The Gold Cup is finally over and it is a good time to look back and see who helped themselves during this tournament.  It is easy to forget the positives after watching Mexico anally abuse our young and inexperienced squad.  Personally I could care less about the result because I understand what this tournament was about and what we got out of it.  I think the fact that the US team made it to the final of this tournament was a miracle in itself.  This team was setup for failure from the beginning but unfortunately it had to happen in this fashion at the hands of Mexico.

I made a deal with myself a few years ago to not get upset over the arrogance and delusional mindset of the Mexican media.  They are trying to sell a product not accurately asses the quality of their national side.  Once you understand that you can tune it out like the “Shamwow” guy in those infomercials.  

This is the roster picture post Gold Cup:

Goalkeepers: Tim Howard, Brad Guzan, Troy Perkins

Defenders: Jonathan Spector, Steve Cherundolo, Oguchi Onyewu, Jay Demerit, Frankie Hejduk, Carlos Bocanegra, Jonathan Bornstein, Chad Marshall

Midfielders: Michael Bradley, Ricardo Clark, Benny Feilhaber, Jose Torres, Stuart Holden, Clint Dempsey, Sacha Kljestan, Maurice Edu

Forwards: Brian Ching, Charlie Davies, Jozy Altidore, Landon Donovan

There were 3 changes from the squad I posted a few weeks ago.  First, Chad Marshall has taken Danny Califf’s spot in the final roster.  Chad Marshall was the biggest bright spot of the tournament even during the final.  Second, Stuart Holden moved into the midfield picture after an excellent tournament and the simultaneous fall from grace of Adu, Kljestan, and Robbie Rogers.  Third, Donovan moved to the 4^th forward slot.  I think it is clear that Kenny Cooper and Conor Casey are too far behind the quality of the other forwards to consider them. Donovan is the only realistic option up top.

Here is a breakdown of where I think everyone stands:

Locks: These are players that will be on the roster when the team heads for South Africa next summer, barring a serious injury or an incredible drop in form.  Four players have moved up to locks.

1. Tim Howard: The best American keeper right now.
2. Landon Donovan: Best American field player.
3. Oguchi Onyewu: Maturing as a player and has become a high quality defender.
4. Carlos Bocanegra: Our captain, leads by example and looks like the answer at left back.
5. Michael Bradley: Tireless player, and should wear the captain’s armband some day.
6. Clint Dempsey: Love him or hate him, he scores big goals in big games.
7. Brad Guzan: I think it will be safe to say that he is the second best keeper in the US.
8. Charlie Davies: He looked like a class above the Gold Cup squad.
9. Steve Cherundolo: A veteran and is healthy again.
10. Jonathan Spector: I think the only questions are will he be healthy for the World Cup and will he start?

On their way to South Africa: These are guys that are the closest to getting a spot on the final roster.  These players are either almost locks, were locks but have been injured, or had a slight slip in form.  These guys have an army of eager players sitting just beneath them waiting for a slip up.

 11. ▲ Benny Feilhaber: Not a lock because the CM spot is very deep. I think it’s a good thing.

12. ▲ Jozy Altidore: Not yet a lock only because his lack of playing time has seen him takes steps backwards. His future is still uncertain and a lack of regular minutes this season will probably see him miss out on the World Cup.

13. ▲ Troy Perkins: Only one spot left for a goalkeeper and Marcus Hahnemann might still make a case for himself.

14. ▲ Jay Demerit: Coach Bradley is likely to take two more center backs and Goodson, Demerit, Marshall, Conrad, and Califf are still in contention. This group should whittle down in the next month or so. My money is on Demerit and Marshall.

15. ▲ Chad Marshall: Best US player in the tournament, in my opinion.  Thought he was more impressive than Holden or Perkins.  

16. ▲ Ricardo Clark: A possible move to Livorno is looming and that could really improve his stock if he gets regular minutes.

17. ═ Stuart Holden: Showed some real skill and class during the tournament. As things stand, he would get a roster spot as a 2^nd or 3^rd option wide mid but is far from a lock on the final 23.

18. ═ Frankie Hejduk: Good old reliable Hejduk. Killer assist this weekend just shows how valuable he can be to any team.

19. ═ Jonathan Bornstein: Kind of in limbo. Not really good enough for the squad but there are no other options.

20. ═ Brian Ching: Still rusty and maybe a little too rusty.

21. ▼ Maurice Edu: He is at the very bottom of the deep midfield pool. Injuries and inconsistency might usher him out of the squad.

22. ▼ Jose Francisco Torres: Quiet this since the Confederations Cup.

23.  ▼ Sacha Kljestan: Might be the next player chopped from the list for good.

On the Bubble: These are players that are working their way into the national team roster but have a little further to go than the group just above them.  Most of these guys have put in good performances in a US jersey but need to do a little more to break away from the pack or be a little more consistent to really challenge for a spot. Some of these players need to stop their downward slide and work their way back up.

• ▲ Kyle Beckerman: Solid performances by Beckerman in the Gold Cup.  The center mid pool is very deep and he might not get the shot he would otherwise deserve.
• ▲ Jimmy Conrad: A concussion cut his Gold Cup short but looked good in his time playing.
• ▲ Clarence Goodson: Looked better and better as the tournament went on.
• ▲ Marcus Hahnemann: Signed with recently promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League. The 37 year old keeper is also a World Cup vet.

• ═ Danny Califf: Still has a good shot at making the roster, but Chad Marshall and Goodson have made strong cases at the Gold Cup.

• ═ Marvel Wynne: I can’t him kick out of this group yet.  He still has a lot to offer but just needs more experience.
• ═ Heath Pearce: He sucks, but with our lack of left backs he might still be in the mix by default. Really looked bad against Mexico.
• ═ Sam Cronin: Very promising young player.  Still an extreme long shot, but a lot can happen in a year.
• ═  Robbie Rogers: Too one dimensional to play a World Cup

• ▼ Conor Casey: Not really playing himself into contention only stays alive because of the lack of forwards.

• ▼ Santino Quaranta: With very few midfield spots left available Quaranta didn’t do enough to really put him in contention.  Moments of brilliance and good overall work rate will keep him in the picture for now.
• ▼ DaMarcus Beasley: Future is still in limbo.  
• ▼ Pablo Mastroeni: Looked pretty good against New York this weekend, but that doesn’t say much.
• ▼ Freddy Adu: Missing since returning to Portugal. Not with the squad in preseason.  

Waiting Room: These are guys that are just waiting for their number to be called.  There is definitely a ton of talent here and these players are waiting for their chance to prove what they can do. Some of these guys are playing to get a second chance others are trying to prove for the first time that they have what it takes.  You’ll see a lot of new names and names disappearing pretty frequently from this group.

Forwards:

• Eddie Johnson: Still has a chance because of our lack of forwards.
• Kenny Cooper: Really sucked during the tournament. Maybe he’ll get another shot for lack of better options.
• Chris Rolfe: Playing well for Chicago, can play up top and as a wide mid.  
• Nate Jaqua: Seattle’s 6′3 forward has 6 goals and 6 assists this season. He has been their most consistent player and should get a look as Ching’s backup.

Midfielders:

• Colin Clark: Not ready but now he knows what he needs to do.  
• Brad Davis: A long shot, but he has been playing well in MLS.
• Chris Pontious: Rookie of the year candidate has impressed for DC United. He can play defense, midfield, and forward.
• Brad Evans: Doesn’t look good at right back, but might still have a chance if he plays in his preferred midfield role.

Defenders:

• Michael Parkhurst: Bradley is looking to trim down the center back options and Parkhurst isn’t helping his cause.
• John Thorington: Mr. Versatility needs to get another look.

Goalkeepers:

• Luis Robles: Still not ready
• Matt Pickens: The #3 spot is still wide open.
• Jon Busch: The #3 spot is still wide open

The Defectors: Keeping track of foreigners who could or want to play for the US.

• Jermaine Jones: Still injured and papers haven’t cleared yet. The German midfielder will likely be a lock when he is allowed to play for the US.
• Edgar Castillo: Loaned out to Tigres in the Mexican top flight, has impressed so far with the squad. He has also reiterated his desire to play for the US.  Apparently USSF has spoken with him.
• Mikkel “Mix” Diskerud: Mix is an 18 year old Norwegian-American midfielder that is undecided about which country to represent. Confirmed his interest to play for the US, has seen minutes in every game so far this season.
• Yura Movsisyan: The 21 year old Real Salt Lake striker has signed a deal to play Randers FC in Denmark.  He is an Armenian born in Baku, Azerbaijani and came to the US in 2001 seeking asylum.  He has expressed his desire to play for the US even though he is eligible to play for Armenia.  He is married to a US citizen and has almost secured his green card. A move to Denmark won’t hurt his chances of getting citizenship. (Don’t know if he will be eligable for this World Cup cycle or not, but I thought I’d throw him in until it is clarified.)

Share your thoughts on who you think will make the final 23 man roster for South Africa.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 27th, 2009 at 12:43 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.