Altidore on U.S. roster for South Africa friendly

Yes, the time has finally come.

Red Bulls forward Jozy Altidore has been called in for the U.S. national team's upcoming friendly against South Africa on Nov. 17. He and fellow U.S. Under-20 stars Freddy Adu and Michael Bradley will join veteran standouts Clint Dempsey, DaMarcus Beasley, Tim Howard and Landon Donovan on the squad that will travel to Africa to face the 2010 World Cup hosts in the Nelson Mandela Challenge Cup.

The initial roster is made up of just 17 players, with four more expected to be added after this week's MLS conference championship matches. The loser of the KC-Houston Western Conference final can expect to see a forward called in (Ching or Eddie Johnson) while Chicago's Chris Rolfe has to be considered for a spot. A defender should also be added, whether it's Houston's Eddie Robinson or KC's Jimmy Conrad.

Altidore, who turned 18 on Tuesday, scored nine goals for the Red Bulls this season and looks like a good bet to earn his first senior national team cap.

Here is the full U.S. roster (and the starting lineup I see Bradley using):

GOALKEEPERS: Tim Howard (Everton FC), Brad Guzan (Chivas USA)
DEFENDERS: Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham FC), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Dan Califf (Aalborg BK), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege)
MIDFIELDERS: Freddy Adu (SL Benfica), DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Eddie Lewis (Derby County)
FORWARDS: Josmer Altidore (New York Red Bulls), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)

Here is lineup I see Bradley using:

------------Dempsey--------------

Beasley------------------Donovan

-------------Feilhaber-------------

--------Edu----------Bradley------

Bornstein--------------Cherundolo

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

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

I see Altidore and Adu coming in for Dempsey and Feilhaber in the second half. I also wouldn't be surprised of Bradley used Eddie Lewis at left back ahead of Bornstein but the safe money is on Bornstein getting the nod.

Here is South Africa's roster for the match:

GOALKEEPERS:Rowen Fernandez (Arminia Bielefeld), Moeneeb Josephs (Wits University)
DEFENDERS: Bradley Carnell (Karlsruhe), Tsepo Masilela (Maccabi Haifa), Vuyo Mere (Mamelodi Sundowns), Benson Mhlongo (Mamelodi Sundowns), Aaron Mokoena (Blackburn Rovers), Bryce Moon (Ajax Cape Town), Nasief Morris (Panathinaikos)
MIDFIELDERS: Delron Buckley (Borussia Dortmund), Brent Carelse (Mamelodi Sundowns), Lance Davids (Djurgardens), Kagisho Dikgacoi (Lamontville Golden Arrows), Teko Modise (Orlando Pirates), Siyabonga Nkosi (Arminia Bielefeld), Steven Pienaar (Everton), Macbeth Sibaya (Rubin Kazan), Siphiwe Tshabalala (Kaizer Chiefs)
FORWARDS: Lerato Chabangu (Mameodi Sundowns), Thembinkosi Fanteni (Ajax Cape Town), Benedict McCarthy (Blackburn Rovers), Sibusiso Zuma (Arminia Bielefeld)

What do you think of the roster? Share your thoughts below.

Comments

[A Diddy]

Congrats, Jozy!

[Joe A.]

Its about friggin time!!!

Wow Bob's got edu, adu, and jozy on one roster, should be interesting. It should also be very interesting to see how good of a duo donovan and altidore would be.

[Sandro]

This is great. I met Jozy after the New England game in Meadowlands and he was a classy guy. I call him over to shake his hand and he was a good guy and I think he will be great for the US. Congrats Jozy!!!!

[Travis]

What I'd like to see:

Howard
Dolo Boca Onyewu Bornstein

Bradley Feilhaber

Dempsey Adu Beasley

Altidore

However, I'm assuming Landon will start. I'd also love to see Edu in there again. Maybe they push Feilhaber out wide, for better or for worse, and put Edu in the middle. I think Landon or Dempsey is the better fit wide right though.

[Carlos]

What is up with putting Old Man Lewis on the team? Isn't Convey healthy again. I'm not sure if Kljestan deserves a shot but I'm leaning toward NO. Doesnt Clark have some free time?

[kpugs]

Good for him, and congrats.

[Neil B.]

@Travis: forget feilhaber. this is a chance for the U.S. to see what their strongest attacking lineup might look like:

Howard
Dolo Boca Bornstein

Bradley Edu

Landon Adu Beasley

Dempsey Altidore

Overly aggressive? Probably. This lineup will never materialize (maybe something close, like Born in for Edu) but it has all the young stars of the USMNT along with its best veterans (Clint + DaMarcus + Landon)

[jrnail]

It’s about time Jozy gets the call-up… this is about as good a roster as we can throw at them right now. Convey still isn’t 100%, hence Eddie Lewis’ inclusion.
Also, Houston, New England, Chicago, & KC are still playing in the MLS playoffs, so we can’t get Ching, Eddie Johnson, Jimmy Conrad, Chris Rolfe, Justin Mapp, Rico Clark, or Twellman (not gonna miss him).
I would still like to see Heath Pearce, Frankie Simek, & Jay DeMerit in the defense… and it’s nice to see Sacha Kljestan getting the call-up. That kid’s been awesome this year.

[Tony M]

And so it begins...

[Hincha Tim]

I like it! Maybe a chance that Findley gets a call?

[Lee]

I take it Parkhurst isn't considered due to NE still playing? I'd like to see him get some looks.

[Landis]

I agree with Ives line up based on the current roster, however if Houston loses this weekend I would like to see:

--------------Ching--------
------Dempsey--------------

-Beas-Bradley-Edu-Donovan-

-Bornstien-Boca-Gooch-Dolo-

----------Timmy------------

Big congrats to Jozy, he deserves a call-up after his play this season!

[Brad]

jrnail,

DeMerit is currently hurt, but I also don't understand why Simek and Heath Pearce wouldn't be called in.

[philip]

I think it is time to groom our squad for a 4-3-3 and this is the perfect chance to test Jozy's ability to be the target forward we need....It would go like this:

............Jozy........
.......Clint........LD....
Beaz..........Benny
...........MB.............
JB...CB....Gooch...Dolo

If we are going to stick with a true destroyer, we should let baby Bradley play right in front of the back 4 and then put our best attackers in their best spots.

[Braden]

@Brad

It may be because both players are really struggling at recover their form for their club. Simek doesn't appear as effective this year and Pearce has been on and off the bench at Rostock.

So what would we consider a success? I'd say either 3-0 or 3-1 US. Other than McCarthy, SA doesn't have much of a line-up.

[Ben]

For once there is a good problem for the US...Who do you expect to start in the creative roles. While I agree with Ives on what we should expect to see, what i would like to seeat some point is:

....Altidore...Dempsey
Beaz......Adu.......Donovan
........Bradley
JB.....CB.....Gooch...Dolo

The US may eventually need to move to a 3-5-2 since we don't have as solid of a back line as we used to and we have an aboundance of good, up and comming mid fielders. I could see that looking like:

....Altidore...Dempsey
Beaz......Adu.......Donovan
.....Bradley..Edu
...JB.....CB/Gooch...Dolo

They would just have to make sure to contorl the mid field as there won't be much back up behind them.

[chicago millonario]

Donovan?!?!? Why, why WHY?!!!

[Joamiq]

I love it. I've been waiting for Adu, Bradley, Jozy, Dempsey, Donovan, and Beasley to be on the team together for a long time. I'm very excited.

I'm not excited about Bornstein. He better start playing like a strong left back or just play poorly so that he can be removed from consideration.

[jmonte]

great jozy is in now get donovan out! this country will never progress with little boys who are scared to go play abroad. honda player of the year, what a joke that award is.

[Dominghosa]

There shouldn't have been any doubt this would happen...Jozy being called up for this match.
Glad to see Kljestan, Adu and Edu back.
Also just glad to see the USMNT playing abroad, across the pond and a bit south.

[Matt]

Hurrah! The next generation of American soccer begins. Lots of very promising young players in there - Alti, Adu, Bradley, Guzan, Kljestan, Feilhaber, Bornstein. The future is bright.

[Matt]

Oops, Edu as well.

[andy b.]

The only problem I see with this lineup (and it's not anybody's fault, I don't disagree with these choices) is that to my mind, Jozy is the only true striker in the mix. Deuce and LD are two of my favorites (you're way off, jmonte) but neither is really a striker-- both are more withdrawn forward/attacking mids. Deuce is definitely flexible but it's not ideal, and LD seems to flounder up top if he has to get back-to-goal. Like I said, Bradley's doing the best with what is acutally out there-- it just remains a glaring hole in the US system at the moment.

[Chris]

Clark is not available. Once he got slapped with his suspension he elected to have knee surgery.

[Chris]

I'd like to know what's up with no Cooper. Know he's not fully fit, but he's good enough for the trip and certainly to get a few minutes.