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As we hit the semifinals of the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the U.S. lineup continues to resemble a revolving door. Players are in for a game, then scuffling back across the Atlantic to join their club teams. Take defender Michael Parkhurst for example. The former MLS Rookie of the Year was with the U.S. for its group stage matches, then flew to Denmark to be with his club team (FC Nordsjaelland) and missed the U.S. 2-1 semifinal win over Panama on Saturday. Now he's back in the fold as the U.S. looks to book its place in the final with its third match since June against Honduras Thursday night at Solider Field in Chicago.
Rather remarkably, nine different players have scored the 10 U.S. goals in the four games of the tournament. The only player with multiple tallies is Stuart Holden, who might be the only U.S. player to really distinguish himself to coach Bob Bradley.
On top of that, 18 of the 19 players on the roster for the semifinal against Honduras have played in the tournament. Bradley is living up to his word and giving plenty of players a chance they're worthy of further inclusion the national team fold.
Unlike when the two teams met on June 8 in Washington at RFK Stadium and the U.S. won 2-0, Bradley will not have the likes of Charlie Davies or Benny Feilhaber to insert as second-half subs to turn the match around. Thursday Bradley will have to plays with the cards he's been dealt and so far it's been a mixed hand as far as the U.S. play has been concerned.
At times the U.S. has looked like world-beaters, albeit against inferior CONCACAF opposition. More often than not, they've looked listless and lacking a spark. Yet despite that, here they are in a FIFA tournament semifinal fielding what most pundits are listing as a 'B' and perhaps even a 'C' roster.
If Bradley sticks with the lineup that defeated Panama in extra time 2-1 on Saturday in Philadelphia, the U.S. midfield will look like this -- Robbie Rogers, Logan Pause, Kyle Beckerman and Holden. The onus will fall on this quartet -- especially Pause and Beckerman -- to possess the ball, string together passes and keep the ball away from Los Catrachos.
The defense will likely be without veteran Jimmy Conrad, who left the semifinal following a hard knock to his head late in the first half.
As usual, the offense in the final third will rely on the Hawaiian battering ram that is Brian Ching.
For many U.S. fans this tournament has been treated like a major afterthought in light of the June Confederations Cup. To some extent that sentiment isn't too far off base. Unlike the 2007 edition of the Gold Up -- where the U.S. won the tournament by beating Mexico in Chicago -- there isn't a trip to the Confederations Cup waiting for the winner.
Still, with a win Thursday in Chicago the U.S. -- even without nearly all of its first choice lineup -- will have qualified for back-to-back FIFA tournament finals in consecutive months, which isn't too shabby.
However a loss, which would be the first by the U.S. on home soil to a CONCACAF opponent since Sept. 1, 2001, ironically enough against Honduras, would probably sullen the reputation of U.S. players involved -- at least in the eyes of the fans -- for the immediate future.
If anything, a win Thursday books a place in Sunday's final which would mean a match with either Costa Rica or Mexico, which make the entire Gold Cup experience worthwhile.
