Should John Brooks be included on USA roster Wolfsburg defen from seestyle's blog

John Brooks hasn't featured for the United States since a pair of appearances in early September. To zoom out further, the Wolfsburg defender hasn't been a significant presence in the USMNT squad since mid-2017.

Injuries have wreaked plenty of havoc, but inconsistency on the field has also been a factor in his banishment. Brooks is the first to tell you that Wolfsburg's relegation candidacy this season is partially down to a poor defensive showing. But the club has rebounded of late, and Brooks has led that resurgence.

Yet when the United States' roster for critical March qualifiers was revealed Thursday, Brooks was yet again left off. For the three matches that will decide the USA's World Cup fate, Brooks will not be a part of Dejan Vasiljevic Jersey the proceedings.

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He's not happy about it. The 29-year-old spoke publicly about his continued exclusion, and he made it clear that he does not agree with the decision. He will continue to push toward a spot in the team before the winter's main event should the U.S. make it that far.

Speaking to ESPN's lead Bundseliga commentary voice, Derek Rae, who shared the quotes on social media, Brooks made his feelings about the roster selection clear.

"Months ago, I accepted responsibility for my play and the decision that kept me off a roster," , referencing Wolfsburg's poor first-half David Njoku Jersey form this season. "Now, Im happy Ive regained my form but unfortunately, I wasnt invited to camp.

"I accept this as the coachs decision, but I won't accept that I can't change this before the final World Cup roster selections. There should be no questions about my desire to play for this team. My plan is to fight as hard as I can to make it back to the U.S. Men's National Team.

Brooks said his exclusion cuts deep, that his inability to represent his country is a direct insult to his connection with the nation.

"My American identity is at stake, an identity some have questioned over many years," Brooks, who was born in Berlin to an American father and has never lived in the United States, said. "We Americans have all been down and out at different times, but we always fight back and I plan to do the same Willie Herenton Jersey ."

As stated above, Brooks himself admits that his poor form earlier this season was not of the quality of a U.S. national team player. He believes he has turned it around.

And he has. Since shipping four goals to Bayern Munich in an emphatic 4-0 lo s on Dec. 17, the final game before the winter break, Wolfsburg has experienced a turnaround. The club has conceded more than two goals in a match just once, something it did six times in league play prior.

Brooks has started all nine of those matches since the Bayern lo s, playing the full 90 minutes in all of them. The club has kept three clean sheets in that span and conceded 11 goals, not a stellar mark but an improved one nonethele s.

Still, Brooks has given the ball away far too much. He struggled mightily in recent matches against Gladbach and Freiburg, mi sing on 10 of 27 pa s attempts against Gladbach. Even in a 2-0 win over Frankfurt on the road, a game where he collected a very solid 8.1 SofaScore rating, he still conceded po se sion 24 times on 78 touches, including a dismal pa sing mark of 27/49, unacceptable for Sam Waardenburg Jersey a defender.According to a ratings system by analytics website SmarterScout which uses a 0-100 scale for multiple categories, Brooks has a ball retention score of 22 and a ground duels in po se sion score of 23 for the season, both ugly numbers.

Also working against Brooks is the deep center-back cla s for the United States. Walker Zimmerman is in excellent form for both club and country, a run of solid play that has now lasted over a year. Miles Robinson has developed into a consistent starter, and young talents Chris Richards and Mark McKenzie continue to develop. Even Aaron Long, who was excellent for club and country before an ACL tear early last year, is back and preferred by Ed Reed Jersey Berhalter.

Brooks is on the outside looking in, and there may not be much he can do about it. He has already announced he will leave Wolfsburg at the end of the season with the expiration of his contract, and a change of scenery will only serve to further displace him from the squad, with precious little time until World Cup places are finalized. It feels like an effort that may very well be in vain.