A Sea Of Red

Whither art thou, Eddie Johnson? The 30-man roster that Klinsmann will whittle down to 23 to take to Brazil:

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)

I know of Goodson but yeah, the defenders are complete unknowns.

Interesting that he's not even going to consider using Donovan at midfield, only forward.

I know most of those defenders, other than Brooks and Yedlin, so this looks pretty good to me. Timmy the Liverpool hater is obviously the number 1. Beasly, Evans, Gonzalez and Parkhurst is my best guess for the back four. Midfield and forward I really have no clue.

These are the defenders we've been using since Jurgen arrived. Hardly unknowns. But it's definitely our Achilles this go-round.

The defense hasn't been great, but that's the defense that won the Gold Cup, was top of the group in the Hex and beat Mexico 2-0.

Hard to tell how much better Mexico will be under new leadership.

I hope Julian Green makes the 23 squad. Bright future.

The more I look at this roster the more I'm convinced the U.S. could shock some people at the World Cup. Not saying it would be easy, but a W versus Ghana and a Draw versus Portugal is definitely within the grasp of this team.

Also, IMO the big question on defense is chemistry rather than talent. Chandler and Cameron both had really good years in the Bundesliga and Premier League, respectively. Fabian Johnson, while having some down periods, ended on a high note. Same with John Brooks. If there guys, along with the other defenders who make it, can develop a good understanding with one another then our defense may not be as bad as most Americans think.

Has anyone watched the ESPN series leading to the WC?

There's only been one, right?

SuperJon wrote:There's only been one, right?

Yup. The next episode is Wednesday at 7.

The rest of the dates and times are here:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2061 ... es-preview

The absence of Brek Shea would have really disappointed me a year ago. I had such high hopes for him, but he's such an enigma of a player, hard to depend on someone like that.

The biggest disappointment is comeback that Stu Holden was unable to make.

SuperJon wrote:Has anyone watched the ESPN series leading to the WC?

I got 5 solid seconds of screen time in that episode! I'm expecting a call from a casting agency any moment now.

The 23 man squad has been selected. The man who has been the face of US soccer for the past decade is not on it.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/landon-do ... 36536.html

Yergy rolled the dice with this one. It appears to me that the Green pick means he's pulling the "looking to the future" card here.
Captain America should have had the chance to step aside on his own.

In related news, I'm really glad I didn't buy that Donovan rocket pop jersey!

I was surprised but not shocked about Donovan. He's always been a gamer so I sort of thing he could've made it over whoever the 23rd guy is.

Super happy to see Beckerman finally make it.

01LUGrad wrote:Yergy rolled the dice with this one. It appears to me that the Green pick means he's pulling the "looking to the future" card here.
Captain America should have had the chance to step aside on his own.

In related news, I'm really glad I didn't buy that Donovan rocket pop jersey!

You can really say that with the whole roster. A LOT of young guys, but the tradeoff for youth is a lack of experience, only 5 players on this roster have played in a World Cup before.

We have a lot of dual citizenship guys.

R i wrote:I hope Julian Green makes the 23 squad. Bright future.

He committed to the US for life. It was worth the spot, and wasnt waisted.

BuryYourDuke wrote:Green is a wasted roster spot at this point.

Your sources ?

In my eyes, you put Donovan on for leadership and who he is to the USA is nothing else. If Green is barely used, then the spot would have been better used on Landon. I do hope that Klinsmann has a rabbit in his hat though and this pays big. Cause, what we really all want is a good showing and some wins.

SuperJon wrote:We have a lot of dual citizenship guys.

That seems like a new approach for us. Klinsmann is fond of them.

BuryYourDuke wrote:When he doesn't see the field in our 3 games, that will be a source. Or, when he does, and he looks totally lost out there, that would be another.

Don't worry though. I'm sure someone from US Soccer will make an official statement to the press at some point about something so you will know what to think.

What about 4 years from now when he suites up for the US and not Germany ? Still a waisted roster spot ?

"wasted"

somewhere CIDER is vomiting