Ching v. Casey: Tale of the Tape

The USMNT's February 24 friendly against El Salvador isn't exactly going to feature the same level of play or intensity that their two qualification meetings had, but that doesn't mean there won't be few to watch for in Tampa Bay in terms of the World Cup.

The 23 man roster for the team's second match of 2010 was released today, and is as follows:


GOALKEEPERS (3): Troy Perkins, Nick Rimando, Zach Thornton
DEFENDERS (7): Kevin Alston, Jonathan Bornstein, Omar Gonzalez, Chad Marshall, Michael Orozco, Heath Pearce, Marvell Wynne
MIDFIELDERS (9): Kyle Beckerman, Geoff Cameron, Brad Davis, Brad Evans, Eddie Gaven, Sacha Kljestan, Dax McCarty, Chris Pontius, Robbie Rogers
FORWARDS (4): Conor Casey, Brian Ching, Jeff Cunningham, Robbie Findley



Though it might not be the most exciting or flashy aspect of the roster, the target striker role is still hardly sealed down, and both Brian Ching and Conor Casey will be looking to stake a claim to the spot in this match.  Let's take a look at the tale of the tape between the two:

Height
Casey- 6'2''
Ching- 6'1''

Edge (barely): Casey, though this would hardly serve as supporting evidence in any type of roster decision.

USMNT Goalscoring Rate:
Casey- 2 goals in 16 matches (1 multi-goal game): 1 goal per 8 appearances
Ching- 10 goals in 43 matches  (1 multi-goal game): 1 goal per 4.3 appearances

Edge: Ching, though it must be noted that most of his goals were not exactly against the toughest of opponents.

Recent USMNT Form:
Casey- His lone fantastic showing at Honduras is sandwiched between a number of underwhelming performances littered with immobility and missed opportunities.  The hold up play and passing he showed in San Pedro Sula (not to mention the calm finish on his second goal) made me optimistic that he had turned a corner with the national team, but his more recent performances have not supported that hope. 

Ching- After missing out on the Confederations Cup, Ching had a decent showing at the Gold Cup, albeit against lesser opponents than the ones Conor Casey had to go up against.  He scored off a header against Honduras in the group stage, but completely botched a glorious opportunity to seal victory in the quarterfinals against Panama.  Since then, Ching played 58 minutes at Estadio Azteca and made a substitute appearance against Trinidad & Tobago, but he did not feature in the final two qualifiers or the November friendlies (the latter due to conflict with the MLS playoffs).

Edge: Casey, if for no other reason than that Bob chose him over Ching in the final pair of qualifiers.  After that faith was handsomely repaid, Bob Bradley might be inclined to give the Colorado Rapids front man the nod.  We'll call it Bob's Blessing TM.

Most Clutch USMNT Performance:
Casey- I don't really need to spend too mention time on this, you all know very well what this one is.  Two goals in Honduras and winning a free kick to set up the third, Man of the Match honors, and earning the USMNT a berth in the World Cup.  Not too shabby.

Ching- The Gonzaga product played a key role in the USMNT's thrilling come from behind victory over Mexico in the 2007 Gold Cup final.  He drew a penalty in the second half with good strength and a quick turn inside the box, leading to Landon Donovan knotting up the score from the spot.  Later in the second half, Ching came close to scoring one of his own, hitting the post on an off-balance effort.  It was solid, yeoman performance that helped the Yanks to another Gold Cup title.  But that was two years ago, and a distant memory in the "what have you done for me lately?" world of international soccer.

Edge: Casey.  It's hard to argue against two goals in a hostile environment to seal a spot in the World Cup.

USMNT Experience:
Casey- 16 caps, including the 2005 Gold Cup and the 2009 Confederations Cup
Ching- 43 caps, including appearances in two World Cup qualification cycles, the 2007 Gold Cup, and being named to the 2006 World Cup roster.

Edge: Ching



Verdict: Push.  Well, as you can probably tell by now, there's no clear cut favorite in this race for one roster spot (and that's all it will be; there will be riots if Bob Bradley brings both to South Africa).  The match against El Salvador could go a long way in deciding who will go, as the better performer of the two will likely get to join the full team for the March 3rd friendly in Amsterdam and showcase their ability with a better supporting cast against a tougher opponent.  Nevertheless, this decision could ultimately boil down to early MLS season form; if either player can get off to a hot start in the opening month of the season, it could be all the convincing Bob Bradley needs to include them in the final roster.

Ching and Casey bring a lot of the same qualities to the table, but their role will ultimately be an important one in South Africa if Charlie Davies is not healthy or fit enough to start by June.  It's certainly not glamorous work, but it makes life a lot easier on Jozy Altidore and the midfielders getting into the attack if there is a strong target up front that can maintain possession and give the team a chance to get forward.  While this style of play isn't exactly everyone's favorite to watch, it goes along with Bob Bradley's strongly defensive posture against quality opponents, so like it or not, you will most likely have to deal with it in one form or another in the World Cup.  Both are often the subject of criticism and suffer from the fact that USMNT fans have been spoiled by the Charlie Davies-Jozy Altidore pairing over the past couple of months, but each can add something valuable to the final 23, so don't be too quick to dismiss this as a meaningless struggle for a glorified bench warming role.

Will either of them start every match next June?  I seriously doubt it.  But will one of them most likely at least provide a decent chunk of minutes as a substitute in a close match?  I feel confident in saying yes, and in a tournament with little room for error, every minute matters.  There's only 23 roster spots, and we should be looking to maximize the ability across those limited spaces, as well as flexibility for game day tactics and selections.  That means having a serviceable target forward, which will almost certainly come down to choosing one of these two.

Personally, I thing Ching adds a little more in the way of mobility (something that would make many of you laugh were it not in comparison to Conor Casey), which goes a long way in tracking down loose balls or applying some defensive pressure on the opposing back four.  Regardless of what I think now, the match against El Salvador will play a big role in deciding the battle for the target forward roster spot.  Be sure to tune in, if for no other reason than to see who comes out with an edge as we hit the stretch run to South Africa.

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I just put over 1,000 words and an hour of my time into a haphazardly constructed comparison of two target forwards.  To paraphrase Mr. Jason Davis of Match Fit USA, everyone gets a little crazy in a World Cup year, and I'm no exception.