MLS Insider Blog

BY SHAWN FRANCIS

Here it is, Bob Bradley’s 23-man roster for the U.S. Mens National Team. I know you have something to say about it so let the pontificating begin.

USA’s 23-man Provisional World Cup Roster

Goalkeepers- Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann, Brad Guzan

Defenders- Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Steve Cherundolo, Jonathan Spector, Jay DeMerit, Clarence Goodson, Jonathan Bornstein

Midfielders- Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Stuart Holden, Ricardo Clark, Maurice Edu, Benny Feilhaber, Jose Francisco Torres,  DaMarcus Beasley

Forwards- Jozy Altidore, Robbie Findley, Edson Buddle, Herculez Gomez

BY SHAWN FRANCIS

The afternoon edition of The Daily tackles the issue of roster trimming with the opinion that DaMarcus Beasley and Chad Marshall look like early favorites to not make the cut. Are they on-point or off their rocker?

BY SIMON BORG

After the opening of camp on Monday and the Landon Donovan therapy session on Tuesday, there was very little newsworthy notes coming out of U.S. camp in Princeton on Wednesday. Overall, except for the rain on Tuesday, things have gone according to plan for USA manager Bob Bradley who said “so far, so good.”

Here’s where things stand: Bradley seems to have a strong feeling of who his 23 are and will use the match in Hartford to confirm those thoughts. The three injured players who will likely be in the final squad are progressing well (Eddie Johnson, Carlos Bocanegra and Jay DeMerit). Defender Chad Marshall is unlikely to make it to South Africa after a hamstring injury kept him out of the third day of team practice. Also, reading into Bradley’s comments on Wednesday, it’s tough to see DaMarcus Beasley figuring into his plans.

Lastly, forward Edson Buddle says the only forward he has not been paired up with thus far during camp is Herculez Gomez, which likely means that the two are in direct competition for a spot on the 23.

LIKELY NOT TO MAKE FINAL 23: Chad Marshall, DaMarcus Beasley, Alejandro Bedoya, Robbie Findley, Robbie Rogers, Sacha Kljestan, Herculez Gomez OR Edson Buddle

BY SIMON BORG

Oguchi Onyewu, Benny Feilhaber, Alejandro Bedoya and Clarence Goodson all participated in USA World Cup training for the first time on Wednesday. They will leave immediately after the session to complete their physicals.

There are five players carrying injury who participated in only a portion of training or worked out individually.

Carlos Bocanegra (abdominal injury), Tim Howard (quad), and Jay DeMerit (abdominal injury) participated in a part of the session. Eddie Johnson and Chad Marshall, who are recovering from hamstring injuries, worked out on their own.

BY SHAWN FRANCIS

The first training session of the USMNT’s pre-World Cup training camp is wrapping up with winded players taking on Gatorade at speed. With a large number of players absent from this morning’s session due to injury and late arrival, today’s training was all about fitness.

Among those that were missing from the field today were Edson Buddle, Landon Donovan and Jose Francisco Torres who are in Philadelphia undergoing physicals. Also absent from camp are Alejandro Bedoya & Clarence Goodson, who will arrive from Scandinavia today, and Oguchi Onyewu & Benny Feilhaber who land tomorrow.

On the injury front, Tim Howard was kept out of training due to a quad strain while both Jay DeMerit and Carlos Bocanegra sat with lower abdominal strains. Eddie Johnson and Chad Marshall also did not train while nursing hamstring injuries.

BY SHAWN FRANCIS

Coach Bob Bradley announced his preliminary 30-man roster ahead of next week’s pre-World Cup training camp in Princeton, NJ. All of the usual suspects (Howard, Donovan, Bocanegra, Bradley, Altidore) are present including a few who were questionable due to injury (Onyewu, Ching).

The selection of forwards does not include the recovering Charlie Davies, a player whose potential inclusion has been the subject of much debate in U.S. soccer circles for months. It does however include relative USMNT greenhorns Edson Buddle & Herculez Gomez as well as once out-of-favor striker Eddie Johnson.

The preliminary 30-man roster in full:

Keepers: Tim Howard, Brad Guzan, Marcus Hahnemann

Defenders: Oguchi Onyewu, Carlos Bocanegra, Jonathan Bornstien, Jay De Merit, Heath Pearce, Johnathan Spector, Clarence Goodson, Chad Marshall, Steve Cherundolo

Midfielders: Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, Alejandro Bedoya, Clint Dempsey, Sacha Kljestan, Ricardo Clark, Robbie Rogers, Stuart Holden, Maurice Edu, Benny Feilhaber, Jose Francisco Torres, Michael Bradley

Forwards: Jozy Altidore, Edson Buddle, Robbie Findley, Brian Ching, Herculez Gomez, Eddie Johnson

BY SHAWN FRANCIS

If you can recall his triple-assist performance at MLS Cup 2008, you know that Guillermo Barros Schelotto is equally gifted as both a facilitator and a goal-scorer. Currently his Columbus Crew are involved in pre-season training in deepest Florida and yesterday they played the U.S. U-17’s in an afternoon scrimmage at the IMG Academy in Bradenton. The Boca Juniors legend put on something of a free kick clinic for the young Americans, setting up Chad Marshall’s headed goal with a beautifully arcing ball to the back post before getting on the score sheet himself by banging one in off of the opposite post.

The feat here is not the the actual goal or assist, but the ease with which he seemingly accomplishes them. Watching this clip, I’m not even sure he broke a sweat or even had to concentrate. It’s like he just wills them into being with the most minimal of effort. He is truly sublime.