The last U.S. national team match of the year will take place in the same country where so many of the year's most memorable matches took place, and chances are the return to South Africa could feature several new faces that didn't make the trip south last summer.
When the United States takes on South Africa on Nov. 17th in Cape Town, Bob Bradley will be calling in a team minus most of his top European players, as well as without the national team players still involved in the MLS playoffs. While we won't see the likes of Landon Donovan or Clint Dempsey, we could potentially see the likes of Tim Howard or Michael Bradley in order to prevent the fielding of a complete B team for a match commemorated as the Nelson Mandela Challenge Cup.
So what will a team without most of the team's starters look like? Here's a potential lineup:
PROJECTED USA LINEUP vs. SOUTH AFRICA
————–Johnson———-Altidore—————–
Rogers——–Feilhaber——–Bradley———Bedoya
Bornstein—–Onyewu——-Goodson———-Lichaj
————————Howard————————–
Tim Howard and Michael Bradley are in the middle of their club seasons, where both are regular starters, but if Bob Bradley wants to field a team that isn't a flat-out B team, I could see these two players being called in for this match. If Howard is left home, then Brad Guzan would get the nod. If Michael Bradley is left behind, we could see Kyle Beckerman in the starting lineup.
Jozy Altidore is seeing playing time at Villarreal, particularly, but given his lack of minutes in La Liga, a call-up for this friendly makes sense.
Something else to consider is the status of Mexican club Pachuca, which is still battling for a place in the Apertura playoffs. If Pachuca is eliminated this weekend you have to wonder whether Bob Bradley would consider calling in Jose Francisco Torres, Herculez Gomez and even Marco Vidal.
If you are looking for some brand new faces, like a Mikkel Diskerud, there is no guarantee that Bob Bradley will call in brand new players into this camp. Diskerud seems destined to take part in the January training camp.
What do you think of the projected lineup? What players would you like to see called in for the match?
Share your thoughts below.
How long has he had his GC?
Also, if he marries a USC its only 3 years.
And…in 8 years he’s only 32 right? Old, but still feasible that he could contribute.
about what exactly those aren’t those most specific critiques
if you watched the qualifier against costa rica in dc or the friendly against czech republic then you know that rogers has the potential to perform at international level. He just lacks consistency and did not hit form after coming back from injury this season.
Where do people come up with this stuff? I’m hoping you were joking.
Couldnt handle me when it counted.
My understanding (which may or may not be accurate) is that the players can turn down call-ups, but clubs can’t refuse to release the players. So Moenchengladbach couldn’t say Bradley couldn’t go, but Bradley could say he didn’t want to… I think. Joel Lindpere for example said no to Estonia a couple times this season without repercussions.
He’s been a regular with the u-20’s so I doubt thats the call he was so excited about
Wow, really? us soccer has its own website? and this google thing, holy crap. awe-some. thanks for sharing. Point was that Ives should include the date/time in his posts about future games.
Slim Pickens was Colorado’s keeper, Matt Pickens. The Telefutura announcers like their puns, that’s for sure.
Who else you got man? Cervi? I doubt Hahnemann will be too interested in this call up. And Kevin Hartman is still in the playoffs.
Ah I forgot Mix too
Glad to hear someone speak truth on this website.
If, as everyone claims, the reasons for the game are purely political, I think we actually should call in Freddy Adu. He’s certainly the most famous USA player behind those who shouldn’t make the trip due to club schedules (and arguably more famous than all of them).
+1. I’m not even going to watch the game if his name appears on the starting line-up. Nor will I watch the game if Beckerman’s name appears. It’s pathetic (in my opinion).
Tragic line-up. Rogers? Please no more. Beckerman? Really. Does no one remember the 5-0 drubbing last summer with these fringe players? Johnson? Sad. America’s ‘best’ striker is warming the bench on a mid-table team in the EPL. I say out with the old, in with the new. Let’s start from scratch. These guys had their chances; give other players a shot.
I just wanted to throw a wild card out there? My question to Bob Bradley is why not?
Personally, I would think that he expected a call up to u20s for sure.
But for a phone call to determine the best day of his life so far? Has to be something bigger than what he expected.
Didn’t he just receive the U-20 call up?
I would put my first born on Robo Bob not having the balls to call him up.
Perhaps the last sentence of my statement through it off, but I agree with you completely. I’m just over the whole “he’s not getting regular minutes” campaign, when it could be applied to any number of our A team.
Just throwing this out there….but on Juan Agudelo’s facebook, he said in a status within the hour:
“Just got the best phone call of my life. Goes down for one of best days of my life.”
Someone underneath mentions a USMNT call up too.
Like I said, just throwing this out there. Could mean absolutely nothing, but definitely interesting if Agudelo gets a surprise call up.
hmmm. Jeremiah White? How come?
You’re kidding, right? Wow. You have some good picks but some pretty off base ones too.
HA! Who was “Slim”?
I’m sure that England would be more than happy to play us on the day we celebrate our independence from them.
Also, I doubt that Enland reciprocates the “growing as a rival” feeling. We’re just another pissant soccer team to England, whether we should be or not.
sounds cool, but you don’t just have a press conference and say surprise, a new rivalry has been created!
Is Zakuani a US citizen?
I would have been excited by this idea before the playoffs, but after seeing his performance against LA, I’m not so sure. He was ineffective, even tentative. He didn’t even look fast.
I will make the prediction that Diskerud will trump Bedoya at some point during this cycle. Just a gut feeling.
my vote is for abby wombach to get the start ahead of jozy. he woulda skied her left-footed finish and would’ve tripped before finishing the one she tucked into the corner. the best striker in the US pool is on the WNT, god i love this country
call up diskerud, I haven’t seen him play yet. also forget about Rogers he’s overrated.
oh and Ives, Buddle is hands down the best striker we have RIGHT now. then it’s jozy. Buddle has been on a freaking tear all season and it sickens me to think Bob didn’t start him at the World Cup instead of god-awful Findley
Sean Johnson, David Yelldell or Luis Robles?!?!?
No.Way. None of those guys are ready for the international stage. I do like the rest of your picks for the most part.
My boy Torres should play if he’s free.
But even if he is, he won’t. A shame, really.
Consensus online seems to be Ream will be called in this January.
I don’t see a reason not to call him in now and maybe just leave him on the bench when the kid had such a fabulous rookie season.
It would be VERY interested at least…
Probably add Rogers too. Need another winger.
GK: Guzan and maybe Howard, if not Howard then either Rimando, Sean Johnson, David Yelldell or Luis Robles
DF: Onyewu, Lichaj, Bornstein, Ream, Parkhurst, Goodson, Spector
MF: Feilhaber, Bedoya, Cameron, Kljestan, Bradley, Clark (sigh…)
FW: Altidore, EJ, Findley (sigh again…)
And Gomez, Torres, and Vidal if they’re available. I have a feeling Bradley will be there, but Jones, Edu, and Holden won’t.
I would bring
GK- Brad Guzan, Marcus Hahnerman
DEF- Oguchi Onyewu, Tim Ream, Clarence Goodson, Kevin Alston, Eric Lichaj, Johnathan Bornstein
MID- Benny Fielhaber, Mikkel Diskerud, Ricardo Clark, Alexandro Bedoya, Sacha Kleijstan, Jose Fransico Torres
FWD- Jozy Altidore, Eddie Johnson, Justin Braun, Robbie Findley
FORWARD: Johnson-McBride
MIDFIELD: Feilhaber-Kljestan-Clark-Bedoya
DEFENSE: Bornstein-Gooch-Goodson-Lichaj
GOAL: Guzan
BENCH:
Nick Rimando
Tim Ream
Michael Parkhurst
Jeremiah White
Edgar Castillo
DaMarcus Beasley
Jonathan Spector
Ryan Miller
I know that McBride is probably wishful thinking, but it would be a well deserved final game. I’d like to see him get 45 minutes.
Who needs to be left home that deserves a call up to establish themselves on their teams:
Sascha Kljestan
Mike Grella
DaMarcus Beasley
Who needs to be called up that hasn’t been mentioned really:
Frank Simek
Marcus Vidal
Mikkel Diskerud
Who hasn’t expressed interest who needs to be called on eventually:
Daniel Williams
Eugene Starikov
Rodney Wallace
Who in MLS deserves a call up:
Chad Marshall
Tim Ream
Jonathan Bornstein
Kevin Alston
Chris Wingert
Kyle Beckerman
Eddie Gaven
Santino Quaranta
Brad Davis
Justin Bruan
Brian Ching
Who we probably won’t see untill January:
Sean Johnson
Sebastian Le Toux
Ryan Smith
Chris Pontius
Geoff Cameron
Who in Europe were probably gonna see:
Jozy
MB
Parkhurst
Bedoya
Goodson
Johnson or Dempsey (although i doubt both)
Guzan
Howard
Gooch
But who we shouldn’t:
Gooch
Spector
And Who i wish we had the luxury of leaving out:
Jozy
MB
Every report out of France for those games he has played in have said he’s looked terrible. The national team isn’t a charity for folks who are injured, not getting time, or rewards for being in MLS for 10+ years.
This is why we ran into trouble during the WC when a nice handful of our A team were injured/just coming back. Because Bob thinks he can switch the B team around every chance he gets, we never developed a proper reserve national team.
B team for me = youth, fringe, or breakout performances. Not the sick, needy, or hungry.
This might be a stretch but what about Wondo? The kid has a nose for the net and he doesn’t panic when the time comes. He’s not the fastest but he finds a way to score and has an amazing first touch. Watch his goals from the season. with the same chances Johnson & Altidore would have scored on maybe half the opportunities, plus hes still young and a leader!
(SBI-People really aren’t grasping the whole “TEAMS WHO ARE STILL IN THE MLS PLAYOFFS WON’T HAVE PLAYERS CALLED UP” thing.)
Ream and B. Convey
NO! He only has a green card. Maybe in 5 years he’ll be eligible. But it will be too late then
Nobody… they should never step foot in SA again.
Quite frankly, in a situation like this where it doesn’t matter the result, this is a perfect time to give him a couple minutes so he can find a club in the winter.
What do we have to lose? A spot that would otherwise go to an MLS player who we know doesn’t have an actual chance of being on the B team under proper circumstances? The likes of Rogers or Beckerman who have done very little on the international stage?
Michael Harrington
He gets the nod for me over the likes of Beckerman who has been around the system long enough to know there’s no point in bringing him. Why must we constantly field “B” teams full of players who’ll never benefit us? Why not introduce youth or at the very least, new players who have had a solid season in MLS.
And bringing Baby Bradley over the likes of Edu is showing favoritism beyond imagine. Baby Bradley has played every game for the past year both for club and country (give or take enough to count on your hand). He needs a rest and there are plenty of other players who deserve a look-in.
And don’t see the benefit of Howard over Guzan. Guzan needs minutes and in a situation where we aren’t playing for the absolute win, both are good enough that it won’t matter if Howard doesn’t play.
Diskerud is a player with a lot of potential, starting in a competitive league a step up from MLS and begging to be played. Playing the likes of Beckerman over him is a travesty.
^ agree with both of your posts here
I also think we should look into playing some of the Francophone African teams in France…both teams could bring all their top Europe-based players and the minimal travel should make for a better game
Ummm I recall him coming into the game vs Honduras last January and playing pretty well!
He didn’t have a good game vs Brazil, but come on, not exactly the best scenario. Bedoya is a MUCH better option than some of the other 2nd choice wingers in our depth chart, and playing at a Danish club fighting for a UCL or Europa spot is pretty good!
What I want to know is why in the hell is Robbie Rogers in this discussion? Can’t we try Geoff Cameron? He can play right mid and Bedoya can play left mid.
With Stu’s form taking off in the Prem, further crowding BB’s midfield options, I’d think BB would want to see Stu in this scenario. Not sure if something precludes him from joining, but if Timmy and Jr are possibilities, I’d hope to see Stu make the trip.
a friend of mine made an elaborate Beckerman-Kenny G comparison
since then I can’t look at him without thinking of terrible smooth jazz
why don`t USA play the real top african teams like Ehypt, Cameroun,Ghana, Nigeria.
common south africa..they could not even qualify for the african cup this year
don`t be fooled by the world cup they are quite crap in africa