Mo Edu, Mo Problems for Ricardo Clark

If this past year has taught us anything as fans, it's that injuries happen, and the player pool is always in a state of flux as a result.  One position in the lineup that has been particularly affected of late is center midfield.  Last summer, it was a solid point in the squad, with Ricardo Clark, Michael Bradley, Benny Feilhaber, and Jose Francisco Torres holding down the fort.  As winter crept in, there then appeared to be a surplus of options, as Maurice Edu returned from injury and Jermaine Jones seemed to be on track for recovery (that didn't exactly go as planned, did it?).  Just a few weeks ago, though, there were all of a sudden plenty of question marks in the middle, with Benny Feilhaber's ankle, Ricardo Clark's calf, Maurice Edu's ankle, and Jose Torres' hamstring causing some short-term concern.  Now, however, it appears as if the pool of CMs is back on the up and up, with Maurice Edu back in the Rangers lineup and Ricardo Clark in the match day squad for Frankfurt. 

But, despite recently returning to good health, it's Clark who might end being the biggest loser in all of these ups and downs.

Prior to his calf injury, Clark was sitting pretty.  During the Confederations Cup and the latter stages of CONCACAF qualification, he was Bob Bradley's go-to guy in terms of a defensive midfielder.  With Maurice Edu and Jermaine Jones on the mend (and Pablo Mastroeni's awful showing in Costa Rica), there wasn't too much challenging the Georgia native for that role in the team.  His solid play in both of those campaigns (anyone who says anything less of his Confederations Cup because of that red card is being very harsh; that was a soft call, and Gennaro Gattuso didn't exactly live up to his tough guy reputation with that bit of theatrics.  But I digress...) only strengthened his position, and it had many believing that he was South Africa bound.  The one big wild card, however, was the winter transfer window. 

With any transfer move, there's always risk involved.  A player might have to wait a couple of months before they're fully integrated into the squad, which could negatively impact their prospects of international duty.  Naturally, with hindsight being 20/20, someone might have suggested that Rico not structure his MLS contract so as to make him a free agent just months before the World Cup.  But in reality, there's far too much that goes into it to base a contract off that line of reasoning alone, and so much can change over a three year period that making that type of speculation would be very presumptuous (not to mention the fact that he probably didn't have enough bargaining power to push through that kind of demand anyways).  So, Rico played the hand he'd been dealt by the powers that be, and for him that meant free agency this winter and a move across the pond.

We've seen in the past seven days what a quick, successful integration looks like: Stuart Holden at Bolton.  In less than a month's time, he's gotten into game shape and become a contributor for a top flight team.  Unfortunately, to this point Ricardo Clark has not made the same progress, thanks largely to that untimely calf strain that has kept him from earning minutes in the Frankfurt lineup.  While the season is far from over, the timing of this stagnant period could very well deal a serious blow to his World Cup hopes.  After all, it's Maurice Edu, not Clark, who made headlines this weekend with his strong play.  And it's Edu that has the opportunity to impress Bob Bradley against the Dutch on Wednesday.  Were Clark healthy, who knows, maybe Mo doesn't even get that shot, keeping his World Cup spot a little more secure.  But now his chief competitor has the opportunity to show his mettle and wow the head coach in person, in what could very well be the last international match before the roster is decided.  With all things considered at this point, Clark's lead in the race for South Africa is quickly dwindling, and it could be gone completely in about 50 hours or so if Edu shines against the Dutch.

There is the possibility that Bob Bradley brings both to South Africa.  Edu adds some versatility, having played in the back line during the Olympics, so there is a chance that the final 23 includes two defensive midfielders.  There's also the possibility that more injuries in the middle leave few healthy options come May, earning both a spot on the plane to Rustenburg.  I don't think Rico will be wanting to bank on either of those, though, so Maurice Edu's recent revival must have him anxious about his position on the depth chart. 

Assuming both stay healthy, it will be interesting to compare how these two finish out their respective seasons.  If Maurice Edu were still out of the Rangers lineup battling injuries, Clark might not need to play too much over the next couple of months to retain his spot in Bob Bradley's roster, thanks to the resume he built in '09.  But with the former TFC star making an emphatic return to the playing field, a couple of months with spotty minutes and average performances could suddenly bring an end to what were once very promising World Cup prospects. 

While I don't want to get carried away with a few weeks of play, we are at that time in the cycle where form conquers all, and a big game in Amsterdam for Edu could play a huge role in deciding this competition.  We'll see how this duo fares in March, April, and May, as it very well could come down to whose hitting their stride when rosters are due.  As fans, we can at least enjoy the fact that we have this type of roster battle, with players pushing each other for a spot in the final squad.

Ricardo Clark, meanwhile, will probably be taking a few looks over his shoulder during that time, as Maurice Edu makes a late charge for the finish line.  After a couple of months without much real competition at the defensive mid role, he suddenly has to fight for it in these coming weeks and stake a claim before June comes. 

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