Only a few hours now until Bob Bradley announces the roster of players available for the World Cup squad, and those that will participate in pre-tourney camp at Princeton. Every writer on the web has spewed forth with his or her own version of the 30-man roster, either choosing they guys they would name, the guys the think Bob Bradley will name, or both.


I've done the latter myself, as part of my blogger responsibilities. My list included all of the usual suspects plus a few fringe names; it's naturally the last few guys that are the most difficult to figure out. For example, I more or less randomly threw Frank Simek into my blind guess squad, on the logic that Bradley may want another defensive option in camp. Only a few days later, I'm questioning that guess, and if I had the roster to do again (I suppose I could, but I won't), Simek wouldn't be in the mix.


Part of that is natural second-guessing because it's impossible to know what Bradley is thinking at this point in the process. Some of it is re-thinking the exclusion of names showing up on the lists of others around the soccer community, and what those players might have to offer over the guys I put on my own roster. In the latter case, one name has popped up on several speculative 30-man rosters I've seen in the buildup to this afternoon's announcement, and I'm suddenly wondering if there's a reason to take him: Frankie Hejduk.


Now, Frankie's time as a major on-field contributor, be it as a starter or coming off the bench, has likely come to an end. The man is a marvel of physical fitness and boundless energy at 35, but his effectiveness is clearly waning. Good enough to be a starter and very good defender in MLS, but probably no longer a real option at the international level.


But none of that really plays into why Bob Bradley might take Frankie Hejduk or call him into camp. If pressed into action as one of the last men off the bench, say if a rash of injuries or cards strikes the fullback pool or others that can fill-in there, Hejduk wouldn't be completely out of place. But it's his locker room presence and leadership that are the most compelling items on his World Cup resume; Frankie has been there and done that, is well liked, and brings the gamer's mentality that the US needs in this tournament. He contributed throughout qualifying (remember his goal that sparked the comeback in El Salvador?) and might deserve a last hurrah based solely on his long service to US soccer.


Not that I'm saying I'd pick him. I'm not sure Bob Bradley can afford to give a spot to anyone for reasons that aren't directly related to how they play on the field. Maybe there are enough leaders and experience in the squad that Hejduk's contributions aren't needed; chemistry shouldn't need a "Frankie boost" at this point, and if it does, the team is in too much trouble for it to matter.


But Frankie's case isn't the worst of the bunch, and it wouldn't be a complete shock to see him in camp next week. It might be a bit of a surprise to see him named to the final 23-man roster, but even that is justifiable in certain ways. The fans, observers, and analysts might have moved on for the most part, but Hejduk's international career might not yet be over.


Rosters like this, especially for a World Cup, are not always about the 23 best players available.