Alexi Lalas Visits Xtra Time

Current ESPN/ABC soccer analyst and former United States national team defender Alexi Lalas graciously took time out of his busy schedule to speak with Xtra Time today.

Lalas, a veteran of the 1994 and 1998 World Cup teams, answered a few questions via phone on the recently-announced preliminary 30-man roster for the United States in South Africa.

Thanks for taking the time speak to Xtra Time. First, let's talk Charlie Davies: who will pick up the scoring slack now that he is officially out?

Lalas: The striker position is wide open, we still have yet to see just who it's going to be. It's going to be a little harder to define since you have Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey in the mix as well. Dempsey will probably push up and play a little bit of forward.

There are some players coming off the bench that could step in and help. Eddie Johnson and Robbie Findlay are long shots to start at this point, but just how Edson Buddle and Herculez Gomez mesh at camp will be interesting to watch.

How does this group stack up against the U.S. squad that went to Germany in 2006?

Lalas: From one to 11, it's just as good if not improved. But there is a significant lack of depth for manager Bob Bradley. If an injury occurs or a player doesn't perform he has to move some of these pieces and it could be a real problem. My hope is that some of these guys that are going to be called on can step up and do it on the biggest stage. We haven't seen a lot of players step up except for the starters.

What does the absence of Freddy Adu say about his future with the national team?

Lalas: Freddy has the potential; but we just keep continuing to talk about it. It is really no surprise to any of us following the national team that he wasn't included in this preliminary group. The general public might be surprised, but he hasn't been a significant part of the national team for a while.

He's still young though, so if he finds a club where he can consistently get playing time, this could change.

Which player could you see as a surprising selection into the final squad?

Lalas: There are 30 players, and there really won't be any big surprises in terms of goalkeepers and midfielders. Maybe midfielder Sacha Kljestan could be called a surprise just getting an invite to camp. But you have to look at it that seven players will not be here come June 1st. So it's a big pool, but a lot of fringe players won't make it.

The only caveat is at the forward position, where Herculez Gomez and Edson Buddle have a great chance to make the final cut. They have to continue their recent form and confidence but could make it to South Africa even without a lot of international experience.