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Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Prediction time, my seven cuts

There are a few without-a-doubters that should be an easy cut in my mind entering tomorrow's decision day for Bob Bradley with the 23-man roster.

Heath Pearce certainly has played himself out of a spot on the U.S. team as he was to blame in large capacity for two of the Czech's goals in the second half - he's out.

Sacha Kljestan again was unimpressive for me and was largely to blame after a bad give-away on the fourth goal. In his area of the field the U.S. are very deep, so although he's been a Bradley favorite of the past there is no room for him on this U.S. team.

Robbie Findley was not good earlier this year when he was called into action and did not play tonight despite being on the sub list - he's out.

Same goes for Chad Marshal, unimpressive earlier this year in friendlies, didn't play tonight despite being on the sub list - he's out.

I think Alejandro Bedoya could be a very good player down the road for the U.S. He is of the same mold as Charlie Davies - a top talent from Boston College that went over to the Swedish league straight out of college. But for now he has not shown enough ability in friendly action - he's out.

Now we come to the tricky part, how many do you need of each position.

I think Robbie Rogers is on the brink at outside mid because DaMarcus Beasley has really looked rejuvenated lately and Stuart Holden may just be this team's starting right mid come the World Cup.

Benny Feilhaber has been injured lately and was not on the active list tonight, but he is another of Bradley's boys. I think he is safe, but if Bradley feels he won't be fit soon he certainly will have no problem axing the center middy as he did with Davies - which had to be a much tougher call considering Davies didn't even get a chance to compete in the 30-man preliminary camp.

Eddie Johnson has to feel uncomfortable as well. Although he was somewhat resurgent moving to Aris in Greece from Fulham in England in January scoring five goals in his stay, he has failed to find the net for nearly two years for the U.S. and looks more like a fluke than anything else for the MNT.

Certainly Edson Buddle is on the hot-seat. He only had one cap entering the Czech Republic game and although he is the MLS's leading scorer, Bradley has shown an affinity for European-based players, and Brian Ching as an MLS player will certainly be on this team.

Lastly I think Jonathan Bornstein played himself onto the bubble. Bornstein has been given every chance to earn a spot and has been largely disappointing. The Netherlands picked on him in early March as did the Czechs tonight. I know Bradley needs cover for Carlos Bocanegra on the left side, but for me Bornstein is not that player.

If I was making the cuts it would be Bornstein and Johnson. I think you need to give Buddle the opportunity to play alongside Jozy Altidore just once and see if they can develop chemistry, plus he is in form with nine goals in two months, and lastly he looked active tonight so he beats out the spot for me in front of Eddie. I also have just been disgusted with Bornstein's play, he just doesn't do it for me.

But going with my gut feeling I would think Buddle and Rogers will get axed.

I don't think the U.S. is still fully confident with Oguchi Onyewu at this point. The Czechs scored two goals after he left when Maurice Edu had to move to center back, and I think Bocanegra would be their first choice guy to fill in the middle if Guch went down. That then means the U.S. team would be slightly exposed on the left side where Bocanegra plays.

I also think they want guys with more experience than Buddle has and that will cost him.

So to finalize my predictions here they are: Buddle, Rogers, Bedoya, Findley, Pearce, Kljestan, and Marshall.

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