Robbie Findleyhas been called into action with US National team again for the upcoming friendly against Brazil. The match will take place next Tues at Meadowlands at 6 PM, but Findley will still be available for selection in Saturday’s MLS match at Kansas City and next Wednesday at Philly.
Archive for category Robbie Findley
Forward Effectiveness
Jul 30
So the question often comes up – who is the most effective forward? This year, the question revolves around Fabian Espindola, Robbie Findley, and Alvaro Saborio.
The first problem is what constitutes an effective forward? Is it simply one who scores at a high frequency? Many would say yes. Is it one who makes those around him better? If so, how do you measure that? Do intangibles come into play? If so, what are they?
Some believe that you need to look at how many shots a player requires to score. Others thing that you have to look at how a forward helps the team in possession.
D-day. Tonight’s match against the Czech Republic will likely reveal Robbie Findley’s fate and the fate of the others on the bubble for the World Cup roster.
Bob Bradley has chosen to carry a 23-man roster into tonights match, and the 7 players left off of that will likely be a telling sign. Some of them may be sure bet’s to make the roster, and there absence from the lineup will either be precautionary, to give them a rest, or just because Bradley wants to give other guys looks. However, for those on the bubble, including Findley, being left off the roster will be a sign of the end of the line.
And making the roster doesn’t ensure that you’ll make the roster. In fact, for those on the bubble a good showing tonight is imperative. If for instance, Bradley leaves 4 “sure thing” players off the roster tonight, then that means that 4 bubble players who are in the mix will need to be cut. The key is to outshine the other bubble players that you are participating against.
Of course when it comes to Findley, the key is at the forward spot. Jozy Altidore, Brian Ching, Edson Buddle, Eddie Johnson, and Herculez Gomez will all be vying for that position.
Altidore is a definite because he is the US centerpiece at that spot. Buddle is a likely because of his recent form. I’m hearing that Gomez is having a great camp, and he showed good form this season. Although, he’s still getting back to full speed after the hamstring injury, I would also assume that Ching has the inside track. And Johnson appeared to be coming into form, but came into camp with an injury.
We here at KIR have learned that Robbie Findley has been officially invited to the pre-World Cup camp being hosted by coach Bob Bradley. His name will be one of the 30 names announced later today. This is another important step for him if he hopes to make the 23 man roster for the World Cup this June. For a full list of invited players see below;
Robbie Findley’s Chances
Apr 22
With less than a couple of weeks before Bob Bradley is expected to call his 30 choices into camp, what are your thoughts about Findley’s chances of getting the invite?
Before the season, I assumed that he was very likely to be called into camp, but his shot at the final WC roster was a long one. However, this season has not been very kind to him. First, RSL has focused early in the season on trying to integrate Saborio into the lineup, with Findley often on the short end of the roster selection. Second, although he has registered two assists, he has failed to put one in the back of the net. Meanwhile it seems that every other option at forward has been en fuego. Here is the rundown:
Some RSL Tidbits
Mar 27
These aren’t related to First Kick, which is just hours away now, but I thought you may be interested in these RSL tidbits anyway:
Saborio
- I understand that there is a buyout clause in Saborio’s loan agreement, but the purchase price is substantial.
- The team feels that Saborio will be a good fit (unlike Escalada, Deuchar) because he likes the combination play, and puts in work on both sides of the field.
- RSL first signed a discovery on Saborio about 18 months ago, but at the time he was just too expensive. His struggles at Bristol may have proven to be a good thing for RSL’s ability to bring him on board.
Real Salt Lake teammates Robbie Findley and Kyle Beckerman were both given the nod in tonight’s friendly match
between the US and Honduras in Carson, California. The pair had decent, but not spectacular performances, while the team as a whole had a miserable outing against their CONCACAF nemesis.
Findley did little in the first half, but helped to create some dangerous moments late in the match including drawing a free kick from just outside of the penalty area, and providing a perfect opportunity to Conor Casey via a headed pass. Unfortunately Casey’s shot went wide to the right. The team really failed to use the speed of both Findley and Jeff Cunningham who started up top alongside each other. Both were playing well back toward the midfield line, with a number of defenders behind them.
Beckerman on the other hand played fairly well throughout. It took him a few minutes to get his rhythm, but he soon began to spread the ball around the field, and had good composure on the ball. Prior to being yanked midway through the second half, Beckerman also managed a shot from 25 yards out. He had plenty of space, but didn’t strike well and it didn’t have the pace to challenge the keeper.
It’s no secret that Robbie Findley has considered a jump to Europe. At the beginning of last year came the surprise announcement that Findley was training with Brondby in Denmark. Many questions were raised of what that might portend for his future. However, it’s all coming into focus now.
Findley is currently participating in camp with the US national team. The team has a match coming up tomorrow night against Honduras.
Although he has plenty of experience with the US youth, he has only seen a single minute of senior team experience and has clearly been on the fringes at best. However, this World Cup year may prove to be a big one for him, as Allen Ramsey with Goal.com puts it,
Robbie Findley is one of those right-place, right-time players. He may be the most ready-made replacement for Charlie Davies, from an athletic standpoint at least, and the truth of the matter is that the U.S. relies on speed and the counterattack to break down quality opponents.
Findley and Beckerman were expected, but the Rimando invite caught me a little off guard (although much deserved in my opinion). Here is the presser:
BRADLEY CALLS 30 PLAYERS TO BEGIN TRAINING CAMP ON JAN. 4 AT THE HOME DEPOT CENTER IN CARSON, CALIF.
First Training Camp in 2010 Marks Beginning of 2010 FIFA World Cup Preparations; Camp to Culminate in Match against Honduras on Jan. 23 Live on FSC and Galavision
CHICAGO (Dec. 22, 2009) — U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bob Bradley has named 30 players to the training camp roster that will begin gathering Jan. 4 at U.S. Soccer’s National Training Center at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The group will prepare for the USA’s first match of 2010, a friendly against fellow FIFA World Cup finalists Honduras on Jan. 23 at The Home Depot Center. The match will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel and Galavision beginning at 6 p.m. PT. Fans can also follow the game live via ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker.
“This is the start of six months of preparations for the World Cup, and it is important that we get started off heading in the right direction,” said Bradley, who led the U.S. to first place in CONCACAF qualifying. “We have had the chance to work with many of these players through their time with the national team, while others performed well for their clubs throughout last season and have earned this opportunity. We are continuing to evaluate the player pool as we move towards finalizing our roster for this summer.”
The annual camp held in January for players in their offseason is a largely domestic-based group that includes 25 players who ply their trade in the United States. Major League Soccer is well represented, with 13 of 16 clubs contributing players to the Carson camp. The roster boasts several year-end award winners, including MLS Goalkeeper of the Year (Zach Thornton), Visa Defender of the Year (Chad Marshall), Budweiser Golden Boot Winner (Jeff Cunningham) and Gatorade Rookie of the Year (Omar Gonzalez). Chivas USA supply a team-leading four players to the roster, led by defender Jonathan Bornstein, whose game-tying goal in the closing moments of the USA’s 2-2 draw against Costa Rica secured the top spot in final round qualifying while guaranteeing Honduras’ place in the World Cup. MLS Cup champion Real Salt Lake send three players, along with Columbus Crew and FC Dallas.
A total of 15 players headed to Carson earned at least one cap in 2009 with the full team. Nine players – Kyle Beckerman, Jimmy Conrad, Brad Evans, Benny Feilhaber, Clarence Goodson, Marshall, Heath Pearce, Troy Perkins and Robbie Rogers – were part of the squad that reached the finals of the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Beckerman, Goodson and Rogers all netted their first international goals in that tournament, with Goodson depositing the game-winner in the semifinal against Honduras. Meantime, MLS Best XI striker Conor Casey potted his first two goals for the full team in fine fashion, pulling the U.S. level on Oct. 10 in Honduras before Landon Donovan’s game-winner secured the team’s ticket to South Africa. Cunningham’s first goal in 12 tries for the full team also marked the last of 43 goals scored by the U.S. in 2009, the FC Dallas attacker tallying the lone strike in the 3-1 loss on Nov. 18 to Denmark.
Feilhaber is the leading capwinner with 30 appearances, the midfielder having started in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup final against Brazil. Pearce stands second in line with 28 caps, including nine starts in the successful World Cup qualifying campaign. At the other end of the experience spectrum, there are 23 players on the roster with 10 caps or less, and nine will be in search of their first-ever appearance with the full team.
There are five Scandinavian-based players joining the group in Carson. In addition to Feilhaber and Goodson, Valerenga goalkeeper Troy Perkins returns to the fold having earned his first six caps during the USA’s run to the 2009 Gold Cup final. Aalborg striker Marcus Tracy and Örebro SK midfielder Alejandro Bedoya will make their first appearances in a camp with the full team.
Following the Honduras match, the United States will play third-ranked Netherlands on March 3 in Amsterdam, allowing the U.S. to face one of the top teams in the world prior to the start of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Kickoff at the Amsterdam ArenA is set for 8:30 p.m. local time (2:30 p.m. ET), and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and Galavision. Fans can also follow along on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker.
The U.S. Men’s National Team has been drawn into Group C with England, Slovenia and Algeria for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The U.S. will open its sixth consecutive World Cup finals tournament against England on June 12 in Rustenburg, and will follow that game with matches against Slovenia on June 18 in Johannesburg and Algeria on June 23 in Tshwane/Pretoria.
ROSTER BY POSITION – Detailed Roster
GOALKEEPERS (4): Kevin Hartman (Kansas City), Troy Perkins (Valerenga), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake), Zach Thornton (Chivas USA)
DEFENDERS (8): Kevin Alston (New England Revolution), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Omar Gonzalez (Los Angeles Galaxy), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)
MIDFIELDERS (12): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Örebro), Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders), Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Jeff Larentowicz (New England Revolution), Dax McCarty (FC Dallas), Chris Pontius (D.C. United), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)
FORWARDS (6): Justin Braun (Chivas USA), Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids), Jeff Cunningham (FC Dallas), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake), Brandon McDonald (San Jose Earthquakes), Marcus Tracy (Aalborg)
RSL related news
Dec 1
Three RSL players go under the knife. Did they have a Tuesday 3-for-1 discount at Salt Lake Regional?
“That’s what RSL is facing today, as three of its starters are expected to have knee surgery at the Salt Lake Regional Medical Center. Midfielder Javier Morales, defender Jamison Olave and forward Fabian Espindola all are scheduled for repairs on their injuries — though a team spokesman said all are expected to be ready for the start of next season.” SL Trib Blog/Michael C. Lewis
RSL working on contract renewals for 2 of their top players.
“Two of the best players on the team, Findley and Beckerman are entering the final year of their contracts, and will be able to negotiate with other teams starting in June if they do not sign extensions or new deals. That’s what forward Yura Movsisyan did last season, ultimately leaving to join Randers FC in Denmark.” Salt Lake Tribune/Michael C. Lewis
RSL assistant coach in demand.
“Add RSL assistant Robin Fraser and at least two Europeans to long list of #DCU coaching candidates” Soccer Insider (Steven Goff) Twitter
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