:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/12603381/160351924.0.jpg)
The Dynamo announced this year's Charities Cup game would be held against Stoke City on July 24. The same July 24 the Gold Cup semifinals are set to take place at Cowboy Stadium in Arlington. While you never know what is going to happen in a competition, one would hope that the US Men's National Team is in the semifinals.
Players are always asked the age old question of club or country. Well, now fans are forced to ask that of themselves. The Gold Cup semis are set to take place at Cowboys Stadium, while not in Houston it is certainly close enough to pull in fans from Houston. We all know there are certain hardcore fans who never miss National team games even if it is a 'meaningless' Gold Cup, but the chance for fans to see the USMNT play in the semis who might not have the chance to go to a World Cup Qualifier may have fans siding with their country. The fact that some Dynamo players may be playing the Gold Cup makes it even easier to choose country. You also never know who might end up on the exact roster for the game but with the preliminary roster now out it looks like it will feature some Dynamo players.
The Houston Dynamo have the most players listed on the roster (especially when you include Stuart Holden, and I do)- Corey Alan Ashe, William Christopher Bruin, Bradley Joseph Davis and Talmon Henry Hall, and as I mentioned Stuart Alistar Holden. If all four players were to end up gone at camp our already thin front line gets thinner and one of our best defensive weapons would be gone. Not to mention we would be left with our back up goalkeeper Tyler Deric, if Hall was away at camp.
Honduras didn't list Boniek Garcia on its preliminary roster so we may get to keep him over the Gold Cup and the Jamaican National team doesn't have any games going on during that time either. Now in charity games Kinnear has shown a tendency to rotate through his players spreading out the experience of playing against a foreign side but does a diminished player pool cause the game to be even less appealing to fans?
Then of course there is the whole issue of the team being Stoke. But Geoff Cameron isn't listed on the National team roster so he would be in Houston with Stoke.
So what say you? Will you be going to see USMNT or the Dynamo?