USA World Cup final roster

The Game Room
1

**Goalkeepers - **
Brad Guzan
Aston Villa (ENG)

Marcus Hahnemann
Wolves (ENG)

Tim Howard
Everton (ENG)

**Defenders - **
Jonathan Bornstein
Chivas USA

Carlos Bocanegra
Rennes (FRA)

Steve Cherundolo
Hannover (GER)

Jay DeMerit
Watford (ENG)

Clarence Goodson
Start (NOR)

Oguchi Onyewu
AC Milan (ITA)

Jonathan Spector
West Ham (ENG)

**Midfielders - **
DaMarcus Beasley
Rangers (SCO)

Michael Bradley
Moenchengladbach (GER)

Ricardo Clark
Eintracht Frankfurt (GER)
Clint Dempsey
Fulham (ENG)

Landon Donovan
Los Angeles Galaxy

Maurice Edu
Rangers (SCO)

Benny Feilhaber
AGF Aarhus (DEN)

Stuart Holden
Bolton (ENG)

Jose Francisco Torres
Pachuca (MEX)

**Forwards - **
Jozy Altidore
Villarreal (ESP)

Edson Buddle
Los Angeles Galaxy

Robbie Findley
Real Salt Lake

Herculez Gomez
Pachuca (MEX)

The biggest surprise is no Brian Ching. He had a good game last night but he must have lingering injury issues. It was probably the last forward spot, and maybe Bradley thought if he needed to use it in SA, speed would be the most important asset.

Defense is really weak.

2

I wouldn’t go that far. IF (and yes, that is literally a big “if”) Gooch is ready to go, then a defense of Bocanegra, Gooch, DeMerit and Spector looks pretty decent to me, with Goodson as cover in the middle, Cherundolo a not-intolerable outside option, and the last-gasp possibility of Edu dropping back if you really need another guy.

Midfield is clearly the strength of this team. Personally, I’d go with Deuce, Edu, Bradley The Younger and Donovan, with Deuce ready to push up if we need an extra striker.

Up top is the biggest question to me. Altidore is obvious, but who else? I’d tend to think Gomez is the choice. Buddle’s just OK and Findley is just there as a late game speedster. It may actually be best to move Dempsey up top and start Holden or Torres or Clark or (shudder) Beasley outside.

All in all, I’m fairly happy with this team.

3

I’m with TheBoltEater. The front line is what concerns me - Altidore, OK, but who else?

The strengths are in the middle, and at GK.

Also interesting how few players play for MLS. That might be a good sign, to be honest. Even Donovan had a pretty good showing in the EPL this year. That leaves only 3 primarily MLS players, right?

4

Our first game is against you guys! June 12th!

5

Although Gomez is leading MFL in goals (tied), he’s mostly used as a sub. So I wouldn’t expect to see him start. I think it’s either Jozy and Buddle OR they play Donovan or Dempsey as a withdrawn forward and put someone else in the middle. If Donovan is in the mid field he’ll most likely play out on the flank with Bradley and one of Clark, Edu or Feilhaber in the center. I think Holden or Torres have a shot at significant midfield minutes as well.

6

It will probably be Cherundolo instead of Spector. Spector’s been in pretty poor form from what I understand.

7

This is a very good thing. the MLS simply doesn’t have the same competitive level as the big boys, so taking players who compete at that higher level is definitely what we want.

My thoughts exactly. I like Spector a lot, but from what I hear he’s been off game. Cherundolo is pretty solid though.

8

Although, if I can be a homer for the league, 16 of the 23 players got their start in MLS. MLS is doing a damn good job of doing what this country needed 10-15 years ago: a stable league developing the next generation of national team players.

9

Maybe so, but there’s a downside here as well. Admittedly, I am not a soccer fan, but I don’t recognize any of the names on that list. When the World Cup is over, win, lose, or draw, most of those guys are going back to the European teams from whence they came. Any publicity “bump” they may generate for the game will be wasted, because we won’t hear from these guys again. In four years, there will be a new crop of guys nobody ever heard of playing for the national team. It might be better in the short term to send a weaker team comprised mostly of people that actually play in this country, and keep some of the buzz going in the media…

10

I’m of the opinion that American domestic soccer is never going to be considered top tier until they play in the same competition as the Big Boys in Europe. Until Barcelona plays the New York Football Club or something in a game that counts, any American league is going to be considered second tier.* The much ballyhooed quadrellenal “publicity bump” is never going to do much of anything, domestic-based players or not.

*This is coming from a big MLS fan. Go Quakes!

11

I agree with you there. It’s a good place to get a start, and it’s becoming a place where some great players can begin their careers. But that’s the thing, it’s where they’ll begin their careers. There’s a reason old timers from the big leagues come to MLS for their retirement

12

Spector’s poor form has generally come on the left of the defense. He very well may play there. It’s between him and Boca IMO.

I fully expect we’ll see the following against England:

-------Howard
Spector-Demerit-Gooch(Goodson)-Bocanegra
Holden----Clark----Bradley----Donovan
---------Dempsey------Altidore

Goodson starting if Gooch isn’t healthy. He looked really iffy against the Czechs, didn’t he? Beasley might also get a start to help Bocanegra deal with pace down the wing. Then Holden sits and Donovan switches sides.

I have three concerns: Onyewu’s health, left back, and how they’ll transition from a speedy counter-attacking team without Davies. Findley has the same pace, but I hope he doesn’t see the field ever.

13

Throw the biggest sporting event in the world so that people who don’t care about soccer still will pay lip service to it for another couple days afterward? Possibly the worst idea of all time.

Landon Donovan is only the best American soccer player* of all time, and he plays in MLS. He’s also played in two previous World Cups. His sticking around clearly didn’t register, and if that didn’t, nothing will.

  • Field player. I wouldn’t argue if you said Brad Friedel was the better player.
14

Is there a reason Friedel no longer plays for the national team? He’s still number one choice at Villa ahead of Brad Guzan and he’s had a great season.

(Disclaimer, I know nothing about US soccer, but I am an English Aston Villa fan).

15

The back row will be a sieve.

Ogechi Onyewu, as good as he is, is out of shape for the WC. His passes were weak, he couldn’t jump on offense or defense, he shouldn’t be on the team.

Bob Bradley is gambling with the roster he selected. It is loaded with attackers. If we get behind I think it will be difficult to come back. Howard is a good goaltender, but he doesn’t respond well to difficulty.

I project that in the first round, the US will give up 5 goals. I think that will be a difficult number to overcome. American midfieldiers are not good enough to create enough attacking opportunities for Altidore and Buddle. And I don’t believe Bradley believes in Gomez. He will be seen fleetingly.

The team selected disappoints me. Nevertheless, I will be wearing my stars and stripes, banging heads, come June 12.

16

Didn’t Altidore play for Hull? Or did he get a transfer to Villareal, if so good for him! I’m actually very happy with this selection, it seems Slovenia will have a better chance to progress than I had expected :slight_smile:

17

He started at Villareal, played a couple of matches, then got transferred into a bad loan situation at Xerex(sp?) in the Spanish second division. After that I think it was a direct sale to Hull, where he wasn’t as pants as the rest of the team.

Don’t worry, England will probably still make it through.

18

Who would you rather have seen?

19

What happened to Freddy Adu, anyway? Did he just slow down as his body reached adulthood, or was he just never really that talented?

20

Ah! I’ve just realised that I’m going to be in the US form the Eng-USA match.

Bugger…how widespread will the coverage be? are the major networks carrying all the live matches or do I have to find an Irish bar? (as usual)