Bob Bradley had his many detractors for various reasons but one anti-Bradley sentiment centered on his choice of one player - Jonathan Bornstein.
The 2006 MLS Rookie of the Year did well in his initial call-ups to the national team but overall has had an up-and-down time of it with the United States, mostly down. Perhaps the final straw was Bornstein's performance in the Gold Cup, when he came off the bench against Mexico and was beaten repeatedly in El Tri's 4-2 win.
Now that Bradley is gone, Bornstein is gone too - or so the thinking goes. Thus, Bornstein is not exactly thrilled with the change - again, that's the thinking.
What does Bornstein have to say about this?
Bornstein took part in a press conference in Monterrey, Mexico, where Tigres are preparing for a league fixture against Queretaro and according to published reports had this to say:
"Durante cinco años, en ese tiempo ganamos mucho, tuvimos muchos buenos tiempos,. Es muy triste y desafortunado que esto pasara. Pero así es el negocio, esperemos ver el futuro de Estados Unidos, pero los cinco años pasados fueron buenos.
“El futbol de Estados Unidos escogió a Jurgen Klismann para crecer el nivel no sólo de la Selección Mayor, sino también de los Sub 17 y Sub 20, todos. Este es el plan con Klismann y vamos a ver.”
Which translates to...
"For five years we won a lot, had a lot of good times. It's sad and unfortunate that it happened but that's part of the business. We'll see what the future of the United States brings but the last five years have been good.
U.S. Soccer chose Jurgen Klinsmann to grow the level not just of the national team but also of the Under-17s, the Under-20s, all of them. That's Klinsmann's plan and we'll see.
With regards to Jurgen Klinsmann taking charge:
“Vamos a ver, siempre con un nuevo entrenador, siempre hay nuevos jugadores porque él tiene jugadores que a él le gustan y para mí es un comienzo nuevo y tienes que trabajar mucho más para demostrar tus habilidades a un nuevo entrenador y por mi yo voy a tomar la decisión como es."
... which translates to...
"We'll see. Whenever there is a new coach, there are always new players because he has players he likes. For me, this is a new start. You have to work hard to show your abilities to a new coach. For me, I'm taking the decision for what it's worth."
Showing posts with label Bornstein. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bornstein. Show all posts
Friday, July 29, 2011
Bradley's Firing: Winners, Losers
Bob Bradley is gone from the US national team, and with his ouster and impending replacement, the national team figures to undergo change. Certainly this team will be different now that Bradley is gone, with some new faces coming in and some old faces gone.
Who stands to gain from the move? Who may find it difficult to maintain his spot on the team or get back onto the team?
Winners
* Maurice Edu. The one spot where the U.S. has true depth is at central midfield. Bradley seemingly has alternated with central midfielders throughout his tenure. Michael Bradley has been the lone automatic starter but at times the same label was given to Ricardo Clark and Jermaine Jones. Edu, however, might be the team's best central midfielder yet his time in the position was limited at best. Edu was solid when he came on during the World Cup but Bradley turned to Clark in the decisive match against Ghana, and Edu was all but passed over by Jones when he debuted for the team in 2010. Edu has his best chance now of locking down a spot on the First XI, a spot that should have been his awhile back.
* Chad Marshall/Heath Pearce/Todd Dunivant/Omar Gonzalez: The US defense is and has been miserable, but that does not mean there aren't any good American defenders. In Marshall, Pearce, Dunivant and Gonzalez, Bradley had four top MLS defenders at his disposal but rarely called on them. I have to believe that a Marshall-Gonzalez pairing flanked by either Dunivant or Pearce on the left would have done better than Goodson-Bocanegra and Bornstein did. Marshall has been the best defender in MLS over the last 5-6 years yet who gets called ahead of him? Tim Ream, who has not even done a fraction of what Marshall has in MLS. And who had a poor showing in the Gold Cup, bad enough to relegate him to the bench? Tim Ream.
* Mexico-based Americans: Jose Francisco Torres, Edgar Castillo, Herculez Gomez... all talents the U.S. can utilize yet none were effectively used by Bradley. Torres and Castillo have seemingly fallen off the map, and while the players haven't logged many minutes with their respective club teams in recent seasons, they were never given a clear chance of winning a spot on the US when they were at the top of their club games. A new set of eyes might feel it's worth a chance to give players who compete in a league that's better than MLS a shot of winning a spot on the national team. There is one obvious exception to this which I'll get into below.
Losers
* Jonathan Bornstein: Few could figure out why Bornstein was constantly given playing time when his play with the U.S. did not warrant it. Yes, the left back position is one of need but there have been other options throughout Bradley's tenure but few have gotten so much attention at that position as Bornstein. The former Chivas USA star had his moments with the team but overall his play has been shoddy, highlighted by his disastrous performance in the Gold Cup final last month.
* Sacha Kljestan: Another former Bradley player at Chivas USA, Kljestan also received more play with the US than warranted. Perhaps it was the potential Kljestan showed when Bradley drafted him fifth overall in 2006, or the potential he showed under Bradley that season or in 2007, but with the play Kljestan received it was as if he was being groomed to take over the position on a full-time basis.
* Oguchi Onyewu: "Gooch" was the defender of the future, the rock that would lead the U.S. into the next two World Cups. Then he got hurt. And then he struggled to find his form. Yet Bradley still insisted on keeping the mammoth physical specimen around as he took up a spot on the World Cup team although he was clearly not ready to play, and then took up a spot in the Gold Cup 2011 squad when again he was not ready for action. Onyewu will be fortunate to get another call to the team in 2011.
* Michael Bradley: It's tough to be the coach's son. A lot of the anger and darts tossed Bob Bradley's way hit Michael as well. Michael was in a no-win situation. No matter how well he played, it was never good enough. Michael has scored in some very important games - against Mexico in a 2009 World Cup qualifier (both goals in a 2-0 win); versus Slovenia in the World Cup and against Mexico in the Gold Cup final last month. Yet his goals were never good enough to appease his critics, who wanted both him and his father gone. Now, Michael may very well retain his spot on the team but where he comes up short is in the mental part of the match. His father was sacked, and I have to believe that will affect him. Perhaps not in the long run as much, but he needs to impress the incoming national team coach instantly, and if he's not in the right frame of mind right off the bat, his chance to do so could be done with.
Agree? Disagree? Anyone I left off of either list?
Who stands to gain from the move? Who may find it difficult to maintain his spot on the team or get back onto the team?
Winners
* Maurice Edu. The one spot where the U.S. has true depth is at central midfield. Bradley seemingly has alternated with central midfielders throughout his tenure. Michael Bradley has been the lone automatic starter but at times the same label was given to Ricardo Clark and Jermaine Jones. Edu, however, might be the team's best central midfielder yet his time in the position was limited at best. Edu was solid when he came on during the World Cup but Bradley turned to Clark in the decisive match against Ghana, and Edu was all but passed over by Jones when he debuted for the team in 2010. Edu has his best chance now of locking down a spot on the First XI, a spot that should have been his awhile back.
* Chad Marshall/Heath Pearce/Todd Dunivant/Omar Gonzalez: The US defense is and has been miserable, but that does not mean there aren't any good American defenders. In Marshall, Pearce, Dunivant and Gonzalez, Bradley had four top MLS defenders at his disposal but rarely called on them. I have to believe that a Marshall-Gonzalez pairing flanked by either Dunivant or Pearce on the left would have done better than Goodson-Bocanegra and Bornstein did. Marshall has been the best defender in MLS over the last 5-6 years yet who gets called ahead of him? Tim Ream, who has not even done a fraction of what Marshall has in MLS. And who had a poor showing in the Gold Cup, bad enough to relegate him to the bench? Tim Ream.
* Mexico-based Americans: Jose Francisco Torres, Edgar Castillo, Herculez Gomez... all talents the U.S. can utilize yet none were effectively used by Bradley. Torres and Castillo have seemingly fallen off the map, and while the players haven't logged many minutes with their respective club teams in recent seasons, they were never given a clear chance of winning a spot on the US when they were at the top of their club games. A new set of eyes might feel it's worth a chance to give players who compete in a league that's better than MLS a shot of winning a spot on the national team. There is one obvious exception to this which I'll get into below.
Losers
* Jonathan Bornstein: Few could figure out why Bornstein was constantly given playing time when his play with the U.S. did not warrant it. Yes, the left back position is one of need but there have been other options throughout Bradley's tenure but few have gotten so much attention at that position as Bornstein. The former Chivas USA star had his moments with the team but overall his play has been shoddy, highlighted by his disastrous performance in the Gold Cup final last month.
* Sacha Kljestan: Another former Bradley player at Chivas USA, Kljestan also received more play with the US than warranted. Perhaps it was the potential Kljestan showed when Bradley drafted him fifth overall in 2006, or the potential he showed under Bradley that season or in 2007, but with the play Kljestan received it was as if he was being groomed to take over the position on a full-time basis.
* Oguchi Onyewu: "Gooch" was the defender of the future, the rock that would lead the U.S. into the next two World Cups. Then he got hurt. And then he struggled to find his form. Yet Bradley still insisted on keeping the mammoth physical specimen around as he took up a spot on the World Cup team although he was clearly not ready to play, and then took up a spot in the Gold Cup 2011 squad when again he was not ready for action. Onyewu will be fortunate to get another call to the team in 2011.
* Michael Bradley: It's tough to be the coach's son. A lot of the anger and darts tossed Bob Bradley's way hit Michael as well. Michael was in a no-win situation. No matter how well he played, it was never good enough. Michael has scored in some very important games - against Mexico in a 2009 World Cup qualifier (both goals in a 2-0 win); versus Slovenia in the World Cup and against Mexico in the Gold Cup final last month. Yet his goals were never good enough to appease his critics, who wanted both him and his father gone. Now, Michael may very well retain his spot on the team but where he comes up short is in the mental part of the match. His father was sacked, and I have to believe that will affect him. Perhaps not in the long run as much, but he needs to impress the incoming national team coach instantly, and if he's not in the right frame of mind right off the bat, his chance to do so could be done with.
Agree? Disagree? Anyone I left off of either list?
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Thoughts on Tauro FC
Chivas USA will host a critical match against Tauro FC tonight. Chivas USA needs to win by two goals in order to have any hopes of advancing to the CONCACAF Champions League.
Here is audio of my post-game chat with Jonathan Bornstein about the game.
Acutally, it's a bit more complicated than just winning by two.
A 2-0 Chivas USA win would send the game to injury time.
A 3-1 Chivas USA win would send Tauro through (road goal edge).
If Tauro scores a single goal, that would ensure that the game would end in regulation no matter what.
Chivas USA will go through with a win by three or more goals regardless of how many goals Tauro scores.
Does Chivas have a shot? It's going to be tough. Ante Razov and Alecko Eskandarian were each already less than 100 percent and to expect them to go again at such a strong clip three days later might be asking too much. I'd expect Justin Braun and Roberto Nurse to play. With those two and Sacha Kljestan, Atiba Harris and Panchito Mendoza searching for offense, I think Chivas has a shot.
Defensively, though, Chivas could be gassed. The central defense pairing will be the same as Tuesday unless Claudio Suarez has some sort of miraculous recovery.
Still, this time it is Tauro FC who has traveled and will play in unfamiliar territory. That's an advantage as well.
If you're going to the game, remember that parking is free. That alone should make for a memorable match.
Here is audio of my post-game chat with Jonathan Bornstein about the game.
Acutally, it's a bit more complicated than just winning by two.
A 2-0 Chivas USA win would send the game to injury time.
A 3-1 Chivas USA win would send Tauro through (road goal edge).
If Tauro scores a single goal, that would ensure that the game would end in regulation no matter what.
Chivas USA will go through with a win by three or more goals regardless of how many goals Tauro scores.
Does Chivas have a shot? It's going to be tough. Ante Razov and Alecko Eskandarian were each already less than 100 percent and to expect them to go again at such a strong clip three days later might be asking too much. I'd expect Justin Braun and Roberto Nurse to play. With those two and Sacha Kljestan, Atiba Harris and Panchito Mendoza searching for offense, I think Chivas has a shot.
Defensively, though, Chivas could be gassed. The central defense pairing will be the same as Tuesday unless Claudio Suarez has some sort of miraculous recovery.
Still, this time it is Tauro FC who has traveled and will play in unfamiliar territory. That's an advantage as well.
If you're going to the game, remember that parking is free. That alone should make for a memorable match.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Jonny reacts
I had the chance to talk to Jonathan Bornstein on the phone just now, after the United States' 3-0 win over Poland. I had intended to talk to him about the upcoming season but I took the opportunity to ask him a few questions about the US win.
I first asked him what his thoughts were on the game.
"It's a huge win. Obviously in the past the United States has not always got the result they wanted when they went to Europe. To go to Poland and get a 3-0 victory is very big. I thought we scored some great goals, played some good soccer and it was pretty exciting to watch."
Bornstein knows Bob Bradley well, having played for him both with Chivas USA as well as with the national team. I asked Bornstein what Bob's reaction was probably like in the locker room after the game.
"I think he's just letting them enjoy the victory. When he was here with Chivas, whenever we had a big win he just let the guys enjoy it. But then it will be back to work the next time they have a chance. There's a lot you can get from a win like that. Obviously there were some good things and things that need to be fixed. He'll just let the guys have a good time and enjoy the victory as much as they can."
Bradley called on three MLS-based players but Bornstein was not one of them. It's difficult to bring guys in without having played a competitive match in months, as is Bornstein's case. Offseason surgery kept him from participating in the United States' January camp and kept him from playing against Sweden and Mexico earlier in the year. I asked Bornstein how this match motivated him in terms of his upcoming prospects with the national team.
"It definitely motivates me a lot. I'm watching the positioning of our current fullback Heath Pearce and taking a look at the job he's doing and just trying to learn as much as I can by watching it from a different perspective. Hopefully I'll get the chance to be on the team again and be in a position where I'm the one who is performing. So it's definitely motivating in a positive way."
I first asked him what his thoughts were on the game.
"It's a huge win. Obviously in the past the United States has not always got the result they wanted when they went to Europe. To go to Poland and get a 3-0 victory is very big. I thought we scored some great goals, played some good soccer and it was pretty exciting to watch."
Bornstein knows Bob Bradley well, having played for him both with Chivas USA as well as with the national team. I asked Bornstein what Bob's reaction was probably like in the locker room after the game.
"I think he's just letting them enjoy the victory. When he was here with Chivas, whenever we had a big win he just let the guys enjoy it. But then it will be back to work the next time they have a chance. There's a lot you can get from a win like that. Obviously there were some good things and things that need to be fixed. He'll just let the guys have a good time and enjoy the victory as much as they can."
Bradley called on three MLS-based players but Bornstein was not one of them. It's difficult to bring guys in without having played a competitive match in months, as is Bornstein's case. Offseason surgery kept him from participating in the United States' January camp and kept him from playing against Sweden and Mexico earlier in the year. I asked Bornstein how this match motivated him in terms of his upcoming prospects with the national team.
"It definitely motivates me a lot. I'm watching the positioning of our current fullback Heath Pearce and taking a look at the job he's doing and just trying to learn as much as I can by watching it from a different perspective. Hopefully I'll get the chance to be on the team again and be in a position where I'm the one who is performing. So it's definitely motivating in a positive way."
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Jonny's travels to Israel
Jonathan Bornstein talked to me about his little trip to Israel in the offseason. He had to have some (I'd imagine) pretty tough conversations with Preki, Bob Bradley and Chivas USA officials. I could probably deal with a tongue-lashing from Antonio Cue and one from Preki would be difficult. But a pissed-off Bob Bradley... well, I can't imagine a worse conversation than that.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Last scoop of the year
Chivas USA defender Jonathan Bornstein was left off the US camp roster but with good reason. A club source just told me that he had ankle surgery about a week or two ago and he's expected back and healthy sometime around the start of training camp or so.
That will keep Bornstein from playing for the US against Sweden on Jan. 19 at Home Depot Center and against Mexico on Feb. 6 in Houston.
That will keep Bornstein from playing for the US against Sweden on Jan. 19 at Home Depot Center and against Mexico on Feb. 6 in Houston.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Sorry, gals
Off the market - Jonny Bornstein poses with his lovely (and sweet) girlfriend, Danielle.
Happy Birthday, Danielle!
Good form on the tee shot - well, except for the pesky detail of making contact with the ball. We'll just figure that was a practice swing.
Happy Birthday, Danielle!
Good form on the tee shot - well, except for the pesky detail of making contact with the ball. We'll just figure that was a practice swing.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Weird Science
I've donated blood a lot in my time (if you can't afford to give much to charity, give what you can), but even though I've heard of donating your own blood before a surgery (they freeze it so you can be sure the blood is safe - since it's your own) I hadn't heard of the procedure Jonny B. went through recently.
Freaky stuff - but whatever works, right?
Freaky stuff - but whatever works, right?
Friday, February 23, 2007
Say it ain't so, Jonny
&$%!*# crap.
Jonny's out with a knee injury. I don't think it will hurt his chances for Gold Cup/Copa America but still...
Crap.
Jonny's out with a knee injury. I don't think it will hurt his chances for Gold Cup/Copa America but still...
Crap.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Born to run
Jonny Bornstein is built like a whippet, with the added durability of the Energizer Bunny inside. Of course, most any pro soccer player runs well, and for a long time, but Jonny's one of those who looks like he might take off directly from the field and take on El Guerrouj. He's not really that fast, but he's faster than most when the rest of the players are tired late in games.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Bornstein NOT captied
At the post-Denmark mixed zone, I was giving Jonny Bornstein a bit of a hard time, saying, "Well, I guess this is it for playing with Mexico's team." A USSF employee who was escorting Bornstein from the press conference interjected.
"No - he's not cap-tied until he plays in an official competition or qualifying."
Bornstein himself nodded in agreement. "Friendlies don't captie you."
He quickly added that he wanted to play for the U.S., though.
I have no idea whether this pertains to Freddy Adu, at all, as he only played a few minutes in a friendly against Canada, but apparently Bornstein could play against and even score against Mexico on Feb. 7th, but still be eligible to play for them.
Or Israel.
Anyway, I guess Gold Cup is the soonest he could be captied to the US.
"No - he's not cap-tied until he plays in an official competition or qualifying."
Bornstein himself nodded in agreement. "Friendlies don't captie you."
He quickly added that he wanted to play for the U.S., though.
I have no idea whether this pertains to Freddy Adu, at all, as he only played a few minutes in a friendly against Canada, but apparently Bornstein could play against and even score against Mexico on Feb. 7th, but still be eligible to play for them.
Or Israel.
Anyway, I guess Gold Cup is the soonest he could be captied to the US.
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