Who should Bob Bradley start vs. El Salvador?

(I incorrectly posted that the US was playing Guatemala. Sorry for any confusion)

The US national team is 2-0 in Gold Cup play and heads into tomorrow night's match with a chance to secure first place in its group and a quarterfinal return to Gillette Stadium.

Now, if you were Bob Bradley, based on the first two games of the tournament, who would you start? Keep in mind performances as well as who those performances came against.

Offer up your starting 11 for El Salvador. I'll start with mine:

-----------Ching-----Donovan---------

Beasley------------------------Dempsey

----------Feilhaber--Bradley---------

Spector-------------------------Simek

----------Onyewu----Bocanegra------

-----------------Howard----------------

The toughest call for me was between Bradley and Clark. Clark had a good showing against Trinidad & Tobago but I think Bradley has a better chance of exploiting El Salvador's midfield.

Something else to consider here is whether Bob Bradley decides that it is more prudent to give some players rest since the US is sitting pretty in the group right now. That could lead to a Clark-Bradley tandem in central midfield, which I actually would prefer to see because we haven't really seen them play together.

I know some of you aren't happy with Onyewu and may think that DeMerit or Parkhurst is a better bet. I disagree. Way too much was made of his performance against Guatemala. Yes, he made a regrettable challenge on his second yellow but he still had Carlos Ruiz completely smothered up to that point. He is still the US team's best center back, even if he's not at his best form right now. That said, I like any combination of center backs on the US roster to be able to contain El Salvador's forwards.

As for the Ching-Donovan forward line, they work too well together to leave them out, although I wonder if Ching is ready to play two games in four days.

So there's my starting 11. Let's hear yours.

Comments

[sublicon]

err uhh...you mean v. El Salvador (in the topic title)?

[chicago millonario]

Isn't is El Salvador?

[Tim]

Yes. It is El Salvador.

I would start:

EJ and Donovan as Forwards

Beasley as Left Mid

Dempsey as Right Mid

Feilhaber as Central Mid

Bradley as D-Mid

Gooch and Bocanegra as Central Defenders

Bornstein as the Left Back

Spector as the Right Back

Howard in Goal

[Alex]

----Donovan----Johnson-----
--Beasley----------Dempsey-
------Feilhaber-Clark------
--Spector---------Simek----
-------Onyewu--Boca-------
----------Howard----------

I don't know, I just wasn't very impressed with Ching against T&T.

[JHJG89]

Give 'em a rest. Keep Landon, Carlos, Chingy, and Benny F. off the starting 11 so that they are ready to play in the quarter finals (and just in case we play Mexico).

Beasley----Twellman----Johnson

-----Beasley------Dempsey-----
-----------Bradley------------

Bornstein-Gooch-Spector-Hedjuk

------------Howard------------

Not the greatest starting 11, I know, but we're playing El Salvador, so chill out, we'll be fine.

[Ben]

-------Johnson-----------
Beasley--Donovan--Dempsey
----Bradley---Clark------
Bornstein-----------Hejduk
-----Onyewu---Spector-----

[Jasen]

Alex, you probably weren't very impressed with Ching because he sucked...seeing him go out of his way to avoid having to use his left foot was probably the most embarrassing thing for me to watching in our first 2 games...hell, there might not be a better example of that than in the goal he scored.

we may as well have Wolyniec out there, at least his work rate his higher.

[BSmith]

I don't know about Onyewu... I keep feeling like he's going to do something really stupid whenever he touches the ball. I agree he's the best CB we have in terms of talent, but is Demerit so much worse that we want to play an out-of-form Onyewu over an in-form Demerit?

[Jasen]

as for a lineup, mine wouldn't be drastically different from Ives' but i'd make the following changes:

- work DeMerit in, either playing Boca on the left or keeping Boca in the middle and playing DeMerit on the left...OR just put in Bornstein for Spector...regardless, Spector hasn't impressed me too much and i'd like to see one of those other guys there in his place vs El Salvador

- i'd play Rico over Benny

- EJ in for Ching

[DCU Fan]

I assume Pablo will start (yuck).

How is EJ's injury?

[Harry]

What's EJ's status re: leg injury?

[Jasen]

DCU, that's a good point, i completely forgot...can't say i'd mind so much though, Pablo won't be any worse than the other guys, so it's additional competition at the very least.

as for EJ, i read over at USSF that he's day-to-day...i imagine he won't start to play it safe, but he'd be in my ideal Starting 11.

[Mr. Fish]

-----Twellman---Johnson------
------------Donovan-----------
--Beasley-----------Dempsey--
------------Bradley------------
--Born--Gooch--Boca--Dude--
-------------Keller------------

Get Keller to the century mark, and give Gooch the minutes to work himself out of his funk. Bradley earns the Reyna spot as Feilhaber gets a rest. The attacking five is our A list, and though they don't appear to be any easy games this Gold Cup, we should be able to hang 3 on the SLVs.

[rc]

Ching / Johnson / Twellman...oh boy, can someone please call McBride and beg him to play a few more years... I know, we are developing our forwards, it just seems bleak for us putting goals on the board...

[moholy]

-------Twellman-------
------------Donovan---
Beasley-------------Dempsey
----Feilhaber----Bradley-----
Spector-------------Simek
----Onyewu---Bocanegra
--------Howard--------

Like everyone else, I labored on the question of forwards. I put in Twellman because he has been the best complimentary forward in the tournament. I realize the TT-LD combo isn't ideal, but.......

[brentmcd]

this is clearly not my best-11. i like the every other match thing. give donovan some rest in case we play mex. give ralston another match to break out of his funk. can parkhurst play midfield?

---------twellman-----------
-beasley------------dempsey-
-----ralston--parkhurst-----
---------mastroeni----------
-bornstein----------hejduk--
------onyewu---bocanegra----
----------howard------------

[athan]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I really want to see Mapp in the starting 11. The guy has ball skills and 1 v 1 ability that most US players simply do not possess. To me, he is a big upgrade to Beasley, who takes about 5 touches to control the ball on the flank.

[Chris]

-----------Johnson-----Dempsey---------

Mapp------------------------Ralston

----------Clark--Bradley---------

Bornstein-------------------------Simek

----------Onyewu----Demerit------

-----------------Howard----------------

its a weaker team since El Salvador shouldn't pose that much of a problem given their inabilities up top. I only give Onyewu a chance because its better if he screws up now than later in the tournament.

[Ted]

-----Ching--Donovan---
--Mapp--------------Dempsey
----Feilhaber---Bradley
--Bocanegra--Simek
---DeMeritt--Onyewu

[Ted]

Howard

[shaj]

WHY MUST WE PLAY W/e 2 central/defensive mids?? the competition we are facing isn't exactly the greatest, why not experiment w/ another variation of the 4-4-2?
ching----johnson
------donovan--------
beas---------dempsey
-------clark--------
Defence.
Howard.

[chatnoir]

I'd like to see some new players together, since as others have pointed out, the regulars could be all needed for the next game.

How about a 4-5-1 with two attack MF, and attacking-minded defenders.

Twellman
Dempsey Feilhaber

Mapp Clark Ralston

Bornstein Hejduk
Simek Demerit

Howard

[shaj]

and also i think mastroenis time w/ the nats is done, hes simply not that good despite his best gattuso impression. (and hes getting older).

and another thing, altho they have been playing copacetic, why have feilhaber and bradley even been called up??? feilhaber plays rarely for the first team at HSV, most often w/ HSV II. bradley is with YOUNG HERENVEEN. since when does playing for the second team warrant a national team callup?? i know other countries such as france have been giving youth a chance (samir nasri, benezma, ben arfa) in some euro2008 games, but they play/start OFTEN for better teams - marseille and lyon..
national team callups should be earned.

[Eric]

Don't forget, Boca picked up that dumb yellow in Game 1. If I'm not mistaken, if he picks up another, he'll miss the quarters. I'd put Bradley and CLark on the field at the same time to see who to pair w. BF in the important games.

---Johnson--Donovan---
Beas-----------Dempsey
-----Clark--Bradley---
Spec--Gooch--JDM---Simek
Keller (for 100)

[James in L.A.]

...Johnson....Donovan...

Mapp.............Dempsey

...Fielheiber...Clark...

Spector............Simek

..Bocanegra..Parkhurst..

.........Howard.........

No way I start Onyewu again until he get his act together through PT at the club level. Clark over Bradley - he offers more at this junture.