What's your all-time USMNT

[Sean Miller Fan]

If you had a time machine and can transport any USMNT in their absolute prime and healthy into the team, what would your lineup be? Here's mine:

Goalkeeper: Howard
Fullbacks: Dest, Jedi
Centerbacks: Onyewu, Ream
Midfielders: Adams, McKennie, Donovan
Forwards: Pulisic, Dempsey, Altidore

The CBs were tough to think of. I thought Onyewu was really good when he made the move to AC Milan but then ripped his knee up.

I think people forget how talented that Donovan, Dempsey, Altidore, Howard, Bradley, Jermaine Jones, Beasley generation is. They didn't hit their primes all at the same time but this current team is only slightly more talented than that team and probably a worse actual team.

 

[ChiefJusticeMarshall]

Where is Freddie Adu???

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Where is Freddie Adu???

Not sure if you are joking but he is probably the biggest bust in the history of world sports. In his prime, he wasnt even good enough to play in USL (Riverhounds division). Some feel he lied about his age because there's really no other explanation how someone can be better at 14 or 15 than 24 or 25.

 

[brdst11]

Not sure if you are joking but he is probably the biggest bust in the history of world sports. In his prime, he wasnt even good enough to play in USL (Riverhounds division). Some feel he lied about his age because there's really no other explanation how someone can be better at 14 or 15 than 24 or 25.

Adu played games for Benfica (including in the Champions League) and Monaco. Also played 17 times for the US.

Definitely didn't meet expectations but he was better than a USL player.

 

[ChiefJusticeMarshall]

Not sure if you are joking but he is probably the biggest bust in the history of world sports. In his prime, he wasnt even good enough to play in USL (Riverhounds division). Some feel he lied about his age because there's really no other explanation how someone can be better at 14 or 15 than 24 or 25.

Of course I am joking. I remember, wasn't he on the cover of Sports Illustrated?

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Adu played games for Benfica (including in the Champions League) and Monaco. Also played 17 times for the US.

Definitely didn't meet expectations but he was better than a USL player.

He wasnt better than your average USL player. He played 98 games in MLS when he was 14-17 scoring 12 goals. This was the peak of his career strangely. He then went to Europe to play in mid-tier leagues and only played 42 games in 4 years, scoring 5 goals. In 2011, he went back to MLS and played 35 games for Philadelphia in 3 seasons, scoring 7 goals but was then released at age 24, still not even in what should be his prime but his career was essentially over. He only played 36 games after being released by Philadelphia with 12 games coming for Tampa Bay in USL but was then released. Then Eric Wynalda picked him up and gave him a chance at Las Vegas in USL but he released him after 14 games. At 27 years old, he was done. In what should be his prime, he was only an amateur men's league talent, not even good enough for USL. Its really one of the great mysteries.

 

[brdst11]

He wasnt better than your average USL player. He played 98 games in MLS when he was 14-17 scoring 12 goals. This was the peak of his career strangely. He then went to Europe to play in mid-tier leagues and only played 42 games in 4 years, scoring 5 goals. In 2011, he went back to MLS and played 35 games for Philadelphia in 3 seasons, scoring 7 goals but was then released at age 24, still not even in what should be his prime but his career was essentially over. He only played 36 games after being released by Philadelphia with 12 games coming for Tampa Bay in USL but was then released. Then Eric Wynalda picked him up and gave him a chance at Las Vegas in USL but he released him after 14 games. At 27 years old, he was done. In what should be his prime, he was only an amateur men's league talent, not even good enough for USL. Its really one of the great mysteries.

USL level players don't play for Benfica (including the Champions League) or Monaco or the USMNT. Or even MLS.

His "prime" (either because his age was wrong or whatever) was just earlier than most.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Where is Freddie Adu???

Someone say Freddie Adu? He’s a genius.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

USL level players don't play for Benfica (including the Champions League) or Monaco or the USMNT. Or even MLS.

Hey, to be fair, he said he wasn't even a USL level player. So maybe USL level players don't play for Benfica et al., but maybe sub-USL level players do?

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

USL level players don't play for Benfica (including the Champions League) or Monaco or the USMNT. Or even MLS.

His "prime" (either because his age was wrong or whatever) was just earlier than most.

I said, in his prime, he wasnt even USL level. A soccer player's prime is usually somewhere between 24 and 28 give or take. Either because he lied about his age or perhaps because of some weird medical reason that was never explored, the prime of Adu's career was when he was in middle school and high school. He went to Europe after high school and played a couple games but that was based on potential. He was horrible and couldn't even get on the field. When he was 24, 25, 26, 27, he wasnt even good enough to make the Riverhounds and that makes no sense at all. So he either lied about his age or had something medically going on. He never had any serious injuries but I wonder if he had some weird disease where he hit an early puberty and then just stopped maturing physically. Its really really strange how you can dominate the U20 World Cup with some saying he was the best player there and then not be able to make a USL team when you are 25.