The Five MLS Players Who Can Most Help The USMNT

To his credit, Bob Bradley has left very few stones unturned since taking over as head coach of the United States Men's National Team in his quest to field the best-possible American squad. But following what may have been the poorest performance by the country since crashing out of the 2006 World Cup in the group stage, maybe now is a good time to take a look at a few more MLS-based players who could help supplement the team for the remainder of World Cup Qualifying and into South Africa 2010.1. Conor Casey (F - Colorado Rapids)
I began writing this piece on Thursday afternoon and later that evening I learned that the first name on my list had indeed been called into the U.S. squad ahead of the home game against Honduras on Saturday. Casey, 27, has emerged as a dominating force in MLS over the past two seasons. He was recently named MLS Player of the Month for May and is currently the league's leading goalscorer with eight goals in just ten games.

Casey has received nine caps with the senior team, with his last appearance coming in a 2-0 victory over Guatemala back in November of last year. His size and aggressive style of play could be just what the U.S. needs up front, especially when traveling to hostile environments such as Honduras and Mexico. Hopefully he'll see some playing time in tomorrow's match in the place of Houston Dynamo striker Brian Ching, who has been ruled out of the game with a hamstring injury.

2. Brad Davis (M - Houston Dynamo)
Houston Dynamo midfielder Brad Davis is having a career year in MLS, having accumulated two goals and a league-leading seven assists in 10 games. A natural left-footed player, the 27-year-old Davis could fit in well on the left side of midfield, providing an alternative to DaMarcus Beasley, who's fall from grace has accelerated over the past year.

Davis has been capped three times in his career, with the most recent appearance coming in January 2008 when he started and played 72 minutes of a friendly against Sweden. He was also a member of the 2005 Gold Cup squad and converted the penalty kick that lifted the U.S. over Panama in the final.

At this point, I'd be happy to see any true left-footed midfielder not named Beasley take the field for the U.S. There are a couple of other veteran options out there in the Los Angeles Galaxy's Eddie Lewis and the San Jose Earthquakes' Bobby Convey, but age is a concern with the former, as is current form for the latter.

3. Josh Wolff (F - Kansas City Wizards)
Another goalscoring option for the U.S. is veteran striker Josh Wolff, who is no stranger to the national team setting. A long-time fixture with the team under Bruce Arena, Wolff has racked up more than a half-century of caps in his career, and his form in the current MLS season is a good enough reason to bring him back into the fold now.

The former 1860 Munich player has scored six goals in 10 games for the Wizards this season, putting him near the top of the league leaderboard in that category. Wolff was also named MLS Player of the Week in weeks 5 and 9. His most recent action with the national team came last summer when he played in three friendlies (against Poland, England and Spain).

4. Stuart Holden (M - Houston Dynamo)
One of the most pressing problems facing the U.S. is a complete and utter lack of creativity in the midfield. Several other young players have been looked at to fill the team's need in this department, with little or no positive results so far. They include Sacha Kljestan, Freddy Adu and Jose Francisco Torres, all who have had flashes of good play, but haven't been able to sustain it for more than a game at a time, for the most part.

So why not let Holden have his chance? The 2008 Olympian is starting to come into his own with the Dynamo following the departure of Dwayne De Rosario and has been an integral part of the success of the U-20 and U-23 programs. Bradley called him into camp before January's friendly with Sweden in hopes of giving the 23-year-old his first senior cap, but Holden had to withdraw shortly before the game with a hip injury.

5. Brian McBride (F - Chicago Fire)
When Mexico's qualifying campaign slipped up, the coach decided to bring in an old, familiar face to help them get back on track in Cuauhtemoc Blanco. Could a similar move benefit the U.S.?

Brian McBride, a current teammate of Blanco with the Chicago Fire, retired from the USMNT following the 2006 World Cup, though was swayed out of retirement to represent his country as one of three "overage" players in the 2008 Olympics. McBride's form has not dipped since returning to MLS last season, as evidenced by his six-goal total so far this season and a Player of the Month award for April. He remains one of the country's best targets in the air, even at the age of 36, and the leadership that he could provide to the team would be invaluable, especially considering that there seems to be a lack of leaders on the current squad (except for maybe Tim Howard).

Thoughts? Are there any other MLS players who you think should deserve a look? Any of those on my list that have no place in being there?