Pick your 23 in their order of certainty

Demerit must be a beast to be ranked twice....and why oh why is DMB still being rated????.....sigh....

 

Deut, you have DeMerit twice.

Here's mine.


1. Landon Donovan
2. Tim Howard
3. Oguchi Onyewu
4. Michael Bradley
5. Clint Dempsey
6. Jermaine Jones
7. Jozy Altidore
8. Carlos Bocanegra
9. Jay DeMerit
10. Jonathan Spector
11. Steve Cherundolo
12. Charlie Davies
13. Brian Ching
14. Benny Feilhaber
15. Brad Guzan
16. Maurice Edu
17. Stuart Holden
18. Chad Marshall
19. Jonathan Bornstein
20. Frankie Hejduk
21. Robbie Rogers
22. Rico Clark
23. Troy Perkins


The break from "virtual lock if he stays in form" to "looks probable" occurs between 16 and 17. #24, in my mind, is Torres. Adu can also get in the picture with PT. Sacha and Beasley could if they return to form, but I doubt that will happen with DMB. Maybe Sacha.

 

I pretty much agree with this. Donovan has to be first on the scale of "how big a scandal would it take to get him kicked off the team". Howard is the most valuable in the transfer market, but is also replaceable.

I can imagine scenarios where Marshall doesn't make it, or Heath Pearce passes Hejduk or Bornstein.

 

Once you get past about 17, there is no certainty this far out.

 

As a member of the listing Jay DeMerit twice (on another thread), I salute you!

1. Landon Donovan
2. Tim Howard
3. Clint Dempsey
4. Michael Bradley
5. Oguchi Onyewu
6. Carlos Bocanegra
7. Jermaine Jones
8. Benny Feilhaber
9. Brad Guzan
10. Jozy Altidore
11. Jay DeMerit
12. Steve Cherundolo
13. Jonathan Spector
14. Charlie Davies
15. Brian Ching
-------------Above this line, I'm pretty certain they go-----------
16. Rico Clark
17. Maurice Edu
18. Marcus Hahnemann
19. Chad Marshall
20. Frankie Hejduk
21. Jose Torres
22. Stuart Holden
23. Robbie Rogers
---------------------------------------------
24. Jonathan Bornstein
25. Heath Pearce
26. Troy Perkins
27. Freddy Adu
28. Sacha Kljestan
29. DaMarcus Beasley
30. Kenny Cooper
31. Danny Califf
32. Jimmy Conrad
33. Edgar Castillo
34. Kyle Beckerman
35. A host of others:

 

1. Tim Howard
2. Landon Donovan
3. Oguchi Onyewu
4. Carlos Bocanegra
5. Michael Bradley
6. Jozy Altidore
7. Clint Dempsey
8. Steve Cherundolo
9. Jonathan Spector
10. Jay DeMerit
11. Ricardo Clark
12. Charlie Davies
13. Brad Guzan
14. Benny Feilhaber
15. Jonathan Bornstein
16. Brian Ching
17. Chad Marshall
18. Stuart Holden
Below this it's pretty vague. I'll take:
19. Troy Perkins
20. Jermaine Jones (I've never seen him play so I'm not comfortable putting him higher than this)
21. Jose Francisco Torres
22. Heath Pearce
23. Robbie Rogers

 

I'd take Frankie over Pearce any day. And I expect Bradley to rate Edu ahead of Torres, but we'll see.

 

Here are my 23, by category:

--Undroppable--
Could not fathom our World Cup team without these guys, even in terrible form or return from injury.

01. Howard
02. Donovan
03. Dempsey
04. Onyewu
05. Bocanegra
06. Bradley
07. Jones *
08. Cherundolo
09. Altidore

--Almost Certain--
Pretty sure to be on the team, but could imagine them at home with a tragic loss in form

10. Guzan
11. Spector
12. Davies
13. DeMerit

--Made it: Dearth of Options Version--
In a different cycle, might not make it, but I'd expect an appearance

14. Ching
15. Bornstein

--Made it: Unjamming the Log Version--
Lots of depth at center mid and center back: here's who I bring

16. Feilhaber
17. Edu
18. Clark
19. Torres
20. Marshall

--Situational--
An attempt to fill gaps in the roster with these final spots

21. Perkins
22. Holden
23. Adu

Roster
GK (3): Howard, Guzan, Perkins
DEF (7): Cherundolo, Onyewu, DeMerit, Bocanegra, Spector, Bornstein, Marshall
MID (9): Dempsey, Donovan, Bradley, Jones, Feilhaber, Edu, Clark, Torres, Holden
FWD (4): Altidore, Davies, Ching, Adu

Thoughts

• I'd rather have one more central defender on here and one less midfielder, but I'm hoping that Bocanegra, Spector, and - in a pinch - Edu's versatility can mitigate that need.
  
• Jones is a total wildcard at this point, but if he makes the switch, I don't see how we omit a quality Bundesliga player.
  
• For my last three, I'm not attached to any third keeper (nor does it matter.) Holden gives us versatility in the midfield, and I think he beats out Kljestan for that floater spot. Adu makes the trip strictly as an attacking sub, hence his grouping with the forwards.

 

1. Landon
2. Clint
3. Howard
4. Onyewu
5. Bradley
6. Jones
7. Jozy
8. Bocanegra
9. Spector
10. Davies
11. Ching
12. Edu
13. Benny
14. Guzan
15. Demerit
16. Hejduk
17. Hahneman
18. Torres
19. Adu
20. Rogers
21. Castillo
22. Holden
23. Marshall

My thinking is driven largely by versatility. My starting 11 would probably look like the Spain gamel, with the insertion of Jones for Clark.

GK[ 3]: Howard, Guzan, Hahneman

Def[7]: Spector, Onyewu, Boca, Demerit, Castillo, Marshall, Hejduk

Yes, no Dolo. Dolo could return depending on his health and his season at Hannover. Now, I rate Spector more highly and he can play either side or as a backup in the center. Hejduk’s versatility gives him the edge over Dolo as a backup.

MF[10]: Clint, Landon, Bradley, Jones, Benny, Edu, Torres, Holden, Adu, Rogers

Again, the backups are about versatility. Edu edges Clark because of his upside and the fact that he could in a pinch play CB. This presumes he is healthy and back in his Rangers form. I take torres and Adu because of they are unique players. Holden makes the team because he can play all over the midfield.


F [3]: Jozy, Davies, Ching

Again, Landon or Clint could conceivably be pushed up front, as could Freddy or Rogers.

 

Number one is definitely Michael Bradley. After that it's negotiable.

 

1. Tim Howard
2.Landon Donovan
3. Clint Dempsey
4. Michael Bradley
5. Oguchi Onyewu
6. Carlos Bocanegra
7. Jermaine Jones
8. Charlie Davies
9. Jozy Altidore
10. Jay DeMerit
11. Jonathan Spector
12. Steve Cherundolo
13. Benny Feilhaber
14. Brad Guzan
15. Brian Ching
16. Rico Clark
17. Maurice Edu
18. Frankie Hejduk
19. Jose Torres
20. Stuart Holden
21. Marcus Hahnemann
22. Edgar Castillo
23. DaMarcus Beasley

Everyone left the Beas off their list? Don't get me wrong he sucked at the CC, but I cant give up on him yet. I think he'll figure it out in a year.

 

Of course. But if we rate based on how much worse team becomes without
a player X then we will have something like that:

Potential starters
---------------------------------------------------------------
1. Donovan (because he is Donovan).
2. Gooch (much improved)
3. Howard (underwhelming at CC, but all our keepers are overrated, Friedel would start if available)
4. Dempsey (is able to score a goal at any second)
5. Feilhaber (unique, as Donovan is able to make everybody on his team look better)
6. Altidore (just get in shape kid)
7. Bradley (would be higher, but Edu is very close)
8. Edu (this close and he is emergency CB)
9. Davis (we got no forwards)
10. Ching (see Davis)
11. Spector (could be higher but Dolo and Frankie are here)
12. Dolo (depending on opponent he might be better than Spector)
13. Boca (very solid CB with plenty of equals, or lousy LB but the rest is worse)
14. Hejduk (I suspect that he is our best LB, the only natural leader on the team)
15. Guzan (is he better than Perkins, Heynemann, Keller)?
16. DeMeritt (probably better than Boca as a CB)
17. Bornstein (by default)
---------------------------------------------
Players that aren't starters unless injuries/cards kick in.

18. Holden (next to Donovan, the most versatile player
19. Marshall (Fourth CB might get minutes)
20. Torres (situational sub)
21. Clark (underrated, limited but good, situational sub)
22. Goalkeeper #3
23. The guy that never plays. Current candidates depending on form:
Rogers, Adu, Cooper, Clejstan whoever else can play on the wing)

And than there is Jones who might be compatible or not, valuable or not and headcase or not. He can reshuffle the list.
And Castillo who is a headcase but might be a very useful headcase depending on form.

 

1 Howard
2 Donovan
3 Dempsey
4 Onyewu
5 Bradley
6 Bocanegra
7 Guzan
8 Altidore
9 Jones
10 DeMerit
11 Davies
12 Spector
13 Cherundolo
14 Edu
15 Feilhaber
16 Bornstein
17 Ching
18 Marshall
19 Rogers
20 Holden
21 Clark
22 Hahnemann
23 Hejduk

 

1. Howard
2. Donovan
3. Onyewu
4. Bocanegra
5. Bradley
6. Dempsey
7. Altidore
8. Jones
9. Cherundolo
10. Feilhaber
11. Spector
12. Edu
13. Ching
14. Davies
15. Guzan
16. Torres
17. Hejduk
18. Beasley
19. Pearce
20. Clark
21. Bornstein
22. Hahnemann
23. Conrad

24. Adu
25. Wynne
26. Cooper
27. Marshall
28. Castillo
29. Rogers
30. Kljestan
31. Parkhurst
32. Holden
33. Johnson
34. Perkins
35. Casey
36. Keller

 

I don't know whom... I just know whom not to pick:
1. Demarcus Beasley
2. Marvell Wynne
3. Taylor Twellman
4. Eddie Johnson
5. Josh Wolf
6. Bobby Convey
7. Pablo Maestroeni
8. Logan Pause
9. Heath Pearce
10. Jay Heaps
11.Jimmy Conrad
12. Conor Casey
13. Sacha Kljestan
14. Danny Califf
15. Cory Gibbs
16. and of course... Jeff Agoos

Now just take none of these 16 and we're straight.......dave.

 

You know, I have been rewatching the 2002 WC and Beasley was really awesome. And simply for that fact, I have to "honor" his service and defend him a bit. Yes he was awful in SA and has been erratic the past few years. But just due to 2002 he will always be above Twellman, for instance, and lots of those other guys. And on the off chance that he makes a move to a club and gets some PT and gets some good form, I wouldnt hesitate to put him back in my 23.

But for the record, I found your post funny

 

1.Tim Howard
2.Landon Donovan
3.Oguchi Onyewu
4.Clint Dempsey
5.Michael Bradley
6.Jozy Altidore
7.Carlos Bocanegra
8.Jonathan Spector
9.Charlie Davies
10.Jermaine Jones
11.Jay Demerit
12.Brad Guzan
13.Ricardo Clark
14.Brian Ching
15.Benny Feilhaber
16.Steve Cherundolo
17.Jonathan Bornstein
18.Chad Marshall
19.Stuart Holden
20.Jose Francisco Torres
21.Robbie Rogers
22.Conor Casey
23.Frankie Hejduk

Something like that.

 

1. Landon
2. Tim
3. MB
4. Gooch
5. Dempsey
6. Jones (if applicable)
7. Boca
8. Spector
9. Jozy
10. Feilhaber
11. Guzan
12. Davies
13. Edu
14. DeMerit
15. Rico Clark
16. Montero.. oh, crap, ... Ching
17. Hejduk
18. Holden
19. Conrad
20. Hanneman
21. Marshall
22. Torres
23. LB backup to be determined. Really 2nd backup since Frankie can play on both sides.

Frankie can play both sides, Boca can play in center or on left, Edu can play back there in a pinch. Only 3 fw on the roster, but Dempsey and Donovan can play up there, and probably will more once we get Jones which will push MB further up the field.

Alternates: Sacha, Freddie, Califf, Casey

 

1. Howard
2. Donovan
3. Onyewu
4. Bradley
5. Dempsey
6. Bocanegra
7. Ching
8. Davies
9. Feilhaber
10. Altidore
11. Jones
12. Spector
13. Edu
14. Cherundolo
15. Guzan
16. Clark
17. DeMerit
18. Beasley
19. Holden
20. Hejduk
21. Kljestan
22. Adu
23. Hahnemann

i'd prefer Torres over Kljestan on current form, but JFT is not Bob's guy, Sacha is

 

1. Donovan (LM)
2. Timmy! (GK)
3. Clint (RM)
4. Gooch (CB)
5. Benny (CM/AM)
6. Mike B (CM/AM)
7. DeMerit (CB)
8. Jozy (CF)
9. Spector (CB)
10. Boca (CB)
11. Rico (CM/DM)
12. Dolo (RB)
13. El Guzano! (GK)
14. Bornstein (LB)
15. Hejduk (RB)
16. Davies (CF)
17. Edu (CM/DM)
18. Holden (RM)
19. Rogers (LM)
20. Perkins (GK)
21. Pearce (LB)
22. Ching (CF)
23. Adu (CF)

* I'd prefer for Adu to play RM and Dempsey to play CF.

 

1. Bradley, Dempsey, Donovan, Howard, Onyewu

6. Bocanegra, Clark, Guzan

9. Altidore, Cherundolo, Davies, Ching, DeMerit, Spector

15. Edu, Hejduk, Perkins

18. Feilhaber

19. Bornstein, Holden

21. Rogers

22. Conrad

23. probably Jones, but since I've never seen him...........