Projecting USMNT's 2015 Gold Cup Roster
In just over a month, United States men's national team boss Jurgen Klinsmann will name his 23-man squad for the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
With an automatic berth in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup on the line through a title, the Yanks will not be taking the tournament lightly.
Klinsmann is expected to bring in most of his first-team stars for the tournament, which starts for the USMNT against Honduras at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas on July 7.
The USMNT boss has two friendlies left to examine the players in the talent pool before he puts his complete trust in the 23-man roster for July's competition.
One thing to note in our roster projection is CONCACAF allows teams to switch out up to four players after the group stage. With that in mind, we offered up a few names at each position that could find their way onto the preliminary list of 35 players, but not the final roster.
Continue reading on for a look at which 23 players we believe will be decked out in red, white and blue for the Gold Cup opener.
Goalkeepers
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On the Roster: Brad Guzan, Nick Rimando, Bill Hamid
Despite his struggle to get on the pitch recently at Aston Villa, Guzan is the No. 1 goalkeeper on the USMNT depth chart until Klinsmann says otherwise.
The Gold Cup will be a good audition of sorts for the true No. 1 position when Tim Howard returns from his year-long hiatus in the fall. If Guzan turns in a group of solid performances, the fight for the No. 1 shirt will be fun to watch.
Behind Guzan are national team stalwarts Rimando and Hamid, who might be handed a start in the group stage against Haiti.
On the Outside Looking In: William Yarbrough
Unless one of the three regulars are hurt in the buildup to the tournament, Yarbrough will not be called upon.
Full Backs
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On the Roster: Fabian Johnson, Brek Shea, Greg Garza, DeAndre Yedlin
There is a decent chance that Shea, Johnson and Yedlin could be named as wingers when the official roster comes out, but due to selections we've made that will be explained further in the piece, they will be considered full backs here.
Johnson is arguably the most versatile player in the USMNT talent pool, and due to that he might end up on the defensive wing for the duration of the tournament.
Putting Shea and Yedlin at full back at the same time may cause too many defensive heart attacks, but the good news is both are improving on their respective skill sets.
The one name everyone forgets about is Garza, who has been a model of consistency at left back since his first call-up in September.
The ideal starting lineup would pit Johnson at right back and Garza on the left with Shea and Yedlin being used as dynamic super subs, which is a role Shea thrived in during the 2013 Gold Cup final.
On the Outside Looking In: Timothy Chandler, Geoff Cameron
Both Chandler and Cameron are solid options at the position, but neither offer the dynamic two-way abilities that the players above possess.
Cameron might intrigue Klinsmann as a center back as well, but the competition is stiffer there.
Center Backs
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On the Roster: Omar Gonzalez, John Brooks, Ventura Alvarado, Michael Orozco
Thanks to a terrific start to the Major League Soccer season, Gonzalez should be a lock to make the roster, and he might even secure a spot in the starting 11 if he performs well against Germany and the Netherlands next month.
Brooks is the closest thing to a consistent first-team center back in the USMNT talent pool at the moment, which means he should line up in the back four for every game of the Gold Cup.
Alvarado and Orozco may not be popular choices, but both have proved their worth over the last few months for the Yanks. Orozco shined against Denmark and Switzerland, while Alvarado impressed in the 2-0 victory over Mexico in April.
Gonzalez and Brooks would be the preferred center back duo, but it would not be a surprise if Alvarado or Orozco earned a spot in the starting 11. We should also point out the Jermaine Jones experiment in the middle of defense is not over, but he hasn't looked strong at the position with the New England Revolution recently.
On the Outside Looking In: Matt Besler, Tim Ream, Steve Birnbaum
If Birnbaum can somehow recover from his ankle injury and turn in a few standout showings for D.C. United in June, he could make the 23-man squad. His inclusion may come after the group stage when Klinsmann can swap players in and out of his roster.
Besler and Ream haven't done anything terribly wrong recently, but there are other players in better form than the pair.
Central Midfielders
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On the Roster: Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones, Mix Diskerud, Alfredo Morales
Yes, Bradley is on the roster. No, we don't see him moving out of the No. 10 position.
That will not be a bad thing as long as Jones or Diskerud end up in the holding midfield role of whatever formation the mad scientist in charge of the USMNT opts to use.
Jones and Diskerud both bring an attacking aspect to the holding role, which could end up being a vital aspect of the USMNT's game if Bradley can't get going behind the forwards.
Morales is a player that deserves a look at some point in the tournament, especially after his strong season at Ingolstadt.
On the Outside Looking In: Kyle Beckerman, Perry Kitchen
We were very close to adding Beckerman to our projected squad, but we think his age may work against him as Klinsmann looks to work in some of the younger midfielders alongside the established first-team stars.
Kitchen is one name to keep an eye on over the next six weeks. If he earns a call-up for the June friendlies, he might sneak onto the Gold Cup roster.
Wingers
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On the Roster: Alejandro Bedoya, Miguel Ibarra, Gyasi Zardes
One of the few names you can write into the starting lineup with a Sharpie is Bedoya's.
Where he starts on the field will be determined by the specific formation Klinsmann utilizes, which means he could end up in a central role for a game or two.
Ibarra and Zardes are two young guys who deserve shots at first-team action, and they should receive that this summer. Because of the depth at the forward position, Zardes has a better chance of competing for playing time on the wing at the Gold Cup.
However, neither player is assured of a spot in the starting lineup if the USMNT boss wants to hand Shea or Yedlin a starting spot in a more forward role.
On the Outside Looking In: Julian Green, Graham Zusi
Green's involvement in the Toulon Tournament with the U23 squad hampers his chance of playing in the Gold Cup. At some point, the young winger needs a break in order to thrive during the 2015-16 European campaign, which begins in early August.
Zusi has a shot at making the Gold Cup squad, but the versatility of other wing players on the roster may cost him a July stint in the red, white and blue.
Forwards
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On the Roster: Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey, Aron Johannsson, Juan Agudelo, Chris Wondolowski
Despite the concerns about his fitness entering the Gold Cup, we included Altidore in the initial 23-man squad because his recovery timetable from May 19 is four to five weeks, per Toronto FC's official website. If he heals properly, Altidore has a chance to get three matches under his belt before the Yanks play Guatemala four days before their Gold Cup campaign begins.
Based on recent form and past selections, Dempsey and Johannsson are locks to make the roster. Dempsey will start up top with either Altidore or Johannsson if Klinsmann chooses to use two forwards.
Agudelo has burst back onto the scene with New England, and because of his young age he has an edge over club teammate Charlie Davies.
As for the final forward spot on the roster, we selected Wondolowski over Davies by a slim margin. If there is one thing Wondolowski is good at on the international stage, it is scoring against weak opposition. Do not be surprised if he nets a hat-trick against Haiti while Davies watches from home .
On the Outside Looking In: Charlie Davies, Jordan Morris
Keeping Davies off the roster will be a difficult decision for Klinsmann to make, especially if the New England forward continues to score.
Morris will be playing alongside Green at the Toulon Tournament, but his situation is a bit different. The Yanks do not have to worry about Morris suffering from fatigue since the college season is only four months long. That could persuade Klinsmann to bring in the Stanford product at some point.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
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