Dortmund aftermath

Arena says all the right things in his post-Dortmund hangover. Taking the responsibility for the loss is the right thing to do; too many of the immediate post-match comments from himself and especially Kasey Keller blame the players. Now he's more temperate.

Definitely allocate blame, but do it internally; I'm a great believer in winning and losing as a team, even when the purpose of the match itself is to evaluate individual players.

He says something very interesting in the article:

"We're getting really close [to the May 15th squad deadline]," he said. "The last three spots are going to be difficult to decide on."

Apparently there are three open roster spots. Here's my guess about the twenty who are on:

Goalkeepers: Keller, Howard, Hahnemann
Defenders: Oneywu, Cherundolo, Pope, Bocanegra, Berhalter, Lewis
Midfielders: Reyna, Donovan, Beasley, Mastroeni, Convey, Dempsey, either O'Brien or Zavagnin
Forwards: McBride, Johnson, Twellman, Wolff

Yes, I think Berhalter is still on the squad, in spite of the Germany debacle; Wednesday notwithstanding, he's generally very consistent.

Of those three remaining players I think you want:

• One center back who can play outside.
• One defensive flank player who can attack.
• One utility player, someone who could be used in a variety of roles.

Who are the candidates? For each category...

• Conrad, Gibbs, or Spector. Conrad was in front before this match, now I'd say it's an open question.
• Hejduk, Dunivant, or Albright maybe. Hejduk is probably in front here because of his experience and versatility.
• Hard to say. Maybe Hejduk if he doesn't make the second category. Perhaps Ralston or Olsen. I think Olsen's ability to play center mid, flanker or right back puts him in a good position. Klein probably is out at this point.

Injuries will probably play a role here when all is said and done, as will club form. But one of the goals of the Jamaica match should be to get some answers about those last three spots.

In my opinion, the strikers are pretty much set: McBride, Johnson, Twellman and Wolff are unquestionably the best four available. If one of them is injured, it's an open question, one that might be decided by MLS early season form.