Zeno

Bradley names U.S. training camp roster
ESPNsoccernet news services

U.S. men's national team head coach Bob Bradley has named 29 players to the training camp roster that will begin workouts Jan. 4 in Carson, Calif. The group will prepare for the USA's first match of 2007, a friendly against Denmark on Jan. 20 at Carson in their first match since the World Cup.

"This is a great opportunity to get a first-hand look at a wide variety of domestic-based players as we begin a new World Cup cycle," said Bradley.

The group includes 28 players based in the United States. While 22 players on the roster have five caps or less, 10 will be in search of their first-ever appearance with the senior team.

Defender Heath Pearce of Denmark's Nordsjaelland was the only European-based player selected for the camp.

U.S. Roster
Goalkeepers (4) - Joe Cannon (Los Angeles Galaxy), Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Troy Perkins (D.C. United), Matt Reis (New England Revolution).

Defenders (9) - Chris Albright (Los Angeles Galaxy), Bobby Boswell (D.C. United), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Bryan Namoff (D.C. United), Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution), Heath Pearce (FC Nordsjælland), Dasan Robinson (Chicago Fire), Eddie Robinson (Houston Dynamo).

Midfielders (10) - Kyle Beckerman (Colorado Rapids), Brian Carroll (D.C. United), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Clint Dempsey (New England Revolution), Joshua Gros (D.C. United), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Justin Mapp (Chicago Fire), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids), Brian Mullan (Houston Dynamo), Pat Noonan (New England Revolution).

Forwards (6) - Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Alecko Eskandarian (D.C. United), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Nate Jaqua (Los Angeles Galaxy), Chris Rolfe (Chicago Fire), Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution).

coyoteshockeyfan

Bob Bradley?

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Mulli

Landon Donovan...yawn.

Zeno

If I were him I wouldn't have anyone in camp who will be over like 32 yrs old when the 2010 WC rolls around(excluding GKs of course).

Zeno

Bradley's initial focus appears to be on youth
Steve Davis

Assessing a new national team boss off his initial selections is a little like gauging a restaurant by pulling into the parking lot. There's plenty of chewing ahead before anyone can make up their mind.

Still, the initial pieces have fallen into place as interim U.S. men's coach Bob Bradley begins his (temporary?) days shepherding the U.S. national side.

Bradley made good on his promise to keep the focus on development Tuesday with the announcement of a 29-man group that leans heavily on international soccer pups. This boyish group counts Landon Donovan as its senior member -- in terms of caps, at least.

There were a few scattered little surprises, but no truly bizarre ones, as Bradley named an impressionable group for his initial camp. That in itself confirms a little something, although nothing shocking: that Bradley understands his work is all about development, and that he won't stray from that endeavor in some thinly veiled gambit to win insignificant matches and solidify his hold on the spot.

Other than Donovan and Pablo Mastroeni, hip-hop attacker Clint Dempsey is the most experienced member of this 29-man group.

This initial 29 gathers Jan. 4 at the Home Depot Center as Bradley wades into the big task of restoring collective confidence, creating depth and balance, and identifying the difference makers for important tasks ahead.

Bradley will then monitor his highly untested bunch (and reveal a little more about his early preferences) against Denmark on Jan. 20, then in a higher-profile match against bitter rival Mexico in February.

Bruce Arena similarly flung open the gates and summoned a gaggle of international soccer newbies on his earliest run-outs after a World Cup cycle. Aspiring lightweights Sasha Victorine, Bobby Convey, Dan Califf and Jeff Cunningham were in the mix as Arena opened play in January 2003, following the 2002 World Cup. So that part is nothing new.

Still, the relative youth of Bradley's assembly takes hold when you subtract the goalkeepers from the list. Then, we see that 20 of his 25 call-ups were born in the 80s. Ten players from the group were pulled from the uncapped file. A full 22 of them have five caps or fewer.

In the mild surprise department: Alecko Eskandarian seems a bit out of place among the group. The D.C. United striker has certainly shown talent and game-turning ability. But his most recent goal for United in MLS matches came on July 22 as he foundered in the season's final three months.

Brian Ching's exclusion may have caught some fans unaware. Ching opted out of the camp, choosing instead to rest a knee that continued to trouble him down the stretch of MLS play. Safe to say that Ching would have been included otherwise. If he didn't play himself into contention with goal-scoring bursts from the 2006 regular season, he certainly did with his late-game response in the MLS Cup final.

Bradley seemed to reward youngsters who had good years domestically, the likes of United goalkeeper Troy Perkins, league Rookie of the Year Jonathan Bornstein and FC Dallas 11-goal scorer Kenny Cooper.

Dempsey is an interesting choice, but for an altogether different reason. The London newspapers have him all but standing at Fulham's door, impatiently awaiting the opening of the January transfer window. And if that's the case, Bradley would surely prefer to see the feisty Dempsey jet across the Atlantic and get things started.

But perhaps the deal isn't that far along, or perhaps work permit issues are proving too sticky and the new U.S. coach sees Dempsey stuck stateside through January, at least.

We can take a few other morsels from the first call-up. For instance, it appears that "records" will be expunged and any holdover concerns from the Arena regime about certain individuals will be reassessed. We know that because of Joe Cannon's inclusion.

Cannon, now property of the Los Angeles Galaxy, has been Major League's Soccer's most outstanding goalkeeper over the last few years. So how to explain just one U.S. start for his career?

Obviously, Cannon had some dandy keepers in front of him. Still, Cannon would certainly have stood in the mix more often for friendlies and other less essential games unless Arena had concerns about how he affected team chemistry and locker-room accord. So Bradley has apparently laid any such concerns to rest.

What we can't glean is how Bradley feels about the most promising youngsters. Freddy Adu and young Red Bull scoring sensation Josmer Altidore will be busy in Panama in January, helping fellow U.S. youths attempt to qualify for this summer's FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada. So they weren't in consideration for this camp.

And since the new coach's son, Michael Bradley, is in the under-20 mix as well, dad doesn't have to deal with that somewhat uncomfortable situation just yet.

Heath Pearce (FC Nordsjaelland, Denmark) is the lone non-MLS name on the list. Obviously, several tantalizing candidates for the next qualifying carousel continue to be involved in Europe. Rest assured, emerging defender Jonathan Spector would be in camp if he weren't currently standing tall on West Ham's back line. (Spector received official man of the match honors last weekend for his diligent work in the home side's big EPL upset over Manchester United.)

Jay DeMerit's side (Watford) is struggling mightily in the EPL cellar, but he'll certainly be seen before the matches gain more importance. And plenty of others remain tied up in Europe. Since the camp doesn't hinge around a FIFA international date, U.S. Soccer has no leverage to get them released and probably wouldn't want to anyway.

Steve Davis is a Dallas-based freelance writer who covers MLS for ESPNsoccernet. He can be reached at BigTexSoccer@yahoo.com.

Stout

Um...?

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Lead us to the promised land, Arians.

Zeno

The addition of Nowak strengthens Bradley's case
Andrea Canales

Clearly, U.S. national team interim coach Bob Bradley made a bold move to claim the job permanently even before any of his players kicked a ball.

It wasn't so much the roster Bradley selected for the first training camp of 2007, though his picks reflected an aggressive pursuit of young and untried players. It wasn't even in the choices of players, like goalkeeper Joe Cannon, that showed a marked deviation from the preferences of former coach Bruce Arena.

It was when Peter Nowak's name surfaced as Bradley's new assistant coach that it became obvious that the interim coach does not intend to go gently to his Olympic post.

In the battle to retain his position, Bradley has just begun to fight. Nowak may be the ace he needs to get ahead.

Part of the reason for that is because Nowak was in fact Bradley's legitimate competition for the USMNT appointment. Insiders privy to some of the negotiations revealed that Nowak was indeed a solid candidate in the running who fell just short of the final group of options from which Bradley was plucked for his temporary duty.

The united front of two of the top candidates will no doubt present a tantalizing option to U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati. After all, a twofer is a popular deal worldwide.

In some way, the combination of Nowak and Bradley also works as something of a yin-yang, with each one offering strengths to balance out weaknesses in the other.

For example, Bradley's forte is undoubtedly his long experience with the various levels of the U.S. game. Since he began coaching at 22, Bradley has now, at age 47, spent more than half his life teaching the game. Not surprisingly, he lays claim to more games won in Major League Soccer than any other coach.

Yet what Bradley lacks is a proven record of performance as a soccer player at a top level. While obviously not a vital component for many successful coaches, it is still a plus. In terms of credibility to impressionable players, it's a factor.

This is where Nowak offers the experience of a top international player for both the Polish squad and as a club player for many years both in Germany and Poland. Nowak's success continued when he joined MLS in 1998, when he captained the Chicago Fire to an MLS championship. Having won the MLS Cup with D.C. United in 2004, his first year as a coach, Nowak remains the only person to claim an MLS title as a player and a coach.

Bradley and Nowak also offer contrasting approaches in their coaching styles. Nowak paces the sideline in a suit, while Bradley sticks to his warm-up uniform. Nowak's statements often burst forth emotionally, while Bradley's commentary is more considered and measured.

The passion that Nowak displays is contagious. It was no doubt part of what propelled D.C. United in 2004. It can also be exhausting, however. This season, United won more games than any other team in the league. However, the squad seemed noticeably weary in the second half of the season, losing the majority of their games in that period.

Throughout Bradley's career, he has been known for getting more out of players than many expected, and he is especially notable for his ability to deal with pros that many others find difficult.

While Nowak was miffed when Freddy Adu complained about playing time and benched the young player, Bradley was nonchalant about his own star, Juan Pablo Garcia, who publicly questioned the coach's judgment.

Despite their differences, both coaches share an intense desire to win and a willingness to do whatever it takes to get a victory.

That might be what has led to their latest alliance. Though Nowak and Bradley share the same agent, Ron Waxman, the idea to pool their talents didn't necessarily come from an outside party.

Bradley and Nowak have worked together before, since Bradley was Nowak's coach during his years with the Fire. The trust and cooperation forged between the rookie head coach and the on-field captain led the Fire to great success in 1998.

It could do so again for the U.S. national team.

If the combination proves fruitful, a Bradley-Nowak tandem could offer the USSF what neither man could individually: a more compelling argument for turning to a domestic coaching option.

It's the eternal enticement of getting more bang for one's buck. Even a quality coach from overseas may not be able to compete when compared to this twosome.

The choice of Nowak as an assistant also answers the question that lingered after Bradley's interim appointment. Bradley was offered the national team post in conjunction with the guarantee of the Olympic coaching position as a fallback if he did not win the national team job permanently. Now Bradley has lined Nowak up for the Olympic task, should the scenario of assuming the national team position pan out.

In effect, this trumps the USSF, which has already shown its cards somewhat by an admitted regard for Nowak. Bradley has taken someone that the federation held in enough high esteem to consider for the highest honor and gift-wrapped him as the Olympic coaching option.

Keeping both Bradley and Nowak might also offer the federation an out from facing a possibly troublesome political situation. Should a new foreign coach not care for Bradley's guidance of the Olympic team, the USSF is helpless -- that part of Bradley's job is a promised and done deal.

Presumably, if Bradley stays on as the U.S. senior team coach, he would grant the Olympic duties to his top assistant, Nowak.

After all the stress and disappointment involved with his failure to land Juergen Klinsmann as coach, this buy-one-get-one-free deal may be too good for Gulati to pass up.

Andrea Canales covers MLS and women's college soccer for ESPNsoccernet. She also writes for topdrawersoccer.com, lasoccernews.com and soccer365.com. She can be contacted at soccercanales@yahoo.com.

I do think Bob Bradley is a good coach, Nowak is a good coach as well and those 2 are perfect as the Olympic team coach but neither is qualified for the National Team. In an ideal world Bradley would have been the US National Team assistant under Klinsmann or Pekerman and head coach of the Olympic team with an eye on Bradley being in line for the Nat job after the next WC.

Gulati sure bungled this.