Here's the story that will appear in the Newburyport Daily News tomorrow: Who is Charlie Davies replacement?

EAST HARTFORD | United States fans have shorter attention spans perhaps more than any other country – they want to see goals.

A day before the U.S. coach Bob Bradley announces his final 23-man World Cup roster when the U.S. lost to the Czech Republic, 4-2, one of the biggest question marks the second winningiest coach in U.S. history will have to answer remains, who will partner Jozy Altidore – the leading Men’s National Team (MNT) goal-scorer with six during World Cup qualifying – up front?

The list is a lengthy one – Houston Dynamo’s Brian Ching, Los Angels Galaxy’s Edson Buddle, Pachuca’s (Mexican league) Herculez Gomez, Real Salt Lake’s Robbie Findley, and Aris Thessaloniki’s (Greek league) Eddie Johnson. Even outside winger Clint Dempsey, who plays at Fulham in the English Premier League, has been mentioned as possible option.

Before the horrific and tragic, fatal car accident in October (killed the driver Ashley Roberta) that left Boston College product Charlie Davies badly injured (broken femur, broken tibia, dislocated elbow, lacerated bladder, bleeding from the brain) to the extent that he has not even seen the pitch in game action since – Davies was the obvious choice.

Davies, who was born in Manchester, NH and played high school soccer at Brooks School in North Andover, burst onto the national team scene at the Confederations Cup last summer where he scored a goal in the team’s 3-0 win over 2010 African Cup of Nations champions Egypt.

In his absence in 2010, the U.S. has struggled to find a reliable second option as the MNT have been mostly unconvincing going forward in a 3-1 loss to Honduras in January, a poor 2-1 win against El Salvador in February, and another lackadaisical 2-1 loss to the Netherlands in early March.

In fact only one forward has scored a goal for the U.S. in 2010 – Ching.

Clearly there is a debate; does Bradley go with experience or with whose hot?

Johnson (12 goals in 40 appearances) and Ching (11 goals in 44 appearances) are without a doubt the two most experienced guys. Johnson has not scored since 2008 for the U.S. and has really fizzled since scoring five goals in his opening year with the team in 2004. Ching has probably been the U.S.’s most reliable forward this year with much of the roster away in Europe earlier in the year, but he seems to disappear in big games.

Buddle meanwhile only has one career cap for the U.S. back in 2003 and after recently turning 29 the time is now or never because he currently leads Major League Soccer in scoring with nine goals, and it is no small component that he plays well with Landon Donovan one of the key U.S. players.

Gomez was the first U.S. forward to lead another country’s top domestic league in scoring enjoying a resurgent season with Puebla in Mexico by scoring 10 goals. The 28-year-old is finally recovering after missing nearly a year after an ACL tear in September in 2007. He too is virtually uncapped with just two in 2007, two years after his breakout season in 2005 with the Galaxy where he scored 18 goals.

But after scoring one of the MNT’s two goals on the evening a beautifully executed corner, Gomez has to be considered a front-runner now with the form he has been in to make this squad.

“It was fun, it was hard, it was a great feeling to be out there with those guys,” said Gomez, who came on as a substitute in the second half. “You build those friendships during camp, you kind of get throw in some turmoil with all the fitness and it brings the guys together – they really area a great group of guys and being out there was a lot of fun.

“I haven’t spoken to (coach Bradley), but I’m a big boy, I know what I have to do, I knew coming into this I was going to have to show more than just being able to put the ball in the back of the net,” Gomez followed up. “I felt I gave (the Czechs) a few headaches, got them on their toes, but they are a great team. Peter Cech (the Czech Republic goalie) is a great goalkeeper, he’s not just anybody, so it was a good test. I’m just glad I survived the 45 minutes. It’s out of my hands now.”

Ching, who also came on as a second half sub, felt like all the forwards showed quality in defeat to the Czechs, who have beaten the U.S. all three times they have played each other.

“You just try to go out and score goals,” Ching said. “Good for Herculez, he scored a good goal. I thought we had some good combination play. I though the forwards all played well in my eyes, so hopefully it’s a tough decision for the coach.”

Blown assignments by Ching and Pearce lead to Czech goal

The US subs have not acquitted themselves well thus far.

Brian Ching whiffed on a deflection out front and on the next possession downfield, David Lafata served a through ball to Jan Polak, who raced past defender Heath Pearce and put it by a helpless Brad Guzan.

2-1 Czech Republic in the 58th minute.

Fear not Sam's Army, Brian Ching is on the mend

I feel like every time I mention him, I have to qualify it by saying Shimer and I are not fans. Anywho, Brian Ching is back to training with the Houston Dynamo.

He strained his left hamstring in the Dynamo's home opener on April 1. It looks like he'll return next week, right before the deadline for US coach Bob Bradley to submit his preliminary World Cup roster.

"I've played with him over the past three years now. He knows what I'm capable of," Ching said. "I think he'll understand five weeks off, you need to build your way back into it. But there is definitely an urgency to get out there and playing well."

The 31-year-old forward, a member of the U.S. national team since 2003, desperately wants to make his second straight World Cup roster. Teams must submit 30-man rosters to FIFA next Tuesday, with 23-man rosters due June 1. The U.S. can make substitutions up until 24 hours before its June 12 opener against England.

"I try not to focus on the World Cup," Ching said. "Do I think about it? Yeah. Is there pressure to get back on the field before he has to make his decision? Yeah. At this point, I'm not going to compromise getting injured again with rushing back onto the field."

Whether he's chosen or not, Ching says he may be finished with international soccer after the World Cup. He says he'll make that decision later this year.

"I think there's a good chance I might hang up my boots from international soccer after the World Cup. I think that will be my decision," he said. "I will be 36 for the next World Cup. Honestly, if I look at myself, do I think I can be on a World Cup team when I'm 36? I don't think so. It's something on my mind, but it might help prolong my career."

Ching has 11 goals in 44 appearances with the U.S. team since 2003. He appeared in 11 games, including 10 starts for the U.S team last year, helping the Americans to a second-place finish in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Ching didn't get into a match at the 2006 World Cup as the United States was eliminated in the first round with losses to the Czech Republic and Ghana around a tie with Italy.

Taking the field in a World Cup game is about the last goal in soccer he has yet to reach.

"It's every soccer player's dream to represent their country in the World Cup," he said. "It was a huge disappointment, not being able to play in the last one, when you're so close. I positioned myself well. I just need to get back fit and hopefully, I'll get to experience that again."

If Ching isn't healthy, it could open an opportunity for Colorado's Conor Casey as a target forward. Los Angeles' Edson Buddle and Puebla's Herculez Gomez also have put themselves into contention for the U.S. roster with hot springs.

When healthy, Ching appears to be a favorite to join Hull's Jozy Altidore on the U.S. roster.

Who will fill the second striker spot for the US?

Shimer and I have admitted multiple times that we're not Brian Ching fans. Still, we never like to see any of the prospective US national team members get hurt.

A striker on the Houston Dynamo, Ching hurt his left hamstring last Thursday playing for the Dynamo and he's expected to miss the next few weeks. This could hamper his World Cup preparations and truth be told, nobody knows who will step into the second striker position alongside Jozy Altidore.

Ching and Colorado's Conor Casey are competing to make the 23-man roster. The US will gather for a final training camp in mid-May before their two exhibitions in the States: May 25 vs. Czech Republic in East Hartford and May 29 vs. Turkey in Philly. They also play Australia on June 5 in South Africa, ahead of their World Cup opener June 12 vs. England.