There’s a conspicuous lack of youth on Bob Bradley’s roster to face Cuba and Trinidad & Tobago in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, writes Ives Galarcep. “The omissions of Kenny Cooper, Jozy Altidore and Freddy Adu have left the U.S. team with a roster that proponents will call experienced and battle-tested,” he writes. “But opponents will call it unproductive and lacking potential for growth.”
Cooper’s omission has attracted most criticism from U.S. fans, because he’s been scoring regularly for his club, in contrast to the “relative ineffectiveness” of the U.S. forward line, in particular Eddie Johnson. More puzzling still is the absence of Altidore when the struggles of Clint Dempsey in the national team this year are taken into account.
Adu will be more difficult to integrate into a 4-4-2 starting line-up unless he improves his defensive effort “enough to carry his weight in central midfield. Either that, or he’ll have to evolve into such an attacking force that Bradley has no choice but to incorporate a 4-2-3-1 formation with Adu in the playmaking role.” If the U.S. beats its next two opponents, however, Bradley may use the luxury of the breathing space in the final three games of the semifinal round to experiment more with the younger generation.