, at least for one game.

I'm also a helluva lot higher on Cooper than others (ahem...Ives again), and I'd like to see him get time with a better group than the last game.

I really enjoyed what Sam Cronin brought to the Haiti game, and thought he was pretty underrated by pretty much everyone in the soccer media (except for Greg Seltzer, who for my money is the best soccer media guy there is). He displayed a ton of Makelele-like qualities with his passing to the wings and his poise in the middle. He doesn't quite have the defensive bit of someone like Bradley or Edu, but he's certainly got some vision and range on his passing. Needless to say, I want to see more of him against better competition.


Thoughts?

[SBSpartan]

Originally Posted by RyanNoel

I've got this thread bookmarked and I'll continue to drop in and discuss this stuff with you guys.

If you ever want some new perspectives on the games and such, drop by the "Ape Room" over at Phog.net. I'm a massive Kansas Jayhawk fan and spend most of my free time on that site. There are quite a few knowledgeable soccer guys over there and we have some really long, quality threads on the games, both for club and country.
It's also one of the best "Off-Topic" forums around with a good cross-section of different fans (not just Jayhawks).


Anyways, thanks again for the complementary remarks on the writing.

I don't have any background information on my site, but in case you were wondering (and most people question me on this because I have no initial credibility, etc.):
I grew up as a reasonably good goalkeeper in the south (made a few regional teams, got called into national pool once because of a laundry list of injuries to other keepers - nothing like being 29th on the list!). I had quite a few small D1 offers, but I was also a high-level tennis player and decided to accept a full ride to Troy St. University (in Alabama, I lived in Birmingham) for academics and tennis.

Anyways, I'm a soccer guy through and through and hope I bring some good insight with my writing.

What do you guys expect from the game tomorrow night? I haven't put up my "Back Four" post on the game yet, but here's the lineups I both expect and wish for:
Expect

Ching
Rogers...........Holden........Quaranta
Pause........Beckerman
Pearce....................................Evans
Marshall....Goodson
Perkins

Wish we would see this:

Cooper.......Ching

Holden


Rogers....................Quaranta


Cronin


Pearce...............................Conrad


Marshall......Goodson


Perkins

I'm not sold at all that Brad Evans belongs anywhere near this national team (unlike Ives Galarcep and a few others), so I wouldn't mind if we played a good defender like Conrad out of position, at least for one game.

I'm also a helluva lot higher on Cooper than others (ahem...Ives again), and I'd like to see him get time with a better group than the last game.

I really enjoyed what Sam Cronin brought to the Haiti game, and thought he was pretty underrated by pretty much everyone in the soccer media (except for Greg Seltzer, who for my money is the best soccer media guy there is). He displayed a ton of Makelele-like qualities with his passing to the wings and his poise in the middle. He doesn't quite have the defensive bit of someone like Bradley or Edu, but he's certainly got some vision and range on his passing. Needless to say, I want to see more of him against better competition.

Thoughts?

My thoughts are Evans may not be good enough, but nobody could end up looking worse than Jay "The Human Corkscrew" Heaps. That guy is good for a laugh, and that is about it these days. The only thing missing from his game was someone from Haiti pulling down his shorts before turning him around again.


Eh, Heaps is a decent enough player. He just isn't nearly good enough for the USMNT.

Welcome to the board.

[ctspartan]

Originally Posted by RyanNoel

I've got this thread bookmarked and I'll continue to drop in and discuss this stuff with you guys.

If you ever want some new perspectives on the games and such, drop by the "Ape Room" over at Phog.net. I'm a massive Kansas Jayhawk fan and spend most of my free time on that site. There are quite a few knowledgeable soccer guys over there and we have some really long, quality threads on the games, both for club and country.
It's also one of the best "Off-Topic" forums around with a good cross-section of different fans (not just Jayhawks).


Anyways, thanks again for the complementary remarks on the writing.

I don't have any background information on my site, but in case you were wondering (and most people question me on this because I have no initial credibility, etc.):
I grew up as a reasonably good goalkeeper in the south (made a few regional teams, got called into national pool once because of a laundry list of injuries to other keepers - nothing like being 29th on the list!). I had quite a few small D1 offers, but I was also a high-level tennis player and decided to accept a full ride to Troy St. University (in Alabama, I lived in Birmingham) for academics and tennis.

Anyways, I'm a soccer guy through and through and hope I bring some good insight with my writing.

What do you guys expect from the game tomorrow night? I haven't put up my "Back Four" post on the game yet, but here's the lineups I both expect and wish for:
Expect

Ching
Rogers...........Holden........Quaranta
Pause........Beckerman
Pearce....................................Evans
Marshall....Goodson
Perkins

Wish we would see this:

Cooper.......Ching
Holden
Rogers....................Quaranta
Cronin
Pearce...............................Conrad
Marshall......Goodson
Perkins

I'm not sold at all that Brad Evans belongs anywhere near this national team (unlike Ives Galarcep and a few others), so I wouldn't mind if we played a good defender like Conrad out of position, at least for one game.

I'm also a helluva lot higher on Cooper than others (ahem...Ives again), and I'd like to see him get time with a better group than the last game.

I really enjoyed what Sam Cronin brought to the Haiti game, and thought he was pretty underrated by pretty much everyone in the soccer media (except for Greg Seltzer, who for my money is the best soccer media guy there is). He displayed a ton of Makelele-like qualities with his passing to the wings and his poise in the middle. He doesn't quite have the defensive bit of someone like Bradley or Edu, but he's certainly got some vision and range on his passing. Needless to say, I want to see more of him against better competition.


Thoughts?

I agree with your pairing of Cooper and Ching. I absolutely HATE the lone striker formations; they never work, and we should be working on our buildups in these free games, not doing long-ball. Putting Holden behind Cooper and Ching is a good combo.

I also agree that Beckerman and Evans shouldn't be on the field. I haven't seen enough of Cronin to make any judgments yet, but your posts have alerted me to watch him closely in the future.

Good stuff, and thanks for posting.

[Servo]

Originally Posted by Cym Jim

Just keep reminding yourself.... only 3 more weeks until the Football League starts and 4 weeks for the Premiership

[sarcyspice]

Originally Posted by sarcyspice

inter milan and barcelona are negiotion is what could end up being a blockbuster deal...

having already ready agreed to send defender maxwell from inter to barca for 5 million euros, they are now looking at some sort of swap deal, Zlatan Ibrahimovic for Samuel Eto'o and Alexsandr Hleb (and i presume a bit of money)

deal done.... Ibrahimovic moving to from inter to barca in exchange for Eto'o, Hleb on a seasons long loan and 40 million euro's

[SpartanGop]

If everything goes as planned, this is a smart deal for Inter.

Barça-Inter, accordo per Ibra - La Gazzetta dello Sport: Calcio

channel4.com - Football Italia

Ibra has never delivered on a European stage. While he was great in Serie A, Inter are obsessed with success in Europe (as they should be). Eto'o and Hleb only help out a little bit. Inter already bought Diego Milito at the beginning of the summer and will have an interesting time trying to field both he and Samu. Still, Eto'o is a great goal scorer. Hleb is only marginally useful because he doesn't seem to fit Inter's style and just isn't that good. The real deal is the extra money they get that they should reinvest in a top creative/attacking midfielder. I would go for someone like Fabregas if I were them.

[Cym Jim]

Originally Posted by Servo

Just keep reminding yourself.... only 3 more weeks until the Football League starts and 4 weeks for the Premiership

I don't know if I can make it!

[arfabe16]

Ibrahimovic for Eto'o, Hleb, AND 45 million?

That's a bit ridiculous, and a horrible trade on Barca's part.

Eto'o is already a world-class striker.

[RyanNoel]

Originally Posted by Heathens '87

Given where Conrad is in his career, I'm not sure what there is to gain in playing him out of position as the hope is he's the veteran who anchors that backline in such a game. I'm not sold on Evans either, but he's been reasonably solid in this tournament and deserves his shot at the field over Goodson, and certainly over Heaps. Plus, I think we'll need Conrad in the middle to control Perez, who's the main threat for Panama. Let Jimmy man-mark Perez, keep Chad at home, and hope Evans and Pearce can join in the attack.

At this point, we're not looking to the future with these games\lineups. Let's just win and get out of this tournament. Others are sold on Evans, I'm absolutely not. He looked to me to be the classic case of a solid MLS play who will never be more than that.
As a soccer philosopher, I'm a believer in getting your best players on the field if you can, and as such I think the coach needs to be flexible in his choices. That's why I say let Conrad play RB and keep him home, cementing somewhat of a 3-man backline, while giving Pearce more freedom. The 3 centerbacks at the back then give you some flexibility to play a more attacking player in the middle, rather than the double-holding-mid formation that Bradley prefers.
Conrad isn't an ideal option at right back, but I still think he's better there than Evans.

As for Cooper, everyone is high on that potential. Somehow though, he just doesn't seem to do much with it. I think he tends to be a bit selfish, and that's a hard fit for a NT, much less a Bob Bradley NT. He deserves to see the pitch in this game, and for the sake of our program, let's hope he begins to translate his skill-set into NT performance. Taylor Twellman, Part Two is no way to go through life.
I think Cooper has suffered from a few different issues, but mainly I don't think Bradley likes him. It happens and Coaches certainly play favorites all across the world.
In Cooper's case, it's going to take him going overseas and blowing up in a foreign league before Bradley gives him the time of day.
He's got skill and striking talent, moreso than anyone on our team I believe. But, I also think he's more of a true #9 than anyone (other than maybe Jozy), and as such is much more reliant on team play that someone like Charlie Davies or Brian Ching (who just posts up for long balls).
When you get Cooper up top with a disjointed team behind him, he's bound to look ineffective as he did against Haiti.
I'd like to see us give Cooper a good start alongside Jozy in a qualifier with as close to the "A" team as we can get, and that would likely be a better indicator of what he can do.
Too many people are flying off the handle in either direction after his performances, when in fact he's only seen the field 6 times and never for a full game.

And Cronin should see time against Panama, but not as a starter, and certainly not over Beckerman. Kyle has had a solid tournament and played his way up on the depth chart. Too bad he's at such a deep position (Clark, Edu, Jones, etc.).

Cronin has looked solid, but runs the risk of a "too much, too soon" kind of game. Plus Beckerman is more of a true d-mid, so that lessens some of the defensive responsibilities of Rogers and Holden, who we'll need in the attack.
I think Cronin can develop into a solid defender, but I think he needs to get out of MLS to do so. A league like Belgium, Holland, or Greece would be good for him (particularly Belgium or Holland), where he could learn to be a singular holding player that has to defend, rather than relying on a defensive partner.
His skill level is pretty high, though, as he shows a pretty good understanding of how he's supposed to play from that area of the pitch. He never seemed to be rushed, and was perfectly content to orchestrate the action by playing his wingbacks into the game. That's exactly how a Makelele-like player should play.
He's young and talented, but it's a bit unfortunate that he's also in the deepest USMNT position. Guys like Edu, Bradley, Torres, etc are going to be ahead of him on the depth chart for a while.

On Beckerman - I'm a fan of his to a certain extent. He plays hard and is a good defender, but he's got a bit too much "Mastroeni" in him, in that he makes a few too many reckless decisions. He's also displayed terrible touch (especially his 1st touch), but makes up for it with some good passes and what appears to be a good ability to get a strike off from distance.
The biggest issue I have with him is I think he's maxed out his potential and what we see is the only thing we're ever going to get.

Logan Pause - Just not sure what Bradley saw in this guy. He's been good in MLS, but even fans of his team were questioning the call-up.

So Evans and Beckerman over Goodson and Cronin IMO. And yes, we're way down on the depth chart when we're having such a discussion. If these names are part of a conversation next June, we're in deep trouble in South Africa.......
I think you're undervaluing Goodson a bit, who is just a solid central player. He's not quite as risky as Marshall is, but he also doesn't make the glaring mistakes. He's good in the air and makes up for his lack of speed with a great awareness and ability to read the game.
I actually wouldn't mind seeing him paired with Marshall ahead of Conrad.

[RyanNoel]

Originally Posted by Heathens '87

Ryan, first, welcome to the board. Nice to have another intelligent and informed soccer voice around.

Now, to your points. Given what you've said, I think you might be falling into the trap of not appreciating what MLS can and is doing for the national team. There is a tendency among the more Euro-centric crowd that a player can only elevate their game by leaving the US. For some players at a certain point in their career, this may be true. But for others, regular time with a team trumps any such gains in going abroad.

In this sense, I think you're over-valuing a Clarence Goodson simply because he plays in Norway. At 27, Goodson is what he is, and Norway isn't exactly a step-up from MLS. Cronin has a lot to learn and the level and playing time available to him in MLS is ideal for a 22-year old American. Brad Evans may be "a solid MLS player and nothing more", but he's just two years out of college, has played with our U-20 side, and his play in MLS has certainly earned him some attention. I'd argue his upside is far greater than Goodson, although not as much as Cronin.
With guys like Evans and Goodson, their upside was always going to be limited, regardless of where they played their professional ball. I think Evans is a fine MLS player, but I just don't see much to indicate he can improve much from where he is, be it in MLS or the Tippeligaen.
With Evans, he has a decent skill level, but I think we're seeing that he doesn't have a particular position at the international level. Sure, he can fit in anywhere on the right side and play in the middle, but I don't see anything from him that indicates he'll be more than serviceable at any position.
Goodson is much of the same, only in an older body that Evans. I like Goodson and I think he's a solid center-half, but he has also maxed out his potential.

Your comments on Cronin, Cooper, Goodson, Beckerman, Pause, etc. all seem to indicate a "get out of MLS and you'll get better" attitude. The right situation, the right league, at the right time, for the right player, and that's true. But there are just as many Americans who've joined the wrong league, the wrong club, went at the wrong time, etc. and hurt their careers.
I certainly don't think it's a blanket "Get out of MLS" feeling for me. With some guys, I think their skill-sets are better served by moving abroad.
A guy like Cronin would do well to get to a league that can teach him to defend his position better, as well as get better coaching. I know everyone loves to jump to the defense of MLS' competition level, but not many people talk too much about the level of coaching staffs, which is still fairly big step down from most European squads (at least in the upper levels).
I think we've seen Cooper do all that he can in MLS, and it's time for him to seek out better competition. He could evolve as a player with FC Dallas, but it's just not likely.
Guys like Goodson, Beckerman, and Pause aren't going to improve any differently abroad than they are in the states, as they just don't have the natural potential to do so. It has nothing to do with who they play for, and more with the type of skills they possess and the type of athleticism they have.

But attempting to evaluate the value of a national team player and what they can do for the team by their club level is a bit of a trap. You missed my argument that Gooch is "world class," only to be told that he can't be because of his club status. Then he signed with AC Milan and suddenly that statement looks a whole lot more true. But Gooch didn't suddenly get better because of that contract. His continued improvement depends on what happens now.
That's an interesting argument, but I'd counter that it's usually one that's exclusive to fans and pundits.
Onyewu, for instance, was widely respected across Europe by teammates and opponents alike, and even some well-known coaches (Mourinho, for one).
Personally, I think the values a player adds to a national team is a much different animal than judging their club worth, simply because the international game is different than the club game.

And while MLS serves a developmental purpose for many American players, viewing it as a merely a development league, a stepping stone to Europe, can also miss the point.....

I think this fall-back position that MLS isn't just a developmental league is used a bit too often by MLS apologists\defenders. It's not a bad thing to develop young players and sell them on, and MLS as a league is too young to be concerned with their perception globally in this manner. Yes, it'd be nice if MLS could develop its own national team's prospects and keep them here, but it's an unrealistic notion at this point in time. Maybe 15-20 years, but not now. And again, that shouldn't be construed as a bad thing.
In fact, I've often wondered why MLS decided not to embrace the idea that they can develop talent and sell it on. Frankly, it's a better business structure than the current socialist one they employ.
American pride, though, dictates that we "have to be the best, and we have the best the now", and that hurts MLS. Why? Because instead of building a model of strong development, and turning that development into profit, MLS is trying desperately to avoid selling its young talent and trying to buy expensive (oft declining) talents - all because they didn't want the stigma of being a league that "develops young players and sells them".

In all honesty, this would be a much better setup for the USMNT too, as American teams would be focused on youth development and then getting the best for their youthful talents. The player benefits from the attention early on and then gets to continue his development abroad.

As the league ages, it can do quite a few things to begin establishing itself as more than "developmental" league by bringing in its former youngsters (much like Brazil does) and by using some of its profits to buy stars as well.

P.S. I think you're right that Cooper needs to go abroad. He's done what he can do in MLS, and his representatives should be on the hunt for a situation in a higher league for him. And he also needs to realize that the USMNT, especially under Bradley, is about team. Cronin going abroad now would fall into the Edu, Adu, etc. trap and sit on a bench for a better team. Better to play than sit at a younger age, even if that bench is with a better side....

I don't think we'll see Cronin get any attention abroad for at least a year, because he needs to show that he can be consistently good in MLS first. When he does, he won't get a ton of attention because he's not a commonly used US national, limiting his ability to get work permits in the bigger countries. I'd guess he'll end up in mid-level league over in Europe after WC 2010.
Cooper's problem is that he should have gone to Cardiff last year, but Dallas blocked the move. Bristol City is interested right now, and I think his reps are all over it. I think he realizes his best shot at getting more caps under Bradley is to move to a bigger league.

[ctspartan]

Ryan and Heathens, great material. You're both right in certain ways. To me, Ryan put his finger on it in one of his blogs. The MLS seems to have evolved into a league that promotes athleticism and counter-attacking at the expense of possession, fitness and patient attacks. That's why MLS guys going up against world-class opponents have lousy first touches and have poor marking skills, two hallmarks of BB's teams.

Norway might be no better than MLS, but I believe any Euro, South American or African team would lend an emphasis on possession, fitness, marking and tackling that MLS seems not to provide. The athleticism and open-field skills of the MLS is not in question, but the kind of habits necessary to take the USMNT to the next level are not being developed.

You might qualify for the WC with long-ball, but you'll never come close to winning anything.

[Servo]

Reasonably entertaining first half between Seattle and Chelsea, decent atmosphere. Seattle desperately could use someone to finish off the chances they created

[RyanNoel]

The support for Seattle is really, really good. I wouldn't mind it at all if the US elected to play most of their games in front of those fans. Sure would be a lot better than the pro-Latin crowds across the rest of the country.


Also, it'd be nice if our political system allowed for us to naturalize Montero in quick fashion. Kid is a stud.

[baltosparty]

Honduras defeats Canada 1-0 in the first Gold Cup quarterfinal.

Questionable PK led to Honduras goal. Canada pushed hard for the equalizer late. Lots of corner kicks won but the Canuck who took the corners was brutal.



...Its a pretty slow Saturday when you sit around and watch, then comment on, Canada-Honduras

[RyanNoel]

Weak lineup tonight:
-------------Perkins------------
----Marshall---Conrad-------
Heaps------------------Pearce
-----Beckerman--Pause----
Holden------------------Rogers
--------Ching----Arnaud--------

[baltosparty]

Anybody know of a good stream?

Sorry to be that guy...but I haven't been forced to stream a USMNT match in quite a while. Who knows whats available on the interwebs in the days since then?


Edit: Found some great ones on rojadirecta.com

Free headers in 8th and 9th minutes for U.S.
Ching bangs the first of those off the woodwork.

[ancientspartan]

I admit I know little about the team and the format of this Gold Cup tournament, but I don't seem to know many of these players? Is this a junior team or is it being used as a tryout for the World Cup qualifiers?

[AUAlum06]

US in a lot of trouble right now

[arfabe16]

Originally Posted by baltosparty

Anybody know of a good stream?



Edit: Found some great ones on rojadirecta.com

rojadirecta.com is always a safe bet for finding any international soccer match

Originally Posted by ancientspartan

I admit I know little about the team and the format of this Gold Cup tournament, but I don't seem to know many of these players? Is this a junior team or is it being used as a tryout for the World Cup qualifiers?

It's not a junior team, but it's not the "usual" guys. It's more of a US B/C squad out there. USA and Mexico decided to bring B/C teams to this thing to try some players that don't get as much of a chance to play with the national team to see if they're good enough for the qualifiers and the World Cup. The rest of the teams brought their A squads though.