USMNT Roster Reaction

The release of the U.S. Men’s National Team roster for the World Cup qualifiers against Jamaica did not bring a lot of surprises.  Michael Bradley and Landon Donovan would not be on the squad due to injury.  Josh Gatt was announced but had to pull out because of a hamstring injury.  Still the refrain from fans seemed to include some of the same names.  Here is a look at the reaction to the newly released roster.

Colin Reese of World Soccer Source did not seem pleased with the roster at all.  The USMNT was coming off of an historic victory in Mexico and there will be a lot of expectations as they head to Kingston later this week.  He was probably not alone in his sentiments.

It is hard to say is Jay DeMerit is truly fit for the national scene at this point.  Freddy Adu has gained some fan support in recent weeks.  Omar Gonzalez has to be on the radar as he continues to prove he is back from a severe injury.  Tony Taylor has been courted by Panama.  Regardless, these thoughts may be part of a larger idea that the USMNT has no significant driving force through the middle currently.

Eric Lichaj and Sacha Kljestan have been in great form for their respective clubs over the past year but were left off the roster once again.  Some thought that they may have been on the roster based on injuries and an apparent changing of the guard in defense.  However, Carlos Bocanegra was once again called in.

You get the idea.  Lichaj started today for Aston Villa in a draw while Kljestan continues to help Anderlecht sit atop the table.

The midfield without Bradley continues to be a point of contention.  Kyle Beckerman made some great decisions against Mexico but has yet to win over his most hardened detractors.  Jose Torres has not played well in his recent chances with the national team drawing heavy criticism since February.  Also, Jurgen Klinsmann seems to love Jermaine Jones, who can be so hit or miss and is a guaranteed yellow card.

One wonders if Clint Dempsey is fit enough to play will Klinsmann try to play him through the center of the field with two of the three other forwards, Terrence Boyd, Jozy Altidore, or Herculez Gomez, combining near the box. This could ease the pressure on the holding midfielders and provide easier distribution for Torres.

The American Pitch has openly questioned the central midfielders like Carlos Bocanegra.    His recent move to Racing Santander was not an obstacle in making the roster.  However, Geoff Cameron and Maurice Edu performed well at Azteca giving clout to the argument for a new tandem on the back line.  However, the debate rages on.

As always we appreciate farther reaction from you in the comments.  We will follow the development of the current roster as they head toward the next qualifier, including the first American Pitch podcast coming later this week.