Jurgen Klinsmann has provided a couple of surprises after he has announced his preliminary squad for the World Cup 2014. The US national team manager has left out a couple of names like Eddie Johnson, who were expected to be part of the squad. Johnson will now miss out on the World Cup like he did in the 2010 edition. He came to prominence during the 2006 World Cup when he was just a 22-year-old. Many expected him to become the face of the US football for the next decade, but it looks like he will have to settle with just one World Cup experience.
Klinsmann has left the DC United midfielder, who has scored no goals in the 8 appearances he has made this season. However, his form has been a major reason behind DC United moving up the table in the last few months. The omission is surprising considering that Klinsmann praised several aspects of the midfielder like athleticism only after the friendly matches against Panama and Mexico. The move from Seattle Sounders, though, appears to have gone against him in terms of World Cup qualification. Johnson is believed to be the fifth the choice midfielder behind the likes of Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley.
“The way I want to build the puzzle for the 23-man roster, I see those players competing ahead of the curve. But I always recognize Eddie’s value and strengths overall. Not only by scoring very important goals and getting us to Brazil, but he’s a player who can make a difference within a second of being on the field. It was a very difficult decision based on what he’s done with me the whole time, and now not getting that chance at the last moment, it’s a tough one on him,” said Klinsmann.
Jurgen Klinsmann has provided a couple of surprises after he has announced his preliminary squad for the World Cup 2014. The US national team manager has left out a couple of names like Eddie Johnson, who were expected to be part of the squad. Johnson will now miss out on the World Cup like he did in the 2010 edition. He came to prominence during the 2006 World Cup when he was just a 22-year-old. Many expected him to become the face of the US football for the next decade, but it looks like he will have to settle with just one World Cup experience.
Klinsmann has left the DC United midfielder, who has scored no goals in the 8 appearances he has made this season. However, his form has been a major reason behind DC United moving up the table in the last few months. The omission is surprising considering that Klinsmann praised several aspects of the midfielder like athleticism only after the friendly matches against Panama and Mexico. The move from Seattle Sounders, though, appears to have gone against him in terms of World Cup qualification. Johnson is believed to be the fifth the choice midfielder behind the likes of Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley.
“The way I want to build the puzzle for the 23-man roster, I see those players competing ahead of the curve. But I always recognize Eddie’s value and strengths overall. Not only by scoring very important goals and getting us to Brazil, but he’s a player who can make a difference within a second of being on the field. It was a very difficult decision based on what he’s done with me the whole time, and now not getting that chance at the last moment, it’s a tough one on him,” said Klinsmann.