The 23 men who will try to claim the United States’ first World Cup have been announced by coach Bob Bradley and U.S. Soccer, with the final team including no surprise inclusions or omissions. However, the bubble burst for seven players who, brought into camp, were left off the squad.
United States Names Final, 23-Man 2010 World Cup Roster
The big winners of the battles for the last roster spots, all forwards: Edson Buddle, Robbie Findley, and Herculez Gomez. The seven players who will miss the World Cup: defenders Heath Pearce and Chad Marshall; midfielders Alejandro Bedoya, Sacha Kljestan and Robbie Rogers; forwards Brian Ching and Eddie Johnson.
In goal, Bob Bradley takes the same three `keepers brought into camp. Tim Howard will be Bradley’s number one. Brad Guzan put himself in-line to back-up the Everton star, getting the start against the Czech Republic on Tuesday. Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Marcus Hahnemann rounds-out Bob Bradley’s goalkeeping crew.
In defense, captain Carlos Bocanegra leads unit that includes regulars Jay DeMerit, Jonathan Spector, and Steve Cherundolo. Oguchi Onyewu, after playing his first match since October on Tuesday night, makes the team, as does Clarence Goodson, who stared as Onyewu’s partner in Hartford. Jonathan Bornstein of Chivas USA is the seventh U.S. defender.
In midfield, Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey are the incumbent wingers, with Michael Bradley and Ricardo Clark the expected starters in the central positions. Maurice Edu completes his return from this season’s knee problems with a spot on the final roster. Former Rangers teammate DaMarcus Beasley is also in the team, as is Pachuca’s José Francisco Torres. Squad regulars Benny Feilhaber and Stuart Holden also go to South Africa, with Holden completing his own return from injury.
The forward positions that were so hotly contested see Edson Buddle, Robbie Findley and Herculez Gomez make the team along with Jozy Altidore, thought to be the only lock coming into this national team camp.
The final team will face it’s first challenge on Saturday when they face Turkey at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The team has one more friendly, with Australia in South Africa, ahead of their June 12 World Cup opener against England.
Final Roster
| Goalkeepers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Age* | Caps | Goals | Club (Country) |
| Guzan, Brad | 25 | 16 | 0 | Aston Villa (England) |
| Hahnemann, Marcus | 37 | 6 | 0 | Wolverhampton Wanderers |
| Howard, Tim | 31 | 49 | 0 | Everton (England) |
| Defenders | ||||
| Player | Age* | Caps | Goals | Club (Country) |
| Bornstein, Jonathan | 25 | 30 | 2 | Chivas USA (United States) |
| Bocanegra, Carlos | 31 | 77 | 12 | Rennes (France) |
| Cherundolo, Steve | 31 | 58 | 2 | Hannover 96 (Germany) |
| DeMerit, Jay | 30 | 17 | 0 | Watford (England) |
| Goodson, Clarence | 28 | 12 | 2 | Start (Norway) |
| Onyewu, Oguchi | 28 | 52 | 5 | Milan (Italy) |
| Spector, Jonathan | 24 | 24 | 0 | West Ham United (England) |
| Midfielders | ||||
| Player | Age* | Caps | Goals | Club (Country) |
| Beasley, DaMarcus | 28 | 91 | 17 | Rangers (Scotland) |
| Bradley, Michael | 22 | 41 | 7 | Borussia Mönchengladbach (Germany) |
| Clark, Ricardo | 27 | 27 | 2 | Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany) |
| Dempsey, Clint | 27 | 60 | 17 | Fulham (England) |
| Donovan, Landon | 28 | 121 | 42 | Los Angeles Galaxy (United States) |
| Edu, Maurice | 24 | 13 | 1 | Rangers (Scotland) |
| Feilhaber, Benny | 25 | 31 | 2 | AGF (Denmark) |
| Holden, Stuart | 24 | 13 | 2 | Bolton Wanderers (England) |
| Torres, José Francisco | 22 | 9 | 0 | Pachuca (Mexico) |
| Forwards | ||||
| Player | Age* | Caps | Goals | Club (Country) |
| Altidore, Jozy | 20 | 24 | 8 | Villareal (Spain) |
| Buddle, Edson | 29 | 2 | 0 | Los Angeles Galaxy (United States) |
| Findley, Robbie | 24 | 4 | 0 | Real Salt Lake (United States) |
| Gomez, Herculez | 28 | 3 | 1 | Puebla (Mexico) |
* - age as of June 11, 2010
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