Looking at Bob Bradley's current 23-man squad, many US observers await anxiously and somewhat nervously at the kick-off to their World Cup campaign against England on June 12th. There is however much to hope from the USA squad in terms of their qualification out of Group C. In effect only England presents a legitimate threat to the USA not making it out of their group, as Slovenia and Algeria are both relative minnows at this level. Furthermore, since the appointment of Bob Bradley at the helm, the US national team has made good improvements winning the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, and reaching the final of both the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup and the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.
I believe Bob Bradley has put together a capable squad however. At least it certainly is the one most capable at his disposal. For good reason, most US fans worry about the defense which seems rather porous at first glance. The goalkeepers are of undeniable quality. Tim Howard is the standout figure out of all of them. Marcus Hahnemann is an old head and thus his experience will prove invaluable. As for Brad Guzan, I believe is a player for the future and of sound ability. After all it was his performances 3 seasons ago which won him the 2007 MLS Goalkeeper of the year award as well as a move to the English Premiere League side Aston Villa. Since then he has progressed well under the tutelage of former USA number 1, Brad Friedel. He has made limited appearances in the league but has gathered invaluable experience as Aston Villa manager gave him the nod during their UEFA Cup/Europa League campaigns. The one thing that can be said about the goalkeepers is that for all of them to be playing in the high-intensity and highly competitive English Premiere League has served as an excellent preparation for this coming summer's tournament.
Of course it was never the goalkeepers that were put in doubt. The defense is the real worry for US fans, both in the middle and on the flanks unfortunately. The 2009 Confederations Cup defense had performed admirably throughout the tournament. Oguchi Onyewu was the standout defender in the middle alongside Jay Demerit, whilst veteran Carlos Bocanegra manned the left-flank. It was a highly effective and disciplined back-line set up by Bob Bradley which saw off the threat off Spain in a remarkable 1-0 victory over the European champions. The situation is different now however. For one Oguchi Onyewu, since his move to Italian club AC Milan, has sustained a severe injury which has prevented him from playing for the whole of the second half of the season. In other words he enters the USA 23-man squad with very little match fitness. This might force coach Bradley to slide Bocanegra through the middle to pair up with Jay Demerit should "the Gooch" prove to be too much of a liability. Indeed this defensive issue will put more pressure on Michael Bradley, but I'm sure that the capable midfielder will know to cope with the situation. However the one real problem that arises - it has to be said - from this position switch is that the US would find itself thin in terms of quality fullbacks. I believe that the problem can be resolved with a slight tactical switch. Should Bob Bradley switch to a 4-3-3 it would give the extra security to the back-four by pooling together two holding midfielders in front of the defense. The Fullbacks will be given more license to roam forward (especially on counterattacks) and the burden of their defensive responsibilities be slightly alleviated.
What I find most pleasing about Bob Bradley's side is that it shows that he as learnt from past experiences, and notably from the 2009 Confederations Cup. Bob Bradley - at first glance - picked a team to play in a 4-4-2 system. But what is most telling in his selection is that he opted for pace, especially in the final third. We see this in the inclusions of Landon Donovan, Edson Buddle, Hercules Gomez, and Jozy Altidore amongst a few others. Coach Bradley did well to recognize that, like the Confederations Cup, the 2010 World Cup will be about pace and lethal counterattacks. And he is not wrong in thinking along those lines. As it was even the case at the 2008 Europen Championships, we witnessed a number of goals that were scored on turnovers. The best goal of the group stages featured a sweeping move by the Netherlands as they broke out from defending a corner to score on the other end against Italy.
Of course, the worry is that many of the players picked by Bob Bradley have little experience at this level. But I'm convinced that the experienced heads will know to pull it together. Landon Donovan is sure to be in form following his short but highly successful switch to English club Everton during the winter mercato. Same goes to Clint Dempsey who lived a dream season, reaching the final of the Europa League with Fulham. And I'm sure Carlos Bocanegra will shore up this defense, after enjoying a bit of a renaissance since his transfer to Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais in 2008. Overall I believe Bob Bradley has made the right selection as it will serve as a good springboard for the future of the USA national team. Even if they do not progress far in the tournament, they should surely come out of their group. And from that point on, just as they showed at the 2009 Confederations Cup, anything can happen.
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