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Which defender will step up to fill the USMNT void?

Jimmy Conrad (ISIphotos.com)

We are less than a month away from a pair of U.S. men's national team friendlies against fellow World Cup participants Slovakia and Denmark and it is growing increasingly difficult to project just who will be playing in central defense for the United States when those matches take place.

Oguchi Onyewu is out up to six months after surgery to repair a ruptured patellar tendon, while Jay DeMerit is out for at least a month following corneal replacement surgery. Throw in the fact that highly-regarded MLS defender Chad Marshall has now missed six straight matches with a knee injury and you realize just how tough a job Bob Bradley will have finding a centerback partner for Carlos Bocanegra.

The two defenders most likely to be called on are Jimmy Conrad and Clarence Goodson, who each impressed during the summer's Gold Cup (at least before Goodson's shocker vs. Mexico). Conrad has the experience, and is coming off another strong MLS campaign, while Goodson did show some signs of being capable of playing more in the Gold Cup.

Who else is there? Michael Parkhurst is one possibility, but beyond that the pickings are slim as far as defenders with previous national team experience. Geoff Cameron has impressed in central defense for Houston, but he isn't likely to get a call-up before January.

Who would you like to see get the call in central defense against Denmark and Slovakia? Hoping Conrad gets the nod? Think Parkhurst makes sense for at least one of the matches?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I’d like to see a lineup that gets some of our young talent on the field together and tests assumptions about how the MNT has to play to win. Anyone think it’d be worth trying a 3-5-2 with Rico Clark or Michael Bradley playing DMs and Feilhaber or Torres playing OM?

    —-Dempsey–Altidore

    ———Torres

    Donovan———–Holden

    —–Clark—Bradley

    Bornstein–Boca–Dolo

    If Donovan and/or Holden are unavailable, maybe we could see what Torres and Feilhaber look like on the field together.

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  2. To be fair, Boca was outside for many years before being slid in — then back out again recently — then, of course, back in.

    Just sayin’

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  3. Right! if forgiveness didn’t exist then Eric Wynalda would never have played much and certainly wouldn’t continue to get job after job in soccer.

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  4. I’m not certain if there is an age limit, but Gale Agbossoumonde is eligible and I just watched his scout reel and it looks impressive. He’s tall decent with his head, great with his feet for a big man and he plays good balls through the middle of the field. And he’s got a good work rate. It’s hard to get a sense of his positioning, but it would be great to see him in the 60th minute of the upcoming friendly.

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  5. I’m with you if FIFA takes special care to seed the top 7 and host why don;t they have second seeds? This would go a long way to avoid having a group like Germany, US, Chile, and Honduras.
    The second tier would be like: US, Mexico, Portugal, Denmark, South Korea, Russia, etc.

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  6. Actually this kind of thing happens often leading up to the world cup. Every team gets injuries and better players emerge. Remember going into the confed cup that we were going to look to Ching, Kelstjian, and Beasley and by the end we all fell in love with Davies, Demerit, and Feilhalber?
    Come on Micheal Owen wasn’t micheal Owen until just before the 98 cup and then he flourished with the national team. I say give people a look if they’re playing top soccer with their club. Please bench and sort of bench players need not apply.

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  7. I do have to say that I hate when coaches bring in five or six new players into a line up at the same time to see how’ll they’ll do, but sometimes its hard to impress with crappy players around you, especially as a striker or defenders with a crappy midfield. So hopefully he keeps everything mostly the same in the middle just move thing around and sub in occasionally. My lineup

    Dempsey Altidore

    Donavon Bradley Torres Holden

    Castillo Boca Cherundolo Spector

    Start with this and then sub in to try others at the positions you want to get a look at.

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  8. as of now the only seeds are for the top 8, so we probably won’t get one of those so it doesn’t matter, although FIFA could change the policy and seed a second group, but these games shouldn’t matter too much

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  9. Boca is not slid inside. He was always there he just got slid over to left for two or three games and BB quickly brought him back. With gooch and Demerit down he has a 100% chance of starting and finishing every game there.

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  10. Ives, and everyone else…the bigger question should be who would replace Donovan or any other MLSer should they still be in the hunt for the MLS cup??

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  11. What about spector? He’s a bigger guy that has a lot of experience with the team and has played well lately with west ham. Plus I love both he and cherundolo and would like them both on the field while Gooch and Demerit are gone. If you could have a backup defender who can play all the defensive positions it would be a great asset with limited roster spots next summer.

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  12. I think Omar is still too young to be considered. To me it is either up to Conrad or Goodson. I like Goodson though because he is younger and I see him as third choice centerback next summer.

    p.s. Omar needs to go to Europe this winter. I am a Galaxy fan but Omar has potential that can only be fulfilled in Europe.

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  13. Omar Gonzalez isn’t ready yet He still has issues with speed in MLS and is still a little soft. The kid definitely has a future with the Nats but he needs more time. the international game is really fast. he lacks pace. but he does make up for it by knowing where to position himself. If we win MLS cup ill change my tune about him coming into camp. But IMHO he needs to bulk up and have another good year of consistent play. Before getting a callup. Hes a potential prospect for the 2014 campaign. That being said Conrad and Michael Orozco need to be brought in along with Castillo.

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  14. While I realize we aren’t getting a seed, would punting on these upcoming friendlies possibly affect our WC draw. What I mean is, if we tinker too much in defense and drop 2 winnable games, hypothetically we could drop down a tier and end up with a nasty draw.

    A lot of folks are calling for guys that are either an unknown commodity or have previously failed for the nats. We’re only a few months away from the tourney we’ve been building towards for years so in my mind we shouldn’t try to get too cute here. Call in Conrad. He’s got the experience and savvy.

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  15. With an overcrowed center midfield do we not have a technically skilled DMid that could drop back into that center back spot? I think we need to find someone that can posses the ball and distribute if we are going to be successful. Ideas?

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  16. I too would like to see Omar Gonzalez called in sooner rather than later. He has more upside than any of the other names being mentioned here (Parkhurst, Goodson, Conrad). That being said, I think Bradley over the course of the 2 matches in Europe will give starts to 2 of the 3 from that group. All should see significant playing time.

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  17. For a measure of how good Parkhurst can be, check out who his replacement is in New England (or, perhaps I should say who his replacements are). The Revs had to change their formation because he left.

    Although that doesn’t change the fact that he needs to put on like 30 pounds.

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  18. if there was one good thing that we can take out of the Gold Cup it was that our central defenders played well. It was our midfield and flank defenders that s…t the bed.

    Conrad had a hell of a run last summer before the concussion. Cant go wrong with either guy.

    January is when we’ll see the new guys come in

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  19. How about Beasly?? (just joking)

    Give Spector and Hejduk a chance, even though they don’t play those positions lets see what they can come up with.

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  20. I think that’s precisely his plan. However, unlike DB, I think Landon is looking for a permanent move. PSG, Livorno, and some others have been mentioned as possibilities.

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  21. How about Beasly?? (just joking)

    Give Spector and Hejduk a chance, even though they don’t play those positions lets see what they can come up with.

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  22. Oh and all these people who are saying bring in guys who don’t even have a cap or don’t play for their current teams…well it’s just not realistic at this stage. These two matches are to test what we’ve already got and not audition for darkhorses.

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  23. I think these games are the perfect opportunity to bring in at least one new face. They are just friendlies after all. Not only that, but they are against World Cup participants. What better time to see if some new faces can hang with world cup competition than in a couple games that don’t mean much? I’d at least bring in some of the new defenders because you don’t know what you have until you see it in action up close

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  24. Goodson shocker?? What game were you watching ives??

    Goodson was one of the three bright spots for the Americans against Mexico even with a broken nose. Goodson, Marshall and Holden were the only three who played well and were rewarded with All-Tournament sections. Unless Marshall & Cloumbus choke in the 1st round it will be Goodson & Conrad in these two friendlies with Boca & Spector available to shift for cover if either gets hurt.

    The USA will be fine and this may show that Gooch and DeMerit are good but hardly irreplaceable.

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  25. we need more CB in Europe….or outside the MLS.

    I love the MLS and all but (with the exception of LD) look at the Nats team. The majority of the best players playe in Europe.

    Defenders just don’t see the same type of strikers in the MLS.

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  26. I rate Camreon very highly and I like Gonzalez as well. I also think Orzco is worth another look. But, while I have never been one of those to advocate position changes willy-nilly, Spector makes sense. He has the size and he is probably better with the ball at his feet than any other center defender options. Pluse, that leaves right back for Cherendolo.

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  27. Not exactly sure if Orozco is someone you would want to pair up with Boca in the middle. Their games are very similar and most likely will not compliment each other’s style of play. Not soo sure we would want to guys in the penalty box that are weak in the air. Having said that i do believe Orozco will eventually replace Boca.

    I do not know if this would happen but I have read in articles that Spector is an efficient CB. That CB position is where Spector was playing when he impressed Sir Alex. The steady play of Dolo might prompt trying spector out behind boca.

    Dolo——Spector—-Boca—-Castillo

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  28. For me its Cameron & Gonzalez. Cameron because he’s very composed on the ball and can also play MF, Gonzalez because he’s the big powerful CB type similar to Gooch. Ike Opara is a promising young candidate- probably too young to contribute this go ’round, but get him into camp to work with the professionals.

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  29. Hope to see either Conrad or Marshall. I would also like to see Gonzales get called into camp. Also…Bob Bradley, if you’re reading this, please, please don’t call up Califf. He’s not good enough.

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