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The Tackle: 23 Players For The USA World Cup Roster
The World Cup is just around the bend. That bend being the naming of rosters, of course.
May 4, 2010 10:21:00 PM
By Noah Davis
Last week, I tackled the 30 players United States Men's National Team manager Bob Bradley should include on the preliminary 30-man roster. The 23-player final list isn't due until June 1, but it's time to take a look at the Americans who will represent the U.S. in South Africa. The following list includes the players who will make the final cut, not those who would be chosen if the tournament started today.
Goalkeepers (3)
Tim Howard: There's no debating who will stand between the pipes when the Stars and Stripes take on England on June 12.
Marcus Hahnemann: The Wolverhamption backstop almost singlehandedly kept his team above the relegation zone and had fun doing so.
Brad Guzan: Will Brad Friedel's back-up get a chance to show the world what he can do in hopes of landing at another club?
Goal.com's take: There's not a lot of mystery here. Howard's the clear No. 1 and, despite a poor showing with Wolves over the weekend, Hahnemann remains the second option as Guzan's played just one first-team match since January 23.
Defenders (8)
Jonthan Spector: The West Ham man has done himself no favors with shaky play of late, but he'll be on the squad due to his experience and versatility.
Steve Cherundolo: A win this weekend keeps Hannover 96 in the Bundesliga, a nice feather in their captain's cap.
Oguchi Onyewu: The stalwart centerback is nearly fully recovered from a patella tendon tear and will anchor the American backline.
Carlos Bocanegra: The U.S. captain will be on the pitch June 12. The question is whether he lines up in the middle or on the left.
Jay DeMerit: Jere Longman's article in the New York Times spelled out just how close Watford's skipper came to losing sight in his right eye.
Clarence Goodson: After the Virginia native turned in a fine season at IK Start, Bradley rewards him with a place on his first World Cup roster.
Jonathan Bornstein: Like it or not, don't be surprised to see the much-maligned fullback start against the Three Lions.
Heath Pearce: Although he's played midfield in recent weeks at FC Dallas, Pearce will provide depth in the back in South Africa.
Goal.com's take: The personnel traveling to the World Cup is in less doubt than the positions they will fill. The first seven on the list are virtual locks, with Pearce a good bet as well. But will Bradley stick with Bocanegra and Onyewu in the middle and Bornstein on the flank? Or will DeMerit get the call with the U.S. captain pushed out wide? Thirty-five-year-old Frankie Hedjuk believes he remains in the discussion, but don't expect him to make the trip.
Midfielders (9)
Landon Donovan: Howard and the midfielder are 1a and 1b on the American's "Indispensable" list.
Michael Bradley: Expect a breakout World Cup from the rapidly maturing player
Maurice Edu: He helped lead Rangers to a Scottish Premier League title. Now Edu will try to get the Americans into the knockout phase.
Ricardo Clark: The former Houston Dynamo returned to the pitch after a long absence, but he's still behind the former Toronto FC player on the roster.
Benny Feilhaber: It's been quite a ride for the hero of the 2007 Gold Cup, but he'll end up in South Africa where he wanted to be all along.
Jose Torres: Can the Pachuca product find his niche on the squad given another month of training with them?
Clint Dempsey: The Texan demonstrated his scoring touch over the weekend, netting his seventh EPL goal of the season.
Stuart Holden: Owen Coyle is making sure his charge returns to the Bolton lineup when he's healthy and not a moment too soon, but he'll be back for the American camp.
Alejandro Bedoya: Another guy who can inject energy and excitement into the match, Bedoya will beat out DaMarcus Beasley for a spot.
Goal.com's take: The U.S. continues to be strong in the middle and thinner on the wings. Assuming Davies returns (see below), Bradley's free to leave Dempsey on the right side of midfield and bring both Feilhaber and Torres. Beasley will challenge for a place, but he'll fall short after making just one appearance for Rangers in the last month.
Strikers (3)
Jozy Altidore: Altidore is currently the only lock at striker to both start and make the roster.
Charlie Davies: Call it a hunch, but the injured Davies will return in time to make a difference in South Africa.
Brian Ching: The Hawaiian returned to training with the Dynamo, and he's a better option than Conor Casey.
Goal.com's take: This is by far the hardest group to pick, with somewhere between two and four spots up for grabs. Rumors coming out of France were that Davies won't make it back in time to contest for a place on the roster but it appears as though those whispers are false, despite the fact that a U.S. trainer went to visit the striker over the weekend. Bringing only three strikers might seem dangerous, but Dempsey (and Donovan) are better options up top than Edson Buddle and Herculez Gomez, despite the latter pair's recent run of form.
That said, a lot can change in the next 25 days.
Noah Davis (@noahedavis) covers the United States Men's National Team for Goal.com and will be reporting from the World Cup in South Africa.
Visit the U.S. national team page on Goal.com for more and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
Goalkeepers (3)
Tim Howard: There's no debating who will stand between the pipes when the Stars and Stripes take on England on June 12.
Marcus Hahnemann: The Wolverhamption backstop almost singlehandedly kept his team above the relegation zone and had fun doing so.
Brad Guzan: Will Brad Friedel's back-up get a chance to show the world what he can do in hopes of landing at another club?
Goal.com's take: There's not a lot of mystery here. Howard's the clear No. 1 and, despite a poor showing with Wolves over the weekend, Hahnemann remains the second option as Guzan's played just one first-team match since January 23.
Defenders (8)
Jonthan Spector: The West Ham man has done himself no favors with shaky play of late, but he'll be on the squad due to his experience and versatility.
Steve Cherundolo: A win this weekend keeps Hannover 96 in the Bundesliga, a nice feather in their captain's cap.
Oguchi Onyewu: The stalwart centerback is nearly fully recovered from a patella tendon tear and will anchor the American backline.
Carlos Bocanegra: The U.S. captain will be on the pitch June 12. The question is whether he lines up in the middle or on the left.
Jay DeMerit: Jere Longman's article in the New York Times spelled out just how close Watford's skipper came to losing sight in his right eye.
Clarence Goodson: After the Virginia native turned in a fine season at IK Start, Bradley rewards him with a place on his first World Cup roster.
Jonathan Bornstein: Like it or not, don't be surprised to see the much-maligned fullback start against the Three Lions.
Heath Pearce: Although he's played midfield in recent weeks at FC Dallas, Pearce will provide depth in the back in South Africa.
Goal.com's take: The personnel traveling to the World Cup is in less doubt than the positions they will fill. The first seven on the list are virtual locks, with Pearce a good bet as well. But will Bradley stick with Bocanegra and Onyewu in the middle and Bornstein on the flank? Or will DeMerit get the call with the U.S. captain pushed out wide? Thirty-five-year-old Frankie Hedjuk believes he remains in the discussion, but don't expect him to make the trip.
Midfielders (9)
Landon Donovan: Howard and the midfielder are 1a and 1b on the American's "Indispensable" list.
Michael Bradley: Expect a breakout World Cup from the rapidly maturing player
Maurice Edu: He helped lead Rangers to a Scottish Premier League title. Now Edu will try to get the Americans into the knockout phase.
Ricardo Clark: The former Houston Dynamo returned to the pitch after a long absence, but he's still behind the former Toronto FC player on the roster.
Benny Feilhaber: It's been quite a ride for the hero of the 2007 Gold Cup, but he'll end up in South Africa where he wanted to be all along.
Jose Torres: Can the Pachuca product find his niche on the squad given another month of training with them?
Clint Dempsey: The Texan demonstrated his scoring touch over the weekend, netting his seventh EPL goal of the season.
Stuart Holden: Owen Coyle is making sure his charge returns to the Bolton lineup when he's healthy and not a moment too soon, but he'll be back for the American camp.
Alejandro Bedoya: Another guy who can inject energy and excitement into the match, Bedoya will beat out DaMarcus Beasley for a spot.
Goal.com's take: The U.S. continues to be strong in the middle and thinner on the wings. Assuming Davies returns (see below), Bradley's free to leave Dempsey on the right side of midfield and bring both Feilhaber and Torres. Beasley will challenge for a place, but he'll fall short after making just one appearance for Rangers in the last month.
Strikers (3)
Jozy Altidore: Altidore is currently the only lock at striker to both start and make the roster.
Charlie Davies: Call it a hunch, but the injured Davies will return in time to make a difference in South Africa.
Brian Ching: The Hawaiian returned to training with the Dynamo, and he's a better option than Conor Casey.
Goal.com's take: This is by far the hardest group to pick, with somewhere between two and four spots up for grabs. Rumors coming out of France were that Davies won't make it back in time to contest for a place on the roster but it appears as though those whispers are false, despite the fact that a U.S. trainer went to visit the striker over the weekend. Bringing only three strikers might seem dangerous, but Dempsey (and Donovan) are better options up top than Edson Buddle and Herculez Gomez, despite the latter pair's recent run of form.
That said, a lot can change in the next 25 days.
Noah Davis (@noahedavis) covers the United States Men's National Team for Goal.com and will be reporting from the World Cup in South Africa.
Visit the U.S. national team page on Goal.com for more and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
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