Roster Numbers By Position

Goalkeepers
Brad Guzan – 18
Marcus Hahnemann -23
Tim Howard – 1

Defenders
Carlos Bocanegra – 3
Jonathan Bornstein – 12
Steve Cherundolo – 6
Jay DeMerit – 15
Clarence Goodson – 21
Oguchi Onyewu – 5
Jonathan Spector – 2

Midfielders
DaMarcus Beasley – 7
Michael Bradley – 4
Ricardo Clark – 13
Clint Dempsey – 8
Landon Donovan – 10
Maurice Edu – 19
Benny Feilhaber – 22
Stuart Holden – 11
Jose Francisco Torres – 16

Forwards
Jozy Altidore – 17
Edson Buddle – 14
Robbie Findley – 20
Herculez Gomez – 9

Waiting to play:

This is may be the easiest of them all.  Participation in the Confederations Cup and Gold Cup this summer was coined “the summer of soccer” for the Americans.  The summer may have spoiled thee eager and growing fanbase, but summer is over.

Jonathan Bornstein’s 94th minute header to tie Costa Rica seems like ages ago.  The U.S. has not been together since Oct. 14.  That will change soon enough as the U.S. will travel to Europe for two friendly matches, Nov. 14, versus Slovakia and Nov. 18, versus Denmark.

Some supporters question the next American opponents, but facing the  likes of Argentina, England and Spain again is no easy task.

The latest European tour for the U.S. will likely bring some fresh faces to the scene.  Hopely giving its supporters answers to…

Waiting for Edgar Castillo and Jermaine Jones:

The topic has been widely discussed among the U.S. fanbase.  Help is one the way, or so they hope.  Should Castillo recover from a recent leg injury, his call-up for camp appears likely.  But coach Bob Bradley has made much-discussed camp invitations before that failed to ever find their way onto the field.

Aside from Castillo’s play at the next U.S. camp effecting his chances at playing, another factor in this is how deep Bornstein and his Chivas mates can make it in this years MLS playoffs.

The Jones situation is a little more tricky, but comes with what should be a bigger reward.  His injury status rules him out for the upcoming friendly matches.  When the U.S. does schedule more international friendlies, that will give a better time table to the American debut of Jones. 

If all goes well in his recovery, he should be able to find some time in the U.S. camp as well as his Schalke 04, his German club team. 

Jones is undeniably talented, a player that should in all liklihood be starting for Bradley in South Africa, but of course that depends on his health.  And he’s not alone…

Waiting for injuries to heal:

The Jones injury aside, the Yanks injury report has filled up extensively in the last month. 

The near-death car crash involving forward Charlie Davies still sits heavy on the hearts of those in the U.S. soccer community.  Early reports are Davies is recovering quite well, given the circumstances.  His chances at playing in the World Cup are still very slim though. 

Late into the match versus Costa Rica, Oguchi Onyewu fell to the ground, tearing a tendon in his left knee, after attempting to clear a Costa Rican possesion. 

Onyewu will be out of action for four to six months.  His match fitness will be in question, just as it was before the injury, when he is able to return to AC Milan and eventually the national team.

Fellow centerback, Jay DeMerit is currently sidelined with a freak eye injury.  The Watford defender was said to be changing a contact, when the lens cut his eye.  He has already has surgury to replace his infected cornea, but will now likely  be out of action until Febuary. 

The U.S. has taken a serious hit and its doctors are working overtime.

For the supporters match day will be here soon.  The World Cup and a healthy roster…well, that might be awhile.

This is the fourth edition of World Soccer Reader Radio:

At times it looked like the 2009 Confederations Cup would just be a three-game trip to South Africa, a chance to test our best against the best.

But after two dismal results versus Italy and Brazil, something happened.

The U.S., with the odds stacked against them and nothing left to lose, began a dream run all the way to the Cup finals.

After two uninspired losses, the so-called media experts were calling for coach Bob Bradley’s job. Questionable starting line-ups, head-scratching substitutions, and an overall poor performance from his team began to cloud the future for Bradley.

The Americans would not be distracted though and after the tournament’s final match; the future has never looked brighter for U.S. soccer.

Expecting to see performances from the likes of youngsters Freddy Adu and Jose Torres versus the world’s best, the U.S. had a different cast of players step up and make their case for 2010 back in South Africa.

Injuries appeared to decimate the starting backline heading into the tournament. Frankie Hejduk was still recovering from a groin injury and Carlos Bocanegra injured his hamstring against Honduras only days before the tournament.

In stepped Jay DeMerit and Jonathan Spector. DeMerit, the Watford defender, has long been the third choice for the center back position behind Bocanegra and Oguchi Onyewu for coach Bradley. DeMerit came in and performed well against some of the world’s best.

Spector, the oft-injured West Ham right back, made claim to the American right back spot for the foreseeable future. Strong in defense and providing good service out of the back, Spector assisted Clint Dempsey’s goals against Egypt and Brazil.

Along with a much-needed boost to the backline, the midfield saw the resurgent return of Benny Feilhaber.

Remembered mostly for his heroic goal against Mexico in the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Feilhaber made his first appearance for the national team since the summer Olympics of 2008 . Used as a sub and spot starter, due to the numerous red cards received, Feilhaber showed his ability in creating chances for teammates.

With the defense re-solidified and the midfield working hard to compete, all that was left was for the offense to come with some goals of their own. And for the second half of the tournament they did just that.

Converted penalty kicks from Landon Donovan were the only goal the Americans could muster in their first two matches. Including the Italy match, three out of the four last American goals had come from Donovan penalty kicks.

But the American attack finally began to demonstrate a pace and level play that lead to several non-set piece goals.

Early in the tournament, Jozy Altidore was focusing on filling the role of holding striker, in the absence of Brian Ching, and Dempsey appeared to be in poor form.

But the insertion of Charlie Davies to the starting line-up was the spark the offense needed. The speedy Hammarby striker, exploited the Egyptian defense for an early goal. Altidore, kept good on his warning to teammate Joan Capdevila, holding of the Spanish defender for his goal against Spain. Donovan ran wild up the field throughout the tournament, causing fits for opposing defenders. Dempsey awoke from the scoring funk en route to a Bronze Ball award, scoring a goal in the last three games of the tournament.

As a whole, the team showed the world they are not to be taken lightly; whether they can continue to play consistently remains to be seen.

Along with the future August addition of midfielder Jermaine Jones, coming from Germany after a FIFA rule change, things are looking good for the U.S. heading forward. The summer consists of the CONCACAF Gold Cup and the second half of World Cup qualifying will run through the fall.

The Confederations Cup was a rollercoaster of emotions for U.S. supporters, but they should know this ride looks smoother than ever for now.

It appears that Edgar Castillo has changed his stance on one day playing for the red, white, and blue.  In a recent phone interview with ussoccerplayers.com, Castillo said, “I want to play for the United States.”

After a second place finish in the Confederations Cup, playing  for the U.S. looks more appealing than ever. Coupled with Castillo’s inability to crack the Mexican starting line-up, there is reason to believe he will follow through with his word this time.

“I’d want to talk to them first, but I want to play for the U.S.,” Castillo said in the interview, “If they call me I would play for them.”

He would fill a void for the American line-up, as the left back of the future; currently filled by Carlos Bocanegra, due to the recently strong play of Jay DeMerit.  Castillo, 22, who grew up in New Mexico, would then be able to grow into the spot with the U.S.

Castillo has said in the past that the U.S. is not longer an option for him.

“Even if they call, I’m not going to come,” Castillo said, in a 2007 interview with Sports Illustrated, “I already told them I’m staying with Mexico.”

That is until the rules for switching national team dramatically changed.

He would be taking advantage of FIFA’s new rule that allows players to switch their national team allegiance after the age of 21, as long as they have not played in an official match for the senior team.

Castillo admitted to being upset with the U.S. at one point, but now will wait for the U.S. Soccer Federation to call him before he makes any final decisions.

FIFA’s new rule has benefited the U.S. already, as Jermaine Jones, formerly of Germany has already decided he would rather play for the U.S., rather than the German national team.

The new rule which will not take effect until early August, makes Castillo’s first possible match for the U.S. be one that takes place in Mexico, in Azteca Stadium.

Should U.S. fans bring back Castillo with open-arms after his earlier comments? Is the need at left back that great that it doesn’t matter? Are players switching to the U.S., as second choices, a good thing for the country?

Only five minutes into the match and the U.S. trailed by an early goal. Not again? Could it be?

After a lackluster and embarrassing performance versus Costa Rica on Wednesday, the U.S. team found itself in what appeared to be a must-win game.

But after Carlos Costly put Honduras up in the 5^th minute, the U.S. responded with the passion and energy that they so lacked only three days prior.

Landon Donovan converted a late first-half penalty kick and Carlos Bocanegra headed in a cross in the 68^th minute to give the U.S. a much-needed 2-1 victory over a challenging Honduras team.

“Crap, here we go again,” Bocanegra thought to himself after the early goal. (ussoccer.com)

After a Clint Dempsey turnover near midfield, the Hondurans countered quickly and Costly struck his shot into the side netting past a diving Tim Howard.

The American offense, which featured recent call-up Conor Casey, in for the injured Brian Ching, could only produce a few sub-par chances. It was that early goal that seemed to ignite the Americans, demonstrating a pace and skill unseen in Costa Rica.

“We have a lot of fight in our team and we showed that tonight,” Dempsey said of his team’s ability to come back from the early deficit. (ussoccer.com)

In the 43^rd minute, a pass from Oguchi Onyewu into the box was handled by Honduran defender Mario Beata, resulting in a penalty kick.

Just like he had done against Costa Rica, Landon Donovan stepped up and converted the penalty kick; tying the game as his shot beat Noel Valladares to the upper right corner of the goal.

Coach Bob Bradley started the second half by replacing Pablo Mastroeni with Benny Feilhaber, who filled in nicely setting up his teammates with plenty of good passes.

He created a great scoring opportunity for Dempsey, dropping a pass from outside the box to the far post, although the pass could not be finished. Feilhaber, who has been trying to regain his form after an injury this season, showed that he is deserving of more time in future matches.

Dempsey would make up for his earlier mistake. Off a Donovan corner kick, Dempsey rose above his defender to head a ball, keeping the play alive. Bocanegra followed the Dempsey settling with a diving header amidst the traffic in front of the goal to give the U.S. the 2-1 lead.

Bocanegra would later leave the game with tightness in his hamstring and was replaced by Jay DeMerit. Bradley also removed Casey for DeMarcus Beasley in an effort to strengthen his defense in the later stages of the game.

The defense which played poorly versus Costa Rica was noticeably improved with starts from Jonathan Spector and Jonathan Bornstein in the left and right back spots respectively. Both held up defensively while still offering some attacking help on the flanks.

With World Cup CONCACAF qualifying matches half way finished, the U.S. currently sits in second place, two points behind Costa Rica. They have a five-point lead over third place El Salvador. The top three teams in the CONCACAF qualifying table will advance to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The U.S. now begins preparation for the FIFA Confederations Cups; they will begin play June 15 versus Italy.

While most U.S. Supporters are waiting for World Cup qualifying to resume, there are those who know the FIFA Confederations Cup is looming.  After two quick games in early June against Costa Rica and Honduras, the U.S. will travel to South Africa.

Meant as a gauge for the host country of the upcoming World Cup, South Africa, this tournament will also give some insight to the preparedness of some of the participating teams. Specifically this will show how ready the U.S. is, as they will take Italy, the 2006 World Cup winner, Brazil, the reigning Confederations Cup champions and an Egyptian squad. The U.S. will open its play against Italy on June 15^th.

With a challenging group of opponents such as those, it should be expected that coach Bob Bradley will be bringing a experienced and battle tested squad with him. Considering all of that, here is a look at the possible 23-man roster headed to South Africa.

GOALKEEPERS – Tim Howard, Brad Guzan, and Troy Perkins

Howard starting in the net goes without question.  Guzan will fill in at his usual back-up role. Perkins has seen some time in national team training camps of late but has only appeared once, in a 3-2 win over Sweden during an international friendly in January. Although his performance was average, he gets the nod over the veteran Marcus Hahnemann for the third keeper spot.

DEFENDERS – Oguchi Onyewu, Carlos Bocanegra, Frankie Hejduk, Jonathan Spector, Dan Califf, Jay DeMerit, Michael Parkhurst, Jonathan Bornstein

Onyewu and Bocanegra will handle the central defender roles. Who starts on either side of them will be a question for Bradley to consider. Although Hejduk has been recovering from a hamstring injury of late, he should be ready to go; so it’s safe to pencil him in at the right back position. With Steve Cherundolo out until the middle of June after hip surgery, this opens the door for Spector, who recently returned from injury and is back playing with West Ham United. Califf has been a regular starter this season for FC Midtjylland and is in good form. With a recent demotion to the reserve squad at Hansa Rostock, Heath Pearce should be left at home to regain his form.

MIDFIELDERS – Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, DeMarcus Beasley, Jose Francisco Torres, Maurice Edu, Pablo Mastroeni, Freddy Adu

Bradley continues his maturation in Germany and is a lock for a starting midfield spot. Whether it’s up top or on the wing Dempsey should be starting as well. Beasley could be listed with the defenders after his start at left back versus Trinidad and Tobago, so we’ll wait and see what coach Bradley does him. Torres has looked solid in limited action so far; it will be interesting to see how he fares against the talented midfields the U.S. will face. Finally receiving consistent playing time with Rangers F.C., let’s see if Edu can finally put it together on the national stage. After a good showing versus Trinidad and Tobago, Mastroeni should come along for his veteran leadership, that will be certainly be needed. Considering the kind of play that the U.S. will be going up against, Adu is the surprise choice here.  Whether he gets the chance to showcase that remains to be seen. Whatever is going on with Sacha Kljestan remains to be known, until then he stays with Chivas.

FORWARDS – Landon Donovan, Jozy Altidore, Brian Ching, Charlie Davies, Kenny Cooper

Donovan is a given, like Dempsey, whether it’s at the forward position or out on the wing, he’ll play. A toe injury may slow down Altidore, but after his recent play for the national team there is no way that he doesn’t get the chance to see how well he can do at this level. Ching will likely partner with Donovan or Altidore up top, as the holding forward and another veteran leader on the squad. Even though Eddie Johnson has been getting more playing time with Cardiff lately, Davies gets the spot here.

The U.S. will certainly be tested in South Africa. Coach Bradley brings with him the line-up that has brought him success of late, as well as a few players who can counter the style and characteristics of the opposition.

Thoughts on this squad?  Is this the best team for the tournament?  Is there someone who deserves to be here that is not?