Americans in UEFA Cup

Two U.S. players learned their fate for European club competition this morning as the draw for the Group Stage of UEFA Cup was announced. Oguchi Onyewu and Standard Liege, fresh off their qualifying victory against Tim Howard and Everton, were drawn into a Group C headlined by 2006-07 UEFA Cup champions Sevilla. Meantime, goalkeeper Brad Guzan and Aston Villa face an interesting challenge in Group F along with fellow former European Champions Ajax and Hamburg. Group play kicks off Oct. 23.

Group C
Sevilla
VfB Stuttgart
Sampdoria
Partizan Belgrade
Standard Liege

Group F
Hamburg
Ajax
Slavia Prague
Aston Villa
MSK Zilina

The Cuba Experience

While we look forward to the USA's return to RFK and meeting Cuba on Saturday, it's hard not to look back at the experience of being the first full U.S. national team to travel and play in Cuba since 1947. From the thriving culture to the unusual landmarks, the match and all its surroundings provided the team a truly unique memory. Take a peek behind the scenes at this two-part series of the USA's Cuba Experience.

And don't forget the highlights from on the field, including Clint Dempsey's game-winning goal that delivered the U.S. a 1-0 win and is part of his team-leading four goals in 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying.

veintidos aqui

The line at the dinner buffet was much longer tonight as 22 of 23 players have now completed the journey to D.C., with Charlie Davies the lone member of the squad left to arrive. The flow of Euros across the Atlantic from Beasley and Edu in Scotland to Bocanegra in France continued throughout the evening, while Jose Francisco Torres made the cross-border trip from Pachuca. It was the usual scene of smiles and hugs from a group that truly enjoys being together. Now the real business starts tomorrow with the first full session of the week and the match against Cuba creeping up the horizon ...

Tough Start to the Season for Mochengladbach

Michael Bradley's Borussia Monchengladbach are enduring a tough start to the Bundesliga campaign and, after Sunday's loss, head coach Jos Luhukay was sacked.


Christian Ziege becomes the caretaker manager for 'Gladbach, who have the international break to try to steady the ship.

In other Bundesliga action over the weekend, Steve Cherundolo helped Hannover to a 1-1 draw against Borussia Dortmund.

Rennes Record Win over Lyon

Carlos Bocanegra and Rennes dispatched Lyon, 3-0, with a well-earned victory at the Stade de le Route-de-Lorient. The win, which marked the Ligue-1 Champions' first loss of the season, will be a helpful tonic for Rennes, who were eliminated from the UEFA Cup by Twente on Thursday.

The three points bump Bocanegra and Co. up to 7th in the LIgue 1 table.

tranquilo training

The first session of the D.C. camp was decidedly brief, the group on the field for less than an hour, with some just seeing the inside of the gym. Brian Ching and Jay DeMerit went straight to the bikes, while Landon Donovan hit the weight room shortly after warmups. Clint Dempsey, Sacha Kljestan and Michael Orozco - all of whom went 90 on Saturday - were the next to start on the regeneration path, while Jozy Altidore, Michael Bradley, Frankie Hejduk and Danny Szetela stayed on the field for ball work and finishing. Not much else to it, to be honest, but we'll have video from training a little later today. By the start of the Red Sox - Angels game, 22 of 23 players will have made it Washington.

Coach out at 'Gladbach

There's a shakeup at Borussia Moenchengladbach, the new home of U.S. midfielder Michael Bradley, as coach Jos Luhukay has been fired after posting a 1-6-0 record in seven matches. Sporting Director Christian Ziege will assume the reins while the search for a successor begins.

Group 1 Primer

Since we've been out of action for a spell, figured we would give you a refresher on the USA's group in the semifinal round of qualifying. The U.S. sits in sole possession of first place with nine points from three matches, snagging away victories in their first two matches against Guatemala and Cuba. Tied on four points, Guatemala is ahead of Trinidad & Tobago based on superior goal differential. The Chapines picked up an important road point in Port-of-Spain on MatchDay 2, then trounced Cuba with a 4-1 win in Guatemala City. The swing match could be Oct. 11 at back in Guatemala City, where T&T will be looking to get back the points lost in the home leg. Cuba has yet to earn a point in the group, but is nowhere near mathematically eliminated from advancing. The two best teams will move on to the final round hexagonal, which kicks off in February of 2009.

Group 1

	Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
	USA	3	3	0	0	5	0	9
	Guatemala	3	1	1	1	5	3	4
	Trinidad and Tobago	3	1	1	1	4	5	4
	Cuba	3	0	0	3	2	8	0

Easing into it

With an abundance of Sunday matches involving our Euros, attendance at today's training session will seem a bit ... sparse. When you combine travel, minor injuries and playing time during the weekend, it's fair to say that for the players his won't be the most strenuous session of their careers. Here's the 10 who will picking up their training gear this afternoon:

Jozy Altidore
Michael Bradley
Brian Ching
Jay DeMerit
Clint Dempsey
Landon Donovan
Frankie Hejduk
Sacha Kljestan
Michael Orozco
Danny Szetela

Welcome to Washington

It's the start of a big week for the U.S. National Team as a place in the final round of qualifying for South Africa is within reach, and there's no better setting than historic RFK Stadium in our nation's capital. It's a town conceived to host big events, and the upcoming match against Cuba certainly fits the bill. Leading Group 1 with nine points from three matches, the U.S. takes on Cuba on Saturday, Oct. 11 at RFK Stadium where a victory would ensure their advancement to the CONCACAF Hexagonal (tickets). Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN Classic and Galavision.

There's plenty of storylines to follow, from the team's six-match shutout streak to their storied history in D.C. And as always, ussoccer.com will be there to provide the inside scoop. For the moment, Bob Bradley's men continue to trickle into Washington, with several members of the 23-man squad having been completing club commitments earlier today. The team begins training Monday, so get ready for a plethora of sights and sounds as the World Cup qualifying campaign continues ...