In an extraordinary turn of events the United States will play its first game of the World Cup in South Africa next summer against the country’s oldest rival, England. The draw is a promoter’s dream. Outside of Mexico, England is probably the best fit for the Americans’ as a natural adversary.

The United States was born out of kicking British redcoat butt and though the Limeys like to point out they burned down the White House in the War of 1812 everyone knows that the Fourth of July has to be a bitter day every year in jolly ole London. Another bone of contention with the English is the 1950 World Cup match where the US won 1-0 over England in Brazil which still pisses of old Englishmen despite no one in America having any idea that it ever happened.

History aside, the USA got the best World Cup draw it has ever received for 2010 with its group consisting of England, Algeria, and Slovenia. No offense to the English, but the United States should really advance out of the group stage as Algeria and Slovenia are widely considered the weakest teams out of Africa and Europe respectively. Although every game is important in the World Cup, the US’s opener with the British will be the match up everyone will be watching.

Player for player England is a better team than the United States.  The Three Lions will be a handful for the American defense with world class stars in Wayne Rooney, Ashley Young, Frank Lampard, and Steven Gerrard leading the attack. All of England’s players play in the English Premier League (outside of a certain Mr.  David Beckham who plays in America in the MLS) which is arguably the world’s best league while the US will be starting some players who undoubtedly play in inferior leagues.

The Los Angeles Galaxy's David Beckham will be looking to sink the Yanks in South Africa

The US has upset the world’s best before as was the case this past summer at the Confederations Cup where the Americans defeated FIFA #1 ranked team in the world, Spain 2-0 and lost a heartbreaker 3-2 to Brazil in the final. The Confederations Cup was also played in South Africa so the U.S. will have that experience in their favor when the two countries meet in the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace (where the US defeated Egypt 3-0 in the group stages of the Confederations Cup) on June 12th.

American players such as Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Oguchi Onyweu, and Tim Howard have proven in the past that they can hang with top level players on a regular basis, but the rest of the US squad will have a lot to prove next summer when they step on the pitch with the world’s best. Throw in the history between LA Galaxy teammates David Beckham and Landon Donovan the game should be one of the most watched soccer games in America of all time.

Hopefully the Big Wigs at ESPN do their best to pump up the game as to maximize the all the interesting storylines that comes with the match. Being a Revolutionary War nerd myself, I’d love to see some historical references put into the promotion, but I won’t keep my hopes up. A victory over England next summer would be one of the greatest sports achievements in international sport in our country’s history while it would send the English straight into national mourning.

The money and promotion ESPN is throwing into the World Cup will allow Americans to view the event in a completely unprecedented way bringing in more viewers. A good showing at the World Cup this summer could inspire some kid somewhere in the United States to become the next Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi furthering the development of the sport in America. So get your Red, White, and Blue flags ready for next summer and let's show those Limeys we can still kick it 1776 style.

- Sean Heffernan

Are you looking forward to next summer's clash in South Africa? Share your thoughts below!

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by Sean Heffernan

A large percentage of US soccer fans have heralded 23 year old Edgar Castillo as the next left back for the national team without the Mexican-American ever making a appearance for the Stars & Stripes. FIFA recently approved Castillo's request to play for the United States instead of Mexico (for who he appeared four times in international friendlies) making him available to play in next summer's World Cup for the USA.
 
The left footed speedster plays for Mexican club Tigres alternating between fullback and midfielder. Currently, the left back job for the USMNT is in the hands of Chivas USA's Jonathan Borenstein who scored the game tying header in the Americans' final World Cup Qualifier against Costa Rica last month. However,  a month prior to being the hero Borenstein had played the goat making a embarrassing mistake against El Salvador that resulted in a goal and put the US in a tough spot 1-0 before their came back to win 2-1. To say the least if the US invite Castillo into the team the fight for the left back spot is far from over.
 
Castillo was unable to be called for the US's Saturday friendly against Slovakia (10 ET, FSC) because of club commitments, but it is suspected that he may receive a call up for the US's match against Denmark the following Wednesday. I had watched Castillo play on Telemundo with Tigres on a number occasions, but I decided to check out last weekend's match against Atlante to gauge his current form and analyze what the New Mexico born footballer could bring to the US National Team.
 
I was disappointed in the first half as Castillo played mostly in a left midfield position, but it was apparent right from the first whistle that one thing this kid has is speed. Early on you could tell Castillo had an itch to get involved in the attack floating forward to the left of Tigres' Brazilian striker Itamar almost playing as attacking winger. Time and time again in the first half the 23 year old would explode down the left with the ball and go fearlessly at the Atlante defenders.

On a number of occasions  Castillo got the ball taken from him or took a wild shot when he should have laid off a pass to a teammate, but as a US fan you have to love his confidence. There wasn't another player on the field with his pace. Eventually in the first half the USMNT hopeful calmed down and began making more intelligent passes. In the 36th minute his cross was batted down by the hand of an Atlante defender in the box setting up a penalty kick that put Tigres ahead 2-0.
 
In the second half with a two goal lead, Castillo played more in a left back role. I was pleased to see on a number of plays when Atlante attackers challenged Castillo down the left, he used his pure speed to run them down and clear the ball out of danger. As the game progressed Atlante went down two men from red cards and the game shifted heavily in Tigres favor. In the 71st minute Castillo hoped on a loose ball and dribbled through three layers of Atlante defenders before kicking the ball past the helpless keeper. The Atlante defenders just ran out of gas after being attacked all night by Castillo and playing down two men. Tigres finished the game 4-0 large in part to the young American's unbridled attack.

I can't think of anyone in the US's player pool that goes at defenders like Castillo. In both good and bad ways he attacks like a Brazilian. One of his biggest attributes and biggest flaws is that he's unafraid to be greedy with the ball. There were four or five plays where Castillo should have made a more unselfish play, but he never would have scored a goal like the one he scored if he didn't have that aggressive mentality.

 I'd like to see a game where he plays the full 90 at left back and see how he does. Bradley also could use him on the left as a midfielder if he wanted some speed out wide, but the US have had success starting Landon Donovan in that position and don't see his role changing any time soon.

For Castillo to thrive in a left back role he would have to learn more restraint of bombing forward all the time, but it's hard deny the kind of potential the kid has. This Saturday Castillo's Tigres face off against fellow American Jose Francisco Torres's Pachuva at 6 PM ET on Telefutura.

 Hopefully, Bradley will call in Castillo in for the Denmark friendly as time is precious before next summer's World Cup and if in fact Castillo is good enough to compete for a spot on the national team then he needs to incorporated into the team as quickly as possible. Only time will tell if Edgar Castillo can become a pivotal figure for US Soccer, but from what I saw last Saturday fans have good reason to be excited.

Do you think Edgar Castillo can win the left back job? Leave your comments below.

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by Sean Heffernan 

The US have two friendlies scheduled in Europe against Slovakia (Nov. 14) and Denmark (Nov. 18) making those MLS players who's clubs advanced this weekend unavailable for national team duty. Time with the national team is precious to those players fighting to earn their spot on the roster heading to South Africa next summer for the World Cup. Success with their MLS teams won't be ignored by USMNT head coach Bob Bradley, but those American players will miss out on making an impression in person. Below is a breakdown of the players who might have been had been called up for the friendlies in Europe, but were unavailable because of the MLS Cup Conference Finals...

 Real Salt Lake

Robbie Findley- The speedy forward would have likely gotten a call up for the friendlies, but he will be busy next weekend playing in the MLS Cup Western Conference Finals. Many soccer analysts have highlighted Findley's as a possible replacement on the national team for Sochaux forward Charlie Davies who was injured in a car accident last month. The 24 year old striker had a career year scoring 12 goals this season in MLS.

 Kyle Beckerman- RSL's dread locked captain also had a decent shot of being called up after playing well for the US in the summer's Gold Cup. The US is very deep in quality central midfielders with the likes of Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu, and Jermaine Jones all playing in Europe. However, with Edu and Jones both injured Beckerman could have made his case with Bradley in Slovakia and Denmark.

Chicago Fire

Chris Rolfe- Had Chicago not pulled out a victory on Saturday night against the Revs it would have been Rolfe’s last game in a Fire uniform as the 26 year old signed a contract with Danish club Aalborg BK in September. Instead the former University of Dayton Flyer will get one more chance to wear red and white in front of Fire fans. In his four seasons with the Fire Rolfe has been one of the club’s most consistent players scoring 36 goals in 123 appearances. Rolfe has a creative ability with the ball in the final third that is very rare in the American player pool. The US could have used his attacking abilities in the 2009 Gold Cup where they ran out of answers in the final against Mexico.

It would have been interesting to see Rolfe get called in had the Fire lost, but if he can find some success next season in Europe he could earn some serious consideration for next summer.

 Logan Pause- For the last six years patrolling the Fire’s midfield Pause has earned a reputation as solid MLS professional. The Hillsborough, North Carolina product was a third round draft pick in 2003, but Pause grew into the role that Chris Armas left when he retired from the Fire in 2007. Pause’s hard work paid off this summer when he was called in for this summer’s CONCAF Gold Cup.

With Beckerman and Clark unavailable Pause really would have had a good chance of being called in had the Fire lost. The 28 year old would've had two matches to make his case with Bob Bradley, but I’m sure he’s happy about advancing in the playoffs. Pause also won the 2009 Humanitarian of the Year Award along with Kansas City Wizard defender Jimmy Conrad this past week for his many charitable works he’s involved with. Pause is a real long shot for the World Cup, but it’s hard not to root for this guy.

 John Thorrington- On Saturday night the 30 year old professional was all over the field for the Fire and scored the first goal in front of a sellout crowd in Bridgeview. Thorrington was probably not going to be called anyway having not played recently due to injuries, but he was a real difference maker for the Fire. The veteran player can play in the midfield or at right back (where Bob Bradley has used him before). Playing well for the Fire in the playoffs will help his stock rise as a fringe USMNT player. Don’t be surprised if Thorrington gets a call up the January camp. Also I enjoyed his interviewing skills with this Chicago Tribune feature he did with Logan Pause.

Jon Busch- One of the best goal keepers in MLS over his seven years in the league, Jon Busch should be at least considered for national team duty. Busch doesn’t have a great shot at making the World Cup roster with Tim Howard a lock for the starting position, but you never know what could happen before next summer. Although Brad Guzan has been the back up on the national team the past few years, if Howard should get hurt before the World Cup I don’t know if Bradley would be comfortable putting Guzan in net for the US if he doesn’t start regularly for his club team, Aston Villa. There are a number of other American keepers in Europe, but solid MLS goalies like Busch should be considered too if a crisis arises. Busch has one cap with the national team and has been called into US camps a number of times.

After the game Saturday night the Fire keeper was visibly pumped up in a post match interview with Fox Soccer Channel calling out ESPN analyst Alexi Lalas for saying prior to the game that the Fire had no heart. You gotta love awkward television!

Houston Dynamo-

Stuart Holden- The creative midfielder was touted by many as the US’s best performer this summer in the Gold Cup. This year also so Holden become a MLS All Star, a  substitute against Mexico in Estadio Azteca, and a starter replacing an injured Clint Dempsey in the final two World Cup Qualifiers. Holden made everyone forget about Dwayne De Rosario in Houston leading the Dynamo to the playoffs and a second place finish in the Western Conference.

Holden’s extended service to the US in the Gold Cup and World Cup Qualifying has him well positioned to make the World Cup roster. It appears likely that Holden will be heading to Europe once the season is over, but he will need to find a club where he can earn consistent playing time if he wants to keep knocking on the door to USMNT's starting lineup.

Ricardo Clark- - A favorite of Bob Bradley, the defensive midfielder had a surreal summer in South Africa with the national team upsetting Spain and almost winning the Confederations Cup over Brazil. Clark has been for the past year the first choice of Bob Bradley to pair with his son, Michael Bradley, in central midfield. Clark’s play at the Confederations Cup and during World Cup Qualifying earned him some attention from European clubs, but rumors have died down since the summer of a move to  Europe. Clark looked pretty banged up on Sunday, but with all the competition in the US midfield he can use every opportunity he gets to solidify his place on the national team.

When Jermaine Jones gets healthy many have the Schalke 04 talisman penciled in to replace Clark, but if Clark continues to play well he certainly will be in the mix for South Africa.

 Brian Ching- Though the Hawaiian striker often drives a large contingent of US fans crazy, the two time MLS champion is a consistent target forward. Ching may not score goals like it’s going out of fashion, but his overtime winner in Houston on Sunday was truly inspiring. You could see how bad he wanted that goal. Though he won’t win any popularity contests with US Soccer fanatics, Ching will be in the battle for a spot on the trip to South Africa all the way up to next summer.

 Bobby Boswell- It amazes me how unheralded Boswell has been over his career as he’s won two Supporter’s Shields and a MLS Defender of the Year Award with DC United and anchored Houston’s solid backline the past two seasons. He almost signed with a Turkish club after the 2008 season, but he ended signing a new four year deal with Houston. Boswell has been off the US radar for awhile, but he really should be considered being one of the best center back s in MLS. Boswell should be in the mix for making the USMNT along with Jimmy Conrad and Chad Marshall. Now all he has to worry about is keeping Landon Donovan and David Beckham at bay next Friday night in LA.  

 Brad Davis- Am I a nerd for thinking this guy look like he could have been a hobbit in Lord of the Rings? Ok, I’m definitely a nerd, but Hobbit or not Davis can play. The midfielder just makes things happen on the field for the Dynamo. The Dynamo have been one of the top teams in the league without a goal scoring machine striker much in part to the play of the 27 year old. The service Brad Davis provides his teammates is among the best in MLS this side of David Beckham. At the 2009 MLS All Star Game, Davis played wonderfully scoring the All Stars’ only goal in the 1-1 loss to Everton on penalties. After being snubbed by Bradley for the Gold Cup, I would have really liked to see Davis back in the USMNT picture, but the Dynamo will continue to battle for another MLS Cup.

 Geoff Cameron-The second year man has been great in his roles both as a central defender in both the midfield and the back line for the Dynamo. After a excellent 2009 season that saw Cameron start the All Star Game, many had the former University of Rhode Island Ram fast tracked for national team duty. A first ever call up will have to wait for Cameron who is busy with the Dynamo. Cameron would have been a nice addition to the Slovakia/Denmark friendlies because of his versatility in both the midfield and defense. Keep your eye on this kid in the years to come.

LA Galaxy

 Landon Donovan-There really was no reason for the US's best player to be involved in the upcoming friendlies. Then again whenever the national team suits up US fans want a victory and having Donovan on the pitch makes a huge difference. The Galaxy are playing well and the Beckham experiment is finally showing some positive results. Let Landon enjoy it after enduring the darkness of the previous two seasons in LA.

 Todd Dunivant-The Galaxy left back has been solid this year for Bruce Arena on a backline that was one of the best in MLS in 2009. Borenstein's play towards the end of World Cup Qualifying has the Chivas USA star the front runner for the left back job with the national team, but the position battle is far from over. Edgar Castillo has been pumped up by many as Borenstein's main competitor, but the former Mexican international has yet to play for the United States. Dunivant is not a track star going forward, but he might be a better defender than Borenstein and Castillo. Castillo has admited that his defending needs work and Borenstein has made several blunders that have cost the national team in the past. Dunivant's solid defending, experience (won two MLS Cups) , and consistency should put him in the mix for the left back  job.

What other players do you think really missed out on the friendlies because of MLS play? Share your thoughts below!

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by Sean Heffernan

Young American, Fabrice-Jean "Fafà" Picault, has gotten off to successful start to the season with Cagliari in Italy's Primavera division. The Miami based striker is in his second year with the Sardinian club's youth system and has seen action in both of the squad's first two games. Picault was able to notch a goal in the first half of the club's season opener, but the Rossoblu fell 3-1 to Empoli. 
Despite scoring in his first match of the year, Picault did not get the start the following game against Torino, but came on as a second half substitute with the game tied 1-1. The New York City born speedster made the most of his limited time on the field breaking away with the ball in the 67th minute and setting up team mate Mathias Gallon for the game winning goal. 
 
Though U-20 head coach Thomas Rongen did not select Picault for the U-20 World Cup, the 18-year-old will be eligible to participate in the 2011 Youth World Cup for the United States. 

"I will be eligible and it's always an honor to be able to represent my country on an international level. However, I will be about 20 years old by that time and God willing I am hoping to be at an even higher level with the national team, which depends on how soon I am inducted into the system" Picault told Soccer365.

The Miami native of Haitian decent speaks (in addition to English) some French, Spanish, and Italian. Picault is proud of his affinity for different languages saying, “My Italian is now better than my French in my opinion. I understand a lot of Spanish also. In my family many languages are comprehended and spoken due to our passion for different cultures.” Though his time in Europe his language skills the young footballer admits, “My brother is actually much better than me in all languages except for Italian.”

Cagliari is on the Italian island of Sardinia which is a major tourist attraction in the summer months. Growing up in New York City and Miami it took some time for Picault to adjust life in Cagliari, but he’s grown to enjoy his adopted home.

“I'm a city boy, but I am able to enjoy the calmness of this island. The people are very passionate about life and soccer of course. The food is also very good in Sardinia and I have been able to enjoy a few ‘home-sardo’ dishes”. Though he’s grown to enjoy his Italian surroundings Picault remains focused on his personal goals, “I am here on a mission and to accomplish my dreams so everything else comes after.”

On the pitch, Picault is typically used as one of two attacking forwards for Cagliari and is known for taking on defenders in 1-on-1 situations, using his speed on fast counter-attacks, and threatening opposing goalies as a target on corner kicks. Picault explains his role stating “When the game gets intense or it gets to be towards the end of a match, I usually try to take a bit more initiative and do anything in order to get a win.”

For his positive start to the season Picault credits the model set by one of the most successful American athletes of all time, Michael Jordan (who was inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame last month), saying "I was recently inspired by Michael Jordan's acceptance speech and how great of a work ethic he had".

Fafà Picault hopes his hard work will continue to pay off in Italy this season and lead to bigger and brighter things for the American.

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For a USMNT manager one constant always seems to be that there will always be people on the Internet calling for your head at all times. People need to start facing facts about Bob Bradley. He's earned his shot with the US team for next year's World Cup. Bradley led the US back from the grave earlier this summer to the Confederations Cup final where they came close to beating a Brazil team featuring some of the world's best players. Right now the U.S. is on top of their World Cup group. Though people often cite CONCAF as a weak region, the U.S. has done what it needs to so far to make it to the World Cup. Look at world powers Argentina and Portugal struggling to get to South Africa. World Cup Qualifying isn't easy no matter where you play.

Does that mean I agree with everything Bradley has done as a coach? No. He's not perfect. His Gold Cup squad selections puzzled me with the exclusion of players with a lot of potential like Zak Whitebread, Jemal Johnson, Chris Rolfe, and Brad Davis to name a few. Bradley included a number of players who in my opinion never really had a shot at making it to South Africa like MLSers Jay Heaps, Sam Cronin, Brad Evans, and Logan Pause. 

The US did well to make it to the Gold Cup final against Mexico only to get pounced 5-0. The terrible loss in New York City gave Mexico confidence going into the World Cup Qualifier in Azteca on August 12th. A revitalized El Tri defeated the US 2-1.  Prior to the Gold Cup final the US was on top of the world coming off the Confederations Cup, but two consective losses to bitter rival Mexico derailed some of that precious momentum.

To Bradley's credit the US responded following the disappointment in Azteca with two hard fought wins against El Salvador and Trinidad & Tobago earlier this month.

The location of the US's October 10th match is yet to be decided as the political unrest in Honduras may force the game out of the country to another Central American country or even the U.S.. If the game is moved out of Honduras that would be a huge advantage to Bradley & Co. as playing in Estadio Olmpicio in San Pedro Sula would be quite a test for the Americans.

The US will qualify and Bradley will be their coach in South Africa. At the very least the US should advance out of the group stages next summer as another early group stage exit is unacceptable as was the case in Germany in 2006.

Firing your national team manager (who's been pretty successful) with less than a year to the World Cup would be idiotic. All the "Fire Bob" nonsense needs to end.  All that matters is the result he gets in South Africa. The reality of the situation is that Bob Bradley's real judgement will take place next summer.[ad#Adsense1][ad#Google Adsense-1][ad#HTML-1]

Who Will Make it to South Africa?

by Sean Heffernan

This week we saw all over the world a number of countries beginning to make their way toward South Africa, where in 272 days, World Cup 2010 will begin. The United States took two steps closer to qualifying with two hard fought victories against El Salvador and Trinidad & Tobago. Many complained about the Americans difficulty defeating two teams who on paper were significantly inferior, but in World Cup Qualifying a win is a win. It was a great week in the Beautiful Game. So without further adieu here are my thoughts...

 1. Will the World's Two Best Players Miss Out on the World Cup?

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are widely regarded as the two best footballers in the world, but it is very possible that they won't take part in the upcoming World Cup. Messi's Argetina lost twice last week at home to Brazil and then again days later away to Paraguay. As for Ronaldo, his beloved Portugal won a crucial game against Hungary 1-0, but will have a tough fight in the coming months to earn a playoff spot in their group if they want any chance of making it to South Africa. Argentina is currently in fifth place in South America and would have to face the fourth place team from the US's group in a playoff if they held their current position.

Who doesn’t want to see the best players on Earth play on the biggest stage there is in sports? Each player led their clubs to the last two Champions League Championships. Ronaldo is the most complete attacker in the world. He can score in any way imaginable on the pitch:  the run of play, free kicks, long range bombs, headers, etc. The 24-year-old just left Manchester United for Real Madrid on $132 million deal making him one the richest athletes on the planet. Messi won the Champions League with FC Barcelona over Manchester Untied this past season displaying his world class playmaking abilities. Messi can change direction with the ball like Barry Sanders and create scoring opportunities out of nothing. Despite both players brilliance, their countries are in real danger of not qualifying. It would be a shame if these two athletes, in their primes, on top of the world with their clubs, don't even make it to South Africa.

2. Remaining Questions for the USMNT

The United States should always beat El Salvador and Trinidad & Tobago, but US fans can't expect them to blow them out every time they play. The US on Wednesday won a crucial match against T&T in the Port of Spain 1-0, putting themselves on top of their group. The top three teams make the World Cup automatically in the region and with Costa Rica looking terrible the US are pretty much are a shoe in for 2010.

At left back the US continues to struggle and former Mexican international Edgar Castillo, who was recently cleared to play for the United States, should get a real shot at the position. The only viable option head coach Bob Bradley has is moving over Carlos Bocanegra over to left back and playing Jay DeMerit in the center with Oguchi Onyweu. Jonathan Borenstien's ill fated clearance gave El Salvador an early lead last Saturday. The US cannot afford mistakes like that in the future. To Borenstien's credit he did have a better game against T&T, but not good enough to inspire any kind of confidence in US Soccer fans. Bradley could consider some new faces from MLS like Tim Ward of the Chicago Fire or Todd Dunivant of the LA Galaxy, but the coach doesn’t have a whole lot of time to make up his mind before next summer.

The US needs to improve on how they start games. They have given up to many early goals in qualifying and against better teams they won't have a chance at coming back. The second half of the T&T game was the first time in as long as I can remember that the US really possessed the ball for long periods of time. Once the Americans started sitting on the ball they took control of the game which resulted in the lone goal from Ricardo Clark. After a frustrating first half, Michael Bradley stepped up his game, distributing the ball out of the midfield with accuracy and grit. If the US can possess the ball consistently good things will happen.

3. The Battle for the Midfield

The other position battle is in the middle of the field, where US coach Bob Bradley's son Michael Bradley has been a constant in qualifying. Ricardo Clark, Benny Feilhaber, Maurice Edu, and Jose Francisco Torres have also been in the mix for the position in the past year. Clark scored the crucial goal against T&T on a wicked bending ball from outside the penalty box and is rumored to be moving abroad after this season with Houston. Feilhaber could be the best passer the US has outside of Landon Donovan, but looked better on the wing as a substitute against T&T as he did when he started against El Salvador in the middle.

There is a growing movement within US fans who want to see Jose Francisco Torres play more. The Mexican-American has been a solid contributor down in Mexico for his club Pachuca and showed promise when he's donned the Red, White, and Blue.  Torres really can play anywhere in the midfield for Bob Bradley which helps his chances of making the team in 2010.

Former Toronto FC man Maurice Edu was making his case earlier this year for as he worked his way into the starting lineup at Rangers. Edu was part of the Rangers squad that won the league title and the domestic cup in Scotland this past season. However, Edu had surgery on his knee in the off season and is slowly making his way back to the field. If Edu wants to be considered for the US team he will have to get healthy as soon as he can and get back into the Rangers roster.

The wild card in the battle for central midfield is German born Jermaine Jones, who is on the verge of becoming eligible to play for the United States. The 28-year-old is one of the best defensive midfielders in Germany with a knack for shutting down the center of the field and just being a bad ass. He's also known for speaking his mind freely and we shall see if his personality fits into Bob Bradley "group" mentality. To get an idea of both the good and the bad that comes with the Schalke midfielder check out this video.

In 2007 Jones helped Schalke advance to the quarterfinals of the Champions League. From the video you can tell he has a temper as in one clip he freaks out after being given an unjust yellow card for a superb tackle he made and earns himself a red card for dissent. Jones is coming off a hair-line fracture in his leg and has recently returned to training with Schalke and could be available for the US's trip to Honduras on October 10th.

We obviously have a real depth in the central defender role and we don't have anyone in our player pool who can be a Xavi or Steven Gerrad so why shouldn't Bob Bradley play two central defenders in the midfield. I almost wish Bradley would play a 4-3-3 with Jozy Altidore, Charlie Davies, and Clint Dempsey up top and Donovan in the midfield with two central defenders ( i.e. Bradley, Jones, Edu, or Clark). I'd rather have Dempsey up top where he's more comfortable than have him doing tricks with the ball in the midfield. I doubt that Bradley would veer from the 4-4-2 with less than a year to go to the World Cup, but it’s just a thought. The left back spot no matter what will be a question mark going into South Africa, but the race for the central midfield will be the most interesting by far on the US national team.

4. England Continues to Dominate

With England's thrashing of Croatia 5-1, the Three Lions are through to the World Cup with Wednesday's victory. One thing England really has going for them is that they have two of the best midfielders in the world in Steven Gerrad and Frank Lampard. You know Lampard and Gerrad are going come through for their squad whether it’s for club or country. They both just have a hero quality to them that few players truly have. The duo had two goals each in the drubbing of Croatia (whom happens to be ranked 9th in the world by FIFA). England was expected to win at home in Wembley, but not by that margin.

One question mark is finding a striking partner for Wayne Rooney. Manager Fabio Capello has been starting Emile Heskey who has only scored 7 times in 56 appearances for England. One would think Jermaine Defoe would be considered in that role as the Tottenham man has been red hot of late for both England and Spurs. Defoe has scored 11 goals in just 36 appearances. He's smaller than the physical Heskey or 6 ft 7 Peter Crouch, but if he keeps scoring goals the way he has than I don't know how Capello can keep him off the pitch.

Now that the English are qualified for the World Cup, it will be interesting to see how Capello experiments with his team for the rest of their games. There’s still a lot of time from now until next summer, but presently England looks like a force to be reckoned with.

5. Knock, Knock. Who's There? (Slap) KGB! We Shall Ask the Questions!

The Russians are coming! Andrei Arshavin and company defeated Wales and Lichtenstein over the weekend putting them second in the group behind Germany. If Russia can win at home against the Germans they’ll have a very good chance of winning the group. In what could prove to be a crucial blunder Germany tied Finland 3-3 last October currently leaving Russia just one point behind the Die Mannschaft. Russia’s captain, Arshavin is playing brilliantly for Arsenal and looks to be worth every penny the club spent on him. Striker Roman Pavlyuchenko has been on form for his country scoring 5 goals in World Cup qualifying wile Zenit St. Petersburg's Konstantin Zyryanov has been a creative force in the midfield for the Russians. Look for Russia to surprise a lot of people next year in South Africa as they did at Euro 2008.

Do you have any thoughts on the Beautiful Game? Please share them below.

 by Sean Heffernan

Following the Americans' defeat in Azteca to fierce rivals Mexico, the United States Men's National Team looks to secure its entry to the 2010 World Cup with their four remaining World Cup Qualifiers. This coming Saturday the US will welcome El Salvador to Rio Tinto Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah for the first of two qualifiers the US will play in Septmeber. The following Wednesday the Yanks will travel to Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago where they will try to capture three points from the "Soca Warriors" away from home. ...

 Time is on the US's side with full week to prepare for the two games as oppose to only a day or two as was the case with the Mexico game. The starting 11 will likely include mostly European based players who have to travel from overseas and need time to recover from jet lag. Late goals from Jozy Altidore and Frankie Hedjuk helped the US salvage a tie in front of 30,500 urine bag throwing Salvadorans last March in San Salvador. 

 El Salvador is coming off an away defeat to Trinidad and Tobago 1-0. The Americans should look out for Rudis Corrales who's scored 14 goals in 63 appearances for his country and former DC United winger Eliseo Quintanilla who scored against the Americans early in the first half the last time the two teams faced off. Head coach Bob Bradley called in 24 to Salt Lake City for the national team camp.

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa, England), Tim Howard (Everton, England)

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes, France), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover, Germany), Jay DeMerit (Watford, England), Clarence Goodson (IK Start, Norway), Chad Marshall (Columbus), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan, Italy), Jonathan Spector (West Ham, England)

Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Borussia Moenchengladbach, Germany), Ricardo Clark (Houston), Clint Dempsey (Fulham, England), Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus, Denmark), Stuart Holden (Houston), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), Jose Francisco Torres (Pachuca, Mexico)

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Hull, England), Conor Casey (Colorado), Brian Ching (Houston), Charlie Davies (Sochaux, France), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles), Robbie Findley (Salt Lake)

Here is my starting 11 for Saturday's game against El Salvador. I'm assuming how the El Salvador game goes will affect the lineup for T&T.

Goalie: Tim Howard

No surprise here. "Timmaaay" has been rock solid for the U.S. since he took the reigns from Kasey Keller after the 2006 World Cup. Although Brad Guzan doesn't start for Aston Villa he played well for his club in the pre-season and is capable back up for the U.S.

Center Back: Carlos Bocanegra

After a tough game in Mexico where the U.S. captain found himself out of position at left back and exposed by the Mexican wingers I think Bob Bradley should place Boca back in the middle of the defense especially with Oguchi Onyweu out because of yellow card accumulation. Playing Bocanegra in the middle plays to the intelligent defenders' strengths even though he does play left back for his club. 

Center Back: Jay DeMerit 

The Wisconsin native and captain of his club team Watford, Jay DeMerit proved his worth the US in the Confederations Cup where he earned praise for his super human efforts in the upset over Spain and Egypt. The former University of Illinois-Chicago standout will cover for the absent Onyweu and continue to solidify his role in the team. 

Left Back: Jonathan Borenstein 

It would be fair to wonder if the US will ever find stability at the left back position, but if the Chicago Bears can get a quarterback anything can happen I guess. A Éric Abidal is walking through the door anytime soon so we should probably work with what we have. Borenstein hasn't proven himself the out and out starter, but he's the only natural left back in Bradley's roster. He offers more going forward than Bocanegra. I think Edgar Castillo and Heath Pearce still have a shot at the job before the 2010 World Cup. The sooner someone steps up and wins the position the better for the US.

Right Back: Jonathan Spector

Not that I have a thing for both of the US full backs being named Jonathan, but Jonathan Spector has been seeing the field for West Ham recently in arguably the best league in the world, the English Premier League. Many were convinced that Spector's play at the Confederations Cup won him the right back job, but Bradley started the more experienced Steve Cherundolo against Mexico in Azteca. Earlier this summer in South Africa, Spector displayed his dangerous crosses from the right flank, two of which found Clint Dempsey for goals.

Right Midfield: Clint Dempsey

The winner of the Bronze Ball, awarded to the third best player at the Confederations Cup, Clint Dempsey looks to carry his national team exploits into the upcoming qualifiers. When he's at his best he can do things no other US player can do. Dempsey didn't have a great game in Mexico, but he'll have opportunity to make up for it against El Salvador and T&T. 

Left Midfield: Landon Donovan

Landon Donovan is playing the best soccer of his career with the LA Galaxy and the US. His disappointing performance in Azteca was attributed to him having contracted Swine Flu, but was quickly back to his good form in MLS. Donovan's best position with the national team is on the right side of midfield because the U.S. needs him to touch the ball as much as possible being the team's best creator. 

Center Midfield: Michael Bradley

Coach Bob Bradley's son, Michael, has proven himself as a starter on the national team and with his German club, Borissa Mochengladbach. However, Bradley was left out this weekend's team because of a disagreement with his coach over his recent play with his club. Unlike his father's cool, calculated demeanor, Michael's hot head has got him in trouble before as was the case when he earned himself a suspension after screaming at a referee after a game in the tunnel.

I would like to see Bradley adopt a more defensive minded roll which will allow him to focus on what he does best: Putting pressure on the opposing team's midfield and obtaining possession. Bradley's fire is what makes him the midfielder we need on the field as long as it doesn't earn him a red card. Bradley starting position will be called into question once Maurice Edu and Jermaine Jones get healthy.  

Center Midfield: Benny Feilhaber

Instead of going with Bob Bradley's usual pairing of Ricardo Clark with Michael Bradley I propose utilizing Benny Feilhaber's offensive attributes in the center of the midfield. Feilhaber showed some class in the Confederations Cup setting up a number of goals for the US. The Brazilian born, UCLA product has displayed a creative element that the US team frequently lacks.

Forward: Charlie Davies

No American player is hotter than Charlie Davies who has already scored twice for his French club Sochaux and earned penalty kick that resulted in the game winning goal over the weekend. Not to mention Davies got on the scorer's sheet in the Mexico game curling the ball cleverly around Memo Ochoa. Davies' speed cannot be understated and if he times his runs right he'll be able to find the net.

Forward: Jozy Altidore

Many US fans were upset over Jozy Altidore not starting the Mexico game, but now that the 19-year-old has gotten some games under his belt at his new English club, Hull City, hopefully he'll be in the starting 11. Altidore's first touch in a Hull kit was a over-the-head flick to that set up a game winning goal. Jozy started a few days later in a Carling Cup match scoring on a long range free kick that whistled into the goal.  The US has two of the most promising young strikers in Europe in Altidore and Davies and they need to be on the pitch.

Share your thoughts on who should start for the US below!

 The weekly column touches on the failure in Mexico City for the US Men's National Team as well as the English Premier League kicking off. Enjoy! ...

1. US Fall Again in Azteca
After taking the lead early in the 1st half on a killer goal by striker Charlie Davies, Mexico came back scoring twice to send the Americans away from Mexico City disappointed. On the winning goal, Landon Donovan was uncharacteristically beat down the wing. Turns out Donovan swine flu. How ironic that the US's best player would contract the pandemic that originated in Mexico just before their crucial World Cup qualifier. Donovan should be fine and might even play this weekend for his club the L.A. Galaxy.
 
2. Bob Bradley's Roster Choice Troubles
There was a lot of uproar over the starting 11 that head coach Bob Bradley put out there against Mexico. The lineup included Brian Ching and Ricardo Clark who play for MLS club the Houston Dyanmo. Ching and Clark had played two games in 3 days the weekend prior to Wednesday and both players looked tired in Azteca. Many thought Jozy Altidore would start the game being one of the Americans' leading scorers in qualifying, but the 19-year-old didn't get on the field until late in the game.
 
The left back position continues to be a problem for the US as captain Carlos Bocanegra looked exposed outside of his preferred position in the center. The real question is will Bob Bradley learn from this defeat and find the best 11 for next summer's World Cup in South Africa? 
 
3. Things Begin in Jolly Ole England
The English Premier League kicks off this weekend with a number of Americans involved this year. Yank keepers Brad Freidel (Aston Villa) and Tim Howard (Everton) will hope to crack the top four this year. Altidore (Hull City) may see his debut this weekend against super club Chelsea. Clint Dempsey and Fulham had a break out last year and will hope to continue that success. American fullbacks Jonathan Spector (West Ham) and Eric Lichaj (Aston Villa) will look to crack their respected starting lineups. My only hope outside of our boys doing well in the EPL is that someone finished in the top four other than Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool. Don't those redcoats get sick of the same thing every year?

4. MLS Going Ons

The weekends games will see if the Columbus Crew and L.A. Galaxy can keep their win streaks going. The Galaxy and David Beckham welcome Freddy Ljungberg and the Seattle Sounders to the Home Depot Center while the Crew welcome red hot FC Dallas to central Ohio.

Rumors of Pavel Nedved coming to the MLS have been swirling around after the Czech star hinted at the possibility to the media. Some pundits are placing him in Chicago which has a strong Czech demographic and Cuontomec Blanco is thought to be leaving the Fire after this season. I'm not sure Nedved would want to wait until next season to start playing as he's trying to get back into form for a possible national team return.

The MLS has agreed to terms with Seattle Sounders star Freddy Montero's club Deportivo Cali which is good news for the league as well as the Seattle Sounders. MLS should be able to sell the exciting, young player eventually for a nice price.

5. Super Cooper in Germany

Look for U.S. striker Kenny Cooper to score a lot of goals this year for German second division club 1860 Munich this season. Cooper started with a bang scoring in his debut with The Lions. The former FC Dallas man can score with his size as well his with his nifty feet, but never had the same quality of talent surrounding him when he played in MLS. Cooper's next chance to find the back of the net will be on Saturday vs. Hansa Rostock.

Check out my Soccer365 article about young American Fabrice-Jean Picault who is playing for Caliagri's second team in Italy

Why you Should Care About US vs. Mexico

What did you think of this week in the Beautiful Game? Share your thoughts below!

by Sean Heffernan

While the United States Men's National Team was in the throes of the Confederations Cup earlier this summer I remember driving across the Midwest from Columbus to Chicago and listening to the "The Herd" hosted by Colin Cowherd and ESPN 1000 as I passed cornfield after cornfield. ...It was right after the the US defeated Egypt and somehow advanced to the second round of the tournament to face the #1 ranked team in the world. To my surprise Cowherd was actually talking about US Soccer. Despite the miracle win against the Pharaohs, the ESPN talk show host did not give the Americans a shot in hell in defeating Spain and went on to talk mostly about how soccer will never be important in our country. Of course things went quite different and the US pulled off the historic upset over Spain before almost winning our country's first international tournament in the final against Brazil 3-2.

I turned on the television today and Colin Cowherd was interviewing Landon Donovan on SportsNation. Cowherd called Donovan his new man crush and said that he remodeled his basement for the US vs. Mexico game tomorrow (4 PM ET on MUN 2, check your local listings). The ESPN analyst went on to apologize for everything he said negatively on his show over the years about US Soccer and that he was now a converted fan.

Not the soccer movement in America was hinging on one radio/T.V. personality's allegiance, but it is indicative of the new consciousness America is gaining of international soccer. All summer European clubs like AC Milan, Real Madrid, Chelsea, and Barcelona have been selling out stadiums in pre-season tours of America. Unlike any other sport soccer unites countries. I was in Rome when Italy won the World Cup in 2006 and I can tell you that the joy in the Italian people that night was something truly indescribable. In the Ivory Coast when their national team advanced out of the group stage of the World Cup in 2006 it stopped a civil war. Soccer truly is the world's game. It's about time the US became a world leader in it.

As for the rivalry between Mexico and the United States it's becoming one of the best in sports. American media is becoming more aware of the long history between the two countries' national teams therefore only now is the game being visible in mainstream sports. The political aspects of the game cannot be ignored as America and Mexico have become two nations deeply embedded in each other. I attended the double header Gold Cup semifinal in Chicago where the US defeated Honduras 2-0 and Mexico beat Costa Rica on penalties in Soldier Field.It was interesting to see people waving both US and Mexico flags and see the divisions within families as some family members wore red, white, and blue while others donned the red, white, and green.

The United States and Mexico will face each other Wednesday in a crucial World Cup Qualifier inside Mexico City's Estadio Azteca with a lot on the line. The Americans will have a another oppurtunity to make history this summer by winning for the first time in Azteca. As for Mexico, this is a must win game, because if they lose, qualifying for next year's World Cup will become much more difficult for El Tri. Any defeat to the Americans at home would be a national tragedy in Mexico. Expect an atmosphere unlike anything you've ever seen tomorrow evening. Skip out of work early or set your DVR. Games this special don't come around too often.

Share your thoughts below.

The daunting Estadio Azteca awaits the United States

by Sean Heffernan 

BTeamBombers writer Sean Heffernan touches on five topics heating up in the soccer world from David Beckham to the upcoming World Cup Qualifer between US/Mexico to the MLS salary cap to Real Madrid. Enjoy! ...

1. Next week: US Goes to Azteca to Face Mexico in World Cup Qualifier

The United States has never beaten Mexico inside the massive 105,000 seat Estadio Azteca. A upset over El Tri this coming Wednesday would be the perfect ending to a history making summer of soccer for the U.S. National Team. That feat is easier said than done. Just imagine a 100,000 plus screaming Mexicans in a mist of colored smoke bombs, flying beers, and waving Mexico flags. Not to mention the August late afternoon  humidity beating down on the field at 7200 feet above sea level.  Azteca is undoubtidly one of the hardest places to play in the world. Although, the U.S. has already done the impossible this summer. The upset over #1 ranked Spain in the Confederations Cup has made the U.S. team relevant in the American sports landscape to a degree even David Beckham has yet to truly achieve. ESPN was unable to aquire the game's rights (NBC will show the game on Mun2 in English as well as telemundo...check your local listings), but is still putting on a full out pre-game and post-game shows  even though the game will not be aired on their network.

Expect US coach Bob Bradley to stick to the lineup he used in South Africa during the Confederations Cup with U.S . all time leading goal scorer,  Landon Donovan leading the attack. Donovan will be the most hated man in Mexico City when the two countries hit the field as he long has been a pest to the Green, Red, and White. The US/Mexico game  (4 P.M. EST, set your DVRs if you can't get out of work) will likely be one of the most watched soccer games in United States' history. Any world football expert would be hard pressed to find a more heated rivalry between two countries than the "Border War" between the US and Mexico. If you love rivalries you will love US and Mexico in Azteca.

2. Fox Soccer Channel Needs HD ASAP

Fox Soccer Channel (FSC) should be commended for all the significant number of games it televises as well as their  nightly soccer reports and terrific soccer talk show, Fox Football Fone In, but the channel is falling behind in one area specifically: High Definition. FSC has set a target date of January 2010 to begin airing some matches in HD. The fact that FSC is not being concrete about an exact date when they will be HD operational makes me worry if they'll actually be able to meet their tentative goal. Today,  a televised athletic event that isn't in HD looks 10 years old compared to a game in HD. Not having HD makes it harder for FSC to compete with ESPN who has HD and bigger budgets for their broadcasts. ESPN already has won the rights to some EPL coverage as well the World Cup next summer. Fox onthe rights to this year's Champions League and hopefully will air some games on other Fox channels other than FSC that actually have HD until the channel is available in HD. C'mon Rupert Murdock! Get her done!

3. FC Dallas on the Rise?

After selling their leading goal scorer American Kenny Cooper to 1860 Munich earlier this month, FC Dallas has won two straight slowly creeping back into the playoff picture. Long time MLS pro Jeff Cunningham has scored 5 goals in two games (4 goals in last Saturday night's game). Check out my interview with FC Dallas midfielder Dax McCarty. I'm excited to see what FC Dallas young group of American players can do the second half of the season with the likes of Brek Shea, Kyle Davies, Anthony Wallace, and McCarty leading the way. Now if they could only figure out a way to get more fans at their games. Maybe owner Clark Hunt should give Jerry Jones a call. Winning for a change should help though.

4. MLS Players Union After Free Agency

Unlike other major sports in this country MLS players do not have the luxury of free agency where they have multiple teams bid for their services which drives up salaries. Instead the league handles all the players contracts  as one single entity. It seems unlikey that the owners will give in to the players's demands especially in this economic climate, but any type of lock out would be devastating for the 16-year-old league. The MLS's salary cap desperatly needs to be raised with  too many players getting paid less a year than they would  make if they were out digging ditches on the side of the road. Some players even have to coach youth soccer teams or work a side job just make ends meet. You have to respect these guys playing for the love of the game, but the league is big enough to point where teams should be able to pay their players enough to live on. If teams are allowed to spend more, teams can bring higher quality talent to the league improving the product on the field: the most vital component to MLS growing as a league. Hopefully this matter between the players and the league will be resolved shortly.  

5.  What to Watch This Weekend

Mega rich Spanish club Real Madrid and their duo of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka are rumored to be making their debut together tonight as the Galacticos face MLS side Toronto FC in a pre-season friendly (ESPN 7:30 EST). Madrid signed the Brazilian, Kaka ($92 million), former Manchester United star and Portugese international  Ronaldo  ($131 million), and French goal scorer Karim Benzema ($48 million) this offseason.

On Saturday, David Beckham and the L.A. Galaxy will see if they can continue their recent success as they travel to New England to face the Revolution (6 PM EST, FSC). Beckham was booed last week in the Galaxy's friendly with FC Barcelona until he scored a bending free kick for L.A. to tie the game up with the Champions of Europe. The Galaxy eventually lost the game 2-1 to Barcelona, but one would think if Beckham continues to play as well as he has been playing Galaxy fans will quickly forgive him for his loan departure last winter to AC Milan. I don't know how well the Revolution fans will treat the Englishmen on Saturday, but hopefully they get a nice crowd for the game. The Galaxy/Revolution game will be followed on FSC by another MLS contest between the San Jose Earthquakes and 2008 MLS Cup Champs the Columbus Crew which in addittion will be followed by Barcelona facing Mexican club Chivas Guadalajara live from San Francisco in another friendly match.

If that's not enough soccer for you on Sunday the Houston Dynamo host the Chicago Fire in a battle of two of the leagues best teams (Go Fire! Sorry, Chicago bias). The English Premier League kicks off as the world's most popular club Manchester United and the Blues of Chelsea square off in the Community Shield (10 AM EST, FSC). Then to cap off your soccer weekend you can catch DC United have their stab at Real Madrid (3 PM ET, FSC). Here's to sitting on our arses all weekend!

Please comment below!