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Bradley’s Bunch: Crunch Time
Goal.com’s Max Zeger wades through the mixed performances of the United States Men's National Team to tell us who will be making the trip this summer to South Africa.
Mar 4, 2010 2:28:00 AM
By Max Zeger
The two friendlies played by the U.S. in the past week were meant to weed out those who were going to the World Cup and those who would be watching from the comfort of their own homes. In many cases, that did happen, with some players solidifying their roster spots. In other cases, though, like at forward, and left back, it is still unclear as to who will actually be traveling to South Africa. Throw into the mix the fact that Charlie Davies, Oguchi Onyewu, Clint Dempsey, Stuart Holden, Benny Feilhaber, Ricardo Clark and Jermaine Jones are attempting to return from injury, and the squad is still far from set.
With that in mind, on to Bradley’s Bunch . . .
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. 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.
Bradley's Bunch:
1. (1) Landon Donovan—Coming off two stellar months of play for Everton (save for one bad miss), Donovan is in peak form. Despite a rather lackluster performance against The Dutch, Donovan will be the first person on the plane.
2. (2) Tim Howard—Howard continues to show why he is the unquestioned starter for the U.S. Another solid performance in goal will have done nothing to change his status.
3. (3) Michael Bradley—One of the few American field players getting consistent minutes in Europe, Bradley put in another tireless performance against the Oranje, and will undoubtedly be patrolling the center of the park this summer.
4. (6) Carlos Bocanegra—Captain America grabbed the lone goal against the Dutch, in an otherwise strong performance. Bocanegra is assured of a plane ticket, but sorting out his lack of playing time for Stade Rennais will dictate his form going into the World Cup.
5. (4) Oguchi Onyewu—It was encouraging to hear that ‘Gooch was with the team in Amsterdam. Onyewu will be with the team if healthy, but getting games at Milan will be hugely important if he is to return to pre-injury form.
6. (7) Clint Dempsey—Deuce is working with the ball now, and should be back in training soon. If the rest of his recovery goes as planned, then Dempsey should be at full fitness and ready to go for the World Cup.
7.) (8) Jozy Altidore—Jozy finally broke his Prem’ scoring duck, and looked lively against a tough Dutch defense. With that aside, Altidore needs to continue to get playing time at Hull in order to be at his best this summer.
8. (5) Brad Guzan—Guzan was snubbed in the Carling Cup final in favor of his compatriot, Brad Friedel, but he is still the backup keeper for the ‘Nats.
9. (12) Jay DeMerit—The Watford man is back, and had a strong performance against Holland. With uncertainty lingering over Onyewu’s return, and the lack of a strong left back, DeMerit may push for starts come summer time.
10. (10) Jonathan Spector—Spector’s main asset from right back is his crossing ability, but with the left back spot needing some major help, Spector, who plays for West Ham as a left back, may find himself with a new position in the starting lineup.
11. (9) Steve Cherundolo—‘Dolo trained with the team before the game, before heading back to Hannover where he could feature as early as the weekend after recovering from injury. Cherundolo could find himself back in the starting lineup for the ‘Nats with Spector potentially moving to the left.
12. (19) DaMarcus Beasley—A man of the match performance from Run DMB, who everybody wrote off after his debacle of a match against Brazil in the Confederations Cup. With uncertainty over the extent of Stuart Holden’s injury, and the lack of forward options, it would not be too far fetched to see Beasley out left, and Donovan as a forward in the future.
13. (11) Ricardo Clark—The new Eintracht Frankfurt man is close to returning from injury, and should compete for a starting role in central midfield once healthy.
14. (13) Stuart Holden— It was gut wrenching to see Holden in tears after leaving the match, at this point though, it is too early to judge the extent of Holden’s injury, but we know that if he is healthy and match fit, he will be making it to South Africa this summer.
15. (22) Marcus Hahnemann- The Wolves’ shot stopper has cemented the third goalie position, and barring injury, should be on the plane in June.
16. (17) Maurice Edu—After scoring the winning goal for Rangers in the old firm, Edu played a quiet second half in Amsterdam, but will likely compete for the starting spot in the upcoming friendlies.
17. (15) Jose Francisco Torres—You can see the skill, but Torres was slightly off the pace against the Dutch. Despite that, Torres remains a strong option off the bench, one Bradley will surely have around this June.
18. (18) Brian Ching—Ching made the difference against El Salvador, scoring and assisting on the two goals. With Casey, Findley, and Cunningham all seemingly playing themselves out of a spot, Ching has solidified his spot on the roster.
19. (21) Clarence Goodson—Goodson’s cameo against Holland, and strong performance against El Salvador have cemented his spot as the fourth center back come this summer.
20. (31) Heath Pearce—Pearce was lively against El Salvador, and did not have much to do against the Oranje. With the left back spot up for grabs, Pearce is poised to grab a roster spot.
21. (32) Eddie Johnson—Johnson did not have a particularly good performance, but with the lack of options up top, EJ may just sneak his way back into the squad.
22. (23) Robbie Findley—Findley had two unconvincing performances, but if Charlie Davies can’t make the World Cup, it will be up to Findley to be the speed forward.
23. (16) Jonathan Bornstein—If Bornstein was not one of Bradley’s ‘guys,’ he would not make the squad, but that is not the case. Bradley has shown a willingness to play Bornstein despite his many flaws. Bornstein had a horrid game, giving the Dutch a penalty,hand balling in the box (even though it was not called), and deflecting the second goal passed Tim Howard. If it was not for the fact that there weren’t many other options at left back, it would be assured the Bornstein would be watching the games from home. Fortunately for Bornstein, that is not the case.
On the outside looking in . . .
24. (14) Benny Feilhaber—Feilhaber is out injured, and the injury may preclude him from the World Cup. If healthy, Feilhaber is a super-sub for the World Cup.
25. (20) Edgar Castillo—Bradley’s interest in Castillo has cooled, but Castillo may get a recall after the Bornstein debacle.
26. (24) Robbie Rogers—After the Honduras match, I said, “Someone needs to tell [Rogers] to stop dribbling when double teamed.” After the El Salvador match where Rogers showed flashes of skill, but mostly lost possession of the dribble, my statement is looking more and more apt.
27. (27) Conor Casey—Brian Ching looks to have taken Casey’s spot, and his unconvincing performance against El Salvador did nothing to dispel that notion.
28. (26) Chad Marshall—Clarence Goodson’s sparkling form has Marshall, who this fall looked set to go to the World Cup, on the outs.
29. (25) Troy Perkins—The fact the Nick Rimando played against El Salvador shows that Perkins, who once was the third keeper, is now unlikely to make the World Cup roster.
30. (NA) Jermaine Jones—It was encouraging to see Jermaine Jones with the squad in Amsterdam, but if he cannot get back on the field for Schalke, that visit won’t have helped for this World Cup cycle.
31. (NA) Alejandro Bedoya—Bedoya had a determined performance against the Oranje, but did not show well enough to compete for a roster spot. With many midfielders injured though, Bedoya stands an outside chance of making the roster.
32. (31) Freddy Adu—He scored? He’s playing? Unfortunately, it is too little too late for Adu. His World Cup dream will have to be for 2014 in Brazil, not 2010 in South Africa.
33. (36) Charlie Davies—Questions surround Charlie wherever he goes: When will he be playing? What kind of physical abilities will he have? Will he ever return to his full ability? All of those questions should be answered in the near future, and if the answers are positive, Charlie could cap his remarkable recovery with a World Cup roster spot.
Max Zeger, a Goal.com contributor, updates Bradley's Bunch on a monthly basis. You can follow Max Zeger on twitter @mcmz403.
With that in mind, on to Bradley’s Bunch . . .
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. 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.
Bradley's Bunch:
1. (1) Landon Donovan—Coming off two stellar months of play for Everton (save for one bad miss), Donovan is in peak form. Despite a rather lackluster performance against The Dutch, Donovan will be the first person on the plane.
2. (2) Tim Howard—Howard continues to show why he is the unquestioned starter for the U.S. Another solid performance in goal will have done nothing to change his status.
3. (3) Michael Bradley—One of the few American field players getting consistent minutes in Europe, Bradley put in another tireless performance against the Oranje, and will undoubtedly be patrolling the center of the park this summer.
4. (6) Carlos Bocanegra—Captain America grabbed the lone goal against the Dutch, in an otherwise strong performance. Bocanegra is assured of a plane ticket, but sorting out his lack of playing time for Stade Rennais will dictate his form going into the World Cup.
5. (4) Oguchi Onyewu—It was encouraging to hear that ‘Gooch was with the team in Amsterdam. Onyewu will be with the team if healthy, but getting games at Milan will be hugely important if he is to return to pre-injury form.
6. (7) Clint Dempsey—Deuce is working with the ball now, and should be back in training soon. If the rest of his recovery goes as planned, then Dempsey should be at full fitness and ready to go for the World Cup.
7.) (8) Jozy Altidore—Jozy finally broke his Prem’ scoring duck, and looked lively against a tough Dutch defense. With that aside, Altidore needs to continue to get playing time at Hull in order to be at his best this summer.
8. (5) Brad Guzan—Guzan was snubbed in the Carling Cup final in favor of his compatriot, Brad Friedel, but he is still the backup keeper for the ‘Nats.
9. (12) Jay DeMerit—The Watford man is back, and had a strong performance against Holland. With uncertainty lingering over Onyewu’s return, and the lack of a strong left back, DeMerit may push for starts come summer time.
10. (10) Jonathan Spector—Spector’s main asset from right back is his crossing ability, but with the left back spot needing some major help, Spector, who plays for West Ham as a left back, may find himself with a new position in the starting lineup.
11. (9) Steve Cherundolo—‘Dolo trained with the team before the game, before heading back to Hannover where he could feature as early as the weekend after recovering from injury. Cherundolo could find himself back in the starting lineup for the ‘Nats with Spector potentially moving to the left.
12. (19) DaMarcus Beasley—A man of the match performance from Run DMB, who everybody wrote off after his debacle of a match against Brazil in the Confederations Cup. With uncertainty over the extent of Stuart Holden’s injury, and the lack of forward options, it would not be too far fetched to see Beasley out left, and Donovan as a forward in the future.
13. (11) Ricardo Clark—The new Eintracht Frankfurt man is close to returning from injury, and should compete for a starting role in central midfield once healthy.
14. (13) Stuart Holden— It was gut wrenching to see Holden in tears after leaving the match, at this point though, it is too early to judge the extent of Holden’s injury, but we know that if he is healthy and match fit, he will be making it to South Africa this summer.
15. (22) Marcus Hahnemann- The Wolves’ shot stopper has cemented the third goalie position, and barring injury, should be on the plane in June.
16. (17) Maurice Edu—After scoring the winning goal for Rangers in the old firm, Edu played a quiet second half in Amsterdam, but will likely compete for the starting spot in the upcoming friendlies.
17. (15) Jose Francisco Torres—You can see the skill, but Torres was slightly off the pace against the Dutch. Despite that, Torres remains a strong option off the bench, one Bradley will surely have around this June.
18. (18) Brian Ching—Ching made the difference against El Salvador, scoring and assisting on the two goals. With Casey, Findley, and Cunningham all seemingly playing themselves out of a spot, Ching has solidified his spot on the roster.
19. (21) Clarence Goodson—Goodson’s cameo against Holland, and strong performance against El Salvador have cemented his spot as the fourth center back come this summer.
20. (31) Heath Pearce—Pearce was lively against El Salvador, and did not have much to do against the Oranje. With the left back spot up for grabs, Pearce is poised to grab a roster spot.
21. (32) Eddie Johnson—Johnson did not have a particularly good performance, but with the lack of options up top, EJ may just sneak his way back into the squad.
22. (23) Robbie Findley—Findley had two unconvincing performances, but if Charlie Davies can’t make the World Cup, it will be up to Findley to be the speed forward.
23. (16) Jonathan Bornstein—If Bornstein was not one of Bradley’s ‘guys,’ he would not make the squad, but that is not the case. Bradley has shown a willingness to play Bornstein despite his many flaws. Bornstein had a horrid game, giving the Dutch a penalty,hand balling in the box (even though it was not called), and deflecting the second goal passed Tim Howard. If it was not for the fact that there weren’t many other options at left back, it would be assured the Bornstein would be watching the games from home. Fortunately for Bornstein, that is not the case.
On the outside looking in . . .
24. (14) Benny Feilhaber—Feilhaber is out injured, and the injury may preclude him from the World Cup. If healthy, Feilhaber is a super-sub for the World Cup.
25. (20) Edgar Castillo—Bradley’s interest in Castillo has cooled, but Castillo may get a recall after the Bornstein debacle.
26. (24) Robbie Rogers—After the Honduras match, I said, “Someone needs to tell [Rogers] to stop dribbling when double teamed.” After the El Salvador match where Rogers showed flashes of skill, but mostly lost possession of the dribble, my statement is looking more and more apt.
27. (27) Conor Casey—Brian Ching looks to have taken Casey’s spot, and his unconvincing performance against El Salvador did nothing to dispel that notion.
28. (26) Chad Marshall—Clarence Goodson’s sparkling form has Marshall, who this fall looked set to go to the World Cup, on the outs.
29. (25) Troy Perkins—The fact the Nick Rimando played against El Salvador shows that Perkins, who once was the third keeper, is now unlikely to make the World Cup roster.
30. (NA) Jermaine Jones—It was encouraging to see Jermaine Jones with the squad in Amsterdam, but if he cannot get back on the field for Schalke, that visit won’t have helped for this World Cup cycle.
31. (NA) Alejandro Bedoya—Bedoya had a determined performance against the Oranje, but did not show well enough to compete for a roster spot. With many midfielders injured though, Bedoya stands an outside chance of making the roster.
32. (31) Freddy Adu—He scored? He’s playing? Unfortunately, it is too little too late for Adu. His World Cup dream will have to be for 2014 in Brazil, not 2010 in South Africa.
33. (36) Charlie Davies—Questions surround Charlie wherever he goes: When will he be playing? What kind of physical abilities will he have? Will he ever return to his full ability? All of those questions should be answered in the near future, and if the answers are positive, Charlie could cap his remarkable recovery with a World Cup roster spot.
Max Zeger, a Goal.com contributor, updates Bradley's Bunch on a monthly basis. You can follow Max Zeger on twitter @mcmz403.
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