A pair of MLS matches on the docket tonight with Chicago hosting Colorado and undefeated (unstoppable?) LA visiting Real Salt Lake. Jason & Simon seem to think that the key to the latter match will be whether or not LA scores first, something they have no problem doing even without the services of Edson Buddle & Landon Donovan. There is also the prerequisite bit of World Cup injury talk: is Bob Bradley really considering starting Onyewu against England or is he just being cagey?
Carlos Bocanegra on central defense partner Oguchi Onyewu’s performance last night in Hartford: “I think it’s nice for him to get 90 under his belt and we’ve seen him in training progressing each day.” According to USsoccer.com, Onyewu only played 65 minutes; seems like Carlos was a little more focused on the chicken wings ESPN kept showing him eating than the actual game. But can you blame him? Those things are delicious.
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
In the end the Czechs were too much for the auditioning Americans that made up Bob Bradley’s side tonight in East Hartford. And while reading too much into tonight’s result isn’t the best idea, you still have to wonder what this will all mean in relation to June 12. Or of more immediate concern, this Saturday in Philadelphia.
Will Bradley’s faith in Onyewu pay off or was tonight’s mixed performance as good as it will get? Did Herculez Gomez do enough to make the plane? And does Marcus Hahnemann move up in the pecking order following Brad Guzan’s 4-goal evening? These are all questions that will be answered tomorrow at 1pm EST when the 23-man roster is announced live on ESPN.
With 45 minutes gone the Yanks started off strong but took their foot off the gas for the last 1o minutes of the half, affording the Czechs ample opportunity to score. As for individual players, Stuart Holden and Maurice Edu look ready ride the bubble all the way across the Atlantic and into South Africa. Both players have shown hustle and a willingness to get involved defensively as well as offensively.
On the other end of things Oguchi Onyewu seems physically up to the task but has made a pair of mental mistakes, one of which cost the U.S. a goal. We’ll see what the second-half brings but I wouldn’t expect his gaff to cost him a spot on the 23-man roster.
Herculez Gomez has apparently signed a deal with reigning CONCACAF champ Pachuca in one of the major club moves of the offseason involving an American. Too bad he did not want to speak about it at US World Cup camp, citing the need to focus on the national team. Defender Oguchi Onyewu did the same thing regarding news of an AC Milan extension.
Gomez said he “respectfully” wished to decline comment on the breaking news involving him, but he should have used the word “disrespectfully” instead. It’s slap in the face to the media which has given the forward more attention in the last month than he’s had in his entire career. Not to mention the message it sends to those fans who have bothered to follow him of late.
More than anything else, his “focus” excuse sounds bogus. Has Gomez completely erased Pachuca from his mind? Has the US National Team confiscated his cell phone? Is he not involved in meetings on the topic in his private time? Whoever was responsible for imposing this silence could have employed more tactful strategies: “The deal is not official … Negotiations are still in progress … Pachuca and my agent are handling media requests … There’s a moratorium on club announcements at camp.” For Gomez and Onyewu to say nothing was in poor taste. Focus pocus.
Will Oguchi Onyewu start against the Czech Republic tonight in East Hartford? Will he even see the field? I suspect so on both accounts but even if my prediction is wrong his definitely back on the publicity circuit.
Yesterday the big man paid a visit to ESPN to talk recovery, World Cups past & present and his quasi-scandalous photo shoot in ESPN the Magazine. The answers may come across a little canned but what else should we expect; you have to re-acclimate to interviewing just like you have to re-acclimate to playing I guess.
The Daily EXTRA is back with another look at the latest news out of USMNT camp in Princeton, NJ. Today was all about the return of Oguchi Onyewu and his post-practice press conference.
The big man was fairly open about most things relating to his rehab and his outlook on the upcoming World Cup but his unconventional contract extension with AC Milan was something he was a bit more hesitant to discuss. Nick Firchau and Jaime Uribarri touch on all of this and more from Myslik Field.
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.
Leave it to ESPN’s Chris Fowler, a most unlikely candidate, to bring up an obvious concern that has received only a fraction of the attention heaped upon the U.S. team’s striker uncertainty: the Oguchi Onyewu injury. Everyone knows that offense always makes the headlines regardless of the sport, but Onyewu’s injury is just as, if not more, concerning as he’s a core player for the USMNT and his imposing presence and experience in the center will be crucial to containing the likes of Wayne Rooney in South Africa.
When compared to the Charlie Davies’ injury, which occurred within days of Onyewu’s but in a far more tragic fashion, Gooch’s situation has been pushed to the back-burner. But having such a key member of the squad going into camp on 9 months without a competition match is almost shocking; this should be a marquee story, one that should warrant the scrutiny and attention of the American soccer fan and pundit alike.
But the reality is that it doesn’t garner and won’t garner the attention it deserves because an injured defender, no matter how important to the U.S. squad and it’s World Cup ambitions, just isn’t that sexy. And it certainly doesn’t have the feel good story-potential that Davies’ recovery carries along with it. We’ve all read 101 articles, blog posts and message board threads speculating and predicting who will replace Charlie; how many have you read wondering who could step in for Gooch?
June 09, 2010 
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