Kenny Cooper has turned down an offer to join the US National Team for Wednesday’s qualifier against Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain. Personally after months of lobbying along with the rest of the blogosphere Cooper’s decision to turn down a call up to ostensibly help his club side is from where I sit completely unacceptable.
FC Dallas is fighting for a playoff spot no doubt. They have been gifted draws in the last two matches by terrible officials calls late in games which ironically have gone a long way towards eliminating their opponents San Jose and Toronto FC from playoff consideration. I personally believe a player selfish enough to turn down a call in to a World Cup qualifier in order to play with his club side should be at least for the near term dropped from all national team consideration.
This isn’t England where relatively young players like Jamie Carragher and Paul Scholes retired from the national team in order to focus on their club careers at two of the biggest clubs in the world. FC Dallas isn’t Liverpool or Manchester United. Cooper ought to know because he previously played for Manchester United.
The bottom line is this: Cooper is out the door in the January window. That’s all but certain. He’s being showcased for European clubs right now and as he continues to score goals for the Hoops he raises his stock. A call up to the national team coupled with a bad performance means Cooper’s s stock is lowered for Rosenborg and whatever other top club is chasing him.
To believe Cooper turned down the call up for anything other than selfish reasons is to be nieve. Bob Bradley has too difficult a job to waste his time with Kenny Cooper for the forseeable future. It’s a pity because their is no current MLS based player I have wanted to see in the national team more than Cooper, but this action more than anything confirms why Bradley ignored him for so long.
The Squad:
Goalkeepers: Troy Perkins, Brad Guzan.
Defenders: Jonathan Bornstein, Danny Califf, Frankie Hejduk, Michael Orozco, Heath Pearce, Brian Carrol Marvell Wynne.
Midfielders: Freddy Adu, DaMarcus Beasley, Maurice Edu, Sacha Kljestan, Chris Rolfe, Danny Szetela, , Jose Francisco Torres.
Forwards: Jozy Altidore, Charlie Davies
I’d expect to see this starting lineup or something similar.
——————————————Guzan————————————————
Hejduk—————–Califf—————————–Orozco—————Bornstein——-
——————————————Edu——–———————————————
–Kljestan——————————–Torres——————————Beasley————
——————————————Adu—————————————————–—
—————————————–Altidore————————————————––
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6 comments… read them below or add one
Wow. At risk of sounding “nieve” this is much a do about nothing. And your implication that it's OK to prioritize club soccer if you play for Liverpool or Man Utd, but not if you play for FC Dallas needs much MUCH more elaboration and clarification.
Cooper didn't snub Bradley. He made a responsible decision. It's called professionalism. And he's handled it like a gentleman.
I shouldn't have left you with that implication. My fault……some shoddy or quick writing on my part. I DO NOT APPROVE of Schoels or Carragher either, retiring in their 20s.
I'm a country over club person as I am sure everyone has noticed by now between reading the site and listening to my various radio shows. It's one thing to skip friendlies but to miss a qualifier which by the way still has a major impact (Guatemala and T&T are fighting for their lives right now and a weakened US squad for this match favors T&T) to me is not acceptable.
Oh yeah and I can understand wanting to stay with Liverpool more than with FC Dallas. I don't approve either, but c'mon let's balance the two things. It's not like Cooper is overly committed to his team anyhow- he already said one round of good byes in July after a nationally televised game and then the Hoops rejected his sale to Rosenborg, but basically he has his bags packed, was excited, and had told his team mates he was gone. SO why the sudden commitment to a club he wanted to leave just a few months ago? Selfishness.
Dude, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. Cooper is getting PAID by FC Dallas. He's ill, has a sore ankle and his team needs him to make the playoffs. Maybe Cooper is saying, “hey I'm outta here in a few months. why leave the club when they leave me most, just to sit the bench against Cuba.”
Everyone's got an opinion, yours is just off-based my brother. I like your show, and don't find this as an attack. But until the US does something like fire Bob Bradley, sack Gulati, and start playing every friendly in Europe or South America….I don't expect any MLS player to leave their club where again, they are getting PAID by to play for a crappy US National Team. Klinsmann or Sigi should have got the gig over an MLS retread.
Mexico is going to overtake the USMNT because of complacency.
We should have fielded a U-20 team against Cuba. They are a horrible team. How does Dempsey get a call in while he's riding the bench of FFC, when guys like Rogers and Colin Clark are tearing up the MLS.
I'm telling you Cooper is RIGHT in staying in Dallas to get his team in the playoffs. Clubs around the world might see that intangible quality of his loyalty to his club and look to reward him. If FCD had a 20 mil payroll. He'd still be there next year.
Obviously, your Country first and I'm Club first. So we'll agree to disagree.
Good stuff though, keep up the good work.
Why call him up for essentially a nothing game? They've already qualified for the next round why not let some young players have a shot in the senior side?
I'm not sure why everyone is so fascinated with Cooper.
Personally I'd like to see White or Davies paired with Altidore up top.
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