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SBI’s 23 for 2010 (May 2010 Edition)

USAvsNetherlandsSquad (ISIphotos.com)

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.

Comments

  1. “I get mad everytime I see great offensive US talent not being used properly and effectively. ”

    You know El, I have yet to see great offensive US talent in the current cycle.

    Here’s hoping Gomez and Buddle work out.

    Reply
  2. Our defense may be our weakest point. Gooch will prob not be fit. There is little speed. You need a calendar to measure Boca’s speed. He is best at center back. Dolo has experience, and is still the man to beat at right back. Beasley may be an interesting option on the left. Having a back 3 ‘stay at home’ may be the best way to go, with 2 defensive midfielders in front of them. Everyone deserves a look but regular experience with players in the team pool is important (ie the recent form of Buddle and Gomez may be a fluke). Altidore has a lot to prove with his classic screw up. He may be MLS bound if he does not prove himself. We may be better off with a midfield of withdrawn forwards (Donovan and Dempsey) and the above mentioned defensive midfielders. I still think we are in major trouble.

    Reply
  3. “ching is nothing more than a concacaf bench warmer”

    I had to stop there.

    Ching scores many goals in Concacaf on the nats, as well as in Houston. He has been a solid performer for the nats, chalking up many assists of assists and penalties. Rarely does he make a poor pass or lose possession in the final third, which leads to goals. That is also a breath of fresh air from the likes of EJ who started last world Cup!!!

    You are nothing more than a blind soccer fan.

    Reply
  4. I would MUCH rather have Heath Pearce on the squad than Bornstein. I thought Pearce was among the strongest players in the Netherlands match — I’ll admit that I haven’t watched as much as I’d like. But Bornstein’s been horrible lately, and prior to this spell, he was never that good. I’d like to see Cherundolo or Pearce on the outside, unless we get more creative by using a defensive mid there.

    I agree that Bocanegra’s better in the middle than on the outside. But DeMerit has looked so solid that it’s hard not to have him in the game. I even like Goodson in the middle. Seems we have a glut up the middle and okay/poor options outside. I know this is sacrelige, but I don’t think that Guch is automatic. Right now, I might go with Boca and DeMerit.

    But what really holds the U.S. back from being top flight, is the lack of a class distributor and ball handler in the middle. I love Bradley and Edu, but to me, they are defensive central midfielders. I’ve really wanted Torres to be that offensive mid/distributor (to me, he is the best w/ ball at his feet) but I’ve never seen him put it all together for a full match with USMNT. He’s not ready. In a perfect world, Torres (or someone else) would be that attacking central midfielder with Bradley supporting and Edu at marking back (or vice versa). Too late for that now probably, but a man can dream about having the best 11 on the field.

    Reply
  5. “Buddle like Findley, is built far far too small to compete against a bruising team and none of our group are anything but bruising teams”

    Too bad we don’t have a bruising forward like Messi to play for us. You need to have that kind of size and power to get anyhwere in a World Cup.

    Reply
  6. Well, you saw how badly it affected Donovan at Everton because he had never played with any of those Everton outfield players before.

    Maybe if Buddle had gone to Everton with him, he would have done better. It’s a shame really.

    Reply
  7. Good point,that. Still, guys like Holden, Klestjan, Davies, Altidore, and Adu all show some hunger and interest in their tweets (and no, I don’t read them all day). I hope I’m wrong about Beasley …

    Reply
  8. ching is nothing more than a concacaf bench warmer, let’s not forget that. does he have experience? if by experience you mean someone who traveled to the last cup and contributed nothing, yes. just because he traveled to the last cup does that mean he deserves to be picked over someone who’s relatively young and untested at the highest of levels? umm, no. remember how dmb and landycakes played in their first cup when they were relatively inexperienced? rather than suffer from their lack of experience they used their naivety to their advantage. they didn’t play scared, they attacked people and, it’s pretty easy to argue, they both had their best cup to date. sometimes the young kids playing with swagger are what an otherwise veteran team needs to spice things up a bit.

    Reply
  9. ching is nothing more than a concacaf bench warmer, let’s not forget that. does he have experience? if by experience you mean someone who traveled to the last cup and contributed nothing, yes. just because he traveled to the last cup does that mean he deserves to be picked over someone who’s relatively young and untested at the highest of levels? umm, no. remember how dmb and landycakes played in their first cup when they were relatively inexperienced? rather than suffer from their lack of experience they used their naivety to their advantage. they didn’t play scared, they attacked people and, it’s pretty easy to argue, they both had their best cup to date. sometimes the young kids playing with swagger are what an otherwise veteran team needs to spice things up a bit.

    Reply
  10. LAY OFF BORNSTEIN!!

    I get so tired of rehashing and rehashing the Bornstein is the problem left back dilemna.

    Its over. He has shown better leadership as a back up left back than Pearce or Castillo. Yes, he pretty much sucks, but damnit, that is the state of American effin soccer.

    GET OVER IT

    support the team you have in South Africa, not the team you imagine we have

    Reply
  11. I will allow, however, Bedoya over Beasley. But if Beasley is just a reserve anyway, I sure would rather have him on the bench than Rogers’ youth ANY DAY.

    Reply
  12. What is the American equivalent to Rooney, Thomas Muller, and Holger Badstuber????

    Our best forwards besides Dempsey, Davies, Donovan, and Altidore ARE Ching, Buddle, Gomez, and Casey. Scoff all you want, but where are America’s Rooneys in MLS tearing it up at 18 and ready to actually play in a World Cup! I’ll take the guys who are our best right now, not hopeful inexperience.

    Reply
  13. I like it a lot Ives. I think you nail it, especially in choosing between Buddle and Gomez.

    Bradley likes Buddle because he does “all the little things off the ball” that makes him a team player. Buddle also has been playing entire games, and he has chemistry with Donovan. Though Gomez scores in a tougher league, Bradley hasn’t said the same things about his work ethic, and he hasn’t been Donovan’s favorite target lately.

    HOWEVER,

    Buddle only goes if Ching is injured, which currently he isn’t, OR if Davies does not make it, which at this point we just don’t know.

    BUT, if one of them are injured then Buddle will have to duke it out with Casey for that final spot.

    Other than that, you got it, and those are iffy anyways. I like Pearce, but I like that you left him off and added Beasley, I think that should happen. Maybe Pearce beats out Bornstein in camp, but that will be an uphill battle. Maybe he takes Pierce over Torres. I like Torres, but he hasn’t looked comfortable starting in center yet. He needs time, and I’m not sure he has got it (yes, all those games wasted on Kljestan and Torres hasn’t built up a comfort level…)

    Reply
  14. Benny is best suited for 30 hard minutes off the bench; unless his fitness has improved dramatically, which I doubt since he was out for so long, then he conserves too much when he’s the starter for the USMNT…not what is needed from that position for this team

    Stuart conserves nothing, so let him go on the right with Benny the energizer sub maybe (but probably centrally tho) and/or Alejandro, or whoever, once Stuart drains the tank. Landon is on the left.

    Reply
  15. Benny is best suited for 30 hard minutes off the bench; unless his fitness has improved dramatically, which I doubt since he was out for so long, then he conserves too much when he’s the starter for the USMNT…not what is needed from that position for this team

    Stuart conserves nothing, so let him go on the right with Benny the energizer sub (probably centrally tho) and/or Alejandro, or whoever, once Stuart drains the tank. Landon is on the left.

    Reply
  16. The Unthinkable – neither Davies nor Onyewu make it due to incomplete recoveries and fitness. Versatility of Edu allows BB to bring only 7 defenders with Edu being an emergency CB replacement if needed. DMB is Mr. Outside Looking In @ #24 and could slide in replacing Ching or Torres / Feilhaber, which would move Dempsey back up into the forward pool.

    Final 23 becomes:

    GOALKEEPERS (3)- Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann, Brad Guzan

    DEFENDERS (7)- Carlos Bocanegra, Jonathan Spector, Steve Cherundolo, Jonathan Bornstein, Jay DeMerit, Clarence Goodson, Heath Pearce

    MIDFIELDERS (9)- Landon Donovan, Michael Bradley, Ricardo Clark, Stuart Holden, Benny Feilhaber, Jose Francisco Torres, Maurice Edu, Alejandro Bedoya, Clint Dempsey

    FORWARDS (4)- Herc Gomez, Jozy Altidore, Brian Ching, Edson Buddle

    Reply
  17. I’m more concerned with our starters getting a few days at the beginning of camp !!!!
    That’s a concern we should all have. It’s been a long season for a lot of these guys and they can use a few days off.

    Did you hear that Mr. Bradley ??????

    Reply
  18. “IF Davies AND Ching are 100% fit, I’m okay bringing both and leaving Buddle and Gomez behind.”

    Well EA, that’s one way to hedge your bets. It’s almost impossible that these two will be 100%.

    I’m assuming you mean 100% by the time camp rolls around but, even that miraculously happens, the real issue is how would these two hold up for the tournament. I don’t believe either one will be healthy enough to play three full games in the World Cup. This isn’t some summer exhibition tournament you know? It’s about as intense as it gets.

    So why would you, if you are the manager, want to handicap the team by bringing players who are probably not going to be able to go the whole distance? If they were Pele,Cruyff, Maradona or Messi at their peak that would be one thing but these guys are not that kind of player. Both are replaceable.

    Reply
  19. “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”

    I like your philosophy on how to play but you know who plays the way you describe? Brazil.

    They do that because they have the guys who can play that way. We just don’t, at least not for as long as they can or at the same level.

    I love Edu, probably because I want to see as many Terps ( Edu, Gonzalez, Goodson, Seitz) on the USMNT as possible, but he’s still a little tactically naive and I think Rico is just a bit more bloody minded. The USMNT will need someone with that Roy Keane mentality and Rico is closer to that than is Mo. In fact, I wanted to play Boca in front of the center backs with Spector,Pearce,JB or Edu at left back. Edu not a LB you say? He’s a good,smart, athletic player and I think he would surprise people there.

    I wouldn’t have a big problem with Edu starting but I prefer Rico for the World Cup.

    Reply
  20. Who would be the equivalent English picks?

    For Ching they could choose Hesky
    For Hejduk there is G. Neville
    For Beasley why not Bullard?

    Most English WC opponents would applaud these nostalgia picks.

    Go to any top side and choose 3 players from the past for a great laugh. I applaud Low, sport is the ultimate, ‘but what are you doing now’ profession.

    Reply
  21. Apparently Low has bigger go..s than those here who promote Hejduk, Ching, and Beasley,

    “Low opted to go with youth as he called up the likes of Bayern Munich duo Thomas Muller and Holger Badstuber and also found room for Bayer Leverkusen’s Toni Kroos and the coach has no regrets over his choices”

    “We deliberately chose younger players,” Low said. ”They may be short on experience but they have a lot of qualities.”

    Reply
  22. Why would you sub Dempsey out in the 70th? He’s one of our best impact players and scores a lot of (important) goals towards the end of matches.

    Starting Gomez against England? That is beyond the realm of possibility.

    Reply
  23. I don’t see how anyone can even think to bring Davies to the tournament. He’s been out of the game for over nine months, and though a great “feel good” story, how much can he actually bring to the table. His pace was his best asset and will most likely be an issue coming off his injury. Bring someone, anyone else that could play and contribute other than starring in a ESPN puff piece by Erin Andrews.

    Reply
  24. Against England i’d go with:

    Howard
    Spector. Demerit Gooch Boca
    Bradley. Edu
    Dempsey. Holden. Landon
    Gomez

    Jozy 60 min sub for Gomez
    Bedoya 70 min sub for Dempsey

    Reply
  25. Finally A Thinker Like Me. Sometimes I think People Are Lost in Translation About Adu Forget What You Heard The kid Has Ball Skill Every Coach He Has Played For Cn Co-Sign That Now Its Up To BB To Bring The best Out OF Him,Other Coaches Did It on the youth level, plus i cant stress this enough but if donovan goes down hurt honestly adu is the only one with as much one on one, player to player confidence as him to take his place help the kid he’s 20 don’t bring him now … were killing our own team like that.

    Reply
  26. The roster seems about right, but in my opinion I would take out 2 or 3 from that roster.

    I take Adu over Bedoya for many reasons. The 2010 highlights so far have been better with Adu than Bedoya. Pure fact.

    I hope DMB gets on that plane. So far every game he has been in this year he has performed well.

    Drop clown Buddle, I don’t care if this kid is the Messi of MLS, he has shown he can’t hang in a USMNT jersey. Bring Gomez in, he plays in a much superior league.

    Bornstein? I can’t believe this guy plays like crap in important games for us, yet he still get’s called in to the roster without anyone questioning it. I just don’t get it. We have a few players in the pool that can play his position, so why waste a W.C roster spot… o well

    Reply

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