Live The Pitch

This Saturday Bob Bradley’s squad will face Slovakia in an International friendly in Bratislava.  With this being the first match for the U.S. since qualifying for the 2010 World Cup there are numerous questions to be answered due to recent injuries.  Bradley is in a tough spot now with Charlie Davies and Oguchi Onyewu out of the lineup.

Let’s start in the back where Onyewu’s presence will be missed dearly.  Onyewu tore his patella tendon in his left knee late in the last match against Costa Rica.  Barring any major setbacks in his rehabilitation he should be fit for next summer, But Bradley can’t count on it.  The next few matches for the U.S. will be mini tryouts for a few players.

The player we are looking at stepping in immediately would have to be Columbus Crew star Chad Marshall.  Marshall has been a stable presence at center back in the MLS and has recently had some success with the national team.  Along side Marshall look for Bradley to start with Jimmy Conrad.  Conrad himself has been banged up recently but Bradley needs to see how he can play at this level.

The other area of concern is the left back spot.  We see Bradley going with Heath Pearce, but we just don’t see him playing at this level.  He has proven to U.S. soccer fans that he is awful with the ball at his feet and makes terrible decisions in the back.  Bradley has yet to find a proven left back, and if this team wants to succeed they have a lot of work to do.

The midfield is just OK at the moment.  Michael Bradley has his ups and downs, so if he can just become more consistent he will do well in South Africa.  However, the other center midfield position is up in the air.  Look for Benny Feilhaber to get the nod on Saturday.  Feilhaber has done fairly well when he has been given his opportunities.

The real concern for the U.S. is replacing Charlie Davies, who was recently released from the hospital following his horrific accident a month ago.  Davies timetable for a return is anywhere from 6-12 months with the numerous injuries he had.  If  by any chance he gets fit to play for the World Cup it is hard to believe he will be the same player he was before the accident.  Davies is the type of player that relies on his great pace and with his injuries it will be difficult for him to get that back.

Look for Jozy Altidore and Connor Casey to get the start up top on Saturday.  Both have been in great form recently and hopefully this continues with the national team.

Here are a few players we hope can get some playing time in the future with the national team:

Chad Marshall- CB

Jose Fransisco Torres-CM

Robbie Rogers- LM

Jeff Cunningham- ST

Good Luck USA!