Photo by John Todd/ISIphotos.com
We are now less than a month away from knowing the 23-man roster for the U.S. World Cup team and there are still a bunch of unanswered questions and extremely tough decisions for Bob Bradley to make.
Does he bring Edson Buddle or Herculez Gomez? Does he ignore DaMarcus Beasley's lack of playing time and bring him anyway? Will Charlie Davies be able to make it all the way back? Does he find a place for Brian Ching?
A lot of the questions that still remain will be answered in the coming weeks as the U.S. team's pre-World Cup training camp kicks off, and friendlies against the Czech Republic and Turkey help paint a clearer picture of who should be on the roster.
Here is our final edition of SBI 23 for 2010, with the 23-man roster we see Bradley taking to South Africa (as well as the starting lineup we see facing England on June 12):
SBI 23 for 2010 (May 2010 edition)
GOALKEEPERS– Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann, Brad Guzan
DEFENDERS– Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Jonathan Spector, Steve Cherundolo, Jonathan Bornstein, Jay DeMerit, Clarence Goodson
MIDFIELDERS– Landon Donovan, Michael Bradley, Ricardo Clark, Stuart Holden, DaMarcus Beasley, Benny Feilhaber, Jose Francisco Torres, Maurice Edu, Alejandro Bedoya
FORWARDS- Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore, Charlie Davies, Edson Buddle
Left off last team– Conor Casey
New additions– Edson Buddle
Thoughts on this month's selections:
Choosing between Buddle, Gomez and Brian Ching wasn't easy at all, but Ching's injury status makes him a risky pick and while expect Bob Bradley to take either Ching or Conor Casey, it seems so tough to leave either Buddle or Gomez behind.
I would have a hard time leaving Gomez behind given his recent form, but Bradley's comments about Buddle and Gomez would seem to suggest that he prefers Buddle, and it's unlikely both forwards would make the team. If Davies can't go, that could pave the way for Gomez to make the squad, though Bradley might be more inclined to include Ching.
Beasley almost didn't make this squad but I really can't imagine Bradley leaving Beasley off even give his lack of playing time. Beasley showed in the friendly vs. the Netherlands that he can still bring some good qualities to the table and he's the most experienced winger in the pool.
Once again, our squad has one less defender and one more midfielder than most teams take. This seems like an even more likely scenario after hearing Bradley talk about the versatility of his defenders and how that will impact the positional breakdown of the roster.
So what will the USA starting lineup look like against England? Here is our projected starting lineup for the June 12th World Cup opener:
USA vs. ENGLAND
—————-Altidore————Dempsey————
Donovan——————————————Holden
——————-Bradley——-Edu——————–
Bocanegra—–Onyewu——-DeMerit———Spector
————————–Howard————————-
——————–
What do you think of the squad? who isn't on the team that you feel should be? What do you think of the projected starting lineup vs. England?
Share your thoughts below.
————Johnson—-Cooper———-
——————–Adu——————
Bedoya——————————Holden
——————Bornstein—————–
Castillo—–Pearce—–Goodson—–Simek
—————–Guzan——————
I know this is random but this would have been my lineup against Mexico in the 2009 Gold Cup:
————Johnson—-Cooper———-
——————–Adu——————
Bedoya——————————Holden
——————Bornstein—————–
Castillo—–Pearce—–Goodson—–Simek
—————–Howard——————
I actually quite enjoyed Beaz’s DEFENSIVE takeaway against Ghana, and perfectly weighted PASS to Dempsey for our one and only offensive goal of the last tournament. But heck, replace ’em both with newbies if that’s your schtick
+1, can you imagine Bocanegra trying to cover Walcott?
The Lineup that could of happen with out all of these injuries:
————Davies—-Altidore———-
Donovan—————————–Dempsey
————Jones——-Bradley———-
Bocanegra—–DeMerit—–Onyewu—Spector
—————–Howard——————
The Lineup that would probably happen in SA:
————Dempsey—-Altidore———-
Donovan——————————Holden
————Edu———Bradley———-
Bocanegra—–DeMerit—–Onyewu—Spector
—————–Howard——————
and the strikers will always suck
I don’t think Davies should be selected. He’s not even close to being ready. Can he play 90+ minutes? Answer: No way dude.
Adu has done what he was told: Find a team where you can play. He’s playing well. He should go.
I agree with picking DaMarcus Beasley.
Gomez should go as well. Not sure about Buddle. Let’s face it, the MLS is not a top league. Buddle would not even make the bench in all of Europe, Bazil, or Angentina, and barely get time in Mexico.
your wild
LOL. K I do see him on the left before thanks for answering. I thought Donovan preferred the left cause he like to cross it with his left foot ? I just think something is going to happen to shock us all in a good way. I dunno my conscience keeps on telling me and I get a feeling. That players we thought are unfit and out of form are going to show and do well.
Is Eddie Johnson still off the list ? I hope that Onyewu does better for us. He was horrible in 2006 and was nervous in the Czech game. He was great in the Italy game, and was a disaster in the Ghana game. I don’t know if I would take Onyewu, I am scared and undecided. (God please let something happen so our players can heal and be ready mentally and physically).
Even a ‘tard can spot a horrifically underqualified player….
ROTFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
down wit JB
No one can outrun those cats, but Frankie or Carlos might be able to outsmart them, though
And getting his butt handed to him. Not my idea of good experience.
I would take Adu over Clark, but that’s because I don’t see many legitimate AM options on the roster other than Feilhaber, though that’s never really bugged Senior in the past…
It’s required by FIFA. Next topic please.
Which is why the US will only go far in this Cup if they play TEAM defense, something they haven’t done for a long time.
It’s boring and a cliche but the USMNT when it does well, is much better than the sum of it’s parts.
Backing up…Based on form I would take Cherundulo over Spector. But even more important is finding the best left back for that first game: who do we have that could contend with the speed of Walcott or Lennon? Who times the fastest in the 50? I can’t think of any of our left sided options that can match their pace. But I still would go with Bocanegra. Demerit and Gooch in the center. Cherundulo on the right.
No Way on Beasley, and Casey hasn’t impressed me, and Davies won’t be back all the way to compete. Other than that, I think you have the team.
So with 3 roster spots, I think Gomez AND Buddle should be in our stable of Forwards. Gomez would be a Schillaci type off the bench, plus can play wide mid, and Buddle gives cover for Altidore if not beside him. Not to mention… both have a rapport playing with Donovan.
So, for me, that just leaves 1 roster spot in the air. Castillo? Orozco? Haven’t seen enough of them to form any opinion.
Beasley does not make my 23. I think he’ll do poorly in the camp and or friendlies. To bring in a player to play 5-10 minutes is a mistake, unless you’re planning on a 3 and out.
Holden isn’t really a winger in the classic sense. If you watch him carefully with the US, he keeps drifting inside.
Overall, I agree with your take on him. I wouldn’t be averse to leaving him behind if his injury hasn’t completely cleared up. More room for Bedoya, who looks far more dangerous as far as I’m concerned. The US already has too many recently recovering players to risk carrying another medical case.
Just because Charlie appears to be some kind of medical marvel it doesn’t mean everyone is.
i agree 100%. when fielding a wc roster, past the starting 11, the rest of the players need to be able to be versatile. especially on a team like the usa that doesnt have the same talent level as some of the big boys. if jermaine jones is at all healthy add him to the squad he brings quality to the CDM. drop rico and add jones. rico has no technical skill whatsoever.
Holden was great in the Gold Cup, had a nice cross against Mexico at Azteca in the qualifier but has looked pretty average for the US since.
As far as I can tell the reason people like Holden is because he seems to be willing to run around a lot and try to tackle people more than Dempsey does. However, Dempsey scares other teams while I don’t think Holden does.
Holden is a nice player and may someday actually be productive instead of mostly stylish but he isn’t quite there yet.
And that was before he broke his leg.
I’m also a fan of edu starting.
I like stu, but i’d like to see torres starting ahead of him. also take out onyewu, move boca to the center and put cherundolo in at right back moving spector to left.
OF COURSE YOU ALL REALIZE THAT IF WEBEAT ENGLAND AND WIN THE GROUP WE HAVE A CHANCE AT A PRETTY DEEP RUN. IF WE FINISH SECOND WE’LL MORE LIKELY FACE EVERY JUGGERNAUT IN THE BOOK (GERMANY ARGENTINA SPAIN AND BRAZIL).
Lol Staten Island maybe u r right……. Clarks stay at home mentality probably would work best in serving as protection for the back four. But I would argue having a player that stays home would apply less pressure on our opponents defense……. Edu is a Box to Box mid who can get forward as well as stay home. He is the type player that comes in late and gets a tap in off of a scramble in the box…………. We wouldnt need a d-mid if boca played left back because he will stay home and wont get caught upfield……. D-mids usually are used when a teams full backs push up to much and get caught out of position
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One reason you haven’t seen a red card for Edu is he hasn’t played all that much for the USMNT ( 12 caps) in high pressure games. Clark has played 26 USMNT games some of them pretty high pressure ones.
Give Edu some time, he’ll get some.
Just a question about Jay Demerit. I’ve been a huge fan of his for years, and think he is a lock for starting on 6/11. No one will win an air ball off of him in SA.
I also think he would be a lock to start for an EPL team, as well — but, he stays with Watford. I’m wondering if the reason is because of loyalty to the team that gave him his break — essentially gave him a chance as a virtual walk-on. If it truly is that kind of loyalty, then I’ll have a huge amount of respect for him. Does anyone know the story?
“Edu can get forward better than Clark ever can
Edu will def be starting….”
Bradley, Dempsey and Donovan all go forward, Holden, Benny and Torres all like to go forward. Bedoya and DMB like to go forward. Edu likes to go forward.
The whole farging midfield likes to attack. Someone needs to stay home and if Rico can do that well, he’s no Jermaine Jones but at least he ‘s willing to defend and TRY to protect out immobile center backs.
Try Edu at left back if you want to see him so much. He might surprise you.
I simply don’t see how anybody can consider Davies a good option…not a single competitive match since October of 2009, and a large portion of that time not even being able to train. Look, I like Davies. He’s a great player, but as fate would have it 2010 is not his time. Let’s bring guys that are game fit…that means Altidore, Gomez, and Buddle.
It also looks as though we may need to play Dempsey up top, and play Holden in the midfield, as Ching is also a question mark. I know, I said earlier I have some reservations about Dempsey being up top, but, the more I think about it, I just don’t see any other good options.
I think Ching or Casey will be one of the forwards and I don’t think Davies will make it instead it will probably be Buddle. Furthermore I believe Dempsey will start at the midfield spot not at forward.
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I actually think this squad is perfect except i hoping for Adu over Bedoya. Adu looks to be gaining form for the first time since 2008, and we all seen what an in-form Adu can do with the USA and Benfica.
Go get um Freddy in camp!
Sorry my original post was meant for Montana Matt
Just curious but who in the US player pool is a better, more experienced all around defender than Boca?
If he is your best all around defender, which he seems to be, then why all this endless nitpicking?
Boca doesn’t have Usain Bolt speed but I have news for you, not all good defensive left backs are burners. Speed is nice but overall knowledge and technical understanding of how to defend is equally important. Need I point out how fast Bornstein is?
US fans are so extreme, they assume that because a given winger is faster than a given fullback that there is no way that fullback can defend the faster winger. Clearly, you’ve never been taught how to play defense.
…mmmkay….fail.
————Dempsey—-Altidore———-
Feilhaber————————-Donovan
————–Edu——-Bradley———-
Bocanegra—DeMerit—Onyewu—Cherundolo
—————–Howard——————
I’d actually kind of like to change the lineup a bit:
————–Dempsey—-Altidore————
Feilhaber—————————–Donovan
—————-Edu——-Bradley————
Bocanegra—–DeMerit—-Onyewu—-Cherundolo
——————–Howard——————-
Spector is prone to mistakes and inconsistency, even on his trademark crosses, while Cherundolo has always been a steadier defender who plays to the best of his abilities consistently and normally is one of the calmest guys out there. His marking is excellent and he gets forward extremely well.
He also played well on the left flank against Denmark in that 3-1 loss, delivering some very good passes, and a solid effort.
Benny’s not playing as a winger. He’s more like an attacking midfielder with the freedom to float from the left to the center. The same can be said of Donovan. This spreads their influence around the attacking third.
And for the record, Feilhaber played as a winger against Switzerland, in the USA’s first win on European soil in five games. Feilhaber also played there in their 1-0 victory in South Africa.
Sacha? Hahaha. Are you kidding me?
Why is everyone so worried about who we would prefer on the outsides based on their “lack of pace” or “crossing ability”. We need our defenders to defend before we worry about their offensive capabilities. Like another poster has already said, Id be fine if Boca plays LB and doesnt step past midfield. Lando can take care of the left side himself. Also, I worry much more about Boca playing in the center than I do about a winger blowing by him. At times he almost seems scared to step up in the middle and challenge the ball, but he definately needs to be on the field somewhere (LB it is!). I also like Dolo on the other side, I think Spector is a good player but have watched too many EPL games where he makes simple but idiotic mistakes leading to anopponent’s break.
Eric, I believe you are a right back too.
I think realistically you need to be at least 3 deep at every spot becuause of cards and injuries. I don’t think you have enough depth on the outside backs because I think the only left backs you have are Boca and Spector (mabye Edu, I don’t know), but both of them could be starting at other positions. That is why I think both Bornstein and Pearce will make the roster. I think the fullbacks will be the toughest decisions for Bradley, but will unfortunately impact the midfielder pool which is stronger.
I am concerned about US ability to score goals against WC opponents. Josey has really failed to impress at Hull – OK he can hold the ball up, so what, he has barely scored a goal.
Bradley should look to form and Gomez wud seem to fit the bill – he has proven scoring record.
The mere mention of Beasely scares me to death. We need to be realistic.
I think US team need the best possible squad that can produce if we are to progress in SA. Bradley needs to think beyond his normal narrow play book. This is big league stuff.
to me has always kept to a narrow band width. set play list
As I said, I’m basing this solely on my opinion as far as Onyewu not being fit, but just because someone is training doesn’t mean they are fit, and I don’t think he will get any game time for AC Milan before the cup (I have no idea if he is training with them or not, but I believe you that he is; I’ve tried to find updates but I haven’t been successful). Not so sure “none of it makes sense” because I’m pretty sure even you think Donovan, Dempsey, Altidore, Bradley, and Howard are going to be playing. If you lack speed at fullback, playing a 3-5-2 helps because you are essentially playing with 3 centerbacks that don’t get isolated one on one against quick, speedy outside halfbacks. That was Arena did in ’02 against Mexico and it worked great. Do you not agree that outside fullback is the biggest weakness on the team?
BELIEVE…Call me naive but i just can not give up on Charlie yet.
When has Feilhaber ever played winger ?
wednesday did go down. Ham stayed up, keeping Spector in the prem, with his club. Simek, has no club, who has been getting no time, and may have a hard time securing a move because of that and his injuries in the past.
That guy is a joke.