Taken from MSN.com 11 World Cup veterans on U.S. roster Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) - Goalkeeper Kasey Keller, midfielder DaMarcus Beasley and defender Oguchi Onyewu were among 11 World Cup veterans picked Thursday for the U.S. roster for exhibition games against Ecuador and Guatemala. Defenders Carlos Bocanegra, Steve Cherundolo and Jimmy Conrad also were selected by interim coach Bob Bradley for his 24-man roster along with midfielder Clint Dempsey, forwards Landon Donovan, Brian Ching and Eddie Johnson, and goalkeeper Tim Howard. Three players were chosen who have never played for the national team: defenders Jay DeMerit and Frank Simek, and midfielder Benny Feilhaber. Thirteen of the players are based in Europe, including seven in England. Players will start training Monday in Bradenton, Fla., for games against Ecuador on March 25 in Tampa, Fla., and Guatemala on March 28 in Frisco, Texas. Top European leagues are off the weekend of March 24-25 to enable players to join up with their national teams. The United States has played just twice since last year's World Cup: a 3-1 win over Denmark on Jan. 20 and a 2-0 victory over Mexico on Feb. 7. Howard, Bocanegra and Dempsey also returned from Europe for the Mexico match. "This camp provides a great opportunity to see some of our experienced players from Europe, as well as some new faces, and incorporate them into the group and share the ideas that we have been building on since the beginning of the year," Bradley said. "By the end of this camp, we will have had the chance to work with a vast majority of our player pool. It will be extremely beneficial when we have to make decisions about the Gold Cup and Copa America." After these games, the national team is off until a June 2 exhibition game against China at San Jose, Calif. The Americans then start the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean, on June 9 against Trinidad and Tobago at Carson, Calif. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The roster: Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Tim Howard (Everton, England), Kasey Keller (Borussia Moenchengladbach, Germany) Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham, England), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover, Germany), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City), Jay Demerit (Watford, England), Oguchi Onyewu (Newcastle, England), Heath Pearce (Nordsjaelland, Denmark), Frank Simek (Sheffield Wednesday, England), Jonathan Spector (West Ham, England) Midfielders: DaMarcus Beasley (Manchester City, England), Michael Bradley (Heerenveen, Netherlands), Brian Carroll (D.C. United), Ricardo Clark (Houston), Clint Dempsey (Fulham, England), Benny Feilhaber (Hamburg, Germany), Justin Mapp (Chicago) Forwards: Brian Ching (Houston), Kenny Cooper (Dallas), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles), Eddie Johnson (Kansas City), Chris Rolfe (Chicago), Taylor Twellman (New England)
I thought I heard that the roster has already been updated -- Chris Rolfe and (former Quake) Rico Clark are out with injuries, so they have been replaced with (former Quakes) Wade Barrett and Brian Mullan.
Just now our boys beat Ecuador 3-1, wich mean that Bradley's record is now 3-0. But it this mean really something?...I mean, the only game that wasn't friendly really was against Mexico. So we beat them (Denmark,Mexico & Ecuador) now what? when the USSF will bring team like Italy,Germany or a team ,that to win the game really will mean something! Next is Guatemala and after that is China. I know for a fact that our boys will win, but again is the level of our Nats upgrading with these games? GO U.S.A. !!! GO QUAKES !! LA LUCHA CONTINUA !!
One thing that concerns me in terms of preparations is that we're going through all of April and May without another friendly, following the Guatemala match and prior to the China match at Spartan. Surely there's got to be a midweek date or two to fit in other friendlies?
No! I'm not underestimating anybody...in fact I like what Ecuador has been doing in the last few years, but my point is we are not getting the right team to test our boys. Just take a look at the present FIFA's Ranking: http://www.fifa.com/en/mens/statistics/index/0,2548,All-Mar-2007,00.html Mexico....21 Denmark...22 Ecuador...24 Guatemala...90 There is a saying that goes something like this.... IN THE LAND OF THE BLIND...THE ONE EYE MAN IS THE KING ! GO U.S.A.!!! GO QUAKES !! LA LUCHA CONTINUA !!
Anyone remember about 10-15 years ago, US Soccer would have some mini tournament here in the states? Three teams plus ours would play a couple of games in a round-robin. I would recall that at least one of those teams was top notch, like Germany or Argentina. I wonder why the USSF does not do that anymore, at least in non World Cup or Gold Cup years? It would be great practice. I can only think of fixture congestion as the main obstacle. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Cup
I can't believe it ! I can't find any info for the game Guatemala Vrs USA Now that I think of it...I actually have plans for tomorrow GO USA !!!
I just found this article (fron yahoo.com) BRADLEY'S FUTURE UNCERTAIN AS AMERICANS PREPARE FOR GUATEMALA By JEFF CARLTON, Associated Press Writer March 27, 2007 FRISCO, Texas (AP) -- Bob Bradley is the first coach in U.S. men's soccer history to start 3-0. Even if the Americans beat Guatemala on Wednesday night in their last game before June, it might not be enough for Bradley to shed his interim status and become the full-time coach. "If they were going to hire an American coach, they would have done it already because he is the right guy," said Eric Wynalda, the U.S. career scoring leader and now a color commentator on the team's television broadcasts. "My impression is it's not about results. If it were about results he would have already been hired." Bradley took over as interim coach Dec. 8, replacing Bruce Arena, who had led the national team since late 1998. Bradley got the job only after former German coach Juergen Klinsmann withdrew from consideration. U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati has been circumspect about Bradley's status, sticking to the official line that the federation will make a decision about a new coach this summer. Wynalda insists the job will ultimately go to a coach of a European club. The names most commonly floated as candidates include Lyon coach Gerard Houllier, Manchester United assistant Carlos Queiroz and Jose Pekerman, who coached Argentina at the World Cup. Houllier told Lyon's Web site on March 8: "I have no plans at all to leave the club -- unless I am shown the door." Bradley wouldn't be the first interim coach for the national team to parlay a strong start into a full-time job. Scott Sampson was hired as interim coach in 1995 after Bora Milutinovic left. His interim tag was removed after he guided the national team to the Copa America semifinals. "You learn very quickly there are a lot of things you can't control," Bradley said. "So you concentrate on what you can control." Bradley has received credit for some of his tactical adjustments, borne out by the Americans outscoring their opponents 5-0 in the second half of his three games. In a 3-1 win Sunday against Ecuador, he inserted his son, Michael, into the midfield after halftime, pushing Landon Donovan up front. Donovan responded with two goals to go with one he scored in the first half. Bradley said he is making decisions based on the long-term interests of the team, something the U.S. players said they have noticed. "To Bob's credit, what he's done is he treats it like he will be here for a long time," Donovan said. Bradley's 124 wins are the most in Major League Soccer history, and he is a two-time coach of the year there. He coached at Princeton, became a D.C. United assistant in 1996 and then worked as the head coach for the Chicago Fire, MetroStars and Chivas USA teams. Bradley is also under contract to coach the U.S. under-23 team as it tries to qualify for the 2008 Olympics. Perhaps his strongest credential, though, is the 3-0 record. "We all know that results are very important," Bradley said. "But it's also about how the team progresses, how we establish a foundation for how we want to play, how we will step on the field. I feel good about all that, and hopefully, that is a big statement as well."
If Eric W. is right about this, that is about the stupidest god-damned thing I've heard today. I certainly doubted, initially, that Bradley would be the guy, but now I've changed my tune and I think Gulati is wrong to wait for some European savior. Give Bob Bradley permanent status now.
I've been lobbying for Bob Bradley ever since Day One, ever since the Klinsmann talks fell through. Look up my posts in the USA Men's forum, where I mainly moderate, and my opinions have been quite vocal about that. Gulati's beating a dead horse and keeping the national team program in suspended animation, to be honest. And he's completely mismanaged the whole situation, IMHO.
Dire game. I want my two hours back! Landon was ineffective, Wade and Brian were decent. Brian Ching would have added a lot in this game.
Boooooring. We'll just have to assume Bradley will redo strategy/lineup for the China game. Surely LillyCakes doesn't want to disappoint in Spartan, of all places.
I bet 'Cakes finds an excuse to not play in Spartan for the China game. Claim fatigue and wanting to be closer to his wife, etc.
Threre is a poll going on in MSN.COM here is the link... http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/usa GO QUAKES !! GO USA !! LA LUCHA CONTINUA !!
What would you expect from a back line mainly from the Primership? That was ALOT of over the top balls, which is the absolute wrong way to play with Donovan. The three or four quality US chances came from the few times they actally tried keeping the ball on the ground and one touch it around. Dempsy and Mapp were in their own worlds dribbling like fools. This was not 'Cakes fault, this was a game plan that was flawed or a team that cannot adapt. Probably to be expected given the number of times that lineup has been on the field together (like Zero.).
Agreed. And they've got to learn how to play against teams like the GuatSquat, which are only interested in not losing.
That is it on the button. This is where you would think Donovan should be able to make a change as the Captian and get the backs to stop whacking the ball down the field. It seemed like something Reyna could do. Maybe it is just a management thing where the coach just won't let the captain exert that kind of power
Narcissus, or anyone wearing the captain's armband, should be able to tell their players what do to during the match. But Narcissus is a spineless git. I still haven't watched this one. I'll find some time in the next day or two. Really looking forward to it now. I had already caught the final score, so I'm not complaining about anyone posting the score. QUAKES FOREVER!! GO USA!! Sunil "Prince of Darkness" Gulati can kiss my butt! - Mark
Ding ding ding... Really, if the USSF couldn't get their international coach then, why bother now? At this stage, might as well give the job to Bradley--he's shown that he's getting the results by far. Though--the removal of the interim tag is going to be contingent on the Gold Cup and/or Copa America results. Still, I'd think that the window to get an international coach has passed. Bradley might as well lead the team for this qualifying window leading to South Africa 2010.