The guessing games are over. Now, let the speculation begin!

FIFA now has 32 confirmed rosters from the 2010 World Cup participants but, for some, soccer's global party will be bitter sweet. We're talking about players named in the provisional squads who will be ultimately be cut from the final 23.

All the talk has been about those superstars left out by their national coaches. Ronaldinho, Totti and Vieira all know what it's like to win the World Cup. All are still active but none will be involved in the drama about to unfold in South Africa.

At least they know they're not going. In the opinion of their international managers, their collective sell-by dates have expired. What about those left standing?

Players who have found the form of their career this season and have forced their way into a 30-man squad. Heartbreak is just a few short days away - these are the professionals who will be squeezed out when the final deadline falls on June 1. For them it will be the cruelest cut of all.

Bradley right to omit Davies

Charlie Davies can scream all he wants and blame whomever he likes. The US striker, badly injured in a car accident last year, bust a gut to get himself fit for selection. But the fact of the matter is he hasn't played a competitive match since October 2009 and time was always the enemy. 

American coach Bob Bradley was forced to consider other options - namely candidates who were playing regularly and scoring goals. In Edson Buddle and Herculez Gomez he found his alternates. Both tick the right boxes but only one is likely to board the plane to Johannesburg.

Gomez, born in California of Mexican immigrants, found the country of his forebears to his liking. After an unremarkable seven-year spell in MLS he ventured south in January to join Puebla. Fifteen appearances and 10 goals later, Bradley could no longer ignore his claims.

Sadly for Gomez it all ended too soon. His scoring exploits came to an abrupt halt in mid-April as Puebla failed to make the championship playoffs. He may be a little rusty by the time Bradley makes his final decisions but Gomez will also be fresh for the World Cup if he makes the cut.

Buddle, by contrast, has had time to pad his resume. The LA Galaxy hotshot has fired scored goals in eight games for the Western Conference runaway leaders and a couple of assists won't have gone unnoticed. His link play with Landon Donovan at club level may be just the combination Bradley can exploit in South Africa.

Gomez and Buddle may be latecomers to the party but now the invitation has been issued it's up to them to justify their initial selection. The only other out-and-out strikers in the squad are Jozy Altidore, Bring Ching, Robbie Findley and Eddie Johnson.

Altidore is certain to go despite suffering relegation with Hull City. Ching, yet to score this year, is just back from a hamstring injury; Findley has scored only once in eight MLS game for Salt Lake and Johnson is trying to re-establish his reputation in Greece. Can you spell opportunity?     

Bradley has named no less than a dozen midfielders - a department he'll probably need to trim by four. Bedoya, Kljestan, Rogers and Torres could be the quartet most at risk, though all are young enough to develop into engine room starters by 2014.

One more dilemma faces the US coach. Oguchi Onyewu, like Davies hasn't kicked a ball in anger for many months following knee surgery. The giant defender was a tower of strength during the 2009 Confederations Cup but his rehabilitation has cost him the majority of the season.

Bradley would be loathe to leave 'Gooch' at home. But unless he can prove he's physically and mentally ready during the upcoming pre-World Cup training camp, the coach cannot risk including a passenger in his party. Onyewu has certainly left it late but my instinct is he'll be fit to face England on June 12th

What do you think of Bradley's squad? Was he right to leave out Davies and do Buddle or Gomez have what it takes to succeed at the World Cup? Please share your thoughts below.