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2010 World Cup mock U.S. roster

Updated: August 24, 2009

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World Cup qualifying is in full flow, and 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: August
	RK (LM)	POS	PLAYER	COMMENT
	1(1)	Goalkeeper	Tim Howard	A rough start to the EPL season for Tim Howard (through no fault of his own) as he was shelled for six goals by Arsenal on Aug. 15. However, there's no real challenger for his mantle as the U.S. No. 1.
	2(3)	Midfielder	Clinton Dempsey	It's been a couple of solid weeks for Dempsey. First he signed a contract extension with Fulham that makes him one of the club's highest-paid players. Second, he scored a terrific goal in the Europa League against FK Amkar Perm.
	3(2)	Midfielder	Landon Donovan	Donovan's sensational club form for the Galaxy continues, but he had mixed results at international level. He provided the opening assist for Charlie Davies' goal at Estadio Azteca, but was beaten for Mexico's winning goal. It was later revealed that he'd contracted swine flu, undoubtedly a factor in his low-key performance against El Tri.
	4(12)	Forward	Charlie Davies	Davies' star continues to ascend. He scored a stunning goal against Mexico and followed that with two goals off the bench for Sochaux against French champions Bordeaux. Right now, he's the brightest prospect among U.S. forwards.
	5(4)	Defender	Oguchi Onyewu	Another standout performance for Onyewu against Mexico solidifies his ranking as the U.S. team's top defensive force. His next challenge is to break into Milan's starting lineup.
	6(5)	Defender	Carlos Bocanegra	Run ragged at times by Gio dos Santos, and questions still persist about his suitability for the left back spot. However, as the team's captain and acknowledged leader, his place in the starting lineup remains assured.
	7(6)	Midfielder	Michael Bradley	A disappointing outing against Mexico, but Bradley Junior is still considered a key performer for both club and country.
	8(7)	Forward	Josmer Altidore	Altidore surprisingly didn't get the start against Mexico, but showed a lot of promise in his debut for EPL side Hull against Bolton. More performances like that could see him vault into the U.S. starting lineup opposite Davies.
	9(9)	Defender	Jay DeMerit	For now, it appears DeMerit is the favored choice to pair with Onyewu in the heart of the U.S. defense. Solid if not spectacular against Mexico.
	10(8)	Goalkeeper	Brad Guzan	Guzan's place as U.S. No. 2 is unlikely to be under threat, barring injury. Starting to see regular time for club team Aston Villa in European competition, too.
	11(11)	Forward	Brian Ching	Ineffective against Mexico, but probably still Bob Bradley's preferred choice at forward due to his hold-up and target man attributes.
	12(17)	Defender	Steve Cherundolo	Shaky performance against Mexico, but the veteran looks to have regained his starting berth at right back from Jonathan Spector.
	13(15)	Midfielder	Jermaine Jones	Jones is still waiting to be declared eligible for the U.S., and he's also recovering from injury. However, the U.S. midfield's poor performance against Mexico shows exactly why the U.S. is eager for the Schalke midfielder to receive clearance.
	14(14)	Midfielder	Benny Feilhaber	Feilhaber remains in contention for a starting spot due to his composure on the ball and passing ability. If he continues to impress in Denmark, he could break into Bob Bradley's starting lineup.
	15(10)	Defender	Jonathan Spector	Surprisingly passed over for the game against El Tri, Spector's been seeing more time for West Ham lately. If he can stay healthy and impress in the Premiership, he'll push Cherundolo all the way for a starting spot.
	16(13)	Midfielder	Ricardo Clark	Far too quiet against Mexico, but the combative Clark remains the team's first choice as a pure defensive mid.
	17(28)	Midfielder	Stuart Holden	The Dynamo playmaker impressed observers at the Gold Cup. He followed that up with an impressive performance against Mexico as a second-half sub. Looks to have leapfrogged players like Sacha Kljestan and DaMarcus Beasley in the pecking order.
	18(19)	Defender	Jonathan Bornstein	As one of the team's few pure left back options, Bornstein remains likely to head to South Africa in 2010.
	19(32)	Defender	Chad Marshall	Following on from several standout showings in the Gold Cup, the Columbus Crew stalwart seems to have moved ahead of Danny Califf as the No. 4 choice center back.
	20(23)	Forward	Conor Casey	Casey's stock continues to rise. He was part of the traveling squad to Mexico and he also put out a bruising performance against Everton in the MLS All-Star game.
	21(16)	Defender	Frankie Hejduk	Still prized by Bob Bradley for his intangibles, experience and never-say-die attitude.
	22(27)	Midfielder	José Torres	Remains arguably the most composed U.S. midfielder in terms of touch and passing, but has still to receive meaningful game time for the U.S.
	23(NR)	Goalkeeper	Troy Perkins	A series of solid performances in the Gold Cup has raised Perkins' profile. He might be the front-runner over Hahnemann for the No. 3 slot.
On The Fringe
	24(20)	Midfielder	Maurice Edu	Once he's fully healthy and starting for Rangers again, Edu will push Clark for the starting D-mid spot. For now though, he's slightly behind Clark in the pecking order.
	25(18)	Defender	Danny Califf	In all probability, the fight for the No. 4 center back spot boils down to Califf and Marshall. Long thought to be Coach Bradley's preferred choice, Califf appears to be losing the battle.
	26(21)	Goalkeeper	Marcus Hahnemann	Still a strong candidate for the No. 3 goalkeeper spot, although his spot could be in jeopardy after Troy Perkins' solid showing in the Gold Cup. Starting the season as Wolves' backup goalkeeper doesn't help either.
	27(22)	Midfielder	DaMarcus Beasley	Unless Beasley regains his form at club level, he might miss out on a trip to South Africa. His longtime ties with Coach Bradley could still see him with a shot, though.
	28(26)	Defender	Heath Pearce	After impressing in the early going of the Gold Cup against CONCACAF minnows, Pearce was exposed in the Gold Cup final. Falling further and further in the pecking order behind Bornstein, but the lack of depth at left back for the U.S. keeps Pearce in the picture.
	29(25)	Midfielder	Sacha Kljestan	Another who continues to struggle with consistency with both club and country, although his brace against Toronto could signal a return to form. Acknowledged to be a favorite of Coach Bradley, and likely to be given at least one more chance in World Cup qualifying.
	30(31)	Defender	Edgar Castillo	The U.S. search for a left back continues, and Castillo remains an intriguing prospect. He's basically issued a come-and-get-me plea to the USSF, but it remains to be seen if he'll get a call-up. Would be considered a gamble at left back.
	31(24)	Midfielder	Freddy Adu	Fast disappearing off the radar. Adu's in the midst of searching for a new club team after Benfica told him he had no future in their plans. The chances of Adu suiting up in South Africa in 2010 are rapidly diminishing.