The forward conundrum

Great article here from ESPNsoccernet's Steve Davis about the problems facing Bob Bradley in terms of the players that are available in the U.S. player pool that can and should join Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey, and Landon Donovan as forwards in South Africa for the MNT.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/4896977/ce/us/us-striker-conundrum-unresolved?cc=5901&ver=us

As Davis points out the best possible names out there remain Eddie Johnson, who dropped off the face of the earth by joining Freddy Adu in Greece at Aris Thessaloniki in the recent January transfer window being loaned by Fulham, and Kenny Cooper, who also moved in the tranfer window from 1860 Munich to Plymouth Argyle. Both hope to start more. Johnson actually scored in his debut off a feed from Adu.

But the real concern is why did those players have to move in the first place. The simple explanation, neither was good enough to start in the previous league they were in - in Johnson's case the English Premier League and in Cooper's case the Bundesliga in Germany. Yes playing time and experience is one of the most important factors in making out a roster. Bob Bradley surely does not want players that have been riding the pine for four, five or six months before joining the U.S. team. But what does it say that these two could not cut it in two leagues that will have many players playing in the World Cup. If Cooper and Johnson can't beat those players at the club level, how on earth would they beat them on the biggest pressure packed stage the World Cup? They won't.

The sad part is the rest of the list Bradley must assess will make you cringe even worse. Brian Ching probably heads the list in terms of experience, but unless you deliver him the ball on a silver platter the guy is about as valuable as my old U-12 Triton Cougars jersey.

Neither Jeff Cunningham nor Conor Casey does much for me. Cunningham has been able to get by with a respectable MLS career, but would certainly be rendered ineffective against any solid World Cup team defense, and if you believe Davis' article above Casey is a worse version of Ching.

Then there's Robbie Findley, a guy with two caps. This isn't amateur hour and players that did not have any significant experience in qualifying or Gold Cup action or in another major international tournament like the Confederation's Cup do not belong on the U.S. roster.

Maybe the last hope lies in Adu, a player once called the next "Pele." But Adu hasn't been able to get a sniff of quality MNT playing time. I for one would love to see him get called up, thrown behind Altidore for the Netherlands, and let loose in some kind of free roaming role that plays ahead of the midfield. To me the kid is lightning in a bottle and perhaps someone that could be used as a super sub off the U.S. bench at the Cup. Yes he has struggled at both Benefica and Monaco, but cut the kid a little slack. He is just 20 like Altidore, has at the very least received interest from major clubs in Europe (something most U.S. pool players cannot put on their resume) and still could be a factor down the line.