So the roster for the U.S. Men’s Olympic Soccer team was announced today. Did it go pretty much to form? Yes. Were there some surprise additions and omissions? Absolutely. Here is the roster:

GOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa)*, Chris Seitz (RSL).
DEFENDERS: Michael Parkhurst (New England)*, Patrick Ianni (Houston), Marvell Wynne (Toronto), Michael Orozco (San Luis), Nathan Sturgis (RSL).
MIDFIELDERS: Maurice Edu (Toronto), Stuart Holden (Houston), Freddy Adu (Benfica), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Michael Bradley (Heerenveen), Danny Szetela (Brescia), Benny Feilhaber (Derby).
FORWARDS: Brian McBride (free agent)*, Charlie Davies (Hammarby), Jozy Altidore (Villarreal), Robbie Rogers (Columbus). *overage selections

Alternates: GK Dominic Cervi, D Frankie Hejduk, MF Dax McCarty, F Robbie Findley.

For the overage selections, rumors had been swirling that Brian McBride, Brad Guzan, and Michael Parkhurst would be the guys selected. It must have been a difficult decision since the Olympics coincide with World Cup qualifying and the deference goes to the senior team, so guys like Landon Donovan, Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey and the like were not available for the Olympics.

Who were the surprise additions? Well, Benny Feilhaber for one. There’s no doubting his flair and skill in the midfield as a partner to Michael Bradley but he hasn’t played much for Derby all year and must be out of shape and form. Some people might also question Patrick Ianni’s inclusion. He doesn’t seem to have as much going for him right now, but Peter Nowak looked at him a lot and he trusts him over guys like the Galaxy’s Sean Franklin, who may be playing better right now, but hasn’t had the extensive look that Ianni got.

Surprising omissions? Several, actually. How about the versatile Kamani Hill who has played defense in qualifying but is a striker by trade? How about Dax McCarty who is an alternate, but has been an integral part of the qualifying teams. But you can’t complain too much about the team, it is as good a team we could hope for under the circumstances.

My projected lineup:

Forwards: McBride and Altidore
Attacking Mid: Freddy Adu
Wing Midfielders: Robbie Rogers (L) and Sacha Klejstan®
Holding Mid: Michael Bradley
Defense (L-R): Sturgis, Parkhurst, Orozco, Wynne
GK: Brad Guzan

What’s good? The attack. That will be one potent offense and we should be able to create some scoring opportunities. That pairing of McBride and Altidore with Adu behind them is tasty, indeed.

What’s potentially bad? Our defense. We don’t have a great backline, with no Jonathan Spector out due to injury. Parkhurst helps but our defense is quite suspect.

Some wild cards. Feilhaber and Szetela. They haven’t played much, but if they can play to their potential, they can really help this team advance and go far in the tournament. Here’s hoping they look like their former selves in the tournament.

Predictions? USA will beat Japan, and if they can beat Nigeria, they will advance. I don’t see the USA beating the Netherlands. A win against Japan and a tie against Nigeria can get them through to the second round, but a medal should not be expected here. Let’s lower those expectations and see how we do. Go USA!