23 players will goto Germany, 5 will be named alternatives 3 GKs 7/8 Defenders 7/8 Midfielders 5 Forwards The locks GK Kasey Keller Marcus Hahneman *2 Goal Keepers FBs Steve Cherundolo Frankie Hejduk CD Eddie Pope Oguchi Onyewu Corey Gibbs CD/FB Carlos Bocanegra *6 Defenders DM Pablo Mastroeni Kerry Zevagnin CM Claudio Reyna John O'Brien (assuming health) Clint Dempsey AM Landon Donovan DaMarcus Beasley *7 Midfielders Forwards/Strikers Eddie Johnson Josh Wolff *2 Forwards/Strikers Thats 17 Locks (IMHO), 6 spots availible Competition for Open spots GK (1) Tim Howard Matt Reis Joe Cannon Kevin Hartman Defenders (1 - 2) Bobby Convey Chad Marshall Jonathan Spector Nat Borchers Gregg Berhalter Jimmy Conrad Tim Ward Ugo Ihemelu Marvell Wynne Midfielders (1) Chris Armas Stvee Ralston Bobby Convey Pat Noonan Justin Mapp Benny Feilhaber Eddie Gaven Freddy Adu Ben Olsen Brad Davis Forwards (3) Pat Noonan Conor Casey Brian Ching Brian McBride Freddy Adu Santino Quaranta Nate Jaqua Alecko Eskandarian Chris Rolfe
McBride is aging. he needs to survive one more year and you might be right on Zev. But Bruce loves him
wow Freddy Adu,. Wynne...from U20...great..Spector..Donovan...wow so many american in Germany....maybe some of them will stay in Germany and joint to our teams....everyone will watch WC 06...good chance for americans to show their talent....you are sending very strong team to Germany...hmhm....competitive.... Thanks for this information. I´m going to send it to Klinsmann and Beckenbauer...so we can start to do our Strategy bltleo
Assuming health: Locks Kasey Keller John O'brien Pablo Mastroeni Eddie Johnson DaMarcus Beasley Landon Donovan I really believe everything else is up for competition.
How about Eddie Lewis? Has he fallen so far out of favor with you that he isn't a lock nor a contender. I put him as a lock because he has been playing so damn well. Maybe the bess crosser we have. He's in his 30's but the WC is only a year away. It's time to think about the present more than the future.
Nice effort. I'd quibble in that Frankie, to me, is a 75% lock. Eddie Lewis is definently a lock as in DMB/Lewis at left mid for the tourney. I don't see Zavagnin as a lock at all, and I think it depends if Mastro/Reyna/O'Brien are all there and healthy..AND if Dempsey can show in the DM spot. Otherwise, I think he does pick a back-up DM with a 17-21 spot I see 2 GK as a lock (Keller + someone), but since I don't care backup goalies I think Spector is a 50% lock, and moves up to 95% if he starts for a Premiership team (even on loan) and plays well. I think Russell still has an outside shot, but he's had such bad luck over the years. Again, well done.
An odd way of showing love is to call in another defensive midfielder, while you're left with your club. Armas is there to compete and push Zavagnin for the back-up slot to Pablo. Kerry is still a question mark, especially given the Gold Cup roster. How many other healthy MLS guys who are in the player pool were left off the GC roster?! Otherwise, I think the list is close, although I'm not sure Pope can hang for another year, but I do think McBride can. It's not so much about them, but the talent pushing for their slots. A healthy McBride gets a slot, while Pope has to hope he doesn't get passed by a Spector, if he gets some time. Convey is also likely a lock, not due to performance, but because he can switch between the back and midfield. That roster flexibility makes it easier to carry someone.....filling two positions with one player. I think it's indicative of our quality that so many have a pretty firm grasp on their positions a year before the WC.....
respectfully, I disagree. you know how Bruce works. Can you REALLY envision a healthy Eddie Pope not on the rsoter? same goes for Bocanegra and Oguchi Onyewu. Maybeit would have been better if I defined lock as "excellent chance of making the world cup roster and beating out competition"
no one knows how Bruce thinks... but despite this it is nice to hear your opinon i really enjoy reading about american players here.. so thanks
I do as well. Let's face it, your 17 locks are lots of speculation. Keller is definitely a lock. EJ, DMB and Donovan are clearly locks. Mastro is 99% a lock but you have to take into account that the d-mid position is such a deep position for the USMNT. IF reyna, JOB, Dempsey all have a great year, I could see Mastro possibly (remote, but still possibly) getting squeezed out. JOB is not a lock, even if healthy. We are postulating at his form after injury based entirely on his form preinjury. Granted, I think he will make it, but Clint Mathis' injury hurt his abilities dramatically, and I don't know that even if in a year, JOB will be rounded into top playing form, even if healthy. (let alone quick enough to play left back). The great thing about our depth is that there is so much competition. I can see Bocanegra, Gibbs, Gooch squeezing out Pope. Or possibly Pope, Gibbs, Gooch squeezing out Bocanegra. Throw in a young Demeritt or Marshall who might justify some looks and you have some serious competition. Though I think Gooch and Gibbs will be 1A and 1B, nothing is a lock right now. So those five as locks. Everyone else is up in the air.
Pretty much agree with you--except, if healthy, McBride is a lock on the squad. So my list of "locks" would be six. Otherwise, anything can happen in a year.
There are only 4 stone cold mortal locks: Donovan, Keller, Beasley, Bocanegra Next level - 95%, but could collapse: McBride 90% shot - current form and age says yes: Gibbs, Cherundolo, Mastroeni, Lewis 90% shot - Bruce's comfort zone: Pope, Hejduk, Reyna If his scoring pace stays anywhere near where it's been: Johnson The mystery: JOB 4+1+4+3+1+1=14 in the pretty much in camp the way I see it.
Pope only needs to get thru 1/2 more of an MLS season w/o looking awful. Hell, he hasn't looked that great in MLS for years, and still... I agree he's pretty much a lock. Unless Spector wins a central defender starting spot for Man U..which is pretty unlikely (and even then, Pope's got the UVA, DC, and vet thing going for him...)
let me put it this way, do the players I have listed above have an excellent chance of making the World Cup? say 90% or better? because if you get right down to it, there is no such thing as a lock.
I'm thinking that Manchester United might put Spector out on loan to get him some game experience. It did wonders for Richardson, and with a left foot, he'll get considered for the English team. They won't start Spector, but a loan is a distinct possibility. If we qualify early, Bruce might actually use him in some games, and with friendlies in Europe in '06, he might be there as well. If he gets some time, and plays well, there is a path for him to get himself into contention. There's a lot of depth in the back, and while I have a hard time not seeing Eddie on the squad, there are enough backs looking to make the squad that he's going to have to fight to hang on while increasing his level of play. I think we'll take 8 backs....Gibbs, Onyewu, Cherundolo, Hejduk, and Bocanegra make five. I think Convey takes a slot due to his flexibility, which in my opinion, leaves Pope fighting with Berhalter, Spector, and Vanney over two spots. Right now, I'd say that's Berhalter and Pope, but if Spector gets into the mix, that'd be an interesting compeitition...... I'm thinking a headline about Spector going on loan would be the first step in his getting into serious contention for Germany...........