Separate Ways

Ever have those mornings where you wake up and it takes you a few seconds to realize where the heck you are? That's what happened to the MNT bloggers when they found themselves back in Federation territory in Chicago this morning.

'Twas another whirlwind after the game, with Carlos Bocanegra literally leaving 45 minutes after the final whistle for the airport and the rest of the team heading back to the hotel, and for the first time in more than a month having nothing to do the next day... except wake up at 5 a.m. for yet another early morning flight, this time back to Miami. The players and staff exchanges handshakes and hugs in baggage claim in Miami, as the fellowship began to go their separate ways after 32 days, five matches, six different hotels, nearly 100 team meals and several thousands of miles traveled.

And of course, we came home with a ticket to the semifinal round of qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cu, which at the end of the day is what this journey was all about. Along the way, we fell by one goal to a team that is a game away from playing in the Euro 2008 Championships, produced the same scoreline against No. 1-ranked Argentina that Brazil did a week later in World Cup qualifying, got Landon Donovan his 100th cap, gave 11 players their first taste in a World Cup qualifier, and set the U.S. record for the fastest goal ever in a qualifier. Productive? You tell us ...

It's time for a bit of a summer break for the MNT blog, but we'll be back in full force come August when the U.S. travels to Guatemala to kickoff the semifinal round. Also on tap is an extraordinarily rare visit to the island of Cuba, the first World Cup qualifiers for the soccer specific stadiums in Chicago and Commerce City, Colorado, and a trip to Trinidad & Tobago for the first time since meeting a closet U.S. Soccer fanatic in Drew Carey in the hotel lobby in Port-of-Spain.

We hope you've enjoyed the experience, and look forward to having you back on board in August.

They Said It

From the press room following today's match:

U.S. head coach BOB BRADLEY

“For the series we feel good about the work we've done. This was an opportunity to use different players, and it is important to get some young players experience. We had the confidence that we were strong enough defensively that we would hold together to get the win."

“Barbados deserves a great deal of credit for the mentality that they brought to the pitch today. From the start they played aggressively and tried to push the game more [than last week]. In that regard, credit goes to their coaches for preparing the team well. “

On Sierra Mist Man of the Match Eddie Lewis:
“Eddie is a veteran player that has done a very good job coming into camps and setting a good example for young players. He's helped with the leadership that all teams need and today we rewarded him with the captain’s armband because this entire month he has been excellent in all ways.”

On the playing the friendlies against England, Spain and Argentina:
“I think that it is always worth it to play against the top sides. The experience of playing these matches is important for the development of our players. In some way the timing isn't perfect, but we've made a commitment in the past year and a half to play top matches and these opportunities came our way. We feel that we gained a lot from playing them.”

On making so many changes to the roster:
“We make many decisions and we take a lot of things into consideration. We had players from their MLS teams and our league is very important to us. We thought it was of value to give experience to others.”

U.S. midfielder and Sierra Mist Man of the Match EDDIE LEWIS

On the performance:
"It was a much different game than last week. We knew it wasn't going to be a game of a lot of goal. Barbados came out with a good mentality, and we knew if we were just patient and controlled the game that the goal would come. We had a lot of new players on the field, so it took a while for things to get comfortable. It was important to get some of these guys that experience, and in the end we did what we needed to do."

On his goal:

"We started figuring out early that the third runner was going to be the key. Their defenders were following our forwards, but they weren't doing such a good job of tracking midfield runs. I saw an opportunity to run through, and Freddy played a nice ball. I saw the 'keeper coming, and just tried to slip it through."

On being named captain:

"It was certainly an honor. I appreciate the gesture on Bob's part. I just wanted to set a good example and try to be a good leader out on the field."

U.S. defender DANNY CALIFF

“I think that as a group we've experienced a lot. From the three games we had leading up to qualifying, we learned a bit about playing against world class teams in places that are difficult to play at. We've taken a lot from this qualifying experience as well. Even after the first leg, a team like Barbados put up a challenge and refused to lie down. We have some guys with experience now in World Cup Qualifying and that will be of value down the road.”

“In qualifying everything is magnified and there is not so much room for error. We were fortunate to get a big lead in the first game and that facilitated the changes we made today. It took some pressure off but there's always a question in the back of your head because anything can happen on any day in soccer.”

Live Blog: Barbados vs. USA Pre-Game

2:50 pm - Yikes! We've got to get out of here! Coverage is starting in about 5 minutes over on ESPN Classic. Thanks for joining us on the Blog and we'll see you after the game!

2:47 pm - We're not the only liveblog going on today. The YNT Blog is doing a similarly awesome live session for the U20 WNT game against Mexico...

2:45 pm - Spain vs. Italy has just kicked off and over here the guys have headed back to the locker room.

2:41 pm - Barbados has left the field and the US team is about to do the same. The guys are all trying to get last shots in, courtesy of Carlos Bocanegra. 'Los has assumed the role of passer for a shooting drill and is laying balls off to guys who are drilling them at Chris Seitz. Random: Not sure why Beas has on different colored shorts from everyone. We'll look into that...

2:38 pm - Yes, conman24, it is, as you correctly guessed, quite nice...

2:35 pm - Its hard to imagine watching, let alone playing, 8+ hours of cricket in this weather...The good news is that all the terraces in the oval are covered...According to unrecognized academic source Wikipedia, Cricket has been played on this ground as early as 1882, with the first international match coming in 1895 - 113 years ago!

2:30 pm - Just under 90 degrees here in Bridgetown - or so says the internet. It is hot out to be sure, but when the breeze comes in from the ocean it cools down significantly. Hopefully there's a bit of a wind out there during the game...We're inside an air conditioned room, so no matter there in case you were worried about the Blog getting sunstroke. Speaking of which, we've been joined by one other person in the press box...

2:27 pm - It is enjoyable to hear the different songs that different stadiums around the world play during pre-game. The Blog's favorite from today so far is Tarrus Riley's "She's Royal." It is clearly a hit down here too - all the Barbados players were singing along

2:23 pm - Everybody is out now...

2:21 pm - Bitterling - everyone is available on the bench except GK Dominic Cervi...

2:20 pm - Goalkeepers are out (and so is Barbados). Brad Guzan is making his first back to back starts of his national team career. In other news he is also still leading our Euro 2008 pool. There's a big one today though - Brad has Spain going through and his closest opponent, Sacha Kljestan, has Italy advancing. Drama!
2:15 pm - You may have noticed in our previous post that Guatemala has advanced to the semifinal round for CONCACAF Qualifying. Guatemala could be the U.S.' group along with either Cuba/Antigua & Burbuda and Bermuda/Trinidad & Tobago...

2:12 pm - This is Danny Szetela's first start for the national team - in his only previous appearance, he came on as a sub in the 1-0 victory over Switzerland last October...

2:10 pm - Here is the view from the Press Box here in the Oval. In fact, the MNT Blog is the ONLY reporter in here right now...pretty lonely...

2:05 pm - Lots of changes from the first leg, seven in total. Guzan, Pearce, Bradley and Beasley are the only holdovers. Moor, DeMerit, Califf, Klejstan and Szetela all make their WCQ debuts...What do you guys think of the lineup?

2:03 pm - Let's start things off quickly - Here's the lineup for today's game.
----------------Guzan------------
Moor--DeMerit--Califf---Pearce
Kljestan-Bradley-Szetela-Lewis (c)
---------Adu---------Beasley-----

2:00 pm - One hour until kickoff, we're coming live to you from the Press Box at the Kensington Oval...

Guatemala Goes Through

Guatemala became the first of the USA's potential semifinal round opponents to reach the next phase, tacking a 3-1 victory onto a 6-0 route of St. Lucia from the first leg of the series. Gonzalo Romero potted a pair before the halftime whistle yesterday in St. Lucia as the Chapines cruised into the semifinal round. While the U.S. takes on Barbados this afternoon, all eyes will be on Prospect, Bermuda, where the small island nation of the coast of North Carolina takes a 2-1 lead into the second leg against 2006 FIFA World Cup participants Trinidad & Tobago. Meantime in Havana, Cuba carries a 4-3 lead into their concluding contest against Antigua & Barbuda. All of the semifinal participants in CONCACAF will be sorted by day's end, and we'll keep you posted as it all goes down ...

Training Day

The U.S. got its first and only glimpse of the famous Kensington Oval in advance of tomorrow's match, hitting the pitch precisely 24 hours before kickoff. The field itself is spacious to say the least, and in pretty good condition after being used for international cricket (it hosted the Cricket World Cup Final in 2007) . The team spent about 45 minutes in training under the sun, with temps around 80 degrees. Not much work done in the pre-game session as usual, with some possession and crossing and finishing the business of the day. Much like Grenada, the locker rooms are actually on the second level and in the corner of the stadium. While the team trained, the final trio of players were arriving into Barbados as the Fire's Chad Barrett and John Thorrington and FC Dallas and U-20 forward Brek Shea landed in Bridgetown. The sun is setting over the Caribbean Sea as the team heads to dinner and a meeting to put the finishing touches on preparation for the conclusion of the second round series.

The View from Our Hotel...

The Last Leg...

After weeks on the road, the MNT has reached is on its last stop: Barbados. We landed on the Caribbean island about an hour and a half ago, and we're just settling into the hotel.

Our wait in Miami was a bit long, but luckily we had Euro 2008 to keep us company. We sat down to watch the Croatia/Turkey early in the second half and stuck it all the way through to what must surely be one of the most sensational finishes ever to a European Championship match (seems like we're saying that for a lot of Turkey's matches these days). Croatia scored in the 119th minute and looked to be all but through to the semifinals. Never one to give up, Turkey equalized with the last kick of the game to send it to a shootout. Seriously, just watch it...It definitely helped us kill a few hours in the airport.

On our plane we were accompanied by a fair number of jersey-wearing U.S. fans. A big shout out to everyone on our flight! Hope we weren't too loud...Just kidding. As usual, most of the guys just slept the whole time...


Random tidbit of the night: On the flight Bob Bradley sat next to Zane Lamprey, host of Mojo's Three Sheets. Most of the team (and staff...) were pretty thrilled about that one...Good luck filming down here, Zane. If you need some tickets to the game, you know, the Blog would be THRILLED to provide them for ya...

It's stop number six on the tour since the team began gathering one month ago to the day in St. Albans outside of London, and the team is looking forward to finishing the journey in style. With the Caribbean Sea providing soothing sounds and the team's only training session in country scheduled for later this afternoon, we're shutting down.

Roster to Travel to Barbados

Bob Bradley has named 18 players to travel to Barbados, and with barely any time to spare! We're off to the airport in a few minutes...

For now you can pour over the full roster release here.

Pictures from Today's Nicely Lit Training

Still halftime during the game, so we're still posting at a rapid rate! So, here are some pictures from today's training. Good light on the field today:

Target Practice!

Halftime of a scintillating game of fútbol...2-0 Chivas at the moment...In the meantime, check out this video from practice today. A tough one for the keepers!

Tonight's Big Game...

Earlier today we had our first Euro 2008 quaterfinal and now The MNT Blog and friends have moved down to the hotel bar ahead of tonight's big game...that's right- Chivas USA vs. Chicago Fire! Lots of subplots in this one, but of most importance is how our players fare.

There's been a huge buzz in the team everyone is looking forward to watching the game. We couldn't help getting some predictions - so far there are three people picking Chicago, two picking Chivas, and one picking a draw. That draw? General Manager Pam Perkins, who is required by her job description to remain neutral in situations like these. Other than that, the picks will remain nameless...So we've separated into Chivas and Fire supporter sections and the game is about to kickoff! Who are you guys picking for this one?

Five For Flying

Five players from tonight's Chivas USA-Chicago Fire match will keep their bags packed and make their way east to join up with the U.S. team in advance of the second round, second-leg qualifier against Barbados this Sunday.

U.S. coach Bob Bradley has recalled Brad Guzan and Sacha Kljestan from Chivas, who have both been in the U.S. scheme for the last month. Guzan presided over the USA's 8-0 shutout against Barbados in their first World Cup qualifier last week, and played 45 minutes each against England and Spain. Kljestan appeared in the 0-0 draw against No. 1-ranked Argentina on June 8 in New Jersey.

The Chicago Fire will send a trio to the Caribbean in the form of Chad Barrett, Chris Rolfe and John Thorrington. Barrett joins a host of players on the current roster who are age-eligible for the 2008 Olympic Games this summer, while John Thorrington gets a shot at his first cap for the full team in more than seven years, having earned his sole appearance for the U.S. in the 0-0 draw against Ecuador on June 7, 2001, in Columbus.

Bradley will announce the travel roster for Barbados tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET on ussoccer.com. The match at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown is set for Sunday, June 22, at 3 p.m. ET, and will broadcast live on ESPN Classic and Galavision. Fans can also following on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker.

Training and Afternoon Off

For the second straight day, Bob Bradley put the group through an intense session consisting of some technical work followed by shooting exercises and small-sided games. The shooting exercises were particularly brutal on the goalkeepers, with balls flying into the net from every angle - we'll have highlights later today.

After training we returned to the hotel to learn that the team would be getting the afternoon off - good times! Guys have left to go hang out at the mall, while some have stayed in the hotel to watch the Germany - Portugal quarterfinal.

Speaking of which, our Euro 2008 pool is picking up speed, with separation being created between top and bottom (which is where the MNT Blog resides - nice job France!). Brad Guzan currently leads everybody with Sacha Kljestan and Jay DeMerit within striking distance. It'll be close down the stretch...

Pictures from Today's Pre-Rain Training

It is raining this afternoon, which means the MNT Blog hasn't spent its customary 2 hours poolside with Mai Tai in hand. What a downer. But at least the team got to train today! We hit the field this morning and at that point the sky was still quite clear...here are some pics:

Cuba Gets A Leg Up

In the final second round series to begin play, a goal by second-half substitute Leonel Pla in the 85th minute delivered Cuba a 4-3 victory away to Antigua and Barbuda on Tuesday night in St. John's. Two goals from Kerry Skepple had twice given the hosts a lead in the first half, but Cuba continued to keep pace before snatching the go-head goal five minutes from the end of regulation. The teams will meet again Sunday in Havana. In terms of the USA's other potential opponents in the semifinal phase, Guatemala put six past St. Lucia in the first leg in Guatemala City while Bermuda stunned Trinidad and Tobago with a 2-1 away victory. The full list of CONCACAF results at the halfway point:

Grenada 2-2 Costa Rica
Antigua and Barbuda 3-4 Cuba
Suriname 1-0 Guyana
Guatemala 6-0 St. Lucia
USA 8-0 Barbados
St. Vincent 0-3 Canada
Haiti 0-0 Netherlands Antilles
Belize 0-2 Mexico
Panama 1-0 El Salvador
Trinidad and Tobago 1- 2 Bermuda
Jamaica 7-0 Bahamas

Honduras are through to the group stages after beating Puerto Rico 6-2 on aggregate.

Moor Coming

U.S. head coach Bob Bradley has continued to build the roster for the semifinal round second leg against Barbados, summoning FC Dallas defender Drew Moor to Miami. Moor has appeared four times for the United States, earning his first career point when he set up Jozy Altidore in the 2-2 draw against Mexico on Feb. 6 in Houston.

More changes are on the way, but here is a look at the current group gathered in Miami:

Goalkeepers (3): Dominic Cervi (out of contract), Tim Howard (Everton FC), Chris Seitz (Real Salt Lake)
Defenders (6): Carlos Bocanegra (out of contract), Danny Califf (FC Midtjylland), Jay DeMerit (Watford FC), Drew Moor (FC Dallas), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege) , Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock)
Midfielders (4): DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Eddie Lewis (Derby County), Danny Szetela (Brescia)
Forwards (2): Freddy Adu (SL Benfica), Eddie Johnson (Fulham FC)

100 Cap Club: Claudio Reyna

When Landon Donovan earned his membership into the ‘100 Cap Club’ in the 0-0 draw against No. 1-ranked Argentina – becoming the fourth youngest player in soccer history to achieve that mark! - he joined 10 American men in this highly exclusive fraternity. Each U.S. player before him reached the century mark in a unique and, in some cases, historic way. With Donovan’s story now told, ussoccer.com has set out to provide a chronicle of the memorable ways in which the previous 10 players joined the elite group who have proudly worn the jersey at least 100 times for the United States.

Claudio Reyna
Caps: 111
First Cap: Jan. 15, 1994
100th Cap: June 2, 2004 vs. Honduras
Era: 1994-2006

One of the most decorated players in U.S. history, long-time team captain Claudio Reyna became the seventh U.S. player to earn 100 caps in the friendly against Honduras, just 11 days before the 2006 World Cup qualifying games began. In the 4-0 victory against Honduras, Reyna shared the spotlight with teammate Brian McBride, who notched both first half goals. Reyna earned his 16th career assist on a Tony Sanneh header, the fourth and final goal of the match. Afterwards, Reyna’s No. 10 jersey was presented to the National Soccer Hall of Fame.



Reyna earned his first international cap on Jan. 15, 1994 in an exhibition against Norway. The U.S. coach at the time was Bora Milutinovic, who, curiously enough, was present for Reyna’s 100th - this time coaching Honduras. The midfield maestro’s 13-year career is replete with achievements that included three World Cup teams and two Olympic Squads. In 2002, he was the first U.S. player ever to be named to FIFA’s All World Cup First Team. His play in 31 World Cup qualifying games are a team-best, shared by Kasey Keller and Eddie Pope. Reyna’s 112 caps ranks fourth all-time in U.S. Men’s National Team history, and his 19 career assists ranks third.

Listen to podcast with Claudio Reyna here.

Reyna on the milestone:
“One cap would’ve been a dream growing up, so to be able to play in four World Cups and Olympics, all that was really icing on the cake. Besides the honor, I think it’s the level you have to maintain to get that many games for your country. I think it’s a special achievement for anyone to reach that milestone.”

First Reinforcements

As you can see from the photos below, U.S. Under-23 goalkeeper Chris Seitz has joined the group in Miami. Seitz backstopped the U-23's in their successful campaign to qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games. Danny Szetela, who earned his first cap with the full team in the 1-0 victory against Switzerland on Oct. 17, 2007 in Basel, also arrived Tuesday. Other players may be added as the week progresses. The travel roster for the second leg against Barbados will be announced Friday.

Pictures from Today's Not-So Humid Training

It was a really nice day today (at least for the AM part) and the guys went through a light training session:

So Much For The Sunshine State

The players have a bit of downtime this afternoon and were looking forward to a little sunshine. If only wishing made it so ...

The skies have opened up here in South Florida, not only forcing people indoors but also knocking out the satellite in the hotel. Fingers crossed it's back up for France-Italy in about 45 minutes ...

Excused Absence

With the team moving back across country to Miami to begin gearing up for the second leg of the series against Barbados, several players have been released back to their clubs or to begin their summer vacations. Training will resume in earnest tomorrow as Bob Bradley fills out the roster for the trip to the Caribbean.

The departed players: Brian Ching, Clint Dempsey, Steve Cherundolo, Landon Donovan, Brad Guzan, Frankie Hejduk, Maurice Edu, Sacha Kljestan, Pablo Mastroeni, and Matt Reis.

Hello, Neighbors!

Yesterday in the Miami airport, the MNT ran into the Canadian National Team, fresh off its victory over Saint Vincent & the Grenadines. The guys exchanged hellos, and in particular it was a happy reunion for Eddie Johnson, Carlos Bocanegra, and Canadian defender Paul Stalteri - the three were at Fulham together last year...

Highlights: USA 8 - 0 BRB

Starting XI against Barbados

USA: 18-Brad Guzan; 6-Steve Cherundolo, 5-Oguchi Onyewu, 3-Carlos Bocanegra, 15-Heath Pearce; 10-Landon Donovan, 12-Michael Bradley, 4-Pablo Mastroeni, 17-DaMarcus Beasley; 11-Brian Ching, 8-Clint Dempsey

Tim Howard is not available after suffering a lower back strain in training Friday. Howard is being evaluated day-to-day.

Three players get their first taste of World Cup qualifying – Michael Bradley, Brad Guzan and Heath Pearce.

Foretelling the future?

Almost four years ago to the day, the U.S. kicked off World Cup qualifying by taking part in a Second Round series for the first time since before USA '94. Facing another small Caribbean island, the U.S. took on Grenada on June 13, 2004 in Columbus. DaMarcus Beasley recorded his first multiple-goal game for the full team and Greg Vanney added a third to give the hosts a comfortable 3-0 win.

Aside from the victory, is there something else to be gleaned from that match? Consider this: As we reported in Friday's game notes, there were eight players who started that game that would go on to line up against the Czech Republic in the first match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The starting XI that day:

Kasey Keller; Steve Cherundolo, Eddie Pope, Carlos Bocanegra, Greg Vanney, Claudio Reyna (capt.), Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley; Brian McBride, Conor Casey

Training in the Stadium

In preparation for tomorrow's game, we trained on the field at the Home Depot Center this afternoon. We can't show you too much, but...

Sacha Pulls Double Duty

Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan has been given permission to play tonight in his side's home match against Real Salt Lake that kicks off in just more than one hour's time. Chivas sit third in the Western Conference table on 14 points, with the visitors just two points behind.

Not So Easy....

If you needed more evidence concerning the difficulty of World Cup qualifying, regardless of the opposition, look no further than Africa. Not just a really awesome Toto song (heard earlier this week on the radio in our hotel), Africa has long been one of the most difficult regions for World Cup qualifying. Consider that two-time defending continental champions, Egypt, haven't been to a World Cup Finals since 1990.

There were some surprises in the most recent round of qualifying too. Check out this string of results from yesterday's games over in Africa:

Aforementioned Egypt lost, 1-0, to Malawi, while traditional continent power Morocco lost, 3-1, to Rwanda. Uganda beat previous World Cup participants, Angola, 3-1, while Ivory Coast and Cameroon were held to draws against Botswana and Tanzania respectively.

The full list of results (from FIFA.com):
Malawi 1-0 Egypt
Seychelles 2-3 Burkina Faso
Rwanda 3-1 Morocco
Tanzania 0-0 Cameroon
Kenya 2-0 Zimbabwe
Uganda 3-1 Angola
Namibia 1-2 Guinea
Botswana 1-1 Côte d'Ivoire
Niger 0-2 Benin
Gabon 2-0 Ghana
Chad 2-1 Congo
Sierra Leone 1-0 South Africa
Gambia 1-0 Algeria
Sudan 3-2 Mali

Read more about African qualifying at soccernet.

It Starts Here...

If you didn't catch this in the latest edition of Studio 90, here is the extended version of the "It Starts Here" commercial that began airing last month.

It's pretty excellent.

100 Cap Club: Joe-Max Moore

When Landon Donovan earned his membership into the ‘100 Cap Club’ in the 0-0 draw against No. 1-ranked Argentina – becoming the fourth youngest player in soccer history to achieve that mark! - he joined 10 American men in this highly exclusive fraternity. Each U.S. player before him reached the century mark in a unique and, in some cases, historic way. With Donovan’s story now told, ussoccer.com has set out to provide a chronicle of the memorable ways in which the previous 10 players joined the elite group who have proudly worn the jersey at least 100 times for the United States.

Joe-Max Moore
Caps: 100
First Cap: Sept. 3, 1992
100th Caps: June 14, 2002 vs. Poland (FIFA World Cup)
Era: 1992- 2002

Another player who earned his 100th cap in a World Cup game, Joe-Max Moore deservedly hit the milestone in the USA’s third group game of the 2002 FIFA World Cup. The Americans had already upset Portugal - a dark horse favorite to win the tournament - and tied a very determined home team in South Korea. They entered the game against Poland needing a victory in order to determine their own fate and advance to the second round. Even though the U.S. lost the game, they reached the knockout phase because of a Korea win against Portugal. The U.S. would go on to handily earn a 2-0 win against Mexico, collecting their first knock-out round victory since 1950 and reaching the quarterfinals of the tournament for the first time in 72 years.



Perhaps the most memorable moments for Moore came in the run-up to Korea/Japan. Reeling from a three-match losing streak and with the shadow of Sept. 11 still hanging over the nation, Moore scored both goals in a 2-1 victory against Jamaica in front of his MLS hometown fans at Foxboro Stadium. That win, coupled with an improbable home loss by Honduras, booked the USA’s date with destiny in the World Cup that followed. The midfielder also notched four goals in the USA's 7-0 thrashing of El Salvador in December of 1993. He actually scored what would have been a U.S. record fifth in the match, but the ball slipped through a hole in the net and the referees disallowed the goal. Moore has exactly 100 appearances for the U.S. from 1992-2002.



On earning his 100th cap:
“The 100th cap I got against Poland in the 2002 World Cup was a special day for me. I had played 10 years with the U.S. national team, and it's a pretty special accomplishment. The fact that we lost 3-1 wasn't all that great, but the results went our way, and we went on and did very well beating Mexico and then losing to Germany in the quarterfinals. Without question, I reached a goal which I had set a long time ago.”

Thoughts from Training

Carlos Bocanegra and Oguchi Onyewu answering some questions after today's training session...

A Brief Impromptu Interview with Sacha Kljestan

The MNT Blog caught up with Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan, back in his hometown of LA after appearing against Argentina this past week at Giants Stadium. The Blog tracked down Sacha after training today, and bombarded him with a series of questions:

So you went to college at Seton Hall. Was it nice to be back in New Jersey this past week?
It was cool. My brother is still there and I've got a lot of friends and family still in the area. Playing at Giants stadium is always fun.

How many tickets did you have to hand out for those games?
Well for the Chivas game tickets were a bit easier so I had 25. For the national team I had 10, so kind of had to leave some people out but it was still good to get some people to the game.

When you come back to LA what's the first thing you like to do? Beach? Food?
I just like to relax, get back to day to day life and hang out with family. On this trip we had the one day off so we were able to hang out by the pool, relax and get some sun. It was nice.

What's the best thing about summer in Southern California? Pool Parties?
Definitely the weather. You can be at the beach and be outdoors all day long and it never gets too hot, there's always that summer breeze coming in from the ocean.

So what famous player's hairstyle are you trying to emulate?
I'm just trying to grow it really long, which is how I used to have it when I was younger. We'll see how long I can get it before I get sick of it and just shave it all off.

That's going to be a pretty tough battle during the summer. It gets pretty hot out...
Those hot summer game in Texas are going to be pretty tough. I've just got to deal with it.

Yeah, you just have to fight through - The Blog knows this from its own long-haired experience.
Peter Nowak gave me this headband though and it makes it better. He said I couldn't wear a grey one anymore and gave me a black one - it looks really nice.
We could all use fashion tips from Coach Nowak. He is, in fact, the only one who wears a suit on the plane (and looks pretty dapper in the process), so maybe we should all be taking the hint. Have you been able to watch any Euro 2008 games at all?
Its been a great tournament so far and I'm excited to see how the group of death turns out.

Who'd you pick to win?
I have Italy beating Germany in the final and so far they've both lost a game. Not looking too good, but the tournament is still wide open so we'll see what happens. Italy's notorious for that slow start but hopefully they pick it up a little bit in the last game.

The Blog picked France to win (what were we thinking), so one of us will be out after next week. You played in front of close to 80,000 against Argentina this past weekend. Was that the craziest crowd you've ever played in front of?
I think that was probably it. Once with Chivas we played a doubleheader with Barcelona and I think there were about 93,000 people there, but most of them weren't in their seats until the Barcelona game started. This one, as far as how good the crowd was for both sides was really special. The American fans were great.

In regards to crazy crowds, what's the wildest thing that's ever happened during a game you've played in?
The streaker in Tampa was classic and the kid that ran on the field against Argentina was pretty sweet too. He got tackled really hard and he looked about 12 years old - we watched the youtube video of it yesterday.

100 Cap Club: Earnie Stewart

When Landon Donovan earned his membership into the ‘100 Cap Club’ in the 0-0 draw against No. 1-ranked Argentina – becoming the fourth youngest player in soccer history to achieve that mark! - he joined 10 American men in this highly exclusive fraternity. Each U.S. player before him reached the century mark in a unique and, in some cases, historic way. With Donovan’s story now told, ussoccer.com has set out to provide a chronicle of the memorable ways in which the previous 10 players joined the elite group who have proudly worn the jersey at least 100 times for the United States.

Earnie Stewart
Caps: 101
First Cap: Dec. 19, 1990
100th Cap: June 20, 2004 vs. Grenada (World Cup Qualifier)
Era: 1990-2005

Holland native Earnie Stewart earned his 100th cap just two games after teammate Claudio Reyna, pitching in to USA’s 3-2 rain-soaked victory against Grenada in the second match of qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The match, held at Grenada’s National Cricket Stadium, was the U.S. team’s first visit to the island. Stewart entered the game in the 63rd minute to assist DaMarcus Beasley’s game-winning goal in the 77th minute.
Listen to a podcast with Earnie Stewart here.

The three-time World Cup veteran’s 102 international appearances for the U.S. are especially impressive since he spent nearly his entire professional career in the Netherlands, and only earned double-digit caps in two of his 14 years at the international level. The 2001 U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year finished his tenure with the national team with a career 17 goals and 10 assists.

He is most remembered for his game-winning goal in the USA’s 2-1 victory against Colombia in the 1994 World Cup, a game that pushed his team through to the Round of 16 where they lost a memorable 1-0 match to eventual champions Brazil. The win was the first for the U.S. in a World Cup since 1950.



Stewart’s perspective on his 100th cap:
"It's pretty much after the game when you're handed the ball with everyone's signature and congratulated that everything sinks in. You think about all the great games in the past. It meant a little bit more a month or two later when I saw that Grenada had been devastated by a storm. I saw pictures of the stadium where we played, and there wasn't much left of it. All of as sudden, soccer is a little bit less than life."

TT Answered

Lots of good guesses, but for the second time in a row the MNT bloggers have stumped you! (don't know why we are so proud of this - must have been the whoopin' we've been taking for the last year ...)


To review, we asked what two U.S. records were broken when the U.S. opened qualifying last time around, the 3-0 victory on June 13, 2004 against Grenada?

Many of you accurately said that Kasey Keller set the record for most wins for a goalkeeper by collecting his 38th career victory. Kasey has added another 15 since, increasing his career total to 53 victories.

The second one apparently was a little trickier. Amy had us scrambling when she first guessed most shots in a game, but it turns out that the 34 shots against Grenada is only the second-most in team history. The most shots taken came against Canada in the semifinal of the 2002 Gold Cup, where the U.S. peppered Lars Hirschfeld with 36 shots. The game ended 0-0, with the U.S. advancing by winning 4-2 in the penalty shootout. Thanks to Peter Hirdt from Elias Sports Bureau for bailing us out on that one!

The correct answer - and one with an obvious tie-in to the current proceedings - is that on that day, Landon Donovan became the youngest U.S. player in history to reach 50 caps. At 22 years and 98 days old, he surpassed Chris Henderson on the list of the fastest to hit the half century mark.

Here's a bonus random connection to four years ago. We all know Landon reached the 100 cap mark last Sunday against Argentina. Four years ago, the U.S. went in to World Cup Qualifying with then-captain Claudio Reyna having achieved the same milestone. Like Donovan, Reyna reached his 100th cap in the last tune up game before World Cup Qualifying, going all 90 minutes in a 4-0 victory of Honduras in Foxboro, Mass.

Thanks for playing!

Pics from Today's Sunny, Sunny Training

Easy to understand what Randy Newman's talking about when it is in the 70s and sunny...

Conference Call

Nothing clever about the headline, really.

U.S. Soccer held a teleconference call with Bob Bradley and the national media this afternoon to preview the Barbados game. Listen to what transpired.

100 Cap Club: Jeff Agoos

When Landon Donovan earned his membership into the ‘100 Cap Club’ in the 0-0 draw against No. 1-ranked Argentina – becoming the fourth youngest player in soccer history to achieve that mark! - he joined 10 American men in this highly exclusive fraternity. Each U.S. player before him reached the century mark in a unique and, in some cases, historic way. With Donovan’s story now told, ussoccer.com has set out to provide a chronicle of the memorable ways in which the previous 10 players joined the elite group who have proudly worn the jersey at least 100 times for the United States.

Jeff Agoos
Caps: 134
First Cap: Jan. 10, 1988
100th Cap: June 3, 2000 vs. South Africa (Nike U.S. Cup)
Era: 1988-2003

The USA vs. South Africa match in the 2000 U.S. Cup opened with a pre-game ceremony celebrating Jeff Agoos’s 100th career appearance for the national team. The game was played in Washington D.C.’s RFK Stadium, Agoos’ home for five years while playing with D.C. United. The celebration was somewhat overshadowed by the play of U.S. forward Cobi Jones, who scored two left-footed goals in the first half and had two assists in the second in the 4-0 win. Agoos had one of the best games of his career in the shutout though, and said after the game, “I wanted the 100th to be a memorable game and it was.”


Even though he had played in all but one qualifier leading up to France ’98, he became the first U.S. player to reach 100 caps without playing in a World Cup game -- although he would later appear in the 2002 tournament.

Agoos on the 100 cap milestone:
“To represent your country one time, I think, is an honor and a privilege, but to do it at that type of number- at 100 and above- speaks to the qualities not of the player, but of the person.”

TT - Last time's first time

With the computer fixed and the blogging crew back at full strength, we've been bearing down on research for this weekend's first match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.

(Actually, we've been doing it for weeks. But this adds a little drama, don't you think?)

Back to the story. As you may know, when the USA kicked off qualifying for Germany '06, it was the first time since before the 1994 World Cup that the U.S. entered the competition prior to the semifinal stage. Their opponent in the Second Round was Grenada, and on the first match day when DaMarcus Beasley scored two goals and Greg Vanney notched his first international strike, two U.S. Soccer records were broken. What were they?

100 Cap Club: Eric Wynalda

When Landon Donovan earned his membership into the ‘100 Cap Club’ in the 0-0 draw against No. 1-ranked Argentina – becoming the fourth youngest player in soccer history to achieve that mark! - he joined 10 American men in this highly exclusive fraternity. Each U.S. player before him reached the century mark in a unique and, in some cases, historic way. With Donovan’s story now told, ussoccer.com has set out to provide a chronicle of the memorable ways in which the previous 10 players joined the elite group who have proudly worn the jersey at least 100 times for the United States.

Eric Wynalda
Caps: 106
First Cap: Feb. 2, 1990
100th cap: June 15, 1998 vs. Germany (FIFA World Cup)
Era: 1990-2000

What could be better than playing in your 100th career game while at the same time playing the first game of the first round in the 1998 World Cup? Despite what most fans remember about France ‘98, not everything in Paris was negative. Eric Wynalda, the former all-time scoring leader for the U.S. Men’s National team, hit the century mark in the first-round game against Germany on June 15. Wynalda, the first American to play in the Bundesliga, also played in the FIFA World All-Star game prior to the World Cup draw in France. His most famous international goal came in the previous World Cup, USA ’94, when he fired in a 30-yard free kick against Switzerland in the opening round to help move the U.S. into the knockout phase.



Wynalda played his last game for the Stars and Stripes in 2000, finishing with 106 total appearances and a then-record 34 goals.

Wynalda on his 100th appearance:
"At the time and in that moment, it was just another game. But when you look back at your career, you have to view it from a career standpoint as one of your greatest achievements. I was very fortunate to play with some phenomenal players and phenomenal people, and that what's makes it special. It's not who you play against; it's who you shared the field with. That's what I remember the most."

Pics from Today's Training

Better late than never, right?
Check out the full photo gallery here.
Man, it feels good to be back at the Home Depot Center...

Podcast with El Guzano

After returning with computer intact, the MNT Blog sat down with Brad Guzan. The Worm has been all over the world, racking up frequent flier miles and their subsequent benefits like nobody's business. Now back in LA, we decided to get Brad's thoughts on the hectic few weeks and the beginning of World Cup Qualifying...


Listen to the whole podcast here...

Blogger down!

His computer is, anyway. To blog, one really only needs a computer and an imagination, so it was a big blow this morning to find out one of our guys had his machine go kaput. Don't worry, we've still been able to access the loads of questions you've been posting for our players and will start handing out the responses tomorrow. We'll also double up on the chronicle of the USA's 100 cap club and get some highlights of training to boot.

Meantime, keep a thought in your mind for the poor guy who has been parked at the computer store for the last six hours trying to get the green light to go on.

A surprise visitor to training

The answer, dcole, is his mood is great!

A smiling and upbeat Benny Feilhaber wandered out to the Mooch Myernick Field this morning and gave us the progress report on his rehabilitation following surgery to repair a torn meniscus suffered in the USA's first match of the Toulon International last month:

"The surgery went really well. I will start jogging tomorrow, and we're hoping that I will be ready to begin training by the end of the month. I'm pushing hard to get back on the field as quickly as possible."

U.S. fans - and one Under-23 MNT head coach - will be watching closely to see if Feilhaber can make it back in time for the all-important matches this summer.

(and yes, he got major stick from the guys for the 'do ...)

You ask - ??? answers!

We're going to try a different spin on the popular feature of having you submit questions for a specific player. Normally the formula goes like this:

1) We pick the guy
2) You ask insightful and entertaining questions
3) Player gives insightful and entertaining answers

This time out, we want you to ask questions about ... well, anything really ... and we'll match up the question with the right player to respond. Kind of like am e-mail grab bag.

So fire away!

Roster release on ESPN2 up next!

If you're reading this, turn on your t.v.! ESPN2 is minutes away from announcing the USA's roster for the first qualifier of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign againt Barbados. Hopefully you've been watching the Spain-Russia match, which was an absolute cracker. The Spaniards moved the ball like magicians as David Villa struck for three en route to a 4-1 victory. Yes, the same Spain team that the U.S. held to one goal a week ago, where Eddie Johnson nearly put the U.S. ahead in the 49th minute ... OK, OK - we're venting.

Check back on ussoccer.com immediately following the ESPN2 broadcast to get the full details on the U.S. squad set to begin the quest of qualifying for their sixth-consecutive World Cup finals.

100 Cap Club: Paul Caligiuri

When Landon Donovan earned his membership into the ‘100 Cap Club’ in the 0-0 draw against No. 1-ranked Argentina – becoming the fourth youngest player in soccer history to achieve that mark! - he joined 10 American men in this highly exclusive fraternity. Each U.S. player before him reached the century mark in a unique and, in some cases, historic way. With Donovan’s story now told, ussoccer.com has set out to provide a chronicle of the memorable ways in which the previous 10 players joined the elite band of brothers who have proudly worn the jersey at least 100 times for the United States.

Paul Caligiuri
Caps: 110
First Cap: Oct. 9, 1984
100th Cap: July 14, 1995 vs. Argentina
Era: 1984-1997

One of the most memorable games in Paul Caligiuri’s career is also one of the most memorable upsets in U.S. Soccer history. In the first round of the 1995 Copa America, the United States needed a 3-0 win against perennial world power Argentina to win its group and avoid playing Brazil in the quarterfinals- a long shot, to say the least. By starting and playing the entire game, Caligiuri helped solidify the U.S. defense and shutout Argentina’s powerful attack in his 100th game to secure the incredible 3-0 upset victory. The win against Argentina, which seemed next to impossible on paper, is considered to be one of the greatest victories in the team’s history. He was just the second player to join the exclusive 100 club for the Americans.

Listen to a full podcast with Paul Caligiuri here.

Here's a video of highlights from the 1995 game between the USA and Argentina in Copa America (The video first aired in ussoccer.com's Studio 90 show before the Argentina game last week):



Caligiuri’s most famous performance, however, came against Trinidad & Tobago on November 19, 1989 in what is arguably the biggest moment in U.S. soccer history. He scored the only goal in the 1-0 victory that sent the United States to the World Cup for the first time in 40 years. His “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” was the biggest of Caligiuri’s five career goals. One of the best players in U.S. history, the Hall of Fame defender played in the 1986 FIFA World All-Star game and had a career that spanned 14 years (1984-1997).

Caligiuri on his 100th appearance:
“It was an emotional day. The mayor of the city presented me with a key to the city before the game. I remember that Daniel Pasarella and Diego Maradona were in the crowd. Argentina had all of their players, and we had all of ours. And I would say we deserved to beat them. Beating a high level opponent in a big competition and being on the field with so many close friends made it a very important moment in my life.”

Cap Question

We got a comment on our board (thanks AdamK!) about "caps" and where they come from. Well, who better than Urecognized Academic Source Wikipedia to explain!

This is excerpted from the entry on Cap (sport) on Wikipedia:

"A cap is an appearance for a select team, such as a school, county or international team in sports. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap (meaning an item of headgear) to every player in an international match of Association Football; however, the act of awarding a cap is now international and is applied to other sports ...

Actual caps are not usually given any more (caps for friendly matches still exist, and each player gets one cap per international competition), but the term "cap" for an international or other appearance has been retained. Thus, a cap is awarded for each game played and so a player who has played x games, for the team, is said to have been capped x times or have won x caps."

To see some caps in action, you can check out our video from last year about DaMarcus Beasley at Rangers - he talks about the caps around the 4:29 mark:

Parts 2 and 3 still to come!

100 Cap Club: Marcelo Balboa

When Landon Donovan earned his membership into the ‘100 Cap Club’ in the 0-0 draw against No. 1-ranked Argentina – becoming the fourth youngest player in soccer history to achieve that mark! - he joined 10 American men in this highly exclusive fraternity. Each U.S. player before him reached the century mark in a unique and, in some cases, historic way. With Donovan’s story now told, ussoccer.com has set out to provide a chronicle of the memorable ways in which the previous 10 players joined the elite band of brothers who have proudly worn the jersey at least 100 times for the United States.

Marcelo Balboa
Caps: 128
First Cap: Jan. 10, 1988
100th Cap: June 11, 1995 vs. Nigeria (U.S. Cup)
Era: 1988-2000

Marcelo Balboa became the first American player (male or female) to appear in his 100th international game—and he did it with style. On June 11, 1995, just two years after completely tearing his ACL, Balboa made history by hitting the century mark in the opening game of the U.S. Cup against Nigeria at Foxboro Stadium in Boston. Playing in your 100th international game is probably enough to steal the headlines in itself, but that didn’t satisfy the long-haired defender. Down 2-1 just seconds before the halftime whistle, Balboa scored a goal on a header from a Mike Burns free kick to send the teams into the locker rooms tied at two apiece. The 11th goal of his career helped lift the team to a 3-2 win over the Super Eagles, and eventually the the U.S. Cup title. Of one of the best games of his career, Balboa said, “To get the 100th cap and to top it off with a goal and a win, you can’t be much happier.”



He also captained the team in the 1995 Copa America tournament and played in the FIFA World All-Star game in the same year. Balboa would continue playing with the national team through 2000, earning 128 total caps, appearing in three World Cups, and scoring 13 career goals in 12 years with the red, white, and blue.

Balboa on being the first American to 100 caps:
“To be honest, I didn't think I would be the first to get it, especially when I tore my knee in 1993, so when the day came, it was very special. It was something that no other American player had done, man or woman. A lot of defenders don't get to do too many special things in soccer, so to be able to reach 100 caps and score that day was a highlight of my career.”

NEXT UP: Paul Caligiuri

On the road again...

No rest for the weary, folks. While most people were enjoying the positives from last night's performance, the team had another early wake-up call for a 7 a.m. departure for Los Angeles. Lots of tired pups on the team's second five-plus hour flight in five days, but there were some happy faces when we walked out of LAX and found the sunshine of SoCal welcoming the group. It's a light day this afternoon, followed by two of the greatest words in the English language - DAY OFF.

Don't worry, we bloggers will still be here for you. Look for an official announcement tomorrow of the USA's roster for the first qualifier on the road to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Meantime, have a look back on the USA's duel with No. 1-ranked Argentina from a packed house at Giants Stadium

Live Blog: USA vs. Argentina Pre-Game

7:20 p.m. - Ok that's it for this blog! Good luck to the teams and let's hope the U.S. can get a win!

7:18 p.m. - Less than a minute to go before the teams leave the field for one final speech in the locker room. That means its time for The Blog to go fulfill its other duty with U.S. Soccer - Bodyguard to Peter Nowak. Just kidding. We'll be walking Coach Nowak up to his customary position in the coaches' box. Up here he radios the bench with his thoughts on how he sees the game from up here....

7:17 p.m. - Wooo, Allee! That's the kind of comment that we'll always be happy to publish on the blog!

7:16 p.m. - Sun is out now, looks like the rain (knock on wood) is done. In the background of this stadium you can see the New Meadowlands being constructed...This is the U.S.' last game at Giants Stadium...

7:12 p.m. - To answer your question, Rene, Adu is not injured. He's out there on the field currently juggling with Mo Edu and Sacha Kljestan...

7:10 p.m. - Alright, Argentina is out on the field now. In case you didn't see it, they beat Mexico in their last game, 4-1... The fan's are chanting the name of Sergio "Kún" Agüero...

7:03 p.m. - The stadium is filling up quickly...Kasey Keller is going to be honored for his 100th cap during a pre-game ceremony on the field. That milestone was achieved in last year's Gold Cup semifinal against Canada...

7:01 p.m. - Thanks for the comment, Gabe. Still no sign of Argentina. Or their lineup...

6:56 p.m. - The U.S. team is out on the field now....The Blog's handheld camera is not conducive for player identification from 9 stories up...but take a shot anyways:


6:50 p.m. - Goalies are out now - Brad Guzan and Tim Howard are going through their pre-match routines. Howard used to play his club soccer here in this stadium with the Metrostars, while Guzan just played a game here on Thursday night... Meanwhile the U.S. fans have unfurled a massive "Don't Tread" banner...



6:48 p.m. - Its been drizzling a little leading up to the game, but the rain looks to have passed. The field is looking good too - the thick grass from yesterday has been trimmed and the pitch looks ready for a game... The temperature has cooled off a bit too (thankfully)

6:42 p.m. - Remember our futsal post yesterday? Well futsal lost to Guatemala yesterday, but rebounded in a big way today - beating Panama, 7-1. World Cup bound, baby! Well played Futsal tem.

6:40 p.m. - Giants Stadium has played host to some big soccer in its day. You'll remember last year the 5-4 MLS game between the Los Angeles Galaxy and New York Red Bulls. In 1994, the stadium played host to one of the World Cup semifinals too...



Goalies are getting ready to come on the field now...

6:35 p.m. -

Here's the USA's starters for the match against No. 1-ranked Argentina:

-----------------Howard---------------
Cherundolo, Califf, Onyewu, Pearce
Dempsey, Bradley, Mastroeni, Beasley
-----Johnson------Donovan (c)---------

Four changes to the team that lined up against Spain four days ago. Danny Califf slots into central defense replacing Carlos Bocanegra, while Pablo Mastroeni patrols the center of the park in place of Maurice Edu. DaMarcus Beasley gets his second start of the three-match set.

6:30 p.m. - 100 and counting...


6:25 p.m. - Argentina is out pacing around the field right now and the biggest cheer is reserved for, you guessed it, Leo Messi. The diminutive forward comes out and meets his teammates at midfield. The tiny band of traveling Argentina fans goes crazy.

6:21 p.m. - Alright we're setttled in here at the Press Box of Giants Stadium, a full nine stories from ground level - we've got a great view of the field here...People have started filing into the stadium and the drums are beating constantly. Fans are dancing in the stands - a real carnival atmosphere here right now...

Pre-Game Presser

Saturday afternoon we put Bob Bradley, Landon Donovan and Tim Howard on stage for the tradition pre-match press conference. They answered questions for nearly 40 minutes, and covered a wide range of topics. For a great game-day primer, listen in

Heating Up

After two matches in rainy and mild climes, the U.S. team arose to a blast furnace of heat this morning as temperatures had reached a humid 87 degrees by 9 a.m. The thermometer is expected to hit 94 degrees later this afternoon, and with a soft pitch at Giants Stadium and a game against Spain only four days behind them, fitness will definitely be a factor tonight.

Futsal Set for Semifinal

The U.S. National Futsal team is preparing to face Guatemala in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Championship, scheduled to kick off today at 4 p.m. in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Keith Tozer's team, the defending champions, defeated Costa Rica on Thursday, and comes into Saturday's game having gone 2-0-1 in the tournament thus far.

The top three finishers in the CONCACAF Championship earn places in the FIFA Futsal World Championships in the Fall, so the winner of this game books passage to the tournament in Brazil.

DaMarcus Beasley is a HUGE futsal fan, in case you were wondering - his brother Jamar is part of the team down in Guatemala.

"I've talked to him [Jamar] over e-mail a few times while he's been down there and it sounds like things are going pretty well for the team," said Beas over breakfast this morning. "Today's game will be tough - playing Guatemala in Guatemala - but hopefully they can get the job done and get to Brazil for the World Championships."

If you want to watch the game, you can! (Though it'll be on a slight delay) CONCACAF is doing a great job of putting the games on their website - you can watch the full Futsal games via their embedded YouTube player. Pretty awesome and something that you wouldn't normally see otherwise... Check out the games here.

Here's the first half of our game against Costa Rica from Thursday:

Brackets Full

Euro 2008 kicks off today and guys have been frantically filling out their brackets before the Switzerland and Czech Republic get the tournament underway in less than three hours. A popular choice? Well, Germany is one, with the consensus being that they have a fairly easy draw. No way the Blog is going to reveal its choice though! One thing about the Euros: you never know...right, Greece?

The games today are on ESPN Classic, with Switzerland v Czech Republic starting at 11:30 a.m. ET. Portugal and Turkey face off in the afternoon game at 2:30 p.m. ET. You can also watch the games on ESPN360.com - perfect for those of us on the road all the time...

Roster Grows By Two

The U.S. roster for Argentina grew by two late last night when Bob Bradley summoned the FC Dallas duo of Kenny Cooper and Drew Moor following their 2-1 loss to New England in Foxborough. Cooper has two career appearances for the United States, becoming the 41st player in U.S. Soccer history to score in his first game when he netted the insurance goal in the 3-1 win against Denmark on Jan. 20, 2007, at The Home Depot Center. Moor has four appearances to his credit, the last coming in the USA's 2-2 draw against Mexico in Houston earlier this year. Both players report to New Jersey this morning in time for the afternoon session.l

Development Academy Education

The MNT had some careful observers at training today, as the squad was watched by 35 U.S. Soccer Development Academy coaches and scouts from the New York and New Jersey area, and even some from as far away as Hartford, Conn. Led by Development Academy scout Tony Lepore, the coaches observed the team’s light training session and discussed the importance of recovering from long trips (just ask Jay DeMerit). Bob Bradley met the group beforehand to discuss the team's training plans, while assistant coach Mike Sorber addressed the coaches after the session to talk about the methods and goals of each activity.

The coaches, who represented 10 Development Academy clubs, included longtime U.S. Soccer U-14 National Development Program head coach Manny Schellscheidt, U.S. U-15 BNT head coach Jim Barlow and current Met Oval coach and former MetroStars great Giovanni Savarese.

Those same coaches will also be in attendance at the U.S. MNT vs. Argentina match as part of the same coaching symposium. On Sunday, they will be advised by U.S. Soccer Development Academy director John Hackworth, who will be back from a scouting trip to the Barbados-Bermuda match. Hackworth will provide the lineup as well as a pre-match analysis ,giving the Development Academy coaches an outline of the USA's personnel and gameplan,

Bob Bradley Podcast from Training

The team trained today at Montclair St. University in New Jersey for just over an hour as guys worked out the kinks after a tough day of travel yesterday. After practice, Bob Bradley took some questions from the media gathered at the field. Listen to the full podcast here.

Here are some pictures from training today. The guys are playing handball, in case you were wondering what was going on...

Transatlantic travel as seen through the eyes of Jay DeMerit

Earlier in the blog we alluded to the fact that our trip from Santander to East Rutherford, N.J. may have been a bit challenging. With a 10 p.m. local time kickoff against Spain and a 5 a.m. departure from the hotel to begin the rather long journey back to the United States ... well, you do the math. We asked U.S. defender Jay DeMerit to chronicle his experience, and fortunately he took his job seriously. Sort of. Here's the (mostly) unedited chronicle of the day by Jay ...

1:37 a.m. - We have just got back to our hotel from the latest kickoff time ever and finished our dinner/late night snack, and I have a decision to make. We're leaving the hotel at 5 a.m. to drive to Bilbao to start our journey to New York, so the question is: do I sleep and maybe get three hours and wake up a fluffy miserable bunny, or do I stay up and Iron Man it? I don't like being a miserable bunny (or fluffy), so I decide, along with a few others, that we'll just man up and sacrifice a few hours of sleep. Plenty of time to rest on the plane.

3:15 a.m. - Just hitting my late night stride as Stevie and I are jamming on our screeching guitars and Carlos is thumping on the drums as Solares (the name of the hotel and now the name of our band) is rocking away to the latest video game Rock Band! We have the whole set up with the two guitars, drum set, and microphone. I’m normally lead vocalist with Eddie "the Hitman" Lewis on the drums, but Ed couldn’t make it to practice. Rock Band is a great way to spend those many hours in hotel rooms.

4:45 a.m. - All packed and ready to go, I head down to get some breakfast before we get on the bus. I make myself a quick bacon and scrambled egg sandwich, slam a coffee, and get on the bus. I leave my half-eaten sandwich on the seat as I quickly use the bathroom because my 12 year old boy's bladder can’t usually last a few hours on a bus. Steve has now eaten the rest of my sandwich and has left me a half of bite (just for banter). It’s 5 a.m. and I haven’t slept - banter is the only thing keeping me up.

6:15 a.m. - We board our flight from Bilbao to Barcelona on time. Tim Howard asks if anyone around him wants to switch seats with Pam (our mom away from our moms) so she can hold his hand because he doesn’t like to fly. Ha. Being the "team player" that I am, I say of course I will switch. As I walk back to the seat, I realize that instead of being in the mix with the guys, I am now sitting next to the coaches and in particular, Peter Nowak, who at 6 in the morning I am certain has no time for light hearted banter. I go right to sleep :)

7:30 a.m. - We are safely in Barcelona and have a good three hours until our flight to New York leaves. We get to the American Airlines desk and already see that our flight has been delayed for two hours because the one flight coming from the U.S. is coming in late. We are now re-checking in, and even that seems to be taking forever, even though we are the only people in line! Turns out that the computer to check people in has just crashed and it takes a while to reboot.

9:00 a.m. - We are through customs and passport control, and found the lounge. We fly business class over because we are reeaally cool and Gooch needs leg room, so at least we can pass our time in a nice airport lounge. It’s called the Salvador Dali lounge and it's filled with some of his prints. Still slap happy, we start dissecting his artwork and try to figure out what this crazy Spaniard was thinking. I think his cubic collage makes a skull print; others think it turns into Abe Lincoln. Turns out it was Lincoln.

11:30 a.m. - The Dali Lounge is looking like a college dorm room. There are sweat suit clad athletes on just about every couch sleeping in just about every position possible. There is a group of guys in the corner laughing at videos online and the rest are cleaning up the muffins and free food like a swarm of locusts. The rich business men and old couples are enjoying their tea with their noses in the air.

2:00 p.m. - We've finally pushed out of the gate and are making our way to the runway. Clint is sitting next to me and we're talking about when we're going to take our sleeping pills so we can finally get some sleep on this eight-hour flight. I tell him my golden rule of not taking it until I am airborne. He agrees and doesn't take it.

4:00 p.m. - Still on the runway! We've now turned around and made our way back to the terminal because there were paperwork problems. Paperwork problems? Couldn’t have they filled that out during the four hours we were waiting for the plane to get there? Some of the guys who fell asleep on the taxi to the runway are waking up and seeing us at the gate, and they think we are in New York! Clint looks at me and smiles.

5:20 p.m. - I love airplane food. And sleeping pills. The “Hitman” is loopy on his sleeping pill already, and he is throwing almonds at me. Time for the kids to hit the sack.

6:30 p.m. - We’re now on Eastern Standard Time. We land at JFK and the luggage is all actually there, so we get on the bus just in time to hit the end of traffic. It takes us an hour and fifteen minutes to get to the hotel and somewhere in the bus conversations I hear that Newark airport is right next to our hotel. Why wouldn’t we just fly into there? Because that would make too much sense. (I’m kidding, Pam. I know you couldn’t get us on flights there. Please don’t hold my per diem hostage.)

8:30 p.m. - Finally get into my room and collapse on my bed, but I have to get up and go get gear because we have a pool workout. We eat dinner at 10 and then finally, yes finally, after 20 hours of travelling, I get to lie in my bed and watch the NBA playoff game. But then the TV goes blank because there are problems with the satellite.

In case you didn't see it...

Here are highlights of Argentina's 4-1 victory against Mexico this past Wednesday. The game was played in front of nearly 70,000 people in San Diego at Qualcomm Stadium.

Serious Frequent Flier Miles

U.S. MNT and Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan has logged some serious frequent flier miles over the past couple of weeks, appearing in both of the USA's games in Europe without missing a beat for his club team. Guzan went the full 90 for Chivas in a 1-2 road loss to Colorado on May 24, hopped a plane for London and played 45 minutes for the national team three days later. He then made the Transatlantic flight back to Los Angeles for Chivas USA's 2-0 win against Columbus on May 31, then boarded another plane bound for Santander where he met up with the group and played another 45 minutes against Spain on June 4. Hours after the Spain game, Guzan completed this leg of the journey of more than 20,000 miles when he arrived in New York at 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 5, and played 90 minutes against the Red Bulls that night. In what was surely a relief for the net minder, he gets to stay in New York for the USA's game against Argentina on Sunday before making his way back to Los Angeles on Monday ahead of his team's home game against Chicago on Thursday night.

If you're confused, just think how he feels ...

Not the only ones in action

Our opponent for the games that really matter beginning June 15 has been busy prepping as well. Barbados open a two-game set away to Bermuda today, with a second match scheduled against the island nation three days later. We'll keep an eye on the results and lineups for you ...

Back In Jersey

You'll be getting a first-person account of our travels from one our players shortly - here's a hint: it ain't pretty - but suffice to say we are finally ensconced back on the east coast of the United States. Which is actually more than we can say for Argentina, whose charter flight from San Diego following their 4-1 thrashing of Mexico made an overnight pitstop in Kansas City after the team decided to avoid threatening weather conditions and chill out in K.C. instead.

It's an overcast day here in New Jersey as the U.S. quickly changes gears in preparation for the match against Argentina. More than 67,000 tickets have already been sold for the Sunday showdown, and the U.S. hits the training field later this afternoon with a little more than 48 hours remaining before kickoff.

Stay tuned this afternoon when Bob Bradley will put out the roster for the USA's third match in 10 days, and the final tuneup before the start of qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Post Match Sound

Obviously the team is disappointed not to take a deserved point from tonight's match in which they created several scoring opportunities and mostly held in check a potent Spanish attack that is now unbeaten in 17 matches and considered a favorite to win the 2008 European Championshiops. Nonetheless, the players were able to take positives out of an improved effort. Listen to Bob Bradley and several players as they reflect on tonight's performance.

While you are getting ready for bed ...

The team will be heading to the airport in Bilbao. By the time we got back to the hotel and finished dinner it was just before 2 a.m., and the bus departs for the airport at 5 a.m. sharp. It's an hour flight to Barcelona, then a nearly nine-hour hop to New York.

Your Starters vs. Spain

Here is tonight's lineup vs. fourth-ranked Spain:

Howard

Cherundolo Onyewu Bocanegra Pearce

Edu Bradley

Dempsey Lewis

Johnson Adu

Three changes to the starting group that appeared against England a week ago. Maurice Edu slots into central midfield in place of Ricardo Clark, while Eddie Lewis will patrol the left flank instead of DaMarcus Beasley. Up top, it's Freddy Adu replacing Josh Wolff to pair alongside Eddie Johnson.

Down to 18

U.S. head coach Bob Bradley has indicated that Domini Cervi and Nate Jaqua will not be dressing for tonight's match against Spain, reducing the USA's match day roster to 18 players. Check back at 9 p.m. ET to get the exclusive look at the team's Starting XI for the showdown with Spain....

SPAIN ON A ROLL

To say the least ...

The fourth-ranked Spaniards are unbeaten in their last 16 matches dating back to November of 2006, compiling a 14-0-2 record during that span. Some of their victims include England, defending European champions Greece, France, and last but not least, current World Cup title holders Italy. While famed for their attacking prowess, Spain also present a menacing defense that has conceded only six goals and recorded 11 shutouts in the current streak.

Yesterday's Training

Here are pictures for yesterday's training session which took place in Estadio El Sardinero. The stadium is a small, compact ground that should provide a good atmosphere come tonight's match. ussoccer.com also has a podcast featuring Tim Howard, Eddie Lewis, and Carlos Bocanegra. Listen to the full clip here.

Q&A - Mo Knows - The Answers

You asked, he answered. Thanks everybody for writing in question to Toronto FC's Maurice Edu. Here goes:

Now, with the addition of so much attacking talent to TFC's midfield, you seem to be taking on a more holding midfield role. With the under 23's, you have even been used as a pure defender? Do you feel this has stifled your offensive growth? Do you see yourself as consistently capable of a more offensive "box to box" performance with the MNT?

Mo: "I see myself as a "box to box" midfielder - I try to break up as many plays as I can defensively, but I also like to get forward if I can. At the same time though, it is not tough for me to play in different positions depending on what the coach wants or the team needs. Playing in the back you see less of the ball, which is something that you have to get used to quickly. You also have the ability to see the whole field, which gives you a different perspective from playing in the midfield."

What was the greatest moment you have experienced thus far in your soccer career?

Mo: "My first professional game against Kansas City is up there. We ended up losing, but its a moment that I'll never forget. Of course there's also my first national team game, which came against Switzerland in October of last year. I wasn't expecting to get called up so that was a surprise in itself. But starting in the game, our team going on to win against a tough Switzerland team - all those things combined made the trip a great experience."


Who has been your toughest midfield opponent (individually not team) in both domestic and international competitions?

Mo: "Playing against Shalrie Joseph is always a good battle. He's dominant in that position and a huge physical presence. Dwayne DeRosario is crafty on the ball and a smart player as well. I once played against Rui Costa when our team [Toronto] played Benfica in a friendly. It was impossible to get close to him - he was great on the ball and his vision was incredible. You think he would have slowed down, being older, but then he gets the ball and he won't let anyone on the other team near him. "


What made you play soccer growing up as opposed to any other sports?
Mo: "Everyone in my family played soccer, so naturally I started playing from a young age. It was always what I wanted to do and there were other sports that I played from time to time, but nothing as serious as soccer."


If you could play in any stadium in the world, which would you choose to play in?
Mo: Well first go back to last week - playing in Wembley was everything I imagined it would be. You walk out there and get chills, and to play against England was great. It would have been much better if we won, but just playing on that field was something I will always remember.

I'd love to pay in Old Trafford - there is so much history there. Man-U is a great team and I've always been a fan. I went there when I was younger, 13 or 14, and then again with my college team. We saw games there as well, the first time against Blackburn and then against Newcastle United. Watching Paul Scholes live was amazing. I've always respected what he brings to the game, and to see what he does without the ball, the way he is always moving, was really impressive. "

Who's your team for Euro 2008?
Mo: "I like Spain. They've always had a good team, but you always hear about them never really getting it right on the big stage. It'd be nice to see them achieve that now and they've got such a talented team that could really do it. As a backup, I'd have to say France."

What city would you like to see join MLS?

Mo: "Montreal would be fun, and they would have a good fan base as well. The city is a bit different from Toronto. It's very European. I think it'd be great to have that huge rivalry across the country. "

What is it like living in Canada?
Mo: "Really, it isn't that much different from the States. There are lots of European influences and Toronto is so multicultural. There's a good mixture of different cultures and soccer is really popular. Games are sold out and the fans have a great appreciation for the sport. Of course, off the field Toronto is great too. "

We Meet Again ...

While this is only the third time the U.S. and Spain have played at the full international level, four members of the U.S. squad faced off against the Spaniards in the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship in Nigeria. After advancing to the knockout phase by finishing second in their group with victories against England and Cameroon, the USA faced Spain in the Round of 16 on April 15, 1999 in Port Harcourt. Carlos Bocanegra, Steve Cherundolo, Danny Califf and Tim Howard lined up that day for the U.S., while Barcelona midfielder Xavi started in midfield and current Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas stood in reserve. The U.S. spotted Spain three goals before Taylor Twellman got two back, but Spain held on for a 3-2 win and eventually captured the tournament title with a convincing 4-0 win against Japan in the final. Runners up Japan were the only other team to beat the U.S. during the event.

If you have time, check out the USA's roster for that Spain match. Interesting stroll down memory lane ...

The Full Names

Spain's roster is loaded with star-studded talent, most of whom you will recognize by name, and certainly by club. As in many countries, their popular names aren't their complete names, so we figured we'd give you a look at the official list:

Goalkeepers:
Andrés Palop Cervera(Sevilla F.C. S.A.D.)
José Manuel Reina Páez(Liverpool F.C. )
Iker Casillas Fernández(Real Madrid C.F.)

Defenders:
Raúl Albiol Tortajada(Valencia C.F. S.A.D.)
Joan Capdevila Méndez(Villarreal C.F. S.A.D.)
Carles Puyol Saforcada(F.C. Barcelona)
Sergio Ramos García(Real Madrid C.F.)
Juan Gutiérrez Moreno(Real Betis Balompié S.A.D.)
Carlos López Marchena(Valencia C.F. S.A.D.)
Álvaro Arbeloa Coca(Liverpool C.F.)
Fernando Navarro Corbacho(R.C.D. Mallorca)

Midfielders:
Marcos Antonio Senna Da Silva(Villarreal C.F. S.A.D.)
David Jiménez Silva(Valencia C.F. S.A.D.)
Xavier Hernández Creus(F.C. Barcelona )
Andrés Iniesta Luján(F.C. Barcelona )
Francesc Fabregas Soler(Arsenal F.C.)
Xabier Alonso Olano(Liverpool F.C.)
Rubén de la Red Gutiérrez(Getafe C.F. S.A.D)
Sergio García de la Fuente(Real Zaragoza S.A.D.)
Santiago Cazorla González(Villarreal C.F. S.A.D.)

Forwards:
David Villa Sánchez(Valencia C.F. S.A.D.)
Fernando José Torres Sanz(Liverpool F.C.)
Daniel Gonzalez Güiza(R.C.D Mallorca S.A.D.)

TT - Ancient History

When the U.S. kicks off against Spain on Wednesday night, it will end a 16-year break of international matches between the nations. That got us wondering what is the longest interval between games for the U.S. and an opponent that they have played at least twice in history. For example, we have only played North Korea once, so we don't count that in the streak. For this trivia time we'll even give you a hint - it's not Spain. Prior to the 1992 meeting in Valladolid, the teams had not faced off since the 1950 World Cup. While 42 years seems a likely candidate for the answer here, it's not even close.

Get out the history books and the calculators, and have at it ...

Visit from Ambassador Aguirre

Today at lunch Ambassador Eduardo Aguirre, Jr. visited the team, driving up from Madrid to wish the guys luck before the game on Wednesday. Ambassador Aguirre, who has served as the U.S. Ambassador to Spain since 2005, emigrated to the United States from Cuba as an "unaccompanied minor" when he was 15 years old. The ambassador is the former director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and said that though he was unable to stay for the game (Ambassadors work, you know) he would most certainly be watching on TV back in Spain's capital.

Q&A - Mo Knows

Time for another Q&A, this time with Toronto FC midfielder Maurice Edu. Write in the questions people! No seriously, the Blog is taking the afternoon off for a siesta.

Edu received his first cap in late 2007 during the United States' 1-0 win against Switzerland in Basel. He has since been a frequent participant in Bob Bradley's training camps and friendlies, earning five caps with his most recent appearance coming as a late sub in last week's game against England. On the club side of things, Edu is part of a Toronto FC team that is currently in the thick of an Eastern Conference battle - the club is just three points off of leaders New England. Toronto most recently defeated the Galaxy, 2-0, this past weekend.That's all you need to know. Ask away!

Pics from Today's Slightly Drier Training

Final Roster For Spain Set

With the addition of Colorado Rapids midfielder Pablo Mastroeni, the U.S. roster for the June 4 showdown with Spain is done and dusted. Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan continues to receive treatment on a strained groin, and is expected to join the team in New Jersey in advance of the match against Argentina. More than 58,000 tickets have been sold for the June 8 meeting with the world's No. 1 ranked team.

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION

Goalkeepers (3): Dominic Cervi (out of contract), Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Tim Howard (Everton FC)

Defenders (7): Carlos Bocanegra (out of contract), Dan Califf (FC Midtjylland), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jay DeMerit (Watford FC), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock)

Midfielders (6): Freddy Adu (SL Benfica), DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Eddie Lewis (Derby County), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids)

Forwards (4): Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC), Nate Jaqua (out of contract), Eddie Johnson (Fulham FC), Josh Wolff (out of contract)

It has Been Awhile...

...since we've had such a raucous singalong on the team bus but today's trip to and from training session saw guys belting out the tunes. Tim Howard requested that the radio, set to KISS FM, be turned up and the driver obliged. What followed was a journey through the 80's as guys hit chords from Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over," Nina's "99 Red Balloons," and "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" from Dirty Dancing. The tunes didn't stop at lunch either - as Tim pointed out, The Bangles were on the radio in our meal room.

Put Pen to Paper

One of the Blog's favorite activities while in the offseason (a time spent working at soccer house when the MNT is not in session) is coming up with SOCCER SHOCKER, MARQUEE MATCHUP and PEAK PERFORMER for ussoccer.com's weekly Soccer Wire.

Sadly, while on the road we've not been able to indulge in this pastime - a shame, considering the amount of games and events going on around the soccer world these days.

So here's where we enlist the help of you readers out there: what can you contribute this week to one of these alliterative addenda in Soccer Wire?

Pics from Yesterday's Training

As you read, we didn't practice today due to the weather. Here are some pics from yesterday's training to tie you over though. The sun broke through the clouds here late in the day, so (fingers crossed) we'll be back on the field tomorrow...

The Rain in Spain ...

(a nod to English teachers across America, particularly our 11th grade teacher Mrs. Kinsley...)

Heavy rains appeared to have followed us from England, as the skies opened for a several hours last night and into the early morning, forcing the cancellation of today's on-field session. Fitness coach Pierre Barrieu will lead a series of gym sessions at the team hotel later this afternoon.

On the bright side, players and staff got a note stuck under their doors this morning informing them of the schedule change, meaning everyone got to sleep in a little bit later. It's kind of like when you wake up to go to school and find out it's been snowing all night and school has been cancelled - at least for those of us who grew up in places where it actually snows. See all you So Cal folks: living in Southern California does have its disadvantages!

Roster Additions

The U.S. camp will grow by three by tomorrow morning as Maurice Edu, Brad Guzan and Frankie Hejduk make their way to Santander. All three saw action in the England match last Wednesday, with Guzan and Hejduk entering at halftime while Edu replaced Ricardo Clark in the 68th minute. Guzan and Hejduk will be sharing a flight from Los Angeles, where last night Chivas USA collected a 2-0 shutout against Columbus en route to their third straight victory and a share of the top spot in the Western Conference. Mo flies in from Toronto after his side improved their home record to an unbeaten 4-0-2 with a 2-0 win against the Galaxy.

Decisions on remaining roster moves for the Spain game are TBD.

Spector Surgery

Bad news on the injury front for U.S. defender Jonathan Spector. Diagnosed with a torn labrum that has failed to respond to treatment, Spector is traveling to Los Angeles to consult with U.S. team doctor Michael Gerhardt. Surgery is likely to be required, which would sideline the 22-year-old defender for 3-6 months and prevent him from participating in the 2008 Olympic Games.

Scouting in Santander

The MNT Blog headed into Santander last night and, after a great seafood dinner, settled in at the local to watch Spain take on Peru. Spain lined up like this in Huelva:

--------------------Casillas--------------------
S. Ramos - Puyol - Marchena - Capdevilla
Xavi -----Xabi Alonso -- Iniesta --David Silva
----------Torres--------David Villa----------


On a slick pitch in Huelva, Spain grabbed the lead in the first half and carried the advantage late into the game. However, an opportunistic header from substitute Hernan Rengifo tied the game for Peru. The equalizer galvanized the hosts, and Luis Aragones' side went in search of a winner. It finally came in stoppage time, when Joan Capdevilla smashed a Cesc Fabregas cross into the roof of the net to give the Spanish team the win...