When Real Salt Lake forward Robbie Findley didn't take the field as the U.S. National Team played an international friendly against the Czech Republic Tuesday night, it was assumed his fate was sealed for the World Cup — and it probably was, just not in the way many expected.
Findley was named Wednesday morning to the 23-man roster that will be traveling to South Africa to represent this country at the world's largest sporting event.
"I was definitely nervous (when I didn't play)," Findley told the Deseret News. "I figured it meant I was either going home or staying, but I just told myself that I had done everything I could to put myself in position to make the team and now it was out of my hands."
It was an honor not only for Findley, but for his club team as well.
"We are really, really excited for the situation for him," said RSL coach Jason Kreis. "We look at it as another feather in our cap here with Real Salt Lake and the recognition of what we are doing as a team. All the credit goes to Robbie, but we feel we had a little hand in helping his development as a player and it reflects well on the club as a whole."
Many of the U.S.'s expected starters for next month's tournament didn't play in the 4-2 loss, but 17 of the 30 players trying to make the squad got a look. It was a final chance for coach Bob Bradley to evaluate some of the "bubble" players.
Findley must have made quite an impression over the previous week at training camp, because while four forwards took the pitch, he and expected starter Jozy Altidore were the only two forwards of the 30 players that didn't get in the game — and Altidore wasn't one of the 22 players on the available roster for the friendly.
"After the game we went back and had dinner and then Bob (Bradley) and the coaches took about an hour to talk things over and make a decision — it was the longest hour ever," said Findley. "I found out about 2:30 in the morning that I made it. It was amazing.
"I felt almost a sense of relief," Findley added, "but then it was excitement. I felt thankful for all those people in my life that got me to where I am today."
During coach Bradley's success in both qualifying for the World Cup and in other competitions like the Confederations Cup last year in South Africa, he has employed a 4-4-2 formation, and generally the two forwards have followed the same mold: one "target" or bigger, stronger forward — Altidore of Hull City of the English Premier League can do much more than just be a target, but fits that role nicely — and one "speed" forward, which is certainly Findley's biggest asset on the pitch.
"I couldn't pinpoint it because I didn't pick the team, but I think I made it because of the type of player I am and what I can do," said Findley. "I can take the ball at players and create that way, and then (use) my speed. I know I can come off the bench when guys have tired legs and really cause some problems, really stretch the field."
The other two forwards to make the team were the L.A. Galaxy's Edson Buddle, who leads MLS in scoring with nine goals, and Herculez Gomez, who played several seasons in MLS but played for Puebla in the Mexican First Division and led the league in scoring this past season. Brian Ching of the Houston Dynamo and Eddie Johnson of Greece's Aris Salonika were the two forwards not named to the squad.
Findley and the rest of the U.S. team continue their World Cup preparations with training this week, followed by another tune-up game against Turkey on Saturday before departing for South Africa. The Americans begin group play for the Cup on June 12, facing England. They are then scheduled to face Slovenia June 18, and Algeria June 23. The other members of the team include:
Goalkeepers Brad Guzan (Aston Villa, England), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton, England), Tim Howard (Everton, England). Defenders Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes, France), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover, Germany), Jay DeMerit (Watford, England), Clarence Goodson (IK Start, Norway), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan, Italy), Jonathan Spector (West Ham, England). Midfielders DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Michael Bradley (Borussia Moenchengladbach, Germany), Ricardo Clark (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany), Clint Dempsey (Fulham, England), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles), Maurice Edu (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Benny Feilhaber (AGF Aarhus, Denmark), Stuart Holden (Bolton, England), Jose Torres (Pachuca, Mexico).
While it is certainly a chance of a lifetime for Findley, it hurts RSL not having its leading goal scorer from last season for the next month or more. Findley will definitely miss the team's upcoming games against Kansas City (Saturday), D.C. United (June 2 in a U.S. Open Cup game and June 5 in an MLS game), Los Angeles (June 9) and San Jose (June 25). Depending on how the U.S. team fares, there is a possibility Findley could be away through July 11 — an unlikely scenario as that is the date of the World Cup Final — but he would miss games against New England (July 2) and Chicago (July 8) should the team advance that far.
"Obviously he is a very important player for us. He is a player the other team to be mindful of, they have to focus on him when he is on the field," said Kreis of Findley. "But we also feel we have some other forwards in Fabian (Espindola), Alvaro Saborio and Pablo Campos that can play at an extremely high level and take care of things while he is gone."
While he will be missed, there is a benefit of having Findley gone — what the team will be getting when he returns.
"I don't think it can do anything but be positive for us," added Kreis. "I hope he gets a chance to go there and get in a game or two and grow from it, but even if he doesn't, he is going to come back with some amazing experience just playing with players of that caliber in training. The speed and technical skill just increases so much at that level. Every training session is almost like playing in a game."
"You almost can't help but get better playing against players like this everyday," said Findley. "I am going to try to pick up all the things I can when I am away, and then come back and bring that experience with me when I get back to playing with Real Salt Lake."
U.S. World Cup roster
(x-on 2002 World Cup roster; y-on 2006 World Cup roster):
Goalkeepers
Brad Guzan (Aston Villa, England)
y-Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton, England)
y-Tim Howard (Everton, England)
Defenders
Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes, France)
Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA)
xy-Steve Cherundolo (Hannover, Germany)
Jay DeMerit (Watford, England)
Clarence Goodson (IK Start, Norway)
y-Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan, Italy)
Jonathan Spector (West Ham, England)
Midfielders
xy-DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland)
Michael Bradley (Borussia Moenchengladbach, Germany)
Ricardo Clark (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany)
y-Clint Dempsey (Fulham, England)
xy-Landon Donovan (Los Angeles)
Maurice Edu (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland)
Benny Feilhaber (AGF Aarhus, Denmark)
Stuart Holden (Bolton, England)
Jose Torres (Pachuca, Mexico)
Forwards
Jozy Altidore (Hull, England)
Edson Buddle (Los Angeles)
Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake)
Herculez Gomez (Pachuca, Mexico)
e-mail: mblack@desnews.com