An American Revolution, Part 2

2010 World Cup USA schedule (Group C)
England in Rustenberg on June 12
Slovenia in Johannesburg on June 18
Algeria in Pretoria June 23

The Final Draw:
GROUP A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France.
GROUP B: Argentina, South Korea, Nigeria, Greece.
GROUP C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia.
GROUP D: Germany, Australia, Ghana, Serbia.
GROUP E: Netherlands, Japan, Cameroon, Denmark.
GROUP F: Italy, New Zealand, Paraguay, Slovakia.
GROUP G: Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Coast, Portugal.
GROUP H: Spain, Honduras, Chile, Switzerland.

Blame Bradley for U.S.'s depth problem

The sun even shines on a dog’s ass occasionally. And that explains how the dreadful Conor Casey could score two goals in the win over Honduras. Against Costa RIca, his miss in the 10th minute was absolutely criminal and might explain why Landon Donovan “didn’t see him” wide open at the far post in the 37th.

With the news that “Gooch” (Oguchi Onyewu) will be out at least three months with a torn tendon in his knee, you have to second guess the decision to play the first team. Add to that the fact that Charlie Davies was badly injured on Tuesday in a car accident in northern Virginia and one can see the enormous lack of depth on the U.S. team. Of course, Davies could have been in that accident anywhere, but the argument that neither he nor Gooch should have been in D.C. in the first place has to be addressed. Winning CONCACAF means nothing in terms of seeding in the World Cup, so why do you risk injuries and red cards (which do carry over into the WC) in a meaningless match?

The loss of Davies’ pace was evident in the match, but once again I think Jozy Altidore performed well in the starting role despite going goal-less. His lack of production was more a result of being unlucky and of pressing too much. It was obvious that he desperately wanted to score to for his friend Charlie (the #9 on his T-shirt under his jersey, revealed after Jonathan Bornstein’s goal made that clear). But Bradley still needs to find a consistent partner for Jozy up front, which demonstrates the poor job he’s done in developing depth on this team.

The fact that we have finished qualifying and one injury can have such an enormous impact speaks volumes. Bradley has about eight months to find a suitable replacement for Davies. It’s not Casey. And Clint Dempsey isn’t a consistent enough scorer to move into that spot. Ching? Cooper? Arnaud? (Wow, that’s a pretty sad list) What about resurrecting Freddy Adu? It might have to be Donovan, but I hate to move him out of the role of orchestrator. Perhaps the U.S. can play a 4-5-1, but they need to make sure that the wings and attacking mid (LD) get involved in the attack.

Davies seriously injured in car crash

Charlie Davies was seriously injured in a single-car accident today. After surgery, he was in serious but stable condition. Another passenger was killed. Here's the latest from ussoccer.com.

U.S. packs its bags for 2010!

The U.S. qualified for their sixth straight World Cup on Saturday with a 3-2 win over Honduras in San Pedro Sula in an uneven, but scrappy, performance. A brace from unlikely hero Conor Casey and a superbly struck free kick from qualification MVP Landon Donovan was enough to hold off the Hondurans.

“It was a culmination of a long learning process," Donovan said post-game. "And we played mature, experienced, a hard fought 90 minutes, and I was very proud of us.”

Honduras, who missed a chance to equalize from the penalty spot in the 87th minute, now need a win against El Salvador and a Costa Rican draw or loss against the U.S. on the final matchday to avoid a fourth-place finish and the playoff with the fifth-place South American team (currently Uruguay, although they trail Argentina by a single point).

The U.S. will have a chance for a meaningless first-place finish in CONCACAF qualification with a win over Costa Rica at home on October 14.

“It is important to win the group," said coach Bob Bradley. "We take a great amount of pride in trying to be the best team in CONCACAF. With this win today, we’re in position going into the Costa Rica game to finish first in the group, and that’s the goal.”

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just as long as you don't play anyone of consequence and get them injured.

Since many of you didn't get to see this historic win, here are some highlights courtesy of usssocerdotcom:

U.S. wins on The Road

Another close call, saved by Ricardo Clark's swerve. Bob Bradley is the luckiest motherf-er on the planet. Too disgusted to blog. Or write in complete sentences. Anymore. Stilted language. Reminds me of Cormac McCarthy. His writing is just as depressing as the U.S.'s performance. But a win is a win, I guess. Two more left. The prospect of a play-in match against Argentina wakes me up in a cold sweat.

CONCACAF refs suspect in U.S. win

The U.S.national team defeated El Salvador 2-1 in a match that ended up a bit of a nail biter, thanks to yet another display of ineptitude by the CONCACAF referees.

After conceding a goal in the 32nd after a poor clearance by Jonathan Bornstein and than weak marking in the box, the U.S. scored in the 41st and 47th minute (first-half injury time) on goals by Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore. Both goals were set up by Landon Donovan who had a terrific night orchestrating the U.S. attack.

The Honduran referee Jose Pineda and his crew correctly called on side the U.S. first goal, as Dempsey began his run closer to midfield, but El Salvador coach Carlos de los Cobos and a few players surrounded the refs at halftime to complain. There were a number of U.S. players who were in an offside position on the play but none took an active role in the goal and therefore culd be ruled to be passively offside. It was the right call. But instead of sticking to their guns, Pineda and his assistants buckled like belts to the pressure, calling it tight when El Salvador attacked and swallowing their whistles on the other end.

The most blatant example was in the 58th minute when Altidore scored his second goal of the night but it was inexplicable waved off. It wasn't offside. DThere wasn't a foul on Dempsey's assist. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Yet, a flag went up and Jozy was denied his seventh goal in qualifying. Honduras, by the way, now leads qualifying thanks to goal differential

Qualifying resumes next Wednesday, as the U.S. travels to Trinidad & Tobago.

Still no surprises in U.S. roster

Bob Bradley has named the roster for the September 5 clash with El Salvador in Rio Tinto Stadium in Salt Lake City. It is a decent lineup, but the question is, will he field the best 11 or continue to trot out Brian Ching.

GOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton).
Why is Guzan the number 2? I don't get it. Timmy, please stay healthy.

DEFENDERS: Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hanover), Jay DeMerit (Watford), Clarence Goodson (Start), Chad Marshall (Columbus), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan), Jonathan Spector (West Ham).
Bradley needs to recognize the poor flank play by both Carlos Bocanegra and Steve Cherundola against Mexico and to adjust by utilizing Jonathan Spector on the right and pushing Bocanegra centrally (or to the bench) and starting Jonathan Bornstein at left back. And keep Marshall and Goodson on the bench, please.

MIDFIELDERS: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Moenchengladbach), Ricardo Clark (Houston), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus), Stuart Holden (Houston), Robbie Rogers (Columbus), José Francisco Torres (Pachuca) .
I'm sick of Kyle Beckerman and his stinky, white-guy dreds. With so much talent, why does Bradley keep getting it wrong? I'd like to see Holden or Torres get a start. We need to stop being so conservative and throw some of these talented kids out there.

FORWARDS: Jozy Altidore (Hull City), Conor Casey (Colorado), Brian Ching (Houston), Charlie Davies (Sochaux), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake).
Really, with Donovan in the midfield, who else would you put out there if you weren't blinded by your love of thick, clumsy "holding" forwards. It's got to be the Charlie 'n' Jozy show. Doesn't it?

U.S. misses opportunity

It was a valiant effort for 82 minutes, but ultimately the U.S. remains winless in Smog City, Mexico. A 2-1 result isn't the end of the world (especially considering that our toughest game left is against Honduras), but I think it revealed some of the weaknesses of this team that need to be addressed before we book the flight to South Africa.

1. The U.S. is weak defending the flanks. Both Carlos Bocanegra and Steve Cherundola were constantly beaten on the edges and allowed service to go relatively unhindered from both left and right. Bocanegra needs to stay in the center for the U.S. (I don't care if he is a LB for his club team). Cherundola improved as the game wore on, but was beaten badly at times.
2. Our midfielders need to do a better job of showing to the ball to give the backline a place to play the ball after they win it. Far to often, our backline would just boot it up field for lack of a midfield outlet option. Some of it was nerves from the defense, but too many players pushed up after the ball was won instead of tracking back to maintain possession in the midfield.
3. Brian Ching. As far as I'm concerned he played himself out of a starting role for this team. He was pathetic. I like that Benny Feilhaber got into the game, but Jozy Altidore should have been the substitute for Ching in the 58th minute. Instead, Bradley removes our most dangerous player (Davies) with nearly 15 minutes left to play. You aren't going to get points by bunkering in Azteca.
4. I hate to acknowledge this one, but Clint Dempsey. I love 'Deuce', but he looked slow. Sure, he's out of season, but then, why start him? Why not use him as a substitute. I think Bradley got it backwards. I think Stuart Holden needed to be in there to start at left mid and put Donovan on the other side. Did anyone else notice how the U.S.'s pace increased greatly when Holden and Feilhaber entered?
5. At times, we rely on the referees when we should keep our feet. We are never, ever going to get the benefit of the doubt from CONCACAF referees. There is a clear bias (read: jealousy) against our loud, obnoxious capitalistic asses. Donovan spent too much time falling and then jumping up incensed and yelling at the referee while play continued down the field. That's never going to get it done. Stay on your feet. Play smart.

Player Ratings (1-10)
Tim Howard (9)
Steve Cherundolo (5)
Oguchi Onyewu (7)
Jay DeMerit (6)
Carlos Bocanegra (4)
Clint Dempsey (4)
Ricardo Clark (6)
Michael Bradley (6)
Landon Donovan (7)
Charlie Davies (8)
Brian Ching (2)

Subs
Stuart Holden (6)
Jozy Altidore (4)
Benny Feilhaber (6)

Ya gotta know when to Holden

Here's the roster for next Wednesday's qualifier in Mexico:

Goalkeepers: Tim Howard, Brad Guzan.

No real surprises here, but I really think there are more capable No. 2s than Brad Guzan. I'm not a fan. He has allowed some soft goals and he's not as athletic as he needs to be for his size.

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Jonathan Spector, Jay DeMerit, Steve Cherundolo, Jonathan Bornstein, Chad Marshall.

Not a bad group, but some assembly is required. Although I am a fan, I think Bradley needs to sit Gooch for this one or perhaps bring him off the bench. His tendancy toward the stupid foul/booking/red card could land us in real trouble, and he's looked pretty terrible playing for his new club (AC Milan) recently. Of course, he's still fitting in, but I think you go with the hot hand and not the hot head for this one and play DeMerit. So, I'd like to see Bornstein-Bocanegra-DeMerit-Spector.

Midfielders: Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Michael Bradley, Benny Feilhaber, Ricardo Clark, Stuart Holden, Jose Francisco Torres.

Wow! No DMB. It's the right move (for both the team and Beasley who needs time off to figure out where his talent went). I like this group a lot. Donovan is actually officially listed as a forward, but I put him in the midfield because that's where he should play. I love the Holden pick, but it was a no brainer after his performance in the Gold Cup.

Forwards: Brian Ching, Jozy Altidore, Charlie Davies, Conor Casey.

Time for the Chuck 'n' Jozy Show! I hope.

World 3, MLS 0

It was a bad night for Major League Soccer clubs involved in international matches, as Chicago lost in the SuperLiga Cup final and New York was booted from the CONCACAF Champions League. Then, there was the exhibition in Seattle.

In the third annual SuperLiga, Mexican club Tigres defeated MLS's Chicago Fire 4-3 on penalty kicks after the Cup final finished 1-1 AET.

New York, meanwhile, lost the away leg of their home-and-home with T&T side W Connection 2-1 and were bounced 4-3 on aggregate from the CCL.

Finally, European champs Barcelona filleted the Sounders 4-0 due to the "strange alchemy" of Lionel Messi.

CCL: United thru on PKs

After a 2-2 result in the home leg, DC United managed a 1-1 draw away against Salvadoran squad CD Luis Angel Firpo and then advanced on penalty kicks 5-4 in the preliminary stage of the CONCACAF Champions League. Meanwhile, the USL-1 Puerto Rico Islanders defeated MLS club Toronto FC 1-0 in aggregate.

New York, who managed a 2-2 draw in the away leg, will play at home today against T&T side W Connection FC. MLS clubs Columbus Crew and Houston Dynamo received byes into the group stage.

U.S. lays golden dookie

It seems like just when the USMNT is getting attention from the mainstream press, we go and lay an egg. I mean, even that douche Colin Cowherd jumped aboard the bandwagon. But despite the embarrassing loss, we shouldn't let those in the MSM use it as a banner justifying their indifference and ignorance about American soccer.

This was not our national team, not really. They wore the uniform, but many of them lack the skill -- and after the 60th minute ALL of them lacked the pride -- that is a prerequisite for donning the red, white and blue. Sure, we could complain that the bogus penalty call turned the game, but it was the inexperience of the backline that allowed the deluge of goals, not Jay Heaps attempting to take a charge (he must have thought he was still playing for the Blue Devil basketball team).

We can talk about Kyle Beckerman who had an absolute crapper of a match, and the disappointing play of Robbie Rogers after such a promising start. Or you can point to the disappearance of Davy Arnaud and Brian Ching early in the second half. The truth is, Mexico, featuring many players who will play the U.S. in August qualifier, was a better team (at least in the second half). As I said in an earlier post:

With the exception of Stuart Holden, Robbie Rogers and Brian Ching, none of the other players should have been given caps. Heaps was/is horrible. He should be thankful for his cap, resign and go home. Steve Cronin? Colin Clark? Brad Evans? These guys aren’t even the best on their crappy MLS squads.

I was happy that Bradley rested his A-team for the Gold Cup, but I still think his team selection is deeply flawed. When he could have been building real depth for the 2010 squad, he chose guys who couldn't find the ball in a phone booth. If national team coaches were honest with themselves, they would acknowledge that coaching at the national team level is 85-90 percent team selection. Tactics and strategy only go so far when you are talking about a group with limited training time together.

But to close on a positive note, we did learn some things from this tournament: 1) Stuart Holden is legit. 2) We are deep enough at center mid, not to have to bring in Beckerman. 3) Injuries at any position (except centerback) won't devastate the A-team. 4) Jay Heaps is terrible. 5) Heath Pearce < Jonathan Bornstein 6) Brian Ching vs. Kenny Cooper? Push. 7) We still lack a forward with a killer instinct. 8) CONCACAF referees are the worst. 9 ) Mexico is attempting to bring the man-perm back. 10) Bob Bradley is an android.

Gold Cup: USA vs. Mexico (again)

After their 2-0 win over Honduras, the young U.S. national team, led by Houston Dynamo's Stuart Holden, will face Mexico who needed penalties to defeat their semi-final opponent Costa Rica. U.S. and Mexico met in the last Gold Cup final in 2007 and the U.S. won 2-1. Prior to that, however, Mexico beat the U.S. in '93 and '98 (the only other times they met in the final).

Even God hates Beckham

From an article on ESPN Soccernet:

Riot Squad member Bob Ramsey, a theology professor and minister from Glendora, said he talked to fans who were closest to where the fan jumped the wall. "I haven't talked to everybody, but no one remembers hearing anything beyond 'scum,' 'traitor,' those kinds of things. Nothing about his family," Ramsey said.

Ramsey said he thought what triggered Beckham's reaction was a fan abusing a Beckham jersey, according to the report.

"We were giving him the business as soon as he came out for warmups," Ramsey said, according to the Times. "His first reaction was to give us a thumbs-up and I thought, 'OK, he's going to play along with it and just realize that we're going to kind of give him a hard time here and he's going to have to play through it.'

"I honestly think if he had done that everything would have been fine. At halftime, he seemed to see something when he was running off the field and he came over and was challenging the guys in the front of our section," he said, according to the report.

USA in Golden semis

So, the USA C team got by Panama 2-1 to advance in the Gold Cup in an uneven match that continued to demonstrate the lack of quality featured on this team. A few observations:

Davy Arnaud -- Don't get me wrong. He's still firmly on the bubble for 2010, but Arnaud showed real grit and determination and that should be worth at least another couple of looks. He would be a good training camp guy, pushing the starters and subs to really give 100 percent in practice. He's done a nice job against some admittedly inferior opponents, but it is the hustle I like. He reminds me of Ante Razov (although Ante was better at cleaning up the garbage in front of goal).

Kenny Cooper -- He might be playing himself back into the doghouse, again. He was pretty ineffective when he came in as a sub for Arnaud. Although it was strange that Bradley chose to sub Arnaud and leave the twin towers of Cooper and Brian Ching up top. They are essentially the same type of player -- back to goal, post-up forwards who need to hold the ball and lay it off or play it in the air. Still he didn't seem to combine well with anyone else either. The PK call was legit, but I wouldn't say he "won it" exactly. He scored from the spot. But what was with the jog up from the midfield before he took it?

Robbie Rogers -- He had his worst game in the tournament (which still wasn't terrible). Rogers seems at times to struggle against physical fullbacks, and needs to add some strength if he hopes to stay on his feet for 2010.

Stuart Holden -- Holden continues to be the Patriot of the Pitch© for Team USA in the Gold Cup. No goals against Panama but two near misses and a host of chances created for others. Holden could solidify a spot for 2010 with a solid performance against Honduras and, if we advance, in the final (against Mexico or Costa Rica).

Jimmy Conrad -- O.T.M.F. (one tough motherf@#%&!).

Unlike other sites who say that they "talk" about MLS and then use MLS as a whipping boy for all that's wrong with American soccer. I think this tournament is demonstrating how far MLS has taken us in the 13 years of its existence. While not all the MLS players on this team deserve to be capped for the U.S., most have shown the toughness and a degree of quality that supersedes the old days when the U.S. relied on amateurs and semi-pros for depth. MLS has provided a place where our national team stars, reserves and also-rans can get the PT they need to develop.

I would still rather have Danny Szetela playing in DC everyday than never getting a sniff of PT for Spanish club Santander. Despite what the Anglophiles and Euro-snobs would have you believe, practice in Europe isn't better than playing in MLS. Just ask guys like Bobby Convey and Eddie Johnson whose inactivity (and admittedly with Convey injuries) have seem them slip off the national team radar. Is MLS making us world beaters? Of course not. But no one (who is honest with themselves) can deny that it has made us more competitive, especially in CONCACAF.

As further evidence of MLS's impact on the national team depth, Jon Busch has been called in as a backup for Troy Perkins for the semifinal against Honduras and Luis Robles has been released back to his second division German club to reportedly "prepare for the season." But maybe it also had something to do with his dreadful performance against Haiti.

I love this country!

NY Times report on Beckham's unfriendly with AC Milan, his first home match with the Galaxy since returning begrudgingly from his loan.

U.S. garbage bench nearly beaten

Bob Bradley fielded his bench against Haiti last night in the final group match of the CONCACAF Gold Cup and demonstrated once again his inability to select for depth, even when assembling a B-team for a meaningless tournament. So close on the heels of the Confederations Cup, it was a given that Bradley would go dipping into the shallow end of the national pool. But Jay Heaps (who coincidentally can't hold his head above water even in the shallow end) should never, ever be allowed to don the USMNT jersey.

And maybe it was nerves, but what was Luis Robles doing out there. Staying on his line when he should charge off and intercept and then charging out when he shouldn't. It's hard to believe that this guy starts in Europe, even if it is only a German second division club (who were almost relegated). What about Marcus Hahnemann or Jon Busch or even DJ Countess for chrissakes?

With the exception of Stuart Holden, Robbie Rogers and Brian Ching, none of the other players should have been given caps. Heaps was/is horrible. He should be thankful for his cap, resign and go home. Steve Cronin? Colin Clark? Brad Evans? These guys aren’t even the best on their crappy MLS squads.

The only players that acquitted themselves well against Haiti were Stuart Holden, Davy Arnaud and Santino Quaranta (who was inexplicably subbed for Beckerman who couldn’t stay on his feet even when it was clear that the ref was calling it loose). And of those three only Holden should be a lock for the full MNT.

Bradley's B's look like A's

Despite the fact that Bradley has kept many of these players out of the national team pool, a few on the U.S. Gold Cup squad are showing that they still no how to swim. And it's no surprise to TYH readers that guys like Robbie Rogers, Benny Feilhaber, Stuart Holden and Santino Quaranta are making a strong case for inclusion in the 2010 World Cup squad. Ok, so Grenada was a joke. But Honduras certainly tested this young team with its speed and aggressiveness. Result 2-0.

Here are the highlights:

Keeping the competition level in perspective, this is why I was calling for Bradley to get these guys more minutes. It's hard to tell how good these guys really are. I mean, Marvin Chavez is no Luis Fabiano. But hopefully a good showing will get some of these guys a ticket to South Africa (or at least to a few meaningless qualifiers or exhibitions).

And for those of you who think I'm just jumping late on the bandwagon, check out this post from a year ago. I said this about Robbie Rogers:

I have seen the future of American soccer and his name is alliterative. Rogers should be in camp. He should get minutes. He’s young, but look what the youngsters brought back in the 2002 World Cup. Sometimes you gotta go with the fearless youngster over the old timers (I’m looking at you Eddie Lewis).

...and pain

Joy!

10 players who could revive USA

Strange things happen in soccer. After losing three of four and surrendering nine goals, no one would have argued, not even Bob Bradley, that Team USA needed some serious CPR. And on the brink of elimination, this team pulled together and managed an impressive 3-0 win over Egypt. That coupled with Italy's 3-0 loss to Brazil has put the U.S. in the semifinals of the Confederations Cup. Do you believe in miracles?

But wait a second. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. The U.S. must play the 2008 European champions Spain, and barring an even more inconceivable result, the U.S. will be going home after Wednesday.

What this tournament proved is that the U.S. has some quality (i.e. Egypt win), but that Bradley hasn't been successful in developing the quality (i.e. Brazil, Italy losses). The emotion of last weekend's surprise advancement aside, I still think that Bradley should be fired in favor of someone who can assemble a talented team and build depth for next year. But whoever is in charge needs to make use of The Gold Cup to run out a few players who could build that depth and who could end up starting next summer.

Here are ten players who should be called up. None of them can turn the team into world beaters single-handedly. There are no red, white and blue Peles, but everyone on this list should have gotten multiple looks already:

10)*KENNY COOPER (F) - Coop is like Brian Ching, only he can score some with his feet. He's not by any means prolific, but his performance last season for FC Dallas should have earned him a consistent spot among the subs, if not a few starts. Bradley has something against him, and their relationship seemed to completely ice over when Cooper turned down a call up from his country to help his club. Time to thaw out those hard feelings.

9) JERMAINE JONES (D/M) - There's probably not enough time to get him cleared to play for the U.S. before the Gold Cup, but the U.S. should do their due diligence on Jones and get him on the team sooner rather than later. Building a World Cup squad should be about quality and depth, and we need players like Jones to step in if our key defenders should get injured.

8) *SANTINO QUARANTA (M) - News from Goff is that he will be called up for the Gold Cup and I think it's an excellent decision (cough, cough ... agreeing with Bradley ... cough, oh no!). Following Convey and Adu, he was DC's next great protege, but he had a run in with a monkey and has struggled to stay on the pitch. He has tremendous upside, however, and might surprise a few fans.

7) TAYLOR TWELLMAN (F) - Where's he been? Hurt for much of last MLS season, Double-T is still the best answer to the U.S.'s scoring issues. The problem is he hasn't been used enough on the international stage to know if he could be the next Brian McBride or if he's just the next Jason Kreis. Time to find out.

6) BRAD DAVIS (M) - Davis has seven assists to lead MLS so far this season. Now I'm the first to admit that the assist is kind of a meaningless statistic for the most part (especially in MLS where you can get an assist for tapping the ball to a forward who then runs the length of the field beats 11 guys and scores). But Davis always seems to be in the middle of Houston's scoring opportunities and I believe he's earned a second look. Plus, he's got a pretty good free kick, so we could keep Lando from shanking all of them into row ZZ.

5) GABRIEL FERRARI (F) - "I'm American. I'm born American, grew up in the U.S. and that is the country I would like to play for if I get the chance." Unlike Rossi, Ferrari wants to play here. He's already made four appearances for the U20s and has three goals. He scored against the full Haitian national team in his first appearance. But enough of his wikifacts, no one has really gotten a chance to see if this kid has the goods. Serie A club Sampdoria thought enough of him to bring him over (and then loan him to Perugia). Let's find out.

4) DANNY SZETELA (M) - The U.S. has a lot of depth in the midfield, but Bradley has done little to maintain this advantage by playing the same players in every tournament and friendly (i.e. his son). Szetela should be called in and given a start or two. The kid is extremely talented and he's being wasted. Maybe it's a case of "out of sight, out of mind" since he plays in Italy like Ferrari, but he needs to get back on Bradley's radar. I really think he could end up making the 2010 squad, if not starting next summer.

3) *STUART HOLDEN (M) - Holden is another vastly underrated player with potential to play next summer. He has pace, crosses well and plays smart (unlike many of the current left-sided players we have on the team now). To give Bradley some credit (wow, twice in one article), he called him in prior to the Sweden friendly, but Holden injured his hip. He was named to the Gold Cup roster.

2) MARC BURCH (D) - I personally think that Jonathan Bornstein should get the nod at left back, but if he can't go, Burch (not Beasley for chrissakes!) should be his back-up. Burch, a converted forward, is arguably the best left back in MLS (which is why you haven't heard of him), and he's been DC United's best kept secret for two seasons. Great left foot and he delivers deep crosses as well as any American LB I have ever seen. This is not the first time I've campaigned for him.

1) *ROBBIE ROGERS (M) - Rogers was dropped from the squad for this tournament, but he's back on for the Gold Cup. An outside midfielder with pace that can play either left or right well? He'll be on the 2010 team. It's a no brainer. So, that means even Bradley gets it. Right?

Vacation: All I ever wanted

So, if you're a loyal YH reader, you know that I've been MIA for a while. MLS has started. The U.S. national team played two matches (one terrible, one spectacular -- what a difference a Jozy makes), but I've written little about the goings on. Truth is, life intercedes in all things, even those things that keep us sane and happy and stress-free. I don't mean to be cryptic, but I'll be taking a little vacation from blogging for a while. I hope to return in a couple months refreshed and ready to go. I might even time my comeback with Beckhamdict Arnold's return to MLS. Or maybe not. We'll see. Keep watching and supporting U.S. soccer.

TYH

USA roster for next qualifiers

U.S. nats coach Bob Bradley announces his line up for the matches against El Salvador (March 28) and Trinidad & Tobago (April 1)
GOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan, Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann

Good to see Hahnemann back on the sideline, but barring injury, it's Timmy's gig for the duration of qualification and in 2010. But with Howard out due to suspension against, El Salvador, Guzan will probably get the nod, having played more games recently than Marcus.

DEFENDERS: Carlos Bocanegra, Danny Califf, Jay DeMerit, Frankie Hejduk, Oguchi Onyewu, Heath Pearce, Jonathan Spector

Danny Califf must be sleeping with the right people, and Frankie Hejduk reminds me of that old guy at the gym, you know grandma muscles who runs marathons and squat thrusts Mini Coopers. It's tough to add new names in the middle of qualification, which is why Bradley stinks for failing to try out new blood during meaningless friendlies. Still, one or two new faces would be OK against El Salvador and T&T.

MIDFIELDERS: Freddy Adu, DaMarcus Beasley, Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu, Sacha Kljestan, Pablo Mastroeni, José Francisco Torres

Nice lineup. Really. No complaints. Yah got this one right, Sadley.

FORWARDS: Jozy Altidore, Brian Ching, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Eddie Johnson

Altidore should pull a Cooper and say no thank you unless he can get assurances that he will play before the 80th minute. Eddie Johnson just won't leave this party. Go home, EdJo. I still think there are better choice than Ching. Picks like this is why we have to rely on our midfielders to score.

Sound the bell, they're off

MLS's newest franchise smoked MLS's most disappointing franchise, as the Seattle Sounders defeated the New York Red Bulls by a score of 2-0 in the opening game of the MLS season. It a pretty ugly game, the Sounders pace showed that New York still have not addressed their defensive issues from a year ago. Goals by Colombian new boy Fredy Montero and former Crew striker Brad Evans gave Seattle their first win in their first game. But before Drew Carey starts dreaming too big, they should consider just how poor of a performance New York turned in. Here are the highlights:

The Mike Bradley Show

Deported! U.S. 2, Mexico 0

Michael Bradley, once again, showed that there isn't any neptotism behind his selection to the U.S. national team, as his brace led the U.S. to a 2-0 thumping of CONCACAF rivals Mexico in the first match of the final round of World Cup qualification at Crew Stadium on Wednesday.

Bradley smacked home an rebound in the 43rd minute and then added another from distance in injury time to drive the stake through Mexico's heart. The first goal was set up by a corner kick that was headed to the six by Landon Donovan and then put on frame by Oguchi Onyewu. Mexican keeper Oswaldo Sanchez made the initial save but Bradley was on the doorstep to put it away. Mexico went down a man in the 65th minute after captain Rafael Marquez challenged U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard in the air, making no attempt to play the ball and cleating Howard in the thigh. Although noticeably limping, Howard stayed in the match.

The next qualifier for the U.S. will be March 28 in El Salvador.

TYH's Patriot of the Pitch©: Michael Bradley

MATCH REPORT

TEAM	1st half	2nd half	Final
USA	1	1	2
MEX	0	0	0

Scoring:
USA - Bradley 43.
USA - Bradley (Donovan) 92+.

Lineups:
USA: 1-Tim Howard; 2-Frankie Hejduk, 3-Carlos Bocanegra (capt.), 5-Oguchi Onyewu, 15-Heath Pearce; 8-Clint Dempsey, 4-Michael Bradley, 16-Sacha Kljestan (13-Ricardo Clark, 86), 7-DaMarcus Beasley; 10-Landon Donovan, 11-Brian Ching (9-Jozy Altidore, 83)

MEX: 1-Oswaldo Sanchez; 2-Aaron Galindo, 3-Carlos Salcido, 4-Rafael Marquez (capt.), 5-Ricardo Osorio; 6-Leandro Augusto, 12-Alberto Medina (15-Antonio Naelson, 60), 8-Pavel Pardo; 11-Carlos Ochoa, 10-Nery Castillo (14-Israel Martinez, 34), 17-Giovani dos Santos (9-Omar Bravo, 72)

Misconduct Summary:
MEX – Marquez (ejection) 65.
USA – Howard (caution) 67.

STATS	USA	MEX
Shots	10	9
Shots OG	5	3
Saves	3	3
Corners	5	1
Fouls	26	16
Offside	4	3

Showdown in Ohio!

Sorry to be M.I.A. (and I'm not referring to the pregnant pop star) lately, life is getting in the way but there's a big match tonight in Columbus. Maybe you heard.

Expected Starting line-up:
GOALKEEPER: Howard
DEFENDERS: Bornstein, Bocanegra, Onyewu, Wynne
MIDFIELDERS: Beasley, Bradley, Kljestan, Dempsey
FORWARDS: Ching, Donovan*
*I'd love to see Jozy as a second-half sub, if he doesn't start.

And here's the complete roster:
GOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton)
DEFENDERS: Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Danny Califf (FC Midtjylland), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock), Marvell Wynne (Toronto)
MIDFIELDERS: DaMarcus Beasley (Rangers), Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönch.), Ricardo Clark (Houston ), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Robbie Rogers (Columbus ), José Francisco Torres (Pachuca)
FORWARDS: Jozy Altidore (Xerez CD), Brian Ching (Houston), Charlie Davies (Hammarby) Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Landon Donovan (Bayern Munich)

Special K's highlights

Hats off to Sacha K

With a team featuring a majority of players in the midst of an offseason, the U.S. managed a 3-2 win at The Home Depot Center over a Swedish team that featured a majority of players in the middle of their season. Sasha Kljestan provided all the offense, scoring a hattrick (one from the spot).

The U.S. held a commanding 2-0 lead at halftime and squashed the Swedes late hope, as Kljestan's third came just a minute after the Daniel Nannskog had gotten Sweden on the scoreboard in the 73rd. Mikael Dahlberg scored a late goal for the visitors to make the game appear closer than it was.

Kljestan's offensive output is a positive sign, but the failure of the U.S. frontrunners doesn't bode well. Kenny Cooper and Brian Ching played alongside one another for half of the second-half, suprising given the similarity of their styles. But Ching's assist on Special K's third goal was artful, while Cooper had a late chance that he missed badly. Charlie Davies was almost invisible in the first half.

TYH's Patriot of the Pitch©: Sacha Kljestan

MATCH REPORT

TEAM	1st half	2nd half	Final
USA	2	1	3
SWE	0	2	2

Scoring:
USA - Kljestan 17.
USA - Kljestan (PK) 40.

SWE - Daniel Nannskog 73.

USA - Kljestan (Ching) 74.

SWE - Mikael Dahlberg 89.

Lineups:
USA: 1-Troy Perkins; 12-Marvell Wynne, 2-Danny Califf (capt.), 4-Michael Parkhurst (3-Ugo Ihemelu, 82), 6-Jonathan Bornstein (15-Chris Wingert, 79); 17-John Thorrington (20-Chris Rolfe, 61), 13-Ricardo Clark, 16-Sacha Kljestan, 30-Robbie Rogers (22-Brian Carroll, 69); 10-Charlie Davies (27-Kenny Cooper, 46), 11-Brian Ching (29-Eddie Gaven, 77)

SWE: 12-Johan Dahlin, 7-Markus Jonsson, 8-Marcus Lindberg, 9-Max von Schlebrügge, 5-Adam Johansson; 10-Andreas Dahl (14-Rasmus Elm, 62), 6-Daniel Andersson (capt.) (13-Martin Ericsson, 71), 20-Gustav Svensson, 16-Samuel Holmén (15-Alexander Farnerud, 62); 11-Mikael Dahlberg, 19-Daniel Nannskog

Misconduct Summary:
SWE – Daniel Andersson (caution) 27.
USA – Danny Califf (caution) 59.

STATS	USA	SWE
Shots	13	9
Shots OG	6	6
Saves	3	3
Corners	7	1
Fouls	15	15
Offside	2	5

MLS Superdraft: The sound of one hand clapping

If a league holds a draft and no one is around to report on it, is it still Super?

MLS held its annual craptacular Superdraft. Click here for the results. If you've read my blog, you know that I don't put much stock in MLS's annual Superdraft.

But his year's draft was notable because it featured MLS newest franchise, Seattle Sounders FC. With the first overall pick of their first Superdraft as an MLS club, Seattle chose English striker Steve Zakuani of the University of Akron. He was Soccer America's Player of the Year and the pick by many MLS mock drafts (yes, they exist...some people have too much time on their hands I guess). Will he live up to the hype? Well, history's certainly against him (see Chris Carrieri et. al.). But recently the performances of the No.1 picks have been a bit more mixed (exhibit a: Nikolas Besagno-2006, exhibit b: Maurice Edu-2007 and exhibit c: Chance Myers-2008).

Other Seattle selections were Wake Forest defender Evan Brown, left back Jared Karkas from Azusa Pacific (a Christian college) and midfielder Michael Fucito from Harvard. Seattle did well to draft defensively in the later rounds, as most clubs have had more success in the Superdraft finding defense rather than offense.