OT - USMNT Preliminary 30-man World Cup roster

Submitted by FGB on

    Goalkeepers- Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann, Brad Guzan

    Defenders- Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Steve Cherundolo, Jonathan Spector, Jay DeMerit, Clarence Goodson, Jonathan Bornstein, Heath Pearce, Chad Marshall

    Midfielders- Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Stuart Holden, Ricardo Clark, Maurice Edu, Benny Feilhaber, Jose Francisco Torres, Alejandro Bedoya, DaMarcus Beasley, Sacha Kljestan, Robbie Rogers

    Forwards- Jozy Altidore, Robbie Findley, Brian Ching, Edson Buddle, Eddie Johnson, Herculez Gomez

http://bit.ly/d3Q6AA

Initial thoughts:

Obviously, no Charlie Davies sucks. For the team and for the kid.  Including Sacha also sucks, though just for the team.

Buddle and Gomez both make provisional, and I suppose both could make the final roster with CD9 a confirmed no show.  And I guess the Eddie Johnson door is slightly ajar too.  Man the forward pool is thin (this is not news but I really believed Davies could make it back to at least be a sub), and given the glut of decent-to-good midfielders who are healthy (Holden, Torres, Bradley, Donovan, Clark, Edu), I think you've got to shift Dempsey up top.

Other than the Davies news, no great surprises (maybe Rogers, considering how bad Rogers has been lately). Final roster is due June 1, but it'll be decided before that.

Thoughts?  Think Davies should have at least been on the provisional roster?  Glad to see Buddle and Gomez both make camp? Concerned about the lack of clear answers at full back? (take that Ives!)

Edit: cut and posted incorrect list, it's Findley, not Casey, in the forward pool. sorry about that.

Needs

May 11th, 2010 at 2:34 PM ^

I think the central defense is actually thinner than the forward pool. At forward, you've got the leading scorer in the MFL and MLS along with a sometime EPL starter. All at least, getting time and in some reasonable form.

At central defense, you've got Gooch, coming off a major knee injury and without a competitive game since November, Boca, starting in Ligue 1 but also our best option at LB, DeMerit, a middling Championship defender, and two relatively untested players in Goodson and Marshall (who's coming off injury of his own). That's terrifying, especially given they're facing arguably the best striker in the world in the first game.

Obviously, there are no better options, but the options we have suck.

ihartbraylon

May 11th, 2010 at 2:44 PM ^

In a short time, Charlie Davies became one of my favorite US players ever. I would have liked to at least see him with a jersey on, even if he wouldn't play. Conor Casey is useless at this level anyway, wouldn't be a big loss.

I have no idea how Sacha continues to make these rosters.

Overall it's not too bad though. I think the midfield will be fine. Best case scenario Gooch returns to form and we can move the captain out wide so we only have to deal with one defender potentially not showing up. I don't know who I'm rooting for to win the other forward spot. Please God make Johnson/Buddle/Gomez effective.

Yinka Double Dare

May 11th, 2010 at 2:49 PM ^

It's actually Robbie Findley on the roster, not Casey.  Still would have made sense to give Davies an extra few weeks instead of putting Findley, who I can't see making the final roster no matter what, on the 30 man.  Why not give Chuck D a chance?  Altidore and Ching will be going.  If they play a 4-4-2 Dempsey will play as a forward.  One of the Gomez/Buddle/Johnson group will make it as well I would think.  I can't see how Findley beats out even two of those three.

Needs

May 11th, 2010 at 3:10 PM ^

I think CD being left out has to mean that he's still suffering significant limitations from his injuries. If the trainers thought there was a likely chance he could be match fit, you'd have to bring him.

I actually think 2 of Gomez/Buddle/Johnson go in addition to Altidore and Ching (if healthy, he's the only striker who's a pure target guy.) I think it breaks out as

3 GK

7 Defenders (Bornstein or Pearce, Goodson or Marshall)

9 MF (Bedoya/Beasley/Sacha (god, no)/Rogers for one spot)

4 FW (as above).

Edu  gives a little cover since he can drop back and play CB in an emergency. Not ideal, but as I said, our CBs suck.

MGoShoe

May 11th, 2010 at 2:56 PM ^

...provisional 30-man roster:

GOALKEEPERS: Joe Hart (Manchester City), David James (Portsmouth), Robert Green (West Ham)

DEFENDERS: Leighton Baines (Everton), Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Michael Dawson (Tottenham), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Ledley King (Tottenham), John Terry (Chelsea), Matthew Upson (West Ham), Stephen Warnock (Aston Villa)

MIDFIELDERS: Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham), James Milner (Aston Villa), Scott Parker (West Ham), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City)

FORWARDS: Darren Bent (Sunderland), Peter Crouch (Tottenham), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

MGoShoe

May 11th, 2010 at 2:54 PM ^

"Charlie has shown so much heart in his work to get back from his injuries," Bradley said. "We have monitored all of his workouts, we've had people there, we've observed him. He remained part of the consideration right up until yesterday. We also had information from his club that he hadn't been given full medical clearance. Therefore, [he was] not given a full release to join the camp. So when we put that together with everything, we just felt that right now, it's in his best interests to continue his rehab so he can get back to the level that he was playing last year before the accident."

Pai Mei

May 11th, 2010 at 3:05 PM ^

I honestly think a hurt Davies is better than Findlay and maybe Ching. Neither of them have or will bring anything to a game at that level. I feel for Davies and it really sucks for Jermaine Jones too.

Without a doubt the midfield is out strongest unit so hopefully Dempsey plays up top. I think Gooch played for AC on Sunday??  Hopefully another center back steps up so Boca can play left back, leaving Bornstein where he belongs. I really don't many suprises for the final team...

UMQuadz05

May 11th, 2010 at 3:18 PM ^

Ives' last starting lineup for the England game (and one I agree with):

-------------Dempsey---------Altidore----

--Donovan----Bradley----Edu (or Clark)------Holden--

--Boca------Gooch-----Demerit--------Spector--------

---------------------Timmay-------------

 

Take a deep breath and remember, it's gonna be OK.  This is a good team.

ihartbraylon

May 11th, 2010 at 4:08 PM ^

I'd prefer Buddle/Gomez/Johnson somehow show they can produce against international competition so Dempsey can play on the wing like he plays at Fulham. Nothing against Holden, he's a good player, but I think the ideal situation is if we get a competent true striker up there. That being said, quadz lineup is probably how it's gonna be since no striker has shown us anything. Not too bad.

ken725

May 11th, 2010 at 3:53 PM ^

Bornstein and Kljestan scare me whenever they are on the pitch.  I doubt Findlay makes the 23 man roster since he was horrible when we played against Netherlands. 

There are lots of intriguing players that have been in good form recently. 

I tend to be a harsh critic of BB, but he has a hard job, which was made even more difficult due to injuries.