With the roster for upcoming friendlies and qualifiers announced, I thought it’d be interesting to see how the composition of players and leagues has changed over the last three cycles. They aren’t perfect comparisons— while Jürgen Klinsmann has opted to start with 27 to be trimmed down to a set 23 in a tournament-style camp, Bob Bradley went with a larger pool in 2008 and Bruce Arena started with a smaller roster in 2004. All situations, of course, were different with friendlies and qualifying formats.
Any clubs/leagues referred to are for the previous season (ie. not considering promotion, relegation, or transfers).
2004
MLS: 13 players (59%)
England: 5 players (23%)
- 4 Premier League
- 1 Football League First Division (now the Championship)
Germany: 3 players (14%)
- 1 1st Bundesliga
- 2 2nd Bundesliga
France: 1 player (5%)
2008
MLS: 13 players (39%)
England: 8 players (24%)
- 7 Premier League
- 1 Football League Championship
Germany: 3 players (9%)
- 2 1st Bundesliga
- 1 2nd Bundesliga
Austria: 1 player (3%)
Belgium: 1 player (3%)
Denmark: 1 player (3%)
Mexico: 1 player (3%)
Netherlands: 1 player (3%)
Norway: 1 player (3%)
Out of Contract: 1 player (3%)
Portugal: 1 player (3%)
Scotland: 1 player (3%)
Notes: Nate Jaqua was out of contract, but he had been playing in the Austrian 3rd tier that spring. Dominic Cervi had been drafted by the Chicago Fire, but he did not sign and was unemployed until signing with Celtic in October.
2012
MLS: 7 players (26%)
Germany: 6 players (22%)
- 5 1st Bundesliga
- 1 Regionalliga
Mexico: 4 players (15%)
England: 3 players (11%)
Denmark: 2 players (7%)
Scotland: 2 players (7%)
Italy: 1 player (4%)
Portugal 1 player (4%)
Netherlands: 1 player (4%)
The MLS contingent has dipped again (from 59% to 39% to 26%). Notably, the English representation has dropped as well— in 2004 it was 23% and in 2008 it was 24%, now it’s 11%. The pool was comprised of 82% players from English-speaking countries in 2004 and 63% in 2008; the percentage is just 37% now.
In addition to the increase in players from Germany (always several players), there are significantly more players based in Mexico. After having more players scattered in 2008 (seven different nations had a lone player), this group is less widespread. There is only one player this time primarily playing outside a top division (and he’s technically under contract to a 1st Bundesliga club) as opposed to three each of the last two cycles.
Interestingly, the percentage of players in Europe hasn’t changed significantly. 42% of 2008′s pool played in North American (MLS + Mexico); 41% of this cycle’s camp does.
|
Who was the 04 France call up?
You can click on the year and see each player selected, but to answer your question it was Greg Vanney with FC Bastia.
Looks like he’s even listed on Bastia’s notable players on Wikipedia as well. (And it should be SC Bastia not FC Bastia but oh well) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SC_Bastia
Ah. Thank you. “Where are they now?” What a flashback.