It has been over a week since the United
States Men’s National Team lost 2-0 to Ukraine in their last friendly on a FIFA
Matchday. The match was in doubt for most the time leading up to kickoff due to
the violence in Ukraine and a weird story about a Cypriot referee’s car being
blown up. It was a very important fixture for Jurgen Klinsmann though as it
would be his last opportunity to take a look at his European-based players
before the deadline to name his 30-man provisional roster in May.
The United States still has one more
friendly scheduled before the provisional squad deadline in a friendly with
Mexico in early April at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ.
This friendly will likely be filled with North American-based players from
Major League Soccer and Liga MX as clubs will not be required to release
players for this match.
Here is what I think the 23 man squad to
Brazil looks like as of today, also including the seven players that I think
will make the provisional squad.
Goalkeepers (3):
This position grouping is set in my eyes as Howard will not be demoted at this point; he is one of the best American goalkeepers of all-time and this is certainly his final World Cup at age 36 when the tournament kicks off.
Starter
|
|
Tim Howard
|
Everton
|
Backups
|
|
Brad Guzan
|
Aston Villa
|
Nick Rimando
|
Real Salt Lake
|
This position grouping is set in my eyes as Howard will not be demoted at this point; he is one of the best American goalkeepers of all-time and this is certainly his final World Cup at age 36 when the tournament kicks off.
Guzan has been the back-up for a number
of years now and will likely be the favorite to take over for Howard when the
next cycle of World Cup qualifying starts.
Rimando will turn 35 during the World Cup
but he has proven that he still has the abilities that he possessed in his
youth. He had an amazing match against the Los Angeles Galaxy last weekend
making nine saves including a last-minute penalty save. He will probably not
see the field but he should be rewarded with the World Cup experience.
Defenders (7):
Starters
|
||
RB
|
Brad Evans
|
Seattle Sounders FC
|
CB
|
Omar Gonzalez
|
Los Angeles Galaxy
|
CB
|
Matt Besler
|
Sporting Kansas City
|
LB
|
DaMarcus Beasley
|
Puebla
|
Backups
|
||
|
Geoff Cameron
|
Stoke Ctiy
|
|
Clarence Goodson
|
San Jose Earthquakes
|
|
Michael Parkhurst
|
Columbus Crew
|
Three of the starting spots are locks in
my opinion with Gonzalez, Besler and Beasley occupying those spots. The right
back has been a question for a long time now with Brad Evans currently leading
the pack in the race for that role. One
of the biggest complaints about Evans is that he is not a natural right back,
so why is he starting over somebody who plays right back full-time for his club
in Geoff Cameron?
It would be unfair to judge Cameron based
on his play in the Ukraine friendly as the center-backs were caught out of
position on multiple occasions leaving Cameron is vulnerable spots. Evans is
better than Cameron when it comes to pressing forward into the attack which
could end up being the reason why he starts in Brazil.
There is no doubt in my mind that Cameron
will make the roster whether he is starting or not. Cameron is a very versatile
player who can play right and center back as well as in the defensive midfield.
Cameron is the third center mid behind Bradley and Jones in my opinion ahead of
Kyle Beckerman.
Midfielders (9):
Starters
|
||
CM
|
Michael Bradley
|
Toronto FC
|
CM
|
Jermaine Jones
|
Besiktas
|
LM
|
Landon Donovan
|
Los Angeles Galaxy
|
AM
|
Clint Dempsey
|
Seattle Sounders FC
|
RM
|
Graham Zusi
|
Sporting Kansas City
|
Backups
|
||
|
Kyle Beckerman
|
Real Salt Lake
|
|
Fabian Johnson
|
TSG Hoffenheim
|
|
Eddie Johnson
|
DC United
|
|
Mix Diskerud
|
Rosenborg
|
This starting midfield is a lock barring
injury. The interesting battles here will be for the backup positions. I like
Fabian Johnson because of his ability to play winged midfield and defense.
Forwards (4):
Starters
|
||
CF
|
Jozy Altidore
|
Sunderland
|
Backups
|
||
|
Aron Johannsson
|
AZ Alkmaar
|
|
Terrence Boyd
|
Rapid Vienna
|
|
Will Bruin
|
Houston Dynamo
|
Klinsmann has stated the Altidore is a
player that he’d like to build the team around but with Altidore’s recent struggles
to get onto the pitch, keep an eye on Johannsson who could be creeping up the
depth chart.
I put Will Bruin on this list because I
think that he could have a huge next few weeks in MLS which could vault him
over Magee and Wondolowski on the depth chart for USMNT; Bruin has two caps.
Provisional Cuts
|
||
|
Juan Agudelo
|
FC Utrecht
|
|
Chris Wondolowski
|
San Jose Earthquakes
|
|
Sacha Kljestan
|
Anderlecht
|
|
Alejandro Bedoya
|
Nantes
|
|
Eric Lichaj
|
Nottingham Forest
|
|
John Brooks
|
Hertha Berlin
|
|
Tim Ream
|
Bolton Wanderers
|
Matches involving these 30 players this
weekend (All Times Pacific)
15-Mar
|
TSG Hoffenheim
|
Mainz
|
7:30 AM
|
F. Johnson
|
|
Hertha Berlin
|
Hannover 96
|
|
Brooks
|
|
Everton
|
Cardiff City
|
8:00 AM
|
Howard
|
|
Stoke City
|
West Ham United
|
|
Cameron
|
|
Sunderland
|
Crystal Palace
|
|
Altidore
|
|
Bolton Wanderers
|
Brighton & Hove Albion
|
|
Ream
|
|
Nottingham Forest
|
Doncaster Rovers
|
|
Lichaj
|
|
Lille
|
Nantes
|
8:30 AM
|
Bedoya
|
|
Caykur Rizespor
|
Besiktas
|
10:00 AM
|
Jones
|
|
Aston Villa
|
Cheslea
|
10:30 AM
|
Guzan
|
|
Rapid Vienna
|
SV Josko Ried
|
11:00 AM
|
Boyd
|
|
Seattle Sounders FC
|
Toronto FC
|
1:30 PM
|
Evans, Dempsey, Bradley
|
|
Houston Dynamo
|
Montreal Impact
|
5:30 PM
|
Bruin
|
|
Sporting Kansas City
|
FC Dallas
|
|
Besler, Zusi
|
|
San Jose Earthquakes
|
Real Salt Lake
|
7:30 PM
|
Rimando, Beckerman, Goodson, Wondolowski
|
|
|
|
|
|
16-Mar
|
Twente Enschede
|
AZ Alkmaar
|
4:30 AM
|
Johannsson
|
|
NEC Nijmegen
|
FC Utrecht
|
6:30 AM
|
Agudelo
|
|
Anderlecht
|
KV Oostende
|
10:00 AM
|
Kljestan
|
|
Puebla
|
U.A.N.L
|
11:00 AM
|
Beasley
|
Los Angeles Galaxy
|
Bye
|
Columbus Crew
|
Bye
|
DC United
|
Bye
|
Rosenborg
|
Season Starts on 3/29
|
Check back again next Friday and every
Friday from now until the World Cup to see how my 23-man and provisional cut
lists change.
No comments:
Post a Comment