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Breaking down the U.S. roster
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Kenny Cooper isn't feeling the love right now.
Just thought we should swing around and take a belated look at the U.S. rosters for World Cup qualifying games against Cuba (in Havana Sept. 6) and Trinidad & Tobago (in Illinois Sept. 10).
Keepers: (Brad Guzan, Tim Howard)
Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra, Danny Califf, Steve Cherundolo, Frankie Hejduk, Oguchi Onyewu, Michael Orozco, Heath Pearce, Mavell Wynne
Midfielders: DaMarcus Beasley, Michael Bradley, Ricardo Clark, Maurice Edu, Sacha Kljestan, Eddie Lewis
Forwards: Brian Ching, Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Eddie Johnson
First impressions have to do mainly with the Olympians who just came back. Edu looked solid playing in the back outside of a few harrowing challenges in the box that were perhaps a bit to rash given the circumstances. But it takes a skilled player to take up that position at a high-level international tournament and show as well as he did. Now he’ll be back to his more normal mid/defensive mid position though.
Also, Orozco gets a shot after his inexcusable red card that severely hurt the U.S.'s chances in the Olympics.
It’s hard to understand why Kenny Cooper isn’t getting a chance on the national team. Any one who watched their last game against Guatemala knows they certainly don’t possess tons of consistent scoring options up front, and here is a guy with 13 goals and three assists in 21 games this season for FC Dallas who is drawing lots of attention overseas (which is where he’ll likely be next season). A big target at 6-foot-3, he’s 24 years old and knows the back of the net like an old friend. Yet he can’t find a spot on a team that hasn’t been breaking scoring records during much of its time together. There must be a good reason for this, right?
Other absences that spring to mind are Jozy Altidore and Freddy Adu. Perhaps Adu wants to settle in more at his new club (AS Monaco)? Who knows, because in Adu the U.S. have one of its most dynamic on-ball presences who can make things happen in the middle of the pitch all by himself. And in Altidore they have another young gun who knows how to score and still has worlds of room to grow. Bob Bradley is sticking with the older guard, but how bout the motto of -- What have you done for me lately? We’ll have to see what roster Bradley pulls up after these two games are through.
What do you thinka bout this roster? Happy, not happy? Who got the big snubs and who do you think should be sitting at home?
