World Cup qualifying: Who will Bradley bring to the Azteca?

Posted by Creaven on August 1, 2009 under USMNT, United States | 13 Comments to Read

I really tried to care about the Gold Cup. After the group stages, I got pumped up; I told myself I was going to have the best Gold Cup commentary on the Internet. Then the United States played Panama in the quarterfinals and I fell asleep in about the 20th minute. Then the U.S. played Honduras is the semifinals and I fell asleep in about the 30th minute. Gold Cup matches were like taking NyQuil is visual form.

I did stay awake for the final and before I get into who I think Bob Bradley is going to take with him to Mexico, let me go on a little rant about El Tri’s 5-0 trouncing…

THIS JUST IN…the United States’ second team isn’t very good. This was known way before Carlos Vela showed why he will probably be the best player in Concacaf for the next 10 years. It was know when the U.S. were seconds away from losing to world power Haiti and it was reinforced when the U.S. needed extra time to beat Panama. The top 15 U.S. players can compete with any team in the world; the top 16-30 players can’t compete with any team in the top 40.

Mexico also didn’t play its best team, but they still had some of its top players: Guillermo Ochoa, Gerrardo Torrado, Giovani Dos Santos and Carlos Vela. Do you think the result might have been different if those four players didn’t play and Tim Howard, Ricardo Clark, Clint Dempsey and Charlie Davies did?

But I digress, the Gold Cup is, thankfully, over. In a couple weeks Mexico and the U.S. will play a match that matters (it actually only matters to Mexico, but anyway…). So after spending some time trying to think like Bob Bradley I came up with the 20 players I think he will take to the Azteca. I emphasize, these aren’t the 20 players I would call up, they’re the players I think Bradley will take.

Note: Players in bold are locks (barring injury) to go to the swine flu epicenter, while players not in bold could forseeably be left out.

Goalies

Tim Howard — As he showed in the MLS All-Star game, Howard is in midseason form. After the first loss to Brazil in the Confederations Cup, I asked: Is Howard really that good? Since then he has showed that, yes, he really is top 20 goalie. If Manchester City didn’t get Shay Given in Janurary I think Howard could have been part of the City revolution.

Brad Guzan — The reason why Guzan isn’t in bold is because I think it’s possible Bradley might try to win some points with Aston Villa coach Martin O’Neil by not having Guzan fly across the Atlantic so he could sit on the bench. It really is pointless so it’s possible someone like Zach Thornton could get a call up.

But when it comes to next year’s World Cup, it should take two, not one injury for Guzan to become the U.S.’s starting goalie. Let me explain…

It’s early May 2010 and Howard just blew out his knee on a horrific play, forcing him to miss the World Cup. If this happens, U.S. soccer should do WHATEVER IT TAKES to get Brad Friedel out of international retirement. When I say WHATEVER IT TAKES, I mean it. Change Columbus Crew Stadium to Brad Friedel Field, have Barack Obama call Friedel telling him to “make this sacrafice for his country”, get the president of Harvard to reserve two spots for Friedel’s daughters, offer him hundreads of thousands of dollars illegally. Like  I said, WHATEVER IT TAKES.

The drop off from Howard to Guzan is massive considering Guzan hasn’t played a meaningful match since, well, ever. There is almost no drop off from Friedel to Howard and some would argue Friedel is better (I’m not one of those people). It would be refreshing to know that U.S. soccer is already wooing Friedel just in case. Unfortunately, I strongly doubt it.

Defenders

Oguchi Onyewu — He sure didn’t look “A.C. Milan quality” during the World Football Challenge, but it’s preseason and preseason doesn’t matter. Once the season starts, Onyewu will take Italy by storm and Milan fans will forget who that Maldini fellow was. Right? There is no way Onyewu will buckle under the pressure of going from Standard Liege to one of the biggest club in the world. Right? Sure, no American has ever made it in Italy but someone has to sooner or later and Onyewu is that guy. Right?

Jay DeMerit — He’s got to be a starter against Mexico but I can so see Bradley convincing himself he needs to start the ‘captain’ Bocanagra in the middle. DeMerit is way more consistent than Boca and is simply better. I’m slightly surprised a bigger club hasn’t tried to swipe him from Watford this summer.

Carlos Bocanagra — How bad is Landon Donovan’s leadership qualities that Carlos Bocanagra is the captain of this team? Donovan is a top 50 player in the world and Bocanagra might not be a top 1,000 player. I think Donovan won his teammates over after his performance in the Confederations Cup, but just the fact that Donovan couldn’t win the captianacy over a below-average defender is embarrassing. Maybe Bocanagra is the most talented motivational speaker since Martin Luther King Jr., but even if he is I think it’s time to hand over the arm band. Anyway, I think Bocanagra will be at left back at the Azteca.

Jonathan Spector — I have two questions I’m dying to know but can’t answer:

1) Is Spector a better center back than he is a right back?
2) Can Spector play left back better than any other American?

I’ve never seen Spector play center back or left back (although he has) so I can’t personally answer either question. If someone has an opinion on this, please share. It seems like a no-brainer Spector will be the starting right back, especially considering Cherundolo has barely played in recent months and Spector was one of the best Americans at the Confederations Cup.

Steve Cherundolo — I spent a lot of time debating with myself if Cherundolo should be a lock or not (O.K. I spent 30 seconds thinking about it) but even though Cherundolo hasn’t played much recently it’s hard to see how Bradley could leave him out since the U.S. has so little depth on defense. He’s played in this game before and has historically been one of the best U.S. defenders, so unless Hannover demands he stays he should be in Mexico City.

Jonathan Bornstein — He actually played pretty well against Honduras in the U.S.’s last qualifier but looked like crap in the Confederations Cup. But Bradley likes him. When the U.S. needed to stop the Brazil onslaught in the Confederations Cup final, Bradley turned to Bornstein. Shockingly, it didn’t work. The most likely player picked over Bornstein is Heath Pearce.

Chad Marshall — It’s probably between Marshall and Danny Califf, but even though I think Bradley rates Califf slightly higher I don’t think Bradley will have him travel from Denmark so he can sit on the bench. Marshall was adequete in the Gold Cup (not counting the last 45 minutes) and some more experience with the national team can’t hurt.

Frankie Hejduk — If I was the national team coach Hedjuk’s international career would be over. But Bradley likes him and Hejduk probably extended his national team career thanks to the final 10 minutes against El Salvador. I just hope Bradley doesn’t convince himself that Hejduk should start. I could see Bradley making the following arguement:

Hejduk is the most experienced player we have. He’s fit, so he should be able to handle the altitude. He’s a hard worker and will bring energy to the team.

One problem though — he sucks.

Midfielders

Landon Donovan — Rarely, at the age of 27, does a good player step up his game noticeably, but that’s exactly what Donovan is doing at the club and international level. The rumors of him going to Livorno are strange because he’s too good for Livorno. I think his game is perfect for Spain and a club like Athletico Madrid seems ideal. He will have to be at his best for the U.S. to have a chance in Mexico.

Clint Dempsey — If Grant Wahl is reading this, may I strongly suggest a Sports Illustrated feature story on Clint Dempsey. I think he’s the most interesting U.S. player. Born in East Texas, went to college in South Carolina, enjoys rapping, plays with a confidence\arrogance unmatched by any player in U.S. history, has been the most successful U.S. midfielder in England ever and is very emotional (sobbing after the Brazil loss). What makes this guy tick? What does he do in his free time in London? Is he extremely cocky or incredibly insecure? Or both? Someone needs to write this story!

Michael Bradley — Must stop Carlos Vela. That should be Michael Bradley’s job against Mexico but I tend to doubt the elder Bradley will man-mark Vela with his son, though he should. He’s the only player who could do the job (Ricardo Clark has no chance). 

I still wonder how the Confederations Cup final would have went if Bradley played. The U.S. is such a better team when he’s in the center of the field. In 12 months, I think people will start saying Bradley is the best central midfielder the U.S. has ever had.

Benny Feilhaber — Feilhaber fans are going to have a heart attack after reading this, but the difference between Feilhaber and Kyle Beckerman is small. Feilhaber is slightly better because he’s capable of making passes which Beckerman isn’t creative enough to try, but I think Beckerman is a more consistent.

On the plus side, Feilhaber did score a goal in the Danish Superliga, which I think was his first goal in a competitive match since the U.S. beat Mexico in the Gold Cup two years ago. His team, AGF, is at the top of the table, starting the season 2-0-0.

Ricardo Clark — Though Donovan is too good for Livorno, Clark isn’t good enough; that’s where he’s headed in January and I think it could be a disaster. In Serie A, keeping possession is critical and Clark is terrible at keeping possession. This isn’t going to end well. If Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones and Maurice Edu are healthy next summer, I don’t think Clark is going to South Africa. But he will start against Mexico.

Stuart Holden — I’m not going to make him a lock because it’s within the realm of possibility Bradley could call up Sacha Klijestan or Jose Francisco Torres instead of Holden (there’s no way Freddy Adu or DaMarcus Beasley makes this team, right?). That said, it’s hard to imagine Holden not making the team after his performance in the Gold Cup. He even deserves serious consideration for the starting 11 but will most likely come in off the bench.

Jose Francisco Torres — Bradley seems to like Torres slightly more than Adu, so if he calls up seven midfielders I expect Torres to be No. 7. He plays in Mexico and he shouldn’t be intimidated, but what if he scores a 90th minute winner and Mexico doesn’t advance to the World Cup. He would be hated, maybe even tried for treason. In all seriousness, if Torres plays in this match and the U.S. wins, I think his career in the Mexican League is essentially over.

Forwards

Jozy Altidore — Since he hasn’t be loaned, I’m assuming Villareal want to keep him for the season. The problem is Villareal already have three very good forwards in Giuseppe Rossi, Nilmar and Joseba Llorente. Altidore would not be a starter and would be lucky to get 20 games. I’m still hoping for a loan deal to a weaker team in La Liga or the English Premier League (Bolton seems like the perfect fit), but at this point it might not happen.

When it comes to the Mexico match, he’s got to start. The question is will he have a partner?

Charlie Davies — The biggest decision Bradley has is if he should start Davies. I’m not sure what he should do. Do you put in five midfielders to try and clog up the field or do you field your best team possible, which means starting Davies with Altidore. It’s a tough one, but I think five midfielders is the way to go. I’m sure I’ll change my mind 10 times between now and Aug. 12.

Brian Ching — In his 41 appearances with the national team, Ching has scored 10 goals with nine of them coming at home and none of them have been against a top 50 team. If the U.S. is down one and Bradley puts Ching in for Altidore you might as well turn off the television.

Just misses

Danny Califf — Could easily be selected over Chad Marshall.
Heath Pearce — Does Bradley like Bornstein of Pearce more? That’s what it comes down to.
Conor Casey — The most likely scenario for Casey to be in Mexico is if Bradley take only seven defenders (no Hejduk), opening up a spot of Casey up top. But is it really worth having both Ching and Casey on the bench?

Possible, but unlikely

Troy Perkins — Maybe he really impressed Bradley during the Gold Cup; didn’t do a whole lot for me.
Zach Thornton — If Bradley doesn’t want his backup goalie to fly 5,000 miles.
Jimmy Conrad — Bradley might like him more than Marshall.
Freddy Adu — If he sneaks his way onto this team he’s going to be on the World Cup squad no matter what.
Sacha Kljestan — Bradley could see him as the ideal player to bring on late in the game if the U.S. has a lead. It’s a stretch, I know.
Kyle Beckerman — The most underrated American soccer player alive. He’s the only player on the “possible, but unlikely” list that I might pick if I was the coach.
Robbie Rodgers — The U.S. are lacking wingers and it could be tempting to bring Rodgers to Mexico. But, Bob, think about this logically for one second. What are the chances Rodgers plays well off the bench? Yeah, see, leave him home.
DaMarcus Beasley — Same as above. Beasley’s international career might be over.
Eddie Johnson — It looks like he is going to stay with Fulham this year and he did score a goal in preseason. Rather see him than Casey.

Long shots

Marvell Wynne — His match against Costa Rica might have sent him back three years with the national team.
Pablo Mastroeni — Bradley dropped him for the Confederations Cup and I don’t think he’s ever coming back.
Bobby Convey — The best American soccer player everyone forgot about.
Santino Quaranta — The most likely player to make the team of the long shots, but there’s no way, right? Other people like him more than me, but if he made this team I would lose my head.
Davy Arnaud — I sure hope not.