Photo by ISIphotos.com
by GIANFRANCO PANIZO
The 2009 Gold Cup is in the books, and while no American fan wants to remember how poorly the tournament ended for the U.S. national team, there were still some great performances to draw from it.
CONCACAF acknowledged this as it named four U.S. players to the 18-man Gold Cup All-Tournament team. Stuart Holden, Kenny Cooper, Clarence Goodson and Chad Marshall received those honors, while the U.S. also received the tournament's Fair Play Award.
The complete All-Tournament team is listed under the jump:
2009 Gold Cup All-Tournament team
Goalkeepers – Keilor Navas (CRC), Guillermo Ochoa (MEX)
Defenders – Mike Klukowski (CAN), Freddy Fernandez (CRC), Fausto Pinto (MEX), Luis Moreno (PAN), Clarence Goodson (USA), Chad Marshall (USA)
Midfielders – Julian de Guzman (CAN), Celso Borges (CRC), Stephane Auvray (GLP), Gerardo Torrado (MEX), Giovani dos Santos (MEX), Stuart Holden (USA)
Forwards – Alvaro Saborio (CRC), Walter Martinez (HON), Miguel Sabah (MEX), Kenny Cooper (USA)
While the inclusion of the four Americans is a strong indicator of the United States' overall depth, one has to wonder how and why Kyle Beckerman was left off this team.
While Beckerman did not leave an impression on the CONCACAF officials (at least the ones who named this team) he surely has to have left an impression on U.S. head coach Bob Bradley, who must have turned his attention to the Aug. 12 World Cup qualifier against Mexico in Estadio Azteca.
For Americans everywhere, that game can't come soon enough.
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What do you think of the four U.S. players named to the Gold Cup All-Tournament team? Is someone on there that shouldn't be? Wondering where Beckerman is on this team? Did any of your favorite CONCACAF players get snubbed?
Share your thoughts below.
Holding always looks like he just smelled hog poop. Peckerman is a man-child.
Cooper? What a joke. Kind of like Dempsey winning 3rd best at the Confed Cup over Donovan (or Gooch, DeMerit, or Spector). It’s clear that the people who choose these things don’t actually watch the games.
zongzap: What halfback did Bradley start as a forward?
Mexico’s best player was Jay Heaps…
Kenny Cooper? Are you kidding me?
Hey guys, why don’t ya’ll cry about Cooper being involved. That’s what I’d do if I was a US fan.
Cooper? why? Guess they looked at the numbers and not the on field play. I don’t expect to see him with the “A” team again any time soon. If Bradley starts a halfback as a forward over a true forward, I think that says something about his future
japan
about Mexico ummm I forgot about Castillo and maybe u are right. But who know I just playing Astrodamus here. lol but is true about castillo.
Hey guys — there’s a new posting on this topic. Let’s head over there.
i think cooper just exhausted his last chance he proved he can’t be a starting striker for the USA national team but i dont mind him as a super sub from here on out
Angel, I know its just a listed you created. I was just giving my opinion since you were asking what people’s opinions were. I also hope we won’t see any of those players you listed but I have a feeling we will.
I also don’t think you will see Medina and Sabbath. I think it will be Castillo adn Dos Santos up top and somebody else on the right. I don’t know much about Mexico national team so you might be right.
PanchoMiguelMoralesdeConejo
es grande tu nombre eh. I think so too Jones, Castillo, Orozco, Edu are just there and I like to call them wild card too. But believe me Adu & Torres will be there and I think I put Cherundolo and Holden on my list. I think Marshall, Perking and Goodson have make the grade to be on the list. PLEASE NOT BECKERMAN he is a good player but I don’t see him on the A team. He was good when he used to play with Donovan in the U17 but thats all he got.
@ ThaDeuce — Lewis, huh? Interesting. He hasn’t played for the U.S. in a while (maybe since second round of WC quals?) but he is, after all, the last American to score at Azteca. Plus, he’s playing pretty well for LA. Might be a good veteran for the bench, or at least a good call-up to tell Azteca war-stories to the youngsters in camp.
Angel,
Good list to start from. Jones wlll not be there, he’s hurt and out til around end of Sept/Oct. I don’t think Adu makes the roster for this trip.
Castillo can not either, will not clear FIFA paperwork in time, (if he files, no official word on that yet).
So dropping Jones, Adu, Castillo, plus (probably) Hejduk, Orozco, Torres and Cooper…I’m betting you’ve got 17 of them right. Dolo is the wildcard on the right flank.
anyways I think Mexico will that with this lineup a 4-4-2 and I think Aguirre is going to use the same game plan he did against the B team in the gold cup and that is wait until the 2nd half to send the big guns like Vela, Franco and Blanco. so USA have to put all the ball in the net if they the chances and not waste them.
MEXICO
——–Medina———-Sabbath——-
Guardado——————Dos Santos
——Torrado———Pardo———–
Osorio–Salcido—Marquez–Castro
—————-Ochoa—————-
Vs.
USA
—-Davis——Ching—–
Donovan———–Dempsey
——Clark—Bradley—-
Boca—Oguchie–DeMerit–Spector
————Howard———
very similar to the one he just against Spain, Egypt and Brazil.
Japan
is just a list I created is not an official maybe we get worst player in the offical list, knowing Mr. Bob Bradley for example : Sasha, Beasley, Quaranta, Beckerman just as sample only.
Angel: I think these changes to your list
yes to:
Perkins
Marshall
Cherundolo
Beckerman
lewis
no to:
Castillo (hasn’t petitioned yet)
Orozco (though I wouldn’t mind giving him a chance over pearce) ( i might be wrong on this one)
Hejduk (dolo is above hejduk)
Torres (out of form with club too)
Edu (it would be cool if he were recoverd)
Adu (no chance in hell…i might be wrong)
Jones (not allowed yet, and injured)
cooper
Angel, you got 24 players on there. Wispy is right. Those 4 won’t be there for the reasons he gave. I would replace them with another keeper, Cherundolo(sp??), and Califf. I really don’t want to see Holden or Cooper on there but we don’t really have much of a choice. We really don’t have as deep depth as people think.
Wispy,
you might be right but like I say I hope we get a surprised on the list. Anyway I post it a list of my own tell me what you think
This is my prediction of who will be in the USNMT list Ithink Bob Bradley have to sacrified a Goal Keeper for this qualifying and add more defense and fowards.
GOAL KEEPERS:
Howards
Guzan
DEFENSES:
Bocanegra
Oguchie
DeMerit
Spector
Bronstein
Hjaduk
Castillo
Orozco
MIDFIELDERS:
Bradley
Torres
Clark
Adu
Edu
Feilhaber
Dempsey
Holden
Jones
FORWARDS:
Ching
Altidore
Davis
Cooper
Donovan
What you guys think give me your opinion?
@Angel — I’d love to see those guys, too, but we won’t, because:
Edu — out injured until Sept
Jones — out injured until late August
Castillo — not eligible yet; in fact, I haven’t seen any reports that he has officially petitioned FIFA to change national teams
Orozco — Bradley probably will stick to vets like Gooch, Demerit, and possible Marshall for central defense.
Could Soccer By ives create a post on this please?