With the announcement of the US World Cup squad yesterday, the US will be taking its deepest ever squad to a World Cup.
I can already sense the disbelief among many US fans that I just said the US squad had depth. After all, we are taking 3 very unproven forwards, we are plagued with injuries to the backline, and face a real void - as usual - at left back.
But this needs to be put into some perspective. The USA has never been deep. We are still a very young soccer nation. So by our standard, this is by far the deepest USA squad ever.
This US World Cup team, in stark contrast to past US squads, relies almost exclusively on players based abroad. In both 2002 and 2006 the US roster had 11 MLS based players and 12 European-based. In 2002, 11 of the 12 Euro-based players played in top leagues, while in 2006 just 7 played in top tier European leagues. The US this time has 19 of the 23 playing abroad and this does not count Landon Donovan, who played more games in the Premier League this calendar year than MLS. So even if you eliminate Jose Francisco Torres (Mexico), Herculez Gomez (Mexico), Jay Demerit (England Championship), Benny Feilhaber (Denmark), and Clarence Goodson (Norway) as they don't play in top European leagues (although Demerit and Feilhaber did play in the Premier League and the Mexican league is very good) that is 14 players playing in elite European leagues. This is not a knock on the quality of MLS, as 17 out of the 23 got their start in MLS. Instead this shows that MLS is developing real talent and that the pool players available to Bob Bradley to select from is not mostly confined to domestic based players.
US fans need to remember back in 2002 Jeff Agoos was the starting centerback or in 2006 Eddie Lewis started at right back. Against Ghana in '06 the US played with Damarcus Beasley in a defensive midfield role because Pablo Mastroeni got red carded against Italy. After Caludio Reyna got hurt against Ghana, Arena was forced had to bring on Ben Olsen - I love Olsen, but he doesn't compare to the midfield options Bradley has now.
Even at striker the US has significantly more depth than in the past. While many of the stated strikers may be green to the international game, this overlooks the fact that with Dempsey and Donovan the US - along with Altidore - the US has three solid options to play up top. But furthermore in Herculez Gomez and Edson Buddle, Bradley is taking two players that led or are leading their respective leagues in goals. That is not half bad. While one would take a McBride of '06 over 20-year-old Jozy Altidore, the fact is that Jozy started more games at striker at Hull in the Premier League than other player. And at 20 he has all the tools to be a star.
At midfield, even if you assume Donovan or Dempsey start in a more advanced role, the US has tons of midfield cover both outwide and centrally, with players like Stuart Holden, Jose Francisco Torres, Damarcus Beasley, and Benny Feilhaber. At holding midfield, with Michael Bradley, Ricardo Clark, and Maurice Edu - the US has three quality young European based holding midfielders. If those three were English, I think Fabio Capello would even be giving them a look, given England's lack of ball winners.
Where the US could now be seen as thin is in the backline, as injuries have taken their toll. Yet we are much better off here than in '06 or '02. In '06, Eddie Lewis disastorously started at leftback. This time around we have two guys that actually play leftback for their European club teams - Carlos Bocanegra at Rennes and Jonathan Spector at West Ham.
Moreover, we have three central defenders that - assuming all are fit - have to be considered among the best central defenders the US has ever had. Now health is a big if (yet I think probably slightly overblown), as is rust for Onyewu, and whether this group is as right as they were in the Confederations Cup will determine whether we sink or swim, but with these three, along with the very capable Clarence Goodson, the US has a very solid if not best ever central defensive corps. Some perspective - In 2006 our third central defender was Jimmy Conrad, this time its Jay Demerit - former and likely future premier league player. Additionally, our emergency fifth and sixth central defensive option Jonathan Spector and Maurice Edu (who is also likely the eighth defender) are capable options. While I shudder at Jonathan Bornstein seeing time at left back, he is no worse than Chris Albright who made the '06 squad.
The question US fans care about more however, is not whether this is the deepest US team ever, but whether it is the best team ever. It will be tough to surpass the 2002 World Cup team that made it to the quarterfinals and which combined break out young players (Donovan and Beasley) with players in their prime (Reyna, McBride, O'Brien and Pope). It may not all come together in South Africa, as it did in South Korea, but this team definitely has all the pieces to put together a similar run.
Getting out of the first round would be a victory. Lets aim for that and call it a day.
When I attended the University of Florida, we had Olympic athletes from all over the world practicing there. They all participated in the Olympics, and all won medals for the great and grand USA!!! USA!! It was quite embarassing when one swimmer won a medal for the US and didn't even know our national anthem.
I, not unlike Obama, am more of a citizen of the world. I don't find it un-patriotic to root for smaller countries who have a great team, but can't compete against the rich American team who spent a billion dollars on training facilities and players who don't even speak English or Spanish.
In my church league, they'd all be disqualified, as they are "ringers"!!!
The game sucks anyway. Get back to me when they have the World Cup of Monster Trucks.
That said, good like to the American "side" tomorrow! It's 29 June 1950 all over again. This time, may you beat England two-"nil" on the football "pitch"!
Am I alone in this way of thinking?
We got football. we got baseball. Track. jeez. Let others win one. Don't be so greedy.
>>If the US is superior ...
The World Cup is not an amateur event. Every country chooses its best players (amateur or pro) to play in it (IF that nation qualifies).
Our team is precisely no more or less "purchased" than ANY OTHER.
You don't care about soccer. You don't know anything about soccer. So why in the world would you post a comment here?
We need a diversion!
May Saxons gods have mercy on you, for we will have none!
Go USA!
can someone briefly explain what he means by saying a team is "deep"? is that good, bad, what?
i couldn't keep from losing interest in this wordy sports article, but i'd like to know what he meant by this use of the word DEEP, such as "deepest squad ever". huh?
PLEASE SWEET JEBUS JUST LET US PLAY WELL!!!! GO YANKS!!!!!!!
Howard
Cherudolo Demeritt Boca Spector
Donovan Bradley Dempsey
Torres
Altidore Findley
This could be a huge boost for soccer in the US which is a great thing.
The only thing I worry about is the diving. I hope the refs are trained to deal with that severely.