BRISTOL, Conn. — Edson Buddle and Herculez Gomez have made the U.S. World Cup roster, coming from obscurity a few months ago to earn trips to South Africa. But Hawai'i's Brian Ching didn't make it as U.S. coach Bob Bradley cut seven players from his preliminary roster yesterday to reach the 23-man FIFA limit.

Let go were defenders Chad Marshall and Heath Pearce; midfielders Alejandro Bedoya, Sacha Kljestan and Robbie Rogers; and forwards Ching, a Kamehameha Schools graduate from Hale'iwa, and Eddie Johnson.

Midfielders Landon Donovan and DaMarcus Beasley, and defender Steve Cherundolo earned their third World Cup trips.

Ching was on the 2006 World Cup roster but never got into a match. Having turned 32 on Monday, this was his last chance.

Buddle and Gomez were chosen over Ching, who only returned May 13 from a hamstring injury suffered while playing for Houston on April 1.

"Plain and simple, Edson and Herculez have had real good stretches, scored a lot of goals," Bradley said. "Brian has been such an important player, but it's tough when you have an injury at an inopportune time."