Which 23 players should make the USMNT Copa America roster?
Jürgen Klinsmann has selected a 40-man United States preliminary roster for the 2016 Copa America Centenário, and once again there are multiple players on the roster that do not deserve to be there given the other talent in the pool.
The following players likely didn’t deserve to make the 40-man roster: Brad Evans, Alfredo Morales, Chris Wondolowski, Edgar Castillo, Graham Zusi, Michael Orozco, Gyasi Zardes, Timmy Chandler, Danny Williams, and Ventura Alvarado.
That’s 10 important roster spots that could have gone to either more talented or more in-form players. The 10 players that would have been better picks are: Sebastian Lletget, Rubio Rubin, Dillon Powers, Juan Agudelo, Kelyn Rowe, Jorge Villafaña, Brek Shea, Andrew Farrell, Paul Arriola, and Fatai Alashe.
Nevertheless, Klinsmann must cut down his 40-man roster to 23 names, and here are the names that World Soccer Source believes deserve to make it.
Goalkeepers (3)- Brad Guzan, David Bingham, Ethan Horvath
World Soccer Source went with two younger goalkeepers to back up Brad Guzan instead of backing Howard, but Howard is an excellent goalkeeper who still has several years of quality goalkeeping in the tank.
Defenders (8)- Geoff Cameron, Steve Birnbaum, Matt Miazga, John Brooks, DeAndre Yedlin, Eric Lichaj, Kellyn Acosta, Tim Ream
Cameron, Birnbaum, Miazga, and Brooks give the squad the requisite four center backs, and Yedlin, Lichaj, Acosta, and Ream give the squad four fullbacks or outside backs. Yedlin and Lichaj are the right backs on paper, and Acosta and Ream are the left backs. Acosta plays right back or left back, despite really being a center midfielder or defensive midfielder. Lichaj can play left back, but he is a right back. Ream is a left-footed center back that also plays left back well.
Midfielders (6)- Michael Bradley, Perry Kitchen, Jermaine Jones, Darlington Nagbe, Lee Nguyen, Fabian Johnson
Bradley, Kitchen, and Jones give the squad three defensive midfielders, and Bradley and Jones are also box-to-box midfielders. Bradley and Jones do not partner well together because they normally don’t have a clear designation of roles: either the stay-at-home defensive midfielder or the Number 8 central midfielder. Nagbe is an attacking midfielder that has become an excellent Number 8 midfielder, plus he can play wide or as a second striker. Johnson is a winger, and Nguyen is a true playmaker that is essentially a Number 10.
Forwards(6)- Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore, Christian Pulisic, Bobby Wood, Ethan Finlay, Jordan Morris
Altidore, Wood, and Morris are all center forwards, and Dempsey, Finlay, and Pulisic are all either attacking midfielders/second strikers or wings. All three can play well wide or centrally, and they give the center forwards a strike partner or wing support. Johnson listed as a midfielder can play as a wing or either side in a Front Three.
*Jozy Altidore is now out injured with a hamstring injury