Who's Ready for the World Cup?

On 5/12 United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) Manager Jürgen Klinsmann announced his preliminary 30-man roster for the World Cup.  

GOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)

DEFENDERS: DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Nürnberg), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Clarence Goodson (San Jose Earthquakes), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Michael Parkhurst (Columbus Crew), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders FC)

MIDFIELDERS: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Maurice Edu (Philadelphia Union), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jermaine Jones (Besiktas), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)

FORWARDS: Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Terrence Boyd (Rapid Vienna), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes) 

The biggest shock was veteran striker Eddie Johnson’s omission.  Johnson hasn’t scored this season for DC United but he was a big part of qualifying.  He scored both goals in a much tighter than it should have been 2-1 win at Antigua and Barbuda in the semifinal round.  He also scored the go ahead goal against Mexico in Columbus, OH that allowed the USMNT to qualify with two games to spare.  EJ joins a dubious list of players that scored the clinching goal in qualification and then were left off the final roster (Steve Ralston in 2006 & Conor Casey in 2010). 

The fact of the matter is that Chris Wondolowski already has five goals for San Jose and Terrence Boyd tallied 20 goals in all competitions for Rapid Vienna including six times in his last four matches.  Jürgen obviously stuck to his word by taking who was playing the best right now meaning Eddie was squeezed out.  I’m sure it didn’t help that Johnson just ripped his teammates in the media either.  It’s also worth noting that a USMNT striker hasn’t scored in the World Cup since 2002 so Klinsmann leaving a proven commodity behind is a little risky. 

The next biggest surprise for me was Joe Corona coming out of nowhere to make the 30-man.  Corona barely featured during qualifying and with Jürgen bringing in so many other youngsters with potential I would have thought Brek Shea would get the nod instead.  I was also a little surprised to see Brad Davis’ name instead of Sacha Kljestan’s.  Lastly Timmy Chandler coming back from the dead probably cost Edgar Castillo his spot.  Guys like Michael Orozco, Tim Ream, Jose Torres, Danny Williams, Herculez Gomez and Juan Agudelo don’t have any right to complain as I see it. 

Here are a few other roster notes before I start breaking down who will make the cut for the final 23: 

> It’s interesting that two players are listed at different positions than in previous press releases from US Soccer.  Fabian Johnson went from midfielder to defender and Landon Donovan from midfielder to forward.  On Donovan Klinsmann had this to say; “I don’t see Landon as a midfielder coming in, I see him clearly as a striker.”  Intriguing to say the least… 

> Nine top-flight leagues are represented on the preliminary roster: USA’s MLS (15), England’s Premier League (4), Germany’s Bundesliga (4), Mexico’s Liga MX (2), Austria’s Bundesliga (1), France’s Ligue 1 (1), Netherlands’ Eredivisie (1), Norway’s Tippeligaen (1) and Turkey’s Super Lig (1). 

> A total of 25 players on the preliminary roster appeared in at least one FIFA World Cup Qualifier in the 2014 cycle.  The five who did not are John Brooks, Julian Green, Nick Rimando, DeAndre Yedlin and Wondolowski. 

FIFA requires that you take three goalkeepers so we are all set there.  As for strikers/forwards the final spot will most likely come down to who performs better over the next 2 ½ weeks between Wondo and Boyd.  That said it would not shock me at all if Landon did not make the 23.  Yes, you read that right.  Captain America is not a lock to make the roster (he has zero goals for LA this season).  Even if he does make it on the plane I see his role as more of a late substitute than a starter at this point in his career.  

In the midfield I don’t see how Corona makes it and Davis is just too one dimensional (great left foot on set pieces) for the biggest tournament in the world.  Klinsy’s next choice has to be between Kyle Beckerman and Maurice Edu since they are basically the same type of player.  I’ve read some people who say that Mix Diskerud is on the bubble too but I just can’t see leaving a player with his creativity and vision at home.  Then there’s the case of 18-year old phenom Green.  I doubt he’s ready for the biggest stage but there has been a lot of chatter about how Jürgen promised Julian a spot if he’d switch his national team affiliation from Germany to the USA. 

Defense is where it gets really tricky though since even at this late date almost the entire back line is still in flux.  Brooks has been shaky as hell every time he’s stepped on the pitch for the USMNT so to ease my nerves let’s wait four more years on him.  Brooks may actually be needed though if Omar Gonzalez (left knee) isn’t 100% fit.  Omar has been pretty bad this year for the Galaxy so I’m hoping that even if he makes the 23 that he doesn’t start.  When it comes to fullback for youngsters Chandler or Yedlin to have a shot they will need to really out play the more experienced Brad Evans and/or Michael Parkhurst during this training period. 

I’ll have another post previewing who I think should start for the USMNT and how I think they’ll fare in the Group of Death.  Meanwhile here’s the rest of their schedule leading up to their first match in Brazil and the preliminary rosters of their Group G opponents. 

5/14 – Camp opens at Stanford University

5/27 – Azerbaijan at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, CA at 7 PM on ESPN2

6/1 – Turkey at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ at 11 AM on ESPN2

6/2 – 23-man roster due

6/7 – Nigeria at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, FL at 3 PM on ESPN

6/12 – Belgium in Sao Paulo (closed scrimmage)

(all times Pacific) 

GHANA

GOALKEEPERS: Adam Kwarasey (Stromsgodset), Fatau Dauda (Orlando Pirates), Stephen Adams (Aduana Stars) 

DEFENDERS: Samuel Inkoom (Platanias), Daniel Opare (Standard Liege), Harrison Afful (Esperance), Jeffrey Schullp (Leicester City), John Boye (Rennes), Jonathan Mensah (Evian), Jerry Akaminko (Eskisehirspor), Rashid Sumaila (Mamelodi Sundowns) 

MIDFIELDERS: Michael Essien (AC Milan), Rabiu Mohammed (Kuban Krasnodar), Agyemang Badu (Udinese), Kwadwo Asamoah (Juventus), Sulley Muntari (AC Milan), Albert Adomah (Middlesborough), Wakasu Mubarak (Rubin Kazan), Christian Atsu (Vitesse), David Accam (Helsingborg), Andre Ayew (Marseille), Afriyie Acquah (Parma) 

FORWARDS: Asamoah Gyan (Al-Ain), Kevin-Prince Boateng (Schalke), Abdul Majeed Waris (Valenciennes), Jordan Ayew (Sochaux)

PORTUGAL

GOALKEEPERS: Anthony Lopes (Lyon), Beto (Sevilha), Eduardo (SC Braga), Rui Patrício (Sporting) 

DEFENDERS: André Almeida (Benfica), Antunes (Málaga), Bruno Alves (Fenerbahçe), Fábio Coentrão (Real Madrid), João Pereira (Valência), Neto (Zenit), Pepe (Real Madrid), Ricardo Costa (Valência), Rolando (Inter) 

MIDFIELDERS: André Gomes (Benfica), João Mário (Vitória FC), João Moutinho (Mónaco), Miguel Veloso (D. Kiev), Raul Meireles (Fenerbahçe), Rúben Amorim (Benfica), William Carvalho (Sporting) 

FORWARDS: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Éder (SC Braga), Hélder Postiga (Lazio), Hugo Almeida (Besiktas), Ivan Cavaleiro (Benfica), Nani (Manchester United), Rafa (SC Braga), Ricardo Quaresma (FC Porto), Varela (FC Porto), Vieirinha (Wolfsburg)

GERMANY

GOALKEEPERS: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Roman Weidenfeller (Borussia Dortmund), Ron-Robert Zieler (Hannover) 

DEFENDERS: Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Erik Durm (Borussia Dortmund), Kevin Grosskreutz (Borussia Dortmund), Benedikt Howedes (Schalke), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Marcell Jansen (Hamburg), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Per Mertesacker (Arsenal), Shkodran Mustafi (Sampdoria), Marcel Schmelzer (Borussia Dortmund) 

MIDFIELDERS: Lars Bender (Borussia Dortmund), Julian Draxler (Schalke), Matthias Ginter (Freiburg), Leon Goretzka (Schalke), Mario Gotze (Bayern Munich), Andre Hahn (Augsburg), Sami Khedira (Real Madrid), Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich), Max Meyer (Schalke), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal), Lukas Podolski (Arsenal), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund), Andre Schurrle (Chelsea), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich) 

FORWARDS: Miroslav Klose (Lazio), Kevin Volland (Hoffenheim)