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.