The Official 2010 Pre- World Cup Thread

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[color=#FF0000][color=#000000][size=5]U.S. Player Ratings

[/size][b][size=1]by [/size][url="http://www.socceramerica.com/author/49/ridge-mahoney/"][size=1]Ridge Mahoney[/size][/url][size=1], May 26th, 2010 1:45AM[/size][/b][/color][/color]
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[color=#FF0000][USA-CZECH REPUBLIC REPORT CARD][/color] Soccer America's [b]Ridge Mahoney[/b] grades the U.S. players after the USA's 4-2 loss to the Czech Republic in Hartford, Conn.

[color=#FF0000]USA[/color]
[b]STARTERS:
Rating/Player (Club/Country) GP/G[/b]
[b]4[/b] Brad Guzan (Aston Villa/ENG) 16/0
[b]3[/b] Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA) 30/2
[b]4[/b] Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan/ITA) 52/5
[b]6[/b] Clarence Goodson (Start/NOR) 12/2
[b]5[/b] Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96/GER) 58/2
[b]7[/b] Stuart Holden (Bolton Wanderers/ENG) 12/2
[b]6[/b] Maurice Edu (Rangers/SCO) 13/1
[b]6[/b] Jose Francisco Torres (Pachuca/MEX) 9/0
[b]6[/b] DaMarcus Beasley (Rangers/SCO) 91/17
[b]3[/b] Eddie Johnson (Aris/GRE) 41/12
[b]5[/b] Edson Buddle (Los Angeles) 2/0

SUBS:
[b]Rating/Player (Club/Country) GP/G
2[/b] Heath Pearce (FC Dallas) 32/0
[b]6[/b] Robbie Rogers (Columbus) 12/1
[b]4[/b] Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA) 24/3
[b]6[/b] Brian Ching (Houston) 45/11
[b]6[/b] Herculez Gomez (Puebla/MEX) 3/1
[b]5[/b] Alejandro Bedoya (Orebro/SWE) 3/0

[i](Ratings: 1=terrible; 5=average; 10=brilliant.)[/i][/quote]



[url="http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38219/us-player-ratings.html"]http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38219/us-player-ratings.html[/url]

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[color=#FF0000][color=#000000][size=5]Reaction from U.S. locker room

[/size][b][size=1]May 26th, 2010 2:46AM[/size][/b][/color][/color]
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[color=#FF0000][USA-CZECH REPUBLIC][/color] After the last game before U.S. coach [b]Bob Bradley[/b] will have to make his decision on which players to take to the World Cup, those players on the bubble admitted they're anxiously waiting for word whether they'll be going to South Africa.

[b]U.S. Coach BOB BRADLEY [/b]

[i]On the feeling after the game and the commitment of the players throughout pre-World Cup training camp: [/i]
"I speak on behalf of the players and you can only imagine the emotions when they come off the field. We've worked very hard and guys know we're at a point where tough decisions need to be made. There's still a respect we have for what they've put into the camp and into the game. As a player, to come into a camp with the opportunity to make a team and go to the World Cup is a special thing. As it gets closer and closer those emotions come out. On a night when the result doesn't go our way, we know there are things we will still work hard at and we pay tribute to the guys who have been in this camp, the work they've put in and the way they've gone about it."

[i]On the game tonight: [/i]
"There was a lot of energy at times and the collective effort meant at times we created things going forward but we didn't always do well on the final side of it. In the process of trying to put so much into it we left ourselves open at times."

[i]On the purpose of the game: [/i]
"Tonight was about looking at guys. We felt going into the game we still needed to size up some different possibilities and options. The subs we used tonight were all geared toward looking closely at people and using that information along with everything else in camps before and through this cycle. There are thoughts about what they bring to the team chemistry and mentality, and finally the fitness and current form. It's all of those things that get discussed and then decisions get made."

[i]On DaMarcus Beasley's performance in camp: [/i]
"It's been a good camp for DaMarcus. He's shown his teammates again there is renewed commitment to everything and I think that's what he showed on the field tonight."

[i]On Herculez Gomez: [/i]
"Herculez played his way into the camp with his performances at Puebla. It was based upon goals and in some cases coming on as a sub and scoring. You assess a lot of things and tonight I saw plays that for me need to be better but obviously he scored a goal which is very important in this whole thing. I started by talking about how players have a lot to be proud of and here's a guy who was totally out of the picture and played his way back in. He certainly will be discussed during our meetings tonight."

[i]On Oguchi Onyewu's progress during pre-World Cup training camp: [/i]
"We've seen improvement in this camp in terms of how he moves around, so that was encouraging. His overall reactions in the game were good and on the ball, passing was pretty solid. Now all these things need to be moved up a few more notches…certainly after six or seven months there were a lot of good things."

[i]On making decisions on the roster: [/i]
"We'll go back and have a team meeting. We have a lot of things we've laid out already so we'll see how far along we are. We'll talk to players either late tonight or early in the morning and that will of course depend on where we are with some things."

[b]U.S. MNT Midfielder STUART HOLDEN[/b]

[i]On playing center midfield: [/i]
"At that point we're moving things around and I'm comfortable playing either in the middle or out wide. It was just the way it went with subs. We switched things around and always knew we'd be mixing things up in the second half."

[i]On set pieces: [/i]
"Set pieces are something I pride myself on when I'm in dangerous areas. I was a little disappointed with myself tonight at the end of the second half when my legs were a little tired and I was a little lackadaisical. We have good guys attacking the ball and if you put the ball in the right position they get on the end of it."

[i]On the game tonight: [/i]
"First half and second half we created enough chances to score but they didn't quite come off for us. We're disappointed with the result but we can take a lot of positives from the game."

[i]On players making the World Cup squad: [/i]
"The way this team has been built, there is team chemistry and we're going to support everyone, whether they're on the roster or not. This is a tough part and there are tough decisions for the coaching staff. But we all know there are decisions to be made and if it goes your way then great, you're going to South Africa. If not, you move on, put it behind you, and support the team."

[b]U.S. Forward HERCULEZ GOMEZ[/b]

[i]On his goal: [/i]
"It was a special moment, but that goal was 10 percent me and 90 percent [b]Clarence [Goodson][/b]. I'm definitely thankful I was in the right place at the right time."

[i]On making the World Cup squad: [/i]
"It'd mean the world, that's for sure. It's every soccer player's dream, to be standing where I'm standing. I'm aware of that and this has been special, especially with where I was nine months ago."

[i]On the feeling within the team after the game: [/i]
"It's mixed emotions. Guys are obviously disappointed we lost and for stretches that game we played well. Some guys are just ready for this hard week to be over and we're all nervous and anxiously waiting."

[b]U.S. Midfielder MAURICE EDU[/b]

[i]On his goal: [/i]
"That was my first goal with the national team so I'm definitely excited. It was a good start for us. We were putting a lot pressure on them and to get that goal put us in a good position at that time. The celebration was for [b]Charlie Davies[/b]. Unfortunately, he's not here with us right now but that was just a way to show the world we're thinking about him and he's still a part of the team."

[i]On playing center back: [/i]
"It's a position I played at the Olympics so it is familiar. In the game I got a little bit tired but I felt pretty comfortable back there. I played quite a bit in the back and the coaches have said they might play me in that position if need be. In training I played a little bit back there and in the middle as well."

[b]U.S. Midfielder DaMARCUS BEASLEY [/b]

[i]On the game: [/i]
"It was difficult. It was hot and muggy and guys got tired. We gave up a bad goal at the end of the first half but all in all I thought we did alright."

[i]On his position with the national team: [/i]
"My favorite is the right side because I can cut in on my left. But it's World Cup time so anywhere you can fit on the field or anywhere you can fit in the 23 is where you want to be. If the coaches want to use me in any way possible I'm all for it. I'm just happy to have the opportunity to play. I played at right midfield, left midfield and left back throughout the week and Bob knows I can play different positions. It's always good to have some versatility in your game."

[i]On working his way back into the national team fold: [/i]
"I've always been committed to the national team but I had a rough time when my form went down and my confidence went down as well. I've always been committed to the national team and I've always tried to play my best for my country. It didn't happen that way and I got down on myself. All I asked for was a chance and now that I'm getting back into playing and training regularly, I feel like I'm back to being myself."

[b]U.S. Forward EDSON BUDDLE [/b]

[i]On whether he felt a greater sense of urgency knowing that this was the last match before naming the roster for the World Cup: [/i]
“It’s been like that all week in training. There was more fitness and less playing. Even tonight, I think guys were getting after it and were anxious to put their best out there and leave it on the field.”

On whether players were anxious to win the game with everything on the line:
“I think the guys were more anxious and wanting to do well than they were nervous. It’s the same game and you just want to be sharp and be aware and have the energy to show that you want to be on this team.”

[i]On what happened during the play that resulted in him getting stitches: [/i]
“I’m not sure how many stitches I got. I was more focused on the ball. I’m not sure if I got hit by the goalkeeper or if it was a headbutt with someone trying to clear the ball out. I was just focused on the ball and trying to get a head on it.”

[i]On whether he would like time to go faster to know the World Cup roster: [/i]
“Looking at it from Bob’s side, I would say that he wants to make it tough for the players and making sure they’re competing every day. As a player, I would want to know just to prepare for it and know that you’re on the team. As a player, you want to be there.”

[b]U.S. Forward EDDIE JOHNSON [/b]

[i]On how he has grown as a player in Greece: [/i]
“I think it’s been a good experience for me. Going to Europe, it has taken me quite some time to settle in. Sometimes it takes players longer. Sometimes Americans go over and do well early. For me, it has taken quite some time but I’m enjoying it.” [/quote]


[url="http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38223/reaction-from-us-locker-room.html"]http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38223/reaction-from-us-locker-room.html[/url]

[MAGICTOUCH]

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[color=#FF0000][color=#000000][size=5]World Cup Warmups

[/size][b][size=1]May 24th, 2010 12:30AM[/size][/b][/color][/color]
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[color=#FF0000][DATEBOOK] [/color]Mexico is back in action on Wednesday. It faces the Netherlands in Feriburg, Germany. France plays its first warmup when it hosts Costa Rica in Lens. For all this week's games and television viewing information ...

[color=#FF0000]SCHEDULE:[/color]
[color=#FF0000]May 26 in Freiburg, Germany, 2 pm ET[/color]
Netherlands vs. Mexico (Telemundo)
[color=#FF0000]May 26 in Lens, 3 pm ET[/color]
France vs. Costa Rica (TV: ESPN Deportes, ESPN3)
[color=#FF0000]May 26 in Santiago, 7 pm ET[/color]
Chile vs. Zambia
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[color=#FF0000]May 27 in Minsk, 12:30 pm ET[/color]
Belarus vs. Honduras
[color=#FF0000]May 27 in Aalborg, 2:15 pm ET[/color]
Denmark vs. Senegal
[color=#FF0000]May 27 in Pretoria, 2:35 pm ET[/color]
South Africa vs. Colombia
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[color=#FF0000]May 28 in Dublin, 3 pm ET[/color]
Ireland vs. Algeria [/quote]



[url="http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38179/world-cup-warmups.html"]http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38179/world-cup-warmups.html[/url]

[MAGICTOUCH]

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[color=#FF0000][color=#000000][size=5]Lalas rings the alarm bell

[/size][b][size=1]by [/size][url="http://www.socceramerica.com/author/45/paul-kennedy/"][size=1]Paul Kennedy[/size][/url][size=1], May 26th, 2010 1:58AM[/size][/b][/color][/color]
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[color=#FF0000][TELEVISION WATCH][/color] American voices will be almost entirely absent from ESPN's expansive coverage of the World Cup, but luckily it will have [b]Alexi Lalas[/b]. He rang the alarm bell about the U.S. backline. And that was before the game started ...

Lalas was clear about what the game did or did not mean. "He knows his 23," he said of [b]Bob Bradley[/b] before the USA went out and lost to the Czech Republic, 4-2.

But he raised concerns about those who'll be going, notably [b]Oguchi Onyewu[/b], who hadn't played in seven months after suffering a knee injury.

"He's a complete lame duck," said Lalas.

But he added the problems didn't stop there, listing off the two other key center backs.

"[b]Jay DeMerit[/b]. Another center back. It was announced the other day that he's having depth-perception problems with his eyes. Possibly a problem when you're a marking back or a professional soccer player ...

"[b]Carlos Bocanegra[/b]. We find out the guy's had [sports hernia] surgery a couple of weeks ago out. They neglected to tell us that ..."

Lalas' take on the U.S. situation was in contrast to that of German [b]Juergen Klinsmann[/b], who did not add much in his ESPN debut.

Klinsmann's post-game summation: "I hope the coach saw the things that he wanted to see."

[color=#FF0000]WISHFUL THINKING?[/color] [b]Bob Bradley[/b] measures his words, so it was a surprise for him to slip up in his post-game interview with [b]Jeremy Schaap[/b].

Among the positives he got from the loss: "Having Gooch and [b]Stuart Holden[/b] get 90 minutes, that's also real important."

Bradley apologized for the slipup -- Onyewu only went 65 minutes -- but he sure sounded unconvinced about the fitness of his giant center back.

"Through this period," Bradley added, "he's moving better all the time. We'll see how he comes out of this game. I think he felt good coming off the field. We'll continue to work him hard."

[color=#FF0000]NO WINGS IN RENNES?[/color] [b]John Harkes[/b]' sense of humor rarely comes across on television, but he did have the line of the night when a camera caught[b] Landon Donovan[/b] and captain [b]Carlos Bocanegra[/b]talking while Bocanegra was eating what looked like a chicken wing in the suite for the U.S. players who didn't dress.

What was Donovan saying?

"You sure you're OK to eat that," said Harkes. [/quote]


[url="http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38220/lalas-rings-the-alarm-bell.html"]http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38220/lalas-rings-the-alarm-bell.html[/url]

[MAGICTOUCH]

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[color=#FF0000][color=#000000][size=5]North Korea's Japanese wonder strikes twice

[/size][b][size=1]May 25th, 2010 11:48PM[/size][/b][/color][/color]
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[color=#FF0000][WORLD CUP WARMUPS][/color] Don't write off North Korea as a hopeless underdog quite so quick. The Chollima held Greece to a 2-2 tie in one of three World Cup warmups played in Austria on Tuesday, all of which ended in ties.

[b]Jong Tae Se [/b]-- the Japanese-born and -bred player dubbed the "Rooney of Asia" -- scored a goal in each half for North Korea, which gave Greece fits with their quick attacks.

"We picked this opponent because they have a similar playing style to the South Koreans," Greece coach [b]Otto Rehhagel[/b] said. "We must take care because they were well prepared and disciplined."

Greece faces Argentina, Nigeria and South Korea in Group B.

North Korea is given no chance in Group G against five-time champion Brazil, Ivory Coast and Portugal.

[color=#FF0000]RESULTS:
[/color][color=#FF0000]May 25 in Lienz, Austria[/color]
[b]Georgia 0 Cameroon 0.[/b]
[color=#FF0000]May 25 in Altach, Austria[/color]
[b]Greece 2 North Korea 2. [/b]Katsouranis 2, Charistaes 49; Jong Tae-Se 23, 52.
[color=#FF0000]May 25 in Wattens, Austria[/color]
[b]Nigeria 0 Saudi Arabia 0.[/b]
[color=#FF0000]May 25 in Dublin[/color]
[b]Ireland 2 Paraguay 1.[/b] Goals: Doyle 7, Lawrence 39; Barrios 57
[color=#FF0000]May 25 in East Hartford, Conn., 8 pm ET[/color]
[b]USA 1 Czech Republic 1. [/b]Goals: Edu 17; Sivok 44.[/quote]



[url="http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38214/north-koreas-japanese-wonder-strikes-twice.html"]http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38214/north-koreas-japanese-wonder-strikes-twice.html[/url]

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[b][size="5"]U.S. sets 23-man World Cup roster[/size][/b]
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[color="#333333"][font="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"]BRISTOL, Conn. -- Edson Buddle and Herculez Gomez went from long shots to the U.S. World Cup roster, joining veterans Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley and Tim Howard on the American team headed to South Africa.[/font][/color]
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[/color][/font][font="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][color="#333333"][size="3"]U.S. coach Bob Bradley cut seven players from his preliminary roster Wednesday to reach the 23-man FIFA limit. The Americans will play England on June 12 in their World Cup opener.[/size][/color]

[color="#333333"][size="3"]Let go were defenders Chad Marshall and Heath Pearce; midfielders Alejandro Bedoya, Sacha Kljestan and Robbie Rogers; and forwards Brian Ching and Eddie Johnson.[/size][/color]

[color="#333333"][size="3"]Midfielders Donovan and Beasley, and defender Steve Cherundolo earned their third World Cup trips. Beasley's selection capped a comeback from nine months of national team exile that ended in March.[/size][/color]

[color="#333333"][size="3"]Seventeen of the 23 players are based in Europe, with just four from Major League Soccer and two from Mexican clubs. Of the European group, eight play in England, three in Germany, two in Scotland, and one each in Denmark, France, Italy and Norway.[/size][/color]

[color="#333333"][size="3"]Both Buddle and Gomez are forwards, and Bradley said they "both have been in great form, scored a lot of goals this year."[/size][/color]

[color="#333333"][size="3"]Buddle was a nonenity for the U.S. during World Cup qualifying. But he's scored nine times this season for the Los Angeles Galaxy to lead the MLS, and he made his first start for the national team in Tuesday night's 4-2 loss to the Czech Republic.[/size][/color]

[color="#333333"][size="3"]The 29-year-old Buddle didn't quite believe it when Bradley congratulated him at 2 a.m. Wednesday.[/size][/color]

[color="#333333"][size="3"]"I thought he was messing around. I didn't know. It was too late," he said.[/size][/color]

[color="#333333"][size="3"]Gomez might have faced even longer odds to make the squad after his contract was not renewed last year by Kansas City in MLS. But he went to Puebla of the Mexican league and tied for the scoring lead with 10 goals in 14 appearances.[/size][/color]

[color="#333333"][size="3"]"I wasn't good enough for the Wizards last year, so to be where I am today is amazing," Gomez said.[/size][/color]

[color="#333333"][size="3"]Bradley praised Buddle, Gomez and Beasley for taking advantage of their opportunities.[/size][/color]

[color="#333333"][size="3"]"One player that I felt fits into that category is Herculez Gomez," Bradley said. "He's worked hard to get to this point.[/size][/color]

[color="#333333"][size="3"]"DaMarcus obviously had fallen out of it a bit and he needed to make a renewed commitment to the team and doing things as a player that makes his team better. And we've seen that.[/size][/color]

[color="#333333"][size="3"]"When you make tough decision you try to factor in everything," Bradley added. "You take into account where they are in their season and certainly to this point Edson is one of the best players in MLS. That type of form needed to really count."[/size][/color]

[color="#333333"][size="3"]A total of 92 players made at least one appearance under Bradley during the four-year World Cup cycle as the team went 35-19-6. He used 43 players during qualifying; 19 of them made the final roster. Those players accounted for 29 of 42 goals scored in qualifying, including Altidore's team-leading six goals.[/size][/color]

[color="#333333"][size="3"]The roster:[/size][/color]

[color="#333333"][size="3"][b]Goalkeepers:[/b] Brad Guzan (Aston Villa, England), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton, England), Tim Howard (Everton, England).[/size][/color]

[color="#333333"][size="3"][b]Defenders:[/b] Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes, France), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover, Germany), Jay DeMerit (Watford, England), Clarence Goodson (IK Start, Norway), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan, Italy), Jonathan Spector (West Ham, England).[/size][/color]

[color="#333333"][size="3"][b]Midfielders:[/b] DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Michael Bradley (Borussia Moenchengladbach, Germany), Ricardo Clark (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany), Clint Dempsey (Fulham, England), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles), Maurice Edu (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Benny Feilhaber (AGF Aarhus, Denmark), Stuart Holden (Bolton, England), Jose Torres (Pachuca, Mexico).[/size][/color]

[/font][color="#333333"][font="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][b]Forwards:[/b] Jozy Altidore (Hull, England), Edson Buddle (Los Angeles), Robbie Findley (Salt Lake), Herculez Gomez (Puebla, Mexico).[/font][/color] [/quote]


[url="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/5222503/ce/us/united-states-sets-23-man-roster-south-africa?cc=5901&ver=us"]http://soccernet.esp...?cc=5901&ver=us[/url]

[MAGICTOUCH]

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[font="verdana"][size="2"][b][size="5"]Klinsmann broke off U.S. talks partly over MLS[/size][/b]
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[font="verdana"][size="2"]BRISTOL, Connecticut (AP) -- Juergen Klinsmann broke off talks to become coach of the U.S. football team in 2006 because he wasn't guaranteed top players the following summer for two preparation tournaments ahead of World Cup qualifying.The former German national team coach, who will be an ESPN analyst for this year's tournaments, visited the network's campus for the first time Tuesday and spoke in some detail about his decision to end talks with the U.S. Soccer Federation in December 2006.

Klinsmann and USSF president Sunil Gulati discussed player availability for the 2007 Copa America and CONCACAF Gold Cup.

"There were different opinions, you know, what players could get the permissions in MLS, what role it plays,'' he said. "And I thought here, it's not going the right directions in that specific moment. ... So I said, 'You know, it's OK, move on.'''

Gulati then hired Bob Bradley, who is preparing to coach the U.S. in the World Cup next month.

Klinsmann, who moved back to California with his family in December, wouldn't say whether he would be interested in coaching the U.S. one day.

"I don't know what happens, you know, over the next couple weeks, you know, or even in a year from now,'' he said. "But I think it's not correct if you discuss something that involves somebody that is actually in charge. And I hope he will stay in charge for a long, long time.''

He went on to praise Bradley as "a great choice.''

"He's a very knowledgeable and hardworking coach, you know, and I have the highest respect for him,'' Klinsmann said.

Klinsmann was a member of Germany's World Cup team in 1990, 1994 and 1998, and he coached Die Mannschaft to a third-place finish as host in 2006. He agreed in January 2008 to become coach of Bayern Munich the following summer, but was fired in April 2009 with the club in third place in the Bundesliga following its quarterfinal elimination from the Champions League.

As Bayern's coach, Klinsmann brought over Landon Donovan in early 2009 on loan from the Los Angeles Galaxy. Donovan appeared in five Bundesliga games and one German Cup match, failing to score.

"It was absolutely not a disappointment, it was Landon taking a big risk coming in for three months, knowing ahead of him is Luca Toni, Miro Klose and Lukas Podolski,'' Klinsmann said. "He made a lot out of it. You know, I was not agreeing with the board that he was sent back home, and was not agreeing with a lot of things.''

Klinsmann said the stars of Bayern Munich, a group that included Franck Ribery, Lucio, Martin Demichelis, Daniel Van Buyten and Mark van Bommel, didn't make it easy on Donovan.

"They don't tell you, you know, 'Good to have you here, you know. We give you the starting spot.' They tell you the opposite,'' Klinsmann said. "But he experienced that and he worked his way through.''

Donovan had a far better experience this year on loan to Everton. He had 11 starts and scored two goals in 13 matches, helping the Toffees beat Chelsea and Manchester United, and tie against Arsenal. Donovan was voted the team's player of the month for January.

Klinsmann said he had told Bayern officials to "give him more time and he will break through.''

"They didn't want to give him the time,'' he said. "And it made me sad in a certain way, but made him I think even stronger. Now it's his momentum this World Cup.''

In 2002 at the World Cup, Klinsmann said Donovan "was a nobody.''

"For 2006, for the entire group was a disappointment,'' he said. "But now it's time, it's time to step up, and he can do that.''

Former U.S. defender Alexi Lalas, also an ESPN World Cup analyst, predicted the U.S. could upset England in its opener on June 12.

"This is the easiest group the U.S. has ever been in. If they don't get out of this group, not only will it be a disappointment, but it will be a failure,'' he said. There are points to be had against England "and not just one point. There's a possibility that they can certainly get three points. While it will go around the world as this incredible moment and this incredible upset, I look at it not as such a big surprise. I think that England isn't as good as certainly they believe or that others believe. And I think the U.S. at times is a whole lot better than people give them credit for.''

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[MAGICTOUCH]

OK, I'm officially rooting against Argentina now.


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[b][size=5]Maradona: Will run naked if Argentina wins WCup[/size][/b]
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[color=#111111][font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif][size=2]BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP)—Diego Maradona has promised to run naked through the center of Buenos Aires if Argentina wins the World Cup.The Argentina coach made the promise during a radio show. The unpredictable Maradona was speaking a day after Argentina defeated Canada 5-0 Monday in its final warm-up match before the World Cup.

[/size][/font][/color][color=#111111][font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif][size=2]Argentina plays in Group B, opening against Nigeria on June 12. The Gauchos also face Greece and South Korea.[/size][/font][/color][/quote]



[url="http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=ap-wcup-argentina-maradona"]http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=ap-wcup-argentina-maradona[/url]

[MAGICTOUCH]

[quote]
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[b][size=5]FIFA to crack down on dangerous tackles[/size][/b]
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BRUGES, Belgium (AP)—FIFA medical chief Michel D’Hooghe has a message for players at the World Cup in South Africa: You’ll pay for those bone-crunching tackles.

D’Hooghe said Wednesday that he plans to give referees plenty of instruction and warning, adding that a big event like the World Cup offers a chance to send the message that these kinds of tackles are unacceptable.

“We will specifically tell our referees and let everyone know” to use the red card as soon as a career-threatening foul is committed at the World Cup, D’Hooghe said.

[/size][/font][/color]
[color=#111111][font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif][size=2]Early this season, D’Hooghe produced a DVD of some of the worst fouls committed in recent years to convince national federations to curb violent play. Nevertheless, it has continued and D’Hooghe doesn’t want it to spill over into the World Cup.“I took action after four or five serious incidents in a row,” he told The Associated Press at his medical office in western Belgium.

One of the fouls was from the Belgian league when Standard Liege midfielder Axel Witsel snapped both bones in the right leg of Poland international defender Marcin Wasilewski in a grudge match against Anderlecht.

D’Hooghe is hoping his campaign will match the success he had combating facial injuries ahead of the last World Cup in Germany.

The 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan saw no less than a dozen serious facial injuries from elbows, often flying in anger and with callous determination. When Germany came around in 2006, the medical staff at FIFA campaigned to make the elbow to the face an automatic red card.

“We really stressed this ahead of the World Cup in Germany and we went from 12 to just two injuries,” D’Hooghe said. “This is my main point: the first doctor at the World Cup is the referee.”

The spate of horrific tackles and injuries this season have often boiled down to players blindly launching a tackle and not really caring if the ball is still there. Then, with the outstretched leg, they get the opponent’s foot often in the most delicate area between foot and shin. In comparison, a good tackle goes for the ball just in front of the foot so it doesn’t break a bone if it misses the ball.

“If you know that over one third of injuries comes down to foul play, and you can cut down on foul play, then you already achieved a lot,” he said.

Players don’t always get red carded for these challenges, as they invariably claim they were trying to get the ball and a severe injury was accidental.

Arsenal is a case in point when it comes to being victimized by dangerous tackles. Its challenge for this season’s Premier League title was undermined by injuries.

Defender Kieran Gibbs broke a bone in his left foot in November and was left with what manager Arsene Wenger called “a big hole in his leg” following a tackle in the Champions League by Standard Liege player Eliaqium Mangala.

Gibbs did not play again this season, while midfielder Aaron Ramsey could be out for as long as a year after his leg was broken in February by Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross.

The rough play this season has also had an impact on several World Cup teams. Germany captain Michael Ballack tore ligaments in his right ankle in the FA Cup final because of a wild tackle from an opponent.

[/size][/font][/color][color=#111111][font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif][size=2]“In case of Ballack, his World Cup is over and out,” D’Hooghe said.[/size][/font][/color] [/quote]


[url="http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=ap-wcup-foulplay"]http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=ap-wcup-foulplay[/url]

[JC]

Findley over Ching? I don't know. I almost would have rather kept Robbie Rogers over Findlay. Hopefully it's only a speed decoy for practice. Overall, besides never having a chance for Charlie..I'm happy with the roster. Hopefully Jozy and Gomez get some burn together.

[ickeyshuffler]

no Brian Ching? I hope bradley knows what he is doing

[MAGICTOUCH]

I'm shocked that Ching and Sacha aren't going. They're part of Bradley's Inner Circle, along with Bornstink.

However, I'm happy Ching isn't part of the 23. With Jozy you get a younger big body up top. Jozy needs a speed compliment. Ching isn't that. He's really only good for set pieces playing in the air and holding the ball with his back to the goal and redistributing. That's part of Jozy's role now. If Jozy gets hurt, I guess we go with youthful speed and try to outrun some defenses.

It might not matter though. Lalas called it, exactly what has been said here...our backline will be our downfall.

[MAGICTOUCH]

[quote]
[color=#FF0000][color=#000000][size=5]Bradley goes for some youth and lots of speed

[/size][b][size=1]by [/size][url="http://www.socceramerica.com/author/49/ridge-mahoney/"][size=1]Ridge Mahoney[/size][/url][size=1], May 26th, 2010 4:40PM[/size][/b][/color][/color]
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[color=#FF0000][USA 23] [/color]In perusing comments and reaction to the 23-man World Cup squad chosen by [b]Bob Bradley[/b] and announced Tuesday, I’m struck by how much hand-wringing and teeth-gnashing is aimed at how so-and-so can’t possibly stand up to [b]Wayne Rooney, Aaron Lennon, John Terry, Frank Lampard[/b], etc.
Let’s face it, kids, aside from [b]Landon Donovan, Tim Howard[/b] and[b]Clint Dempsey[/b], none of the U.S. players look the match of their English counterparts. [b]Carlos Bocanegra[/b] gets a maybe for playing 4 ½ seasons in the Premier League. If the Americans play about as well as the English do on that day, they probably lose. If they play out of their skins and get a few bounces, they can win, as they did last summer against Spain.

This doesn’t mean the first game June 12 is a throwaway, nor does it mean that [b]Jozy Atidore[/b] can’t bang with Terry and [b]Rio Ferdinand[/b], or that [b]Michael Bradley[/b] can’t go toe-to-toe with [b]Michael Carrick[/b]. Nor does it mean that the result against England is anything more than the result in the first game, since Algeria and Slovenia surely point to their meetings with the USA as games they can, and must, win.

When [b]Charlie Davies[/b] suffered serious injuries in car crash in October, immediately began speculation as to who can replace him, and conclusions were quickly reached that the ideal candidate didn’t exist. Nobody can scorch defenders, power through challenges, step over tackles, and put balls on frame as can Davies.

In picking [b]Edson Buddle, Herculez Gomez[/b] and [b]Robbie Findley[/b], Bob Bradley has, in effect, taken pieces of Davies’ game imbued in other players. Buddle has the knack for getting into good spots and finding space to take shots, and like Gomez has displayed far more tenacity this season than he did in the past. Persistence up front pays, as Davies demonstrated last June when he pounced on a throw-in and simply scrapped the ball into the net against Egypt.

All of the forwards will be playing in their first World Cup, and from the 2002 team, of the 23 players chosen only Donovan, [b]DaMarcus Beasley[/b] and [b]Steve Cherundolo[/b] are back. Not all of the debutants are young and fleet of foot, but they are new to this level of competition. [b]Stuart Holden[/b], for example, isn’t a speed demon, but he’s rugged, young (22) and can run all day.

Both Buddle and Gomez have decent pace, but Findley is a burner in the Davies mold that teams will find hard to track, especially if they are tired and he comes on as a sub, which Bradley mentioned in a conference call as to why Findley made the cut. If the USA cruises to a nice lead in each game Findley probably won’t be needed, but that scenario isn’t likely. He’s raw and has struggled to score this season after bagging 17 in 2009 MLS regular season and playoff games, so this pick is a gamble, but he’s got a quality Bradley intends to maximize.

The speed element in the squad is obvious, and is another reason for the inclusion of [b]DaMarcus Beasley[/b] as well as the forwards and [b]Ricardo Clark[/b] and [b]Maurice Edu[/b]. For all his supposed devotion to a big man up front, Bradley went with just one, Altidore, and jettisoned [b]Conor Casey[/b] as well as[b]Brian Ching[/b], who heroically and efficiently played through an owchy hamstring against the Czech Republic.

The U.S. problems in breaking down defenses can be attributed to heavy touches and tactical naivety, but there’s also a slowness of foot and mind to be blamed. At times, it seemed Donovan and Davies were digital characters in an analog world, and that Dempsey and Bradley were trying to play a shrewder game some of their teammates couldn’t fathom.

And defensively, getting hit on the break is a chronic issue when the ball turns over, even against Concacaf teams, which really should rarely happen. If El Salvador can zip the ball through you to get a scoring chance, Algeria and Slovenia can, too.



The USA can still play balls over distance to Altidore and work off the knockdowns and one-twos such possessions can produce. Bradley has opted for players, with a few exceptions, who can do things quickly, which is in the mind – as per [b]Jose Francisco Torres[/b] – as well as on the field. [/quote]



[url="http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38232/bradley-goes-for-some-youth-and-lots-of-speed.html"]http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38232/bradley-goes-for-some-youth-and-lots-of-speed.html[/url]

[MAGICTOUCH]

[quote]
[color=#FF0000][color=#000000][size=5]U.S. World Cup team is named

[/size][b][size=1]by [/size][url="http://www.socceramerica.com/author/45/paul-kennedy/"][size=1]Paul Kennedy[/size][/url][size=1], May 26th, 2010 1:26PM[/size][/b][/color][/color]
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[color=#FF0000][USA 23] [/color]U.S. national team coach [b]Bob Bradley[/b] and his staff met late into the night following Tuesday's friendly against the Czech Republic to finalize his 23-player roster for the World Cup.The big surprise was the selection of [b]Robbie Findley[/b], who had not yet played in Tuesday's game.

He couldn't sleep, wondering what his absence from the game meant, and was relieved to get the call at 2:30 in the morning that he'd be flying to South Africa for the World Cup on Sunday.

If Findley was the surprise pick, [b]Brian Ching[/b] was the surprise omission. Ching had battled back from a hamstring injury and played well against the Czechs.

The following players were also not picked: defenders [b]Chad Marshall[/b][b]and[/b][b] Heath Pearce[/b], midfielders [b]Alejandro Bedoya[/b],[b] Robbie Rogers[/b],[b]Sacha Kljestan[/b] and forward [b]Eddie Johnson[/b].

Only Johnson had previous World Cup experience. [/quote]



[url="http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38230/us-world-cup-team-is-named.html"]http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38230/us-world-cup-team-is-named.html[/url]

[MAGICTOUCH]

[quote]
[color=#FF0000][color=#000000][size=5]Bob Bradley on the selection process ...

[/size][b][size=1]May 27th, 2010 1:27AM[/size][/b][/color][/color]
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[color=#FF0000][USA 23] [/color]Following the U.S. roster announcement, Coach [b]Bob Bradley[/b]talked expansively about the 23 players who'll be on the plane South Africa on Sunday, those who headed home and his plans for Saturday's game against Turkey ...

Bob Bradley ...

[i]On his decision to take [b]Edson Buddle[/b] and [b]Herculez Gomez[/b]: [/i]
"Plain and simple, Edson and Herculez have had real good stretches, scored a lot of goals. [b]Brian [Ching][/b] has been such an important player but it’s tough when you have an injury at an inopportune time."

[i]On the strategy going into Saturday’s match against Turkey and how it differs from the Czech Republic game: [/i]
"One of the most important steps was just getting to our final team of 23, that’s important in terms of team building. Now we look forward to that match on Saturday, it’s a great test against Turkey.”

[i]On the hardest part of the selection process: [/i]
"Whenever you’re in this situation, you’ll always get to the end and you’ll have in some cases three or four names for one or two spots. When you get to that point you go through it all different ways, there’s always total respect towards what everybody has put into it."

[i]On the defensive miscues against the Czech Republic: [/i]
"Obviously last night was still a different kind of night, given that so many guys weren’t exactly sure of where they stood. Last night was also important in terms of Gooch getting back on the field for us. We’ll continue to work hard on defending as a team, we understand that as you get into tournaments like this that’s critical. We have the confidence that in this next stretch we can work on some things and get some guys sharper and fitter as we go."

[i]On the choice of No. 2 goalkeeper and who might start against Turkey: [/i]
"We haven’t made a decision for Saturday, and last night’s lineup would not be an indication of ranking. We realize we have three good goalkeepers, clearly [b]Timmy [Howard][/b] has established himself as our No. 1 goalkeeper, [b]Marcus [Hahnemann][/b] over the second half of the season for Wolverhampton played really well, played all their games. As a veteran, as much as he would have of course loved to play last night, we still felt it was important for [b]Brad [Guzan] [/b]to get that game."

[i]On Herculez Gomez: [/i]
"Herculez has been on a great run in terms of scoring goals. Watching him everyday, his movement, he works very hard, those are all things that go well for us."

[i]On [b]Alejandro Bedoya[/b]: [/i]
"Alejandro continues to move himself along. This was an important year in his career, he’s worked his way into the national team pool and we believe he has a really bright future.”

[i]On the lineup against Turkey being more representative of a starting XI: [/i]
"I think as I mentioned earlier, last night we needed to see some players, size up some different situations, but now the opportunity on Saturday is different and gives us a chance to start moving forward towards June 12."

[i]On Brian Ching’s exclusion: [/i]
"It was extremely hard with the respect that we all have for Brian. As a person, for the way he plays on the field, his commitment to the team—it’s always hard whenever you make these types of decisions, but it’s particularly difficult when it’s a player that has contributed so much to the national team over the years.”

[i]On the chemistry of the team he’s chosen: [/i]
"We feel we have a great group in that regard. Guys that have been to the World Cup before, and have become good leaders, some younger players that have played key roles throughout qualifying, some new players that came in late but still bring enthusiasm and as a group I think there’s great character, and we think that’s one of our strengths.”

[i]On how [b]DaMarcus Beasley[/b]’s performance in camp determined him making the team: [/i]
"He certainly had to prove himself. DaMarcus obviously had fallen out of it a little bit, and he needed to make a renewed commitment to the team, a renewed commitment to doing things as a player that make his team better. We’ve seen that, and we feel good about the way he’s worked to make that happen."

[i]On any players who cemented their spot in the game against the Czech Republic: [/i]
"I think if you were going to name one player who fits into that category, you’d probably point to Herculez Gomez. He continues to take advantage of his opportunities, and we really feel he’s worked hard to get to this point.”

[i]On what they saw in Edson Buddle: [/i]
"It’s always important to understand that when you make tough decisions, you try to factor in everything. We talked a lot about how guys have done in camp, and now you had a chance to see them last night, but you also take into account where they are in their seasons. Certainly up to this point in MLS, Edson’s been one of the best players in the league and we felt that type of form needed to really count.”

[i]On the closeness in age of this team: [/i]
"I think it helps, especially in regard to key players that have been there in the past. [b]Landon [Donovan][/b], Gooch [[b]Oguchi Onyewu[/b]], [b]Carlos Bocanegra[/b], [b]Clint Dempsey[/b], Timmy Howard—I think the relationship that those guys have with the whole team works well for us. We still see a good range though, because we still have [b]Marcus Hahnemann[/b] who continues to move his way forward. His experience helps us.”

[i]On[b] Eddie Johnson [/b]and [b]Robbie Findley:[/b] [/i]
"That was certainly one of those tough, late decisions. We feel that Robbie still brings something special, especially as a reserve. His speed when he comes into a match, his willingness to try and run behind a defense; we felt that those are things that when we looked at everything our team had, we could still use some of those qualities.”

[i]On how much fitness mattered, and the lack of experience in the group of forwards: [/i]
“Of course, as we moved through this camp and into the game last night, knowing that the World Cup begins in 15 days, those are things that count a great deal. We emphasized fitness, we got a good read as to where guys are in the whole thing and then last night’s game helped us assess that in a game situation. As far as the experience, we recognize that we’ve chosen some younger guys but we believe that they have qualities that can still help us and thought that was the best way to go.”

[i]On [b]Carlos Bocanegra[/b]: [/i]
“Carlos is our captain and his presence in the team is very important. He’s got a great way with the group, he’s very positive and he’s a player that, when he steps on the field, people respect him for the way he competes. I think in those ways his leadership has grown over the years and is an important part of our team.”

[i]On Bocanegra’s fitness: [/i]
“His fitness is good. Every day he feels a little bit better in terms of getting past the hernia surgery. The time frame you normally see with that injury is such that we have great confidence about how he’ll continue to progress over the next stretch.”

[i]On [b]Clarence Goodson:[/b] [/i]
“We’ve watched Clarence a lot in the last few months. We’ve had him in some camps and we think he continues to get more confident. Certainly his ability in the air, both in defensive situations and attacking on set pieces has been a great plus. We feel that as he continues to get experience his play will get better and better.”

[i]On the level Oguchi Onyewu will need to play at to be a starter: [/i]
“Like any player, we need to see that he continues to make progress. Last night was a great start and we’ve got a couple more weeks, two more matches, so we’ll get a good read as to exactly where he is as we get closer to the first game.”

[i]On [b]Steve Cherundolo[/b]: [/i]
“Steve is an important player for us. He is a true professional. Whenever we talk about leadership in our team, the kind of tough conversations that go on inside the team, Steve just has an excellent way of interjecting at the right time. He listens to what people have to say but he still has real strong opinions that come from his experiences. When you take into account his time in Hannover, the fact that he’s been the captain there, I think it speaks to the fact that he’s a real professional and an important part of what we’re doing.”

[i]On the role of outside backs on his team: [/i]
“For sure, they are very important. You need the width, you need the ability to have those players join in, be a threat and not only to cross but to provide crosses from different places. That can lead to some great chances. We saw that in the Confederations Cup last year. I think Jonathan Spector had two great deliveries that set up goals for Clint Dempsey. Also the types of crosses that get us further up the field. I think that both Steve and Jonathan give us great options in that regard.”

[i]On how he made the decision on Robbie Findley: [/i]
“Robbie was a player that we discussed late last night. We made the decision that we needed to see the other players, and we only had six subs last night. We felt that we had a good feel for where Robbie was after the earlier games this year, including most recently Holland. So, that’s how we handled that part of it.”

[i]On where Findley needs to improve: [/i]
“What he’s shown is that his movement along the front line is good, his speed, his ability to try to get behind the defense. Now in those situations he needs the ability to make those count a little bit more. Part of that is confidence, and now when he gives himself a little advantage, he needs to be the type of player that defenders worry about and who can ultimately take his chances and start to make a little more happen in those moments.”

[i]On [b]Benny Feilhaber:[/b] [/i]
“Benny has played an important role for us, in particular he can play on either side of midfield or in the middle. He’s a creative player who can still see and deliver the final pass, so we think that’s been important. Every time we’ve got him in camp the push is to get him to continue to where he can do that for longer periods and be a little more consistent over 90 minutes.”

[i]On [b]Jonathan Bornstei[/b]n: [/i]
“Johnny Bornstein has played in some big matches for us, he’s a very good competitor. Athletically he matches up well with some of the quick, fast players that you see at the international level out wide. He’s a player that can also give us something going forward, so his contributions along the way have helped us, for sure.”

[i]On whether he chose players by positions or overall: [/i]
“We go through many different scenarios as far as what we’d do in situations when the team is ahead, or behind, where you might get an injury or suspension. You have to take everything into account and try to have 23 players that can cover those situations as well as the right kind of chemistry to help each other as we move into the World Cup.” [/quote]



[url="http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38238/bob-bradley-on-the-selection-process.html"]http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38238/bob-bradley-on-the-selection-process.html[/url]

[MAGICTOUCH]

[quote]
[color=#FF0000][color=#000000][size=5]BY THE NUMBERS: Few with World Cup experience

[/size][b][size=1]by [/size][url="http://www.socceramerica.com/author/40/mike-woitalla/"][size=1]Mike Woitalla[/size][/url][size=1], May 26th, 2010 9:06PM[/size][/b][/color][/color]
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[color=#FF0000][USA 23][/color] The South Africa-bound U.S. squad is dominated by foreign-based players, but the majority have spent time in MLS. More than two-thirds played college ball, but most of them left school early to go pro. For U.S. World Cup team facts and figures ...


[color=#003366][b]20[/b][/color]
Age of youngest player: [b]Jozy Altidore[/b].

[color=#003366][b]37[/b][/color]
Age of oldest player: [b]Marcus Hahnemann[/b].

[color=#008000][b]8[/b][/color]
Players who have been on a previous World Cup squad: [b]DaMarcus Beasley, [/b][b]Carlos Bocanegra[/b], [b]Steve Cherundolo[/b], [b]Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan[/b], Hahnemann, [b]Tim Howard[/b], [b]Oguchi Onyewu[/b].

[b][color=#008000]6[/color][/b]
Players who played in a World Cup: Beasley, Bocanegra, Cherundolo, Dempsey, Donovan, Onyewu.

[color=#008000][b]2[/b][/color]
Players who played in two World Cups: Beasley, Donovan.

[color=#008000][b]4[/b][/color]
Players who did not make appearances in qualifying play for South Africa: [b]Edson Buddle, Herculez Gomez, Robbie Findley [/b]and Hanhemann.

[color=#000080][b]19[/b][/color]
Foreign-based players.

[color=#003366][b]4[/b][/color]
MLS players: [b]Jonathan Bornstein[/b], Buddle, Donovan, Findley.

[color=#003366][b]17[/b][/color]
Current and former MLS players.

[color=#000080][b]9[/b][/color]
Different national leagues represented: England 8 players, USA 4, Germany 3, Mexico 2, Scotland 2, Denmark 1, France 1, Italy 1, Norway 1.

[color=#008000][b]7[/b][/color]
Players who did not play college soccer: Altidore, Beasley, [b]Michael Bradley[/b], Donovan, Gomez, Howard, Spector, [b]Jose Francisco Torres[/b].

[color=#000080][b]4[/b][/color]
Players who played four seasons of college ball: Bornstein, DeMerit, Findley, Hahnemann.

[color=#008000][b]121[/b][/color]
Most national team appearances: Donovan, who also leads the team with 42 goals.

[color=#008000][b]2[/b][/color]
Least appearances: Buddle. [/quote]


[url="http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38233/by-the-numbers-few-with-world-cup-experience.html"]http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38233/by-the-numbers-few-with-world-cup-experience.html[/url]

[MAGICTOUCH]

[quote]
[color=#FF0000][color=#000000][size=5]Oranje delight in Van Persie's comeback

[/size][b][size=1]May 27th, 2010 2:13AM[/size][/b][/color][/color]
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[color=#FF0000][WORLD CUP COUNTDOWN] [/color]Who needs [b]Wesley Sneijder[/b], [b]Arjen Robben[/b] and [b]Mark van Bommel[/b] when you have [b]Robin van Persie[/b]?

In his first international match in six months, the Arsenal striker scored two first-half goals and gave the Netherlands a deserved 2-1 win over Mexico in a World Cup warmup match Wednesday in Freiburg, Germany.

“At times, we played beautifully tonight,” said Van Persie, who suffered a serious ankle injury in the Oranje's game against Italy in November.

The game was the last before Dutch coach [b]Bert van Marwijk[/b] will cut his roster down to 23 players.

Mexico had played England on Monday, starting most of its first-team players, so Tri coach [b]Javier Aguirre[/b] gave many reserves a start against the Dutch, who dominated the first half.

[b]Javier Hernandez[/b] scored the lone goal for Mexico in the 74th minute.

[color=#FF0000]POSITIVE BLUES. [/color]France's warmup campaign began on a positive note as the Blues beat Costa Rica, 2-1, on [b]Mathieu Valbuena[/b]'s late goal in his international debut.

Coach[b] Raymond Domenech[/b] tried out in a new 4-3-3 formation and got a half out of veteran defender [b]William Gallas[/b], playing is first match since March 31. [/quote]


[url="http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38241/oranje-delight-in-van-persies-comeback.html"]http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38241/oranje-delight-in-van-persies-comeback.html[/url]

[MAGICTOUCH]

[quote]
[color=#FF0000][color=#000000][size=5]World Cup Warmups

[/size][b][size=1]May 24th, 2010 12:30AM[/size][/b][/color][/color]
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[color=#FF0000][DATEBOOK] [/color]Host South Africa, which will play two Latin American teams (Mexico and Uruguay) at the World Cup, plays a key warmup when it hosts Colombia in Pretoria on Thursday. For all this week's games and television viewing information ...

[color=#FF0000]SCHEDULE:[/color]
[color=#FF0000]May 27 in Minsk, 12:30 pm ET[/color]
Belarus vs. Honduras
[color=#FF0000]May 27 in Aalborg, 2:15 pm ET[/color]
Denmark vs. Senegal
[color=#FF0000]May 27 in Pretoria, 2:35 pm ET[/color]
South Africa vs. Colombia
--------------------------------------------------
[color=#FF0000]May 28 in Dublin, 3 pm ET[/color]
Ireland vs. Algeria [/quote]



[url="http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38179/world-cup-warmups.html"]http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38179/world-cup-warmups.html[/url]

[MAGICTOUCH]

[quote]
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[b][size=5]Soccer-World-Brazil cuts beer duties to avoid shortages[/size][/b]
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[font=arial, helvetica, sans][size=3]BRASILIA, May 26 (Reuters) - Brazil has slashed beer duties to avoid shortages during the World Cup, after local brewers warned they would be unable to meet surging demand despite sharply increasing production.[/size][/font]
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[font=arial, helvetica, sans][size=2][size=4]The government said on Wednesday it will cut import levies on canned beer to 2 percent from 16 percent for the June tournament, which Brazil will host in 2014.[/size]

[size=4]"The industry itself declared in a letter to the Foreign Trade Chamber that it won't be able to satisfy the increase in demand," said Anamelia Seyffarth, an official at the chamber, announcing the cut.[/size]

[size=4]Brazil is the world's fourth largest beer consumer.[/size]

[size=4]Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his wife gave the players a send-off at his palace in the capital Brasilia on Wednesday, hugging the stars and wishing them luck before they jetted off to World Cup host South Africa.[/size]

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[font=arial, helvetica, sans][size=4]Bank workers in the nation of 190 million have also been granted a request to quit work early on days when Brazil plays so they can watch the games live on television. [/size][/font] [/quote]



[url="http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2623472420100527?type=marketsNews"]http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2623472420100527?type=marketsNews[/url]

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[b][size=5]Germany forward Mueller injured in bike accident[/size][/b]
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[color=#111111][font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif][size=2]FRANKFURT, Germany (AP)—Germany forward Thomas Mueller has been cut on the chin and has scraped his knee after falling off a mountain bike.[/size][/font][/color]
[color=#111111][font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif][size=2]The 20-year-old Bayern Munich upstart was riding Wednesday as part of a training session at Germany’s camp in northern Italy. Mueller arrived in the camp a day earlier, having played in the Champions League final for Bayern.

The German soccer federation says Mueller needed stitches on his chin but his bones and muscles are fine and he will still play in the World Cup.

[/size][/font][/color][color=#111111][font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif][size=2]Germany has been hit by a series of injuries to its World Cup squad, including captain Michael Ballack, who won’t play because of an ankle injury he picked up in the FA Cup final for Chelsea.[/size][/font][/color] [/quote]



[url="http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=ap-wcup-germany-mueller"]http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=ap-wcup-germany-mueller[/url]

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[b][size=5]Capello: Rooney ready for World Cup[/size][/b]
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[/color][/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][color=#333333]MILAN -- England coach Fabio Capello says striker Wayne Rooney is fully ready for the World Cup after assorted injuries.[/color][color=#333333][size=3]Rooney had knee, ankle and groin problems the last two months of the season. But Capello tells Sky Sports Italia he's now pleased because Rooney is "100 percent."[/size][/color]

[/font][color=#333333][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]England plays its last warmup game against Japan on Sunday before facing the United States in its World Cup opener in South Africa on June 12.[/font][/color] [/quote]



[url="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/5225775/ce/us/england-coach-fabio-capello-wayne-rooney-100-percent?campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines&cc=5901&ver=us"]http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/5225775/ce/us/england-coach-fabio-capello-wayne-rooney-100-percent?campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines&cc=5901&ver=us[/url]

[JC]

The only thing that bothers me about Findlay and Ching is that Ching sounded like he had a good game. Findlay hasn't done really anything lately, and it sounds like he hasn't even had good form in the MLS. I would have rather watched EJ run behind defenses, because he is at least scoring goals for Aris. Should just call Chuck Deezy in now!

Not like it matters, Ching or Findlay won't and shouldn't see the pitch.

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[b][size=5]Essien fails to recover from knee injury[/size][/b]
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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][color=#333333]ACCRA, Ghana -- Ghana midfielder Michael Essien will miss the World Cup after failing to recover from a knee injury. Essien injured a hamstring while playing for Chelsea against APOEL Nicosia in the European Champions League on Dec. 8.[/color][/font]
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[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][color=#333333][/color][color=#333333][size=3]He returned to play the second half for Ghana against Ivory Coast in the African Cup of Nations of Jan. 15, then injured his right knee two days later during training. He has not played since.[/size][/color]

[color=#333333][size=3]"An evaluation by a combined team of medical experts from the Ghana Football Association and Chelsea Football Club revealed that Essien will not make full recovery until the end of July," the association said Thursday on its website.[/size][/color]

[color=#333333][size=3]Ghana opens the World Cup on June 13 against Serbia, then plays Australia on June 18 and Germany on June 23.[/size][/color]

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[color=#333333][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Essien helped Ghana reach the second round of the 2006 World Cup in its first appearance at the tournament.[/font][/color] [/quote]



[url="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/5226227/ce/us/injured-essien-ghana?campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines&cc=5901&ver=us"]http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/5226227/ce/us/injured-essien-ghana?campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines&cc=5901&ver=us[/url]

[MAGICTOUCH]

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[color=#FF0000][color=#000000][size=5]Eyes on hurting D when USA faces Turks

[/size][b][size=1]by [/size][url="http://www.socceramerica.com/author/49/ridge-mahoney/"][size=1]Ridge Mahoney[/size][/url][size=1], May 28th, 2010 2:39AM[/size][/b][/color][/color]
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[color=#FF0000][MLS][/color] On a teleconference call Wednesday discussing his World Cup squad selection, U.S. coach [b]Bob Bradley[/b] said he'd like to field his projected starting XI, or a reasonable facsimile thereof, against Turkey Saturday (1:30 p.m., ESPN2) at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

A crowd of more than 50,000 is expected for the final send-off game prior to the team’s departure for South Africa, so seeing the best Americans in action would satisfy the fans. It also might be a prudent move competitively, for Turkey has brought a reasonably strong team that spanked the Czech Republic, 2-1, last Saturday at Red Bull Arena.

“I think as I mentioned earlier,” said Bradley, “last night [in a loss to the Czech Republic] we needed to see some players, size up some different situations, but now the opportunity on Saturday is different and gives us a chance to start moving forward towards June 12.”

Health and fitness concerns on the back line, however, may force Bradley’s hand. Though defender [b]Oguchi Onyewu [/b]dismissed reports he looked rusty in a 4-2 loss Tuesday to the Czech Republic, his performance during those 65 minutes of action suggested otherwise. Despite encouraging news emanating from U.S. Soccer and Onyewu himself during seven months of recovery and rehab from surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon, he’s going to need time and luck to even approach a state of sharpness when the U.S. opens World Cup play against England.

Also on the mend is captain [b]Carlos Bocanegra[/b], who three weeks ago underwent sports hernia surgery. He sat out the Czech Republic game, as did many of the regulars, and could fill in for Onyewu in the middle, play alongside him, or line up at left back, as he did most of the time this past season for French club Rennes and in the latter stages of last year’s Confederations Cup. Or he might not play at all.

“His fitness is good,” said Bradley. “Every day he feels a little bit better in terms of getting past the hernia surgery. The time frame you normally see with that injury is such that we have great confidence about how he’ll continue to progress over the next stretch.”

There’s a domino effect in play if Onyewu and/or Bocanegra can’t go, though there are other central options in [b]Clarence Goodson[/b] and [b]Jay DeMerit[/b]. Yet DeMerit has been bothered an abdominal strain as well as by eye problems that affect his depth perception. He and Onyewu formed a nice partnership in the Confederations Cup but Bradley may not be able to give that combination another test run before the England game.

Right back [b]Steve Cherundolo[/b], who recovered from injuries in time to finish the German Bundesliga season and help Hannover escape relegation, captained the team against the Czech Republic and played the full 90 minutes. Bradley also has [b]Jonathan Spector[/b], an option anywhere on the back line, along with [b]Jonathan Bornstein[/b]. Since Spector sat out Tuesday, and is healthy, this might be an opportunity for him.

Cherundolo is one of only three players on the U.S. roster, along with [b]Landon Donovan [/b]and[b]DaMarcus Beasley[/b], headed to their third World Cup. He isn’t necessarily a lock to start, but is symbolic of what Bradley wants from his players off the field as well as on it. “When you take into account his time in Hannover, the fact that he’s been the captain there, I think it speaks to the fact that he’s a real professional and an important part of what we’re doing,” says Bradley.

After a training session Friday the players eligible to play in the final send-off game will be determined. Aside from the back-line questions and whether or not Bradley gives a start or some playing time to[b] Marcus Hahnemann[/b], the regulars should see the field if at all possible.

"One of the most important steps was just getting to our final team of 23, that’s important in terms of team building,” said Bradley. “Now we look forward to that match on Saturday, it’s a great test against Turkey.” [/quote]



[url="http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38262/eyes-on-hurting-d-when-usa-faces-turks.html"]http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38262/eyes-on-hurting-d-when-usa-faces-turks.html[/url]

[MAGICTOUCH]

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[color=#FF0000][color=#000000][size=5]Soccer City win gives Bafana Bafana boost

[/size][b][size=1]May 27th, 2010 8:03PM[/size][/b][/color][/color]
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[color=#FF0000][WORLD CUP COUNTDOWN][/color] Even if both of its goals from the penalty spot, South Africa earned a confidence-building win over Colombia, 2-1, before 75,000 fans in its first game at the rebuilt Soccer City, the site of the World Cup opener and final.

[b]Teko Modise[/b] and [b]Katlego Mphela[/b] scored for the Bafana Bafana. Colombia also scored from the penalty spot.

Stars [b]Steven Pienaar[/b] and [b]Benni McCarthy[/b], who didn't play in Monday's 1-1 tie with Bulgaria, came on in the second half.

South Africa's last two warmups will be against Guatemala Monday and Denmark on June 5.

In the last game before Coach [b]Morten Olsen[/b] cuts his squad down to 23 players, Denmark beat Senegal, 2-0, on goals by [b]Christian Poulsen[/b]and [b]Thomas Enevoldsen[/b].

The Kansas City Wizards' [b]Roger Espinoza[/b] did not play in Honduras' 2-2 tie with Belarus in Villach, Austria.

[color=#FF0000]RESULTS:[/color]
[color=#FF0000]May 27 in Villach, Austria[/color]
[b]Belarus 2[/b] (Putsila 56, 70) [b]Honduras 2[/b] (de Leon 26, Welcome 71)
[color=#FF0000]May 27 in Aalborg, 2:15 pm ET[/color]
[b]Denmark 2[/b] (Poulsen 27, Enevoldsen 90) [b]Senegal 0[/b].
[color=#FF0000]May 27 in Johannesburg, 2:35 pm ET[/color]
[b]South Africa 2[/b] (Modise pen. 18, Mphela pen. 51) [b]Colombia 1[/b] (Moreno pen. 21). [/quote]



[url="http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38252/soccer-city-win-gives-bafana-bafana-boost.html"]http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38252/soccer-city-win-gives-bafana-bafana-boost.html[/url]