U.S. national team midfielder Benny Feilhaber was one of five training camp invitees to not be included in the U.S. Olympic qualifying roster for the upcoming CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
Feilhaber, goalkeeper Tally Hall, defender Mike Randolph and midfielders Arturo Alvarez and Robbie Rogers did not make the 20-man roster submitted for the qualifying tournament, sources told SBI on Sunday. West Ham defender Jonathan Spector was added to the roster.
Here is the full U.S. 20-man roster for the tournament, as announced by U.S. Soccer:
GOALKEEPERS: Dominic Cervi (unattached), Chris Seitz (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS: Jonathan Spector (West Ham), Hunter Freeman (New York Red Bulls), Kamani Hill (Vfl Wolfsburg), Patrick Ianni (Houston Dynamo), Michael Orozco (San Luis), Nathan Sturgis (Real Salt Lake), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)
MIDFIELDERS: Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Dax McCarty (FC Dallas), Sal Zizzo (Hannover 96), Freddy Adu (SL Benfica)
FORWARDS: Jozy Altidore (New York Red Bulls), Chad Barrett (Chicago Fire), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake)
So what will the starting lineup look like? Here’s one potential starting XI:
———————-Altidore———————–
Gaven—————-Adu——————-Zizzo
————–Holden——-Kljestan—————
Freeman——Sturgis—Edu———–Wynne
———————–Seitz————————
The fact that Alvarez and Rogers were let go will come as a shock to some considering their play on the wings. Given the fact that Zizzo has played well enough to make the Hannover 96 bench for recent matches you wonder if Nowak decided he could get by with Zizzo and Gaven as wingers with Holden and Kljestan both capable of playing there if called upon.
The U.S. Under-23 national team opens Olympic qualifying on Tuesday against Cuba in Tampa before playing Panama on Thursday and Honduras on Sunday.
Share your thoughts on the roster and potential starting lineup below.
i think you guys are wrong thinking that Nowak has his favorites. As far as i know Danny Szaleta was his little puppy (both Polish)
Its a matter of if the player is playing games for his team.
people sitting on the bench should not be included
ala szetela
If you go to the BS youth boards, 2 very even handed reliable long time posters, who obviously have access to the team if you follow them have said –
Benny was terrible. Poor passing, didn’t hustle, had an attitude like he was better than others, when he didn’t play better at all.
Take it FWIW but just another source.
I remember reading in the Du Nord blog during transfer time that Benny had some real ego issues.
Hmm. He wouldn’t be the first kid to succumb to his own hype. Possible.
Stats. In over 2 years Benny has 17 first team club appearances. That’s it. Half were as a sub. Helped get one coach fired in Hamburg. (yes he did, I was there. To many gibeaways for goals) Had another call him surplus. Has had 2 in England not use him and one call him surplus. All in a matter of about 16 mths. I said it mths ago and people attacked me. Maybe, just maybe, we way over rate this kid. He can help us, but he isn’t that good. Hell, Bobby Convey, who has had exactly one good year as a pro, that’s itm comes to mind. Base on performance, not what we want to see or need, and what we project in our own minds. There isn’t very much on BF’s resume overall. There really isn’t. I bet quite a few of our younger guys would have looked fine dominating weak teams in the GC. DOn’t you?
He has 12 Nat caps and 17 first team games in over 2 years. He only would grace MLS for DP money. Rumors of attitude. Something doesn’t make sense.
Something is up.
There are a lot of reaches here defending Benny. A lot. I have used facts. Just soem, there are more.The defense is mostly conjecture and a need to believe in a Yank at no matter what cost from what I see.
Okay, we’ve read every possible argument here about Feilharber and Rogers (except the one where players selected paid Nowak more to be on the team than Feilharber and Rogers could come up with). How does one go about finding out what really happened? I don’t think managers in other sports as nearly as tight-lipped about roster decisions as soccer managers are, and if they are there’s usually someone close to the situation who will anonymously offer some info. Why doesn’t that happen with US Soccer?
Eddie Gaven..? Are you kidding me?
Its a tragedy to cut someone of Rogers caliber even if he is at 75%. He has been with the team through the entire cycle brings alot to the plate with his speed and two footedness. He also has a close bond with most of the team from the U-20’s. Also despite his injury I understand he scored in the final scrimmage. At some point a coach has to step up to the plate and recognize such tenacity and what it brings to a team that desparately needs to qualify. Hell if the kid can even score when injured that should tell you something. Hopefully we see him back in the mix after qualifying.
“CD,
Do you know anything about Cuba’s team?”
They speak Spanish, their communist,they play in the Cuban domestic league and they won’t be able to go out of the team hotel without an escort.
Can you add a keeper to the roster if one gets injured? If not, it seems strange that you would only take two to the tournament when you’re expecting to play 4 meaningful games (don’t we always take 3 to the World Cup). Does anybody know the rules of this tournament on this point?
The only reason I can see Feilhaber let go is Derby might be asking for him back. They’ve recently lost one of their main midfielders and that may give Feilhaber more playing time. Nowak may not have been impressed by him due to his lack of playing time. He could still be called back for the semifinals, if they make it, etc. But Alvarez being left off is really a weird decision, unless he was outright beaten by Gaven. That can be the only explanation. But Nowak does have a stubborn tendency to play players in positions that don’t suit their strengths (Ex.- Adu forced to the wing for D.C. United). He’s a pretty headstrong coach.
CD,
Do you know anything about Cuba’s team? No. Me either. But I suspect that they will be allowed to have 11 fit players on the field just like us. Therefore, they will win some balls and have some chances and bright spots in the game. It’s soccer. That’s kind of the way it works…
I thought Cervi was attached to Chicago.