U.S.A. roster for Slovakia friendly announced

Bob Bradley and the USSF announced the roster for the upcoming friendly match against Slovakia in Bratislava on November 14th. It is a very interesting roster since regulars such as Landon Donovan, Tim Howard, Ricardo Clark and Stuart Holden are not being called in due to club commitments which has opened the doors for some new players to prove their worth. Jay Heaps was held out because of his play against Mexico in the Gold Cup final. And the nominees are...

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan, Marcus Hahnemann, Troy Perkins

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra, Jonathan Bornstein, Steve Cherundolo, Jonathan Spector, Chad Marshall, Clarence Goodson, Jimmy Conrad, Heath Pearce, Frankie Hejduk

Midfielders: Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Benny Feilhaber, Dax McCarty, Sacha Kljestan, Robbie Rogers

Forwards: Jeff Cunningham, Eddie Johnson, Jozy Altidore, Conor Casey

The players that stand out the most are Jeff Cunningham, Eddie Johnson, Dax McCarty and Heath Pearce. Johnson and Pearce are returning to the squad after falling out of favor in the last year, Cunningham has had a few chances through out the years but has never really been able to make a good impression on the international level and McCarty is making his first appearance with the senior side. Of this group, Cunningham is the most likely to see action given his scintillating form down the stretch for FC Dallas in the MLS. I've been a fan of Cunningham for a long time and feel that he is a player who really could cause trouble for the Slovakian back line with his speed and finishing ability.

You may also have noticed that Mexico based players Jose Francisco Torres and Edgar Castillo were not part of the team. These players were also not called in due to important club matches over the weekend. Both of these players are likely to be called into the squad for the November 18th match against Denmark. They could also be joined by Howard and whichever MLS players don't make it to the MLS Cup such as Donovan, Holden (Clark is hurt), and Robbie Findley.

Check back for more coverage this week.