While Stoke City was sorting out who’d be coming to town on transfer Deadline Day, one of its players was on the offensive regarding the most infamous night in his national team’s history.
[ MORE: JPW grades every PL club ]
Geoff Cameron spared no blushes in a feature piece by the New York Time’s Marc Stein that was released Wednesday and details his career and the United States men’s national team’s dismissal from World Cup qualifying with the accomplished 32-year-old on the bench.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that, if Jurgen Klinsmann was still our head coach, we would have qualified for the World Cup. ... I’m convinced if they would have kept Jurgen and not done such a drastic change, I think we would have qualified. I know we would have qualified. Instead we’ve gone backward.”
(Me, too, Geoff. Me, too, but that’s also because a coach and players would have to almost purposely screw up the Hex to miss out. Bruce Arena sure played his part).
Cameron said Arena told him before the United States’ last two matches of the Hex that he would not be starting the matches because of fitness concerns. Cameron was perplexed; He had just played 90 minutes for Stoke in the Premier League.“But I would have more respect for a coach to say: ‘You know what, Geoff? I don’t fancy you today. I think this is a better lineup.’ I’d say: ‘O.K., no problem, you told me the truth.’ But if you tell me I’m not fit enough, that’s like an insult to me as a professional.”
“Could Geoff have been in the starting lineup that day? Yes. But the problem with Geoff throughout 2017, at club and national-team level, was inconsistency and some injuries. ... Geoff started five games starting in November 2016 through October 2017. Our record was 1-3-1 — that plays a role. I don’t think 2017 was that impressive of a performance for the player. When the stars and the moon and the sun are aligned properly, Geoff is a very good player. They don’t all align properly all the time.”
More importantly, it’s wrong. The Yanks won two (Honduras home and T&T), drew two (Honduras and Mexico away), and lost to Costa Rica. That’s one loss in five. And going with the 1-3-1 when Arena’s entire career has been spent in a league that puts losses second seems worse (though we may be reading too far into it).