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Bradley’s Bunch: Doing It For Charlie
With qualification now assured, Bob Bradley can focus on selecting the best 23 men to represent the U.S. in South Africa next summer. Goal.com’s Max Zeger examines who will be on the plane, and who miss out.
Oct 20, 2009 12:53:19 AM
By Max Zeger
This column was supposed to be about the backbone and pride the Americans showed against Honduras and Costa Rica to fight back after going down. It was supposed to be about how the Americans showed their resilience to finish on top of the group. In an instance, though, everything changed.
Charlie Davies’ horrific car accident took the attention away from the soccer, and focused the attention on the fickle nature of life. Despite Davies’ accident, the game was played, and the U.S. team showed heart to fight back from two goals down for their teammate who would have given anything to be out on the field with them.
The rankings go from most likely to have a seat on the plane to least likely.
Naturally, since there are only twenty-three spots, the top twenty-three will comprise the squad. Everybody after that is not in the top 23 and is on the outside looking in. For the purpose of creating a balanced squad, 3 ‘keepers, 8 defenders, 8 midfielders, and 4 forwards will be selected in the first 23. The number in parentheses is the player’s rank in the previous edition of Bradley’s Bunch.
Since Edgar Castillo has officially gained eligibility to represent the U.S, he will be on the list. Jermaine Jones, who is still waiting for FIFA clearance to switch nationalities, will not be listed.
The Bunch
1. (2) Landon Donovan—Landon Donovan had a tremendous performance against Honduras, both scoring and assisting, and did well against Costa Rica. Donovan can book his ticket, as Bob Bradley would not dare leave Donovan at home.
2. (1) Tim Howard—Howard wasn’t called upon to make any massive saves, but he made every stop he should have in both qualifiers. He will be the starter next summer.
3. (4) Clint Dempsey—An unfortunate nag kept him out of the two qualifiers, but it is very clear that nobody can add Dempsey’s flair to a match. His spot on the plane is assured next year.
4. (8) Carlos Bocanegra—Bocanegra’s return to the center of defense has seen his play improve immensely. As Captain America, Bocanegra will not be absent in South Africa
5. (3) Oguchi Onyewu—Onyewu’s injury really hurts the team, but he will back months before the World Cup. What is more concerning is his lack of playing time at Milan. He needs to sort both things out to be in top form for the big event.
6. (7) Michael Bradley—Bradley has found his goal scoring form for both club and country, and that bodes well for the U.S. in the future.
7. (9) Josmer Altidore—Altidore has raw talent, but looked rusty against Costa Rica. Playing time at Hull could do wonders for his game.
8. (6) Brad Guzan—He’s the solid understudy to Tim Howard. While some playing time would be nice, he has no real challengers, and should be the backup next summer.
9. (10) Jonathan Spector—Simply put, Spector needs to start playing regularly with West Ham. Cherundolo put the pressure on with a good shift against Costa Rica, so Spector needs to earn minutes in England to solidify his starting role.
9. (14) 10. Stuart Holden—Holden grabbed two deserved starts and played well enough to show he’s a capable backup for Clint Dempsey. His crossing is beautiful, and he’s the perfect sub to have handy for a World Cup.
11. (13) Ricardo Clark—Clark is the go-to central midfielder in tough road tests, but may find his minutes restricted when both Jermaine Jones and Maurice Edu work their way back to fitness.
12. (16) Steve Cherundolo—‘Dolo put in a great shift against Costa Rica, and the veteran should be in consideration for more starts if he continues to play for Hannover.
13. (11) Benny Feilhaber—Feilhaber had an underwhelming performance against Costa Rica. He played to deep and his creative side was not on show. He will continue to be used heavily though, as long as he’s playing well for Aarhus.
14. (19) Jose Torres—He hadn’t played much for the U.S. prior to the match against Costa Rica, but his performance certainly merits more minutes. He linked well, and drove the attack forward, leading to the two goals which tied the game.
15. (34) Jonathan Bornstein—Nobody’s stock has soared higher than Bornstein’s after two solid performances capped by the final goal in stoppage time against Costa Rica. Bornstein has competition, but for now, the job is his to lose.
16. (15) Maurice Edu—The Rangers man needs to get back on the field, and once he does, he should be in line for call-ups from Bob Bradley.
17. (18) Chard Marshall—Marshall could be set to get a starting role in the Denmark friendly upcoming with both Onyewu and DeMerit out. Once Marshall regains fitness, he should step into the starting lineup.
18. (17) Brian Ching—Ching was the de fact “hold the ball up” forward, but with the emergence of Conor Casey, could Ching finally have lost his spot? Ching will probably make it to South Africa, but in what capacity is still very much up in the air.
19. (20) Edgar Castillo—Castillo should be called up into one of the upcoming camps and, if he impresses, could get on to the squad. With the inconsistent play of left backs for the U.S., it would not surprise if Castillo got some playing time prior to the World Cup.
20. (21) Kenny Cooper—Cooper is finally back in the U.S. squad after scoring a number of goals for 1860 Munich. If Cooper keeps scoring, he will make the trip to South Africa next summer.
21. (12) Jay DeMerit—If not for his eye injury, DeMerit would be starting in central defense. It may be tough to win his starting spot back now that Bocanegra is in the middle again.
22. (27) Conor Casey—He’s played his way onto the squad with two deserved goals against Honduras, but his forgetful performance against Costa Rica didn’t cement his status on the team.
23. (22) Troy Perkins—Perkins’ only threat is Marcus Hanhemann, but, as of now, he’s on the plane as the third ‘keeper.
On The Outside Looking In…
24. (24) Freddy Adu—The golden boy of American soccer is starting to get some minutes and, if he can do well, may get back into the squad.
25. (28) Robbie Rogers—Rogers hit the corner kick that Bornstein headed home to tie the game, but that was about all he did against Costa Rica. He’ll have to do more to make the trip to South Africa.
26. (NA) Jimmy Conrad—Conrad was not even on the radar, but his recent call-up means Bob Bradley is giving him a look. If injuries persist, Conrad has a shot to make the World Cup squad.
27. (25) Clarence Goodson—Goodson is playing for IK Start and getting call-ups, but when push comes to shove, if everybody’s healthy, Goodson is likely to be omitted form the final team.
28. (28) Frankie Hejduk—The Dude got his way back into the squad, but only to make numbers in training and be a backup. While he’s a reliable option, it is not looking good for Hejduk.
29. (30) Marcus Hanhemann—It looks like Wayne Hennessey is the man at Wolves, and, unless Hanhemann starts playing, he’s not going to make the trip to South Africa.
30. (26) Damarcus Beasley—He used to be a starter for both club and country, now he can’t get a game for either. Unless Beasley starts playing, he can kiss the World Cup goodbye.
31. (29) Sacha Kljestan—Kljestan has started to play well for Chivas recently and looks likely to get a call-up for the January camp. He might need a repeat of last year’s three goals to get back into the squad though.
32. (23) Heath Pearce—He’s finally playing regularly, but it looks like Bornstein, Hejduk, Bocanegra, and Castillo may all be higher on the pecking order. He’ll get a look in January, so it is not all over yet.
33. (33) Michael Parkhurst—He’s a starter in Denmark, but he’s never been considered a serious contender for the World Cup squad.
34. (31) Eddie Johnson—If he had stayed in MLS, would he be this low on the totem pole? If he does not find playing time at Fulham, he’s got no shot of traveling to South Africa.
35. (35) Mavell Wynne—He started against Costa Rica in June, but was nowhere near to starting this time around. Wynne’s chances of making the plane look very slim.
36. (5) Charlie Davies—Davies’ car accident was terrible news for fans and friends alike. With the healing scheduled for six to12 months, and then rehabilitation on top of that, Davies World Cup dream seems to have faded away.
Max Zeger is a Goal.com contributor. Bradley’s Bunch is updated on a monthly basis. You can follow Max Zeger on twitter @mcmz403.
If you follow the U.S. Men's National Team, you'll love the dedicated page on Goal.com
This column was supposed to be about the backbone and pride the Americans showed against Honduras and Costa Rica to fight back after going down. It was supposed to be about how the Americans showed their resilience to finish on top of the group. In an instance, though, everything changed.
Charlie Davies’ horrific car accident took the attention away from the soccer, and focused the attention on the fickle nature of life. Despite Davies’ accident, the game was played, and the U.S. team showed heart to fight back from two goals down for their teammate who would have given anything to be out on the field with them.
The rankings go from most likely to have a seat on the plane to least likely.
Naturally, since there are only twenty-three spots, the top twenty-three will comprise the squad. Everybody after that is not in the top 23 and is on the outside looking in. For the purpose of creating a balanced squad, 3 ‘keepers, 8 defenders, 8 midfielders, and 4 forwards will be selected in the first 23. The number in parentheses is the player’s rank in the previous edition of Bradley’s Bunch.
Since Edgar Castillo has officially gained eligibility to represent the U.S, he will be on the list. Jermaine Jones, who is still waiting for FIFA clearance to switch nationalities, will not be listed.
The Bunch
1. (2) Landon Donovan—Landon Donovan had a tremendous performance against Honduras, both scoring and assisting, and did well against Costa Rica. Donovan can book his ticket, as Bob Bradley would not dare leave Donovan at home.
2. (1) Tim Howard—Howard wasn’t called upon to make any massive saves, but he made every stop he should have in both qualifiers. He will be the starter next summer.
3. (4) Clint Dempsey—An unfortunate nag kept him out of the two qualifiers, but it is very clear that nobody can add Dempsey’s flair to a match. His spot on the plane is assured next year.
4. (8) Carlos Bocanegra—Bocanegra’s return to the center of defense has seen his play improve immensely. As Captain America, Bocanegra will not be absent in South Africa
5. (3) Oguchi Onyewu—Onyewu’s injury really hurts the team, but he will back months before the World Cup. What is more concerning is his lack of playing time at Milan. He needs to sort both things out to be in top form for the big event.
6. (7) Michael Bradley—Bradley has found his goal scoring form for both club and country, and that bodes well for the U.S. in the future.
7. (9) Josmer Altidore—Altidore has raw talent, but looked rusty against Costa Rica. Playing time at Hull could do wonders for his game.
8. (6) Brad Guzan—He’s the solid understudy to Tim Howard. While some playing time would be nice, he has no real challengers, and should be the backup next summer.
9. (10) Jonathan Spector—Simply put, Spector needs to start playing regularly with West Ham. Cherundolo put the pressure on with a good shift against Costa Rica, so Spector needs to earn minutes in England to solidify his starting role.
9. (14) 10. Stuart Holden—Holden grabbed two deserved starts and played well enough to show he’s a capable backup for Clint Dempsey. His crossing is beautiful, and he’s the perfect sub to have handy for a World Cup.
11. (13) Ricardo Clark—Clark is the go-to central midfielder in tough road tests, but may find his minutes restricted when both Jermaine Jones and Maurice Edu work their way back to fitness.
12. (16) Steve Cherundolo—‘Dolo put in a great shift against Costa Rica, and the veteran should be in consideration for more starts if he continues to play for Hannover.
13. (11) Benny Feilhaber—Feilhaber had an underwhelming performance against Costa Rica. He played to deep and his creative side was not on show. He will continue to be used heavily though, as long as he’s playing well for Aarhus.
14. (19) Jose Torres—He hadn’t played much for the U.S. prior to the match against Costa Rica, but his performance certainly merits more minutes. He linked well, and drove the attack forward, leading to the two goals which tied the game.
15. (34) Jonathan Bornstein—Nobody’s stock has soared higher than Bornstein’s after two solid performances capped by the final goal in stoppage time against Costa Rica. Bornstein has competition, but for now, the job is his to lose.
16. (15) Maurice Edu—The Rangers man needs to get back on the field, and once he does, he should be in line for call-ups from Bob Bradley.
17. (18) Chard Marshall—Marshall could be set to get a starting role in the Denmark friendly upcoming with both Onyewu and DeMerit out. Once Marshall regains fitness, he should step into the starting lineup.
18. (17) Brian Ching—Ching was the de fact “hold the ball up” forward, but with the emergence of Conor Casey, could Ching finally have lost his spot? Ching will probably make it to South Africa, but in what capacity is still very much up in the air.
19. (20) Edgar Castillo—Castillo should be called up into one of the upcoming camps and, if he impresses, could get on to the squad. With the inconsistent play of left backs for the U.S., it would not surprise if Castillo got some playing time prior to the World Cup.
20. (21) Kenny Cooper—Cooper is finally back in the U.S. squad after scoring a number of goals for 1860 Munich. If Cooper keeps scoring, he will make the trip to South Africa next summer.
21. (12) Jay DeMerit—If not for his eye injury, DeMerit would be starting in central defense. It may be tough to win his starting spot back now that Bocanegra is in the middle again.
22. (27) Conor Casey—He’s played his way onto the squad with two deserved goals against Honduras, but his forgetful performance against Costa Rica didn’t cement his status on the team.
23. (22) Troy Perkins—Perkins’ only threat is Marcus Hanhemann, but, as of now, he’s on the plane as the third ‘keeper.
On The Outside Looking In…
24. (24) Freddy Adu—The golden boy of American soccer is starting to get some minutes and, if he can do well, may get back into the squad.
25. (28) Robbie Rogers—Rogers hit the corner kick that Bornstein headed home to tie the game, but that was about all he did against Costa Rica. He’ll have to do more to make the trip to South Africa.
26. (NA) Jimmy Conrad—Conrad was not even on the radar, but his recent call-up means Bob Bradley is giving him a look. If injuries persist, Conrad has a shot to make the World Cup squad.
27. (25) Clarence Goodson—Goodson is playing for IK Start and getting call-ups, but when push comes to shove, if everybody’s healthy, Goodson is likely to be omitted form the final team.
28. (28) Frankie Hejduk—The Dude got his way back into the squad, but only to make numbers in training and be a backup. While he’s a reliable option, it is not looking good for Hejduk.
29. (30) Marcus Hanhemann—It looks like Wayne Hennessey is the man at Wolves, and, unless Hanhemann starts playing, he’s not going to make the trip to South Africa.
30. (26) Damarcus Beasley—He used to be a starter for both club and country, now he can’t get a game for either. Unless Beasley starts playing, he can kiss the World Cup goodbye.
31. (29) Sacha Kljestan—Kljestan has started to play well for Chivas recently and looks likely to get a call-up for the January camp. He might need a repeat of last year’s three goals to get back into the squad though.
32. (23) Heath Pearce—He’s finally playing regularly, but it looks like Bornstein, Hejduk, Bocanegra, and Castillo may all be higher on the pecking order. He’ll get a look in January, so it is not all over yet.
33. (33) Michael Parkhurst—He’s a starter in Denmark, but he’s never been considered a serious contender for the World Cup squad.
34. (31) Eddie Johnson—If he had stayed in MLS, would he be this low on the totem pole? If he does not find playing time at Fulham, he’s got no shot of traveling to South Africa.
35. (35) Mavell Wynne—He started against Costa Rica in June, but was nowhere near to starting this time around. Wynne’s chances of making the plane look very slim.
36. (5) Charlie Davies—Davies’ car accident was terrible news for fans and friends alike. With the healing scheduled for six to12 months, and then rehabilitation on top of that, Davies World Cup dream seems to have faded away.
Max Zeger is a Goal.com contributor. Bradley’s Bunch is updated on a monthly basis. You can follow Max Zeger on twitter @mcmz403.
If you follow the U.S. Men's National Team, you'll love the dedicated page on Goal.com
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