Try the NEW ESPNSoccernet Search

2010 World Cup mock U.S. roster

Updated: October 21, 2009

Month: July | August | September | October

With World Cup qualification confirmed, U.S. coach Bob Bradley continues to evaluate players. ESPNsoccernet projects whom we think Bradley will choose as his 23-man U.S. roster for the 2010 World Cup.

Players are ranked from top to bottom in terms of how certain a lock they appear to be for the roster and their current perceived pecking order. As befitting standard squad composition, we've chosen three goalkeepers, eight defenders, eight midfielders and four forwards.

2009 Power Rankings: October
	RK (LM)	POS	PLAYER	COMMENT
	1(1)	Goalkeeper	Tim Howard	No questions about the goalkeeper spot as Tim Howard remains the undisputed No. 1 goalie for the U.S. Barring a precipitous drop in form or injury, a lock for South Africa.
	2(2)	Midfielder	Landon Donovan	Donovan continues to flourish out wide on the left for the U.S. However, with the injury to Charlie Davies, there's a possibility that coach Bob Bradley might move Donovan back up top to replace Davies' speed. No matter where he plays, stopping Donovan remains the key to stopping the U.S. offense.
	3(3)	Midfielder	Clinton Dempsey	Dempsey is another player that could see a permanent position switch due to the Davies injury. He's been used up top in the past with some success and given his middling performances for the U.S. at right midfield, Bradley might opt to redeploy Dempsey. Missed the last two qualifiers for the U.S. due to a shoulder injury.
	4(6)	Defender	Carlos Bocanegra	In the absence of his long-time partner, Oguchi Onyewu, to injury, Bocanegra's importance to the U.S. back line becomes magnified. Unlikely to play left back for the U.S. again any time soon.
	5(9)	Midfielder	Michael Bradley	Redeemed himself after a series of average performances with an important goal against Costa Rica. Has also regained his starting spot with club team Borussia M'Gladbach in the German Bundesliga.
	6(7)	Forward	Josmer Altidore	Coming off an impressive performance against Costa Rica, the pressure will once again be piled upon Altidore's teen shoulders to provide the goal threat that the U.S. has lacked in the past. Still struggling to break into the lineup for club team Hull in the EPL.
	7(8)	Goalkeeper	Brad Guzan	Another lock for the tournament as Howard's primary backup. However, he's unlikely to see much playing time for club team Aston Villa given incumbent Brad Friedel's current form.
	8(17)	Defender	Steve Cherundolo	The veteran Bundesliga right back looks to have regained his starting spot ahead of Jonathan Spector. Was solid against Costa Rica and added composure down the right flank.
	9(14)	Midfielder	Benny Feilhaber	Feilhaber continues to be a bit of an enigma. Followed up an excellent substitute appearance against Honduras with a below-par effort against Costa Rica. Still, he shows more composure on the ball and vision than most of the other midfielders in the U.S. pool.
	10(13)	Midfielder	Ricardo Clark	Is still the primary option at defensive midfield for Bob Bradley, although he struggled against Honduras and was dropped for the game against Costa Rica. However, with both Maurice Edu or Jermaine Jones struggling for match fitness, there aren't many other options.
	11(23)	Forward	Conor Casey	Casey has made huge strides in recent weeks. Along with dominating in MLS play, he earned the start for the U.S. team's past two critical qualifiers. Took his chances against Honduras with style, but finished poorly against Costa Rica. However, Casey has certainly moved ahead of Brian Ching for now as the classic "Target Man" option.
	12(21)	Defender	Jonathan Bornstein	Capped off a solid performance against Costa Rica with the tying goal inju inry time. Bornstein impressed going forward, but continues to be a question mark defensively. However, with Onyewu out and Bocanegra moving back full-time to central defense, it seems the left back spot is Bornstein's to lose.
	13(5)	Defender	Oguchi Onyewu	Suffered a serious knee injury against Costa Rica that will sideline him for 3-4 months. However, barring any unexpected setbacks in his rehab, Onyewu should be available for the World Cup, albeit with question marks about his overall match fitness and lack of playing time in the past year.
	14(12)	Defender	Jay DeMerit	Compounding the injury situation for the U.S., DeMerit is currently out with a serious eye infection. Estimates put his recovery time at 2-3 months, which means his bid for a permanent starting place will be put on hold. Likely secure in his hold as the No. 3 center back though.
	15(20)	Midfielder	José Torres	Torres proved to be the difference maker against Costa Rica as a second-half sub, showing vision, composure and stylish passing. Has also played a key role for club team Pachuca in recent weeks. With more experience at international level, Torres could become the ideal option for the U.S. midfield.
	16(16)	Midfielder	Stuart Holden	Holden's stock continues to rise. Struggled at times against both Honduras and Costa Rica, but also produced sparks of quality play at times. Remains a solid option at right midfield for the U.S.
	17(11)	Defender	Jonathan Spector	Spector appears to be regarded by Bradley as more of a backup option at both fullback spots for the U.S. Struggling to find playing time at club level as well, which doesn't help his cause.
	18(15)	Forward	Brian Ching	Marginalized in recent internationals, Davies' injury could result in more playing time for Ching as he battles Casey for the "Target Man" role. Still as consistent as ever at the MLS level for club team Houston.
	19(10)	Midfielder	Jermaine Jones	Jones' much-anticipated debut for the U.S. continues to be put on hold as his rehab from shin surgery develops complications (he underwent a second surgery recently). Even though his FIFA paperwork is finally cleared, it might be a while before U.S. fans see the Schalke enforcer in action.
	20(18)	Defender	Chad Marshall	With both Onyewu and DeMerit sidelined, Crew stalwart Marshall has a chance to step up and fill the void. Seems already assured as the No. 4 option if everyone else is healthy.
	21(19)	Goalkeeper	Troy Perkins	Perkins probably still has the edge over Marcus Hahnemann for the No. 3 goalkeeper job. Might see time in the November friendlies for the U.S.
	22(22)	Defender	Frankie Hejduk	The veteran continues to be in the World Cup mix due to his leadership, work rate and intangibles. Don't be surprised to see Hejduk on the roster for South Africa.
	23(NR)	Forward	Robbie Rogers	Rogers was a surprise inclusion on the roster recently, but justified his inclusion with a key contribution against Costa Rica. His ability to run at defenders out wide brings a much-needed dimension to the U.S. attack and Davies' injury opens the door for Rogers to sneak onto the roster.
On The Fringe
	24(25)	Forward	Kenny Cooper	Another player who has a chance to move up in the pecking order. With Davies out, the final spot on the roster will probably go to either a forward, or an extra midfielder. Cooper leads the chasing pack, especially if he continues to score for 1860 Munich.
	25(24)	Midfielder	Maurice Edu	Continues to be Ricardo Clark's primary rival for the defensive midfield position. However, Edu needs to get back on the field for Rangers and starting in order to pressure Clark.
	26(25)	Defender	Edgar Castillo	Apparently was considered for the last two qualifiers, but not selected due to some minor injury issues. Assuming he is fully recovered, we could see Castillo called up for the next two U.S. friendlies in November.
	27(28)	Midfielder	Sacha Kljestan	If Bradley opts to make Donovan or Dempsey a forward, he could conceivably choose another midfielder to take to South Africa. That being the case, don't rule out Kljestan, who's recently started to play better and remains well-regarded by Bradley.
	28(27)	Defender	Danny Califf	With the center back pool depleted, look for Bradley to bring Califf back into the mix. His experience in Europe gives him an edge over other candidates from MLS such as Jimmy Conrad.
	29(29)	Midfielder	Freddy Adu	Some U.S. fans are still holding out hope that one-time prodigy Adu can still break into the 23-man roster for South Africa. In order to do that, he'll need to break the starting lineup for Belenenses, and he'll need to start producing goals and assists.
	30(NR)	Forward	Edward Johnson	Yet another long shot who might be back in the picture due to Davies' injury. Johnson brings explosive speed to the table, but it's still unclear just how much he's improved his technique while in England.