Landon Gets to Stay Home for Copa America!

This same strategy worked out extremely well for the France NT in March when they were missing a number of excellent veterans due to injury. The coach played one game staffed almost exclusively by young players. Granted, it was a friendly, which is nothing like Copa America, but all friendlies are taken extremely seriously. They played extremely well and everybody got to see a glimpse of the future. And several (Samir Nasri in particular) have now become starters.

I'm thinking this was a bold move with a look toward the future. But I can understand how others feel differently.

Whatever. Bob Bradley's Copa America call up list is shameful. Not that those called up don't have their merits. But think how much folks like Damarcus Beasley and Clint Dempsey could have grown from playing against the likes of Lionel Messi and others. And for once, showing that the USNMT can be good OUTSIDE of the US. Sure, maybe they are tired, but Bradley could have changed the rotation in the Gold Cup to accommodate.

Good for Galaxy, good for Landon, good for MLS and good for the US National Team. Now is the time for the Nats to seriously give new players a look, since world cup qualifying starts next year, and now is the perfect time to check everybody out.

But I think Landon already had his heart set on going. Just last week, he said he was going, he was excited to go and would do his best. You'll notice all the "big name" players are not going - which is Landon and stalwarts that play in Europe, Beasley, Dempsey, Boca, Gooch. I think Bob decided it was just too hard on the players who have played so many minutes in Gold Cup and whom the team depends on, to turn right around and lean on them again. So good for Bob.