Here it is, the 2008 U.S. men’s Olympic soccer team:
Goalkeepers– Brad Guzan, Chris Seitz
Defenders– Michael Parkhurst, Maurice Edu, Michael Orozco, Marvell Wynne, Nathan Sturgis, Patrick Ianni
Midfielders– Freddy Adu, Michael Bradley, Sacha Kljestan, Stuart Holden, Danny Szetela, Benny Feilhaber.
Forwards– Brian McBride, Jozy Altidore, Charlie Davies, Robbie Rogers
Alternates: Dominic Cervi, Frankie Hejduk, Dax McCarty, Robbie Findley
As expected, McBride, Parkhurst and Guzan got the over-age calls while Altidore will be there along with Adu and Bradley.
What do you think of the team? What is the most surprising selection? And the most shocking absence? What should be the starting lineup?
Share your thoughts below.
Ives:
Any idea why Donovan, Beasley or Gooch weren’t the overage players instead of Parkhurst & McBride?
Poor Dax. I think he’s on the road to being Steve Ralston Jr. A very good and heady player who doesn’t get the true bigtime callups.
I don’t agree with Sacha out right in these line-ups. Szetela has had some success there though and Rodgers has actually stated that he prefers right mid.
So why not?
McBride-Jozy
Adu
Rodgers —- Szetela
Bradley
Sturgis-Orozco-Parkhurst-Wynne
The midfield would have 2 wingers who could both play inside. The advantage is that these guys can make runs off of each other and move with the flow of the game to pick apart the defense.
one thing i’d be interested to see is where and how bradley plays against the dutch. having just put up 20 in their domestic league playing with and against most of the dutch roster, perhaps he should be moved to an attacking roll and let edu lock down the holding roll, moving freddy out wide (which would let him cross to mcbrides head all day long instead of slotting through balls to jozy).