End to End: The El Salvador Edition

Posted Wednesday, February 10, 2010 by Goal.com

United States Men's National Team coach Bob Bradley announced the 23 players he plans to call into camp before the American's friendly against El Salvador. With European leagues in the midst of their seasons, the roster consists entirely of domestic-based talents and offers a bit of insight into the thoughts of the manager. It's time for Goal.com's weekly run-through which players are improving their positions and who is falling down the pecking order.

Rising

Brian Ching

Either the Houston Dynamo forward or Conor Casey will make the USA's 23-man roster. After netting two against Honduras in San Pedro Sula, the Colorado Rapids striker looked to have the inside track, but he did next to nothing in subsequent appearances versus Costa Rica and Slovakia and opened the door for the big Hawaiian. Ching, a veteran of the 2006 World Cup who skipped the January camp to focus on individual training, boasts a wealth of experience in big games -- although his detractors argue he's never produced at the level a target man should. (Considering he has a strike-rate of less than one goal every four games, they may have a point.) He has a chance to show Bradley and the coaching staff he belongs on the plane or, at the very least, should be ahead of Casey on the depth chart.

Michael Orozco

The Philadelphia Union's newest defender comes to the expansion club on loan from Mexico's San Luis. Orozco performed poorly during the 2008 Olympics -- his 3rd minute red card against Nigeria helped doom the Red, White, and Blue to a group stage exit -- but he's refined his game south of the border. The move to Major League Soccer will raise his visibility, especially if he can help shore up the backline. In training before the friendly, Orozco will have plenty of time to shine in a relatively inexperienced group of defenders. A trip to this summer's World Cup isn't in the cards, but a strong showing will help the 24-year-old Mexican-American begin to build his case for the next go-round.

Kenny Cooper

The U.S.'s struggles to find a workable solution to its striker dilemma are well documented, but this is a blessing in disguise for the lanky Maryland native. If someone, anyone stepped up and seized the position, Cooper -- who's struggled with injuries and inconsistent play -- would likely find himself out of luck in terms of making the roster. No one has, however, meaning the 1860 Munich man recently loaned to Plymouth Argyle is still in the running. What he really needs now is playing time. Cooper came on in the 58th minute of a 1-0 loss to West Brom and should figure more in the near future since the club has three matches in the next eight days. Although the former FC Dallas star and presumed starter Jozy Altidore have struggled when paired together, Cooper stands a good chance to find his way to South Africa if he can find the net in the Championship.

Failing

Brandon McDonald

The San Jose Earthquakes defender/midfielder participated in the Stars and Stripes' January camp and told Goal.com he thought he played well. That may be the case, but he was one of the three players dropped by Bradley. (Kevin Hartman and Justin Braun were the other two.) Considering the experience last month was his first cup of coffee with the National Team, this doesn't come as a surprise but it does mean that whatever slim chance McDonald had to make the World Cup roster is now gone. Is 2014 a possibility for the player who's determined to go overseas at some point in the near future? Of course. But he'll be watching the tournament in South Africa from these shores.