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Goal.Commentary: Diving Deep Into the Pool

As Bob Bradley expands his choice of players to some unlikely names, Goal.com's Noah Davis argues this can only help the team.

Nov 18, 2008 9:38:09 AM

MLS: John Thorrington, Chicago Fire, May 2008 (ISI)

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MLS: John Thorrington, Chicago Fire, May 2008 (ISI)

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By Noah Davis

In September, I wrote a column suggesting five players Bob Bradley should call into camp. While my choices were widely criticized at the time, four of the group have now picked up their phones and heard the National Team coach on the other end of the line. Players who were thought to be too old -- John Thorrington -- or simply not good enough -- Davy Arnaud -- are getting a look.

I completely support this philosophy and not just because it provides a level of vindication (although it's nice to know Bradley seems to agree with me). I like that the coach is trying anything and everything when it comes to the team. Remember, the match against Guatemala means absolutely nothing to the United States, yet Los Chapines need a win to have any chance at advancing. In essence, this is a perfect opportunity to throw players against the wall and see who, if any, stick.

It would be one thing if some of the younger members of the team (Freddy Adu, Jozy Altidore, Kenny Cooper) missed out on an opportunity to play because Thorrington and Arnaud got a call, but the youngsters will play (two, possibly all three, will start), so there's no harm in bringing along a couple wild cards. Who knows, one of them might even find some surprising success.

Too often pundits discount a professional athlete's mental makeup. It's a fact that some players rise to the occasion and others don't, yet it's rarely discussed as an important factor. We focus on speed, size, and physical strength, not strength of mind, yet this trait is as important, if not more so, than the other three.

Look at Landon Donovan's career in Europe. Conventional wisdom says he failed not because he wasn't physically skilled enough, but because he didn't have the mental strength to compete. Now there's obviously no way to prove this conclusively, but given his remarkable talents, the argument stands to reason.

Switching gears for a moment, I'll say that as a Red Sox fan, I've watched countless players come to Beantown and wilt under the pressure of performing in front of an insane, die-hard fanbase. Some players can hack it, others can't, and there's really no way to know who is who until they are tested.

Which brings us, finally, back to Colorado. The match against Guatemala is a perfect opportunity to suss out mental strength. As we saw in the first match, Los Chapines are a physical group of players, not above the occasional cheap shot. On Wednesday, Bradley and his staff can evaluate both the skill of his players and the strength of their heads.

The current talent pool of U.S. soccer players boasts a remarkable level of parity. Sure, there are stars who are locks for the 2010 World Cup Team, but a huge number of spots remain up for grabs. Physically, many of our players have a similar talent level. What sets them apart is how hard they are willing to work and how unintimidated they will be. These two factors cannot be seen without bringing someone into camp and getting him on the field.

By rampaging through the first four matches, the U.S. coaching staff earned the right to experiment with the talent it possesses. So throw Thorrington on the pitch. Sure he might flameout spectacularly, but we'll never know if he doesn't leave the Fire.

Noah Davis covers the U.S. Men's National Team for Goal.com. You can write him at Noah [dot] Davis [at] Goal.com.

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