Four Dynamo Get International Call-Ups...But Not Brad Davis
by Zach Woosley on Aug 25, 2011 4:38 PM CDT
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Brad Davis is once again shunned despite leading MLS with 13 assists and having an MVP caliber season. What does this guy have to do to get a national team call-up?
Dynamo Press Release
Four Houston Dynamo players have been called up by their respective national teams for international matches Sept. 2-6, the club announced today. The four players, all of whom also competed in the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup earlier this year, are expected to miss the Dynamo's Sept. 4 friendly against Monterrey at Robertson Stadium.
Defender Andre Hainault will be representing Canada in qualifying matches for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, with Canada hosting St. Lucia on Sept. 2 and playing at Puerto Rico on Sept. 6. Hainault has made 22 career appearances for Canada, scoring twice.
Forward Carlo Costly will rejoin Honduras for friendly matches against Colombia on Sept. 2 in Harrison, N.J., and against Paraguay on Sept. 6 in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Costly, who scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Venezuela on August 10, has scored 20 goals in 49 career appearances for the Catrachos.
Taylor and Watson will play with Jamaica for the first time since the Gold Cup, with the Reggae Boyz set to take on Ecuador in Quito on Sept. 2. Taylor has made 42 appearances for Jamaica, while Watson has made 11.
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Yeah I give up…if ever there was a statement season, this is it and he gets passed over. I know Klinsmann wants to think outside the box and all but I mean really? Its not like this was a fluke season, Davis has been playing top-quality ball for at least a couple of seasons and not a whiff. The only stretch I can see is he wants to try all young players but then again, Donovan is the same age. It just sucks that, if memory serves me correct, he hasn’t had a cap since ‘05 and in the meantime he’s been in his absolute prime.
The only answer I can come up with is that he’s just testing certain people and positions. I mean against Mexico he had the CDM flooded. Klinsmann is smart and I know he’ll take some flak for not choosing some players and for deciding to go with others. I think this is all in the experimental stages, but it should leave Davis fans with their heads scratching a little.
When BB called up Davis before the WC, I thought he was one of the better players on the field and even notched an assist or two, and nearly nailed a free kick. I think Glenn Davis said it best when he said that Brad Davis is a specialty player, he gives up some going back on defense, but the amount he gives in terms of service from set pieces (he is the best American free kick taker in my opinion…no bias though =D ) and how well he moves with the ball (and off the ball) is outstanding. He at least deserves to come off the bench if not start.
Davis for USMNT?
As far as Davis with te national team goes I’m mostly in the train of thought that he should not be called up. It’s not his stats or anything like that. It’s that he’ll be 32 in 2014. However I can say if there are two American outfield players that I think will do fine with aging it’s him and Dempsey. Neither really has a reliance on speed and have shown to be soccer smart. Overall his age is what makes me think this is in the best interest of both parties.
by foreverorange25 on Aug 25, 2011 11:08 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
If I were King for a day...
I’m in favor of more friendlies against lower rung national teams- to develop a B and C Team. These Teams would consist of B+ and C+ players in the lmid to late twenties, youth players getting blooded @ Nat lvl, and then fleshed out with MLS warm bodies.
Objective: create a very deep pool of tested players, to mine for surprises, and to develop those who show promise. Kind of like Bora did preWC 1994 with the Nats. I’d hope this process would unearth 2-3 roster players for the WC 2014 squad and prep some potential 2018 players.
At the least, Davis should get a call up to one of those squads and it would give him a player’s chance to prove himself.
The good, the bad, and the ugly
Good: Impressed with Klinsy’s omission of Bradley and Jones, sending a clear message to get their affairs in order, spots aren’t guaranteed for players who are not even on their club’s roster.
Bad: Castillo, Fiscal, and Torres being called up. Could make the case for Torres, but after last month’s 1st half, ALL THREE? This makes the Davis sleight all the more glaring.
Ugly: Perhaps Juergy hasn’t seen enough of Bradley fave Sacha Kljestan, yet we certainly have. I’m not saying Sacha should be out of the player pool, but I am saying it’s time to look at some new faces.
Kljestan is okay
He either has an awful game or a great one and it’s about a 50-50 shot on which type of game he has.
Davis has stated that he feels like he did when he was younger but now he’s smarter. He absolutely could be a threat next WC. He’s only getting better with age. Plus we’ve seen older players in WCs even starting in WCs (see Blanco for Mexico).
Are we talking club or country
If country, I’d say terrible or so-so. Haven’t seen a great game from him since his Nat scoring explosion. He underimpressed me @ the Gold Cup. His Belgian play far outshines his Nat performances, so if we’re talking club form, I can see the callup. Still, given the bazillion chances he’s had to impress and underwhelmed, I think Davis merits a callup before Sascha.
On the other hand, Klinsy seems to be on the watch for tradional wingers rather than left midfielders. While one may cite Davis’s defensive liabilities @ the Nat lvl, they’re nothing compared to Rogers… but Rogers scored against Mexico and ran into open positions throughout the game.
I'm sure everyone has read the Opta statistics about B. Davis's scoring chances
He leads in number of chances, number of chances on set pieces, number of chances in open play, and number of chances per 90 minutes (every category). Those are MVP caliber numbers.
I hope that he gets a nod soon. He deserves it
To me
those numbers count just as much, if not more, than his “official” assist count because it shows real attempt. It also illustrates his influence on the match, which we know first-hand is just as critical…I could just imagine the kind of chances he could create for other guys on the USMNT roster if given the chance. I truly hope it happens for him soon…
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