U.S. Men's Under-23 national team head coach Caleb Porter is expected to unveil the 20-player roster for CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament later today and there aren't likely to be many surprises in the group he selects.
You need only look at the team he put together in a recent training camp in Texas for a glimpse of what the qualifying roster should look like. Players like Brek Shea, Juan Agudelo, Freddy Adu and Bill Hamid are clear locks to make the team, as are European-based standouts Joe Gyau and Terrance Boyd.
Some players have made late forays into the squad, such as San Jose centerback Ike Opara and Hertha Berlin midfielder/defender Alfredo Morales.
So what will the squad look like? Here is one projection of the 20-man squad we could see kick off Olympic qualifying later this month:
PROJECTED U.S. OLYMPIC QUALIFYING ROSTER
GK- Bill Hamid, Sean Johnson
D- Perry Kitchen, Ike Opara, Zarek Valentin, Kofie Sarkodie, Jorge Villafana
M- Freddy Adu, Joe Corona, Mix Diskerud, Alfredo Morales, Amobi Okugo, Sebastian Lletget, Jared Jeffrey, Josh Gatt
F- Terrence Boyd, Brek Shea, Juan Agudelo, Joe Gyau, Teal Bunbury
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Why only five defenders? Both Morales and Gatt could play in defensive roles if called upon, and the versatility of players like Valentin and Sarkodie should help as well.
Why no Dilly Duka? He would have been on this squad, but a hamstring injury suffered on Saturday with Columbus seems likely to rule him out.
Which of these players could I see not being part of the squad? Josh Gatt. Not because he can't play, he's an outstanding winger, but because he played such a small part in the lead-up to the tournament. He only attented part of one camp, a camp trip that was cut short by injury. If Porter decides to pass on Gatt and go with someone who has been involved in more caps and done well, Jack McInerney or Greg Garza could be options.
What do you think of this squad? Who is missing that you think should be called up?
Share your thoughts below.