USMNT World Cup Roster: The Bubble Boys One Year from Brazil

The United States Men's National Team just completed a run of five games in 21 days including three World Cup qualifiers. During that run of games, we passed the one-year mark before the 2014 FIFA World Cup kicks off in Brazil.

The Nats won all three of their recent World Cup qualifiers and now occupy first place in the CONCACAF qualification table, five points clear of their Mexican rivals who sit in the third qualification spot.

Klinsmann and his crew now turn to the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The preliminary roster for that tournament is missing several key European-based players who need some time off before reporting to their club's team training camps.

If there is any such thing as a "lock" on the final World Cup roster, it is probably safe to assume that these overseas players are at least penciled in to Klinsmann's 23-man final roster: Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Geoff Cameron, Fabian Johnson, Jermaine Jones, Jozy Altidore, Brad Guzan and Tim Howard.

Several MLS players played important roles for the USMNT this spring. They are developing consistency, occupy key positions, and at this point, it is difficult to foresee which players in the pool could knock them off the final roster. MLS players currently penciled in to the final roster are Graham Zusi, Omar Gonzalez, Matt Besler, Brad Evans and Eddie Johnson.

All of these MLS players are on the preliminary Gold Cup roster, but it is certain that their clubs are not keen on releasing them for another three-week USMNT stint. This means we'll see a new group of faces trying to impress Klinsmann during the Gold Cup.

If we can assume that these 13 players are headed for Brazil if they stay healthy and get regular playing time with their club teams, that leaves 10 open-roster spots as things stand right now.

That said, who is still on the bubble for Brazil?

The Bubble Boys will be a periodic feature until the final World Cup roster is announced.

The World Cup Veterans

Let's just get this out of the way right now, Landon Donovan will be on the plane to Brazil. 

However, he was not named for the recent qualifiers, and openly recognizes that he needs to impress Klinsmann in order to win back his spot on the national team. So, for now, he is a bubble player, but there is no way a player with his talent will be left at home just to make a point.

Klinsmann clearly has a preference for pushing his players to improve, and making them uncomfortable with competition is one of his favorite methods. Even if Graham Zuzi is the starting right winger in Brazil, it will be because he beat out Donovan in head-to-head competition and not because Klinsmann kept Donovan away. 

Carlos Bocanegra is another veteran on Klinsmann's bubble. The former USMNT captain struggled to find playing time on his second division Spanish side Racing Santandar, didn't play in the first round of qualifiers and was completely left off the roster for the last round of qualifying. 

Bocanegra will get another chance to show his worth in the Gold Cup along with Donovan and Oguchi Onyewu. Onyewu's chances are dimming as the pairing of Gonzales and Besler continues to solidify at center back. 

Bocanegra has a chance to make the final cut as the defense's veteran presence, something that is sorely lacking at this point. He won't go just as a wizened sage, he'll have to show his worth in the Gold Cup and then get regular minutes with his club next season.

Steve Cherundolo is not on the Gold Cup roster, but he is still returning to full strength after an injury-plagued club campaign. Given the Nats' woes at full-back, the "Mayor of Hanover" will get his chances to prove his worth in the Fall's qualifiers and friendlies.

DeMarcus Beasley has probably worked himself off the bubble, but those of us who've watched him over the years know that he is just as capable of stinking up the field as he is at playing like he has this spring. We'll leave him on the bubble for now though his athleticism, versatility and World Cup experience will probably result in a trip to Brazil.

Die Deutsch-Amerikaners

Jurgen Klinsmann and his crew made a concerted effort to recruit USMNT-eligible players from underutilized player pools. One of these pools is the German-Americans, die Deutsch-Amerikaners, who are eligible because one of their parents is an American citizen.

Klinsmann did a good job getting several strong players to commit to playing for the U.S.  Unfortunately, allegations that he favors the German-born players and questions about his tactical use of those players have created some controversy...at least in the minds of soccer writers and fans.

Regardless of what those of us in the arm-chair coaching brigade continue to harp on, the objective reality is that the USMNT player pool is deeper because of these recruits.

Fabian Johnson and Jermaine Jones appear to have early-acceptance for the final World Cup roster.

The other German-born Nats are on the bubble for various reasons.

Danny Williams played key roles in some matches for Klinsmann, but injuries prevented him from participating in the recent round of qualifiers, and he will not be playing in the Gold Cup. If he is healthy and getting regular Bundesliga minutes, we can expect to see him back for the September qualifiers.

Klinsmann pursued Timothy Chandler and finally got him cap-tied to the USMNT with the first Honduras match. While he has shown some nice skills, his play for the Nats has been inconsistent, and recent injuries kept him away from the summer rosters. 

He will no doubt be on the short list because of all the effort put in to getting him cap-tied, but at this time, he has to be considered a bubble boy.

Terence Boyd is another player with a decent chance to make the final roster. He has the physical tools you want in a target forward and showed considerable goal-scoring flair in his time at Rapid Wien.

He would make a nice reserve for Jozy Altidore, but Klinsmann could decide that some of the players currently used on the wings like Eddie Johnson and Hercules Gomez could replace Altidore if he has to miss a game.

Liga-MX

The second player pool Klinsmann has worked hard to bring in to the USMNT are the Mexico-based players who have U.S. citizenship.

All of these players currently play in Mexico's Liga-MX, but have struggled to find playing time with the Nats this spring. Each player brings something the USMNT currently needs, but given the American's newfound depth they will need to impress with their remaining opportunities.

Edgar Castillo got his chance in the friendly versus Germany, but was inconsistent. He got two more opportunities as a substitute in the qualifiers. Since he is capable of playing a position the U.S. is still struggling to fill, he will get a few more opportunities to show what he can contribute in Brazil.

Joe Corona was on the roster for the three recent qualifiers, but only got on to the field for a brief cameo versus Panama.  He is a very talented player, but finds himself behind a logjam of veterans. The Gold Cup will be a great opportunity for him.

Jose Torres once seemed to be on track for a long career wearing the U.S. badge. Recently, however, he appears to be the odd man out in the crowded midfield scene.

Herculez Gomez is on the bubble only because he didn't figure in the American's recent run of success. Klinsmann loves Gomez' work rate, and Herculez is a first-rate poacher. Healthy and playing regular minutes, Gomez will be on the final roster.

From the Land of the Ice and Snow

The Scandinavian leagues have long been a point of entry for American players wanting to make the jump to European soccer. There are several Scandinavian-based players with national team experience, and these players will get a chance to impress at the Gold Cup.

Mikkel "Mix" Diskerud has been on the USMNT radar for several years playing for the youth teams and earning a handful of call-ups to the senior side, including a goal against Russia last fall. He is another talented midfield player in a very deep pool.

USMNT fans would like to see more of Joshua Gatt who got his first cap against Russia last fall. His speed is legendary in the Tippeligaen and could be useful as a late-game change of pace on the wing. That said, he's still shy of his 22nd birthday, and the wing positions are nearly as crowded as the central midfield.

Clarence Goodson probably has the best shot at making the final roster. He played well against Costa Rica in the snow and brings plenty of national team experience with him.

Lately, he's lately been shut out of the starting XI by the growing confidence of Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler at center back. With Carlos Bocanegra still in the mix and Geoff Cameron's general utility, Goodson will need to give Klinsmann a reason not to leave him at home.

Alejandro Bedoya has had a few good matches for the USMNT, but he, too, faces the prospect of too many players at his position.

Michael Parkhurst is in and out of the U.S. rosters and probably sees his chances slipping away. He has played some full-back in his career, and given that this is the only position at which the U.S. lacks any real depth, you never know what could happen.

Best of the Rest

A handful of MLS and European-based players remain on the bubble. Some of these continue to get call-ups but also continue to be unimpressive in game situations. Some are young and looking to impress in the year remaining. Still others are coming off serious injuries and look to rekindle once promising careers.

Klinsmann is still looking for depth at full-back and maybe an extra striker or attacking mid, so players in these positions are still hopeful. It's probably too late for a new center back to really make a big impression. One-dimensional wingers and central midfielders just have too much depth in front of them, but you never know.

Stuart Holden is one player whom every USMNT fan is hoping can make it back to full form because, prior to his string of injuries, he certainly had the chops to challenge for at least a backup role somewhere in the midfield. The Gold Cup and the first half of his club season will tell us if he's ready.

Sacha Kljestan is playing first-team minutes for a top Belgian team and getting experience in Europe's top club competitions. So why isn't he more in Klinsmann's mix? For one thing, his recent appearances for the Nats have not been all that impressive, and, of course, he is a midfielder in the land of midfielders.

Chris Wondolowski is an MLS goal-scoring machine. Unfortunately he keeps misfiring in his USMNT callups.

It's not that he's played poorly wearing the U.S. badge, as he does his thing and generates chances. He just can't seem to finish any of those chances when playing for Klinsmann. Maybe his shooting woes will end just in time for a chance to do the samba.

Kyle Beckerman and Brad Davis have spent lots of time in Klinsmann's camps, but they, too, are stuck in the midfield logjam.

Brek Shea has the skill to make the final roster as a winger, but unless he gets regular minutes for Stoke City, or any team really, there is no way he is going to Brazil.

Finally, what about Freddy Adu? Seriously, what about him?