Monday, November 12, 2007

HALF FULL

The squad, that is. As of this moment, nine players have arrived into South Africa. Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu and Brad Guzan should be pulling up to the gate shortly, while tomorrow morning Benny Feilhaber's 7 a.m. arrival will give the team a baker's dozen for the first training session at Ellis Park. Everyone has reported fit, and so far no radical new haircuts or style changes to report. The weather has been sunny and beautiful so far, a welcome change for the Euros who are well into the dreary season. The So-Cal guys are particularly pleased to see the sun again.It will be a busy day tomorrow, with training and a soccer clinic for kids in Soweto on tap.

7 comments:

Cyclone said...

When is the training session? Can I come watch?

Very excited that the guys are here on my doorstep. Lemme know if you need a suggestion for where to celebrate the victory Saturday!

Unknown said...

GOOOD LUCK!! Kick butt

Lawrence said...

Where is the love for Gabriel Ferrari...

Anonymous said...

Pictures, podcasts, and more info please.

BatmanGK said...

Gabriel Ferrari isn't making any first team appearances for Sampdoria. Also, with the international break this weeknd, it's highly possible that many reserve teams are having training matches. It would benefit him much more to be involved in a 90 minute training match than to travel all the way to South Africa to play for the last 4 minutes of a match, or not play at all.

Robbie Findley and Johann Smith would likely be called in before Ferrari. Findley and Smith have both played competitive matches recently, and they're all in their close seasons, so any injury would not bother their clubs the way an injury to a guy like Ferrari would.

BatmanGK said...

Let me correct that, Smith isn't in his close season. Findley is. Smith is on loan, so an injury wouldn't hurt HIS team, as much as his LOAN team.

My mistake.

Lawrence said...

How has Nguyen played 3 times for the US then? Why is you know who getting starts while not playing first team ball? Ferrari has always been ignored by US soccer teams. He plays a 90 minute match every week with the reserves, outside of training with Samps first team. Give me a break. What bothers me most is that this probably means no serious U-23 look for him. It's not like we ran out of spaces either, only 17 on the roster.