The 2011 Gold Cup Roster was announced by Bob Bradley on Monday and with it came a lot of opinions from fans and analysts, which is great for US Soccer. If we were to rewind four years ago to the Gold Cup in 2007, I doubt many people can recall much besides Benny Feilhaber’s goal against Mexico. US Soccer has taken a large step forward in the past two years with success at the Confederations Cup and the World Cup. The Gold Cup gives the United States another opportunity to keep the momentum from last Summer going while also staking the claim as the top side in CONCACAF. The added bonus of winning thia Gold Cup gives the US the opportunity to compete again in the Confederations Cup in 2013 in Brazil.
Most fans and analysts were quick to point out who was left off (Timmy Chandler, Ale Bedoya, Brad Guzan) but instead let’s take a look to see if the roster is an upgrade from the players chosen for the World Cup last year. There are 9 changes to the roster from the players chosen to go to South Africa and this is where we should be analyzing the progress of the US team from a year ago. (Complete Rosters for World Cup and Gold Cup listed below.)
Most fans and analysts were quick to point out who was left off (Timmy Chandler, Ale Bedoya, Brad Guzan) but instead let’s take a look to see if the roster is an upgrade from the players chosen for the World Cup last year. There are 9 changes to the roster from the players chosen to go to South Africa and this is where we should be analyzing the progress of the US team from a year ago. (Complete Rosters for World Cup and Gold Cup listed below.)
In defense Jay DeMerit was dropped mostly due to being injured of late while Eric Lichaj and Tim Ream are new to the roster. I am a big Tim Ream fan as I believe he is the center-back that can take the US to the next level in regards to possession out of the back. At the World Cup in most instances, bad things seemed to happen when we tried to possess out of the back. Players were not overly comfortable with it and teams started to pressure us further up the field and thus possession became very limited from our central defender position. For those that have watched Ream play, it is obvious he is very comfortable on the ball and is a very good passer from central positions. I believe Ream is a long term answer at the center-back position and hopefully Bradley will give him serious minutes at the Gold Cup to give him more experience. Eric Lichaj has played a lot of games for Leeds in the second part of the season after his loan from Aston Villa. He is a young outside defender who also needs to gain experience. Bocanegra and Cherundalo are getting older but both are still playing at a high level so it might be tougher for Lichaj to get minutes this time around. The experience overall should help him down the road.
In the midfield Beasley, Holden, Clark and Torres were not included in the Gold Cup Roster after featuring last summer. Holden would obviously be on it if healthy but looking back to the World Cup he only had a cameo appearance so his impact at international level still hasn’t happened. Hopefully he returns to the form he displayed with Bolton this season as he would provide a big impact into the midfield for Bradley. Beasley’s best days are behind him while Torres and Clark both struggled in South Africa and their omissions are not surprising.
Bob Bradley has added Freddy Adu, Jermaine Jones, Sacha Kljestan and Robbie Rogers to the midfield corps which most would agree is the best part of the US team. Michael Bradley, Donovan, and Dempsey are all automatic starters and the other starter(s) will depend on the formation Bradley chooses. I think the four additions are all an upgrade from last summer besides Holden, but I am not sure if any of them besides Jones will get serious minutes in the Gold Cup. Adu is still a talent and has shown since his move to Turkey he still has ability that other Americans don’t have. Kljestan and Rogers are both solid midfielders but are they better than Dempsey, Donovan or even Feilhaber? I don’t think they are, but all might get a chance to play against Guadeloupe if we have already qualified from the group stages. Besides that it might just be a lot of training sessions for these midfielders.
Bob Bradley has added Freddy Adu, Jermaine Jones, Sacha Kljestan and Robbie Rogers to the midfield corps which most would agree is the best part of the US team. Michael Bradley, Donovan, and Dempsey are all automatic starters and the other starter(s) will depend on the formation Bradley chooses. I think the four additions are all an upgrade from last summer besides Holden, but I am not sure if any of them besides Jones will get serious minutes in the Gold Cup. Adu is still a talent and has shown since his move to Turkey he still has ability that other Americans don’t have. Kljestan and Rogers are both solid midfielders but are they better than Dempsey, Donovan or even Feilhaber? I don’t think they are, but all might get a chance to play against Guadeloupe if we have already qualified from the group stages. Besides that it might just be a lot of training sessions for these midfielders.
At the forward position Bradley dropped Edson Buddle, Robbie Findley and Herculez Gomez and replaced them with Juan Agudelo and Chris Wondolowski. I never understood why Findley was on the World Cup roster last year and didn’t understand why he actually started either! I know the idea was to put a speedy forward next to Altidore in hopes to have the success that Altidore and Charlie Davies enjoyed when playing together. The problem with that is Charlie Davies is a much better player than Robbie Findley, just because you have speed doesn’t mean you are technically good or an international player. At the World Cup last year, I would have preferred Dempsey going up top (which Bob chose to do at a few half-times) than watching Findley running around accomplishing nothing. I think Juan Agudelo is a talent that we haven’t seen before and I think he is an upgrade on what we saw next to Altidore last summer. I know Chris Wondolowski scored plenty of goals last year for San Jose but I just don’t see him as a prolific scorer at the international stage. A good example of Wondo would be Kevin Phillips in England who has always scored for his club teams but not able to do it at the international level. I would have preferred to see Teal Bunbury selected as I think he has a future with the US team where as Wondo will be fading out after this tournament.
I left Nic Rimando out of the evaluation as he has just been brought in as the third goalkeeper and if Brad Guzan wasn’t getting married this summer he would have been on the roster once again.
I left Nic Rimando out of the evaluation as he has just been brought in as the third goalkeeper and if Brad Guzan wasn’t getting married this summer he would have been on the roster once again.
Overall I think the players are an improvement over those that are no longer with the squad. I think DeMerit and Holden would both be on it if healthy, but besides those two every other player is an upgrade from last summer. I hope that Bob gives Tim Ream a chance to prove he belongs as the US badly needs a central defender that can control possession. The midfield is loaded with players, but if Bradley is smart he gives a chance to Kljestan and Adu to see if their creativity and speed of play is what the USA has lacked from the central position. Agudelo and Altidore could be a great strike partnership and in many ways heading into the Gold Cup, Altidore has more to prove than Agudelo does.
Lastly, Bradley has a tendency to be a better coach at halftime than prior to the game and it would be good to see him have a better handle on tactics before kickoff. It has become tiresome to see him get things so wrong with formation and players to start a match and then seem like a genius at halftime. Another exciting month of international soccer is upon us here in the US, it won’t quite be the World Cup but a US-Mexico final would make for a very entertaining day.
Soccer Banter wants to hear your thoughts on the US Roster, comment below.
Lastly, Bradley has a tendency to be a better coach at halftime than prior to the game and it would be good to see him have a better handle on tactics before kickoff. It has become tiresome to see him get things so wrong with formation and players to start a match and then seem like a genius at halftime. Another exciting month of international soccer is upon us here in the US, it won’t quite be the World Cup but a US-Mexico final would make for a very entertaining day.
Soccer Banter wants to hear your thoughts on the US Roster, comment below.
2011 Gold Cup Roster:
Goalkeepers: Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann, Nic Rimando
Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra, Jonathan Bornstein, Steve Cherundalo, Clarence Goodson, Eric Lichaj, Oguchi Onyewu, Tim Ream, Jonathan Spector
Midfielders: Freddy Adu, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Maurice Edu, Benny Feilhaber, Jermaine Jones, Sacha Kljestan, Robbie Rogers
Forwards: Juan Agudelo, Jozy Altidore, Chris Wondolowski
2010 World Cup Roster:
Goalkeepers: Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann, Brad Guzan
Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra, Jonathan Bornstein, Steve Cherundalo, Jay DeMerit, Clarence Goodson, Oguchi Onyweu, Jonathan Spector
Midfielders: Demarcus Beasley, Michael Bradley, Ricardo Clark, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Maurice Edu, Benny Feilhaber, Stuart Holden, Jose Torres
Forwards: Jozy Altidore, Edson Buddle, Robbie Findley, Herculez Gomez
Goalkeepers: Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann, Nic Rimando
Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra, Jonathan Bornstein, Steve Cherundalo, Clarence Goodson, Eric Lichaj, Oguchi Onyewu, Tim Ream, Jonathan Spector
Midfielders: Freddy Adu, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Maurice Edu, Benny Feilhaber, Jermaine Jones, Sacha Kljestan, Robbie Rogers
Forwards: Juan Agudelo, Jozy Altidore, Chris Wondolowski
2010 World Cup Roster:
Goalkeepers: Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann, Brad Guzan
Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra, Jonathan Bornstein, Steve Cherundalo, Jay DeMerit, Clarence Goodson, Oguchi Onyweu, Jonathan Spector
Midfielders: Demarcus Beasley, Michael Bradley, Ricardo Clark, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Maurice Edu, Benny Feilhaber, Stuart Holden, Jose Torres
Forwards: Jozy Altidore, Edson Buddle, Robbie Findley, Herculez Gomez
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