With the Gold Cup already underway, the US enter the fray on
Tuesday against the 130th team in the FIFA rankings, Belize. Also
joining the Yanks in group C are the more formidable Cuba and Costa Rica.
Though the US roster is a very different one from the one that took part in the
June World Cup qualifiers, there are several players who US fans should be
keeping an eye on during the tournament.
Landon
Donovan
You know,
the one who scores for Everton and beats up Mexicans. The question now is can
he still do those things. Jurgen Klinsmann and Donovan have not had the warmest
relationship from the get go and whatever tension was there was only
exacerbated when Donovan decided maybe soccer wasn’t for him and took a break
from the game this winter. Klinsmann came off as a bit stubborn when he refused
to add Donovan to the June’s roster even when he was left without many options
at right midfield, a position which Donovan can comfortably play.
This
tournament presents an opportunity for Donovan to force Klinsmann to make him a
USMNT mainstay once again. Donovan looked impressive while scoring two goals
and adding an assist in the 6-0 friendly win over Guatemala. Of course a good
performance in a friendly against a weak Guatemala side doesn’t exactly signal
the return of Landon Donovan, but it also isn’t a bad sign. Consistent solid
performances in the Gold Cup should be enough to plant Landy Cakes firmly back
in the lineup. In my opinion Donovan still has plenty to offer to the US,
especially at Brazil 2014. After all, he is all-American.
Stuart
Holden
As those of
you who read my first blog post know, I’m a bit of a Stu Holden fan. I think if
he hadn’t been cut down by an unfortunate series of injuries he would easily be
one of the top US players right now. Holden proved himself as a viable USMNT
player at the 2009 Gold Cup so it would be fitting for him to re-emerge so to
speak at this tournament, four years after he burst onto the scene.
Holden has shown during his career that he has
the talent to be a top player both at the Premier League and international
level. The question that he needs to answer now is whether he can return to
that level after suffering multiple serious injuries. Like Donovan, Holden
turned in a solid performance in the friendly win over Guatemala. The entire
game changed for the better when Holden and Mix Diskerud were subbed in at
halftime. They paired together so well in the center of the midfield that the
US was able to net five second half goals.
Holden needs
to get as many minutes as possible during the Gold Cup. This tournament will be
a great chance for Holden to get his match fitness back since he did not play a
ton during the club season after returning from injury. Depending on how well
he plays in future matches, Holden could potentially crack the starting lineup
in Brazil. It won’t be easy though since he would probably have to be replacing
Jermaine Jones, a favorite of Klinsmann’s. Still, this Gold Cup should be a
good indicator to fans regarding Holden’s future with the national team.
Jack McInerney
The 20
year-old forward is having himself quite a season for the Philadelphia Union,
having already scored 10 goals in 17 games. Unlike the other two players,
McInerney has no prior experience with the USMNT. He also may not see much of
the field during the tournament, with several veterans ahead of him on the
depth chart. Regardless, McInerney offers US fans a lot to be excited about. He
is a very intelligent player with a nose for goal, something the USMNT has been
in need of for a long time. He has already displayed a natural ability for
being in the right place at the right time and finishing his chances.
McInerney seems to have the potential to be a
goal scorer at the international level, already drawing comparisons to
Chicharito. I don’t expect McInerney to be a factor in Brazil, but the thinking
about the kind of player he could be in the next cycle is exciting. Imagining a
forward pairing of Altidore with his pure athleticism and strength and McInerney
with his innate poaching ability is the stuff of dreams. I expect we will see
McInerney at some point during the Gold Cup. Hopefully he will give us a
glimpse of the future.
Though the
US roster is for the most part a B team, I still think they will do quite well
in the tournament. With Mexico already losing the US have to be the clear favorites
and there is no reason they shouldn’t live up to the billing.
