Saturday, May 19, 2007

MLS players Bob Bradley should watch...

ESPN's Ives Galarcep wrote this week about 11 players Bob Bradley should watch this week in MLS matches. Here's what he wrote:

Brad Guzan, Chivas USA -- Bradley's former goalkeeper on club level, Guzan joins Revs goalkeeper Matt Reis in the chase for a roster spot and potential playing time in the wake of Marcus Hahnemann's broken left hand. Guzan's club is struggling a bit but he has played well in beating out Preston Burpo for the starting job. The Galaxy should offer Guzan plenty of chances to show what he can do.

Bobby Boswell, D.C. United -- As bad as D.C.'s defense has been this year Boswell is still one of the league's best young center backs. With a week to regroup, D.C. United should come out strongly against Toronto this weekend and TFC has enough attacking threats to put Boswell's form to the test. He is a Copa America candidate and has an outside chance of being on both rosters this summer.

Michael Parkhurst, New England -- Twellman's goal-scoring exploits have helped overshadow a very good start to the season for Parkhurst, who is in prime form after overcoming some early-season injuries. Center back is one of the deeper positions in the national team pool but Parkhurst's play will force Bradley to give him a serious look this summer.

Michael Harrington, Kansas City -- Everybody's favorite fantasy MLS defender, Harrington hasn't looked much like a rookie for the Wizards, providing a solid presence both as left back and left wing. The front-runner for MLS rookie of the year honors early on, Harrington has at least earned consideration for a chance to attend the Gold Cup national team camp. A good game against a strong Colorado team on Saturday only can help his chances.

Todd Dunivant, Red Bulls -- A trendy left back pick a year ago, when Bruce Arena considered him for the World Cup, Dunivant has fallen off the radar a bit following an uneventful national team camp in January. He has been steady for the Red Bulls and as much as Arena might not like the idea, Bradley very well could add Dunivant to the left back mix with Jonathan Bornstein and Heath Pearce for a Copa America spot.

Kyle Beckerman, Colorado -- He might have only one national team appearance but Beckerman has as good a chance as anyone on this list to make one of the summer tournament rosters. He is steady on the ball, isn't afraid to make the hard tackle and is improving in the attacking aspect of his game. Whether he is capable of cracking the Gold Cup roster remains to be seen, but a good showing against former national teamer Kerry Zavagnin (Kansas City) this weekend wouldn't hurt.

Justin Mapp, Chicago -- One of the bright spots of Bradley's January camp, Mapp is a prime candidate for a Copa America slot because of his versatility and ability to go at defenders. If he plays on the right flank, he could face off against Dunivant on Thursday, which would be a matchup Bradley would have serious interest in seeing.

Sacha Kljestan, Chivas USA -- There isn't much that Bradley's former first-round draft pick hasn't done this year, from the stunning goal to the crunching, suspension-triggering tackle. He is one of the most underrated players on this list, but he isn't underrated to Bradley, who knows all too well what the Seton Hall product can bring to central midfield. He could be one of the more surprising two-tournament picks in this group, but Kljestan seems ideal for what should be a young Copa America roster.

Ricardo Clark, Houston -- Clark hasn't really had much to prove to Bradley this MLS season but the time should have allowed Clark to work on the attacking aspects of his game. There is no question that he can be a destroyer in central midfield, but his offensive qualities, which are considerable, have yet to emerge this year. Facing New England's talented central midfield tandem of Shalrie Joseph and Andy Dorman will give Clark a great chance to show just how good a two-way player he is.

Chris Rolfe, Chicago -- No player on this list is playing better than Rolfe, who has four goals and three assists in just six matches this season. He always has provided a dynamic element at forward but he needed this strong start after a less than stellar showing for Bradley earlier this year. His confidence is high and if he can recover from an ankle injury by Thursday he will have a very good matchup in the Red Bulls to show how much he has grown. Rolfe is a prime candidate to be on both the Gold Cup and Copa America rosters and a strong (and healthy) showing this week will make Bradley feel better about bring him for both events.

Kenny Cooper, FC Dallas -- Why didn't Kenny Cooper play more? That was one of the more haunting questions of Bradley's interim tenure as head coach. Cooper has responded to the lack of national team playing time by playing well for the Hoops, delivering a team-high four goals thus far. Cooper's mouth-watering combination of technical skill and size made him the ideal replacement for Brian McBride in the eyes of many, but Bradley still isn't convinced. A good showing against Real Salt Lake's Eddie Pope, who has retired from the U.S. national team, wouldn't hurt in Bradley's eyes.

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