Sports Envoys in Bolivia

Former U.S. Women’s National Team player Amanda Cromwell and former U.S. Under-17 Men's National Team coach Jay Miller traveled to Bolivia for a series of soccer clinics around the South American country as part of the first Sports Envoy program of 2009. Cromwell and Miller departed for South America last week, before returning stateside earlier this week.
Launched in 2006, the Sports Envoy program pairs U.S. Soccer with the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs on a sports initiative that sends players and coaches from U.S. Soccer’s National Teams as State Department Sports Envoys to conduct clinics and spark a dialogue with local children around the world. Each program includes one male and one female Sports Envoy.
Cromwell and Miller arrived in La Paz, conducting clinics with local boys and girls in the Bolivian capital for four days. After working with historic clubs, including Boliva and the Strongest, Cromwel and Miller headed to Santa Cruz, the largest city in the country. The coaches conducted a few more clincs with local children at various soccer academies before coming back to the U.S. yesterday. Check out more information from the trip by visiting the embassy's Facebook page.

Highlights from the Premier League

Clint Dempsey and Fulham grabbed a 1-0 win against Stoke City:
Fulham vs Stoke City


Tim Howard and Everton fell 2-1 to Manchester City:
Everton v Manchester City

Saturday Results

• Rangers beat St. Mirren 3-0 in the semifinal of the Scottish Cup at Hampden Park. Maurice Edu played the full 90 minutes for Rangers.
• Clint Dempsey and Fulham held off Stoke City with a 1-0 victory at Craven Cottage. The win vaulted Fulham into seventh place in the table, ahead of West Ham for the final Europa League spot next year.
• Tim Howard and Everton fell to Manchester City, losing 2-1 at Goodison Park.
• Jay DeMerit and Watford nabbed a 3-2 win against Coventry City while Eddie Johnson and Cardiff City were 3-0 losers in Roy Keane's managerial debut for Ipswich Town
• Standard Liege won easily KV Mechelen, but they are still second in the table behind Anderlecht on goal differential. With both clubs on 70 points, Liege trails their rivals by four goals with three games remaining.
  

FA Cup Final Preview Ends Goalless

In a preview of the FA Cup Final on May 30, Chelsea and Everton faced off on Wednesday. Tim Howard and Everton battled to a 0-0 draw a Stamford Bridge, a hardfought point on the road for David Moyes' team. Tim Howard made four saves in the game and also got some late help from his crossbar when Didier Drogba rattled the woodwork in the late stages...

Chelsea v Everton
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Edu's Goal

Finally tracked down Maurice Edu's recent goal for Rangers in their 3-2 win against Hibernian.

Carlos into Cup Final

Just days after compatriot Tim Howard advanced to a Cup final, Carlos Bocanegra and Rennes did the same in France. Rennes advanced to the Coupe de France final with a 1-0 victory against Grenoble. Moussa Sow's header in the first half proved to be the difference, while Bocanegra played 90 minutes at center back (not his customary position during his first season in france in France). The victory puts Rennes into the cup final for the first time in 38 years with their opponent yet to be determined. Toulouse and Guingamp face off today for the other spot at the Stade de France.

Podcast with Tim Howard

ussoccer.com tracked down MNT goalkeeper Tim Howard today, as Everton's FA Cup semifinal hero is in London preparing for Wednesday's game against Chelsea. We asked Howard to take us through the memorable day, concluding with the dramatic shootout victory over Manchester United. With the win, Everton is set to face Chelsea in the all-important Cup final on May 30. Listen to the full podcast with Tim here.

Scoreless Draw for Fulham

Clint Dempsey and Fulham battled Middlesbrough to a 0-0 draw:

Highlights from Denmark

• Benny Feilhaber started for Aarhus in a 1-0 win against league-leaders FC Copenhagen. Highlights here.
• Michael Parkhurst played the full game in Nordsjælland's 3-0 loss to Odense. Highlights here.
• Danny Califf and Midtjylland fell 2-0 to Randers. Highlights here.
• Standings in the Danish league look like this.
  

Shootout: Everton vs. Manchester United.

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Watch Tim Howard's post-game comments here.

Return to Wembley

Everton has just beat Manchester Utd. in the FA Cup semifinal, meaning Tim Howard's team will return to London on May 30 to face Chelsea in the final of the competition.

Howard turned away penalties from Dimitar Berbatov and Rio Ferdinand as Everton squeaked out victory in the penalty shootout.

We'll be back later with highlights...

Gooch Goals

Oguchi Onyewu scored two goals during Standard Liege's 3-0 win over Mouscron yesterday. Gooch snatched the first and third goals of the game as Liege remained three points ahead of Anderlecht at the top of the Belgian league table.

Weekend Results

• Rangers kept pace with Celtic in the Scottish Premier League by beating Hibernian 3-2. Maurice Edu grabbed the winning goal for Rangers, his second in recent weeks for the Glasgow club.
• Clint Dempsey went the full 90 minutes in Fulham's 0-0 draw with relegation-threatened Middlesbrough.
• Borussia Mönchengladbach missed the chance to move free of the Bundesliga drop zone with a 4-1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt. Michael Bradley, who played the full 90 minutes, missed a second half penalty for 'Gladbach.
• In a loss with Europa cup implications, Carlos Bocanegra and Rennes fell 3-1 to AS Monaco on Saturday.

Injury Updates

Steve Cherundolo will have hip surgery next week in Germany to fix a problem that has kept him out of action for the last four games, his club Hannover 96 reports. Cherundolo featured in games on Feb. 28 and March 7 for Hannover, but the problem has plauged him since early January. He will be out for several weeks.

Meanwhile, Jozy Altidore is having a minor operation on his toe in Spain, reports Xerez on the club website. Altidore will be evaluated on a weekly basis.

MNT vs. Trinidad & Tobago Behind the Scenes

Yesterday we caught up with ussoccer.com's Behind the Scenes for the MNT's game against El Salvador. Today we've got a Behind the Scenes piece for last month's 3-0 victory over Trinidad & Tobago in El Salvador:


April 1, 2009: USA vs. Trinidad & Tobago - Behind the Scenes from ussoccerdotcom on Vimeo.

Catch Up on Championship Action

Highlights from Cardiff City's 4-1 win against Derby County - Eddie Johnson scored Cardiff's fourth goal:

Recent Watford Highlights with JayDemerit, including their 2-2 draw with Southampton and 1-1 draw with Barnsley:


More Cardiff City, this time in a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace:

Highlights of Reading's 1-0 loss to Sheffield United:

Better Highlights: Rennes v St. Etienne

Feilhaber Plays 90 Minutes for Reserves

Benny Feilhaber is nearing his return from injury - he played 90 minutes for AGF Aarhus' reserve team.

MNT vs. El Salvador Behind the Scenes

If you watched the Gameday edition of Studio 90 from Nashville, you will have seen ussoccer.com's Behind the Scenes of the MNT's game against El Salvador. We've just posted it again, so check it out if you haven't seen it yet:


March 28, 2009: USA vs. El Salvador - Behind the Scenes from ussoccerdotcom on Vimeo.

Highlights: Aston Villa 3, Everton 3

Highlights of Dempsey's Brace

Clint Dempsey scored two goals in yesterday's 3-1 win over Manchester City. Here are the highlights:



Click Here to see Dempsey speaking to Sky Sports after the game.

Highlights from Belgium and France

Standard Liege's 1-0 win over Lokeren:

Rennes' 1-0 win over St. Etienne:

Dempsey Scores Twice in Fulham Win

Clint Dempsey scored twice in the second half of Fulham's 3-1 victory over Manchester City on Sunday. After going behind before the break, the Cottagers fought back with Dempsey leveling the score on 50 minutes. Dickson Etuhu's well taken strike gave Fulham the lead before Dempsey capped the scoring with a late insurance goal in the 83rd minute.

In other Sunday action, Tim Howard and Everton battled to a 3-3 draw with Aston Villa.

Saturday Results

• Maurice Edu plays 90 minutes in Rangers' 3-1 win over Motherwell.
• Eddie Johnson came on as a late sub as Cardiff continued their promotion push with a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.
• In more Championship action, Watford and Jay DeMerit snatched a late draw against Bransley.
• Borussia Mönchengladbach and Michael Bradley fell 2-1 to league leaders Wolfsburg.
• Carlos Bocanegra and Rennes got back on track with a 1-0 win over St. Etienne.
• Oguchi Onyewu and Standard Liege nabbed a 1-0 win at home against KSC Lokeren.
• José Francisco Torres played 45 minutes in Pachuca's 3-1 win over Toluca.
  

Thursday Update

We mentioned yesterday that DaMarcus Beasley was substituted early in the first half after a collision that left him with a bruised rib. Well, after a scan, Rangers are revealing that the injury is nothing more than a bruise - so thankfully no break. It will keep DaMarcus out this weekend, however, and Rangers haven't set a timetable for his return yet.

Still searching for Maurice Edu's goal - any leads, readers? Regardless, here is manager Walter Smith talking about Mo's contribution and here you can see Mo talking before yesterday's match.

Tim Howard sustained a slight thigh injury during Sunday's win, but he should be ready for Sunday's big clash with Aston Villa, according to Evertonfc.com.

Clint Dempsey and Fulham are preparing for Sunday's trip to Manchester City. Here's an interesting article from The Guardian's David Pleat where he talks about what makes the Cottagers' defence so tough to break down.

Eddie Johnson on Scoresheet for Cardiff

Eddie Johnson was on the scoresheet for Cardiff, netting his second goal for the club in a 4-1 victory over Derby County. Johnson came on as as second half sub for Jay Bothroyd in the 65th minute and grabbed his team's fourth goal in the 79th minute.

Edu Scores for Rangers

Maurice Edu scored his first goal for Rangers today, nodding home a Pedro Mendes corner to get the winning strike in a 2-1 victory over Falkirk. DaMarcus Beasley also got the start for Rangers, though he left due to injury in the first half - no word yet on his condition. MLS shout-out for former New England Revolution midfielder Andy Dorman, who snagged the consolation goal for St. Mirren. Starting in the center of midfield, Edu played 90 minutes and helped Rangers stay within touching distance of Celtic at the top of the SPL table.

Highlights from Sunday

José Francisco Torres played 45 minutes of Pachuca's 2-2 draw with Santos:

Carlos Bocanegra and Rennes' loss to Sochaux:

Oguchi Onyewu and Standard Liege's 3-1 win over G. Beerschot:

Borussia Mönchengladbach's 0-0 draw with Karlsruhe:

Everton's easy victory over Wigan (not too much to do for Tim Howard):

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Highlights: West Ham vs. Sunderland

Highlights of West Ham's win against Sunderland on Saturday:



EDIT: A few readers have been wondering how Jonathan Spector is after that collision this weekend? Well according to reports, he's fine, with no serious injury sustained. We'll keep you posted.

Sunday Results

• Eddie Johnson came on as a late sub in Cardiff's 2-2 draw against Swansea City.
• Heath Pearce made a late appearance for Hansa Rostock in their 2-2 draw with FSV Frankfurt.
• Maurice Edu entered the Rangers' game as a 2nd half sub in a 1-0 victory over Falkirk.
• Michael Bradley played 90 minutes for Borussia Mönchengladbach as they earned an important point on the road against Karlsruhe.
• Rennes fell 3-0 to relegation-threatened Sochaux. Carlos Bocanegra played 62 minutes in the defeat.
• Oguchi Onyewu and Standard Liege went back to the top of the table in Belgium, courtesy of a 3-1 victory over Germinal Beerschot.
• Tim Howard and Everton thrashed Wigan 4-0 at Goodison Park.
  

Saturday Results

• West Ham eased past Sunderland 2-0 at Upton Park. Jonathan Spector started at lasted 73 minutes for the Hammers.
• Marcus Hahnemann kept a clean sheet in Reading's 0-0 draw with Coventry City.
• Jay DeMerit went 90 minutes in Watford's 2-1 win over Doncaster.
  

Thank You Nashville

As we turn out the lights on the 10 day adventure of the first double-date for final round qualifying, here's a couple bullet point highlights:

• Four Points from two games
  
• First Place in the 'Hex'
  
• First Time in U.S. history to come back from down a deuce and get at least a point on the road
• First Hat Trick for a teenager in U.S. history
• Nashville proving to the world there is a big-time soccer town in Tennessee

The next time the U.S. team gathers, it will be the start of a two month odyssey that includes one of the toughest road venues in the region, a trip to the home of the U.S. Soccer Federation, enormous challenges facing three of the world's finest at the FIFA Confederations Cup, and the title defense of the Gold Cup.

Thanks to all of you for your support, comments, criticisms, and contributions to the team's effort as the U.S. continues the march toward qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

We'll be back before you know it...

Tonight's Lineup vs. Trinidad & Tobago

Here's how the U.S. will lineup against Trinidad & Tobago tonight:
---------------------------Howard------------------------------
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---Hejduk--------Bocanegra (c)------Onyewu-------Beasley----
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---------------Bradley---------------Mastroeni-----------------
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Dempsey----------------------------------------------Donovan
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---------------Altidore------------Ching------------------------

Thoughts?

Don't Tread On The Red

You gotta admit - this is pretty cool.
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Lineup Predictions?

The best part of game day for fans and pundits alike - minus, the game of course - is trying to figure out the starting XI that Bob Bradley will put out. The media are given the list one hour before kickoff, the same time that fans of the MNT blog get a peek.

But since that moment is still several hours away, let the predictions begin. Who do you think will be taking the field when the USA seeks to maintain their hold on the top spot of the final round hexagonal?

(We could post ours, but that would be cheating ...)

Gold Cup Groups Coming Thursday

CONCACAF has announced that the groups and schedules for the 2009 Gold Cup will be announced Thursday afternoon. The 13 venues for the regional championship have already been determined, and by this time tomorrow the U.S. will have been given the road map to navigate their title defense.

The U.S. rallied from a goal down to earn a 2-1 win against Mexico in the 2007 championship match, collecting their second consecutive regional crown and earning a place in this summer's Confederations Cup in South Africa where they will face Brazil, defending World Cup champions Italy and Egypt.

Halfway Through The Day

Different venue - same story. Game day is all about two things - eating and resting. Lots of crossword puzzles being done and headphones in the ears on the players' floor. It's a gorgeous day here in Nashville, and with 21,000 tickets sold through last night and a big walk-up crowd expected, it should be an electric night at LP Field.

Speaking of electric, here's a shot of Nashville at night.

UFC Fight Night in Town

UFC Fight Night is in Nashville tonight for a series of bouts culminating in Carlos Condit taking on Studio 90 host Michael Kammarman, er...sorry, Martin Kampmann at the Sommet Center. All the fighters are in our hotel, including many who won't be on the card tonight. That includes former title holder Forrest Griffin, who can count Tim howard among his many fans. Tim tracked down Forrest to get a picture. "I'm a big UFC fan, so of course I wanted to get a picture with the guy who held the belt. We watch all the fights in England. It's really popular over there."

You can watch today's game day edition of Studio 90 over at ussoccer.com.

One More Podcast

Tim Howard and Landon Donovan talk to ussoccer.com ahead of Wednesday's game. Listen to the full podcast here.

Podcast from Yesterday's Training

Training was moved up yesterday due to weather concerns but the team managed to get the customary hour on the pitch to run over final preparations for tonight's game. In lieu of a press conference Bob Bradley spoke to media after training. You can listen to the full podcast of Bob's pre-game comments here.