The U.S. men's national team's European friendlies are fast approaching and we will soon learn which new faces head coach Bob Bradley will be taking a look at.
Why should we expect to see some new faces? The long term losses of Charlie Davies and Oguchi Onyewu, coupled with the absence of Jay DeMerit, has left serious voids in the squad. Couple that will the likelihood that several national team regulars will advance to the MLS conference finals, and thus be unavailable for selection for the friendlies against Slovakia (Nov. 14) and Denmark (Nov. 18).
Just who might be missing? Landon Donovan could be missing, and if he isn't then Jonathan Bornstein will be. If Houston beats Seattle then Stuart Holden and Brian Ching will be out (while Ricardo Clark's balky knee is likely to sideline him from national team duty regardless). If the Columbus Crew beats RSL then Robbie Rogers and Frankie Hejduk are out of the running, while Robbie Findley and Kyle Beckerman would miss out on the Europe friendlies if Real Salt Lake pulled off the upset.
Rather than trying to figure out which MLS players will and won't be lost to the playoffs, let us consider other potential call-up candidates who we might see called up when the U.S. team's roster for upcoming friendlies is announced this weekend:
EDGAR CASTILLO- Sources have already confirmed this call-up and while there were some concerns about a leg injury he was recovering from recently, Castillo should be with the team in Europe. If Chivas USA beats Los Angeles, Bornstein's absence could pave the way for Castillo to play in one of the friendlies, assuming he impressed the U.S. coaches in training.
FRANK SIMEK- Okay, so he only just recently played his first 90-minute match for Sheffield Wednesday since his return from injury, but he just might get a call, particularly if Jonathan Spector is drafted in and given a look at left back. Steve Cherundolo and Spector are atop the right back pecking order, but Simek is talented. That said, Bob Bradley may decide it's too soon for Simek to come back from his injury.
JEREMIAH WHITE- He hasn't been called in for almost two years (which might be why you don't recognize him in the above photo), but it might be hard to ignore White considering one of the friendlies is in the city where he plays as a regular starter for AGF Aarhus. White's pace and versatility should earn him a look regardless of what other players may be available, but the possibility that the likes of Landon Donovan, Stuart Holden and Robbie Rogers may not be available means White is that much more likely to get a call this time around.
EDDIE JOHNSON- No, Johnson isn't getting tons of playing time for Fulham, but given the current state of the American forward pool, and the team's need for speed options, it might be time for Bradley to bring in Johnson and have a look at how he's doing.
CHRIS PONTIUS- Coming off an impressive rookie season, Pontius showed enough goal-scoring ability and versatility to put himself on Bob Bradley's radar. He might wind up having to wait until the January MLS-based national team camp, but don't be shocked if he's fast-tracked for a look this month.
MAURICE EDU- He was only recently cleared to return to practice with Rangers after recovering from knee surgery, but Edu is a talented force who Bradley will want back in the mix sooner than later. He still may not have the fitness to be a major factor in the upcoming friendlies, but he's been away from the team for too long and won't have another chance to integrate with the team until next spring.
ALEJANDRO BEDOYA- Another of the European-based wing options Bradley may want to look at if his starters are MLS playoff-bound, Bedoya has established himself as a starter for Swedish club Orebro. He's another player who could wind up waiting for the January camp, but if players such as Donovan, Holden and Rogers are busy with MLS playoff matches, Bedoya could get a look.
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These are just some of the names you could see earning call-ups for the upcoming European friendlies. Which of these players are you hoping gets called? Who didn't make the list that you would like to see called up?
Share your thoughts below.
Ives Galarcep is an American soccer columnist for ESPNsoccernet.com and creator of SoccerByIves.net.
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