Bradley Names 20-Man Roster For World Cup Qualifier Against Mexico

Courtesy of US Soccer:

CHICAGO (Feb. 8, 2008) — U.S. Men's National Team head coach Bob Bradley has named a roster of 20 players that will train in advance of the FIFA World Cup qualifier against Mexico on Feb. 11 in Columbus, Ohio. Kickoff for the USA’s most anticipated match of the final round is set for 7 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2, ESPN2 HD and Univision. Fans will also be able to listen to the match on 75 affiliates of the Fútbol de Primera Radio Network, and can follow live online via ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker.

The match on Wednesday will mark the third straight time that Columbus Crew Stadium has hosted the home leg of the final round World Cup qualifying series between the United States and Mexico. Tickets sold out within 90 minutes of going on public sale.

Eighteen of the 20 players on the roster participated in the first two rounds of World Cup qualifying last year. Bradley has called on a dozen players from foreign-based clubs, led by team captain Carlos Bocanegra and 2008 U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year Tim Howard, who is unbeaten in four matches against Mexico and has posted an impressive five shutouts in five all-time World Cup qualifying appearances. Clint Dempsey finished 2008 tied for the team lead in goal scored (4), with all of his strikes coming in World Cup qualifying action. DaMarcus Beasley is one of four players on the roster who started in the last World Cup qualifier against Mexico, scoring the insurance goal in the 2-0 win on Sept. 3, 2005, in Columbus. Oguchi Onyewu, who set up Steve Ralston for the game-winner that day, scored a career-high three goals for the U.S. in 2008, including a header against Mexico in the 2-2 draw in Houston. Michael Bradley, who scored the game-winning goal in the 3-0 semifinal round qualifying win against Trinidad & Tobago, tied with Heath Pearce for the most appearances for the team in 2008, each starting in 11 of 14 matches. José Francisco Torres – who plays in the Mexican Primera División - is the only player on the roster who is not based in Europe or the United States.

Landon Donovan is the leading capwinner on the roster with 105 international appearances, the USA’s all-time leader in goals and assists now one goal shy of tying Brian McBride for the most career goals in World Cup qualifying (10). Donovan has been a particular nemesis to El Tri, having scored four times in his career against Mexico, highlighted by the second goal in a 2-0 win in the Round of 16 of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

On the domestic front, eight players from the recently completed training camp at The Home Depot Center traveled to Columbus. The current MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew contributes two locals in Frankie Hejduk and Robbie Rogers. Hejduk, now in his fourth qualifying cycle, has eight career appearances and two goals against Mexico. Brian Ching scored four goals through the first two rounds of 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying, the striker now just one shy of reaching double digits in goals for the United States. Sacha Kljestan – one of six 2008 Olympians on the roster – became only the second player in U.S. history to score his first three goals in the same game when the U.S. collected a 3-2 win against Sweden on Jan. 24 at The Home Depot Center.

The Columbus Crew Stadium match will be the sixth World Cup qualifier hosted by the nine-year-old venue. The U.S. has a 3-0-2 record in qualifying and an unbeaten 4-0-3 all-time record in the stadium. In the first meeting on Feb. 28, 2001, goals by Josh Wolff and Earnie Stewart paced the U.S. to a 2-0 victory. Four years later on Sept. 3, 2005, goals by Steve Ralston and DaMarcus Beasley earned the United States another 2-0 win and officially booked their place in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

The match on Feb. 11 will mark the 55th meeting between the USA and Mexico. The U.S. has dominated the series of late, collecting an 8-0-2 home record against Mexico since 2000. During that span, the USA has netted 17 goals, while the Mexicans have scored only three on American soil in this decade.

Under head coach Bob Bradley, the U.S. has a 2-0-1 record against their border rivals, including a 2-1 victory in the 2007 Gold Cup final in Chicago that delivered the U.S. its second-consecutive regional championship and a place in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa, where they will play current World Champion Italy, Brazil and Egypt.

The U.S., along with Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, and Trinidad & Tobago, is competing in the 10-game round-robin format through Oct. 14, 2009, with the top three teams automatically advancing to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The fourth-place team will compete in a two-game playoff to be held Nov. 14/18 against the fifth-place finisher in South American qualifying.

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION

GOALKEEPERS (2): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa: 4/3 SO), Tim Howard (Everton FC: 7/5 SO)

DEFENDERS (7): Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes: 16/2), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA, 1/0), Danny Califf (FC Midtjylland: 3/0), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew: 14/1), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege: 12/1), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock: 7/0), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC: 0/0)

MIDFIELDERS (6): DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers: 21/6), Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach: 6/2), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo: 3/0), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA: 6/0), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew: 0/0), José Francisco Torres (Pachuca: 1/0)

FORWARDS (5): Jozy Altidore (Xerez C.D.: 3/1), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo: 12/6), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF: 1/1) Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC: 12/4), Landon Donovan (Bayern Munich: 25/9)

*numbers indicate all-time World Cup Qualifying caps/goals

Donovan Sees Sub Minutes In Bayern Win Over Dortmund

Landon Donovan saw 18 minutes of playing time tonight in Bayern Munich's 3-1 win over Borussia Dortmund, coming on for Luca Toni in the 72nd minute with the score tied at 1-1. Donovan's smart runs up front opened space for Bayern's Miroslav Klose to score goals in the 88th and 90th minutes.

Midfielder Sal Zizzo dressed but did not play for Hannover in their 3-1 loss to Energie Cottbus while Steve Cherundolo, out with an injury, did not suit up.

In the Second Bundesliga, Grover Gibson is still out injured so he missed Rot-Weiss Ahlen's 2-1 win over his old club FC Augsburg.

E Tu Blockbuster?

The last time I was back home in the States last July, I was dumbstruck at seeing a promotional poster for the Mexican national soccer team hanging on the wall of a McDonald's in Gallup, New Mexico. It then gave me a flashback to watching a 1994 USA-Chile friendly in Albuquerque and being disgusted at how many fans were cheering against our own national team but I digress...

Now, it seems Blockbuster has joined the ranks of the corporate Judas clan, taking part in putting a voodoo hex on the US National Team in the run up to the US-Mexico World Cup qualifier on February 10th.

It seems that Mexico, desperate to halt a 10 year winless streak in the USA (do you hear that Euro-prognosticators who always rank Mexico higher?), will try anything these days. Its just too bad that the ad, which features a voodoo doll of a US player named Gringo being stuck with pins, will give more US fans a reason to skip Blockbuster and sign up for Netflix or stop by their local Hollywood Video store.

Bernardo Stays At Napoli But European Interest Remains

It looks like American forward Vincenzo Bernardo will be staying with SSC Napoli this spring after turning down several offers from throughout Europe. Bernardo had drawn interest from Spain, England, Romania, Belgium, Greece, and among several Italian Serie B and C teams. The strongest offer came from Serie B side Brescia which offered to buy joint ownership (50-50) of the young player - an offer Napoli refused.

So, Bernardo will stay with the club this spring, training 70-80% of the time with the first team but will be loaned out short term to the New York Stars to play in the prestigious Torneo Viareggio. While he remains available for the US U-20 team, some interesting whispers are coming out of the Castel Volturno clubhouse; that the Italian national team has asked the club for information on Bernardo.

If true, this comes as no surprise since not 48 hours after this article appeared on Soccer Times, a televised report appeared on Sky24 (Italian national news channel) claiming that the US was "calling up young Italian players" in a tone which indicated the Stars and Stripes were poaching foreign youth players. They seem to conveniently forget that the next great hope of the Azzuri, Giuseppe Rossi, was born in the same US state as Bernardo, New Jersey.

It only makes sense that someone from the Italian youth program would want to know more about Bernardo and possibly Nazzani since both are up and coming players within their Serie A teams' reserve systems. So, I wouldn't read to much into it...yet.

Bradley Goes Distance In Gladbach Draw With Hoffenheim

American midfielder Michael Bradley continues to solidify his place in the Borussia Moenchengladbach lineup, going the full 90 in today's 1-1 draw with Hoffenheim.

Elsewhere in Germany, Landon Donovan and Bayern Munich will be taking on Borussia Dortmund while Sal Zizzo and Steve Cherundolo may see action in Hannover's Sunday match against Energie Cottbus.

Over in France, Carlos Bocanegra went the distance for Stade Rennais in a 1-0 loss to Le Havre, picking up a 20th minute yellow card in the process.

Meanwhile, its hard to figure exactly what is holding Freddy Adu back at AS Monaco as another week passes without him even suiting up for the team, which drew FC Lorient 1-1.

Arena: You Want Beckham? I Want Ronaldinho

The Italian media is still full of speculation on whether AC Milan will be able to acquire the LA Galaxy's David Beckham. The difference now is that the smoke is starting to clear as reality sets in on both sides of the Atlantic.

According to La Gazetta Dello Sport, Posh and Becks are already sizing up a new home in Milan, the Villa Mozart, while Galaxy coach Bruce Arena seems resigned to accepting any outcome, being quoted on the team's website stating: "whatever happens, happens."

But Arena is also quoted in La Gazetta quipping that: "Milan wants Beckham? I want Ronaldinho and Messi." It can't be easy for Arena, who has taken the reigns of the league's most disappointing club, only to watch its two best players run off to Europe for a better deal. Donovan, I can understand since he has given the league and club several good years plus he has so some unfinished business in Europe.

Beckham, on the other hand, has not even been with the Galaxy eight months, let alone played for anything close to eight months. The league and the club pushed all the chips on the table for him last year so his flaking to Milan can't make it easy for league execs and Galaxy fans (who probably thought they'd finally be sticking it to Chivas this year).

As you probably know by now, I'd be happy for MLS to unload his huge salary since every indication is that he lacks commitment to his team and the league. Maybe they can use some of that money to buy Heath Pearce this summer and bring in other exciting, talented players who actually want to be there.

Transfer Window Closes

The January transfer window has closed without some of the moves American fans were hoping for as DaMarcus Beasley, Heath Pearce, Oguchi Onyewu, and Brian McBride (to name a few) will be staying put.

Since I'm in the middle of my own transfer, I'll let my friends Bob Wagman at Soccer Times and Greg Seltzer at No Short Corners fill you in.