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USMNT names 22-man squad for Slovakia friendly

U.S. Crest

MLS Golden Boot winner Jeff Cunningham, veteran goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann and Fulham striker Eddie Johnson are three of the 22 players called up by Bob Bradley for Saturday's friendly against Slovakia (10am, Fox Soccer Channel).

Bradley called in a mostly full-strength squad of available players, with Tim Howard and Landon Donovan among those not called in for this match. According to U.S. Soccer, Bradley will consider changes to the squad for the Nov. 18 match against Denmark.

Here is the full 22-man squad selected for Slovakia:

GOALKEEPERS– Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton), Troy Perkins (Valerenga)

DEFENDERS– Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Jonathan Spector (West Ham)

MIDFIELDERS– Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Benny Feilhaber (AGF Aarhus), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Dax McCarty (FC Dallas), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)

FORWARDS– Jozy Altidore (Hull City), Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids), Jeff Cunningham (FC Dallas), Eddie Johnson (Fulham)

Donovan, Stuart Holden, Ricardo Clark and Brian Ching will miss the Slovakia match as they prepare for the  MLS Western Conference final between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Houston Dynamo on Friday, while Mexican-based players Jose Francisco Torres and Edgar Castillo will miss the match in preparation for Saturday's match between Torres' Pachuca and Castillo's Tigres, a match Pachuca needs to qualify for the Mexican playoffs.

So what will the starting lineup look like on Saturday: Here's one potential lineup:

—————Altidore——–Casey——————-

Feilhaber—–Bradley—–Kljestan———Dempsey

Bornstein—-Bocanegra—-Marshall———Spector

———————–Guzan—————————

It will be interesting to see what Bradley does with the left midfield position. He could go with Feilhaber, who plays there for AGF Aarhus, or he could put Dempsey on the left and Kljestan on the right, with Feilhaber pairing with Michael Bradley in the middle.

Centerback is another interesting position to consider, with Marshall, Conrad and Goodson all possibilities to partner with Bocanegra.

Right back remains a good battle between Cherundolo and Spector. With Spector back in the lineup for West Ham, he could have the edge, but Bradley could choose to give each of them a start with two friendlies to work with.

We should expect to see additions to the squad for the Denmark game from the loser of the Galaxy-Dynamo playoff match as well as from the Mexican league.

What do you think of this group? Glad to see Cunningham get a look? Surprised to see Eddie Johnson back in the mix? What's your Starting XI vs. Slovakia?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. “Why the heck not?”

    After Slovakia and Denmarkb the US will have only one officialy sanctioned FIFA date. This means that is one game where Bradley can be more or less sure of getting the players he needs.

    Besides that the US will have maybe 7 more tuneup games before May when the rosters have to be submitted. Given the US’ question marks, that is not a lot of time to screw around with fringe guys.

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  2. I’d like to see Robbie Finley get called in against Denmark if Real Salt Lake loses. I think he’s another option for a pacy striker who is dangerous. Although, I would like to see Real Salt lake win and go to the final.

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  3. Frankly, I’d like a bit more certainty that these 2 players are going to get called up after their league match.

    Otherwise, Bradley needs to be put down.

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  4. Though no one else seems to think so by the prior messages, it seems as if we should be taking a look at “fringe” players who are actually based in Europe. I’m thinking of Jemal Johnson, Jon-Paul Pittman, Jerimiah White, Omar Bedoya, Adu, and Mike Grella. I’m sure I’m leaving one or two out, but why the heck not? Instead, BB is choosing to regurgitate Kljsten and Pearce?

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  5. my lineup (4-4-2):

    ———Jozy——-GAM————
    ————–Benny—————-
    Sasha————————-Deuce
    ————Bradley—————-
    Born——Boca—-Marshall—Spector
    ————–Guzan—————–

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  6. Hejduk, Kljestan, Pearce, EJ, Conrad and Casey are wasted picks? There are 3 world Cup vets there and all of them have extensive experience with the US setup. My guess is that Bradley is looking at injury alternate possibilities.

    More importantly, max, if not these guys, then name me 6 realistic possible replacements for these guys as alternate possibilities.

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  7. Beasley is a midfielder. The US has more midfielders than SBI has people posting.

    EJ is a speedy striker who just happens to play essentially the same position as Charlie Davies. You may have heard that Davies is no longer available due to a car accident.

    Neither one really “deserves” a call up but the US talent pool is weak and thin. Fortunately for EJ, it’s very, very thin at striker. It’s a very old principle known as supply and demand.

    By the way 45 is not “a good number of minutes”.

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  8. I like your line up much better than Ives, though I would have to put Marshall over Conrad and a slash between Dolo and Spector.
    You know why I like it so much better? NO KLJESTAN!!!!

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  9. We got Killed in Costa Rica. 3-1 (1 being a PK). We need to play at least 4 in the Midfield to have a hope of controling the game. Still think a 3-5-2 is our best option until DeMarit/Gooch can return frim injury. Worked against Mexico in 2002 and is used by others in the club level. Just my opinion.

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  10. Why not Spector on the left side? If he is good enough to play on the left in the EPL, he should be good enough to play on the left for the nats.

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  11. Why Kjlestan’s call-up?, the boy is terrible and he proved it vs quality in the CC,and yet he still gets called up? Doing good in MLS does not mean anyhting for some players..for Kjlestan this applies. I guess being a close freind to the coach(Bradley) will always help.

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  12. He played in two games in the Gold Cup, and he was plenty effective in one of them. And in the other there was about a 10 minute team-wide collapse, which, yes, included Parkhurst.

    But, he is too small, especially to be paired with Bocanegra.

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  13. I’m not a Sascha fan but it’s worth noting he played well with Bradley and, given that most of the rest of the midfield candidates are munchkins, he is a big healthy sort. My guess is he is insurance in case Jones doesn’t work out and because Bradley needs to work out as many potential injury alternates as possible.

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  14. Yossarian,

    Don’t tell me Bradley hasn’t tried with Adu.

    Adu spent two tournaments (Confed Cup and Gold Cup )this summer with the USMNT, evn though he had zip minutes with Monaco all season and apparently, still couldn’t get it up in practice.

    How much talking and hand holding does Bradley need to do?

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  15. EJ’s presence is due almost entirely to Davies’ car accident.

    As far as I can tell , EJ and Findlay are the only US forwards with the physical tools and the experience to replace Charlie directly (I haven’t seen Cunningham play so I can’t comment on him.). Cooper is a deadlier scoring threat but he is a different type of player from Davies, EJ and Findlay. I love Cooper but I’m not sure he fits in that well with the style I believe Bradley wants to play but that may change.

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  16. DEAC,

    1.- Hard to answer since Adu won’t get called up until he starts playing for his club. And he ain’t playing it seems.

    2.- No. EJ has one league appearance and one appearance in Europe for Fulham this year. I believe Freddy has one, possibly two appearances, for Beleneses this year so they are tied. Neither guy should be happy about that.

    Regardless, McCarty is an unknown quantity at this point so I see no harm in finding out about him, if Bradley can fit him in. As for Freddy, we’ve already seen what a rusty Adu can do, which is doo doo.

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  17. DBD,

    EJ has a total of 7 appearances in the League and 1 appearance in Europe for Fulham. 0 goals.

    Jozy has 8 total appearances for Hull with 1 goal in the League Cup.

    Neither has scored in the Premiership. However Jozy’s record has been compiled in a few months while EJ’s has been compiled over about three years, a period when Fulham was better than the Hull outfit you see today, but maybe not by much. I’d bet on Jozy scoring sooner and, ultimately, in greater numbers than EJ.

    But, as I have said elsewhere. the important thing is what they will do for the US and right now, I’d say Jozy is far more proven and important for the US than EJ is. 6 important goals this year tells you that.

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  18. Amy, Preki has it right, but you’re just hoping. He doesn’t deserve a spot because of poor play at Chivas.

    That’s not jumping on him, but agreeing with his present coach.

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  19. I agree 100%. Bradley including Kljestan is scary because he’s probably trying to sneak him into SA, his Roy Wegerle, or Eddie Lewis, his personal allowance. A very strange pick based on Sacha’s form and temperament.

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