Eddie Johnson, Jeff Cunningham among interesting call-ups for Slovakia friendly

Monday, 09 November 09, 01:59 PM · Comments (1)

Yes, that is no typo. Thanks to a striker pool as thin as a wafer due to both injuries and MLS playoffs reaching their peak, Bob Bradley has his hands tied when it comes to available players for Saturday's friendly against Slovakia. Landon Donovan is unavailable because of the Los Angeles Galaxy's playoff triumph, while a fringe player such as Robbie Findley also misses out thanks to success.

As a result, it's a mixture of regulars and fringe players, as some unusual call-ups dot the U.S. roster.

Jeff Cunningham and his hot finish to the MLS season did not go unnoticed -- the 33-year-old has earned another chance at a U.S. cap. Same goes for Eddie Johnson, the striker with all of one apperance for Fulham in the 2009-10 season. Johnson is back from the international wasteland, though it could be a one-off thing. The odds of either being in South Africa for 2010 remain long, but it's clear Bradley is ready to open auditions to fill-in for the injured Charlie Davies.

Studying the names for Slovakia, it's interesting who would have been left off had their team won. Chivas USA's Sacha Kljestan, Chad Marshall, Robbie Rogers and Frankie Hejduk from the Columbus Crew are amongst those involved simply because of club-level failures. Perhaps the only surprise is that former Bradley favorite DaMarcus Beasley is nowhere to be seen.

Forwards aren't the only concern, as the absence of Oguchi Onyewu and Jay DeMerit for the first time answers the question of who will partner Carlos Bocanegra in the back. Heck, there are questions all over the pitch as to who will start and who will sit. Bradley's approach to this game will be interesting -- does he tinker with some fringe players, or try and instill a winning mentality on foreign soil with as many regulars as possible?

The plethora of defenders made available for this one signify the instability the U.S. will now suffer through at the back. Regular No. 1 Tim Howard has also been left out, presumably to let the man have a weekend off for once. Brad Guzan has shown flashes of what the future may be like at Aston Villa, so this will once again be his chance to shine.

A few different players might be swapped in for the Wednesday friendly against Denmark. Jose Francisco Torres and Edgar Castillo are among the candidates, while the possibilities of Donovan and Findley joining up -- depending on club success in the next round of the playoffs.

Here's a glance at the selected roster:

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton), Troy Perkins (Valerenga)

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Jonathan Spector (West Ham)

Midfielders: Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Benny Feilhaber (AGF Aarhus), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Dax McCarty (FC Dallas), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Hull City), Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids), Jeff Cunningham (FC Dallas), Eddie Johnson (Fulham)

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