Hopefully the next time the US plays a game, we'll find out who is on the squad before the entire team is all but together. The US is in Krakow for a match against Poland but the roster wasn't revealed until around 72 hours before the start of the match.
The Under-23's Olympic qualifying games probably had something to do with the timing of the roster announcement, as it was not until Saturday that the roster was posted on US Soccer's Web site.
Only three MLS players made the cut, and it's no surprise two of them came from Houston who just played two CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal matches. Match fitness is lacking across MLS and it wouldn't have made much sense to take guys who, in some cases, haven't played a competitive game in months.
Landon Donovan is the exception, of course.
Goalkeepers: Marcus Hahnemann (Reading FC), Tim Howard (Everton FC)
Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham FC), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jay DeMerit (Watford FC), Cory Gibbs (Charlton Athletic), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)
Midfielders: Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Eddie Lewis (Derby County)
Forwards: Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC), Eddie Johnson (Fulham FC), Josh Wolff (1860 Munich)
10 comments:
I find it interesting that Benny didn't make the Olympic qualifying roster, but is on the senior team roster.
There was a rumor about a Feilhaber/Adu skirmish at the u23 camp - could be nonsense though.
Josh Wolff is still playing?
what are the chances that Spector starts over Bocanegra? Does match fitness come in to play there seeing as how Carlos struggles to get on the field for an EPL team that would probably not make the MLS playoffs.
Benny is on this team b/c Stu, Sacha, and Maurice are being given a break. If there was more time between this game and the olympic qualifying than 2 of those 3 would be on this squad and he wouldn't (along with Lewis hopefully)
Those forward options are kind of iffy, but besides that looks pretty solid.
The forward options have unfortunately seemed a little iffy for a while now.
Any word of Kenny Cooper getting another shot with the Nats? As many have mentioned the impending MLS season but a few players out of the equation but I've always liked how the big fella plays and would like to see him get a look. I mean, when has Josh Wolff really impressed at that level?
josh wolff scored an important goal against mexico a few years back and played pretty well in Korea..so he has impressed at that level..I think Benny was not ready to play for a ¨team¨..and just because he is called in does not mean he will play..I think there may be some attitude issues with Benny
I'm a big Coop fan myself. Would like to see him get another run out there sometime.
take this 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 starting line up to the bank :-)
howard
demerit onyewu
cherundolo pearce
clark
bradley feilhaber
dempsey donovan
johnson
subs:
ching for johnson
spector for cherundolo
lewis for pearce (if we are down a goal and if ching is in)
arrgh, blogger... I meant:
--------------howard----------------
-------demerit--------onyewu--------
--cherundolo------------------pearce
----------------clark---------------
------bradley---------feilhaber-----
--dempsey------------------donovan--
---------------johnson--------------
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