The second round of “Survivor: Kamp Klinsmann” is expected Sunday with the announcement of 13 more players summoned to the U.S. national team training camp in Florida.
Sixteen have already reported to camp this week, with one of them -- Danny Williams of Hoffenheim -- attending to be evaluated by the team’s medical
staff. He suffered a torn shoulder muscle several weeks ago and unless he can prove his fitness won’t be included in the final squad of 23.
U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann has used Williams as a wide player though he plays holding mid and outside back for his German club. His versatility will be missed as the Americans play five games in
17 days, starting a week from Saturday against Scotland in Jacksonville.
Klinsmann is expected to name 13 players after weekend matches conclude Sunday. Since he’s declared the time
for new faces and experimentation has passed, here’s a look at who might get the nod:
FORWARDS. Jozy
Altidore, Terrence Boyd, Herculez Gomez, Chris Wondolowski.
Altidore is coming off a fine season for AZ in the Netherlands and will have his best opportunity ever to prove himself a reliable contributor at the national team level. His touch will likely be a
work-in-progress for a while yet, but his size and strength are prized assets. Klinsmann wants attackers who are tactically aware and Altidore in the ideal environment for on-the-job training.
Boyd could be leaving Borussia Dortmund in a search for regular playing time in the German second division, yet as Edson Buddle proved by moving to
Ingolstadt and then right back to the Los Angeles Galaxy, such moves don’t always work out. Boyd, though, is young enough that steady competition is more important than hanging on with a big
club’s reserve team.
Gomez has proven his scoring prowess in the Mexican league the past few seasons playing for several different teams and brings a good mix of pace and power.
Wondolowski is uncanny at shedding defenders and finding space in the goalmouth, and is simply scoring too consistently to ignore, his past national-team struggles notwithstanding.
If
Clint Dempsey, who’s been bothered by a groin strain, is struggling, another forward -- Juan Agudelo? -- might
slip onto the team, but since Landon Donovan is adept up front, the coach can stick to these players. Freddy Adu
performed well for the U-23s but his fizzles in Philly continue.
MIDFIELDERS. Alejandro Bedoya, Landon Donovan, Brek Shea.
Though he’s been laboring in MLS, Shea is one of Klinsmann’s projects. The
coach obviously likes the strength and energy Shea brings to the left flank. He still needs to learn about beating and evading international defenders, and that can only come with experience.
Some of the best USA attack sequences in the Klinsmann Era have come from the wide play of Shea and Robbie Rogers, but Rogers managed only four games for
Leeds United and ended the season sidelined by an ankle injury. Bedoya is on the bubble yet has the vision and skill that might be valuable as a backup and second-half sub and he can also play wide.
There are other possibilities, such as Mix Diskerud and Benny Feilhaber.
In his initial selection of 16
players Klinsmann included eight midfielders and even if not all of them make the cut the coach will have plenty of options out wide as well as in the middle. Jermaine
Jones’ disciplinary problems could result in him being cut from the final 23 if Klinsmann wants more cover in other areas.
DEFENDERS.
Geoff Cameron, Clarence Goodson, Eric Lichaj, Oguchi Onyewu, Michael Parkhurst, Tim Ream.
Goodson, Parkhurst, Onyewu and Ream give
Klinsmann plenty of options at center back along with Carlos Bocanegra, and there’s enough size that the coach might exclude Cameron from the final 23.
Klinsmann’s preference for European-based players is going to work against a few MLS players unless they really stand out in his mind, as do Shea and Beckerman.


Barry Thomas


