Will Buddle make the final 23 to the World Cup?
23 will be dressed for the match against Czech Republic tomorrow.
The absentees might be the ones with injury concerns like Carlos Bocanegra and Oguchi Onyewu, who are a lock for the World Cup, so those who don’t suit up are not necessarily in danger of losing their place. But those healthy and not named in the 23 could be in danger.
In particular, the strikers are going to be a big story. Jozy Altidore is already a shoo in. Brian Ching is going to be his strike partner.
There are two other spots that need to be filled and they are being contested by LA Galaxy’s Edson Buddle, who leads the MLS in most scoring statistics including goals scored and shots on goal, RSL’s Robbie Findley, an impressive speed merchant who seems to have fallen of the pace from last season, Eddie Johnson nursing a strained hamstring now in the Greek league with Aris Thessaloniki, and Hercules Gomez who scored 10 goals for Puebla in the Mexican Clausura, the most by a US player.
The front runners are Buddle, with his scoring consistency and familiarity with Donovan on attack. Gomez has given good minutes off the bench and could be looked on as a super sub should the US need a goal.
The midfield with 12 right now need to be pruned down to eight or nine. Michael Bradley, Ricardo Clark, Maurice Edu, Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Stuart Holden, Benny Feilhaber are sureties.
Jose Francisco Torres, Sacha Kljestan, DaMarcus Beasley, Alejandro Bedoya, and Robbie Rogers are the five midfielders in the mix for what should be one to two more spots.
Out of the group, Torres stands head above shoulders in talent level. He is a genuine creator with an eye for a pass and dazzling technical skills. He gives a different look to the US midfield and part of the transition has been integrating that different style.
If Torres is selected, then Bedoya and Kljestan are redundant. Bradley might choose to play someone on the wings having completed his complement of central midfielders. Beasley’s lack of playing time at Rangers might go against him. Robbie Rogers is versatile and can play down either flank which might give him the nod.
In defense who will join Oguchi Onyewu, Jay DeMerit, Carlos Bocanegra, Jonathan Spector, Steve Cherundolo and Jonathan Bornstein?
The defense sports the most injury concerns with Onyewu, DeMerit and Bocanegra all coming back from time off. Bocanegra recently underwent a surgery to repair some torn muscle fibers in the front of the thigh which were restricting knee movement. Gooch is just coming back from a patellar tendon tear that kept him out for seven months. De Merit has an abdominal strain and prior to that a scratched cornea that has kept him away from the pitch.
The choices are Chad Marshall and Clarence Goodson. Both have been impressive on set pieces with Goodson edging out Marshall in his effectiveness. Heath Pearce is the other question mark.
The goalkeepers have little to worry about with Tim Howard, Brad Guzan, and Marcus Hahnemann taking the three spots.
The match against the Czech Republic should evoke some unhappy memories as the USA crashed to a 3-0 loss against them in their first group match in the 2006 World Cup. Many of their stalwarts like Jan Koller, Pavel Nedved, and Karel Poborsky have retired but the present team still boasts Petr Cech, Bordeaux’s Jaroslav Plaisil and two dangerous forwards in Martin Fenin and Tomas Necid. An improved performance against them will be a good gauge of World Cup readiness.