Got this from Reuters this morning: Saludos, Pichi CARDIFF, May 2 (Reuters) - Wales manager Mark Hughes named a preliminary squad of 29 players on Friday for their friendly international against the United States in San Jose, California on May 26. The squad will be reduced to 20 after May 14. "It's important that all potential squad members are aware of the match and that's why I have picked such a large squad," Hughes said. "There are question marks over certain players' fitness and that will also be monitored over the next week or two," he told reporters. "There are still a lot of important matches to be played in the Premiership, Nationwide League and FA and UEFA Cup finals, so it is difficult to know what the final make-up of the squad will be," he added. "The match with the USA will be a good test for the players and it is certainly not going to be easy. The days of the USA being a push-over in world football are long gone and we are all well aware of that." Squad: Goalkeepers - Paul Jones (Southampton), Mark Crossley (Middlesbrough), Darren Ward (Nottingham Forest), Danny Coyne (Grimsby) Defenders - Andy Melville (Fulham), Kit Symons (Crystal Palace), Robert Page (Sheffield United), Mark Delaney (Aston Villa), Darren Barnard (Grimsby), Adrian Williams (Reading), Danny Gabbidon (Cardiff), Rhys Weston (Cardiff City) Midfielders - Gary Speed (Newcastle United), Mark Pembridge (Everton), Robbie Savage (Birmingham City), Simon Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Matthew Jones (Leicester City), Carl Robinson (Portsmouth), Andy Johnson (West Bromwich Albion), Paul Trollope (Northampton), John Oster (Sunderland), Jason Koumas (West Bromwich Albion), David Vaughan (Crewe), Ryan Giggs (Manchester United) Forwards - John Hartson (Celtic), Nathan Blake (Wolverhampton), Craig Bellamy (Newcastle United), Gareth Taylor (Burnley), RobertEarnshaw (Cardiff).
Amazing how a country of a few hundred thousand can have a midfield that is equal to or better in quality than a country of 300 million.
Giggs will find a way to avoid having to come. Big names always have a knack of picking up an injury when they are scheduled for this type of friendly.
Speed, Savage, Davies, and Giggs? Easily better than anything we can field at this point. These guys are among the better EPL midfielders. Only Reyna and O'Brien are at the same level as them. And only Donovan and Beaser have had a shot to prove something on the international stage. Considering that Reyna and O'Brien won't be playing, we'll be at a disadvantage there.
Wales has a listed population of about 2.9 million fyi. Great midfield, there is a reason this team is leading its Euro 2004 qualifying group over Italy.
Why won't JOB be playing? If him, or Reyna for that matter, plans on playing in the Confed Cup I would think this would be used as a warm-up match for them and the whole squad.
I think I read somewhere that JOB was not planning on playing in the Confed Cup, but that Claudio was planning on using the tournament as a chance to gain back some fitness. Shoot me down if I'm wrong about either of these players...
I think it would be a very bad idea for JOB to continue playing this summer. ConFed Cup isn't worth it this time around for him. Consider this: He is coming up on his final year of his contract at Ajax, and if he has a great season then he can pick and choose his next employer. I'd say let him get as much rest as possible and not risk injury. As for Reyna I don't think he'd be ready without a camp. He has had a HUGE lay-off and the only reason he'd probably want to play on ConFed Cup and Gold Cup would be for the extended camps that Bruce would have.
Wales appears to mean business with this friendly. Giggs won't wiggle his way out of it as a big game like this is perfect for the team to warm up for upcoming Euro qualys. As important as the confed cup may be for our chances of gaining a seed for the next world cup (some think so anyway) It is VASTLY more important in the area of evaluating the leading contendors for spots on the team that starts qualifying in January. We know what O'brien can do, he will be starting for us if healthy. If he doesn't make the trip then no biggie I would say.
My hope is that he schools DaMarcus Beasley. There isn't a better Left Flank player in the World and this a great chance for Beaser to go up against one of his heroes. Aybody who has never seen him play for ManU, for whatever reason, is in for a real treat. I just wish I lived out there for this instead in Pa.
Remember, your left side is your opponent's right side. They wouldn't face each other unless Giggs (or DMB) switches with his right winger. Wales are scary though. And to think that Michael Owen could have chosen to play for them...
John Hartson and Craig Bellamy are a very good twosome up top. Combined with the great midfield Wales has, this should be a reat test!
Even though I'm Welsh I'll be kind of sad if we lose this. I mean I'm only familiar with the US team now. Hope it's a great game though. It's time for Donovan to step up in his home stadium.
This will be a fantastic test for the MNT. Wales are leading their Euro 2006 qualifying group over Italy currently. I just hope people like Giggs, Bellamy and Hartson don't weasle out at the last moment and we're stuck playing their U-20 side.
"The match with the USA will be a good test for the players and it is certainly not going to be easy. The days of the USA being a push-over in world football are long gone and we are all well aware of that." Likely response from Arena: "The days of Wales being a push-over in world football are long gone, too -- at least for the time being. But we'll still beat them with one foot tied behind our back." Some posts here sound like you guys are having an orgasm while you write. Yeah, they're leading in their Euro qualifying group. Yahoo. They're still just Wales. And we're not Slovakia. Don't get me wrong. No doubt it will be a good game. They've got quality, and they have the potential to be dangerous. It should be excellent experience and preparation for us, as long as most of their best players show up. I don't think we'll have great difficulty in beating them, though.
Not really that amazing. It's called 'soccer culture', something that our players are just now starting to figure out. "You mean getting out there with the ball everyday will improve my touch? Watching on TV can help me learn the game?" Oh, never knew that....
An update on the status of a few of the Welsh players in the Nationwide League: Three of the players on the original squad play for Cardiff City (Gabbidon, Weston and Earnshaw), as do two of the players on stand by. Cardiff is in the Division Two playoffs. If they advance through the semifinals (they play Bristol City in a home-and-away matchup that will be decided by Tuesday), those players will be unavailable for the US game, as they'll be playing in the Second Division final (in Cardiff) on Sunday, the 25th. Ward (Nottingham Forest) and Page (Sheffield United) are competing in the Division One playoffs. Their teams are facing each other, so one will be unavailable for the US match -- the Division One playoff final is on the same day, the 26th. Williams (Reading) and Blake (Wolves) are in the same position -- their teams are facing each other in the Division One semifinals and one will be in the final on the US/Wales matchday. For the full list (including players on stand by): http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/wales/2995885.stm
One thing I did like about growing up in Wales was that every day in the school yard was soccer day. We always took a ball to school and many people joined in, and of course we used to play in the evening on the street and in the field. I'm not sure that happens so much in most areas of this country but I'm sure it is changing. Rugby is the national game though! More people play soccer, but Rugby is what most people care about in a nationalistic way, or that's how it used to be when I lived there. Some schools are very very much Rugby only!!!