23 tickets to GC?

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by RalleeMonkey, Mar 30, 2011.

  1. RalleeMonkey

    RalleeMonkey Member+

    Aug 30, 2004
    here
    The player pool is pretty confusing right now. New guys looking good, old guys looking less good.

    I'd be interested to see the various opinions on who's in and who's out right now. Bob, will have to have made his decisions before the Spain match (right?), so this is the body of evidence he has to work with.
     
  2. giffenbone

    giffenbone Member

    Jan 22, 2006
    Raleigh, NC
    Not sure about timing of roster announcement, and if we'll squeeze another friendly in addition to the Spain one...but here's my guess at 23 (noting that Guzan and Holden are out).

    GK: Howard, Hahnemann, 3rd goalkeeper (any number of choices)

    DEF: Cherundolo, Chandler, Lichaj, Onyewu, Goodson, DeMerit, Bocanegra, Ream, Bornstein

    MID: Feilhaber, Edu, Jones, Bradley, Donovan, Dempsey, Spector

    FW: Altidore, Agudelo, Buddle

    I'm POSITIVE I'm forgetting someone more deserving (probably in midfield).

    I think with the right back depth, we might drop one of Lichaj or Spector and add Diskerud. But I'm not sure which one, so I left them both in and Mix out until he gets more USMNT time.

    Bunbury is of course in the conversation at forward. Davies I don't think will be there, but never count him out.
     
  3. aarond23

    aarond23 Member+

    Feb 24, 2006
    Indianapolis
    Club:
    Fulham FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think Bunbury should also get a chance at forward, as well as Davies....would like to see another friendly.

    I seem to recall that in 2009 they let the US keep a bigger roster and then certain players left the team to start the season in Europe, was that a 1 year exception rule or could it happen again?
     
  4. Maitreya

    Maitreya Member+

    Apr 30, 2007
    Providence, RI
    You are forgetting someone, as you only named 22 players. I would guess we go 8-8-4 or 9-7-4 in terms of distribution of defenders-mids-forwards. I think it's likely that one of the 9 defenders you named will be injured by the Gold Cup, making Bob's decision straightforward. If he has to cut someone, Bornstein or Lichaj seems most likely. I don't think there is an obvious 8th midfielder. Rico Clark is probably the most likely. Bob could also take whoever is in the best form between Robbie Rogers and Freddy Adu. At forward, I like Agudelo and Altidore as virtual locks. I think it's Buddle vs Bunbury for another slot. For the fourth, I don't know what Bob will do, but I would take either Chris Wondolowski or Charlie Davies, based on their MLS form.
     
  5. giffenbone

    giffenbone Member

    Jan 22, 2006
    Raleigh, NC
    Yes I am. In that case add Mix. We could also again drop one of the four RB options I named (Dolo, Lichaj, Chandler and I put Spector in midfield) and add Bunbury as well. If we dropped one, I see it being either Lichaj or Spector as I stated earlier.
     
  6. cleansheetbsc

    cleansheetbsc Member+

    Mar 17, 2004
    Club:
    --other--
    Won't happen this year. The Gold Cup is being held during June. In 2009, it started right after the Confederations Cup, in early July. A lot of European camps open up during the first 2 weeks of July.
     
  7. Howard the Drake

    Feb 27, 2010
    That decision represents pretty much everything that's awesome/awful about CONCACAF. They basically changed the rules on the fly, but it didn't wind up mattering (I think Benny was the only addition who played) nor was it going to (everyone knew it was going to be an experimental roster anyway).
     
  8. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    GK: Howard, Hahnemann, Yelldell (why not)

    D: Onyewu, Bocanegra, Ream, Demerit, Goodson, Chandler, Cherundolo, Bornstein

    M: Bradley, Jones, Edu, Feilhaber, Donovan, Dempsey, Spector, Diskerud

    F: Bunbury, Altidore, Buddle, Agudelo

    That's 5 center backs (maybe too many but), 2 RBs (3 with Spector), 2 LBs, 3 center midfielders (although Feilhaber can probably play Center), 5 outside midfielders + Chandler. Four forwards
     
  9. Martin Fischer

    Martin Fischer Member+

    Feb 23, 1999
    Kampala. Uganda
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Seeing into the future, I would make only minor changes to this roster. My assumption is that if it is close between a Euro-based player and a MLS-one, BB will choose the European-based player so as to limit disruptions to MLS teams.

    My only changes are: 1. I can't imagine that Bob Bradley can really rate Jay Demerit still and Whitbred offers an option that won't disrupt a club team; and 2. I think Edson Buddle is done with the USMNT and am hopeful Charlie Davies is healthy, though it would make more sense for for Davies to stay with DC and continue to excel at the club level and for Buddle to use his free time to fill space. Other candidates I might like to see come are Break Shea and a young attacking midfielder, maybe somebody from the U-20s if they do well and someone excels. In the category of blind wishes, Perry Kitchen is mine. Maybe a young goalie like Bill Hamid for the experience if he isn't playing regularly in MLS.
     
  10. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I thought about throwing in Sean Johnson as the third goalie, but I'm not sure Bradley would do that.

    I also don't know anything about Whitbread, so..... can't really say anything haha.

    I really doubt Charlie Davies makes the Gold Cup team. I only picked Buddle because, well, who else? And Bradley picked him at least for the squad for these friendlies.

    I also think we could see Kljestan instead of Diskerud in my lineup if we judge off Bradley subbing in Kljestan yesterday. Still a long ways to go obviously.
     
  11. Brandinho

    Brandinho Member

    None
    United States
    Feb 22, 2007
    New Jersey
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Whats the deal with Gomez as another forward option? Is he out of the NT conversation?
     
  12. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I consider him part of the Wondolowski, Buddle, Findley cluster******* of mediocre forwards we have.


    And sadly, Jozy Altidore is trending towards that group.
     
  13. aarond23

    aarond23 Member+

    Feb 24, 2006
    Indianapolis
    Club:
    Fulham FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Gomez made the WC roster because he was red hot, I haven't heard much at all about him this year so I'm assuming he's gone back to the usual Herc. Great run in 2010 though.
     
  14. Martin Fischer

    Martin Fischer Member+

    Feb 23, 1999
    Kampala. Uganda
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I agree.

    My lineup is what I would do if I were Bradley, not necessarily what I think Bradley would do (though I remain optimistic).
     
  15. schrutebuck

    schrutebuck Member+

    Jul 26, 2007
    Pachuca have ruined him by trying to turn him into a winger instead of a striker.
     
  16. cleansheetbsc

    cleansheetbsc Member+

    Mar 17, 2004
    Club:
    --other--
    No, he is basically a crappy player who gets hot (and when he gets hot, it is white hot) about every 3-4 years.
     
  17. Southern Man

    Southern Man Member

    Jun 14, 2008
    I believe that was a special exemption from CONCACAF due to US having just played in Confederations Cup.

    ^In response to: I seem to recall that in 2009 they let the US keep a bigger roster and then certain players left the team to start the season in Europe, was that a 1 year exception rule or could it happen again?
     
  18. schrutebuck

    schrutebuck Member+

    Jul 26, 2007
    I disagree, but he shouldn't be in the discussion right now anyways. Although I do find it funny that Pachuca made the same mistake with him that MLS did when they tried to turn him into a winger. He's just not good enough for that spot.
     
  19. Brandinho

    Brandinho Member

    None
    United States
    Feb 22, 2007
    New Jersey
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Exactly. I believe CONCACAF said it they were going to do that for every Gold Cup that falls in the same year as the Confederations Cup. What they should do is not even play that silly cupcake tournament at all. It serves no purpose.
     
  20. Dr Jay

    Dr Jay BigSoccer Supporter

    Aug 7, 1999
    Newton, MA USA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think thats a little harsh.

    He epidomizes our forward pool....good at one or two things (e.g. shooting) but nowhere near the full package necessary to make a consistent difference at the International level.

    Charlie Davies was looking like our first striker since McBride to meet the requirements. Now, we got no one close.

    The good news is that strikers can peak young so maybe someone not on the radar or even Agudelo will blossom in the next few months.
     
  21. cleansheetbsc

    cleansheetbsc Member+

    Mar 17, 2004
    Club:
    --other--
    Nope. If he didn't have a hot streak every now and then, he would be Calen Carr.
     
  22. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    So yes..........he's still in the mix. If Bob's gonna call up a bench player from a team in the relegation zone of BundII (Buddle), then just about everybody is in the mix. As long as they're "hot" and performing well, which most assuredly isn't Gomez at the moment. Wondolowski scored a pretty nice goal against FCD last week.

    I do feel that Bob is actually 99% done evaluating players for the Gold Cup. He's had a whole lot of friendlies since the last World Cup, and has called in a great deal of players. We only have one friendly left before the Gold Cup, which is against Spain. That will be used strictly to give what he considers his "A" team work together before the GC begins. Bob could probably name his roster today................

    I imagine Real Corona's roster is pretty close:

    GK: Howard, Hahnemann, Yelldell (why not)

    D: Onyewu, Bocanegra, Ream, Demerit, Goodson, Chandler, Cherundolo, Bornstein

    M: Bradley, Jones, Edu, Feilhaber, Donovan, Dempsey, Spector, Diskerud

    F: Bunbury, Altidore, Buddle, Agudelo

    Personally I see no reason to have so many centerbacks. RC has 4 "natural CBs"............plus Boca and Spector can play there. (And Edu in an emergency for that matter) I'd take one of Demerit and Goodson off........and bring in some width for the midfield.
     
  23. MassYank

    MassYank New Member

    Mar 22, 2009
    Boston, MA
    Club:
    Celtic FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Freddy Adu is no where near deserving of a Gold Cup spot yet...


    Why hasn't anyone mentioned Bedoya ????? He is more deserving of a spot than Adu ........
     
  24. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I was trying to guess what Bradley would do, although I personally wouldn't have made major changes.
     
  25. Dr Jay

    Dr Jay BigSoccer Supporter

    Aug 7, 1999
    Newton, MA USA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Wake me up when Calen Carr leads any league in scoring that doesn't involve sponsorship by the local bar and teammates whose body fat percentage is higher than their age.
     

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