The U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team (USMNT) has talent. The increase in the number of players plying their trade overseas is one indicator. A better indicator is that 70% of those players are seeing regular playing time with their club teams. Something that American soccer players have not always been able to say.
USMNT midfielders, defender, and goalkeepers are spread throughout Europe and the MLS earning playing time and in some cases starring for their teams. However, those at the Forward position cannot say that.
Only Jozy Altidore finished the season as a regular starter during his loan spell for club team Hull City. Hull is a team that is destined for relegation, which means that a return campaign for Altidore is unlikely in 2011. Altidore will return to Spanish club Villareal where he will be behind three to four forwards who play internationally for Brazil, Italy, and Spain. With this said, Altidore is the only lock to start at Forward for the U.S. in the world cup.
Charlie Davies’ career was on the upswing before a horrific car accident almost ended his life. Six surgeries and a miraculous nine months later he started training full speed with club team Sochaux this week. His medical setbacks have taken him from sure fire starter to hopeful to be fit for the world cup.
Brian Ching has the experience and has no problem seeing playing time in the lesser known and less technical American Major League Soccer for club team Houston Dynamo. However, Ching is recovering from a hamstring injury and has yet to return to full training.
Going into September of last year, these were your top three forward options for the USMNT. As you can see there is legitimate concern for who will put the ball in the back of the net. Edson Buddle of the LA Galaxy and Herculez Gomez of Puebla in Mexico have seen their stock rise to the level that they are now front runners to replace either injured forward if they cannot make it to the world cup.
Buddle and Gomez have enjoyed great form the last two and six months but their history with the USMNT and coach Bob Bradley is inconsistent at best. Both have been called up to camps before and neither impressed. Jeff Cunningham (FC Dallas), Eddie Johnson (Aris Salonika), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake), and Connor Casey (Colorado Rapids) all see regular to semi regular time with their club teams but have not enjoyed the form with club or country in recent months.
Coach Bob Bradley has a real dilemma on his hands. If Ching and Davies are healthy he takes two forwards who will have three to four competitive matches at best under their belts to the biggest tourney in the world. If not, he can either convert midfielder Clint Dempsey to Forward or take one or two forwards from a group of 6 that have been inconsistent and untested at the international level. Dempsey provides skill and technical ability. This is why he starts in midfield already. While the midfield pool is deep and Stuart Holden (Bolton Wanderers) and Alejandro Bedoya (Orebro) are more than capable, would Bradley simply be creating a hole by plugging another?
What do you think Bradley should do? Is the problem at forward going to hold the USMNT back in the world cup? Is the best option none of the above and just convert midfielder Clint Dempsey to forward?
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