11 players for Bradley to keep an eye on

Now that the quest is officially over to name a U.S. national team coach, and Bob Bradley's search for national team talent isn't an exercise in futility, we finally can start to think about the teams he will build this summer and the players who will make up those teams.

Gail Oskin/WireImage

New England's Michael Parkhurst is making a case for the U.S. national team.

The MLS season is still relatively young but we already have seen a strong group of American players step up and stake their claims for those precious Gold Cup and Copa America roster spots. There are national team veterans like Landon Donovan, Pablo Mastroeni and Taylor Twellman who will play key roles on one or both rosters, as well as the strong stable of European-based players who will serve as the backbone of the Gold Cup roster.

That still leaves some young MLS prospects with ample opportunities to beat out their European counterparts for a role in Bradley's army. Bradley has already poured over plenty of MLS footage and will have the TiVo set for this weekend's games looking for players who deserve seats on his bench this summer.

This weekend's slate of MLS games offers just the kind of matchups he needs to see, quality American players facing tough opponents, in many cases fellow Americans. Here is a Best XI of the players Bradley has been following and will be watching even more intently this weekend:

Brad Guzan, Chivas USA -- Bradley's former goalkeeper on club level, Guzan joins Revs goalkeeper Matt Reis in the chase for a roster spot and potential playing time in the wake of Marcus Hahnemann's broken left hand. Guzan's club is struggling a bit but he has played well in beating out Preston Burpo for the starting job. The Galaxy should offer Guzan plenty of chances to show what he can do.

Bobby Boswell, D.C. United -- As bad as D.C.'s defense has been this year Boswell is still one of the league's best young center backs. With a week to regroup, D.C. United should come out strongly against Toronto this weekend and TFC has enough attacking threats to put Boswell's form to the test. He is a Copa America candidate and has an outside chance of being on both rosters this summer.

Michael Parkhurst, New England -- Twellman's goal-scoring exploits have helped overshadow a very good start to the season for Parkhurst, who is in prime form after overcoming some early-season injuries. Center back is one of the deeper positions in the national team pool but Parkhurst's play will force Bradley to give him a serious look this summer.

Michael Harrington, Kansas City -- Everybody's favorite fantasy MLS defender, Harrington hasn't looked much like a rookie for the Wizards, providing a solid presence both as left back and left wing. The front-runner for MLS rookie of the year honors early on, Harrington has at least earned consideration for a chance to attend the Gold Cup national team camp. A good game against a strong Colorado team on Saturday only can help his chances.

Todd Dunivant, Red Bulls -- A trendy left back pick a year ago, when Bruce Arena considered him for the World Cup, Dunivant has fallen off the radar a bit following an uneventful national team camp in January. He has been steady for the Red Bulls and as much as Arena might not like the idea, Bradley very well could add Dunivant to the left back mix with Jonathan Bornstein and Heath Pearce for a Copa America spot.

Kyle Beckerman, Colorado -- He might have only one national team appearance but Beckerman has as good a chance as anyone on this list to make one of the summer tournament rosters. He is steady on the ball, isn't afraid to make the hard tackle and is improving in the attacking aspect of his game. Whether he is capable of cracking the Gold Cup roster remains to be seen, but a good showing against former national teamer Kerry Zavagnin (Kansas City) this weekend wouldn't hurt.

Justin Mapp, Chicago -- One of the bright spots of Bradley's January camp, Mapp is a prime candidate for a Copa America slot because of his versatility and ability to go at defenders. If he plays on the right flank, he could face off against Dunivant on Thursday, which would be a matchup Bradley would have serious interest in seeing.

Sacha Kljestan, Chivas USA -- There isn't much that Bradley's former first-round draft pick hasn't done this year, from the stunning goal to the crunching, suspension-triggering tackle. He is one of the most underrated players on this list, but he isn't underrated to Bradley, who knows all too well what the Seton Hall product can bring to central midfield. He could be one of the more surprising two-tournament picks in this group, but Kljestan seems ideal for what should be a young Copa America roster.

Ricardo Clark, Houston -- Clark hasn't really had much to prove to Bradley this MLS season but the time should have allowed Clark to work on the attacking aspects of his game. There is no question that he can be a destroyer in central midfield, but his offensive qualities, which are considerable, have yet to emerge this year. Facing New England's talented central midfield tandem of Shalrie Joseph and Andy Dorman will give Clark a great chance to show just how good a two-way player he is.

Chris Rolfe, Chicago -- No player on this list is playing better than Rolfe, who has four goals and three assists in just six matches this season. He always has provided a dynamic element at forward but he needed this strong start after a less than stellar showing for Bradley earlier this year. His confidence is high and if he can recover from an ankle injury by Thursday he will have a very good matchup in the Red Bulls to show how much he has grown. Rolfe is a prime candidate to be on both the Gold Cup and Copa America rosters and a strong (and healthy) showing this week will make Bradley feel better about bring him for both events.

Kenny Cooper, FC Dallas -- Why didn't Kenny Cooper play more? That was one of the more haunting questions of Bradley's interim tenure as head coach. Cooper has responded to the lack of national team playing time by playing well for the Hoops, delivering a team-high four goals thus far. Cooper's mouth-watering combination of technical skill and size made him the ideal replacement for Brian McBride in the eyes of many, but Bradley still isn't convinced. A good showing against Real Salt Lake's Eddie Pope, who has retired from the U.S. national team, wouldn't hurt in Bradley's eyes.

Game Previews

Talk about an unpredictable, exciting and ultimately painful week of MLS games. The fact that only one home team could secure a victory last week was shocking enough, that the team was Toronto FC, with not one, but two wins at BMO Field, that left more than a few MLS observers scratching their heads.

It also left me searching for a doctor to perform emergency surgery on my selections records. An 0-6-1 record completely erased the decent start to the season. So much for erasing the memories of 2006.

This week doesn't offer an easy road to recovery either. With Toronto's renaissance there is no such thing as an easy out in the league and the upcoming slate of games will make it even tougher to go from winless to unbeaten.

Saturday

D.C. United at Toronto FC

The red-hot newcomers against the rested underachievers. Who has the edge? Toronto FC just played on Wednesday while D.C. had last week off. Toronto's physical style has made things difficult for opposing attacks in their two wins but D.C. has the weapons to crack the suddenly stingy TFC defense. D.C. spoils the Canadian party and moves closer to the pack in the East. D.C. United 2, Toronto FC 1

New England Revolution at Houston Dynamo

Another battle of teams heading in different directions. The Revs are rolling, with an attack that has scored six goals in its last two matches. The Dynamo has been shut out in three of its past four matches and even playing at home might not help this reeling squad. Twellman keeps up his hot streak as New England rolls. Revolution 2, Dynamo 0.

Columbus Crew at New York Red Bulls

When these teams played to a scoreless tie in the season opener, each team dominated a half. The Red Bulls have played the better soccer this year but are coming off their worst match of the season. If Claudio Reyna and Ronald Waterreus don't play, the key for the Red Bulls will be providing Colombian star Juan Pablo Angel with service against a Crew defense that has played well but cannot matchup with Angel. The key for Columbus will be getting the ball to Ned Grabavoy, who did a good job of picking apart the Red Bulls defense with sharp passes the last time these teams met. The Red Bulls will find a way to contain Grabavoy and crack that stingy Crew defense with the help of wingers Dave van den Bergh and Dane Richards. Red Bulls 1, Crew 0.

Kansas City Wizards at Colorado Rapids

A pair of struggling offenses square off in a meeting with several intriguing matchups. Pablo Mastroeni faces off against Eddie Johnson, Jose Burciaga and Terry Cooke match overlapping runs and Jimmy Conrad, broken jaw and all, battles the very physical Roberto Brown. Will Colorado open things up at home or will it pack numbers in and look to counter against a Kansas City defense that is solid when Conrad is in the lineup? Of the two attacks you have to give the edge to the Rapids, who take full advantage of the large field at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Cooke wins his battle and Mastroeni contains Johnson in a key home win. Rapids 1, Wizards 0.

Sunday

Los Angeles Galaxy at Chivas USA

Is a rivalry a rivalry when one team dominates so thoroughly? Even when Chivas USA is playing well it finds a way to lose to its arch rival. Heading into this installment of the "Super Clasico" Chivas USA is actually struggling. The Galaxy isn't at top form either, but its offense is playing on a higher level than the Goats are and Donovan remains a player that Chivas USA just doesn't have an answer for. Donovan burns the Goats again and the Galaxy maintain control of Home Depot Center bragging rights. Galaxy 2, Chivas USA 0.

Real Salt Lake at FC Dallas

Can't you just see it now? Jason Kreis, the all-time leading scorer in league history, returns to the place where he scored most of those goals  only this time as a rookie head coach seeking his first victory. Yes, it would be a nice story if he led RSL to its first win of the season but that is unlikely against an FC Dallas squad on the rise. With Juan Toja emerging as a dynamic force and Kenny Cooper playing with a desire to earn a national team place, you can see the Hoops thrashing the overmatched visitors. FC Dallas 3, Real Salt Lake 1.

Thursday

Chicago Fire at New York Red Bulls

There is no way to know what players will miss this game but the Red Bulls are stronger defensively than the Fire. Chicago has the weapons to get on the scoreboard but the Red Bulls matchup well with a flawed Fire back line. Clint Mathis could be especially dangerous against a Fire team that isn't the quickest in the center or defense and midfield, where Mathis does the most damage. Don't expect fireworks, just a Red Bulls victory. Red Bulls 1, Fire 0

Last week: 0-6-1

Overall: 15-15-7

Ives Galarcep covers MLS for ESPNsoccernet. He is a writer and columnist for the Herald News (N.J.) and writes a blog, Soccer By Ives. He can be reached at Ivespn79@aol.com.