USA announces roster for World Cup qualifying

                                                                          Photo by ISIPhotos.com

Here is the roster for the U.S. national team's upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Barbados:

Goalkeepers- Tim Howard (Everton FC), Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Dominic Cervi (out of contract),

Defenders- Dan Califf (FC Midtjylland), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jay DeMerit (Watford FC), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Carlos Bocanegra (out of contract), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock)

Midfielders- Freddy Adu (SL Benfica), DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Eddie Lewis (Derby County), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids)

Forwards- Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC), Eddie Johnson (Fulham FC), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo)

Here's a closer look at the group:

So who is missing? Jozy Altidore, Kenny Cooper, Ricardo Clark and Robbie Rogers are some of the players whose absences will draw reactions. Altidore is recovering from an ankle injury and going through the process of his transfer to Villarreal so his absence isn't a surprise. As for Cooper, Bob Bradley stated very clearly last week that Cooper is on the radar but is still working his way into a position to be chosen.

Clark is a victim of his poor performances against Mexico and England, as well as Pablo Mastroeni's impressive performance against Argentina. Michael Bradley, Pablo Mastroeni and Maurice Edu get the call in those deeper midfield roles.

Brian Ching is back in the fold and I have a feeling he will get the start on Sunday ahead of Johnson, who has been just plain disappointing in recent national team matches.

The United States plays host to Barbados at Home Depot Center on Sunday (5pm, ESPN2) in the first leg of their home-and-home World Cup Qualifying match.

What do you think of the roster? Share your thoughts below.

Comments

[NOLA soccer fan]

EJ AND BRIAN CHING AGAIN...

god bob bradley needs to go, or get hit upside the head..we want new forwards

[Richie B]

The lack of those 3 players isn't a huge surprise is it? Bradley's hardly given Cooper a chance, Clark's sucked and Rogers hasn't been given much of a chance... looking forward to seeing the U.S. team score some goals for a change this weekend.

[Chris]

clint dempsey
db---adu---donovan
m bradley--edu
pearce--gooch--boca--dolo
howard

wheres jozy at? and why is dominic cervi getting called in and not chris seitz

[Jerry]

Why? Why? Why? I wanted to buy my Altidore #9 jersey on Sunday!! I guess BB is really impressed by EJ in practice (is there something I'm missing?)

[Shoshana]

cervi is out of contract Seitz is in the middle of his season, and neither player is going to suit up for the game

[KC]

Brian Ching offers nothing to this team! Why not give Cooper a run out against one of the weakest teams in the region??? Let him get some confidence and get used to playing with the rest of the national team.

And if Eddie Johnson scores, we better not hear about how he is "back"

[dallen]

Who's ass does Michael Parkhurst and Kenny Cooper have to kiss to get a call up?

[con fuzed]

wither altidore?
cervi?
ching rather than cooper?
so, clark has dropped to 4th behind bradley, edu , and pablo. fair enough.

[brett]

im assuming Jozy is still not feeling well enough to play?? as for cooper, depending on the outcome i expect him to play the 2nd leg... ive been a supporter of BB but we need to fix this forward situation asap

--------EJ--------
-----Landon-------
Bease-MB-Edu-Dempsey
Pearce-Gooch-Boca-Dolo
-------Howard------

-id rather see landon start out right and adu up top...
-also, id rather have Califf instead of Boca, as his performance against Arg. was uplifting...
-id rather have Cooper or Jozy in at forward but guess you cant have everything

so is this for the first and second leg?? why is pablo on the roster if he's been redcarded?? if the card doesnt role over to WCQ then i would think Pablo get the go again.... he showed promise of his old self against the argies

[HomeyBoehme]

Wow...wowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowow. Cervi should not be anywhere near our USMNT. He is awful.

Ricardo Clarks absence is a good thing IMO.

Ching...boy...Cooper just isn't good enough? Played in ManU's youth system, but not good enough? 6 years younger than Ching? Plenty more upside potential? Still not good enough? This will never make sense to me.

[brett]

KC- i disagree about your ching theory... ching works very well with landon... plus he adds a force on free kicks and corners (good in the air).... assuming he even gets time... id like to see LD up top with adu behind him and dempsey and bease manning the wings... talk about potency

[Drew D (From FL)]

They are probably not going to use Jozy at all until after July 1st, when his transfer to Villareal becomes official. Jozy can't afford to injure himself right now when he is days away from making his transfer official, and it's not like we are going to desperately need him against a team like barbados anyway. I'd be more mad at cooper, rogers,Orozco, flores, or alvarez not getting called up compared to altidore.

[KC]

brett,

how did Ching working well with Landon workout againt Poland? Ching was the worst player on the field that game...Wolff actually had a better game (not by much though). Ching is a non-factor as an international, fine for MLS terrible in a Nat jersey...sort of like Twellman.

[brett]

HomeyBoehme- i agree id rather have Cooper, but we have to look at it from a manager's point of view....

ching is a target forward, unlike ej.... he is experienced and works well with LD... he's done well in the past and is getting back on form in the MLS with his brace this past weekend...

i would like to see cooper tho instead of Ching.... EJ is a gaurentee b/c he's on the offseason...

[Drew D (From FL)]

oh, and it doesnt help that altidore picked up an ankle injury a week ago either.

[Rob C]

Dallen -

Parkhurst? No thanks. Cooper, I agree. Give us some new blood at forward (I understand the lack of Jozy here, not complaining about that).

Still, I like the selection of midfielders and defenders. Thankfully the opponent is just slightly less challenging than England, Spain and Argentina (sarcasm), so I'm 99.9% sure we'll see multiple goals and a win.

Wow, still so excited for this process to get underway.

[Brant]

ED-DIE! ED-DIE! ED-DIE! ED-DIE! ED-DIE! ED-DIE! ED-DIE! ED-DIE! ED-DIE! ED-DIE! ED-DIE! ED-DIE! ED-DIE! ED-DIE!

[DCM]

As I recall:

Friendly cards do not carry over. Card suspensions carry over from FIFA sanctioned tournaments and qualifiers to the next FIFA sanctioned event.

[paul Lorinczi]

I think it is just bad luck on the side of Cooper. That broken leg last year really screwed up his NT career.

Now it is qualifying. Ching does have the experience that Cooper does not. Bradley is in a tough spot. It is easier to go with a known quantity in Ching than risk with Cooper.

He should have done whatever it took to get Cooper in more of those friendlies.

[mob bob]

----Donovan-Dempsey----

-Beez--MB--Edu--Klejstan-

--HP----CB----OO----SC--

---HeadStandingHoward---

*Adu in 2nd half

Would rather see Rogers than SK, but given the roster...

[jig]

People need to relax about kenny cooper. Obviously bradley understands what Cooper has done in MLS this year. He will get his chance soon enough, especially if EJ keeps playing the way he has. There's not a ton to gain by playing Cooper in this game. We're going to win.

The player I believe should be included is Parkhurst.

[jayrig5]

So I take it Hahnemann's days are done? Bocanegra shouldn't start, but he will.

[Rocco]

I still would like to see Cooper, but I'm not surprised. Clark was not impressive. Rogers s/b given a chance.

Donovan & Ching play well together and I bet we see them together at some point. Donovan probably urged Bob to bring him in given our current contingent had zero goals in three games. Plus he's starting to score.

I'm glad he left Wolf off, he's done.

[SonicDeathMonket]

Gee Homey, Jovan Kirovski played in the ManU youth system, maybe he should get called in. As for the rest of you, do even bother to READ what Ives says before you post. Jozy is INJURED!! Deal with it.

[AdamAlfi]

WHY WHY WHY WHY are we playing people that are either out of contract or have not played a meaningful game in 6-7 months? the idea of national soccer in this country SUCKSS!!!! Nations all over the world leave out BIG name players when they are not playing regular ball at the club level, but we like to do things backside up!! The soccer culture in this country needs a change BIG time! the national team is a reward for good all year round play and only the best of the best should be playing, not people that are shopping for work! Give me a break!! I am out of contract! why not call me up!

[brett]

KC- did you try to back your arguement with 1 game?? he's had numerous games with Landon where he's done well to create... your arguement is flawed... by those standards Dempsey shouldnt play for the USMN b/c of his extremely poor performances against England and Spain... noone in the starting XI of WC 06 should have played after that showing... the list could go on but ill stop there...

Ching has done well in the past with the USMN and LD and thats what BB is banking on... he offers a presense in the box, he works well with his back to the goal (something EJ lacks), and is capable of finishing....

[mymy33]

Thank the Lord....Brian Ching! I guess it is a dire situation when it comes to seeing Ching as a blessing. And what sort of "position" does Cooper have to work himself into to be chosen?

[Jerry]

I’m EXTREMELY upset with this roster. I’m new to soccer, especially the US national team. What really got my attention on the national team was the performances of the US U-20 last summer, were we had an exciting team (adu, jozy, rogers). Now after I decide to go to my first US game on Sunday (made travel arrangements, convinced my wife to go with me, bought first row seats) BB selects the same players? Why not give the young players a chance? It’s like the only young players that can play are MB, Edu, Adu and anybody from Chivas US. Sorry for the long post, just a new fan disappointed with his coach!!

[SonicDeathMonkey]

Yay for jig!! A voice of reason in a desert of insanity!

[SonicDeathMonkey]

Jerry, I understand what you are saying, but this is WCQ, not friendlies. You go on what you know, and who you know.

[brett]

AdamAlfi- im guessing ur entire post was directed toward Cervi and Boca??

honestly people, with the 3rd GK spot, who cares who is there.... Seitz is training in the MLS... having a 3rd overage GK seems folly... Cervi is getting exp. (not to mention $$$) by being here and could very well see him getting signed somewhere in europe just being on the roster for these past 4 games...

Boca has been a part of our back line for quite some time now....he's currently out of contract for some poor performance on a poor performing Fulham side... Fulham dropped him, but he's just as good if not better then the loads of Defenders in the MLS who are CURRENTLY playing.... however, i wouldnt start him, as id rather have Califf start after his performance on sunday....

[Rocco]

Jerry,

Get a grip. Sorry.
"Give young guys a chance." Come on. Besides Rogers, who?
Adu is on the squad & Jozy is hurt.

Plus you can't expect Bob to include in the lineup a player with ZERO international CAPS. Especially A World Cup Qualifier, even if it is Barbados.

[brett]

Jerry- you're new to this so ill inform you... this is a World Cup Qualifying match we are playing on Sunday... while we could probably send our U20 squad in whole there and do well enough and probably beat them, its not worth the chance...

alot of the players, altho some would like to say otherwise, have the experience of these matches, are fit, and are talented enough to do damage....

Rogers, Jozy and Adu are the 3 biggest options from that U20 squad.... Dax wouldve been my 4th option, but with him coming off an injury, club duties, the fact that he's playing in the olympics (most likely) and the fact he'd be behind the likes of MB and Edu (assuming he'd swap for Pablo) its unlikely he'd get time...

[A.S.]

The people begging for Kenny Cooper today are probably the same people who were begging for Taylor Twellman for the past 5 years. Who knows, maybe Cooper will end up as a better National Team player than Twellman is/was, but a brief hot streak in MLS isn't going to convince me of it.

[Jerry]

Sonic:
It's against Barbados, I'm pretty sure Cooper and Rogers would have done just fine. My point is that this roster does not motivate new fans to go to the game. How do I sell this game to my friends? Hey, wanna go see EJ backpass? or Do you want to go see Adu warming the bench?

[Yossarian]

You people are completely missing the point. Bob Bradley is not the disease, he's merely a symptom. Sunil Gulati HIRED Bob Bradley because he knew that Bradley would not represent a threat to the do-nothing regime that the USSF President has established. Gulati has NO plan whatsoever. His only plan is surround himself with mediocrity and prevent anyone who might actually HAVE a plan for improving US soccer - case in point - Klinsmann.

Gulati refused to give into Klinsmann's demands and ideas towards improving the U.S. player develoment model because it threatened his power base. There's nothing more threatening to people in positions of authority than people who are smarter than them. Those people must be crushed! It's such a shame. We missed a chance at having the perfect coach for the National Team: someone with W.C. success as a player AND coach; someone with a passion for making things better. Instead we're stuck with do-nothing Gulati who's just making it up as he goes along.

It seems, sometimes, that people like Ives are afraid to even say anything against Gulati. I don't blame him. Who knows what strings Gulati could pull to jeopardize a soccer journalist's position.

[AdamAlfi]

not just them two...

Freddy Adu has not even been on the bench for his club for 6 months, but he get a nod. Beasley just came off an injury and has been out for 6 months. Cervi has never stepped on a pro field in his life. DeMerit was not featured at Watford. Pearce was not playing in the second half of the season at Rostok. Why are these people playing over MLS players like Cooper, Rogers, and plenty others?? You should only call up the best. this is a WC Qualifier, not a run in the park...

[Ilya]

I do not see a problem with this roster. Even though the opponent is unheralded, we must prevail over the two legs or we are out. So it is understandable that BB goes with experience and picks Ching over Cooper. Other than experience and age, the two are similar players. As for playing people out of contract (Boca) or on their clubs' reserve teams (EJ), I don't care as long as we get results. Soccer is like the sixth sport in this country and, still, we go to Poland and Switzerland and win. Compare to Russia: just as big, soccer is possibly the number one sport, best coach in the world, and still get crushed by Spain and lose to Israel.

[Pat the Red Bulls Fan]

I for one am stoked that we have more than just 10 field players to choose from. Of course I'd like to see Jozy, Robbie and Kenny take Ching's, EJ and Lewis' spots. That will happen soon, I hope.

Not a knock on Sacha, but he's young, plays in MLS, so what's the excuse for Rogers and Cooper, Mr. Bradley? For Rogers, yes we have some good options on the wings, but the striker pool sans Jozy isn't deep.

[brett]

Jerry- altho i find it weird to celebrate a tie, this is the same squad that tied Argentina...

altho you say "it's against Barbados", i say, "this game means qualifying for the world cup"... give me the guys who have the experience and the knowledge how to win these weak games.. b/c it would be our luck to bring in players who are new to the intl' scene and watch us lose the first round (regardless of how unlikely it is, it can happen)...

[KC]

I look at Chings recent history with the Nats he's done NOTHING. Absolutely nothing, he can't create on his own, he doesn't even offer the speed of Wolff or Johnson. Ching is not an international, we can rag on Eddie Johnson for his lack of finishing but Ching has 5 goals as a striker which is one more than Onyewu, a defender.

Who cares about how well he and Donovan get along, he doesn't produce.

Why not start fresh blood against some of the worst teams in the region? Cooper, Altidore & Rogers offer everything that Ching doesn't but experience.

[eric]

I'm disappointed that there is no Rogers, this roster could use another true winger besides Beasley and Lewis. Not that that counts as a surprise, since he's been in none of the camps. I'll give BB the benefit of the doubt there, since RR will be on the Olympic team (right?!?).

I thought Kljestan was very good in his substitute appearance vs Arg, but I have a hard time seeing how he makes the field with this line up.

[Rocco]

"You should only call up the best"

Are you guys delusional? Where are these CLEARLY best players we left off?

Where is our Trezeguet? Who scored 20 goals in Italy and was left off the France squad?

Come on.

[JB]

brett: "Boca has been a part of our back line for quite some time now....he's currently out of contract for some poor performance on a poor performing Fulham side... Fulham dropped him,"

Fulham didn't drop him. His contract expired. In the U.S. we call it being a free agent, but somehow in the European press they call it being released. Deco's contract expired too, and he is one of the best midfielders in the world.

[brett]

AdamAlfi- Beasley jus came off injury, and put 1 goal and 2 assists on his debut back to the rangers... he also looked pretty good these past 3 games... which was merely to get him back into shape for the WCQ matches... he has the experience and quite frankly outside of Lewis, our LM is pretty thin....

Adu... hasnt played for benfica for some time, but he has played for the US Olympic Quals and was the only stand out performance for the US.... he started Spain and was the only stand out there.. i think bradley has an idea of what this kid is currently capable of

Demerit... i understand you there, i would have given Parkhurst the nod here... but he didnt look so bad against Arg. but thats not an excuse, so ill agree with you...

Pearce... well i for one am glad BB brought him up... he has been the most consistant in the back line these past 3 games....

why not Cooper?? good question... club ties??

why not roger?? wouldve been a decent option for Beasley, but quite frankly i dont know if he's ready for england, spain and Arg..... his form of the past 2 weeks has been mediocre at best, but he is getting the look for Olympics... perhaps Bob doesnt want to take him for over a month and a half??

[Squard]

Yeah, it might be the "same squad that tied Argentina", it's also the same squad that hasn't scored a goal in the last three games.

WHY IS EJ STILL GETTING LOOKS FROM BRADLEY?

[Dominghosa]

No surprise here. With the rosters B. Bradley used in the last three matches, no surprise with the inclusions or exclusions of this current squad.
It was disappointing seeing the first two rosters of the first two friendlies. The precedent was already set. There was no way players like Cooper, Rogers or Altidore would be included in the first WC Qualifier.
The bright side, though, is that this is Barbados. It doesn't matter who was excluded. This is a given win if there ever was one, anyway.
Te Barbados Football Association or whateveritscalled even put out a flier as part of their scouting to find players for its national teams. Yeesh.

[HomeyBoehme]

@SonicDeathMonket - You can't even spell your screen name right, so I'm not sure you deserve a response.

My point is that I feel Cooper has had better experience in his player development playing for the ManU youth system, and for that reason carries a better upside being 6 years younger than Ching.

[JB]

On Rogers: We are about to deprive Columbus of his service for more than a month due to the Olympics.

For all any of us know, we might be taking Cooper to Beijing as well as an overage player. It would be awfully cruel to take him for these two games just to sit on the bench for both, and then deprive FC Dallas of him again for 6 weeks during the Olympics.

[brett]

KC- is ching a stellar forward and the answer to our prayers?? no... but he is a decent enough target forward that can create by holding onto the ball... he puts 100% out there...

while his scoring record isnt stellar he tends to perform with LD quite well and thats creating opportunites, something wiki wont show you....

i wont disagree id rather see other faces on the forward list, im just disagreeing with your bashing of Ching... he does more then a stats sheet will tell you

[brett]

JB- lol, released, out of contract... same thing... he's teamless :P

[brett]

Squard- you are comparing the likes of Barbodos to England, Spain and Argentina??

[CamJam]

I agree and disagree with a lot of the things being said, but... Isn't it fun that we actually have enough fairly skilled players to even have this conversation? I think overall US soccer is on a upward trent, and I love it.

[Javier]

it cracks me up that people get worked up over Bob not bringing in different players.

did i miss something? should he be in a lab somewhere on his downtime creating brand new players?

quick reminder: if a guy is injured or not eligible to play for the US, then Bob Bradley can't call him in. sorry guys.

[kpugs]

No surprises for me whatsoever. If I had to pick one I'd say Eddie Money...he still has the skills but has been more or less useless.

Clark is no surprise, you only have room for one holding midfielder who commits stupid fouls at awful times over and over again, and that looks like it will be Michael Bradley. Both are good players but you can't have them both running around willy nilly out there, neither has any idea of the difference between stupid random yellow-card-deserving fouls and smart, professional yellow-card-deserving fouls.

[AdamAlfi]

I did not see Beasley do much in the last three games. although he was getting better, he was out of form. As for Pearce, you are talking about a defence that conceded 3 goals in the last 3 games with a minimal effort from opposing teams. I have people from both Spain and England who made fun of him and said that he should not touch a soccer ball ever in his life. not to mention the comical goal that spain scored against the USA, where the whole defence looked like rocks!

I'll give you Adu, but the kid needs to learn how to pass.

As for Rogers, this is a WC qualifer. It's far from the truth, but still possible that we could be embaressed! and if this happens, we'll look back and say, where is Rogers and Cooper. like I said, this is not Spain, Argentina, and England. This is the start of the road that decides if we go to the world cup or not. Get the players that are in form, not the ones that Looked good sometime last season!

[brett]

JB- you are making sense....weird to read it and me not be typing it :D

altho cooper as an overage player may seem a stretch as McBride has shown interest of being called up and i cant see 2 strikers being used as overage playes

[KC]

I am sure Ching is a great fella and fun to hang out with but I want the team to be succesful on the field, not just against Barbados but in WC 2010, Ching getting a roster spot now does nothing for the team in 2010. He doesn't produce, he has been subpar in every game since what maybe the Ecuador friendly last year when he set up Donovan on one goal??? Name one game where he was a difference maker, I can't and I haven't missed a national team game since like 1992.

[Pete]

why does EJ keep getting called up? does Bradley like to put a team out there that's like playing with 10 on the field?

[JB]

Eddie Lewis's crossing ability is going to decimate the Barbados defense. He should get the start over Beasley for this one.

[JB]

KC--Ching impact, let's see, Gold Cup final 1st goal just last summer.

[Rocco]

Some people have no clue or no clue to what they are watching. Is there a difference?

[THE Nick]

I think the argument I see brewing here is that Bob is picking players who are out of form, not playing first team football, out of contract, and in Cervi's case, HASNT PLAYED IN A PRO GAME YET.

The national team is not a tool that should be used to prop up careers. It's a REWARD that should be EARNED. It creates motivation for players, gives them something to aspire to.

Why should out of contract, out of form players be rewarded? Why should players who are playing well and often not be rewarded for the fine play? Remember, the National Team pays pretty well, especially if you're toiling in MLS.

If you're a decent player playing for a Columbus or a Chicago, and you're playing well hoping to earn a spot on the National Team, and you see a guys like Cervi getting the call, or a Beaz/Adu/Pearce/Johnson/etc who havent seen regular playing time in 6 months, how do you feel?

It's not right.

It's not the way the national team should be run.

[brett]

AdamAlfi- beasley is not a playmaker like adu and donovan.... he is a winger.. he runs up and down the field giving options and creating space and plays.... he is not a world class player... his play improved as the games went through....

as for Pearce, you are blaming the 3 goals the back line (specifically the CB's) allowed in?? i am merely breaking his play down... he allowed little chances from his side... he also pushed up in the attack... he had a quality volley against Arg. something our attackers could learn... he's our best option at left back...

who would you have called in at left back??

as for being embarressed, i also said its possible... hence y id rather go for players who has experience with these types of teams.... Barbodos is going to bunker in their box with 10 guys (including GK) and sit one at the top to try to out run our defense.... honestly Rogers and Cooper may be the future and even better options, but they have close to zero experience in these national games...

[Barry U]

Jozy is hurt. Cooper has a game on Sunday. Rogers not surprised. Ching and LD have some good chemistry so that will work in our favor. Even if EJ starts I can see goals coming from LD, DMB, Freddy, Clint and set pieces. So I think the team he picked is fine. If you've heard Coach Bradley speak he is aware of Cooper and Rogers and Sacha (having a good season) so those guys will get a shot.

[eric]

Wow, Adam, some unnamed people in Spain and England said Pearce should never touch a soccer ball again? Besides the fact that they'd probably say he shouldn't touch a football again, I think, that's one moronic statement with nothing to back it up.

Hopefully BB is saving Cooper for the Olympics, but he's not made very positive statements, I think the best he's said is "He's on our radar". Troublesome.

[AdamAlfi]

And lets be clear on this...The Barbados match is nothing like the Argentina, Spain and England match...it is far more important that any of them 3 and should be taken more serious. Losing those three games means nothing. A draw against Barbados is nothing short of a disaster!! Good call Squard!!

[THE Nick]

It seems a lot of you here are converts who don't know much about this great sport.

Alfie seems to be one of the few posters here who is making sense...

[KC]

Sure its a WCQ but we are playing a team we put 11 up on combined last time we played, its a nation thats taken out a want ad looking for players.

I am going to make a wild guess, if Eddie Johnson starts he will score and possibly more than one. Ching may score too but lets not get carried away...that doesn't mean Bob Bradley was right with his player selections, we could run out our current midfield with a pair of D1 College forwards and score.

[Rocco]

thanx brett

[brett]

JB- beat me to it :D.... didnt ching set LD up for one of the first goals against Denmark also?? i recall ching receiving the ball with his back to the goal and laying a through ballt to LD who made a mad 40 yrd dash to goal and scored...

THE Nick- while i agree the Nats is a privelage, it is also about fielding the best players..... Beasley is a bit out of shape, so lets through Mapp out there b/c he's on form?? ill take an out of shape Beasley over Mapp any day (and im a fire fan).....

again, there is no reason to have an experienced 3rd GK... Cervi is there to get the training in camps... he'll never see time over Guzan or Howard, regardless of if we were playing the US Womens team...

[brentmcd]

y'all, get a grip -- this is world cup qualifying. all the other games since the gold cup (yes, including copa america) were basically FRIENDLIES for us. this squad is the team that gives us the best chance to win right now. i'd say a nice mix of youth and experience really. sell this game to your friends by saying it could easily be a goal-fest. we need a big win to make sure nothing funky happens in the second leg. i'm expecting at least 5-0, hopefully more.

[White Kix]

I also would like to see Rogers get a chance, but for me the biggest issue over the last three games has been that Bradley shows no signs of dropping the dual holding midfielders, and that one of them always has to be his son. MB has been terrible over the last three games (and I have never seen him play well for the nats, thus I have never seen him play well). I know he scored a few goals in the Netherlands, but he does not help the nats. He does not win the ball, has terrible distribution, and is more prone to cards than Pablo (well, at least equally prone to cards).
If we go with one holding midfielder and Adu, we will hold the ball more, and not have to win it back within 15 seconds of gaining posetion, thus we wouldn't need another "ball winner".

[Rocco]

your on fire.

[AdamAlfi]

All I am saying, without pissing you guys off, is that BB should have went with the more inform players as opposed to the ones that have a heavy name. And to be honest, the national team get priority over your club. It's exactly that way of thinking that has us backwards! Boohoo to the club for missing the player for a month, who cares?? you think an american living in Europe cares how the crew do? or does he care that the USA are a team that he can be proud of abroad! get a grip you guys! MLS teams come second when the National team comes knocking!!

[brett]

AdamAlfi- obviously more impt. then the friendlies, but my point was that this WCQ team is in no way comparable to those teams... we had opportunities against all 3 friendlies... each game we saw improvement...

and as KC pointed out, this batch of forwards with the midfield will probably put up a couple of goals... and im sure we wouldve done it with Rogers and/or Cooper as well... but the point is we are putting out an experienced side against a weaker opponent and our experience will prevail (oh god im hoping we prevail :-/)

[KC]

I don't think Ching played against Denmark (a game where Cooper scored on like his second touch of the game). Did he score in the Gold Cup final? I know he was fouled in the box and Donovan converted the penalty and Feilhaber scored the winner. He was hardly a difference maker.

I'm pretty sure the game you are thinking of with the pass to Donovan was against Ecuador.

Still he hasn't ever shown he is any better than our other options at forward. He and Twellman were equally useless wearing a national team jersey, Ching is tougher, Twellman is quicker but they produce about the same level of play.

[Zungazan]

To all the people disappointed by the selection: What are you going to say after the US spanks Barbados 5 or 7 nil?

[Josh]

Does anyone have the comments Bradley made about Cooper? I hadn't heard he said something about him him needing to work his way to being selected. What in the F has Johnson done to earn being selected? Being bought by a subpar English team, then not scoring or playing?

[brett]

AdamAlfi- you can ask abroad, but quite a large number of fans in europe (mainly the countries with the big leagues) are club over country.... england is my prime example... the vast majority of people ive talked to are club over country... so i dont see how that makes us backwards...

anyhow, its not that we are saying club over country... why would the MLS be willing to pay and train players when they miss over half the season??? thats why LA tends to fail of lately... they bank on LD (in the past) and he leaves for intl' duty for a good chunk of the season....

ever wonder why during the MLS off season, there is mainly a MLS roster, and during euro's offseason its mainly euro players?? b/c they dont want to piss off the clubs...

[brett]

KC- thanks for the correction, i tend to mix the games of past.... and i agree with you he's not our best option... and quite frankly he may be just as useless as Tightshirt, but he works well with other player(s) on the roster... he gives it his all... and he's on form

i honestly think BB is sticking with experience just to get over the hurdle... after this first leg, you may see some other players brought in.. and at that point i hope Cooper is one of them and lights up the field.... perhaps then BB will bring him along and start him over EJ... one could hope

[AdamAlfi]

I just hope that they come out of this game with a result with plenty of comfort goals. I am an Egyptian/American, and love both teams alike! I was very happy when Egypt won the African Cup of Nations, and it would make my year if the USA finish it with a foot in the World Cup. I REALLY hope for a nice big result!

[KC]

Zungazan...we will beat Barbados probably by a bunch. Thats not the point, the point is what better time to bring in players like Cooper or Rogers than against the weakest competition we are likely to face in qualifying rather than roll out the same old tired forward two-some in Johnson & Ching? I have no problem with Johnson being selected to be honest, he's 24, he has some ability, sometimes scoring a couple of goals does wonders for confidence. He definitely should be on notice from the federation "Produce or else". Hopefully for the away match we'll see a different squad, let Guzan start at GK, let Adu go a full 90, let Cooper at least make it on to the field for a few minutes...something different.

I'm tired of bitching, Bradley is the coach, we are stuck with him and his decisions. Might as well enjoy what I can.

[brett]

AdamAlfi- couldnt agree more with that statement.... hopefully we thrash the first leg like 5-0 or more....

[csc]

I remember when there were no players that could have been on the roster, but were not.

Anyone asking for a young, inexperienced player to be played in a World Cup home-and-away qualifing round just does not understand the potential of disaster of one bad game or 1 mental error or 1 penalty kick.

Advancement is the name of the game - 1-0 total goals is the same as 10-0...Bradley wants players who HE knows will perform, not HOPES will perform.

I hate watching EJ's lack of touch, effort and intensity but I fully understand why he might play versus Barbados...because he can probably put in 3 versus them. That is also why he has played in the past 3 games, to prepare for the next two...at that point he might never play for the NT again...Everything including the roster starts from scratch after the 2 games versus Barbados.

[brett]

KC- oh common, arguing is the only thing that is making work go by so quickly... i probably wasted a good hour arguing this point.... dont stop now

altho i wont disagree with the fact that id like to see Cooper get time...

[William the Terror]

re: the lack of a strong forward

I don't think Brian McBride is doing anything this weekend.

@SonicDeathMonkey: last week, wasn't your name BarryJiveandtheUptownFive?? Nextweek, will it be KathleenTurnerOverdrive?

[scott47a]

I wonder if a lot of the posters here are young guys who just want to see the "next hot thing" play.

I'm with Bob Bradley on this. Let the young guys play in friendlies against lesser teams, but bring out the veterans for the games that count. This game counts, so I expect to see Ching and Donovan up top, Beasley, Dempsey, Mastroeni and Bradley in the middle, Gooch, Bocanegra, Cherundolo and probably Pearce in back.

You don't experiment with the Rogers and Coopers of the world in WC qualifying. We need to win. If you want to see Cooper and Rogers play, tune into an MLS game.

[RK]

The roster looks fine to me. I feel like I started the Cooper bandwagon, but he doesn't need to be there for these games right now. He will be there in due time (but I wish he had played in the friendlies).

For those complaining about Cervi, get a clue. Third-string keepers are as important as the waterboy.

[KC]

sigh..its BARBADOS in Los Angeles not Mexico in Azteca, yeah its a qualifier but it might as well be a reserve game. With our defense and MF it'd be hard not to score no matter who we start up front. I just don't think you'd find a better time to at least get some new blood some playing time than against the weakest competition we will face on the road to South Africa.

Johnson will likely start though not Ching, Bradley is playing him a lot for a reason. He wants him to find his scoring touch, he needs him to, the team needs him to, Johnsons psyche probably needs to find the back of the net. Johnson hasn't played lazy during these friendlies he just has had a lousy first touch and none of the finishing ability you expect in a starter. No I am not defending him but I am pretty sure I am right as to why he is getting so much playing time, they are not going to give up in a 24 yr old who not so long ago showed a lot of promise.

[Nicole]

Some of you people are absolutely ridiculous and show you don't have a clue about international soccer. It's a World Cup Qualifier. I don't care how weak you think the opposing team might be - you don't take chances.

This team hasn't scored in a while. We need to score as many goals as possible in the first leg so you go with what's worked in the past. You take your all-time leading scorer and you pair him up with who works best with him. You try to rack up as many goals as you can so you can maybe try some new guys in the 2nd leg.

Now is not the time to see if good ol' Kenny Cooper can get the job done. Now is not the time to see if Robbie Rogers will be electrifying. Now is the time to wipe Barbados off the map and then try some more new guys.

[HomeyBoehme]

@scott47a - "Let the young guys play in friendlies against lesser teams, but bring out the veterans for the games that count."

This is exactly WHY many fans are so frustrated by the current situation. Bradley DIDN'T do that in the friendlies with players many fans feel should be getting a look.

Qualifying for the World Cup is the number 1 priority of the USSF, and I am confident we will do so convincingly against Barbados. I personally feel other players should have already had a shot to prove themselves and be playing in this game. That is why I am upset.

[brett]

KC- exactly.... its Barbados.... which means we destroy them the 1st leg (knock on wood) and then experiment the 2nd....

if we know one thing is it'll be hard to find EJ offside this game, seeing as Barbados will be resting 10 players in the box regardless of if their solo forward has the ball O.o

[RK]

If you want to judge this roster, this is the roster for our first 2006 WCQ vs. Grenada, at home, 4 years ago:

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/germany2006/preliminaries/preliminary=7761/matches/match=35938/report.html

[brett]

HomeyBoehme- while it is just Barbados, that is no reason to not be prepared... these past 3 friendlies was about bringing a squad together and prepare them for the year and a half ahead....

it would have been the past year and a half when BB was suppose to give people shots on friendlies... and he capped well over 60 different players in that short time.... quite a few players getting their first cap overall.... in fact, i recall quite a few people ridiculing him for bringing in such faces....

[david's villa]

BB has gone wit 2 of MB/Edu/Mastro/Clark in pretty much every match since the Copa America ended last summer. Grantde, we have faced some good squads, but he even trotted out MB+Edu against S. Africa. All signs point to 2 dmids again.

But, if there was ever a match to drop to 1 dmid and gain an attacking player wouldn't it be a must-win game against a weak opponent that will be bunkering back the entire game?

c'mon Bob-o, you can do it. start 5 attacking players, please.

[Jeff]

I have only been to 1 USMNT game in my life. It just happened to be the Gold Cup Final. I thought the USA was a democracy but the Ching Dynasty ruled America that day. I am not sure if he has gotten a start since. Ching needs to play. He is solid with Landycakes.

Long live the Ching Dynasty!

[Will]

Here's your lineup for Saturday:

----------------Ching---------------------

------------------------Donovan-----------

Beasley----------------------------Dempsey

------------Mastroeni--Bradley------------

Pearce------Bocanegra----Gooch--------Dolo

-------------------Howard-----------------

I'm not all that upset. Ching is very streaky and on fire right now. He'll get the goals and matchup with Donovan tucked in behind him. Mastroeni deserves a start after his play vs Argentina, and Bradley is preferred over Edu. I would like to see Bradley push up more at time tho and I think Barbados will give us that opportunity. This would have been a great chance for Altidore to get some senior team time in against an lesser team, but with his ankle and transfer, you have give him his needed personal time. Anyone who discredits Boca due to being out of contract clearly should not post any opinions. You're only discrediting everything else you might have to say by that dumb comment. As for Cervi, who cares if he comes along. It provides him with training, and the US losses nothing but a couple dollars on room and board. In fact, you NEED 3 keepers in training and with him the likely backup in beijing, it's reasonably to bring him along. It's not like he'll be in the roster.

Just thank god Wolff isn't there!!!!!!1

[Jerry]

It's someone else going to the game on Sunday?

[Tony in Quakeland]

Ives or anyone:

Can this roster be changed between legs? So if we thump the living snot out of them, can we bring in different bodies for the next leg?