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2010 World Cup mock U.S. roster

Updated: July 13, 2009

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World Cup qualifying is in full flow and a heavy slate of games in the Confederations Cup and the Gold Cup has given coach Bob Bradley ample opportunity to evaluate players. ESPNsoccernet projects whom we think Bradley will choose as his 23-man U.S. roster for the 2010 World Cup.

Players are ranked from top to bottom in terms of how certain a lock they appear to be for the roster and their current perceived pecking order. As befitting standard squad composition, we've chosen three goalkeepers, eight defenders, eight midfielders and four forwards.

2009 Power Rankings: July
	RK	POS	PLAYER	COMMENT
	1	Goalkeeper	Tim Howard	Undisputed No. 1 goalkeeper for the U.S. Flourishing in the Premiership with Everton and firmly established as one of the upper-echelon goalkeepers in the game. Howard proved his world-class ability at the Confederations Cup.
	2	Striker	Landon Donovan	U.S. team's all-time leading goal scorer with 41 goals in 115 appearances. Has been increasingly deployed as a wide midfielder in recent games. His pace and creativity are critical to the U.S. offense.
	3	Midfielder	Clinton Dempsey	English Premiership star with club team Fulham. Dempsey raised his stock with three goals at the Confederations Cup to earn the Bronze Ball award.
	4	Defender	Oguchi Onyewu	Onyewu's stock continues to rise after a series of strong performances in South Africa. Dominant in the air and has cut down on his mistakes. His move to AC Milan and Serie A can only help develop his game and technical ability.
	5	Defender	Carlos Bocanegra	Captain of the U.S. team and undisputed leader. Will likely start at center back or could make the switch to left back if the position continues to be a weak point.
	6	Midfielder	Michael Bradley	Team's midfield engine continues to develop into a strong box-to-box player. Must reduce penchant for picking up silly fouls and needless cards.
	7	Forward	Josmer Altidore	The 19-year-old forward is still learning on the job, but his strength and finishing ability give defenders fits. Seems to be better suited to working in tandem with another forward partner as opposed to operating as the lone striker.
	8	Goalkeeper	Brad Guzan	Aston Villa reserve is locked in as the team's No. 2 goalkeeper. Some concerns exist about Guzan's lack of experience at the topflight level, but coach Bradley knows him well from their time at Chivas USA.
	9	Defender	Jay DeMerit	Has solidified the No. 3 center back spot following a strong performance in the Confederations Cup. Could even stake a claim to start.
	10	Defender	Jonathan Spector	Impressed with his defensive work and ability to deliver crosses in South Africa. In the mix for the No. 1 right back spot. Concerns still exist about his ability to stay healthy though.
	11	Striker	Brian Ching	Houston star is still the best target man option the U.S. has. Work rate and ability to hold up the ball are pluses. Critics question his ability to score goals against top-tier international sides.
	12	Striker	Charlie Davies	Showed off his explosive speed and effectiveness in pairing with Altidore at the Confederations Cup. After flourishing in Sweden the last two years, has made the move to the French Ligue with Sochaux.
	13	Midfielder	Ricardo Clark	Aside from a silly red card against Italy, Clark made a strong case in South Africa to be the team's starting defensive midfielder. Brings lots of range and energy to the midfield, but needs to cut down on reckless mistakes.
	14	Midfielder	Benny Feilhaber	It's been a series of highs-and-lows for Feilhaber since his game-winning goal in the 2007 Gold Cup. However, when healthy, Feilhaber adds an element of creativity, poise and ball control to the U.S. midfield.
	15	Midfielder	Jermaine Jones	The Schalke star recently declared his intention to switch allegiance from Germany to the U.S. Given his European pedigree, the dynamic defensive midfielder is likely to become a key part of the U.S. squad in the near future.
	16	Defender	Frankie Hejduk	An injury derailed Hejduk's grip on the starting right back position, but his intangibles and experience should see him make the World Cup roster.
	17	Defender	Steve Cherundolo	Team's former undisputed No. 1 right back is determined to reclaim his position following injury. Well-rounded fullback who can both attack and defend.
	18	Defender	Danny Califf	Solid backup, provides insurance and depth at center back, though he's slipped in the pecking order following DeMerit's emergence. Could face pressure from the likes of Chad Marshall for the fourth center back spot.
	19	Defender	Jonathan Bornstein	For now, Bornstein would still appear to be the favored specialist left back in Bob Bradley's plans. Solid going forward, but questions remain about his defensive ability.
	20	Midfielder	Maurice Edu	The talented Edu has been temporarily derailed by injury, but his roster spot as one of the team's holding midfielders would still seem assured. Ability to fill in as an emergency center back is an added plus.
	21	Goalkeeper	Marcus Hahnemann	The 37-year-old Hahnemann provides depth and veteran experience as the third goalkeeper. Could face a challenge from Troy Perkins to his place in the pecking order.
	22	Midfielder	DaMarcus Beasley	Barely holding on to a roster spot after having suffered a huge drop-off in his play due to injuries and lack of playing time at club level in the past two years. Right now he looks like a shell of the player who shone in the 2002 World Cup. However, he has longtime ties with coach Bradley and his defensive tenacity is still valued.
	23	Striker	Conor Casey	Not to everyone's tastes, but the Colorado forward provides a physical presence up front as a target man and added insurance if Ching is injured.
On The Fringe
	24	Midfielder	Freddy Adu	Lacking playing time at club level the last two years and also failed to impress at the Gold Cup, Adu is definitely in danger of not making the World Cup squad. Has the ability to produce the unexpected though at any given moment and that could be enough to convince Bob Bradley to take him to South Africa.
	25	Midfielder	Sacha Kljestan	A favorite of Bradley's. The Chivas USA man appears to have been in a funk ever since a move to Celtic failed to materialize earlier this year. Shows flashes of skill and creativity, but is also prone to turnovers.
	26	Defender	Heath Pearce	At one point, Pearce appeared to be the incumbent at left back. However, a series of poor performances saw him demoted and he's in a fight with Bornstein for a roster spot.
	27	Midfielder	José Torres	Another young talent who appears to be on the cusp of the U.S. squad. Stock looked to be on the rise until a benching at halftime against Costa Rica in the June World Cup qualifier. He hasn't been seen since.
	28	Midfielder	Stuart Holden	The young Houston midfielder has raised some eyebrows and entered the mix with his standout play in the Gold Cup. Holden has impressed with his versatility, poise and long-range shooting.
	29	Forward	Robbie Rogers	A dynamic left winger with pace to burn but inconsistent end product and delivery. Rogers has shone so far in the Gold Cup to press his claims for a senior squad berth.
	30	Midfielder	Pablo Mastroeni	The veteran remains well-regarded by coach Bradley for his experience and intangibles, but faces an uphill struggle to beat out his younger rivals for a spot in South Africa.
	31	Defender	Edgar Castillo	Another wild card due to FIFA's eligibility rule change. Castillo, who plays for Mexican club team Santos, has expressed interest in playing for the U.S. He could potentially displace the current incumbents at left back.
	32	Defender	Chad Marshall	Leader of the Columbus defense and just named to his first MLS All-Star game. Marshall is dominant in the air and a threat on set pieces. He's probably the most likely contender to unseat Califf as the No. 4 center back.