And Then There Were 23...

If This Is Flying Upside Down After Game 2, We're In Distress...

Trying to guess the 23-man U.S. roster for the 2010 World Cup was the equivalent of trying to correctly pick all of the games in the NCAA basketball tournament; nobody got that right either. Come on, did you REALLY have Robbie Findley in your 23? Over Brian Ching? Hell, Findley's going to wind up being the extra credit question on a sports history exam one day, because you'll have to be a genius to remember he was on the squad.

I guess I can understand Bradley's reasoning for bringing him along (a poor man's Charlie Davies), but if and when the U.S. does have a lead at some point late in a game, I'd rather have Ching's ability to hold the ball up top and kill time and draw fouls. Plus, perhaps Ching's fitness in coming back from his hamstring injury wasn't progressing as far as the team would have hoped. However, if that's the case, can't the same thing be asked of Oguchi Onyewu, who, as everyone else noticed, isn't quite firing on all cylinders after being out of action for 7 months?

Regardless, the time to speculate, guestimate, and criticize Bradley's selections is a moot point. Now the team heads to the White House today to meet with President's Obama and Clinton (the latter of whom will be the USA's Chairman of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup Committee), and then off to Philadelphia for training before Saturday's farewell game with a Turkish side who have won 2 games in the past week, a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic and a 2-0 win over Northern Ireland. Just because they didn't make the Cup doesn't mean they won't be a formidable foe; just look at the Czech team Tuesday night.

So, without further adu (see what I did there?), let me give you my best guess at our starting 11, not necessarily for Saturday, but for the June 12th showdown with our English cousins:

Howard

Spector Onyewu DeMerit Bocanegra

Holden Edu Bradley Donovan

Dempsey Altidore

I don't think my lineup is earth-shattering news to anyone, but I think this is Bob's best unit to go against a superior talented England team. However, there is a wealth of EPL experience with this lineup, and that should be a benefit to our boys as they are more familiar with the tendencies of their opponents.

If Onyewu is not physically ready to go for 90 minutes in the opening game, then you'd move Boca into the centerback slot, put Spector on the left, and Cherundolo on the right. Besides, as Walsh said yesterday, Cherundolo and Holden seemed to have some good chemistry on the right side.

Dempsey up top with Altidore is I think the best possible pairing at this point, since Davies is not on the team. Dempsey has scored some long-range bombs for Fulham, so the back four of England will have to be wary of that. If he can pull them out a bit, then that could open up space for the other attackers in behind the defense. Hercules Gomez would be my 1st option off the bench if we need a goal, as Walsh correctly called him a "super sub" long before other more credible media members began doing so. :)

What else do you see in that starting 11? Maybe an almost identical lineup for 2014, right? There are a couple of guys who might not be able to hold up that long, but Donovan and Onyewu would be 32, Dempsey 31, and the rest still in their mid-late 20's.

Why am I already talking about 2014? Because, in all honesty, I am lowering my expectations a bit for this 2010 team. I don't know if the forwards will be good enough to take it to the next level. What will Altidore do? Can any of the others contribute? Can the U.S. even score from the run of play, or just set pieces? Will a banged up defense be annihilated by England and then countered at will against Slovenia and Algeria? When faced with adversity, will Bradley have the ability to make the tactical changes necessary to pull out a win? Will Donovan play like the star he was in 2002, or the uninspired dud of 2006? So many questions; so few answers.

There's still a decent chance for this team to get out of the group, but if they lose to England, they will most likely HAVE to get 3 points, not just a draw, in game 2 against Slovenia to advance. If they can react with the poise and maturity expected of them, then 2010 will be considered a success, and then the hype can begin anew for an even better campaign in 2014.

Starting next week, Walsh and I aren't going to just predict the groups; oh no, we're taking it to another level. We're going to predict EVERY GAME in round 1, and then you'll know who we have going through. We'll do 2 groups a day, starting Tuesday June 1st. Make sure you check in, and let your friends know about us.

As always, thanks for reading! 15 days and counting!