Here is Bob Bradley’s final 23-man roster for the World Cup.

Goalkeepers (3): Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann, Brad Guzan

Defenders (7): Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Jay DeMerit, Steve Cherundolo, Jonathan Spector, Clarence Goodson, Jonathan Bornstein

Midfielders (9): Landon Donovan, Michael Bradley, Stuart Holden, Maurice Edu, Ricardo Clark, DaMarcus Beasley, Benny Feilhaber, Jose Francisco Torres, Clint Dempsey

Forwards (4): Jozy Altidore, Herculez Gomez, Edson Buddle, Robbie Findley

No surprises at goalkeeper.  These were the only three keepers called into camp and the only issue that needed sorting is determining the #2.

Normally the seven defenders selected by Bradley wouldn’t raise too many eyebrows. But the recent injury of Carlos Bocanegra and the current form of Oguchi Onyewu leaves me wondering if Chad Marshall shouldn’t be on the roster. Hopefully this means that Bradley and the doctors are certain both Boca and Gooch will be ready for the World Cup.

There is no real surprise in the midfield.  Beasley looked ready to make his return to the national team after a strong outing against the Netherlands.  Out of Bedoya, Kljestan, Torres, and Rogers; Torres was the most refined player.  Bedoya and Rogers, 23, and Kljestan, 24, should start focusing on 2014.

Seeing Herculez Gomez and Edson Buddle on the roster is a big surprise. I expected one or the other but not both. Both looked good, not great, against the Czechs.  Brian Ching’s omission is surprising but understandable, and a little risky. Although Ching has struggled with injuries, he was the most experienced striker in the pool.  Bradley can always move Donovan or Dempsey to forward, but the fact that Bradley is taking four forwards to South Africa leads me to believe he wants Dempsey and Donovan in the midfield.

The mystery that is Robbie Findley.  Findley must have some dirt on Bob Bradley . . . incriminating pictures perhaps.  Although he’s put in some lackluster performances, Bradley still believes Findley can help the team in South Africa. I have taken my fair share of shots at Findley in the lead up to this final roster, but I’m happy that Findley’s hard work has paid off.  Findley didn’t convince me but who cares what I think, he convinced the only man that matters . . . Bob Bradley.

Share your thoughts on the roster.

Bradley released the US’s 30 man roster this afternoon. The big surprise was the omission of Charlie Davies.  Rapids fans will also be disappointed to see that Conor Casey is not on the preliminary roster.

Despite reports that Charlie Davies wasn’t far enough along in his rehab to make the World Cup roster, I think everyone still hoped he’d make the cut. The young forward suffered potentially career ending injuries in October but has managed to work his way back at a miraculous pace. Although his recovery is nothing short of amazing, it wasn’t enough to get him on the preliminary roster.

Leaving Davies off the roster was a bold but correct move by Bradley. Davies was a fan favorite, but if he wasn’t ready to play he’d be occupying a spot for someone who is fit and capable of playing.

The omission of Conor Casey is a bit disappointing but understandable.  Casey has been involved with the national team for the last two years and scored the goal that gave the US its berth into the World Cup.  Unfortunately, his form has escaped him in the last few months.

Throughout the lead up to this announcement, Conor seemed like he didn’t care too much about getting the call up.  But this morning it was clear that Conor was disappointed. You could tell by the expression on his face and his avoidance of eye contact, that this omission hurt. Conor is a man of few words and likes to keep to himself.  I think it is easy to confuse that with a lack of passion.  Conor asked to pass on any interviews this morning and only stated that he was “disappointed” as he walked back to the locker rooms.

Here is the US’s preliminary 30-man roster:

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa, England), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton, England), Tim Howard (Everton, England).

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes, France), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover, Germany), Jay DeMerit (Watford, England), Clarence Goodson (IK Start, Norway), Chad Marshall (Columbus), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan, Italy), Heath Pearce (Dallas), Jonathan Spector (West Ham, England).

Midfielders: DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Alejandro Bedoya (Orebro, Sweden), Michael Bradley (Borussia Moenchengladbach, Germany), Ricardo Clark (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany), Clint Dempsey (Fulham, England), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles), Maurice Edu (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Benny Feilhaber (AGF Aarhus, Denmark), Stuart Holden (Bolton, England), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Robbie Rogers (Columbus), Jose Torres (Pachuca, Mexico).

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Hull, England), Edson Buddle (Los Angeles), Brian Ching (Houston), Robbie Findley (Salt Lake), Herculez Gomez (Puebla, Mexico), Eddie Johnson (Aris, Greece).

Share your thoughts on the roster.

Bradley must register 30 players with FIFA tomorrow.  From the 30 selected, Bradley will choose his final 23 man roster by June 1.  If there is an injury after June 1, Bradley may call in a replacement up to 24 hours before their first match. The replacement does not have to be from the original 30. From the 30 registered tomorrow, 26-28 players will attend a training camp.

Here is the Green Army’s guess at the 30 players Bradley registers.

Goalkeepers (3):

Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton): Veteran keeper had a good year

Tim Howard (Everton): US #1 keeper

Brad Guzan (Aston villa): Solid #2 for the US

Defenders (9):

Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan): Back in full training after injury

Jay DeMerit (Watford): Solid center back, could push Bocanegra to left back

Jonathon Spector (West Ham): The versatile defender should start on the right

Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes): A leader for the US, Could start on the left or in the middle

Clarence Goodson (Start): Third option at center back

Heath Pearce (FC Dallas): His form has improved since returning to MLS

Jonathon Bornstein (Chivas USA): One of Bradley’s guys

Steve Cherundolo (Hanover): Veteran right back

Edgar Castillo (Tigres): Young defender looking to impress on the left

The inclusion of Steve Cherundolo brings a veteran presence on the right side eliminating the need for a guy like Frankie Hejduk.  It also opens the door for a younger option like Castillo to step in and get a shot at the final roster.  I think Clarence Goodson beat Chad Marshall for the final center back spot.  In addition, the resurgence of Maurice Edu means that the US has plenty of cover at the center back position.

Midfielders (11):

Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy): The US’s best field player

Michael Bradley (Monchengladbach): The work horse and a lock starter

Maurice Edu (Rangers): Returned from injury and in form

Clint Dempsey (Fulham): Versatile goal scoring threat

Ricardo Clark (Frankfurt): Talented but inconsistent

Stuart Holden (Bolton): Back from injury, could get the nod on the right

Jose Torres (Pachuca): Tidy player with great vision and skill

Alejandro Bedoya (Orebro): Creative and dynamic midfielder/forward

Benny Feilhaber (AGF): A possession type player, sets the tempo

DaMarcus Beasley (Rangers): He’s a veteran and gets the benefit of the doubt . . . sigh

Freddy Adu (Aris): Can make a game changing pass or run

Why Freddy Adu over Sacha Kljestan? Basically, I don’t think either will make the final roster so I’m going out on limb to say that Freddy will get a look as that creative difference maker in the midfield. He’s played well at Aris and is more likely than Kljestan to make that game changing pass as a last minute sub. I think both of them get beat out by Alejandro Bedoya for the final roster spot.

Beasley has World Cup experience and that is a huge plus for him. His latest injury spell leaves him on the bubble. Other players on the bubble are Torres, Clark, and Bedoya.  I think the forward situation will determine if there is a spot for any of these 3 players.

Forwards (7):

Conor Casey (Rapids): Big target forward

Charlie Davies (Sochaux): Working his way back from injury

Jozy Altidore (Hull): Only real option at the moment

Eddie Johnson (Aris): Getting time at Aris

Brian Ching (Houston): Returning from another injury layoff

Edson Buddle (Galaxy): MLS leading goal scorer

Herculez Gomez (Puebla): In great form, consistent goal scorer in Mexico

The race to replace Charlie Davies might be over if Davies is actually ready to participate in the World Cup.  I really hope he is. I don’t think he is the greatest forward to ever wear a US jersey but he is a lot better than other options at the moment.   I also think having him on the roster will boost morale.

The only lock in this group is Jozy Altidore.  Ching has struggled with injuries and might not be in form. Similarly, Conor Casey isn’t lighting up MLS at the moment, but is still in the mix because he can play as a target forward. Of the inform group, Edson Buddle and Herculez Gomez are the fan favorites.  It might be too little to late for these two though.  There isn’t much time to impress and Bradley might go with safer options. Eddie Johnson is on the fringe in this group, and Robbie Findley’s recent injury might keep him out of this group all together.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Bradley only took Altidore and Davies, leaving the door open for 2 more midfielders to make the roster.

Share your thoughts.

ESPN released a list of the top 50 players that will be playing at the World Cup. Landon Donovan made the list at #50.

1 Lionel Messi, Argentina
2 Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal
3 Wayne Rooney, England
4 Kaka, Brazil
5 Xavi, Spain
6 Didier Drogba, Ivory Coast
7 Andres Iniesta, Spain
8 Fernando Torres, Spain
9 Steven Gerrard, England
10 Michael Essien, Ghana
11 David Villa, Spain
12 Franck Ribery, France
13 Samuel Eto’o, Cameroon
14 Luis Fabiano, Brazil
15 Iker Casillas, Spain
16 Cesc Fabregas, Spain
17 Gianluigi Buffon, Italy
18 Dani Alves, Brazil
19 Nemanja Vidic, Serbia
20 Wesley Sneijder, Netherlands
21 Maicon, Brazil
22 Frank Lampard, England
23 Andrea Pirlo, Italy
24 Carlos Tevez, Argentina
25 Robin van Persie, Netherlands
26 Gonzalo Higuain, Argentina
27 Diego Forlan, Uruguay
28 Thierry Henry, France
29 Sergio Aguero, Argentina
30 Michael Ballack, Germany
31 Julio Cesar, Brazil
32 Arjen Robben, Netherlands
33 Gerard Pique, Spain
34 Miroslav Klose, Germany
35 Lucio, Brazil
36 Javier Mascherano, Argentina
37 John Terry, England
38 David Silva, Spain
39 Carles Puyol, Spain
40 Nicolas Anelka, France
41 Ashley Cole, England
42 Patrice Evra, France
43 Marek Hamsik, Slovakia
44 Karim Benzema, France
45 Yoann Gourcuff, France
46 Daniele De Rossi, Italy
47 Philipp Lahm, Germany
48 Yaya Toure, Ivory Coast
49 Giorgio Chiellini, Italy
50 Landon Donovan, United States

The top three are unquestionable at the moment but they might not shine the brightest at this coming World Cup.  I think soccer fans should pay attention to the Netherlands dynamic midfielder Wesley Sneijder, Brazil’s dominating right back Maicon, Slovakia’s young playmaker Marek Hamsik, and Argentina’s new prophet, striker Carlos “el Apache” Tevez.

I would have found a spot for American goalkeeper Tim Howard but it is tough to argue with most of these selections.  Who do you think belongs on the list?  Who do you think will shine in South Africa?

The US beat El Salvador last night 2-1, thanks to two late strikes by Brian Ching and Sacha Kljestan.

The first 30-35 minutes were unwatchable.  El Salvador was overly casual with the ball and the US’s pressure forced multiple turnovers.  The US failed to do anything with their possession and looked like they needed someone to remind them what they were supposed to do with the ball.  Its called soccer fellas . . . the sport you get paid to play!!!!

After the “Amateur Hour in Tampa Show” was over the US started to put things together a little better.  Conor Casey  got a few nice touches and set up Kljestan with the best scoring opportunity of the first half.   Beckerman dominated the midfield for the US giving Kljestan a little bit more time to create.  The defense was rarely troubled in the first half, and Goodson, Bornstein, and Pierce enjoyed a solid half defensively. Brad Davis had a good half, demonstrating some poise and skill.

The second half was more of the same.  Brian Ching and Eddie Gaven, subbed in at the half, were creating chances for the US.  Rogers moved to the left and started to produce a little more. The US dominated El Salvador physically but a mistake by Brad Evans saw El Salvador take the lead. El Salvador’s keeper, Miguel Montes, batted away several good US chances.  The US finally leveled in the 76th minute when Brian Ching headed home a Heath Pearce cross.  Kljestan found the game winner two minutes into stoppage time. Kljestan collected an errant pass and played a quick 1-2 pass with Ching for any easy finish.

Positives:

The US was willing to attack.  It was good to see the US players aggressive and hungry to find the goal.  Miguel Montes was in great form for El Salvador and he saved them from a possible 5-1 scoreline.  I think they were also a little lucky that our finishing was poor all night.

Negatives:

I can’t believe the US can still field players with such a disturbing lack of fundamentals, both technical and tactical.  I thought we were passed these days but I guess we still have a few years to go.

Players, the good:

I thought Eddie Gaven, Brian Ching, Beckerman, Heath Pierce, and Brad Davis did themselves a favor last night.  Ching was mobile and hungry.  It doesn’t hurt that he got the tieing goal and assisted on the game winner.  Gaven was lively and showed some clever ball skill.  His final touch to pass or shoot failed him, but he had some highlight reel moments.  Beckerman is reliable and coaches love players they can depend on.  Pearce was lucky that he played on El Salvador’s weak side.  He locked down the left side defensively and put in a nice cross for Ching’s goal. Davis’s performance on the left was probably bolstered by Robbie Rogers poor play, but Davis looked sharp and dangerous in the first half.

Players, the bad:

Robbie Rogers was a mess last night.  On the right side of the field he looked like he belonged on a Wednesday night coed team.  He moved to the left and played much better but still didn’t have a good night.  Robbie Findley needs to rely on more than just his speed.  His fundamentals looked poor, and in my opinion, he shouldn’t wear the US jersey until he cleans that up.  Similarly, Jeff Cunningham might have worn the US jersey for the last time.  He started brightly but disappeared completely from the match.  Brad Evans . . . poor Brad Evans . . . he is a good player but he isn’t a right back.  I want him to get a chance at center mid and show that he can play.  It’s tough not to blame him for El Salvador’s goal but we all knew that if El Salvador was going to score, it would be down our right side.

Players, did just enough:

Conor Casey, Jonothan Bornstein, and Clarence Goodson demonstrated more of the same.  Goodson looked solid against a weak El Salvador attack.  He was also dangerous on set pieces.  Casey reminded Bradley that he can win the physical battles and play good passes up top, but he won’t work like Brian Ching.  Bornstein didn’t shine but he was steady and that is what Bradley was expecting from him.

Sacha Kljestan found the game winner last and put himself into good spots.  Before the game winner, I was going to put him in the bad category because I don’t think he did enough on either side of the ball to say he had an overall good game.  I’ve always liked Kljestan’s style and hopefully this game winner will spark his confidence and get him out of the slump.

Final Thoughts:

The season of the B-team is over. THANK GOD!!!  It was ugly, painful, and embarrassing but we survived.  As terrible as these last few games were, I still think they are necessary for the growth of our national team. Our MLS guys need to play international matches and top competition in order to grow.

I’m looking forward to our next friendly against the Netherlands.  I think Ching has earned a right to make the trip, along with Bornstein, Goodson, Perkins, and Beckerman.   I’m still hoping for Conor Casey to make the trip but if Bradley can only take one target forward, I think Ching edged him last night.

Share your thoughts on last night’s match. Who do you think should make the trip to the Netherlands?

Bob Bradley has called Colorado Rapids striker, Conor Casey, to the national team.  The players in camp will gather on February 10th at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.  This camp will be in preparation for the US’s friendly against El Salvador on February 24th.   This is one of the last opportunites for players to impress before the final roster is picked in May.

Conor Casey is looking more and more like the US’s best option in the target forward role.  Casey size and strength make him an asset to the national team.  He is deceptively skillful for a striker his size and I think that my the key to getting him on the final roster.  Brian Ching has been called into this camp as well and he is probably in direct competition with Casey for a roster spot.

Casey has 19 caps with the national team and 2 goals.  After the El Salvador match, the US will gather in Amsterdam for a friendly against 3rd ranked Netherlands on March 3rd.  With so many injuries to national team regulars (Dempsey, Onyewu, Davies, and Ricardo Clark) some of the MLS guys might get a chance against the Netherlands.

Here is the full roster:

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION

GOALKEEPERS (3): Troy Perkins (D.C. United), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake), Zach Thornton (Chivas USA)

DEFENDERS (7): Kevin Alston (New England Revolution), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Omar Gonzalez (Los Angeles Galaxy), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Michael Orozco (Philadelphia Union), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)

MIDFIELDERS (9): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Dax McCarty (FC Dallas), Chris Pontius (D.C. United), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)

FORWARDS (4): Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Jeff Cunningham (FC Dallas), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake)

Share your thoughts on the roster.

After a long day of matches England, Paraguay, and Spain join the list of qualified teams.  A few other countries such as Denmark and Chile missed out on the opportunity to join this group and will have to wait until October to celebrate a berth. There are 11 teams qualified so far leaving 20 spots still in contention.  One of those spots will definitely go to either Bahrain or New Zealand.

This is the current list of qualified teams:

South Africa, Brazil, Paraguay, Ghana, Netherlands, England, Spain, South Korea, North Korea, Japan, and  Australia

There are still some big names not yet qualified such as Portugal, France, Argentina, Italy, Germany, Egypt, USA, Mexico, Croatia, Nigeria, and Chile.  While some of these teams are on the brink of a berth others look likely to miss out on the big show.

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Here are some videos of yesterday’s qualifiers:

Brazil 4-2 Chile

USA 1-0 T&T

England 5-1 Croatia

Share your thoughts on the qualifiers and the World Cup.

CONCACAF (3 qualify automatically, 4th place plays a playoff match against the 5th place team in CONMEBOL):

The US were able to squeak out a 1-0 victory over Trinidad & Tobago to secure the top spot in the table with 16 points.  US overcame a very poor and lackadaisical first half to walk way a with a much needed win.  The team entered the second half with much more urgency and found a goal through Ricardo Clark in the 62nd minute.  He received a back pass from Dempsey about 25 yards out and delivered a perfectly placed bomb into the upper right side of the goal.  T&T played well the whole match missing a few chances including one coming off the crossbar in the first half.

Stuart Holden and Benny Feilhaber both played the role of super sub tonight and performed to perfection.  Holden provided a great cross to Donovan that Donovan just put over the bar.  It was an important victory on the road and moves the US one step closer to South Africa.  With another victory the US will secure an automatic berth, which will be important considering that Ecuador, Uruguay, or Argentina could be their opponent should they play the playoff match.

Mexico beat Honduras 1-0 off a Cuathemoc Blanco penalty kick in the 72nd minute.  The victory places them second in the qualifying table. Mexico has turned things around since bringing in Aguirre as the coach.

El Salvador beat Costa Rica 1-0 off a Rudis Corrales goal in stoppage time.  The victory gives El Salvador the slightest bit of hope to qualify if they can beat Mexico at the Azteca and Honduras at home.  Not likely, but El Salvador did beat Mexico 3 months ago so there is hope.

Here is the table after today’s matches:

USA 16 pts

Mexico 15 pts

Honduras 13 pts

Costa Rica 12 pts

El Salvador 8 pts

Trinidad & Tobago 5 pts