Here's my take on the depth chart (players may appear in multiple positions, but are only listed as the number one option at one position). Saturday's projected starters indicated in parens: Goalkeepers 1. Kasey Keller (starts Saturday) 2. Tim Howard 3. Marcus Hahnemann Left Back 1. Carlos Bocanegra (starts Saturday) 2. Jonathon Spector 3. Bobby Convey Right Back 1. Steve Cherundolo (starts Saturday) 2. Frankie Hejduk Center Back (2 start) 1. Cory Gibbs (starts Saturday) 2. Oguchi Onyewu (starts Saturday) 3. Carlos Bocanegra 4. Eddie Pope Left Mid 1. Eddie Lewis 2. DaMarcus Beasley (starts Saturday) 3. Bobby Convey 4. Pat Noonan Right Mid 1. DeMarcus Beasley 2. Landon Donovan 3. Eddie Gaven 4. Steve Ralston (starts Saturday) Def Mid 1. Pablo Mastroeni 2. Claudio Reyna 3. John O'Brien 4. Kerry Zavagnin (starts Saturday) Attacking Mid 1. Landon Donovan (starts Saturday) 2. Claudio Reyna 3. John O’Brien 4. Clint Dempsey 5. Eddie Gaven Forward (2 start) 1. Eddie Johnson (starts Saturday) 2. Brian McBride (starts Saturday) 3. Landon Donovan 4. Brian Ching 5. Josh Wolff 6. Conor Casey Biggest problems Saturday will be RMID and DMID, as shown on the depth charts. (Note- At least 4 of these guys are NOT going to the WC)
Why can't you read a thread or two before posting ANOTHER roster list? There's a hundred of these on the board - pick one.
That's a pretty good depth chart there. There are differences that folks might argue about but since none of us knows what's going on Arena's head, it's really moot. Here's are a couple of differences IMO: - Reyna should be somewhere pretty high in the chart at right wing. - Beasley is #1 at left wing; Lewis is #2. The reason why Beasley sometimes plays at right wing is that Arena at the time feels that Lewis + DMB is a better combo than DMB at left and anyone else at right wing. - I wonder if Berhalter is ahead of Pope now. I wonder if Arena would play Mastroeni at central defense with Zavagnin at d-mid before he played Pope there. - Ralston is unquestionably ahead of Gaven right now at right wing. He might be #2 ahead of LD. As I said above I think Reyna is ahead of all three. - Reyna might be further down the list of d-mids - I think we have no idea who's #2 at GK. There's been no indication that Howard is that man as Arena tends to bring in a different #2 each time lately (I guess just to make sure they all know what it's like to be on the Nats prior to Germany.)
Gooch can play RB, and I'd have to say Gibbs and Hejduk are #2 and 3 at LB. Also I think JOB is our starting D-mid when healthy.
Superb intellectual anaylysis. But Marshall should be there as should Adu. And I don't get why everyone is obsessed with Noonan. Other than his decent speed and left foot, I can't think of anything that would help him play left mid.
I know he's got an injury now and I'm not his biggest fan, but I think that you need to include Albright on that RB list. He's at least on the list. Also, especially w/Mulrooney's torn ACL shortening the Dark Horse pool, I think Simms gets on the DM list. (And I guess some are saying RM list for him possibly as well?) My last expansion would be Marshall on the CB list, especially since we start two (and since Boca having to slide to LB still isn't ruled out) in most games.
I don't recall seeing Reyna play RMid but, if he's accustomed to playing there, I agree that he would be preferrable to Gaven or Ralston. I agree that Simms should be on the DMid chart. I don't think Pablo will be getting any run at center back gived our needs at DMid and our debth at center back. I think Pablo's the best DMid we have (even if JOB is healthy). I listed DMB as the number two option at LMid only because I think our best XI has Lewis at LMid and DMB at RMid, and I lead off by saying that no player would be listed as the number one option at any position (though it would be nice to field multiple DMBs).
Adu? Freddy doesn't even consistently start for DC yet. In a few years he will be up there but right now it is more likely than not that he won't be going to Germany next summer.
Yes, but that's Nowak's fault. He has either been your best player or your second best to Gomez, and he has the perfect qualities for a super-sub, he is the kind of player we don't have. However we have a lot of players like Noonan and others mentioned that would be less useful.