International Royals

[YateleyRoyal]

Feel free to dodd/merge if i've been a mong here.

Good to see Pearce and Kelly in the Ireland squad.

[super darren caskey]

Any Reading players playing in the World Cup?

Feds will probably make the bench for OZ or is there anybody ahead of him



Just looked at the teams as i forget who has qualified and it does look like it could just be Feds.Cant see Pog getting in the russian squad and im not sure on Williams with the USA squad....going by his form i would pick him


That looks like it unless i have missed somebody

[maffff]

Any Reading players playing in the World Cup?

Feds will probably make the bench for OZ or is there anybody ahead of him

Still Schwartzer with Federici on the bench, but they've called up several other goalkeepers recently - Mitchell Langerak of Borussia Dortmund, Mathew Ryan, Eugene Galekovic, Nathan Coe and Mark Birighitti.

[YateleyRoyal]

Any Reading players playing in the World Cup?

Feds will probably make the bench for OZ or is there anybody ahead of him

Still Schwartzer with Federici on the bench, but they've called up several other goalkeepers recently - Mitchell Langerak of Borussia Dortmund, Mathew Ryan, Eugene Galekovic, Nathan Coe and Mark Birighitti.

Incorrect. Mark Schwarzer retired from internationals in November.

[Mike Hunt]

I think he will make the squad, but will be nowhere near starting.

[Libertine]

Any Reading players playing in the World Cup?

Feds will probably make the bench for OZ or is there anybody ahead of him



Just looked at the teams as i forget who has qualified and it does look like it could just be Feds.Cant see Pog getting in the russian squad and im not sure on Williams with the USA squad....going by his form i would pick him


That looks like it unless i have missed somebody

Well he has been out of an in-form US side for so long, due to injury, I am not sure he is even on Klinsmann's radar at the moment. Agreed his form is good right now but I can't see him making a push at such a late date for a place in a fairly settled, and also in good form, US side. The US is scheduled to play a friendly in Ukraine, unless the country goes into full revolution mode ( ), on March 5th. If he was to get a look I think that would be the only game he would get. The only other friendly the US has scheduled before the team goes to Brazil is an early April game against Mexico to be played in Arizona. I can see Klinsmann using more of an MLS based squad for that game...

[Libertine]

The last time Williams actually saw game time with the US was a WC qualifying match against Honduras played on February 6th of 2013, which the US lost 2-1. He was called up for the Bosnia and Herzegovina friendly in August of 2013 but was not part of the squad for the game. The US national team has some European/UK asst. coaches (Andreas Herzog and Chris Woods). So there is a chance that Klinsmann is keeping on eye on him through one of those two (probably Herzog since Woods, who very briefly played for Reading once upon a time, is the goalkeeping coach) and could consider him for the Ukraine game based on where he is currently playing and his good form of late. Right now there are a bunch of US national team midfielders playing in Europe besides Williams...Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Jermaine Jones (Bestikas), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht), and Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), who have all been featuring regularly in US national team games...with Jones being our national team's first choice DM. But based on his good form and improved fitness, now being over the ankle injury that had bothered him for much of 2013, I can see him being called up, and making the squad, with him and Jones splitting the game at DM, for the Ukraine game...if it is played.

Probably more USMNT info than you wanted/needed to know, lol, but I wanted to give you an in-depth look at where Williams stands right now with his national team. I think he deserves, and has earned, a look but being out of the mix for as long as he has I am not sure where he is in Klinsmann's plans right now.

[Sutekh]

Could Akpan make the World Cup with Nigeria......

[sandman]

The last time Williams actually saw game time with the US was a WC qualifying match against Honduras played on February 6th of 2013, which the US lost 2-1. He was called up for the Bosnia and Herzegovina friendly in August of 2013 but was not part of the squad for the game. The US national team has some European/UK asst. coaches (Andreas Herzog and Chris Woods). So there is a chance that Klinsmann is keeping on eye on him through one of those two (probably Herzog since Woods, who very briefly played for Reading once upon a time, is the goalkeeping coach) and could consider him for the Ukraine game based on where he is currently playing and his good form of late. Right now there are a bunch of US national team midfielders playing in Europe besides Williams...Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Jermaine Jones (Bestikas), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht), and Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), who have all been featuring regularly in US national team games...with Jones being our national team's first choice DM. But based on his good form and improved fitness, now being over the ankle injury that had bothered him for much of 2013, I can see him being called up, and making the squad, with him and Jones splitting the game at DM, for the Ukraine game...if it is played.

Probably more USMNT info than you wanted/needed to know, lol, but I wanted to give you an in-depth look at where Williams stands right now with his national team. I think he deserves, and has earned, a look but being out of the mix for as long as he has I am not sure where he is in Klinsmann's plans right now.

Nope, me neither.

[RFCMod]

The last time Williams actually saw game time with the US was a WC qualifying match against Honduras played on February 6th of 2013, which the US lost 2-1. He was called up for the Bosnia and Herzegovina friendly in August of 2013 but was not part of the squad for the game. The US national team has some European/UK asst. coaches (Andreas Herzog and Chris Woods). So there is a chance that Klinsmann is keeping on eye on him through one of those two (probably Herzog since Woods, who very briefly played for Reading once upon a time, is the goalkeeping coach) and could consider him for the Ukraine game based on where he is currently playing and his good form of late. Right now there are a bunch of US national team midfielders playing in Europe besides Williams...Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Jermaine Jones (Bestikas), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht), and Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), who have all been featuring regularly in US national team games...with Jones being our national team's first choice DM. But based on his good form and improved fitness, now being over the ankle injury that had bothered him for much of 2013, I can see him being called up, and making the squad, with him and Jones splitting the game at DM, for the Ukraine game...if it is played.

Probably more USMNT info than you wanted/needed to know, lol, but I wanted to give you an in-depth look at where Williams stands right now with his national team. I think he deserves, and has earned, a look but being out of the mix for as long as he has I am not sure where he is in Klinsmann's plans right now.

Chris Woods now we're talking
Cracking England keeper

[maffff]

Incorrect. Mark Schwarzer retired from internationals in November.

Aha - and it was Mat Ryan in goal with Mitch Langerak on the bench in their last friendly.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Could Akpan make the World Cup with Nigeria......

Just read this on wiki

Despite being born in England, Akpan has declared his intention to represent Nigeria – the country of his parents – at international leve

Kick in the nuts for Roy Hodgson

[Terminal Boardom]

I doubt that even Woy would lose any sleep over that decision

[sandman]

Doubt Akpan will either tbf.

[FridaysGhost]

It's always good to align yourself with a Country who's main source of income appears to be Internet Fraud! The money siphoned off from our economy by Nigerian fraudsters could pay for the current floods, make foodbanks redundant and buy several hospitals. Always position yourself on the 'high ground' so they say - has anyone told Akpan?s

[Libertine]

Danny Williams did get called up by the US for the Ukraine friendly.

Here is the full list of midfielders available for the Ukraine game.

MIDFIELDERS (8): Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Jermaine Jones (Besiktas), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht), Brek Shea (Barnsley), Danny Williams (Reading)

US Soccer's official "notes" on him are as follows;

It has been more than a year since Reading midfielder Danny Williams saw action for the U.S., having last earned minutes in the 2-1 loss to Honduras on Feb. 6, 2013, in San Pedro Sula. He has started the last 15 league games for Reading and has scored twice this month.

So his good form in the league has definitely been noticed. Plus from what I read our first choice DM, Jermaine Jones, is struggling with a groin injury that has prevented him from playing for his club team since he signed for them. If he is not fit, and looking at that crop of midfielders called up, there is a decent chance he might get a start! Fingers crossed for him...

[Libertine]

Klinsmann went on to say;

ussoccer.com: You haven’t had a chance to call in the European-based players since November. How are you viewing the opportunity this camp presents?

Jurgen Klinsmann: “Having this Ukraine game is a huge opportunity, mainly for our European-based players. You want to give them a chance to show where they are at and what’s going on in their specific situation. It’s great to call in players like Oguchi Onyewu, Will Packwood – his first time to come in – Tim Ream, who is playing consistently well at Bolton, Danny Williams, who has now kind of made his way through at Reading and playing week-in, week-out, and Juan Agudelo, who is now in Holland. “It’s a huge opportunity for all those guys to prove to us that they are eager and hungry to jump on the train to the World Cup. We will get a good picture of them over those couple of days, and therefore, we left almost all the MLS players back in the United States.”

[Pepe the Horseman]

"Danny Williams, who has now kind of made his way through at Reading". High praise indeed Jurgen.

[maffff]

Just like Jurgen kind of dived?

[Libertine]

Klinsmann is the master manipulator. He told the highest scoring player in the history of the national team, Landon Donovan, that he needed to "earn his way" back into the team after a short sabbatical. The bottom line is he is giving a shot to a player who fell out of favor with his former club team and the national team. A player Klinsmann personally recruited to play for the US side. Knowing the way he handles his players I was not expecting for him to heap praise on Williams for a run of 15 good games in league. But seeing that Danny was one of the few he singled out as having the opportunity to reestablish themselves on the national team before Brazil tells me the opportunity is there for Williams to take.