Cupcake Dessert for the Holidays

Yes folks, it's that time again. The Illustrious Camp Cupcake!

For those unfamiliar with this term, Camp "Cupcake" refers to the USMNT training camp in Carson, California that consists of MLS, Scandanavian and Mexican based players, because the rest of the world is still in the thick of their club seasons.

Here's the roster for the camp, which is to begin Jan 4th, ending with a friendly against our new best friend Honduras in the Home Depot Center, January 23rd at 9pm EST on Fox Soccer Channel.

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (4):Kevin Hartman (Kansas City), Troy Perkins (Valerenga), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake), Zach Thornton (Chivas USA)

DEFENDERS (8):Kevin Alston (New England Revolution), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Omar Gonzalez (Los Angeles Galaxy), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)

MIDFIELDERS (12): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Örebro), Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders), Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Jeff Larentowicz (New England Revolution), Dax McCarty (FC Dallas), Chris Pontius (D.C. United), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)

FORWARDS (6):Justin Braun (Chivas USA), Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids), Jeff Cunningham (FC Dallas), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake), Brandon McDonald (San Jose Earthquakes), Marcus Tracy (Aalborg)

It's likely that alot of US fans won't recognize most of the names on the roster, and that's to be expected, as these guys are far from being regular call-ins for Bob Bradley's squad (with the exception of Bornstein, Rogers, and Casey)

With that said, this list of relatively unknown Americans actually stirs some real excitement for me. We will finally get an answer to so many burning questions:
-Can Cunningham or Findley replace Charlie Davies up top as the #9?
-Is Kljestan back to the form he enjoyed exactly one year ago (Hat-Trick against Sweden in Cupcake '09)
-Is Omar Gonzalez really ready for international play? Can he be paired with Gooch in the CB?
-Are the guys who bailed on MLS after college and chose Europe any good? (Bedoya and Tracy)
-Are the young MLS stars as good as their loyal fans insist? (Cameron, Alston, Pontius)

So, what exactly will happen?

I think that Bob actually has the makings of what could be a successful and useful camp here. He has several potential starters, guys with 1st team experience, who can get some tune-up time in their off seasons, and provide a measuring stick for these younger fellas trying to break into the picture for SA'10.

History tells us that there will be 3-4 guys from this squad who will make the WC roster, even though it's so close. Guys like Clint Dempsey, DaMarcus Beasley and Claudio Reyna all either made their first real impressoins or cemented their positions during this camp in 2006, just prior to the World Cup in Germany, where all three of them started all three group games, and Beasley assisting Dempsey on our only goal of the tournament.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diT8hr2vXTg (Copy+Paste into Browser)


So who's gonna be the Clint/DaMarcus/Claudio's of Cupcake2010?

Bet money on it folks, all 4 of the following WILL be on the roster this summer:

Benny Feilhaber (CM) He was always going to make it, and he's only here to see how people measure up to his play, as well as giving him a chance to keep sharp in the off season.

Jonathan Bornstein (LB) Same exact thing as Feilhaber

Robbie Rogers (LM) Had a legitimate chance of making the roster before this camp, but he'll show up with a strong camp and good showing vs. Honduras and solidify his spot in the final 23

And now the final spot. A guy who's never put on a USA jersey, 6 months before the World Cup.




Real Salt Lake's golden boy, Robbie Findley


Finishing with 12 goals and 4 assists for 28 points, Findley led RSL to it's first-ever MLS Cup with his brilliant and clutch finishing he providedly consistently throughout the season. He is known for scoring "striker's goals", where he seems to be in the right place at the right time for the wide open goal, but the you've gotta give him some credit where credit is due, check out this one vs Colorado for the MLS Goal of the Week

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4fQCXTxzPg (Copy+Paste into your browser)

Sublime skill and composure to say the least.

While I'd do anything to have Charlie Davies back for South Africa, it's likely that he will not be out there for us, and Robbie Findley will prove this camp to both Bob Bradley and all who are watching the match vs Honduras that he's a viable option to replace CD9.

I should note that I think the following guys will also have strong camps, and while they won't make the roster for this summer, they'll certainly raise their stocks for the future during the January Camp:

-Marcus Tracy-

Hero of the '07 College Cup for Wake Forest, scoring the game-tying goal vs Ohio State, Tracy is a big striker, most dangerous in the air. He could be the perfect compliment for the crossing abilities of our up and coming Stuart Holden and Robbie Rogers. Don't be surprised if he gets the start vs Honduras.

-Geoff Cameron-


Very solid for Houston. Big, strong, good in the air. A typical Bob Bradley defensive-minded player.

-Chris Pontius-


The kid scores great goals, all the time. Strong rookie year in MLS.

-Omar Gonzalez-

I'd love to see this kind of air dominance on our back line.

I played against this guy at Maryland, and the only word that properly describes him is dominating. His physical stature compares to Oguchi Onyewu (Not quite as thick), but he seems to quicker than he looks, and obviously at 6'5, he's deadly on set pieces. MLS Rookie of the Year for 2009 will prove his worth to Bob Bradley as an option for the future.

There you have it, a synopsis of the upcoming USMNT Camp Cupcake. Looking forward to the Honduras Match. Don't be surprised to hear some Jonathan Bornstein chants from the fans wearing Blue either, he's pretty much become a national hero to them.

Oh and just for good measure, here's my guess at the starting XI vs Honduras.

Findley Casey

Rogers Beckerman Kljestan Feilhaber

Bornstein Marshall Goodson Alston

Perkins

Subs(It's a friendly remember, so they're unlimited):
Pontius for Rogers -45
Gonzalez for Goodson-45
Cunningham for Casey-45
Cameron for Kljestan-65
Wynne for Alston-70
Evans for Findley-75
Conrad for Marshall-90+ Cameo for a legend.

Leave your thoughts below!

Brian

Check It Out

I'm not ashamed to admit that I've seen this youtube video well over 50 times.
Easily the most well put together video about US Soccer that you can find online, all the way from the music to the transition of the clips.

Anyway, a friend of mine asked me for the link so I figured I'd give y'all a shout out about this diamond in the rough.

Watch it once, you'll be addicted

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiYqzLXL_Us

The hyperlink creater thingamabobber isn't working for some reason so just copy paste that into your browser.

The 23

Ok, so here we are almost exactly 6 months away from our opening match against England in Rustenburg, and it's safe to say that there is no other country who has as many roster spots up for grabs as we do. Bob Bradley has used 47 players at one time or another this year, and with injuries, playing time situations at the club level, and other variables that no US Soccer fan can comprehend, there are probably 16-17 spots that have legitimate competition for WC2010.

So I've taken the liberty of breaking it down as I see it.

Goalkeepers-Our strongest position aside from Midfield.



1-Tim Howard
Not much of a question here, anybody who supports the USA loves him, and anybody who follows the premiership fears him. Top class goalkeeper who's going to be a difference maker for us this summer.


2-Brad Guzan
Could you ask for a better 2nd string than Guzan? This guy should be starting at Aston Villa if not for another American's (Brad Friedel)impeccable form. At 24 years old, the future in the long line of outstanding American goalkeepers is in safe hands. No pun intended. Ok, maybe it was.


This is where it gets tricky. Logic would have it that you should take your top 3 goalkeepers to the World Cup, which for me would give this spot to Marcus Hahnemann. However, the odds of the 3rd string goalkeeper ever seeing a minute of time in the World Cup are so astronomically high that most people feel that Bob should bring along a younger goalie to give him some experience, such as Brian Perk, Chris Seitz, Domonic Cervi, or Luis Robles. For me, I'd rather have the experience, just in case. The younger guys will get their shot when the time comes, and we'll have Guzan for a long time.

3-Marcus Hahnemann
Despite the fact that he's 39 years old, he's looking damn good in the EPL right now for Wolves, coming off a shutout away to top 4 Tottenham Hotspur. In the event that we actually need our 3rd string goalie on the field (Knock on wood), this is the guy we need ready.





Defenders-My, oh my. What a mess this has been all year. Things were starting to sort themselves out at the Confederations Cup, then down go Gooch and DeMerit and all of a sudden we're back at square 1.

1-Carlos Bocanegra
Captain, Veteran Center Back in a depleted pool of CBs. Starting in the French Ligue 1 for god knows how many years at Rennes. Not the greatest defender, but makes up for it with heart and goal scoring ability from the back.



2-Steve Cherundolo
I honestly couldn't tell you how long Stevie C's been starting in the Bundesliga for Hanover 96, but it's well over 5 years. Easily the most experienced back in the pool, he's a lock for SA.



3-Jay DeMerit
Having been out for 3 months with some sort of freak eye injury, he made his return as captain of Watford over the weekend in a 1-0 loss. His performance at the Confederations Cup and in the few qualifiers he played has cemented him as a starter as long as he's healthy.




4-Jonathan Bornstein
It's kind of scary that this Chivas USA Left-back is 4th on our depth chart for defenders, right? Wrong. This guy isn't nearly as bad as most people rate him. I'd be totally comfortable with him at LB this summer, especially after the late heroics vs Costa Rica in DC to win us the Hex.


5-Oguchi Onyewu
Again, kind of scary that our 5th roster spot on defense goes to a guy who had major knee surgery just a month and a half ago. Gooch however is certain he'll be back in time for the WC, and if this is so, he's a lock for the roster because when he's healthy, he's our best defender.


6-Jonathon Spector
I love this guy. His services from the back are a huge concern for opposing defenses (Ask Egypt, Brazil) Inconsistent, but improving playing time with West Ham in the EPL has Specs on my roster any day. The only question is where along the potentially makeshift backline he'll play. We've seen him at RB (this past summer) CB (November vs Slovakia and Denmark), and LB (West Ham).




7-Clarence Goodson
Looked good against Denmark. Consistently starting at IK Start in Norway, Goodson looks to be our #4 CB behind Jay, Gooch, and Boca. My gut feeling is that he is merely there for insurance purposes though, as Bobby B successfully played Spector at CB in search of potential replacements to our long-time stalwarts currently out with injury.





Midfielders - Our deepest position. Combine that with our lack of depth at striker, and you're going to see a whole lot of these guys on the roster. Some of these guys can play as Backs as well, and some can also play in the striker role, so this position is going to take up the biggest chunk of our roster.

1-Landon Donovan
Again, a done deal. Easily our best outfield player, Landon's form this year has been surreal. I'm not a fan of his move to Everton, but hopefully it'll work out for the best, and he'll keep his form and lead us to sucess this summer.




2-Clint Dempsey
AKA "Houdini", this guy seems to disappear for 89 minutes and 58 seconds, then come out of no where and bury a diving header to win us the game. That big play ability, as well as his consistent goal scoring at Fulham, means he'll be on the pitch for the USA.


3-Michael Bradley
Despite being the coach's kid, this guy can play. Hard-nosed box-to-box midfielder and a legitimate scoring threat (our best scoring CM in the history of US Soccer), Bradley's starting role at Borrusia Moenchengladbach in the Bundesliga and past performances for the USA give him a plane ticket.


4-Benny Feilhaber
YESSS!!!!! YESSS!!!!! BENNY! FEILHABER! 73rd MINUTE! BENNY WITH HIS JETS! 2-1, USA!!!!
If you dont know what im talking about, see :52 seconds into this clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6I3HCOMYTYc

Benny is a fan favorite for moments like that and his flashes of brilliance against Spain and Brazil make him a sure pick for this summer.



5-Ricardo Clark
I'm not to high on Clark, but he plays pretty well for us, and right now he's our only other CM with alot of starting experience. His role in the Confed Cup will play to his advantage when the roster is picked, but he better watch out for 2 dark horses looking to take his spot.


6-Stuart Holden
Absolutely love this kid. A true "#7", his play on the right wing has been exciting and dangerous. Good speed, solid track-back defense and a deadly cross make him valuable to our air-oriented attack. Got his first look in the Gold Cup, and came out with 2 goals and 3 assists (I was there for the one against Haiti, aboslutely unbelieveable). Stu followed up his GC performance and silenced his "big fish in a pond of minnows" critics with solid performances in Azteca (Sub), and vs Honduras and Costa Rica as a starter. With Charlie Davies out, he may very well take the starting RM spot and push Dempsey up top with Jozy.

Side Note: Coolest picture of the bunch

7-Jose Francisco Torres
I can't figure out why this guy doesn't get more time for the USA. He was one of the two players who were really the reason we were able to tie up the Costa Rica game in DC, and every time he gets on the field he seems to dicatate the flow of play. His posession-savvy game make him a viable substitute when we need to slow the game down and keep the ball. Paco Torres will be there next summer.


8-Robbie Rogers
Dangerous winger who has burst onto the scene lately with strong performances in the last few WCQs and in the November friendlies. A potential substitute when an offensive spark is needed, he can play on the left and we can push Donovan into the free-roaming supporting striker role.


9-Maurice Edu
If he can get healthy and get back to where he was before his knee injury with Rangers, I don't see how he can possibly be left off the roster. Watch out Rico, Maurice is looking like a pretty good option at Defensive CM. Again, the key is if he can recover from his injury and regain his form.


10-Jermaine Jones
Ok, the hype surrounding this guy is absolutely incredbile. I understand that he is widely considered the best defensive center mid in the Bundesliga for Schalke 04, but with this awful leg injury he's currently facing, I'm skeptical. IF, and only if he regains his health, fitness, and form for Schalke, he'll have one shot to impress Bob Bradley in our March 3rd friendly @ The Netherlands. If he impresses in his first cap for the USA against a team like Holland, he's not only a lock to make the team, he's a guaranteed starter.




Forwards-Our weakest position. We have young potential, and some old guys who have become obselete at the international level. This is a tricky one. Dempsey and Donovan can both play up top, so we really have 5 options at striker rather than 3, and with our depth at midfield, we may be able to afford to make one of those moves.

1-Jozy Altidore
Jozy is without a question our best striker, getting good minutes in the EPL for Hull City and scoring a who slue of goals for the USA over the past year, including the game winner in our historic dos-a-cero over Spain in Bloemfontein. Jozy will be starting up top this summer, but with who, if anybody, remains to be seen.


2-Robbie Findley
His incredible form in MLS is going to earn him a chance at camp "cupcake" in January, and I think he'll take that chance and score a few goals. A younger guy with a huge upside coming off a banner season and an MLS cup ring, he'll push his way into the roster.


This spot quite literally brings me to tears thinking about. We all know the situation with Charlie Davies, and the timeline for recovery is projected to keep him out of the World Cup, even though there have been some reports leaking out suggesting he may somehow miraculously make it back in time. At this point, I have to play devil's advocate and say that at this point, Bob can't risk putting him on the roster. Let it be known that Charlie Davies is my favorite player for the US, and if he does make it back in time for the World Cup, I'll be the happiest camper in the whole wide world.

3-Conor Casey
Bob Bradley's project player. Casey does well in MLS, but until his tremendous game vs Honduras, struggled for the USA. Less than acceptable finishing against Costa Rica (he could have scored to put us up 1-0 during the 9th minute Charlie Davies tribute, but made a mess of it) again puts doubts in my head about the big baldy up top, but my gut feeling tells me he'll grab a spot.




There ya have it folks, this here is what the United States World Cup 2010 roster will look like. If all of these guys can stay healthy (or get healthy) and maintain good playing situations for their clubs leading up to the big dance, nobody can deny that we have a very, very dangerous team.


Miss you Charlie<3




Share your thoughts, and invite your friends!

Donovan to the Toffees?

Say it isn't so!

The Guardian has reported that Everton F.C., home of American goalkeeper Tim Howard and former home of US greats Joe-Max Moore and Brian McBride, has expressed interest in acquiring Los Angeles Galaxy forward Landon Donovan on loan during the January transfer window.



Initial Reaction: NO!

Wait for it...there it is! Of course most fans of the United States National team would find it ideal for Landon Donovan to be playing for an top-flight English side such as Everton. I mean, why wouldn't you want your best player getting minutes against the best club teams in the world week and week out? Not to mention playing alongside Tim Howard under a manager who is famous for loving Americans.

I'll tell you why.

Landon Donovan has been the anchor of the United States Men's National team for the past 8 years, and with 120 caps and 42 goals for his country, it's hard to argue against his success on the international level.

We recently played two friendlies in November against two World Cup sides, Slovakia and Denmark, suffering 1-0 and 3-1 losses, respectively. These matches were both played without several of our top players, including Landon. While watching the team perform during those two matches, it's safe to say I've never seen us look so flat, so unimposing, and so downright awful. Coincidence that Landon wasn't out there? I think not.

USA fans must recognize the fact that we CANNOT win as a country without him on the field.

So, back to the loan issue.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it"

Landon Donovan has enjoyed his success for his country while being a domestically-based player. His career at Los Angeles has been incredible, with him having similar numbers for the Galaxy as he does for the United States (121 apps, 64 goals). So my question is, if this guy has been dominating the pitch for the USA while playing his club ball in MLS, why would you want to change that a mere 6 months before we enter the World Cup?

MADNESS, I TELL YOU!

Donovan doesn't perform well in European club football, it's been proven before and if he makes this move, it will be proven again. His first stint with Bayer Leverkusen saw him get on the pitch 7 times in 5 years. That's disgraceful. His second stint saw him at Bayern Munich, where got 6 league appearances and 0 goals.

The bottom line is that if you see Landon Donovan get on a plane and leave for Merseyside this January, you'll see our World Cup hopes leave with him.






If you want to see more of this next summer in South Africa, then we need to keep Landon in the MLS

The World Looks in it's Rear View and Has a Heart Attack

England, United States, Slovenia, Algeria. Watch out everybody, here come the yanks.

It's hard to argue that this is anything but the ideal draw for the United States.

I had the feeling we would get England, and I'm really excited about the matchup. Think about it...how many storylines will the media come up with?

Opening match of Group C: USA v England Rematch of the legendary "miracle on grass" of the 1950 world cup where we upset the English 1-0

"Father vs Son" matchup ? You've got ESPN analyists coining phrases such as "Party like its 1776"

So, what are our chances against the English?

Well, obviously they're the seeded team in the group, so they're supposed to provide the stiffest competition. Let's break this matchup down a little bit further.

History: -USA's record vs England is 2-7-0, with the last competitive match coming in our 1950 WC upset. -England historically chokes, and chokes HARD, in the World Cup

Facts:

-England's cornerstones are getting old (Becks, Terry), and they have some gaping holes (who the hell is their 1st choice goalkeeper? How about Left Back?)

-The US has the comfort of having played in Rustenburg this past summer, beating Egypt 3-0 to advance to the Semifinal of the Confederations Cup, where we upset #1 ranked Spain.

-Our training facility and hotel is the best of the best (Spain and Brazil used them during the Confederations Cup this summer), and while this does not seem like a big deal to the common fan, think about it. How much of a difference does it make to you when you get a good nights sleep in a comfortable place vs a bad nights sleep in an uncomfortable place? A well rested and mentally relaxed team vs an poorly rested and mentally tense team can drastically effect the outcome of the game. How much does training on a game-like pitch help in your preparations, as compared to training on a poor pitch, which will disrupt practice and won't simulate game conditions.

Key Matchups: Onyewu/DeMerit vs Rooney: Can our center backs hold off the ugliest striker in the world? (ok, hes pretty good too) Donovan vs Cole: Donovan wins, hes faster and more athletic

Dempsey vs Lennon: This one scares me. Dempsey's lack of defensive accountability and Lennon's attacking prowess could be trouble

Lampard/Gerrard vs Bradley/Jones: We're obviously overmatched, but our two CMs can certainly play with these guys, and hopefully the chips fall our way in this instance.

Altidore/? vs Terry/Ferdinand: Hopefully the remainder of the EPL season will provide young Jozy with enough experience to be able to break down this veteran duo.

Wild Card: Tim Howard It's written in stone that if Tim Howard is in his top form, we WILL NOT be scored on. He has proven that he is a top class goalkeeper and if he performs to his capabilities, he will keep us in this game, and hopefully keep the clean sheet and give us the chance at the W

Realistically Speaking....

I'm thrilled with a draw here. 0-0 would be best, to keep the goals against down (tie breaker). With the draw, we just have to outperorm the English against Slovenia and Algeria and we'll take the #1 spot in group C, ideally avoiding a round of 16 clash with Germany and probably giving us Serbia or Australia.

At this point I'm not familiar enough with either Slovenia or Algeria to provide any sort of credible analysis, however I do feel that they should both result in victories for the United States based purely on class. We have played so many big games over the past year against so many quality opponents that I feel we will simply outclass these two teams into wins. 6 points there and a point against the English gives us 7 total, and sees us through to the knockout stages.

Stay tuned for new posts about the US roster for next summer, where to watch the world cup this summer, and a critical review of the new jersey we'll be rockin (I'm not impressed)

The World Cup Draw: The United States' future

The first in a series of posts I'll make regarding the United States National Soccer team and the upcoming FiFA World Cup this suimmer in South Africa.

The FIFA World Cup Draw 2010: Friday Noon ET. United States will face one team from each of these pots :

Pot 1: South Africa (hosts), Argentina, Brazil, England, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain Pot 3: Algeria, Cameroon, Chile, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Paraguay, Uruguay Pot 4: Denmark, France, Greece, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland

The United States is in Pot 2 along with Australia, Honduras, Japan, Korea DPR, Korea Republic, Mexico, and New Zealand Can anybody else see the SHAFT coming again this year? The United States' inclusion in the group of death is almost guaranteed nowadays.

In '06 our "Giant" team was Italy, who we actually managed to get a point from even after being reduced to 9 men because of a referee who we will not name. Our 2nd euro team (Pot 4) was the Czech Republic, who at the time were the best non-seeded European team in the field of 32. And our perceieved "Weak African" team was Ghana, who at the time were playing as the best team in Africa.

So, with that said, here's what it could boil down to

Best Case Draw: South Africa, Algeria, France, United States South Africa looked good at the Confederations Cup, but they certainly aren't as scary as a potential rematch with, say, Spain. Algeria barely qualified for the World Cup after beating Egypt in a home-and-away series playoff, it's clear that they are the weakest of the Pot 3 teams. France struggled through qualifying, and is only in the tournament because of a handball. They're playing awful right now, and I think our counterattacking style matches up well with them. Not to mention, Gooch has had is way with Henry everytime they've met (EPL). This is my best case scenario draw.

Worst Case Draw: Brazil, Cote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), and Serbia, United States Should I really explain it? Brazil=best team in the world, no questions. The Ivory coast are absoltuely terrifying with Drogba running all over everybody he plays against for both club and country. And Serbia, while not really noted for their international soccer, and a scary team as well. Our lack of attacking creativity will NOT be able to get by a solid defense anchored by arguably the best defender in the world, Nemanja Vidic, who is flanked by Chelsea first-choice LB Branislav Ivanovic, and Sevilla RB Dragutinovic. Combine that bacline with attacking coming from CSKA's Kracic, Inter's Stankovic, and ManU's Tosic, and we're in trouble.

My Prediction: England, Chile, Serbia, United States It's been a while since we've played England in a meaningful match, and I just have a feeling we'll draw them from Pot A. Chile is a team that nobody seems to be able to peg as one identity or another. Hopefully we draw them and they come to South Africa, and forget they're there to play soccer...but in all likelihood they'll show up in their best form in recent history, and surprise the group. Serbia, because we ALWAYS get screwed with the draw.

I think we'll make it out of this group. 2-0 loss to England, 2-1 win over Chile, and 1-1 tie with Serbia, but we'll get through on goal differential. I'll update another note when the draw comes out on Friday.

Let me know what you think.

(Note: this was written via "notes" on facebook 2 days prior to the draft, then reposted here)