NP's Preliminary Roster Day Coverage

In approximately 1 hour and 8 minutes...we will that which we have been waiting months for.  But while we wait, let us examine the rosters of our upcoming opponents.

Czech Republic Roster for May 25

GOALKEEPERS (3): Petr Cech (Chelsea), Jaroslav Drobny (Hertha Berlin), Jan Lastuvka (Dnipropetrovsk)

DEFENDERS (6): Tomas Hubschman (Shakhtar Donetsk), David Limbersky (Plzen), Ondrej Mazuch (Anderlecht), Ondrej Kusnir (Sparta Prague), Tomas Sivok (Besiktas), Marek Suchy (Spartak Moscow)

MIDFIELDERS (9): Jaroslav Cerny (Slavia Prague), Milan Cerny (Slavia Prague), Mario Holek (Dnipropetrovsk), Jan Moravek (Schalke), Jaroslav Plasil (Bordeaux), Jan Polak (Anderlecht), Daniel Pudil (Genk), Libor Sionko (Sparta Prague), Rudolf Skacel (Larissa)

FORWARDS (4): Martin Fenin (Frankfurt), David Lafata (Liberec), Lukas Magera (Timisoara), Tomas Necid (CSKA Moscow)

Australia Preliminary Roster for World Cup and June 5

GOALKEEPERS (4): Adam Federici (Reading), Eugene Galekovic (Adelaide Utd), Brad Jones (Middlesbrough), Mark Schwarzer (Fulham)

DEFENDERS (10): Michael Beauchamp (Al-Jazira), David Carney (FC Twente), Scott Chipperfield (Basel), Shane Lowry (Aston Villa), Mark Milligan (JEF United), Craig Moore (out of contract), Lucas Neill (Galatasaray), Jade North (Tromso), Luke Wilkshire (Dinamo Moscow), Rhys Williams (Middlesbrough)

MIDFIELDERS (13): Mark Bresciano (Palermo), Tim Cahill (Everton), Nick Carle (Crystal Palace), Jason Culina (Gold Coast Utd), Brett Emerton (Blackburn Rovers), Richard Garcia (Hull City), Vince Grella (Blackburn Rovers), James Holland (AZ Alkmaar), Brett Holman (AZ Alkmaar), Mile Jedinak (Antalyaspor Kulubu), Tommy Oar (FC Utrecht), Carl Valeri (Sassuolo), Dario Vidosic (Nuremberg)
FORWARDS (4): Josh Kennedy (Nagoya Grampus), Harry Kewell (Galatasaray), Scott McDonald (Middlesbrough), Nikita Rukavytsya (FC Twente)

England Preliminary World Cup Roster

GOALKEEPERS (3): Joe Hart (Manchester City), David James (Portsmouth), Robert Green (West Ham Utd.)

DEFENDERS (10): Leighton Baines (Everton), Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Michael Dawson (Tottenham), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester Utd.), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Ledley King (Tottenham), John Terry (Chelsea), Matthew Upson (West Ham Utd.), Stephen Warnock (Aston Villa)

MIDFIELDERS (12): Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Michael Carrick (Manchester Utd.), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham), James Milner (Aston Villa), Scott Parker (West Ham Utd.), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City)

FORWARDS (5): Darren Bent (Sunderland), Peter Crouch (Tottenham), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa), Wayne Rooney (Manchester Utd.)

Algeria Preliminary World Cup Roster

GOALKEEPERS (4): Fawzi Chaouchi (ES Setif), Lounes Gaouaoui (ASO Chlef), M'bohi Rais Ouhed (Slava Sofia), Mohamed Liamine Zemamouche (MC Alger)

DEFENDERS (8): Habib Belaid (Boulogne), Nadir Belhadj (Portsmouth), Madjid Bougherra (Glasgow Rangers), Rafik Halliche (Nacional Madeira), Abdelkader Laifaoui (ES Setif), Carl Medjani (AC Ajaccio), Djamel Mesbah (Lecce) Anther Yahia (Bochum)

MIDFIELDERS (10): Djamel Abdoun (Nantes), Riad Boudebouz (Sochaux), Adlane Guedioura (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Fouad Kadir (Valenciennes), Medhi Lacen (Racing Santander), Yazid Mansouri (Lorient), Karim Matmour (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Mourad Meghni (Lazio), Hassen Yebda (Portsmouth), Karim Ziani (Wolfsburg)

FORWARDS (3): Rafik Djebbour (AEK Athens), Abdelkader Ghezzal (Siena), Rafik Saifi (Istres)

EPL Yanks wrap up season today...

The English Premier League has been a topsy-turvy one.  But for America's best and brightest, it all ends today. 

*Clint Dempsey and Fulham are pounded by Arsenal away as my Gunners solidify third place. 

*Stuart Holden made a 24 minute cameo, his first action since the Netherlands match, as Bolton beat Birmingham 2-1 at home. 

*Jonathan Spector resigned to the bench as West Ham draw with Manchester City 1-1. 

*Marcus Hahnemann and Wolves wrapped up 15th place with a 2-1 win over Sunderland. 

*The Big Brads of Aston Villa allowed a late winner to Blackburn at home. 

*Tim Howard and Everton grabbed a 90th minute winner to beat Portsmouth. 

NP's 30 for May 11

One week from today, the picture will be clearer.  On May 11 Bob Bradley will release the preliminary camp roster for the 2010 World Cup.  The camp will be held on the campus of Princeton University in Princeton, NJ on May 17 through May 23.  The thirty players selected represent the best players the US has to offer and will provide the anvil on to which Bob Bradley will hopefully pound his will against England, Slovakia, and Algeria.  Here is NP's best guess as to who these lucky thirty players will be.

GK (3): Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann, Brad Guzan

Lets be honest here, outside of the retired Brad Freidel, these three are the best keepers the US has to offer.  Howard has had another stellar season with Everton.  Hahnemann grabbed the starting job at Wolves almost single-handedly kept the club out of the relegation zone.  Guzan was Freidel's understudy at Villa all season, and when he did play he was solid.  The key to this will be who backs up Howard.

DF (9): Jonathan Spector, Steve Cherundolo, Oguchi Onyewu, Jay DeMerit, Carlos Bocanegra, Clarence Goodson, Jonathan Bornstein, Heath Pearce, Edgar Castillo

This list is also pretty much set except for the always vulnerable left flank.  Three guys get my call to battle it out.  Considering the three now play more in midfield than in defense, look for Bocanegra to man the left side against England.

MD (11): DaMarcus Beasley, Landon Donovan, Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu, Ricardo Clark, Benny Feilhaber, Jose Torres, Clint Dempsey, Stuart Holden, Alejandro Bedoya, Freddy Adu

Pretty straight-forward here and I expect there to be 10 mids on the final team.  Freddy Adu comes as a bit of a surprise, but he's playing well in Greece and it can't hurt to call him in and see what he can contribute.  At worst, he gets left off the roster. 

FW (7): Jozy Altidore, Charlie Davies, Brian Ching, Conor Casey, Herculez Gomez, Edson Buddle, Eddie Johnson

Lots of forwards here, but here are the battles.  Jozy is on no matter what.  Davies will come assuming he's match fit, which at this point should be no big feat for him.  Gomez, Buddle, and Johnson battle for the super-sub spot.  Ching and Casey battle for the holding striker role.

There they are, the thirty lucky players who will have a chance to lead the US to the promised land in the World Cup in South Africa.  

Johnson and Adu Star in Aris Play-Off Win

Is it just me, or are American strikers eager to please lately?  Eddie Johnson netted twice in Aris' 2-0 win over Olympiakos yesterday, while Freddy Adu provided Johnson the assist on his first and drew a penalty which teammate Koko failed to convert.  Johnson went the full match, while Adu was subbed out in the 89nd.  With Adu, Johnson, Gomez and Buddle all apparently playing themselves in, coupled with the word that Davies WILL be invited to camp, according to Bob Bradley in an interview with ESPN done just about an hour ago, its going to be tough for Bradley to select just a few of them.  Johnson and Adu play PAOK next on May 2.

It's a problem I guarantee, he loves to have.  

Hiberanation Over.....He's Back!!!!!

Wolverine, the artist formerly known as Charlie Davies has returned to full contact training with FC Sochaux in France.  Just six months after his horrific accident which left a young lady dead, Davies is that much closer to realizing his dream.

Will it be enough?  Sochaux has four matches remaining, so essentially, Davies has four weeks to get match fit and ready to go.  According to the NY Times, Bob Bradley has requested that CD9 just be match fit for him to get an invite to the pre-World Cup camp in Princeton, NJ on May 17-23.

We will continue to pray Charlie!!