The US will open its Gold Cup title defense tomorrow, when it hosts Grenada in Seattle. The Americans, coming off a run to the Confederations Cup final, will field a ‘B’ squad for the tournament, at least in the group stage of the competition.

The starting goalkeeper for the US will likely be Troy Perkins, who plays for Valerenga in Norway. Luis Robles, who was on the Confederations Cup roster, and Jon Busch are the other options. Perkins is an educated guess, as Bob Bradley has not tipped who will be between the pipes.

The defense should be a little more straight forward, at least at the fullback positions. Steve Cherundolo and Heath Pearce will occupy those spots. The center defense is not as clear. Some combination of Jimmy Conrad, Chad Marshall, Clarence Goodson, and Michael Parkhurst will be on the pitch. Conrad and Goodson would make an interesting pair.

If Bradley sticks with a 4-4-2 and a pair of dual central midfielders, then Kyle Beckerman and Stuart Holden in the middle would make sense. Sacha Klejstan could also play since he has been added to the roster and Chivas USA does not have a game this weekend. Logan Pause would be another option.

Robbie Rogers is a pretty safe bet to start on the left wing, with Colin Clark being the other option. The right wing could be occupied by Santino Quaranta, Brad Davis, or Holden could slide out. Freddy Adu could be floated out wide as well, but Bradley could also slot him as a striker.

Charlie Davies will get the start up-top. He will be playing with a true target in either Brian Ching or Kenny Cooper. Davies could really benefit by getting on the end of flicks from his partner. Cooper and Davies would be intriguing.

Do you see Bradley sticking with the 4-4-2 that worked well in the Confederations Cup? Or will he mix up his tactics and use a 4-3-3? Who do you want to see start? Share below.

The US announced its Gold Cup roster on Thursday. The roster is a mix of veterans who are trying to earn their place back, young players getting a look for depth, and a couple of roster fillers who have no future with the USMNT.

The other day, I posted who I would like to see selected for the Gold Cup. Twelve of the twenty-three players were selected from my list. The most disappointing names left off are Marco Vidal, Geoff Cameron, Chris Pontius, and Jeremiah White. It is possible Vidal may have declined a call-up and White is preparing for the start of his season in Denmark, but Cameron and Pontius should have been added.

Goalkeepers: Jon Busch, Troy Perkins, Luis Robles

There is no clear starter in this group. One approach would be to give each player a start in the group stage. Robles is likely the first choice, since he has been training with the ‘A’ team in South Africa.

Defenders: Steve Cherundolo, Jimmy Conrad, Clarence Goodson, Jay Heaps, Chad Marshall, Michael Parkhurst, Heath Pearce

A couple of veterans will attempt to earn their starting spots back in Cherundolo and Pearce. There is a glut of center backs, all fighting for minutes. Conrad is a pleasant surprise, since he has not been with the team since 2007. The biggest disappointment is Jay Heaps. Better left-back options were available.

Midfielders: Davy Arnaud, Kyle Beckerman, Colin Clark, Sam Cronin, Brad Evans, Stuart Holden, Logan Pause, Robbie Rogers

The group is a mix of MLS veterans and youngsters. Clark and Rogers will split time on the left wing, while Evans and Holden will feature on the right side. The question is who will play in the middle. Cronin is a good addition and worth a look. Beckerman is the best of the remaining, but he plays a similar role to Cronin.

Forwards: Freddy Adu, Brian Ching, Kenny Copper, Charlie Davies, Santino Quaranta

The forwards will be the strength of the squad. Ching and Davies are locks for 2010, barring injury. Cooper will try to prove that he can score goals outside of MLS and Adu will get meaningful minutes.

What do you think of Bob Bradley’s selections? Did he leave anyone off that deserved a chance? Were you surprised some of the players chosen? Share below.

The Gold Cup will begin on July 4^th against Grenada. Bob Bradley and his staff can use this as an opportunity to evaluate players on the fringe of making the 2010 World Cup roster, as well as looking at young players that could play be a part of the next qualification cycle.

I have eliminated players based on the following, which the USSF should replicate:

-Players who have consistently played for their European club and played in the Confederations Cup
-All MLS players currently on the Confederations Cup roster
-Any player under consideration for the U20 World Cup

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan, Marcus Hahnemann, Troy Perkins

Guzan is a lock but needs to get more experience. Hahnemann and Perkins are the leading candidates for the third spot, and this competition could determine the front-runner.

Defenders: Clarence Goodson, Geoff Cameron, Michael Parkhurst, Michael Orozco, Heath Pearce, Marco Vidal, Steve Cherundolo

Bradley needs to sort out the back-up center defenders. Goodson has been having a great season in Norway and Parkhurst is always reliable. Cameron has anchored MLS’ best defense and would provide an attacking option from the back. Orozco should be given a further look.

Cherundolo, pending his health, needs to get some time. Orozco and Cameron can back-up if necessary. Frankie Simek is an option but is also battling injury concerns.

The left back position is the weakest in the player pool. Heath Pearce, who is currently without a club, needs to showcase his skills. Vidal, who plays for Indios, should be a given a run-out to see if he can add depth.

Midfielders: Freddy Adu, Stuart Holden, Colin Clark, Robbie Rogers, Brad Evans, Chris Pontius, Pablo Mastroeni, Dax McCarty, Santino Quaranta

The holding midfield role will be occupied by Mastroeni and McCarty. McCarty is quietly having a good season for FC Dallas.

Adu should be given the entire tournament to see what he can do as an attacking midfielder. Holden can also fill in.

The player pool is in desperate need of speedy wingers who can stretch the game for the US against certain opponents. Rogers and Clark are capable of doing that on the left side. Holden should be given the most minutes on the right side.

Strikers: Kenny Cooper, Jeremiah White, Cam Weaver, Robbie Findley

Cooper needs to have a good tournament to prove he is capable of scoring at the international level. Findley is having a good MLS season, but his sprained ankle could keep him off the roster. Weaver is a bit of a long-shot, but he can score goals and hold the ball up.

Do you see any glaring omissions? Should other MLS players be given a shot? What about some of the other European players? Comment below.