Manager Bob Bradley released his roster for the January mens national team camp that leads up to a game against Honduras on January 23rd.
Dynamo members Brad Davis and Geoff Cameron were selected to the squad while both Brian Ching and Stuart Holden were left off it.
Five European based players were picked who all play in Nordic countries.
Goalkeepers: Kevin Hartman (KC), Troy Perkins (Valerenga), Nick Rimando (RSL), Zach Thornton (Chivas USA)
Defenders: Kevin Alston (NE), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Jimmy Conrad (KC), Omar Gonzalez (LA), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Chad Marshall (Columbus),
Brandon McDonald (San Jose), Heath Pearce (Dallas), Marvell Wynne (Toronto).
Midfield: Kyle Beckerman (RSL), Alejandro Bedoya (Orebro), GEOFF CAMERON (Houston), BRAD DAVIS (Houston), Brad Evans (Seattle), Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus), Eddie Gaven (Columbus), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Jeff Larentowicz (NE), Dax McCarty (Fc Dallas), Chris Pontius (DC), Robbier Rodgers (Columbus),
Forwards: Justin Braun (Chivas USA), Conor Casey (Colorado), Jeff Cunningham (Dallas), Robbie Findley (RSL), Marcus Tracy (Aalborg)
So a couple of notes with this squad. Who in reality has a shot at going to the World Cup on this roster that we have to consider.
With injury to Charlie Davies and Oguchi Onyewu does that open up opportunity to a Robbie Findley up front or Geoff Cameron at the back? Chad Marshall? Is Bradley even considering Cameron as a central defender in this camp. I believe Cameron can re-define this position in MLS with more experience. He has a few elements that others don’t.
Now in the case of Brad Davis who comes off a very good year…could he make the final World Cup roster or is their just too many players in midfield. He clearly has an amazing skill set but can he cover enough ground internationally and is he flexible enough.
With Stuart Holden not selected is that a tip off he is headed to Europe? Is Brian Ching just not being selected because he is a known quantity?
Could Jeff Cunningham be kept off the World Cup roster if he produces again in MLS and upcoming friendlies? Don’t forget the Netherlands in February.
Lots of players who had excellent MLS years…..Kevin Alston of NE is another to watch for the future and the choices remain limited at left back with Jonathan Bornstein and Heath Pearce. Edgar Castillo?
Weigh in with your thoughts……?
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Kevin Hartman, Zach Thornton and Nick Rimando? Are you kidding me? Was Tony Meola not available? Did Jurgen Sommer turn down his invite? If Bob Bradley wants to give some keepers a chance, bring in Seitz or a guy like Terry Boss or even a guy like Tally Hall. Those three guys will never see the roster in a meaningful US match, so why keep bringing them back?
The same goes for guys like Heath Pearce and Jimmy Conrad. Bring in some younger guys who can maybe show some promise over the next four years. This is a time to look at the future, not play with names of the past.
I am excited to see some guys like Bedoya and Tracy coming into camp, because they have been playing really well. Marcus Tracy is the kind of guy that could steal the spot that Charlie Davies held. Just do me one favor Bob, please do not let Justin Braun anywhere near the field. And Edwin, don’t give me any west coast liberal spin on how he is an up and coming player. He has the first touch of a rapist and he couldn’t finish in a house of ill-repute. I would rather see Edson F’n Buddle on the roster and that is saying a lot!
January friendlies don’t mean a whole lot and I could care less about this one. I would wager good money that maybe one or two of these guys are guys you will see in South Africa, so I am not too interested.
As for Stu and his Blackburn link, I would like to see him go for it. When you look at a team like Blackburn, you see a team that needs a playmaker. Losing David Dunn hurt that team, and they are in desparate need of an offensive spark, which can be provided by Stu. Allardyce has always been a guy that loves hard working players, and Stu fits that mold. If Stu goes to Blackburn, I can see him unseating El Hadji Diouf and getting a lot of playing time. So Stu, you have the blessing of Coach H to go to Blackburn.
Glenn and all you other people that post here,
I hope that you guys and gals have a safe and happy holidays and a Merry Christmas. Be safe and prepare for a great year of soccer in 2010!
Coach H
Coach H, so since when am I liberal West Coast Bias person? You don’t even know me, I actually tried to find out about you but you always dodge the questions?
I actually wanted to see Edson Buddle last year, wouldn’t mind seeing him now for future purposes but that probably sounds biased right? He needs to have another dozen+ goal type of season to get in that level again.
I can count 10 players who shouldn’t be on here, starting with 2 goalies, why even bring 4, hell 3 is pushing considering this is for the 3rd spot which Perkins pretty much locked already!
Rimando I can see him getting a call up since he did his heroics in the playoffs and MLS Cup, good trainning goalie, but instead of Hartman, who should have been in the team when he was winning championships and best goal against averages with the Galaxy not when he’s about to retire, and Thornton? Some people have the nerve to say he had no good defense but he did, Bornstein to start and he did have Atiba Harris who I believe was a Jamaican international in any case with the top 2 keepers locked what is Hartman and Goat boy doing here? I rather see Brian Perk from the U-20’s or the Peña kid who impressed vs Brazil and Portugal in Phoenix.
In defense I really want to know what Heath Pearce is still doing in this teams pool? We might get sued for his crosses if he goes to S. Africa and hits endangered spieces with his crosses. Oh and he couldn’t even cut it in the German 2nd Division, his team Hansa Rostock was on the verge of getting demoted to 3rd division, now they will be there and he could barely get PT there, eventually getting cut.
Along with worthless Pearce, Clarence Goodson? He’s also responsible for the Gold Cup debacle, enough wit the scrubs already, this isn’t a tournament against Central America’s 2nd teams! Michael Orozco plays in a much more impresive team than this Norwegian team and played great in Libertadores & will do so again next spring. Parkhurst is another Michael that is better than No Good-Goodson.
Castillo better be tied up with Tigres and I hope he goes deep into the Super Liga, I’m rooting for Tigres and Puebla.
Conrad I can digest since our veterans are all in Europe, not happy but I can deal with it. Specially since Cameron, Alston & Gonzalez are there I guess it doesn’t hurt to have a vet like Conrad there.
Eddie Gaven and Brad Evans confuses me, specially Gaven, but both are very questionable.
Sacha is astnonoshing, he along with Beasley managed to get themselves out of Bob’s favorite list and out of the squad with enough bad play, lack of PT or good form at clubs and Sacha’s Red Card vs Brazil in the 1st game is prove of how he shouldn’t be on the squad.
He sucked for a long time before that yeah he had the hat-trick vs Sweeden’s B team in this year’s camp but 2 of those goals were gifts from Ching’s pass and trickery in the box and Wynne getting the PK. Plus he sucked in the last 3 games of 08, vs Mexico @ Columbus and @ El Salvador he was the main reason we were getting killed along with Pearce.
Then he took the whole season to wake up and come up with numbers to almost match the season before this one with Chivas USA? Sorry he has no business on the player pool, Stuart Holden took his spot.
With Demspey, Donovan, Clark, Edu, Feilhaber, Torres and Jones getting into the mix and even Beasley playing much better like his old self Sacha is not even on the B team radar, I’d rather have Adu who’s proved he can do things!
Who’s Brandon McDonald I asked when I saw this list, then I remembered the Galaxy’s horrible season of 2008, he was a rookie with some promise but not worthy of the nats, he has only played little over half a season, and he’s a defender/midfielder what is Bob thinking of turning him into a forward?
To answer your request, Braun is an up and coming player and has good potential to be a good maybe not great MLS player, but he’s sure as hell not even close to being worthy of a call to the nats, like you said Buddle is a much better option, but Robo Bob once again keeps that same old wannabe England and European mentality that you have to look for players with good size and “athletic ability” that are the kind of players who are hard to play against? Those are his words BTW, so does that mean as long as the player is big and can push around he’s worthy?
Torres, Castillo, Parkhurst, Adu may not be extremely tall and actually short but sure as hell are much better than the scrubs on this squad, Cunningham is small and he proved to be among the best, Montero is punic and he’s pretty much the best forward for the whole season, Jeff only played well half a season, Braun shouldn’t be on here.
Pearce, Goodson, Kljestan, Thornton, Hartman, Evans, Gaven, Larentowicz, McDonald, Braun all of them are not worthy of this team, McDonald isn’t even a FW, maybe as D/MF but not sure he’d cut it then
So Coach H, Did you or did you not know my friend Norberto Zamarripa, he was a 4 year letterman in Varsity from 96-00 so that should be right around the time you were there?
This Kid Bedoya is intriguing?
I hope we see this line up:
GK: Perkins
RB: Wynne CB: Conrad CB: Omar LB: Bornstein
RM: ?? CDM: Cameron CAM: Feilhaber(C) LM: Brad Davis
FW: Findley FW: Cunningham
Wouldn’t mind to see Bedoya at LM at halftime, I don’t know much about Pontius I think’s a lefty, Hopefully Bob find a way to get Findley & Cunningham and then get Casey in there to combine with one of them, not sure if Tracy will get any minutes maybe the last 20 or so?
Holden might not also be included because he is out of contract (just like Clark). If these guys got hurt in camp they wouldn’t have much of a contract.
I do hope Cameron is healthy and will show Bob what he can do.
I think another thing that it shows is that Dom has an eye for development and talent. Think about all the Nat Team players the Dynamo has or had. You have Dwayne DeRosario who was turned into a attacking mid from a defensive mid. Dom developed him. You have Cameron, Davis, Clark, Ching, Onstad. You even have Dom acquiring Boswell who was once in the Nat pool but after back injury really lost speed.
Shows that Dom can find talent as well as develop it. If this is the only cycle that Bradley is the coach, my pick is Dom for the next position.
Glenn,
I said it early last year before he was even in the legit nat team mix.
“Geoff Cameron can make the USMNT World Cup squad.”
My supporter friends from other MLS cities and fellow USMNT followers alike laughed me out of the pub calling me a Dynamo homer (among other names) but I might have the last laugh. In a crowded midfield, Cam was a long shot back then, but two years of Dynamo injuries at the back that forced him to play at center half, along w/the loss of Gooch, fate or karma and his natural talent might have stuck Cam in the one place that Bob Bradley needs him most.
If Bob Bradley can’t see the value in a versatile two-way player who can contribute as a tough central defender or attacking midfielder, then give him the pink slip now and hand the reigns to Dom.
Don’t forget the role of Frank Yallop.
Good point about Yallop. He did have a lot of influence finding these guys in SJ.
Frank also nudged Dominic into a coaching career….
Glenn- want to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and healthy new year.
Also special prayer for all our military men and women and their families, this holiday season.
Merry Christmas Mr. Glenn !!!
Looking at the roster for the training camp and….what the hell??? Its like the guys at the beginning of Major League (the 1989 version, nice baseball movie) who look at the roster and get really depressed about the bleak future that awaits them.
I was about to go into this list but my comments would just repeat everyone else’s. I understand a few of these selections (though, only a few). Rimando deserves a look. A couple of guys in midfield could make things interesting but we seem to have a lot of guys there already. Jeff Cunningham finished the year very well and could be the last striker to fill out things up front.
Bob Bradley probably has…say, 15-20 of the 23 guys picked for his team going to South Africa. The few spots (assuming the first group of players stay healthy) are the spots that these guys are playing for. We all know that most of these guys aren’t going to South Africa.
Bob just wants to see who is playing well from the guys he feels good about. Why some of our guys in the Mexican league aren’t on this list? I have no idea. Will this work out well for him? Nope. But, he’s going to do it anyway. And I just hope that the nightmare scenario of Bob keeping his job past the World Cup doesn’t become reality (play decent in the group; finish 2nd; play well but lose to Germany and have everyone really feeling good about the future and leadership of the team and deciding the Bob is the right guy to be the coach).
Hopefully I’m the only one who got dragged into the office to work today.
It’s been a pleasure to debate the beautiful game with all of you this year. Looking forward to next year and sharing it with all of you!! Merry Christmas/Feliz Navidad/ Happy Holidays to you all!!