Ives is reporting other reports claiming that the US has set a friendly for Saturday, February 24 against El Salvador. This is another date that is not on the FIFA Calendar, so it will be a largely MLS based roster with some Scandinavian based players mixed in. While the current camp has about 30 players, I'm guessing this one will be smaller and more focused, probably closer to 20 or 23 players called in. There is also a chance that they would ask for some of the players who are in season, but not getting playing time regularly.
Looks like the Scandinavian teams will be in training as Bradley announced an all-MLS 23 man camp for this friendly. GOALKEEPERS (3): Troy Perkins (D.C. United), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake), Zach Thornton (Chivas USA) DEFENDERS (7): Kevin Alston (New England Revolution), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Omar Gonzalez (Los Angeles Galaxy), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Michael Orozco (Philadelphia Union), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC) MIDFIELDERS (9): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Dax McCarty (FC Dallas), Chris Pontius (D.C. United), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew) FORWARDS (4): Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Jeff Cunningham (FC Dallas), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake) Good to see Orozco back after being banished from play since the red card in the Olympics. Its an interesting group in defense as only Marshall and Gonzalez are true center backs. Bornstein played there in a pinch after the Conrad red against Honduras, while Orozco has played there before, but has been a fullback in Mexico. Overall, this is a weak squad. Based on who is likely to be available, Perkins, Marshall, and Bornstein are the only players who are definitely going to the WC, while Bornstein is the only one with a shot at starting.
Can't be any worse than the Honduras match. Here's what I'm hoping for from a starting XI: GK - Perkins DR - Alston DL - Bornstein DC - Gonzalez DC - Marshall MR - Cameron ML - Rogers MC - Beckerman MC - Kljestan FC - Ching FC - Findley
An update on Orozco. I'm not sure when the fullback thing was started, but that's what he's been referred to on SBI for a while now. I'm still pretty sure that he's a center back. It looks like Bradley is going to make this a three way competition for the fourth CB spot between Marshall, Gonzalez, and Orozco. I'm banking on Marshall, but the other two are definite prospects to keep an eye on.
Been a while since I commented in this thread. Kevin Alston left camp due to the same hamstring issue that kept him out of the friendly against Honduras in January.
And here's the 20 man match day roster: GOALKEEPERS (2): Troy Perkins (D.C. United), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake) DEFENDERS (5): Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC) MIDFIELDERS (9): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Dax McCarty (FC Dallas), Chris Pontius (D.C. United), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew) FORWARDS (4): Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Jeff Cunningham (FC Dallas), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake) The obvious questions here being where are Omar Gonzalez and Michael Orozco and why on Earth is Marvell Wynne getting another shot? One could only hope we'll see Cameron at RB, but somehow, I doubt it as Wynne will probably get another shot to prove he is clueless when the opposition has 11 men on the pitch. Probable starters: GK - Perkins DF - Wynne - Marshall - Goodson - Bornstein MF - Rogers - Beckerman - Kljestan - Davis FW - Ching - Findley
The epically named Leander Schaerlaeckens with an article for SoccerNet explaining why this game is straddling the line between meaningful and meaningless. To summarize, there are more than a few roster spots up for grabs and this is the last chance of the MLS based players to show their stuff in front of Bradley with the presence of the Euro/Mexican based players. Based on my ideas in the roster projection thread I started, I think we have four MLSers going to South Africa, but that was based on an optimistic outlook for the injured players. As we get closer to June and injury situations clear themselves up, we'll see how that changes.
I'll be blogging this one on tape delay here. Probably around 10 pm. Here's the US starting lineup: ----------------Casey--------Findley---------------- Davis---------Beckerman---Kljestan-------Rogers Pearce--------Bornstein-----Goodson-------Evans ------------------------Rimando---------------------- And the US bench:Troy Perkins, Eddie Gaven, Chad Marshall, Geoff Cameron, Brian Ching, Dax McCarty and Jeff Cunningham. I'm loving the lack of Marvell Wynne. Bornstein is captaining from centerback, which is a bit of a surprise, but makes sense. Lots of injuries in the pool so its huge to determine what he can do there, after showing well when pressed into duty against Honduras.
I just got through the first half. US dominated the action. Rimando in goal was only called upon as an outlet when the defense needed to send the ball back, but even that was infrequent. The match was 0-0 at the half, but that was only due to Miguel Montes being brilliant in goal as it easly could have been 3-0. The best chances were from Robbie Rogers and a couple from Sacha Kljestan. Despite the shots, neither player played well in my opinion. Kljestan was either brilliant or disruptive in the attack, with no in between at all. He seemed to be pushing too hard to perform well in what could be his last chance at South Africa. Rogers meanwhile was horrific. He seemed very timid and unwilling to move forward. Brad Davis, Connor Casey, and Robbie Findley also played poorly. Davis was almost entirely non-existent, aside from corners. Casey and Findley both seemed unaware of their best skills. Casey didn't play with his back to goal enough, and was looking to go at goal, rather than hold up play and set up others. Findley spent more time running into his midfield to get in on goal. As for players who did well, there were definitely some bright spots. Clarence Goodson broke up a few attacking chances with last minute tackles. Kyle Beckerman played a strong, steady game, as one would expect. He was strong in the tackle and was looking forward to get into a counter attack whenever he won the ball. The top player in the first half by far was Heath Pearce. Most of the attacking chances involved the left flank and Pearce making moves at one point or another. He routinely beat the El Salvador right back off the dribble and was able to get off a few dangerous crosses that required immediate attention.
Watching the second half now and providing some running notes: - 90 seconds in and Brian Ching has already proven superior to Connor Casey. He took the ball off a tough challenge from a defender and retained possession. Laid it off to Kljestan and then took a run that put him on the end of a tough cross from Rogers. Rogers did well to get in space for the cross, but it was well defended and the window was small. - Robbie Findley is playing with a slight knee injury...and it was worsened in a collision off the ball after 8 minutes. That might explain some of his ineffectiveness. Not confident that his knee will hold up if he went at people at speed. Brad Davis also had a tight hamstring in the first half, which explains some of his performance. He's usually been solid when called in for the US. - El Salvador goal in the 58th. A combination of fluke and poor play. An El Salvador midfielder gets the ball with Beckerman closing in. First touch just sends a lob up to Rimando's right in the 18. Three US defenders converge. Bornstein is in great position to take it down, turn to the right flank and run with it, then Brad Evans comes in over Bornstein, and heads it past Goodson into the path of an El Salvador defender. Finish was good to give Rimando had no chance. Evans picks up the assist. - A few strong chances for the US. Gaven launched a shot from about 25 yards, and Montes was fortunate to make the stop without allowing a rebound. The next was a Rogers free kick which Evans flicked on goal with a header. And again off a free kick where Montes smothered another header with Ching and Cunningham in place to get the rebound. - In the 71st now and it appears that Ching got kicked in the face. And there was no card. Not a even a yellow. - Ching is so much more active than Casey. He gave the ball away outside around 30 yards from goal the El Salvador goal and tracked all the way back inside his 18 to help prevent the counter. Not the place I like to see a forward, but you'd never see Casey do something like that after giving the ball away (which is his typical first touch). - First USA goal in the 75th. Pearce gets down the left and gets off a perfect cross. Ching dives onto the ball at the top of the 6 and rockets a header off of Montes and in. Not much Montes could do as he had little to no time to react to the header. Though, he may have had a play on it if he got out of goal. - 81st minute now and Rogers gets a strong, curling shot off, but it goes just wide of goal. He's been pretty rocky this half. He clearly has the skills, just needs to express them more often. I don't think he'll get another look until its time to think about 2014. - 85th minute and Heath Pearce just got booked for a tackle on Arturo Alvarez. Looked like a strong, but clean tackle. Pearce made first contact with the ball, but caught Alvarez after. Not a follow through, just clipped him on the way by. Good acting from Alvarez. - Rogers is off in the 86th. Geoff Cameron makes his international debut. Kljestan moves out to the left it appears. Not sure where Cameron went. Could be on the right with Gaven central. - 89th minute and Brian Ching sends a half-volley over his shoulder, right into Gaven's path to open him up on goal. Ching is clearly making a statement here, saying that Altidore is the speed striker to replace Davies and that Ching is the guy to provide the strength up top. - 92nd minute, Kljestan with the winner. Some ignorant dribbling from an El Salvadorian central defender allowed Kljestan to take the ball cleanly and in stride. Kljestan plays to Ching to get some space for himself and Ching sends it right back to Kljestan who puts it past Montes. - 94th and Cameron nearly had a third. A bit of ping pong back and forth resulted in McCarty getting the ball going away from goal. He laid it off for Cameron who sent it just a bit too high. Probably some nerves on his debut.
Final thoughts: - Brian Ching and Heath Pearce are going to get very serious looks for the World Cup. - Kyle Beckerman probably didn't move up in the rankings, but if Maurice Edu or Ricardo Clark slip up, he's ready to go. - I don't think Sacha Kljestan did much to help his cause. He probably did enough to move up into distant consideration, but I saw nothing to put him ahead of Feilhaber or Torres. - Jeff Cunningham and Robbie Findley would have played themselves out, if there was any depth in the pool at forward. We'll see what Eddie Johnson and Freddy Adu continue to do in Greece.
