A little more than two months stands between the U.S. national team and its World Cup destiny, less than 10 weeks before 23 Americans will be chosen to represent the United States in sport's biggest event.
The World Cup roster picture is pretty clear for the most part, but some plotlines continue to develop as we draw ever closer to Bob Bradley's deadline to pick his roster.
There have been no international matches since I last picked a 23 for 2010, but there has been plenty of club action to help give us a picture of how things are developing.
Marcus Hahnemann, Maurice Edu and Alejandro Bedoya are among the players to enjoy strong months, while DaMarcus Beasley's battle for playing time at Rangers and Stuart Holden's recovery from a broken leg have been other storylines to watch.
Here is SBI's 23 for 2010 for April:
SBI 23 for 2010 (April 2010 edition)
GOALKEEPERS- Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann, Brad Guzan
DEFENDERS- Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Jonathan Spector, Steve Cherundolo, Jonathan Bornstein, Jay DeMerit, Clarence Goodson
MIDFIELDERS- Landon Donovan, Michael Bradley, Ricardo Clark, Stuart Holden, Benny Feilhaber, Jose Francisco Torres, Maurice Edu, DaMarcus Beasley, Alejandro Bedoya
FORWARDS- Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore, Charlie Davies, Conor Casey
Left off last team-Heath Pearce, Brian Ching
New additions- Charlie Davies, Conor Casey
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Some thoughts on this month's selections:
The same three goalkeepers are locked in, but Marcus Hahnemann's play for Wolverhampton makes him a pretty strong selection as the No. 2 goalkeeper ahead of Brad Guzan.
Bob Bradley will have a decision to make regarding how many defenders he wants to take. Does he go with the standard eight, or does he go with seven to make room for his midfielders? This time around we go with seven, though Frank Simek is probably the next choice over Heath Pearce in my book.
Oguchi Onyewu still hasn't returned to action for AC Milan, but until we hear about an actual set-back in his recovery, he should be back in time to be fit for the World Cup. Whether or not he'll get some games for Milan in the meantime remains to be seen, but Onyewu goes to the World Cup if healthy regardless.
Alejandro Bedoya and DaMarcus Beasley would seem to be playing for the same position, but the versatility of both players will leave them in for now. Beasley's hold is shaky though as he continues to struggle for consistent playing time. If he's playing and fit, Beasley will go.
Central midfield could wind up being the area where a surprising player is left out of the 23-man roster. Will Bradley bring five central midfielders to South Africa in Michael Bradley, Edu, Clark, Feilhaber and Torres, or will he be forced to leave one of them off in favor of another defender? This time around, we'll keep the central midfield Fab Five intact.
Forward is the position everyone wants to talk about. We've tried to be cautious with our projection of Charlie Davies, but we're going to include him this month as moves ever closer to returning to the field for FC Sochaux. While it still remains uncertain how much of his ability will still be there once he does come back, I'm banking on him being good enough to make this 23.
Brian Ching's hamstring injury makes things even more wide-open on the back-end of the forward pool. Ching looked like a safe bet, and could still make it back in time, but for now we will leave him off for Conor Casey. I was very tempted to include red-hot Herculez Gomez instead of Casey, but we need to see Gomez keep up his recent stellar form for another month before he'll get the nod. Casey isn't a sexy pick, but he'll be chosen for his ability to provide a holding forward option off the bench. If Ching is healthy by early May he will be a good bet to still be included, but Bradley might have to start thinking seriously about the injury risk for Ching, who has endured his share of injuries over the past month.
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What do you think of this group? Which player is missing that you would include? Which inclusion do you think was a mistake?
Share your thoughts below.
NOOOO! Not the Pilsbury Dough Boy, the Michelin Tire Guy the Stay Puff Marshmellow Man!
No Conner Casey! He is so slow he makes 480p look High Def.
Freddy over Bedoya. Done.
Good call on Marcus, Gomez before Casey
Here come the MLS player stinks comments.
I am just very interested in what people think about some of these players from the standpoint of “back from an injury” but are they back in time, are they 100% and when did they hit 100% ?
IF a Davies is 75% and didn’t play before the World Cup, does that really work ? Is that the miracle everyone was hoping for ? Same with all the other injured.
McBride for an encore! If he does anything early on for the Fire I’d rather see him on the roster than Casey
Too bad Castillo couldn’t show anything in Me-he-co, wouldn’t he be capable of playing at LB or LM? That versatility would be enough to get the nod over Beasely
That’s sarcasm right?
I hope it is.
solid looking 23 IMO, enoguh to get us out of grp stage, after that…meh
Charlie Davies is a feel good story, but come on, he hasnt played in a game since October. I would take Adu or Hecules Gomez instead of Davies
I second that! Freddy Adu and way more world class experience warming benches!
Looks accurate enough. Charlie Davies is still a long shot but given he had the starting job hands down before the accident, you gotta give him the benefit of the doubt. He is the only forward we have right now that can really complement Jozy up top.
Makes me nervous that we have that many players still coming back from injury… Holden, Onyewu, Clark, and of course Davies. Their form will be questionable, and with a cold start against England they’ll have little time to play themselves into international form – esp Onyewu and Davies. Here’s hoping they all get some PT in their club sides.
Beasley and Casey would not make my squad. Based on the past two years of his inactivity, there’s no indication that Beasley will be playing or in form. His inclusion would be based on prayer not reality.
Conor Casey, two words that make every USMNT fan cringe. But if Ching gets healthy, and Gomez continues to score, who of those two go?
It’s not that special of a talent to be able to suck at both left back and left mid.
Freddy in no way makes the team. He hasn’t proved he’s good enough.
I agree 100 percent with your roster calls except…WHY DOES JONATHAN BORNSTINK STILL GET THE CALL?? he’s horrible. I know Bradley will pick him, but isn’t this the list of who YOU/IVES wants and not what Bradley will pick? If so, I really think that either Castillo, Pierce or Bocanegra outwide on the left (with an extra central defender in place on the roster) are much better options than Bornstein.
Why is no one touching Torres in this picture?
Totally agree. Beasley is just taking up space and if he ever did see the field, you could kiss the US’s chance at getting out of the group stage goodbye.
Casey makes me eagerly look forward to seeing some new prospects develop at the forward position for the 2014 WC.
The above is the only thing positive I can say about Casey on the international level.
Good list. Honestly, don’t count out Adu. If he get minutes the rest of the season I bet he makes the provisional roster and has a chance at the final 23. I agree with Casey just slightly over Gomez right now, but a couple of more goals from Gomez and he won’t be denied.
I am saying don’t count out Freddy because he had a very good six game stretch, than fell out, and now he is playing again. If he continues to produces he will be hard to ignore. (Bob is familiar with him too -which appears to be important to Bob). I don’t have him in now, but I am saying do not count him out yet.
Because Torres has great ball control, great playing experience, great vision when it comes to delivering the ball to the forwards, and he’s one of the only players not scared to rip a shot from outside the box.
haha…
Casey couldn’t get a goal against a Fire rookie defender making his first start and a goalkeeper making his 2nd ever start. Not to mention the matador defensive stylings of a one Logan Pause.
Translation: He sucks.
Haha. I read the article, and then wanted to see how many posts it took before Freddy reared his head. Two! Although it might have been facetious.
Who are these people clamoring for Adu to make the squad? His family?
I think EJ goes. I admit, he’s not a great option, and he’s done poorly with his chances. But he has been seeing plenty of time, and even scoring a couple of goals, in a “top” Euro league.
One reason to keep Charlie on the roster even if he is not 100%….His affect on Jozy. Jozy plays much better with Charlie in the lineup. Charlie seems to ignite a fire under Altidore that sometimes is not always there. This alone is a good reason to put Charlie Davies on the team.
Beasley, Casey, or Bornstein should not be on the team. There are better options than those three at their respective positions. I would sub Kenny Cooper for Casey, Brad Davis over Beasley any day of the week, and my grandmother over Bornstein.
GOALKEEPERS- Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann, Brad Guzan
I agree on these three and think they are a vitual lock.
DEFENDERS- Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Jonathan Spector, Steve Cherundolo, Jonathan Bornstein, Jay DeMerit, Clarence Goodson
The major issue here is with left back. I’m in the camp of starting either Bocanegra or Spector in that position ahead of Bornstein depending on the opponent.
I also think that Edu is an excellent pick in Midfield since he can also play in the back, so the 7 vs 8 defender issue is moot.
MIDFIELDERS- Landon Donovan, Michael Bradley, Ricardo Clark, Stuart Holden, Benny Feilhaber, Jose Francisco Torres, Maurice Edu, DaMarcus Beasley, Alejandro Bedoya
I’m really puzzeled on the selection of Bedoya. I just have not seen enough of him and certainly have not seen him contribute enough to warrent selection.
FORWARDS- Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore, Charlie Davies, Conor Casey
I absolutely would NOT send Coner Casey – he is not International. I believe Ching will be available in time.
Someone please put something up at the next fire game to get McBride out of retirement.
Bornstein and Casey yet again, you’re killing me Ives. These guys get torched in CONCACAF, I shudder when I think about what will happen if they get minutes in SA.
Diskerud is playing really well. I just hope he wont accept any calls to Norway. Hope Bob puts him in the 30, because he starts in the Norwegian league and plays 90 min all the time and is only 19.
I’d be surprised if Bedoya is there…just too late in the cycle for him, though his appearances have all been positive. I know he is your ‘surprise’ pick, but rather Bease makes this squad…and I hope/pray that Davies is there and healthy. If he is not, don’t bring him…we don’t need another JOB storyline….
I’d bring Buddle before Casey.
As long as BB is still making the call, it’s always going to be his homeboy Ching. Gomez could score for Barcelona and BB would still lay in bed at night dreaming of Brian Ching.
If Conor Casey is on the American WC squad it will be as an extra set of hands for doling out water, towels and for carrying players luggage. A big man is handy for so many tasks. Gomez deserves a chance in friendlies.
Right. Because Adu has had so much more playing time since October.
Beasley has had some very good games for the Rangers in the past couple of months. A couple of stinkers as well, but when he has produced he is one of the better players on the pitch.
You can’t coach speed, and without Davies, the US is a very slow team. the next guy as a left middy is either Bedoya or Rogers, a drop off in experience if not quality…Bease has slowly rounded into form and I think is a lock to make the final 23.
“I tried to think of the most harmless thing. Something that could never destroy us. Something I loved from my childhood. The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. He was on all the packages we used to buy when I was a kid. We used to roast Stay Puft marshmallows at Camp Waconda.”
why would you ever suggest including a slow, talentless, lumbering oaf (casey… in case you couldn’t figure this out) who is anything but a scoring threat at the international level over someone who has been ripping it up in a better league? i mean, really?!? that makes 0 sense… which is probably why you’ll end up being right. bb loves making dumb decisions.
Remove Casey and replace with Ching or Gomez, then drop Clark or Torres and add an 8th defender (Pearce). Much better.
+1 for ghostbusters
oh, ps, ching is also a waste of space/talent. every time he takes the field for the usmnt i break my tv.
I’d rather only send 22 players and give Torres more room to relax on the bench than have Casey make the squad.
You know what Davies is capable of…right?
what about lee nguyen?
Blasphemer!
Jemal Johnson. Give him a few more years and he will be ready for 2014. He’d be great off the bench with his speed and knack for ridiculous goals. youtube him. That said, I’d rather have a 100% casey than a 75-85% ching.
I’m a Freddy fan, but that is funny.
Considering the options, I still don’t buy the argument that McBride is too old to be included. The World Cup will be 4 matches at most. He has the experience and the intelligence. And he looks fit for the Fire.
Pearce > Bornstein
And I already find myself itching to include Tim Ream : )
ives, who would your 30 men selection be?
Talk about a failed move to Europe…had Cooper stayed in MLS (or just manned up in Europe) he’d have to be getting a lot of consideration over Ching/Casey
Beasley is on my squad. He is still fast, he brings experience, and he is versatile (and I am not talking about playing left back). Those things make him a 70′ minute sub on my roster.
No, we don’t know what he is capable of. Wishful thinking to assume he will be exactly the same player he was before the accident.
I would love to see him back as good or better than he was, but I also need to see some proof before I would include him in the side.
Hmmm…I seem to recall him being very fast in the Confed Cup…fast at losing the ball. His time at the Rangers has not been enough to improve his form from where he was during the Confed Cup. He sucked then and he sucks now. He may be damn fast, but he still sucks. And that is a dangerous combination.
EJ over Casey
Ching won’t be healthy but I appreicate his experience and patience amidst the rushed way the US sometimes tries to play
You forgot to add your Bradley-hate-signoff. Come on, quit slacking over there
oh please let it go. if Gomez keeps up this form, he’ll get called into the provisional squad next month.
The guy wasn’t even on the radar a couple months ago, it needed him being red-hot to even get into the conversation.
We don’t have many forwards who are even playing regularly, which is why Casey is in the conversation. You need to have at least one true target forward. If i had to pick between Ching and Casey, I’d take Ching too, but sometimes this bradley-bashing for the sake of it gets real old.
this looks about right. I think if Beasley doesn’t get PT he will be left off. Bedoya’s stock is steadily rising.
If we take 8 instead of 9 mids I would expect to see 4 “true forwards”: Altidore, Davies, Gomez and Ching or Casey. This would move Dempsey back to being listed as a mid.
Cooper over Casey really… REALLY, the guy can’t barely get off the bench for a garbage second division English side. But you’d bring him over Casey whose playing 90 every week. I’m not a Casey fan, but please.
most likely this will be the 23 men selction, if ching is not healthy and fit enough. i would love bob bradley pick another player over goodson tho, as the team already have 4 CB’s in this group, ONEYWU BOCANEGRA DEMERIT and M.EDU. and yes, iam another believer that F.ADU should be on the team,atleast 23rd player. he can be a difference maker off the bench,spark plug,etc. OR ATLEAST ANOTHER SCORER-HERCULEZ GOMEZ!
heath pearce > bornstein
Forget Casey and use Jozy, Davies, Demps and LD as your forwards if Ching isn’t able to go. And if you question using LD up top, just check out youtube for 10 minutes…
Maurice Edu should go bc he can play CB or CM.
I think BB needs to experiment with a 4-5-1 with Michael Bradley as the attacking mid, LD & Demps wide, Edu and Rico/Torres/Feilhaber holding mids. (Or Demps as attacking mid, Bradley/Edu holding, Feil/Holden right mid). I think it would be foolish to attempt to use Davies as a starter in all 3 matches, so lets save him for last 30 mins against England then really go for it in the next 2 matches.
Spector – DeMerit – Gooch – Boca
Feil – Edu – Bradley – LD
—– Demps —–
——-Jozy——
I’d also have Hahnemann at #2, but I doubt Bob Bradley will. Guzan hasn’t played much for AV this year, but he’ll have a month with the national team before the WC and Bob will like his previous experience during qualifying and at the Confed Cup. Either way, our situation at keeper is not a big concern of mine.
Agreed. Watch out for him. He is my sleeper pick to make the 30 man team in May.
You can’t be serious. I want Freddy to prove himself, but it hasn’t happened yet. Bedoya is the most physical, and possibly most skilled, winger we have.
I have Gomez and Pearce for Casey and Bornstein, otherwise the same team. Jones for Feilhaber if the former is healthy, I guess.
McBride > Casey and after watching the COL-CHI game i think the USSF should take some serious measures to nationalize Collins John too.
Well last time a great player got into a car with a drunk driver and nearly killed himself, was severely injured so he didn’t play for 6 months right before the World Cup…..
No actually I am not certain of what he is capable of.
Call me crazy, but I think we should bring Hoyos to the WC if Ching can’t go. I realize he hasn’t been getting much in the way of minutes lately, and I’ve only watched him play in one match, but he is an exciting prospect. I doubt he’d even see the pitch, but i’m all for a call up similar to Walcott’s in ’06 for England. Hoyos really can’t be worse than any of our other forward alternatives, and the upside of bringing him in is potentially huge.
no one is touching Jozy either.
Hoyos wants to play for Argentina.
As for the questions, Gomez > Casey. We already have a hold-up/target forward in Jozy so we don’t need two, regardless if Casey is just a sub.
Er you have two guys who are injured and a big doubt to play at this point and yet you don’t include Jones? Under your same guidelines of “until we hear otherwise, let’s assume they’ll be fit” why leave Jones out? He has just as much of a chance and having visited the Dutch team, he’s in Bradley’s plans if he gets fit.
Also how can you say “based on international friendlies that were played between the last one” where Bornstein was repeatedly destroyed and individually gave up goals and yet have him over Pearce? He has done nothing in his club form to suggest he’s improving and his national form has dipped greatly! Pearce on the other hand has been a handful for the natioanl team and his club team when he’s played. Shoot even having Castillo is far, far better and offers us something different.
Also have to say “no, no” to having The Bulldozer Casey in there ahead of Johnson who has been getting more playing time and is looking miles better than Casey. Johnson has the skill and speed that Casey will never have. And leaving off our Mexican sensation?? After all the talk of goal after goal, you’d leave him off for Casey “I can only score 2 in 16 or so games Connor??
Bit shocked at your choices this time around…
Herculez Gomez couldn’t score against MLS defenders and now everyone thinks he will be able to step onto the world stage and hold his own. US is playing three strong defensive teams that play physical football. Gomez proved he cant handle physical football and now that he has been lighting up the last 35 minutes of every game in the no-defense league south of the boarder he is automatically thrown into contention for a spot. No way, no how a guy who has not seen the field for the USMNT in three years and has no familiarity with any of the starters on a club level will be called in 3 weeks before the world cup. Buddle is the dark horse, he plays with Donovan, is strong, can hold the ball up and is a proven scorer.
However, Ching comes back from the hamstring injury, Davies somehow steps onto the field for the last two weeks of the French 1 and instantly is as lighting fast and aggressive as he was 8 months ago and all will be right and we can all forget the name Herculez Gomez.
FACT: Beasley was one of our best on the field against the Netherlands.
If he’s healthy he’ll be in SA. His form for Rangers the last few months (when playing) has been light years better from the Confed Cup (and everything prior to that).
I’ll admit, even before he lost the ball that gave up the goal against Brazil, I was one who was saying he should never wear a USMNT jersey again.
Ives, what about taking Clark out since he has not played in a while and moving Dempsey back to midfield spot. Then you can throw Gomez in the Forward mix.
I think leaving Clark out would still be safe since we have Edu. Also, Casey is in until Ching heals up. IMO Ching not being 100% is still a better target forward than Casey. If Davis comes back we can have Gomez as sub for him and Ching a sub for Altidore.
It is my firm belief that you need to reserve one or two roster spots for a player you are grooming for the next World Cup. So…IMHO…they should go to Bedoya and Charlie Davies. I know, I know…most of you think Charlies time is now. But I actually think it is not a stretch to believe we won’t get to much out of him this go round but rather the next time.
The sad commentary on US Soccer is that we do not have one true forward, that is ready and healthy for this world cup. In the past we had Eric Wynalda and then Brian McBride. But now our starter will be a rough around the edges, 20 year old that has one goal this year for his club team. I like Jozy but he should be a complimentary player at this point. Not the guy that we have to pin all of our hopes to. Connor Casey is not a World Cup level player. Ching is injured. Davies is on his way (as is Jozy) but had the accident. H Gomez is a late party crasher with no international pedigree. This is our weakness this summer. The fact that we will have to borrow from the midfield (Dempsey or Donovan) plug in holes up front. I hope Jozy really explodes but I know it is like betting on a longshot.
NOTE TO ALL US YOUTH COACHES: Develop a forward or two, would ya?
“4 matches at most” – thanks for the optimism
2006 Ukraine played 5, 2002 Turkey/South Korea played 7, Senegal 5 and guess who, the USA played 5
Yes a speed demon. Watch Kaka’ run past him with the ball and look for Beasley 50 yards back. I believe Beasley has played 4 games in 2010, or once a month (a very dangerous bowel movement). The myth that Beasley plays regularly at Rangers and still has blinding speed is like a cold sore virus.
From a former Beasley fan who has accepted his demise.
JJ hasn’t played that way in over a year… For MK he was excellent, managed to see him live, but now he’s a shadow of his former self and still playing in a league equivalent to NASL…
I’d agree with McBride although the Olympics experiment didn’t work well. All I know is if we’ve got a corner/free kick and the option is bringing in Casey or McBride to set up shop in the 18, I know one head who I’d love to get on the end of that ball…
“call up similar to Walcott’s” is a horrible idea.
Josh you should not be shocked. Bornstein is one of Bradley’s guys and it doesn’t matter what he did in the last friendly because he already has a ticket to SA.
Also, the same logic does not hold true for Jones because the guys Ives discusses are proven starters and because of that they have guaranteed tickets if healthy. Jones is a mystery and no matter the talent will have to prove himself for a trip SA, however, from your thought process I agree that Jones, if healthy, is an automatic invite to the pre-world cup training camp.
I was kind of looking over something about “false nines” other day and was actually wondering if it had any use towards the USA. I think it does:
————————-Dempsey———————-
—————-Altidore———Davies—————
—————Donovan———-Bradley—————
————————–Edu————————-
Bocanegra———-DeMerit—-Onyewu———–Spector
————————-Howard———————–
Dempsey, as a false nine, would start out up top and indeed move there when convenient or called on, but he will spend most of the game dropping into deep positions, moving out wide, and drifting spaces that he can operate in. This gives the defense an ultimatum; chase after the false nine(Dempsey) and leave a space in the back line for someone like Altidore, Davies or Donovan to move into, or stay tight in the back, giving Dempsey space and time to do what he pleases, something that he, against Juventus, proved can be a costly mistake. I know it seems stupid to put Donovan in a central midfield position, but he and Bradley are key to and influencial upon how much of the ball this team gets and what it does with it. When they pass and move the ball well, this team is clearly on it’s best. Donovan proved to be very dangerous against Italy from a central position. Bradley’s pass to Davies on the first goal against Spain, his to Feilhaber on the second goal against Spain, and his beautiful pass from deep against Moenchengladbach show that he works well at possession-keeping. If you look at the second goal against Egypt, it was purely orchestrated from two of the three players in this central midfield, and I predict that Edu would have the same contribution Clark did to that one. Clark had the snap header to Donovan on a longball from Bornstein, Donovan one timed it for Bradley and Bradley, after dribbling for a good 15-20 yards, layed it off to Donovan, who one timed it back to Bradley who in turn one-timed it for a goal. The sequence, save for the one leading to Donovan’s goal against Brazil, was probably the best one the USA had all tournament. Another good thing about this lineup is that it takes almost all of Dempsey’s defensive responsiblities. I doubt we’ll ever see this lineup, but I’d like to see/hear what people think of it.
At the very least, someone put this lineup in on FIFA 10 and tell me how it does.
Haha, he’s stuck in Vietnam – a league comparable to u-14 soccer…
Had his chance but ran off to be a hero in a country he tried to screw over before MLS said “Nope!”
Jones and Feilhaber don’t even play the same position. If Jones comes then it is for Edu or Clark. Pearce had one decent game against a team that had no offense attack whatsoever, he has proven nothing, though Bornstein has proven he can be miserable at times, he is one of Bradley’s guys and will be in SA. If Pearce comes Bornstein still comes but one of the midfielders is left home.
What about Edson Buddle? Off to a hot start in MLS, has the size and has good chemistry with Landon Donovan.
Just a thought.
OK, everyone who keep saying Edu is a good pick because he can fill in at CB, stop saying it. It’s a ludicrous thought. Gooch, DeMerit, Boca, Goodson, Spector, and (even though I hate to say it) Bornstein would have to go down injured for BB to plug Edu in at CB. Edu is a great pick for this team because he’ll likely start next to Bradley in the middle of the pitch, not because he played three games of CB at the Olympics two years ago.
I agree with Ives’ picks except for I would leave Clark at home unless he gets off the pine at Enitracht, and soon. In his place I’d send Pearce.
I’ll be shocked even when I’m in the stands for the England match in freezing cold African weather!!
What else does he have to do to not get picked? And I really don’t care what anyone thinks he’ll choose – bit boring – I care what the soccer community thinks.
And Jones at 75% is a lock-in for the team. He’s better than any other of our midfielders and having seen him play many times, he’s a lock at starter even if he doesn’t get any friendly time before it (given he’s fit).
I’m not in the camp of “let’s bring Davies at 70%!!” Why? So he can get injured again because he didn’t have enough time to get back to it (see Owen). The African winter is tough and will be tough on him if he plays in those conditions without carrying a newly healed injury (or 5). Why ruin a player on the off shoot he’s Wolverine and has been brought back? He gets a minimum of two games and he’s in – any less and we’re risking the US’ top striker of next world cup’s career.
Too many times in pro, amateur, youth I have seen players come back too early and never has it gone over well. Even Ronaldo (Brazilian) who played half injured and had a stellar World Cup, payed the consequences the following year.
Captain America: Your country is calling!!
I like the idea behind it but Dempsey doesn’t run enough for the national team for that to work out. Maybe if you moved Donovan to that position, dropped Dempsey to Davies’ that could work with Edu and Bradley sitting back and maybe Torres or Feilhaber playing alongside Donovan.
I’d be far too concerned with the wings. Will our RB and LB (barring Bornstein) are good enough, laying them out to get repeatedly attacked like that is leaving us far too vulnerable to counters where our defense has no speed.
I keep going back and forth on this, but I still don’t know what I think about our jerseys having a big, thick white sash across the front.
Erich, I believe you used ‘FACT’ incorrectly in this context of best. Best, better, worst are almost always opinion. It could be a fact that someone opined it and you quoted him.
ahh ok, and if he offers you 30 I’m asking for 35..do you think there is possibly a significance for choosing 23 for his list??? Why 30? do you need to argue that Fro’ Adu join his brother on the list???
Disagree. The idea isn’t that he’d start at CB but when we get the inevitable red card, it helps in a big way to have a central midfielder who can tuck back into the CB position.
So his inclusion and talk of him being a CB isn’t because he’d start, but when we’re out of options due to carding or injury, you don’t waste a sub by bringing in a CB – you have options.
However, that thought process is a bit much for Bradley..
I am aware that he wants to play for Argentina, but I think if he was given the opportunity to travel to SA with the US he would gladly take it. He’d be a fool not to. I can’t bear to watch another great talent slip away. And, just to reiterate, I think Hoyos is every bit as good as Casey, Gomez, Buddle, Cunningham or anyone else who has been suggested thus far.
hopefully they will be back for the May friendly games too…
Why is that? At least it might allow us to steal him away from Argentina. Who do we have at forward who would be better than him?
OK, so you want to bring a 75% Jones but not a 70% fit Davies? nice logic, the additional 5% of fitness means Jones would be less likely to incur an additional injury??
Had you made two seperate replies you could argue the logic for each on an individual basis, but when you post them together it makes us wonder if you actually thought before typing
Someone has to help fans cross the street.
Yes, we would be done, if Bradley went that route. Well said.
Definitely think we shouldn’t start Onyewu. He’s too big of a liability even when he’s been playing day in and day out. Now he’ll have zero club time in almost 8 months and we expect him to suit up against England? That’s just foolish.
That, in a nutshell, is why you are not and should not be the coach.
Spector disagrees.
I’m sure you’re trying to be colorful, thinking that makes you more interesting and arresting. Really, all it means is I don’t have a clue what you mean with your analogies (dangerous bowel movements, cold sore virus?).
Gomez or Buddle over Casey
Boy that’s witty — what you did there, with Bornstein’s name. I guess, if you can do that with his name, he must really stink. Dinja think?
in my opinion, he is a better option than casey…..however, he needs to keep scoring to get a look from Bradley
I’d bring Hercules Gomez instead of Conor Casey. Casey is essentially a white Altidore, someone who primarily relies on physical presence to maneuvar for the ball. Gomez is a rascally little weasel type, running in and out of people. Those shirts are hot, btw. The one for Altidore should have a small emblem/ crest-like things that incorporate colors of Haitian flag and that includes the name of that US national/haitian dude who scored for US in 1950 on the Brits. The profit from the sales of those jerseys should go to building soccer fields in Haiti.
why do we need to see Gomez keep up his form before he gets on the squad when Casey hasn’t done anything to merit being on the squad in the first place? casey will just eat all the plane food and end up getting sick. Bring back McBride!
-McBride,Altidore, Davies, Gomez
-Donovan, Edu,Torres,Bradley,Beasley, Bedoya,Holden,Feilhaber,Dempsey
-Boca, Demerit,Spector,Cherundolo,Goodson,Onyewu,Simek
-The regular keeps.
(assuming no Davies)
I don’t mind that lineup….in the slightest! Although, if Holden is healthy and back playing regularly, I’d start him over Benny and have Benny come in for a spark off the bench.
gee, you’re a genius bigvic! I’d definately buy such a jersey.
I mean Buddle no offense, but if I could get the service Donovan gave Buddle on his goals, I’d have scored, too.
now thats something we can both agree on!
I’d rather have a 80% Davies start against England than a 100% Casey…
I’m okay with bringing Casey as long as he doesn’t start and that he only sees the field as a sub for Davies after we have the lead (knock on wood).
Everyone just forget about Adu and Jermaine Jones.
I think Ives’ 23 is the most likely group to go, unless Bob wants another defender, which I don’t think is necessary since Edu (and Beasley in a real pinch) can play defense.
Beasley and Bedoya are better choices than the alternatives at outside-mid. What’s most important is that Holden comes back healthy and gets in shape.
who would you pick instead? Would you put Boca inside and start Bornstein? That’s even more foolish. could start goodson but that’s oddish…
FYI, the African winter is not that tough (believe me, I’m from SA). The winter they had during the Confederations Cup was a total fluke…read about it. That is NOT the norm.
Anyway, just my two cents.
correction, I would like to see Bedoya as a sub for Davies if we had the lead (knock on wood). Bedoya would work more defensively and is faster.
Why are there 9 midfielders on the list, not including Dempsey, who’s at forward? That’s ridiculous–essentially 10 midfielders.
No way, no how does a conservative coach like Bob only take 7 defenders. Not a chance. Not after seeing the number of cards dished out to us at the last World Cup, and with Gooch possibly not 90 minutes fit.
Beasley should be the one to go–he can’t play multiple positions and he isn’t getting regular playing time with his club.
Ives–I think you are right on with these picks.
I would second the motion by one of the other posts that Bradley talk to McBride–if presumably Casey is going to be a backup target forward, I would rather have McBride coming off the bench than Casey. He may not be as great as he was in the past, but he is still more dangerous than Casey. Probably won’t happen but it would be great if it did…
Agree except Herculez Gomez must be included. What on earth does he still need to prove?
lol, that line-up is whack…..
Altidore will be our centre forward who will hold up the ball, Dempsey will not be played that high up the pitch b/c thats exactly where Davies will go…..BB plays a 4-2-2-2, and doesnt change so that formation wont happen. Donovan is not a CM either, he couldnt win the ball back and we would constantly be countered on…..this is my line-up
Howard
Spector,Onyewu,Demerit,Boca
Dempsey,Bradley,Holden,LD
Davies,Altidore
Holden played excellent for Bolton at CM earlier in the year and is a better tackler than people think, he is always itching to move into the centre with the ball as well when he is out wide so with thisit would help LD,Davies, and Altidore to be sent more often
I’m only okay with bringing Casey if he is used exclusively as an equipment manager, and NEVER sees the field.
Collins John has been capped by the Netherlands
Nothing with Conor Casey in it should be considered “solid”
There’s a little double entendre to get your afternoon started. See post #1
In theory this sounds like something worth experimenting with, but in reality you’re asking Jozy, Davies, Demps and LD to adapt to new positions/roles without having played any meaningful games in this formation. It just won’t happen.
We’re more likely to see Jozy and Demps up top together at the start of the matches instead of the end.
how can anyone say bedoya is better than adu? exactly how good do you think the swedish league is? johan smith and ryan miller are playing there. and both couldn’t cut it in MLS. yes, i know davies started there. but i think he’s the exception, not the rule.
the greek league, on the other hand, actually has some real quality in the top 5 teams, such as Cisse, Gilberto, etc.
Frankly, the greek league is stronger the the mexican league as well…which is why I think Adu would be a legitimate choice over Torres (who has 1 goal since August…not exactly lighting it up).
30 is not an arbitrary number. There will be a 30 man roster named before the 23. So yeah, I would also be interested to hear Ives opinion on who makes the 30.
Oh i dont know? That he can produce on the national team level.
he also was able to get two vitally important goals in a hostile environment against (waaaait for it) another team going to the World Cup!
The anecdotes go both ways, dude. They’re both silly.
On Adu…
I have it on pretty good authority that his issue is 2 fold…
1) At the club level (and it is also evident during USMNT training sessions), his effort during training sessions is not professional. He rarely gives 100%, obviously not the best way to get in any gaffer’s best graces.
2) His fitness is terrible…probably a function of #1. He constantly plays with heavy legs which impacts his quickness (both strides and foot work). He’s not even close to as deceptive as he was while playing for the US U20s where he was labeled the “Black Houdini” against Brazil!
real reasoning behind this would be to cap tie him before argentina does
Playing a lot and doing well in the Mexican and Swedish leagues is better than sitting on the bench and occasionally playing in the Greek League.
One had life threatening injuries, the other a leg. Come on there is no comparison to the two sets of injured players. By some accounts, Davies shouldn’t even be alive but he’s kicking a ball somewhere in France at the moment and God bless him, I want him there! But I’m not willing to risk his career or more injuries on him when he’s so young and has two more World Cups to look forward to.
Jones on the other hand has pain. Docs can’t find an injury, all he knows is he’s hurting. I can live with getting him pain killers, he’s of the age where there might not be an next WC so as mean as it is, use him and if it doesn’t work out, it’s too bad.
But please don’t compare the two situations. A 75% Jones is just playing through pain. A 70% Davies is playing with a super high risk of a set back to reach 100%.
Apologies – I don’t know much about SA beyond that cold winter and the conditions the media mentioned. I, wrongfully, assumed it was a typical winter.
I’d love to see edson buddle get in the squad. Far better technical player than casey and hes extremely athletic and finishes chances. hes only problem is staying healthy but a strong begining of the season should put him ahead of casey. we’ve seen enough of casey and hes just not an international caliber player
And you get that by err not having a chance at the national level?
Agree, particularly if he keeps scoring and especially because he plays with Donovan on a regular basis and would have a more developed understanding with him. But Gomez first.
agreed, McBride was shocking in the Olympics. The level is going to be higher aaaand we are two years on from seeing him in tournament where he looked far to old to begin with.
Isn’t that what he’s trying to mold Jozy into though? There are better options out there if all BB is looking for are target forwards. USA tasted success last July because of Jozy’s ability to fill that role WHILE PAIRED with the likes of a LD or CD. Ching really does nothing for us at this point. Sorry, it’s not like I have something against the guy. BB has struggled in the past to bring in the right players to fill these roles.
Hmm, still plugging Ricardo Clark in there even though he hasn’t played a single club minute since last summer and there’s no indication that Frankfurt will actually put him on the field (he’s been healthy for a while now and still no PT). I guess I wouldn’t be totally surprised if Bradley included him, but I don’t think it’s a great decision.
yup, pretty much.
No worries. Just putting it out there.
I LOVE that idea!!! I think BB has to think outside the box with our situation at forward.
Hoyos over Casey.
Herculez Gomez if Charlie Davies isn’t ready.
Jeremiah White over Beasley…because JW is actually playing.
Herculez Gomez and Edson Buddle deserve one last chance to prove themselves in May against the Chech Republic and Turkey.
Conor Casey is not our man. I would rather Kenny Cooper over Conor Casey, b/c Cooper always finds the net. Although, he hasn’t been getting much playing time in England.
Ives, I was wondering the same thing as brian. You should do a 30 man preliminary roster. Especially because the core group is pretty much already set. I can come up with a few extra, but it gets tough the closer you get to 30.
The other guy pokes fun at your analogies…but the message is good. How many starts does Beasley have in the last 2 years? The last 700 days or so? More than 20? I don’t think so. So that’s less than one game a month.
He does not deserve a space in the 23. I would rather see Herculez Gomez.
He has been capped by Netherlands in 2 friendlies similar to Jermaine Jones. If he got US citizenship he could play for the US.
Yeah, you play out of position with incompetent MLS coaches and see how you do…At least he knows how to score…Something our MLS strikers can’t seem to do and he is scoring against teams that would wipe the floor with MLS teams…CONCACAF Champions League. Need I say more.
Ching isn’t being brought along to be the main starting striker. He’s being brought along because he gives support in the situation that Jozy goes down with an injury.
I also wish to say that for all those saying Ching can’t score, when was his last quality national team strike partner? Landon Donovan was too busy running the midfield to be a strike partner with Ching, so it left Ching alone as a lone striker, when he operates better as a TARGET man. There’s a difference; a lone striker has all the tools a striker needs, and a target striker is someone who is needed to hold the ball up, latch on to headers, draw fouls, bring different players into the game, and disrupt the other teams play, making sitting deep a tough option for other teams. As soon as Jozy paired with Ching against El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago, the USA got to be dangerous.
herculez has to go if he’s still scoring at this rate. even if he slows down his scoring rate, he still might be better than casey.
……I’m pretty sure the Bradley rips shots from distance, Donovan rips shots from distance, Dempsey rips shots from distance, Clark rips shots from distance, and Jozy ripped a shot from distance against Holland. Torres being there left very little help for Bradley defensively, which makes it too much of a risk to play him against teams like Holland. If Torres does get played, it’s experimental, or against weaker teams.
Correction, Clark hasn’t played for his club since last fall (Houston’s last game in 2009 was Nov. 13 against the Galaxy).
I know Beasley does not play much for Rangers. I, myself, am often surprised at how often the Scottish press interviews him or refers to him as a “star” given his lack of time. He spends more time on his jewelry business than he does in the first 11. I consider myself a realist on him. That said, I believe he is a better option than what we have and he can be useful as a 70′ sub. I believe that many have a negative opinion of Beasley because his many injuries affected his performance and then he got put at left back in a failed experiment by Bob Bradley. I am of the opinion that Beasley had a good performance when back on the wing against the Netherlands. I know one swallow does not make a summer, but I believe that as a veteran with a desire for a better club situation after this year, Beasley will perform well when called upon at the World Cup. I will be very surprised if DMB is not on the WC roster. Wow, I did this without mentioning poop or oozing sores or anything.
If Casey even makes it to South Africa and plays, it would really make the MLS look really bad on an international level. I am dead serious. Also, I tend to think of Jozy as a type of holding forward already. He holds the ball well, is physical, draws fouls…and can actually score against big teams on the international level…and the one goal in the Premier League
…which is worth more than 5 MLS goals for Conner Casey…. Gomez on the plane por favor!!! Altiodre, Davies, Gomez…(Dempsey and Landon too if need be!)
I think Castillo deserves more of a look, especially if Bornstein is seriously being considered (although we have to admit that he is BB’s baby since the Chivas USA days). Torres needs to stay, as he presents a strong versatility to the US midfueld and would be a starter depending on the opponent. I think Clark is last one that Fab 5 list. I can’t say Beasley have convinced me of being on this team. I agree that Buddle should be there ahead of Casey, and Gómez deserves a trial as well.EJ and Adu maybe on the list of 30, but I doubt they make SA. Adu needs to get it together and make 2014.
I’m just curious if there’s any chance Frankie gets a call as the last guy on the bench as an energy guy who’s great in the locker room and in practice, and to make up for missing ’06 with an injury. We’ve seen stranger things happen…
Oye Tim, Gomez>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Casey!!!
that’s bob’s thinking on this one.
love that HD compere. nailed it.
Taking 7 defenders is a huge mistake waiting to happen. Compounded by the fact that one hasn’t seen the field since ’09 and another is toast on a plate.
Let’s hope it doesn’t happen. Especially since we’re supposed to have a shot at getting out of group play and have a clear history of card accumulating. How embarrassing it would be to get to a second round game and be short on defense. Yeah, that makes a ton of sense.
Beasley delivers things that Brad Davis doesn’t and Casey is only being considered if Ching can’t go. Bornstein is still a bit iffy, seing as how Heath Pearce is starting to do well again. Brad Davis may be a more creative attacking midfielder, but Beasley has more pace, more ability to take players on, is better at getting up and down the flanks, provides good service, makes good runs off the ball, and has a connection with the teammates that Davis doesn’t. Cooper may be a good goalscorer, but after that, he doesn’t do anything else. I know that’s a stupid statement for a striker, but he’s selfish, doesn’t drop back, and if he doesn’t get the proper service, he can’t contribute anything to the game. Essentially, he has to have a team built around him, which probably isn’t even as good an option as what we went with in the Confederations Cup. I still have faith in Bornstein. He fits into the pressure style of play the USA have played lately. I like Pearce over Bornstein, but Bornstein can be just as good, the issue is consistency.
Do people not understand that Casey is only being selected because Ching is injured? If Ching is healthy, then Casey is out. Casey also happened to score two very important goals, showing that even though he’s not the best forward we have, he’s someone we can count on. Just give him a good strike partner and service and he’ll do fine.
Bornstein is there for his versatility, which is important when we’re bringing 7 defenders. He’s a natural left back and he’s just inconsistent. He’ll have bad games, but we can’t act like he’s never played well.
Plus Gooch has WC experience in his corner. Otherwise that idea would be getting kicked around more.
What a jerk; Ching is a great player who needs a good strike partner, not someone who operates in the midfield. As soon as he did(Jozy) he played well.
Yes lets take a bench warmer over a guy who’s played at Club world cups, Libertadores, and WC qualifiers. Not to mention plays in the Best league in North america.
Its not about goals its about the work off the ball as well a creating chances. Torres holds the Ball a hell of a lot better than freddy,( hes not trying to be messi) and Has one hell of a shot from outside the box. Something few in our National team have.
Freddy hasnt proved anything.
To be honest, I disagree with the idea that Dempsey doesn’t run enough. He(seemingly) doesn’t want to defend, yes, that’s true, but only because it takes him out of dangerous offensive positions. Dempsey not only is willing to move around the offense, but he also knows where to put himself in order to do the most damage, a key trait of a false nine.
As far as the wings go, that’s a concern I can understand. We could always put Pearce and Cherundolo as the fullbacks. Pearce dealt well with world class competition against Argentina, and Cherundolo did well against world class competition against Brazil back in 2007( coincidentally, that was the game he assisted on Dempsey’s goal, who was playing as a striker). You also have to consider that Maurice Edu is also there and that he has the athleticism to cover ground and help the defenders with some of their defensive work; Bradley is also there to help.
We need to find him an American wife asap.
Well, of course it’s unlikely. I practically said as much in the post. I just said that it’s an idea.
Would they really be in positions they haven’t played before? Dempsey likes being able to float around the pitch and find different angles to attack from, which is what a false nine is all about. This would leave Jozy and Davies up top to deal with the back line, and would most likely draw out a defender, leaving space for them to run in to and get available for a pass, and even if the defense does take the option of being tight tight, Altidore and Davies are very dogged and showed ability to break back lines down in the Confederations Cup. Donovan played in a central/ attacking midfield position for all of the semifinal round of qualifying, so I think that he’ll be used to being at the fulcrom of the midfield. Granted, that was a more playmaker role, but attacking-wise, it’s the same concept in that he needs his vision, skill, poise, and composure. He’s vital to how much of the ball this team has and keeps, which is why I think he’d work well in a central midfield position, and the same can be said of Bradley.
I see Rogers ahead of Bedoya. Rogers plays left and right and can play left back or forward. I would expect that Bradley is looking for versatility in the final spots and Bedoya has not shown me any of that in his limited minutes with the USMNT.
I was actually pretty close to putting in Holden as a central midfielder instead of Edu, with Bradley taking Edu’s spot as a defensive midfielder. I only put Edu there because he’s healthy, getting minutes and goals for Rangers, and Holden will only have 2 games to recover from his injury, assuming Bolton want to play him.
Donovan showed his bite when he was playing against Spain and put form a great defensive effort. I’m not saying he’s like Bradley, but he has at least the hustle to help defensively. That was another reason for me including Edu; Donovan is a hustler, but not a great defender, so Edu can kind of cover for him. Altidore has shown his ability to hold the ball up, but he also has pace, skill, close control, and most people considered him to be a second striker, which was where he played for the Red Bulls. It’s also not like Davies will be a real winger. He’ll move out wide at times, yes, but he’s going to be high up the pitch and more central than wide. The main reason Davies, Altidore, and Dempsey are so far up the pitch was because they’re the trio, with the help of a great pass from Bradley, that had the sequence leading to the first goal against Spain. Why not put them close and in the attack?
I continue to read commentary from all soccer journalists expressing concern about the problem at forward for the USMNT. I checked the final stats for CONCACAF qualifying, they are listed below:
Team GF GA
USA 42 16
Mexico 36 18
Honduras 32 18
This is the first time the USA has led all teams in goals scored during qualifying in CONCACAF and by a comfortable six goal margin. I think the USA will be fine offensively in South Africa. I am much more concerned about our situation at the other end of the pitch. We simply do not have a world class left back. Period. The list of pretenders is long, but nobody has been convincing or consistent, let alone dominating. Gooch has seen very little playing time since he left Standard. This was the case before his injury and, obviously, he has seen none of the pitch since he was hurt. Carlos Bocanegra has been in and out of favor at Rennes since Christmas. Steve Cherundolo has spent a large part of this season injured and is short on pitch time. Jonathan Spector has seen steady playing time and is the only player across out back line who has enjoyed consistently good health this season. There have been injury problems limiting playing time for both Frank Simek and Jay Demerit, as well.
The ability to control play at the back, limit opponents’scoring opportunities, and shutdown dangerous players like Wayne Rooney by denying them service is absolutely critical to success at the World Cup, this one or any other. It is my opinion that the greatest challenge facing Bob Bradley is finding a defense capable of getting the job done, not finding players to put the ball in the net.
it would be everyone listed above in the 23+Pearce and Ching+ bradley’s homeboy, Klestjan+ Gomez+ one of Marshall/Conrad+ Hejduk+Eddie Johnson…
I think that Klestjand and EJ have rpoven their ineptitude, but that has never stopped Bradley from giving them more chances….
Freddy, Rogers, the other one of Marshall/Conrad standing by in case of injury setbacks…
Ives-serious question: Why is Clark still considered a lock at this point? He hasn’t seen action in at LEAST 5 months, and is a red card machine internationally. IMO, he took Edu’s spot when Edu got hurt. Had Edu been healthy, we’d be talking about Clark as more of a future prospect/backup. So I’d leave Clark off the list and bring back Pearce/Simek. If playing for a team is such a supposed importance to BB- why is Rico getting a pass?
“Freddy over Bedoya. Done.”
That’s nuts. What has Freddy ever done professionally? At least guys like Beasley, Cooper and Cunningham have records of professional accomplishments beyond making a team. I’m not calling for these three guys, just saying that they have earned some street cred while Freddy has done nothing beyond making teams’ rosters. Bedoya is demonstrating he can start, be a team player and make an impact.
if u think about it after his 07 copa america, injured his acl was out for months, played by coaches and was FORCED to play out of positivion, but yet when he plays in his natural forward position he managed to score 14 goals for the galaxy in half a season and is 2nd in scoring in mexico, most goals coming in as a sub, this guy is a true forward and hes on my plane to SA
The Bedoya situation reminds me a lot of Beasley’s first selection for a WC. A guy who didn’t really contribute in qualifying but came up at the right time.
It is about need. US needs someone like Davies more than Jones.
This list is realistic. While I can’t say I am ecstatic to see Casey and Bornstein on this list, it’s not like we are leaving a lot of talent or high performing players behind. Who is not on the list that deserves WC run? Gomez…maybe if he stays hot, Pearce…has been inconsistent with the Nats much like Bornstein, Ching…did yeoman’s work in qualifying but is he dangerous against top level international competition?
Frankly, this list is kind of scary because it shows how limited and thin our options are. For a nation of 300 million people we still don’t have a very deep well of skilled and experienced players.
But does he play them well. He doesn’t on the right, I know.
“Clint Dempsey has not travelled with us. In the very last minute of the game against Wigan he was, in our opinion, fouled in the penalty area. Not only did we not get a penalty – we also lost a player because he was injured in the challenge.
“Unfortunately he’s going to be out for a period of time – certainly tomorrow and on Sunday against Liverpool and possibly longer. The scan has shown there is a muscular injury and it’s going to keep him out for a period of time.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
somehow we all really overated cooper when he was in MLS….and i mean badly
EJ scores in Greece.
Nuff said
MLS never have their best teams in CCL….Houston and Columbus are the only good teams in it b/c they were the only teams to keep somewhat consistant squads…..there are too many great changes in alot of MLS squads over a year period for them to ever do well in CCl, i think that is about to change with new accesibility for MLS teams to get players
i agree that he needs a look, but no mexican teams would “wipe the floor” of any MLS team on a decent day. that is overexagerating by far
the reason he finds more success in my mind is probably the physicality
Is Omar Cummings eligible to play for the US? I keep hearing Robbie Findley as a borderline possibility for the US team at striker but I have to think Omar Cummings offers the same speed as Findley with more of an ability to create goals for others as well…I think I would go with Cunningham or Cummings as my speedy striker before Findley.
you gona say that about every single international player that comes into MLS and plays good? He is young and he knows he still has a chance with the dutch
these are the 30 i would like to see before south africa(Ching, Davies, and Jones are included even if we arent sure yet)…..
GOALKEEPERS- Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann, Brad Guzan
DEFENDERS- Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Jonathan Spector, Steve Cherundolo, Jonathan Bornstein, Jay DeMerit, Clarence Goodson, Heath Pearce, Daniel Williams, Edgar Castillo
MIDFIELDERS- Landon Donovan, Michael Bradley, Ricardo Clark, Stuart Holden, Benny Feilhaber, Jose Francisco Torres, Maurice Edu, DaMarcus Beasley, Alejandro Bedoya, Clint Dempsey, Jermaine Jones
FORWARDS- Jozy Altidore, Charlie Davies, Conor Casey, Edson Buddle, Herculez Gomez, Brian Ching
^ if Jones cant make it……i like Brad Davis, so i shall say him
Regarding Cooper….You should replace the word “much” with the word “any” and then see if your sentence still makes any sense to you.
Word. No casey. PLease. Hell even EJ and Gomez are doing much better and are playing in better leagues.
How does Bornstein pass Pearce again?, when Pearce is continuing to rise, where Bornstein is sinking and stinking.
Ives must of heard Bob reads his blog, lol.
The argument of being played out of position for over three years but being so good at his natural position that he warrants a call to the national team/world cup seems pretty ridiculous.
If Buddle continues to score with Donovan providing the assists then he will be invited to the pre-WC camp.
Ives,
I am really curious as to why Simek is getting attention. I haven’t heard much about him. Is he even starting at Wednesday?
agreed. ive never seen why anyone would want him on the national team. sure he has had some decent seasons in MLS, but he isn’t doing as well as other Americans are in better leagues, and right now, he isn’t really producing that well for his MLS side either. boo casey. gomez or ej should come. i like buddle too, for some reason. i just do
I think Edu’s partner in central midfield is far more likely to get a red than anyone we have on our back line. I see your point though.
I completely agree with you. Beasley was one of the only players that looked dangerous against the Dutch besides Jozy and Bedoya in his limited time. If he can get minutes before May, he’s on my 23.
This is the exact team I think should go to Africa–great picks!!
Buddle’s just gotta keep it up. The one knock on him is his form fluctuates a lot. 18 goals two seasons ago, but only 5 goals last season.
He’s Jamaican
England, Algerian, and Slovenian fans.
No. To my knowledge he hasn’t made the field since getting called up for the Netherlands friendly
I like Herculez Gomez over Conor Casey.
dont believe the hype…Holden is over-rated.
I don’t get it, why does Conor Casey get the automatic inclusion? I get that a short run of amazing form by Gomez doesn’t mean he’s on the team, but what has Casey done to give him the right to be on the team? It really does work both ways…
Look man…no disrespect or anything. However, I dont think you know what you are talking about.
to imply that Adu should be taken over torres simply because Torres doesnt score is just a bit ignorant. Think about the context in which they play for their respective clubs. In addition to that, they have 2 different styles of play that cater to what the team is trying to accomplish.
Im a huge Adu suporter but the fact that he is in need of some major attitude adjustments is reason enough to leave him in Greece during the world cup. Torres plays effectively in the context of what Pachuca is trying to accomplish. Adu is having issues impressing at his respective clubs. It may have to do with his work ethic and attitude.
yeah…your preaching to the choir. We have Bornstien remember?
Because he plays in the Mexican league…
You know…i did replace those words, and taking into consideration that the comparison was made between Connor “hands on my knees after 15 minutes of play” Casey and Cooper…It still made sense.
In addition to that…because he has won titles with this club, taught how to play outside of the US in the Youth system of the birthplace of Mexican soccer. And he starts.
Oh…and he has a Fine-A** girlfriend.
mwc,
Well, besides the 2002 World Cup and his 2004 (?) season with PSV, I’ve found DMB to be consistently underwhelming. You could look at the Holland game as an aberration. He was back in Holland, playing against some old friends, playing against a team that, regardless of what anyone says, wasn’t taking the US all that seriously.
I wouldn’t mind if he made the roster but I wouldn’t mind if he didn’t and I’ve watched him for 8 years.
The fact that he is still a serious candidate is an indication of just how thin the US talent pool is.
-lets be real about that…Casey hasnt played for 90 since prior to blowing out both his ACLs. He walks 90 min. Hell, my grandpa off his Rascal moves more than Casey…My wife moved a lot more than casey right after her water broke…Eduardo de silva rolled around on the floor more than Casey can move on the pitch and with a compound fracture no less…
Isaac and dwitty,
For that matter I’ve seen Bornstein, Rogers and Holden rip shots from distance.
dwitty, is that how you rate a player?
JB is a converted LB. His natural position is Forward. He is inconsistent because that is not his natural position. Unfortunately, if you are inconsistent as a defender, you should not be a defender that goes for defending at any level.
“(Bob is familiar with him too -which appears to be important to Bob). ”
So let me get this straight. If you were the manager of the USMNT you would pick players who you were not familiar with?
Maybe you get on SBI and say “well most of those guys say player X is great, so I should bring him up to the team.”
Well that’s one way to do it.
That’s not entirely accurate. Charlie’s play ignited everyone.
But you may not, and probably won’t get that play.
What you risk is having 10 men trying to make up for 1 man, always a risky proposition, especially in such an intense tournament setting. What you are proposing is that the US handicap itself from the get go. This is near suicide for a team that wins on the finest of margins at its best.
On the other hand it would make great TV for ESPN for three games. But me, I like to win.
Charlie has no business being on the team if he is nothing more than , as you are suggesting, a professional cheerleader.
Cooper would be a lot better off if he hadn’t hurt his knee.
just some food for thought…
Herculez did score on MLS defenders IN BUNCHES when he was played in the position that he currently plays in with Puebla which happens to be striker.
So by your reasonning…Jones (if fit) should not be called in to the squad at this point?
That last one qulaifies him to go to Europe.
you obviously didnt watch the one game holden played in the prem then
If that was Sarcasm…it was pretty damn funny.
I dont see it even when i watch him play most games. He is serviceable…but not a game changer like Bradley, Dempsey, LD Josi, Davies, Gooch. He plays the same way rico, feilhaber, bornstien and Sasha play..AVERAGE. And as average players, they should come off the bench and play that sub role. So I don’t get all this worry about Holden not being fit or not making it in time for the Cup…You probably have 2-3 other Holden’s you can fit in that spot. Personally, I wouldnt mind seeing Bedoya, Adu or even LD playing that right wing.
Claudio Renya goes to Chicago Fire games??
Wait your wrong freddy has proven he can make the team in one way.. he’s a pro in warming the european benchs and south africa is very cold so he’ll be very usefull for that wow i can believe u forgot that
You have absolutely no clue what you’re saying. Holden can play EVERY MF position, he has one of the best first touches on the team… He’s an absolute game changer the times hes come off the bench for the USMNT, have you even watched a freaking game hes played in? Personally I think you’re an idiot. Personally I highly doubt youve watched any of the 2 games where Holden has started for Bolton. He was by far the best player on the field for Bolton against Tottenham. Took all the free kicks for both games and maybe had ONE that wasn’t top notch.
Read what his manager says about him, he said Holden is getting his starting spot once he comes back from injury. I’ve never seen Holden have a horrible game as with Rico and all those other players you named have had. Hes consistent as hell and has risen to the occasional in EVERY MAJOR GAME hes been in. Taking a PK in the MLS Cup, being a super sub in the WCQs, and being the best player on Bolton in each game hes played in.
You can say he’s overrated but he’s been consistent and is getting better. You talk like you havn’t watched one game hes played… and why would you? you obviously hate on him for no reason other than hes not a superstar yet. You think hes not going to be taking corners and free kicks along with LD in the WC? because he is and you’re gunna have to suck on it when they’re good
According to ESPN, Beasley did not play again today. I can only guess that Rangers are afraid he’ll get injured again and they won’t be able to move him. Does anyone know why he’s sitting out again?
hahahahhaahahahha!!! Love it!
Torres is a midfielder youplay the ball through he links passes.
V Holland Baby Bradkey did not use him. He looked to push the ball. Therefore the best attribute Torres has was lost..
If they use Torres in games 2&3 as I think they should this has to be looked at.
Edu and Bradley v England
Forward depth chart determined 95% by in form in May.
I think a 4-2 -3 – 1 should be tried. Playing 3 of the 5 at once. Landon and Torres and Dempsey being the 3
What exactly do all these blogs keep seeing in Connor Casey. I feel nervous when he starts for the US vs Barbados! If Casey didn’t have Omar Cummings on his team, it would show you experts how poor his work rate is. Stop picking the safe choice and go out on a limb with someone new. No Casey, No Ching, No Cunningham.
yes, i am a jerk who actually knows about the sport. you obviously don’t if you actually think ching is a “great player.” ching is awful. the only time he scores is when he plays crap opponents (in mls or against garbage concacaf teams). against a real defense he provides nothing. he can’t create his own chances, something a quality forward does and is, as you point out, completely reliant on others to put him in dangerous situations.
good catch. fire bob. he’s an awful coach.
Not sold on McBride for SA…..didn’t exactly stand out at WC 2006.
Jones is not on the roster because he is not expected to make a recovery in time. Jones cannot even run without feeling pain in his leg…..last I heard Charlie was able to run at a decent pace and is expected to be back on the field with Sochaux before the end of the season.
Bedoya did ok in one of the friendlies, but not better than what Beasley or Adu has shown when having minutes or have shown in the last 3 months. Bedoya is someone we call in the collecting business as nothing but HYPE. Hype is when people blow up a player that hasn’t proven himself. I’ll admit, the kid seems like a salad player, but to pick him over an Adu & Beasley is ridiculous for now. Adu & Beasely have shown that when they get playing time, they are little monsters!
Casey?? Oh please, NOOOOO!! Bring Hercules instead. I rather see a player who hasn’t had much playing time in a USMNT jersey than a guy who can be ourun by a turtle and be outkicked by an 11yr old girl.
Gomez scores goals when playing as a forward for LA…..then stops scoring goals when playing wide for Colorado and KC…..now he is scoring goals again playing forward for Puebla. Seems like his positioning could have influenced how many goals he scored.
I would be happy to give Buddle a shot if he keeps up his good form. I give credit where it is due…Buddle has been playing well. You should do the same for Gomez
Nice one!
Right now:
Herc > Casey
Torres goes ’cause he’s the only US Nat with an ESPN documentary.
Also, Pearce > Johnny B.
Chivas USA needs Johnny B and Sacha more than Bob Bradley.
Ives, who are our top 23 Americans in terms of games played? Madmax has my boy Chris Klein starting in midfield for the Nats.
Going without a goal for a game means nothing. Even Messi punctuates each hat trick with a goalless game. In fact… hey wait a second, that’s what happens every single time! That seems fishy to me.
Anywho, good lookin out dog
(SBI-Primoone, I appreciate your contributions to the comments section, but in this case you really lost the plot actually believing Jimmy was Stuart Holden. Seriously? You’re giving yourself a little too much credit. National team players do read the SBI comments section, but I’m willing to bed good money there aren’t many coming on here to defend themselves. And in this instance, unless Holden was in Tallahassee, Florida for some reason, it WAS NOT Holden.)
Zoiks, them’s slim pickins when you hang your hat on a two game scoring streak.
Why have outfielders when you could stick three more pitchers out there? Answer: You need both.
Gomez over Casey.
However, if you can’t agree to that, you have to agree to give Gomez a call up in the last two friendlies, and I would also say that for Castillo. Bornsuck at this point should just be considered a bench player at that. His MLS play has been subpar so not sure how his club play allows for a call up, but Gomez needs to still prove himself? Seriously what does Johnny have on all of the Yank supporters? Does he have some naked pics of your girlfriends that hes threating to post on Facebook? The guy’s international and club play has SUCKED for the better part of a year now. Ugh. Whatever. Im not going down this road, I know how the blind come to defend him.
All I’m saying, Gomez gets a call up for the last two games, EVEN IF HE DOESN’T blow the socks off all of us, he STILL gets the call at forward. The man has more technical skill the Casey and Ching has in their toes. Not to mention both have had their looks, and with the exception of Ching, have been average at best most of the time.
I’ll say this though. I bet your list comes close to Bunker Bob’s roster….
I’m not sold on only taking seven defenders to Africa(I’m not considering Edu as a backup D since he hasn’t played there since what, the Olympics?). If Bob is planning on rotating Bocanegra from LB to CB so as to stretch seven players through typically 8 defensive roster spots, then all our defenders better be 100% healthy. Defending is the one aspect of the game where the U.S. can’t afford to get cute. Our defense will determine how well far we advance in the WC. I think Spector should start at LB vs. England since that’s where he plays in the EPL. That means Cherundolo starts at RB. But I don’t think ‘Dolo has enough gas in his tank to start all three 1st Round games. Therefore Spector should start at least once at RB. But what if either one has to miss a game through suspension or injury? Too many potential disasters with only seven defenders. Gotta bring eight. Even if you decide to play Spector and ‘Dolo exclusively at RB (which BTW means one of our two best outside defenders sits on the bench during each
WC game), then we’re thin at the other spots. My solution would be to bring Simek as the (3rd choice) RB and platooning Spector and Boca at LB, leaving Bornstein (where he belongs) as the third choice at that position. This way you can still put your best options out on the field while still having Bornstein and Simek as last resorts.
I’ll admit I’ve seen less of Bedoya than I have of Adu but at least he’s not sitting on a bench or in the stands in Europe like Freddy has been for the past year. All accounts I’ve read said that Bedoya was the standout player at the US January camp and he looked good in his two subsequent appearances for the Nats. Plus he’s started all four games for Obrero in Sweden so far. Adu’s started only once and was an unused sub four times in the last five games. Freddy is so far off the radar that even sportswriters have stopped mentioning his name.
come on this comment is silly… none of us should be the coach probably… but he has a point there is no way of knowing if davies will be any good, there just isn’t I hope he shows himself to be good enough to go. I want him to go. but we just don’t know yet.
Adu shouldn’t go, but Obama def should make it… we have seen what he is capable of right now.
I like Dempsey at forward. I personally think he is a liability in the USA version of the 4 4 2 because of his defense. He is an offensive player who needs a little freedom to roam around. That said, if Davies was to get healty and shows that he can play 90. (big ask). What is the starting pair? Altidore Davies? Davies Dempsey? Altidore Dempsey?
Please do not even talk about EJ… he has done nothing for the national team since he got turf toe. He is the most annoying player to watch, has all the tools but does nothing with them. He will not make this team.
We are overlooking someone… Jermaine Jones. He is a top Midfielder in the Bundesliga and should be fit in time for the WC. He could partner Bradley in the middle with the option of Clark on the bench.
I like Dempsey up top. He is no good on the wing because he does not like to play defense. It slows him down when he has to be a two way player. He always seems to net a goal when he plays as a striker.
There is no way EJ should ever make the team. He is a huge dissapointment. He has all the tools to be a great player, but he just does not use them. He is fast, athletic, and skillful on the ball. But, when he plays for the national team all he does is collect it and pass back to the person who gave it to him. We need him to take players on and attack the goal. He is to timid and can not be used.
Dude I was just stating fact that he is NOT cap tied to the Dutch, nothing more. If he becomes a US Citizen and continues to play well, great, if he doesn’t that’s fine too. He isnt going to help us in South Africa(where we needs forwards). We don’t know who could emerge next cycle, he may not be good enough for us anyway.
It will be extremely difficult for Bradley not to take Jones if he’s playing at club. Imagine him passing over a healthy Jones for Beasley or Kjlestan, and they go out in three. Sunil would push him over-board.
I can appreciate many of the comments here on this board. What I don’t appreciate is being called an idiot…and having people tell me to “Suck on it” especially when I was just giving my opinion.
By the comments that were made, I have no doubt in my mind that Jimmy has a Holden jersey in his closet and follows Holden religiously. WIth that said, instead of directly adressing Jimmy and getting into a war of words spewing insults back and forth…I decided to get under Jimmy’s skin by saying that Holden was actually on the board and defending his abilities Posing as “Jimmy”.
Im not trying to toot my own horn here…but that was genious.
If anything…you should have scolded Jimmy for the venom he was spitting out…not me (laughs)If you cant see the humor in that…I dont know what to tell you
On that note…repost my comment so others can appreciate it?-
I completely understand that these message boards are designed for People to leave comments and opinion. I also am aware that SBI has complete authority and legal right to delete, moderate and edit as well as revoke posting privelidges. However, I feel that my post was deleted unfairly. Taking into consideration that my post was written intelligently and in no way shape or form offensive to anyone and all parties involved as opposed to the response written by “Jimmy”. If you read his post, his comments were completely offensive to me and I, as a loyal SBI follower and contributor to these boards am completely dissapointed that a moderator would delete my comment but yet not have anything to declare in regards to Jimmy’s offensive post about me. I feel that if my comment is not reposted by SBI, then There is a double standard that is being enabled by the SBI moderators. IF you compare my statements to those of “Jimmy’s” you will not see anything offensive in it. I am not saying Jimmy should get reprimanded, however I feel that my comment was unfairly removed. Taking into consideration what I was responding to and in the manor that I responded to it I should get a pat on the back for not reciprocating what Jimmy inteded for me to do which is to verbally assault him as he did to me.
Please explain to me the reason shy my post was deleted? Because I was accused of “seriously” believing that Stuart Holden was actually posting on the board posing as “Jimmy”?
My comment was filled with sarcasm in it and was very humorous. It was not offensive in any manor.
So while Jimmy’s comments are validated by the enviornment that SBI creates, my non-offensive comment is deleted by SBI…
The message I am receiving here is that my comment was deleted…not because it was offensive but because my Comment was percieved to be Off-base. Well, correct me if I am wrong here but I was under the impression that comments are opinions and opinions are what actually drive this particular section of the message boards. Am I off-base? or will you be deleting this comment as well? -
awwwe…come on SBI primoone has some valid points. Hell, Ill be the first to admitt that Im not a superstar. Besides they are opinions…
To be honest with you…I dont even like soccer…Im just in it for the chicks!
Im sorry that you took my comment as being offensive. Im a nice guy
You just seem to hate Holden for no reason and Im hoping he helps the USMNT a lot this WC
I feel that we are in trouble. The Algerians and Slovenia have been highly overlooked. They have played great against some of the most formidible teams on the planet. Ask the Czech Republic. Their coaching has been great, and the teams have gelled. They have not had multiple wholesale roster changes for their games. It has been commented that Bob B has been playing to the system and not to the team – square pegs into round holes -absolutely. This is a reflection of the under 14 coaching mentality of US coaches (‘Stay in your position’). The only ‘stars’ we have are our goalkeepers and Donovan/Dempsey (Double D’s) who are really offensive midfielders. It should be noted that defense usually wins. Our defense is suspect, and none of them are capable of venturing past midfield(Beasley?). There is no way Gooch, and Davis will be ready. I propose breaking the team into the following: goalkeepers(Done – 3), defensive players with the idea of playing a back 3 and occasionally 4 (Bocanegra, Spector, Cherundulo, ?Bornstein, ?Demerit, ?Goodson, ?Pearce,?Wynn), Defensive Midfielders (Edu and Bradley – both can play in central denfense if necessary, Clark, Torres, ?Jermaine Jones?), Offensive Midfielders (Donovan, Dempsey, Bedoya, Feilhaber, Holden, Beasley, Brad Davis?), and Front Line (Altidore, Gomez). I would suggest a 1-4(off mid)-2(def mid)-3-1. Adu and Nguyen need to be brought to camp. May th best players get picked. A 35 man roster can be named by May 12th. We need to play to our strengths(weaknesses?). I predict 4 points will be needed to get out of the first round. We need major luck.
I think a 75% Davies definitely makes the team. If nothing else, he is a burst of speed off the bench if he can’t play a full 90. If we had any other real options up top, we may be able to deal without him, but with our lack of forward prowess, I think we need him no matter what shape he’s in.
Assuming Onyewu is healthy, he should be fine with little playing time before the cup. He’s a smart player and he has always had an ability to read the game. I don’t think an injury will take that away.
primoone -
Sarcasm is extremely difficult to pick up when being read by someone who doesn’t know you. So if you choose to express yourself with sarcasm, you have only yourself to blame if it gets taken out of context. If you want to say Jimmmy is an idiot just call him an idiot and be done with it. Your attempt to show how witty you are just puts you in a bad light.
jimmmy -
I have seen all of Holden’s USMNT games and none of his Dynamo or Bolton games. If he is doing well at Bolton, fine. However, for the USMNT I think he showed really well at the Gold Cup but has been just average to slightly above average for the US ever since. Your praise for him, while sincere I’m sure, is the sort of thing that gives US fans a bad name for hyperbole.
Holden may be great one day but right now he’s just slightly above average for the US.
He may not even make the SA team.
Simek is barely able to get on the field at Sheffield Wednesday. It seems he has yet to recover from his serious ankle injury. Not what I would call a great option. It’s a mistake of the highest order to ever take a player whose fitness is questionable to the World Cup ( see England 2002, 2006, or the US 2006). Every one of those guys needs to be available for duty, especially for the US who need 110% from everyone to win.
Do you really think Edu would be lost as a defender? He has played all over the field in his career.
You sound like an American and American fans really get all hung up on specialization,
” He’s a left sided midfielder you can’t play him on the right!” Johann Cruyff would be turning over in his grave, if he was dead, which he isn’t.
Maybe you’ve heard of Michael Essien and Claudio Reyna. Both of these guys are primarily known as midifelders but both spent a lot of time playing right back and playing it well.
My solution for Bornstein was to leave him at home and use Robbie Rogers at left back. Rogers is a better passer, crosser, shooter, is about as good a defender and is nearly as fast. Plus I’ve seen him drop back on the left numerous times and he could play left wing. An American Wayne Bridge. But I haven’t seen him lately.
I’d have no problem with Edu anywhere at the back. He’s a pro.
Can anyone give me any info about the on-field seating at Rentschler Field for the USMNT on May 25, 2010? Is the mid-field line considered to be seat #1 or is it seat #15…16 or 20???
Maybe someone who has been to a USMNT game at this field could help me out. I’ve called Rentschler Field , but no one seems to know.
Hey, what about Brad Davis as a midfielder off the bench?
He’s got great skills… fantastic ball control…excellent free kicks… hustle… soccer savy and awareness…leadership … can create tons of opportunities for scoring…he’s played for the USMNT before… he’s been a major factor and contributor on Championship teams in MLS…he’s still young and he has a vast amount of confidence.
C’mon Coach Bradley…we can certainly use him.
GO USA GO USA GO USA GO USA GO USA GO USA GO USA GO
Ives, what’s your take on Brad Davis?
How about some pros and cons?
I always respect your opinion.
Do you think we could just take 2 keepers instead of 3, or is that way too risky?
I know…one injury and one red card and we’d be done in South Africa…but having that extra roster spot for a field player seems so tempting at this juncture for the USMNT.
What do you think???
USA ALL THE WAY!!!!!! USA ALL THE WAY!!!!!!
Even though the present USMNT has achieved some respectability in the world of soccer, and many of our best players have played or are playing on clubs in the best leagues in the world, I still can’t explain why I’m not as confident going into this World Cup as I was back in the days when we had,
(in no particular order and off the top of my head)-
Reyna, Wynalda, Max-Moore, Harkes, Cobi Jones, Mcbride, Ramos, Keller, Olsen, Pope, Balboa, Lalas, Agoos, Stewart, Armas, Lewis, Wolff, Hejduk, O’brien, Mastroeni etc. etc.
(I know I’ve accidentally left off some of my other favorite players from this era, but you get the idea)
Except for Donovan, Dempsey, Bradley, Howard, Davies, Bocanegra, and Beasley I’m a tad worried about our team.
Then again… maybe this is where our new heroes will emerge.
Let’s hope so!!!!
GO USA!!!!!!!