23 TICKETS TO SOUTH AFRICA: PLAYERS ON THE MEND
There are no matches left before Bradley has to pick the roster for the World Cup. Bradley should have a good grasp of the player pool but there is always that possibility that one or two players might work their way into mix. Right now it is really going to come down to form, playing time, and injuries.
Despite the US’s lackluster performance against the Dutch, Bob Bradley has a lot to be happy about. Specifically, the progress of injured national team stars. One major development that should put a smile on Bradley’s face is the return of Clint Dempsey to first team action. In addition, the prognosis for Stuart Holden and Benny Feilhaber is favorable and they should be ready for the World Cup.
23 Tickets: If the World Cup started tomorrow, here are the players that would make the trip.
Goalkeepers (3):
- Tim Howard: The best America goalkeeper.
- Brad Guzan: The second best keeper in the US.
- Marcus Hanehmann: Edging Perkins with experience and playing time.
Defenders (8):
- Carlos Bocanegra: Getting regular minutes again at Rennes.
- Steve Cherundolo: Must stay healthy if he wants to make the roster.
- Jonathan Spector: Mediocre against the Dutch but still the best option at right back.
- Frankie Hejduk: He’s reliable and should get called if we have too many injuries.
- Jonathan Bornstein: Past performances keep him on the roster.
- Jay Demerit: Third best center back in the group.
- Clarence Goodson: Raising his stock slowly.
- Heath Pearce: He is holding on to the last defensive spot but just barely.
Midfielders (9):
- Michael Bradley: Tireless player key member of our squad.
- Ricardo Clark: Made the bench for Frankfurt this past weekend.
- Jose Francisco Torres: Holding on despite some poor showings.
- Clint Dempsey: Played 30 minutes for Fulham today in Europa action. Nice to see him on the field.
- DaMarcus Beasley: The best option at wide midfield at the moment.
- Maurice Edu: Earning more minutes with Rangers.
- Alejandro Bedoya: At the moment I rate Bedoya higher than Rogers.
- Kyle Beckerman: Bottom of the center-mid pool, but injuries keep him in the mix.
- Landon Donovan: The US’s best field player, but didn’t play well against Dutch.
Forwards (3):
- Jozy Altidore: Looked sharp against the Dutch.
- Brian Ching: Best target forward in the bunch.
- Conor Casey: Findley’s poor play helps him get on the roster.
The Injury List: The injury list is shrinking and it looks like we’ll get most of these players back by the end of April. Davies and Jones are the only two unknowns at the moment as their injuries are the most complicated. Holden’s injury is recent but his recovery time is so short that I don’t think he’ll drop in form too much.
- Oguchi Onyewu: Should be back with Milan soon, we’ll see if he gets back into form.
- Charlie Davies: Hopes to start training later this month and play matches next month.
- Benny Feilhaber: Rehabbing a bad ankle sprain in Brazil and expects to be back training by the end of March.
- Stuart Holden: Broken leg; should be back at the end of April.
- Jermaine Jones: Apparently still in the mix and believes he’ll be ready for the World Cup.
Alternates:
- Goalkeepers: Troy Perkins and Nick Rimando.
- Defenders: Marvel Wynne, Chad Marshall, Frankie Simek, and Jimmy Conrad
- Midfielders: Robbie Rogers, Dax McCarty, and Sacha Kljestan
- Forwards: Eddie Johnson, Kenny Cooper, and Robbie Findley
The unknown commodity:
- Edgar Castillo: Still has a chance because the left side is still unsettled.
- Herculez Gomez: Scoring goals for Puebla and our other options aren’t impressing.
- Daniel Williams: 20 year old German-American defender. He’s a long shot.
The provisional 23 man rosters are due in May, but the final roster won’t be submitted until June 1st. The US faces the Czech Republic and Turkey in late May before heading off to the World Cup.
Who do you think will be on the final roster?