The Fringe: Part 2

Part 2 of USSD's look at players on the fringe of Bob Bradley's 23-man World Cup roster as 2009 draws to a close:

Jeff Cunningham- After several years off the national team radar, Cunningham burst back onto the scene after a Golden Boot-winning season in MLS. The FC Dallas front man is considered to be one possible replacement up top if Charlie Davies is unable to recover in time for the World Cup. Cunningham was called into camp for the November friendlies and didn't do anything to hurt his case for a roster spot, adding energy to the attack and finishing off his one clear opportunity well with a good left-footed finish.

The 33-year old striker will likely face competition in the form of Robbie Findley, whose fantastic finish to the MLS season brought him into the World Cup conversation. There is also the aforementioned possibility that Charlie Davies might be ready by South Africa, which could push Cunningham further down the pecking order. Cunningham is training with French side Auxerre this winter and will look to impress Bob Bradley early in 2010.

Maurice Edu- After playing a key role in Rangers' 2008-09 SPL title run, Edu worked himself into the conversation for the USMNT. Knee surgery, complications, and recovery, however, have kept the former Toronto FC standout off the field since then. Edu has resumed training this month and is eyeing the Old Firm showdown with Celtic on January 3rd as his return date.
Edu will need to reassert himself in the Rangers lineup and earn plenty of playing time in the coming months if he wants to get Bob Bradley's attention.

He will be battling Ricardo Clark and fellow fringe player Jermaine Jones for the defensive midfielder role, one that Clark does not have nailed down quite yet. Edu does not have a ton of international experience, but he does have some, with 11 caps to his name. The race between Jones, Edu, and Clark for the defensive midfield role still has a long way to go, with Clark's impending transfer one possible wild card in all of this.

Edgar Castillo- After much anticipation, Castillo finally made his USMNT debut against Denmark back in November. The Las Cruces, New Mexico native came on in a match that quickly got away from the US and left a fairly neutral impression on the match. Though left back is still a weak spot in the US roster, Castillo has not yet done enough to merit an inclusion in the World Cup roster (understandable for someone who has only played 30 minutes or so with the USMNT).

Castillo's versatility makes him a roster asset, as he can slide into the midfield or hold down the fort at outside back. He gets forward well and would form a good attacking tandem with Landon Donovan on the left side. Castillo will need to continue his run of consistent playing time at the club level in the new year, and he will also need to show Bob Bradley something in one of the friendlies at the beginning of 2010. As someone who has been outside of the USMNT picture up until a couple months ago, Castillo still is not a completely known entity, so he will have to prove himself at the international level in the coming months. If he impresses in rumored friendlies against Honduras and Mexico, it would go a long way in securing him a spot in the final 23 going to South Africa.

Brian Ching- After a long stretch as Bob Bradley's target forward of choice, Ching has been recently battling with Conor Casey for that role. After an injury kept Ching out of the Confederations Cup and the MLS Cup playoffs kept him out of the November friendlies, Casey was given the nod. Though the Colorado striker has not looked great throughout his international appearances, his stunning performance in Honduras and quality club production have earned him repeated looks from Bob Bradley. Casey's spot is far from secure, though, so Ching still has a good chance to earn a roster spot. It's not likely that the 23 man roster will include two target strikers, though, so Ching will have to compete with Casey to earn his ticket to South Africa.

Ching's past appearances and longer-standing relationship with Bob Bradley might give him the leg up going into the stretch run, but you can bet that Ching and Casey will be compared repeatedly by USMNT coaches (and fans) in the first half of 2010.
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Well that's it for now. The final installment of The Fringe will come later this week, as we look at a few more players who still have some work to do to earn their spot on Bob Bradley's World Cup roster.