Forward Thinking

This is the first part of a four part preview of the United States Men’s National Team in run-up to the Gold Cup, to be held across the country from June 5^th-25^th

There probably isn’t a bigger question mark on Bob Bradley’s lineup then who will be starting up top for his team when the United States lines up against Canada for the “Border War” on June 7^th at Ford Field in Detroit, MI.

USA fans haven’t felt comfortable about their top striker since Brian McBride retired from international competition and while this current crop of potential replacements may not have supporters brimming with confidence, it certainly has them bubbling with optimism.

The underlying theme from Bob Bradley’s selections this year, no matter who they are, will be youth. The youngest and most intriguing of the bunch is 18 year old Juan Agudelo who plays his club ball for the New York Red Bulls. Agudelo bolted onto the international scene and into fans hearts with a stunning cameo against South Africa that included the game winning goal in the waning minutes of the match. With that goal he became the youngest player, at the age of 17, to score for the USMNT. Agudelo has made three more appearances for the Red, White and Blue and with his second goal in a draw against Argentina he has thrown himself squarely into contention to play a vital role in this summer’s tournament. Agudelo’s strength and ensuing excitement comes from his desire to run at defenders and try things that very few American forwards have dared. This isn’t to say he is reckless, I believe he merely has skills that have not been possessed by an American forward in quite some time. Before expectations get out of control, their will surely be large amounts of caution shown by Bob Bradley and his staff so don’t be shocked if Agudelo slides into a super sub role during Group Play to both protect him and best utilize his still developing bag of tricks.

Speaking of quelling expectations. The next forward that will be invited will be Jozy Altidore. While hearing that name generally sparks memories of anger and disappointment, it will come as little surprise to anyone that he will be included in Bradley’s squad. What I like to remember about Altidore is that he is still only 21 years old and he seems like he’s been around forever. He could realistically still find himself in three more World Cup cycles. Think about that. While Jozy may be everyone’s favorite scapegoat he clearly is an athletic freak. He is still young and has never really had a support forward to play with except for a brief spell with another young man on this list. While his finishing certainly leaves something to be desired, maybe Altidore isn’t destined to be the next great American goal scorer, and maybe with the addition of some young guns around him, he won’t have to be to be considered a success.

In my mind, the biggest sure thing, in looking forward (no pun intended) is this next player. Already a fearsome striker in his second year for Major League Soccer’s Sporting KC. The player I’m speaking of is Teal Bunbury. The Canadian born striker, who guess what, is only 21, is my breakout star of this Gold Cup. After getting past a dislocated elbow that hampered him during the beginning of the MLS season Bunbury has been firing on all cylinders and should be a definite impact player on this tournaments squad. His partnership with Juan Agudelo in friendlies against South Africa and Chile has already gotten Sam’s Army fantasizing about the dynamic duo for the next decade. Bunbury’s strengths are similar to Agudelo’s in that he runs at defenders and makes them play to his style. He has an adept ability to find the back of the net from outside of the box by getting his shot off in small spaces. He also has grown into his frame a little bit more than his younger compatriot which should allow him to log more minutes throughout a hectic 20 days if Bob Bradley wishes to do so.

My final profile is this summer’s wild card. Most people know of Charlie Davies horrific accident by now, and his inspiring return to the field for DC United. What Bob Bradley wants to know is whether it is worth a roster spot to see if Davies still has the speed to outpace defenders at the international level. Was Davies performance at 2009’s Confederations Cup merely a tease of what could have been or is the young speedster truly ready to be wreaking havoc on the opposition as early as 6 months into his comeback. Now, being left of this summer’s squad should not be viewed as a failure or the end of Davies international career. It would be a big gamble to bring along a player who just isn’t ready physically and while I’m all for the sentimental moment, I’m not sure Bradley is willing to bring along a player who can’t serve him some purpose besides pulling at peoples heartstrings. That being said, nothing could be more inspirational than bringing Davies on as a change of pace striker and seeing him bag one in front of teary eyed supporters.

When Bob Bradley sits down to make his decisions he certainly won’t be short of options. Herculez Gomez finished the Mexican Primera season in fine form and seems to be a favorite of the coaches. Edson Buddle gives a veteran presence to an otherwise young group of strikers and like Gomez, was chosen for the World Cup. If it were up to me I would bring the four strikers I profiled for the simple reason that it is time to start looking forward. Buddle and Gomez will be 32 by the next World Cup and are not likely to play a role in it. I believe Bunbury is ready to start right now and playing him with Altidore gives the American’s two physically strong strikers up top. As mentioned, Agudelo could be a great 65^th-70^th minute spark and Bradley has never been shy to move Clint Dempsey up top if he sees the need for a more veteran presence. It’s time to let the young guns have their run. They’ll make mistakes, but more than any group before them they will take chances to pull off the miraculous and in a team that lacks creativity I believe it is worth the risk. With an eye on the future, but the ability to win now this is the step the United States needs to take.

Forward Selections: Jozy Altidore, Teal Bunbury, Juan Agudelo, Charlie Davies