U.S. national team depth chart

Plus, there’s been movement recently with Oguchi Onyewu and Charlie Davies being removed from consideration, at least for the time being.

So, here’s the position-by-position pecking order, the way I see it. You’ll notice that several names come up and more than one spot. More on that as you scan the "Excuses, errors and omissions" after each position. Read on, and weigh in:

Goalkeepers

1. Tim Howard

2. Brad Guzan

3. Marcus Hahnemann

4. Troy Perkins

Excuses, errors and omissions: All this talk of T-Ho being out of form – just a bunch of silliness. He’s the man. Period.

Right back

1. Steve Cherundolo

2. Jonathan Spector

3. Frankie Hejduk

4. Frank Simek

5. Marvell Wynne

Excuses, errors and omissions: I know some people disagree with me here, but I still believe Cherundolo’s service is more consistent. All things considered, I’d say they are the about even in defending, while Cherundolo has a serious edge in experience. Hejduk has looked poor lately. Really, he’s looked just a little bit better than me out there – and I’m not good. Still, I think he’ll shake the funk and have a little something to offer, especially since that icy fearlessness can be contagious in a tight, 23-man camp. And there’s a real value to that.

Center back

1. Carlos Bocanegra

2. Jay DeMerit

3. Chad Marshall

4. Jimmy Conrad

5. Clarence Goodson

6. Danny Califf

* Oguchi Onyewu

Excuses, errors and omissions: For now, we’ll assume that DeMerit is going to bounce back and be the same rugged, reliable presence after he returns from the eye-surgery related absence. Marshall is a better athlete at this point that Conrad, although Conrad has the experience from Germany 2006 on his CV. Onyewu will pop back up on the list when he’s healthy once again.

Left back

1. Carlos Bocanegra

2. Jonathan Bornstein

3. Heath Pearce

4. Michael Orozco

Excuses, errors and omissions: This is thinner than the delicious pies at my favorite pizza place. I know some people are going to fall over backward and say awful things about me for not putting Edgar Castillo on the list. Here’s the deal: when the guy is wearing a U.S. uniform, lined up across from someone who wishes harm, then I’ll consider him. You can’t attempt to draw up any kind of serious attempt at a depth-chart and include fellows who have yet play for the national team. Any temptation to do otherwise should be immediately quelled.

Holding/central midfielder

1. Michael Bradley

2. Benny Feilhaber

3. Ricardo Clark

4. Maurice Edu

5. Kyle Beckerman

6. Pablo Mastroeni

Excuses, errors and omissions: Bradley at the top is the no-brainer here. After that it gets far more fluid. Edu, for instance, could climb quickly up the list if he can just get healthy and back in the rotation for Rangers. Clark and Feilhaber are probably 2a and 2b at this point, depending on the day’s top need, tidier passing or greater defensive range.

Attacking/central midfielder

1. Landon Donovan

2. Jose Torres

3. Freddy Adu

Excuses, errors and omissions: This one is a little tricky, since Bob Bradley really hasn’t used a true attacking central midfielder. Rather, the United States holds with two centrally and allows the outside midfielders find the dangerous space, whether that means remaining outside or pinching in. Still, if Bradley ever shifted into some kind of 4-2-3-1 or another formation that required someone stationed centrally on the attack, this is probably how the pecking order would look.

Right midfield

1. Clint Dempsey

2. Landon Donovan

3. Stuart Holden

4. Sacha Kljestan

5. Jose Torres

6. Robbie Rogers

Excuses, errors and omissions: Here’s where the list is a little cumbersome. Obviously, Donovan can’t play three positions. This is just a representation of the top player for each spot. So, effectively, a guy like Stuart Holden really isn’t as far down the depth chart as he might appear. And a guy liker Torres might move further up the list, depending upon who is stationed across the field.

Left midfield

1. Landon Donovan

2. Clint Dempsey

3. Jose Torres

4. Brad Davis

5. Robbie Rogers

6. Sacha Kljestan

Excuses, errors and omissions: Davis and Rogers are ahead of Kljestan on this side because they are natural left footers (although Rogers can serve from the right side, too).

Target striker

1. Brian Ching

2. Jozy Altidore

3. Conor Casey

4. Eddie Johnson

5. Jeff Cunningham

Excuses, errors and omissions: Yes, Eddie Johnson. It says something about the U.S. strength at this spot that a man who can only occasionally get off the pine is so far up the list, but it is what it is. Cunningham, by the way, isn’t really a target man, as his first touch and ability to combine is dreadful. But speed and ability to stretch defenses being his best asset, a position higher up the field is his best spot. Ching is listed ahead of Altidore, but it could easily be reversed, especially if the young Hull City striker can get a little more invaluable EPL prime time.

Second striker

1. Landon Donovan

2. Jozy Alditore

3. Robbie Findley

4. Kenny Cooper

5. Chris Rolfe

Excuses, errors and omissions: Before anyone gets his shorts in a twist because I didn’t list Cooper as a target striker, let me say for the umpteenth freakin’ time: he ain’t one. And he’ll tell you that. And so will anyone who has actually watched him play. I know everyone wants to make him one because of his size, but that’s just not who he is, so get over it.