Bradley Lays Down His Cards (Part I)

If I felt so compelled, I could launch an offshoot of this blog dedicated solely to soccer, both the electronic and real-life versions. That has yet to happen, so my legions of readers better gear up for a summer of incisive reporting on the biggest party on the planet.

For starters, have you seen the ad previewing the World Cup narrated by Bono? It has a slick lyrical rhythm to it and crescendoes nicely to get you excited for the matches. The premise of the ad, however, is debatable. "It's not about politics..." Soccer is very often political. I have written about this in a previous post, and don't feel like going into detail now. Plenty more on that in forthcoming soccer posts.

In this first installment of my preview of the World Cup, I will focus on the initial 30-man roster that U.S. national team coach Bob Bradley selected this week. This group will be trimmed to 23 by the end of the month as each peripheral player goes under the microscope.

On the whole, Bradley has made some sound choices:

Starting in goal, Tim Howard has two sturdy back-ups in Marcus Hahnemann and Brad Guzan. Goalkeepers are America's biggest export in soccer goods, and this is one position where we top the English (our first opponents of the tournament).

Injuries convolute our back line. When all are healthy and in good form, the starting four should be Jon Specter at right back, Oguchi "Gooch" Onyewu and Jay DeMerit in the middle, and Jonathan Bornstein on the left. Carlos Bocanegra, a savvy player who often wears the arm band, is too slow to play on the flanks and should come off the bench for one of the center backs. Specter is an effective passer, while Bornstein offers something going forward.

The U.S. midfield may be our biggest shortcoming. The Yanks are particularly stretched when it comes to defensive midfielder, a crucial position that, when played right, eases pressure on the back line by gobbling up the opposition's attack. Michael Bradley, the coach's son, is versatile and our best bet in the middle. He is a strong tackler and can rip a shot from distance. But he needs more help than is available. The physicality of Jermaine Jones, a German-American who recently switched allegiance to the U.S. national team, would have allowed Bradley to venture forward without worrying about leaving his back line vulnerable to a counter-attack. But chronic injuries mean Jones will miss the World Cup.

We turn to three talented but unpredictable players in search of Bradley's midfield partner. Maurice Edu would be a solid anchor. He won "Rookie of the Year" in the MLS in 2007 (a more competitive award than it used to be) and gained important international experience with the U.S. at the summer Olympics. Ricardo Clarke has spent more time on the field with Michael Bradley and his tenacity would be welcome. But Coach Bradley should be leery of starting someone who tends to end up in the referee's book. A turning point for America in the last World Cup came when defensive midfielder Pablo Mastroeni was ejected for an idiotic tackle against a short-handed Italian side. Another option in the middle is Benny Feilhaber, a creative player whose first instinct is not to defend. How Bradley designs his midfield may be the biggest determinant of America's fate in South Africa.

The venerable veteran Brian McBride has finally retired, and it is good to see some fresh legs up front. Jozy Altidore is blessed with power and pace. He will likely start, along with Landon Donovan, America's all-time leading scorer. I am happy to see Donovan playing with more conviction these days and he must not wilt on the big stage. Clint Dempsey is a unique player who thrives as a secondary striker and not as a midfielder. Dempsey brings swagger, cunning, and a knack for finding the net (he was our only scorer last World Cup). And, in his own words, "thanks to soccer, I rock more ice than a hockey skate" (click here to watch the explosive music video). Rap may be more closely associated with a sport like basketball, but Deuce proves capable of bringing it to the sidelines of a soccer practice.

A final thought in this abbreviated preview: Charlie Davies should still be on the roster. The diminutive spark plug was the best player in the United States' run to the Confederation Cup final last year. He is remarkably fleet of foot and has the grit that Donovan sometimes lacks. But just as Davies' career was taking off, he was in a disfiguring car crash that left one of his friends dead. This was last October. Doctors and physical therapists understandably ruled him out of the World Cup. Davies had fractured bones in his leg and face. He is lucky to be alive.

Just five months later, Davies was running through drills and vowing to be ready for South Africa. It was to be a rousing return, one that would surely motivate his teammates. But Coach Bradley has decided to leave him off the 30-man roster to allow Davies to make a full recovery. This is a reasonable enough decision, but it hollows out some of the spiritual unity on the team. Bradley knows how this tragedy has affected his team, and he would be right to have Charlie in training camp, even if he will not be ready for the World Cup. Besides, Davies is better on one leg than Eddie Johnson.

The Periscope will be on hand to watch the U.S. team play its final match before heading to South Africa in about two weeks. Since we are not playing a Latin American country, there is a good chance the crowd will be for the home team.