Caught in the Middle

It's been difficult for the U.S. to replace the midfield tandem of Claudio Reyna and John O'Brien since their retirements from the International game following the 2006 World Cup. Their departures left two vacant spots in the center of the pitch.

2007 rolls around and in comes new head coach Bob Bradley, who has quite the task at hand as he has to attempt to rebuild a team that has lost key veterans, including the pair of talented center mids that retired the previous summer.

Bradley introduced a plethora of youngsters who had talent but lacked experience. Two faces emerged during the opening months of 2007 in the mold of Brazilian-born Benny Feilhaber and Bradley's son, 20-year-old Michael Bradley.

Both players were asked to take on key roles but the dynamic duo was up for the challenge. Michael Bradley showed outstanding hustle and great defensive efforts as he would run all over the pitch to break up plays while Feilhaber was more attack oriented in his game, setting up teammates with pinpoint passes and scoring goals with a touch that isn't often seen for the United States. The two midfielders secured their starting spots and aided the team in their run to Gold Cup glory in June of 2007. The sky was the limit.

Since then however, it's been a different story as the two promising youngsters have gone down two completely different roads. While Bradley progressed as a solid midfield candidate for both country and club, Feilhaber fell on hard times that he has yet to come out of.

Due to Feilhaber's fall from grace, Bob Bradley has looked for other potential candidates to start next to his son, who has become a mainstay with the squad due to his willingness to defend as well as his ability to jump into the attack. While some players have shown glimpses of skill, they've also made errors that can't be afforded at the top level if the United States wants to be competitive.

With no clear cut winner and more midfielders rising their stock at the club level, it looks to be a pretty intense race as the American center mids all battle it out for the remaining starting spot. Here's a look at the players vying for that starting central midfield position and the order in which is most probable that you'll see them starting along side Bradley in 2010:

7) Ricardo Clark - Has looked less than impressive in his latest stints with the National Team. Looked to be a top of Bob Bradley's list until the end of 2007, when Maurice Edu was introduced to the senior squad. Clark still has the potential but he needs to make a move abroad to really improve his game.

6) Pablo Mastroeni - Some say he's too old to be considered but with him likely making a move to Spain or Italy this January, some European seasoning can't hurt his chances. There's a real possibility that a 33-year-old Mastroeni could still get the nod in 2010.

5) Benny Feilhaber - The player who looked so prepared to fill in the big shoes left by Claudio Reyna has fallen on tough times. Injuries, limited playing time and coaching changes have all affected Benny's career for the worse. If he can somehow get through all the adversity and get back to the player he was in the summer of 2007, then he can't be denied of a starting spot as he has the tools to add a different element to the American attack which makes him a unique asset. But asking him to do that is a pretty tall order.

4) Danny Szetela - At the moment, he's one of the few younger midfielders actually seeing playing time with his club. He has become a regular for Brescia Calcio and his chemistry with Michael Bradley is well documented as the Americans made an impressive run to the quarterfinals in the 2007 U-20 FIFA World Cup with both Danny and Michael manning the center of the field. Szetela deserves more looks and he may get them once 2009 rolls around.

3) Jose Francisco Torres - By deciding to play for the U.S. just a couple of weeks ago, Torres has already shown in two caps what has made him such a hot commodity at Pachuca. Torres has a strong set of attributes such as a good first touch, long range shooting and a vision that most other American central midfielders don't possess. 2009 will be a big year for him.

2) Maurice Edu - His last two efforts left for much to be desired, but one can't deny that he has all the physical attributes to be a successful midfielder for the United States. Mo needs to see time with Rangers and work vigorously on his passing, but if he can accomplish that, then a starting role awaits him.

1) Sacha Kljestan - 2008 was Sacha's coming out party. From his incredible goal against the Netherlands in this summer's Olympics, to his pair of assists against Cuba in a World Cup Qualifier, Kljestan looks poised to take control of the vacant center midfield position. Needs to work on not giving the ball away so easily but that'll come as he's destined to make a move to Europe during this winter's transfer window. Heading into 2009, it's Sacha's position to lose.