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The Short List: Time To Shine
The winter camp is a time for some players to make a name for themselves.
Jan 21, 2010 2:51:00 PM
By Allen Ramsey
A year ago Sacha Kljestan burst onto the U.S. National team stage with nice little hat-trick against Sweden, leading the US to a 3-2 victory. That performance put Kljestan in the starting eleven against Mexico a month later, and boosted the midfielder's chances of becoming a regular in Bob Bradley's squad as the World Cup rolled around.
A year later and Kljestan likely finds himself in a similar spot. A dip in form has the Chivas USA star possibly on the outside looking in as far as Wold Cup hopes go, but another strong showing could put him right back in the mix as the US draws ever closer to June, and a showdown with England to kick off their 2010 World Cup campaign.
Such is the nature of the January camp. It's a chance for unsung players to shine in front of the people who make the decisions, and if history has any bearing a good number of the players on the field against Honduras this Saturday will be on the roster in South Africa. Bruce Arena carried 13 of his January campers to the Korea/Japan 2002 and 10 to Germany four years ago.
It's unlikely the that the number of players at the World Cup from this camp will be that high, but with the current injury problems and several European based players struggling to find playing time, this camp could act as a catapult for one or two previously unheralded (at least on the international level) players to make their way into contention for a World Cup spot.
Omar Gonzalez
For the first time, I have to consider the fact that Omar Gonzalez might have a place on the World Cup squad. No, the chances aren't good for MLS Rookie of the Year, but I have to think he has a shot to impress Bradley and company.
Clarence Goodson and Chad Marshall have both had chances to take their place on the back line, yet neither has done it convincingly. Jimmy Conrad is a bit past it, though there could be an argument about his experience on the big stage playing in his favor.
It seems clear the Bradley will have to carry at least one of the four (Goodson, Marshall, Conrad, Gonzalez) and it's not out of the question that Gonzalez could earn the job with a strong camp and a good showing on the pitch Saturday.
Gonzalez offers everything Bradley seems to like in his central defenders. He's good in the air, has shown a level of maturity that is rare among young center backs, and has the speed to not be taken advantage of with balls in behind.
The 21-year-old is still a long-shot to make the World Cup roster, but a good showing on Saturday might have us all thinking otherwise.
Jeff Cunningham
On the other end of the age spectrum of Gonzalez, the FC Dallas striker has plenty to play for. The undermanned U.S. frontline is in serious need of help, and an injection of maturity and speed. Cunningham provides both.
Though the competition for the final roster spots, as far as forwards go, is far from over, and the match on Saturday really won't be enough to close the deal for any of the strikers in camp, Cunningham probably has the most to lose.
The simple truth is that the 33-year-old has been on the National team borderline for years, and it's never really worked out in his favor. At 33, he's no longer an athletic force, but his pace is still dangerous and more importantly, Cunningham is on the best run of form of any striker the U.S. has to offer.
The biggest problem is that his form is what has him in a position to make the World Cup roster, and if it dips, there are a number of players who offer bigger, faster, younger bodies to fill the void.
Robbie Findley
Robbie Findley is one of those right-place, right-time players. He may be the most ready-made replacement for Charlie Davies, from an athletic standpoint at least, and the truth of the matter is that the U.S. relies on speed and the counterattack to break down quality opponents.
Findley has proven that he can lead a line in Major League Soccer. That's not really good enough though. Like Cunningham, he has plenty to play for on Saturday night. Unlike Cunningham, I think Findley has much to gain, and very little to lose. At this point I see him as an outsider. But Findley is an outsider with huge upside. Cunningham is a known quantity, as are Conor Casey and Eddie Johnson (though we haven't seen much of Johnson since his move overseas), leaving Findley as the striker with the biggest upside among those who are battling for a roster spot.
Geoff Cameron
Scoff if you want to at my including Cameron in this conversation, but I stick by it for one reason. Versatility!
It never hurts any team to have a player on the bench that can play several roles within the team, and Cameron is one of those guys. He can play in the back, in the middle, or on the wings.
I doubt Cameron has the ability to make the squad as the primary pick in any of these positions, but as a player who can do a job in all of them he could be a valuable asset. The addition of a player who can slot in at a number of positions could allow Bradley to carry extra players at positions he feels are weaker, but Cameron will have to prove that he can handle moving around the pitch.
Heath Pearce/ Jonathan Bornstein
I honestly don't know how many chances you get to prove yourself with the national team, but Pearce and Bronstein have to be running out of them . Left back, to put it nicely, has been a problem for a while, and Bradley has stuck it out with these two as his primary options. But they are not the only options, and that, I would think, excludes at least one of them from making the World Cup roster.
With a bit of depth being shown in the center of the defense, and Bocanegra, Edgar Castillo, and Jonathan Spector all having some level of comfort on the left side, I would be shocked to see Pearce and Bornstein both make the trip to South Africa. I would think the latter has the upper hand, but this camp, and these winter friendlies, will more than likely be the final competition between the two to determine who gets to go to the tournament this summer.
Allen Ramsey is an associate editor of Goal.com. The Short List has been moved to Thursdays on Goal.com USA.
A year later and Kljestan likely finds himself in a similar spot. A dip in form has the Chivas USA star possibly on the outside looking in as far as Wold Cup hopes go, but another strong showing could put him right back in the mix as the US draws ever closer to June, and a showdown with England to kick off their 2010 World Cup campaign.
Such is the nature of the January camp. It's a chance for unsung players to shine in front of the people who make the decisions, and if history has any bearing a good number of the players on the field against Honduras this Saturday will be on the roster in South Africa. Bruce Arena carried 13 of his January campers to the Korea/Japan 2002 and 10 to Germany four years ago.
It's unlikely the that the number of players at the World Cup from this camp will be that high, but with the current injury problems and several European based players struggling to find playing time, this camp could act as a catapult for one or two previously unheralded (at least on the international level) players to make their way into contention for a World Cup spot.
Omar Gonzalez
For the first time, I have to consider the fact that Omar Gonzalez might have a place on the World Cup squad. No, the chances aren't good for MLS Rookie of the Year, but I have to think he has a shot to impress Bradley and company.
Clarence Goodson and Chad Marshall have both had chances to take their place on the back line, yet neither has done it convincingly. Jimmy Conrad is a bit past it, though there could be an argument about his experience on the big stage playing in his favor.
It seems clear the Bradley will have to carry at least one of the four (Goodson, Marshall, Conrad, Gonzalez) and it's not out of the question that Gonzalez could earn the job with a strong camp and a good showing on the pitch Saturday.
Gonzalez offers everything Bradley seems to like in his central defenders. He's good in the air, has shown a level of maturity that is rare among young center backs, and has the speed to not be taken advantage of with balls in behind.
The 21-year-old is still a long-shot to make the World Cup roster, but a good showing on Saturday might have us all thinking otherwise.
Jeff Cunningham
On the other end of the age spectrum of Gonzalez, the FC Dallas striker has plenty to play for. The undermanned U.S. frontline is in serious need of help, and an injection of maturity and speed. Cunningham provides both.
Though the competition for the final roster spots, as far as forwards go, is far from over, and the match on Saturday really won't be enough to close the deal for any of the strikers in camp, Cunningham probably has the most to lose.
The simple truth is that the 33-year-old has been on the National team borderline for years, and it's never really worked out in his favor. At 33, he's no longer an athletic force, but his pace is still dangerous and more importantly, Cunningham is on the best run of form of any striker the U.S. has to offer.
The biggest problem is that his form is what has him in a position to make the World Cup roster, and if it dips, there are a number of players who offer bigger, faster, younger bodies to fill the void.
Robbie Findley
Robbie Findley is one of those right-place, right-time players. He may be the most ready-made replacement for Charlie Davies, from an athletic standpoint at least, and the truth of the matter is that the U.S. relies on speed and the counterattack to break down quality opponents.
Findley has proven that he can lead a line in Major League Soccer. That's not really good enough though. Like Cunningham, he has plenty to play for on Saturday night. Unlike Cunningham, I think Findley has much to gain, and very little to lose. At this point I see him as an outsider. But Findley is an outsider with huge upside. Cunningham is a known quantity, as are Conor Casey and Eddie Johnson (though we haven't seen much of Johnson since his move overseas), leaving Findley as the striker with the biggest upside among those who are battling for a roster spot.
Geoff Cameron
Scoff if you want to at my including Cameron in this conversation, but I stick by it for one reason. Versatility!
It never hurts any team to have a player on the bench that can play several roles within the team, and Cameron is one of those guys. He can play in the back, in the middle, or on the wings.
I doubt Cameron has the ability to make the squad as the primary pick in any of these positions, but as a player who can do a job in all of them he could be a valuable asset. The addition of a player who can slot in at a number of positions could allow Bradley to carry extra players at positions he feels are weaker, but Cameron will have to prove that he can handle moving around the pitch.
Heath Pearce/ Jonathan Bornstein
I honestly don't know how many chances you get to prove yourself with the national team, but Pearce and Bronstein have to be running out of them . Left back, to put it nicely, has been a problem for a while, and Bradley has stuck it out with these two as his primary options. But they are not the only options, and that, I would think, excludes at least one of them from making the World Cup roster.
With a bit of depth being shown in the center of the defense, and Bocanegra, Edgar Castillo, and Jonathan Spector all having some level of comfort on the left side, I would be shocked to see Pearce and Bornstein both make the trip to South Africa. I would think the latter has the upper hand, but this camp, and these winter friendlies, will more than likely be the final competition between the two to determine who gets to go to the tournament this summer.
Allen Ramsey is an associate editor of Goal.com. The Short List has been moved to Thursdays on Goal.com USA.
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