No place for striker Ching in US WC squad

Experienced striker Brian Ching was surprisingly left off the United States World Cup squad on Wednesday when coach Bob Bradley named his final squad of 23 for South Africa.

Ching, who was out of action throughout April with a hamstring injury, was left out as Bradley opted for an inexperienced list of strikers.

LA Galaxy forward Edson Buddle, Real Salt Lake forward Robbie Findley and Herculez Gomez, who plays for Mexican club Puebla, all made the squad along with likely starting striker Jozy Altidore.

Hawaiian Ching, who plays for Houston Dynamo, featured as a second half substitute in Tuesday's 4-2 friendly defeat to the Czech Republic.

The other six players to miss out from Bradley's provisional 30-man roster were defenders Chad Marshall and Heath Pearce, midfielders Alejandro Bedoya, Sacha Kljestan and Robbie Rogers and forward Eddie Johnson.

Central defender Oguchi Onyewu, who made a tentative return against the Czechs after seven months out following a knee operation, was included.

The United States will face England, Slovenia and Algeria in World Cup Group C. Before then, Bradley's team will face Turkey in Philadelphia on Saturday and Australia in Roodepoort, South Africa, on June 5.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton)

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Jay DeMerit (Watford), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)

Midfielders: DaMarcus Beasley (Rangers), Michael Bradley (Borussia Monchengladbach), Ricardo Clark (Eintracht Frankfurt), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus), Stuart Holden (Bolton), Jose Torres (Pachuca)

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Villarreal), Edson Buddle (Los Angeles Galaxy), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake), Herculez Gomez (Puebla).