Three thoughts on USMNT Gold Cup roster

Ask and ye shall receive! Those that were patiently waiting for Bruce Arena to announce the roster for the 2017 Gold Cup were rewarded on Sunday afternoon. The 23 man roster that will take on Panama (July 8), Martinique (July 12), and Nicaragua (July 15) and possibly more is certainly an interesting roster, possibly the most interesting in quite some time.

So what are some of the interesting sub-plots to this roster. Let’s take a look!

1.) Throw out the experience.

Just five of the 23 man roster has over 25 appearances with the senior national team (Brad Guzan, Alejandro Bedoya, Matt Besler, Omar Gonzalez, Graham Zusi, and Gyasi Zardes). All of the big name European players are off of the final roster as are MLS staples like Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey, and Michael Bradley. While it is a possibility that they make an appearance later in the tournament, at this point some of the new guys will be given a chance to shine.

One player that could take this opportunity and run with it is Dom Dwyer (Sporting Kansas City). The United States are still looking for a second option up to work with Altidore and thus far Bobby Wood hasn’t really lit the world on fire. Dwyer is a forward that can create his own chances and knows how to find the back of the net. If Arena chooses to go with a 4-4-2 look for him to line up along with Juan Agudelo (New England Revolution) or Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders). Dwyer has that swagger and confidence with SKC that could give opponent’s fits at the international level.

Will there be growing pains? Without question. But this Gold Cup will be a chance for many players to show that what they have done for club can translate to country.

2.) Will the Brad Guzan renaissance continue?

After some rather abject performances at Middlesbrough there was some speculation as to whether or not Guzan’s spot may be open. But after a quality performance against Mexico that talk seems to have quieted a little bit. That doesn’t necessarily mean that he is out of the woods yet. With no Howard on this roster and having not played just one match in a month he is not exactly coming into this match with a ton of games under his belt. Given that he still has yet to play one match with his new club Atlanta United FC one might find it interesting that he is not there. But with Howard still coming back from injury Arena may have chosen the lesser of two evils.

What will be very interesting to see is who gets to start during the Group Stages. The Panama match will undoubtedly go to Guzan. But Bill Hamid (D.C. United) and/or Sean Johnson (New York City Football Club) may get some time against Martinique and Nicaragua. For both it has been a long time coming, having been labeled as the next great goalkeepers for the United States only to really never get an opportunity. This Gold Cup will certainly provide them with chances. The question is now can they make the most of it?

3.)Who will be captain?

Without Michael Bradley, the role of captain is now suddenly wide open. Although there are certainly many more things that will probably keep Bruce Arena up at night (The current state of Princeton’s lacrosse team will of course be number one) the role of captain will certainly a topic worth watching. Whomever Arena picks will have the task of pulling together mix of players of different experience levels, backgrounds, and club sides.

The safe bet is on Bedoya. In situations like this coaches tend to go towards midfielders with experience and a good understanding of the rest of the roster. At 60 caps Bedoya is the most senior player on this roster and has been a staple on the side since 2010. This is a big tournament for the United States and for Bedoya it is a chance to show that he can lead a team on the international stage.

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