The List is Life

Yesterday, US National Team coach Bruce Arena announced his 23 man roster for the World Cup. Were there surprises? A few, yes, but for the most part, this list was very predictable. Here are my thoughts by position:

Goalkeepers: Kasey Keller, Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann

Thoughts: There are no surprises here. For a few weeks, people were throwing Tony Meola's name out there as a possible third goalkeeper, but that would have been a tremendous disservice to Hahnemann, who has played marvelously for club side Reading FC all year. It's interesting that Howard takes the two spot while still languishing on the bench at Manchester United. What's been lost in all of this is still how wonderfully talented Howard actually is. Yes, he's struggled to assert himself at United, but he's still young (27), and he's still a very good back-up and the heir apparent to Keller. While I don't know if I'd want Howard or Hahnemann starting World Cup matches for us at this stage, they'd still be solid.

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra, Steve Cherundolo, Jimmy Conrad, Cory Gibbs, Frankie Hejduk, Eddie Lewis, Oguchi Onyewu, Eddie Pope

Thoughts: The biggest surprise here is Conrad, but even Bocanegra is, for me anyway, a bit of a mild surprise. With his health in doubt and having not seen first team action with Fulham for some time, I did not expect Bocanegra to be as much of a shoe-in as some pundits have suggested. Until an untimely injury, I actually thought Jonathan Spector had a legitimate shot at a roster spot given his first team status with Charlton in the English Premier League as well as his positional versatility. Nevertheless, here's Bocanegra, and here's also Jimmy Conrad who looked doomed after the Germany match over a month ago. Not only were he and Berhalter culpable on all of Germany's goals, but Conrad injured himself shortly thereafter. Jeff Carlisle suggests that Conrad was selected because he'll provide a strong locker-room presence will always being clear of his role within the team. There may be something to that suggestion, but it's still a slightly puzzling move. However, what bothers me most is the lack of outside depth. Only Frankie Hejduk (and Gibbs in a pinch) can provide any depth on the outside apart from starters Steve Cherundolo and Eddie Lewis. Don't be surprised to see the 3-5-2 come June.

Midfielders: DaMarcus Beasley, Bobby Convey, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Pablo Mastroeni, John O'Brien, Ben Olsen, Claudio Reyna

Thoughts: There are two question marks here. One is John O'Brien's health. Can he get healthy and be productive before the World Cup begins in June? The other big question mark seems to be Ben Olsen. Some dispute his selection as simply Olsen's being one of Arena's "old boys" (a player from his days with D.C. United). This may be true, but anyone who believes this is the reason why he made the 23 man squad hasn't been paying attention the last few months. Not only has Ben Olsen contributed solid performances to the full national team, but he's also been in fine form with club team D.C. United. He'll also be a positive presence in the locker-room, the kind of player who understands his role within Arena's system and who will be simply happy to be in Germany with the boys. O'Brien is a bigger question mark, but it's difficult at this stage to say anything other than that a healthy John O'Brien will be integral to this team's success.

Forwards: Brian Ching, Eddie Johnson, Brian McBride, Josh Wolff

Thoughts: Brian Ching is the big surprise here. Most pundits expected Twellman to get the nod, but it appears that experience in big-game situations, strength on the ball, and a player in the McBride role were traits that Arena wanted. Sure, Twellman finally got over his scoring hump while Ching struggled in earlier friendlies. However, if you've watched Ching closely in his national team career, including in the recent friendly with Germany, you see a very strong ability to hold onto the ball under pressure. He's also scored in big pressure situations (twice in qualifying), while Twellman has never shown that kind of ability in a national team uniform. I can't disagree with this choice as some others have. Ching's produced when it counts, he's currently been hot in MLS, and he'll make a fine late game sub if we need to kill off games or score off a set piece, especially in as physical a group as the U.S.' The other choices shouldn't surprise at all, but our success is contingent on Johnson regaining form and a healthy McBride.

Interesting note: It's very interesting that Chris Rolfe is one of Arena's alternates. Even Freddy Adu has more caps than Rolfe. It's clear that Arena sees what many of us see in him, a very talented, very skilfull young player that offers a lot of intangibles. Here's to hoping he gets his chance after this cycle.