The Final 23

Jurgen has announced the final 23 man roster who will represent the Stars and Stripes in Brazil.  Casual sports fans may only recognize a few names, and may even better recognize names that are not on the list.  Here is what you need to know, briefly, about our boys who are going to Brazil:

Goalkeepers:  Brad Guzan (Aston Villa, England), Tim Howard (Everton, England), Nick Rimando (Salt Lake)

For a long time we have had the best goalkeepers in the world.  It surely has something to do with the fact that all Americans grew up playing sports with our hands (basketball, baseball, football).  Tim Howard will probably get all of the minutes this tournament.  However, if he gets sent off or injured, Brad Guzan is a goalkeeper that would probably start for over half the teams in this tournament.  Nick Rimando will only play if 2 injuries happen, but that still would not be the end of the world.

Defenders: DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla, Mexico), Matt Besler (Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin, Germany), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City, England), Timmy Chandler (Nurnberg, Germany), Omar Gonzalez (LA), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Monchengladbach, Germany), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle)

This is where you need to be concerned.  The fact that Beasley is one of the best left backs in our country is a head scratcher.  I just looked back at the 2002 roster and he was listed as a Forward.  Now that he is older and has lost a few steps he is fit to play left back?  I love Geoff Cameron who is a starter in the Premier League and thus has loads of experience against the best in the world.  Besler (help me out America, it's pronounced Bee-zler) is solid.  Even more-than-casual fans won't recognize the names Brooks and Chandler.  Curious selections, one might think.  German players chosen by a German coach with a German bias?  Possibly, except for the fact that we play Germany in our 3rd match.  Bottom line - Cristiano Ronaldo and Klose will be salivating looking at this back 4.

Midfielders:  Kyle Beckerman (Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes, France), Michael Bradley (Toronto), Brad Davis (Houston), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg, Norway), Julian Green (Bayern Munich, Germany), Jermaine Jones (Besiktas, Turkey), Graham Zusi (Kansas City)

Julian Green is the media story - 18 year old who only plays for Bayern's 4th division team, just decided to declare US as his national team, has 1 cap, but Michael Bradley is the real story.  He looks great!  The match against Mexico last month he was the best player on the pitch by a good margin.  He's never been afraid to kick the crap out of people, hence the yellow card worries, but he has turned into an incredible distributor and match controller.  Will he be able to do that against Portugal?  We'll see.  Beckerman will be the media darling this tournament what with his white man dreadlocks and cool demeanor, but he may also prove to be a steadying presence in the midfield alongside Bradley - which will be crucial in front of our anything-but-steady back line.

Forwards:  Jozy Altidore (Sunderland, England), Clint Dempsey (Seattle) Aron Johansson (AZ Alkmaar, Netherlands), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose)

The narrative goes something like this:  A year ago we were real excited about Dempsey and Jozy taking on the world but after Dempsey came back from England to Seattle and actually made the Sounders worse, and Jozy's 2013-2014 campaign in the premiership being more lackluster than dynamic, I'm not sure anymore.

Let me put on my optimistic glasses for a minute and tell you why you should not believe that narrative.  Jozy shines on the USMNT.  I'll never forget the goal he scored against Spain in the Confederations Cup in South Africa and thinking that this what the USA has been missing - a guy who can physically manhandle the best the world has to offer (sorry Cobi Jones, and respect to Joe-Max Moore, but we've never had that guy).  Dempsey is probably the best player our nation has ever produced, and also plays his best soccer when supported by the American Outlaws.  Johansson and Wondo do nothing but score goals and could be invaluable super subs in the 2nd half of a match where a draw is not good enough.


The side is young and fearless.  2013 was a record setting year.  Beat Germany, Italy, Mexico in Mexico, had a 12 game win streak, won more games than any calendar year in US history (16).  Much has been made about our difficult group (next post), and the absence of Landon Donovan (too bad for the 23 on the team that the media story has not been about them), but in 3 games that won't happen again until 2018, anything can happen.