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