Soccer Season Just Getting Started for American National Team this Summer

Posted on May 17, 2013 by nrspiller@gmail.com

In this summer before the 2014 World Cup, instead of relaxing and recovering for the upcoming club season, American international soccer players will be gearing up for a tough set of international fixtures that will extend fully throughout the entire summer break. With a pair of big-time friendlies and all-important World Cup qualifiers extending throughout June, and then with the 2013 Gold Cup encompassing most of July, the American players will have to be ready to endure a tiresome journey in the summer heat. Once August arrives, the players will then re-up with their respective clubs and begin their new seasons. And so as the majority of club seasons draw to a close, it seems as if soccer season is just about to start for our nation’s stars.

In just several weeks time, America will take on two powerful European soccer teams in Belgium and Germany. Although they are largely meaningless friendlies, these games will be a great test of potential matchups at the World Cup. Belgium is an up and coming soccer nation with stars like Eden Hazard and Marouane Fellaini, two of the best players in the English Premier League, while Germany is a usual contender at the World Cup. With two German clubs set to play for the UEFA Champions League (basically the Super Bowl of European club soccer), the national team is full of proven talent that will greatly test our national side.

As June continues, the Americans will turn their attention to the 2014 World Cup qualifiers with games against Jamaica, Panama, and Honduras. With a qualifying group that is very tight on points through three games, the American National soccer team will need to be focused in order to ensure a comfortable qualification. Against three teams that America should be able to handedly beat, this are must-win games for both qualification and for national pride. However, as recent history suggests, such games are no cakewalk. The USA lost in Jamaica just last September so they will have to be up for several tough tests.

Enter July and with it the 2013 Gold Cup. With 12 North American nations battling it out for regional supremacy, this will provide a great warm-up for a major tournament like the World Cup next year. With a group composed of Belize, Costa Rica, and Cuba, America should play well in this stage, especially as the entire Gold Cup will be played on home soil in America. This tournament often comes down to a final between America and Mexico, and while Mexico handedly beat America for the last two Gold Cup titles in the final (5-0 and 4-2), America won the two previous tournaments and would love nothing better than to claim this title.

And at this point, the players will be set to return to their clubs for next season, which begins in August. But for American soccer fans, these games will be exciting tests for a team that has generally failed to impress under new manager Jurgen Klinsmann. Players like Jozy Altidore and Landon Donovan will be under heavy scrutiny and the team will be expected to come together for these upcoming matches. This summer will also provide a great understanding for expectations at the 2014 World Cup. If America can compete against big European oppositions, set themselves apart in qualifiers, and win the Gold Cup, American soccer fans will be excited and ready for next year in Brazil. But should America continue to stutter and falter, more questions about the players and manager will simply continue.

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United States 2014 World Cup Qualification Campaign Begins with Trip to Honduras

Posted on January 31, 2013 by nrspiller@gmail.com

The United States Men’s National Team will begin the final group round of 2014 World Cup qualification next week with a trip to Honduras. Although this will be just the first of 10 matches to determine America’s World Cup fate, starting off in the right way and securing a win against a team that will be eager and hungry to reach the World Cup as well is sure to present a tricky proposition.

Honduras is one of those teams that may or may not make the 2014 World Cup. They were present in South Africa 2010 and also performed admirably in the 2012 London Olympics where they defeated Spain. The team is made up of several international stars who play abroad and can definitely cause the United States some trouble playing on their home soil.

Their defense will prove especially difficult to break down for the Americans. Maynor Figueroa is a powerful defender with an incredible left-footed shot that you can watch here. He plays for Wigan Athletic of the English Premier League and has made a solid career and brings talent and experience to the Honduras backline. Additionally, Emilio Iaguirre is a very skilled left back who plays at Celtic in Scotland. He has been linked to Barcelona in the past and is as good as they come.

Several other Honduras players play in Britain like Wilson Palacios and midfielder Roger Espinoza, who impressed in the Olympics.

America will be favored as usual with the lineup of Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, and Jozy Altidore. Dempsey has been in solid form with Tottenham and recently scored a dramatic late-game equalizer against Manchester United. Donovan is coming off of a fantastic MLS Cup victory and Jozy Altidore has been wonderful scoring tons of goals for AZ Alkmaar of Holland. Hopefully some of this magic will carry over to the United States National Team in this game.

Clearly this will be a game that showcases America’s offensive prowess against the mighty Honduras defense. This will be a tricky nut to crack, especially on a scrappy Honduras field with a passionate fan base that has seen Honduras find success in recent years.

This game is all about setting the tone for the qualification group. If America can head on the road and scrap a win, one of the toughest tasks will be completed and the future will look ever so bright. However, if the United States suffers a loss, or even a draw, questions will be raised and nervousness will infiltrate the American camp. This is a game that a team like America should be able to win, especially against one of those teams hoping to scrape by and qualify for the 2014 World Cup.

The Americans need to come into this match with a good mindset. Patience will be required throughout the team as Honduras is tough to break down. Additionally, goalkeeper Tim Howard may need to step in and make the necessary saves. Although I fully expect the USA to have the majority of chances and shots, Honduras will get a chance and Howard will be called into action. Let’s hope for an American victory, 2-1.

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Brek Shea Move Snubbed: Does the MLS Hold its Best Players Back?

Posted on January 25, 2013 by nrspiller@gmail.com

Brek Shea has all the makings of a fantastic Premier League forward, and could well become an extremely valuable player for the United States National Team. With an impressive 6’3” frame and great speed, the 22 year old could fit in well with both the physical and high-speed nature of English soccer. After completing a weeklong trial at Stoke City, the player is set to return to FC Dallas without a move following a failure of a deal being arranged with the MLS. Apparently, Stoke manager Tony Pulis offered just $3 million and the MLS refused the deal.

The idea of Shea moving to the Premier League is rather surprising at this time. Although the player has made waves and received several national team call-ups, he had a rough MLS season and required surgery in November. Just coming back into playing, perhaps a move to Stoke City, which demands heavy physicality isn’t the best move for the player. Another season with Dallas could perhaps re-invigorate his career and help the MLS claim a higher transfer fee for the player.

When one considers that Brek Shea has a similar style and game to someone like Marouane Fellaini, one could make the argument that Shea is worth far more than $3 million, but this situation also exposes a general trend of the MLS holding American players back from successful European careers.

The debate is a challenging one to find a good answer for. American soccer is seemingly caught in two minds. One group wants to expand the MLS to become one of the best leagues in the world and celebrates the inclusion of stars like Thierry Henry, David Beckham, and Robbie Keane to American teams. These people are the ones that wish for the best American players to stay at MLS clubs so that soccer continues to develop on home soil.

Such situations have enfolded where players like Landon Donovan have been greatly withheld from moving abroad to European clubs. He has experienced loan moves to Bayern Munich and Everton, but was never allowed to secure a full transfer. His spells at Everton were very successful and led to him being named the Everton Player of the Month at one point, but the MLS and LA Galaxy restricted a permanent transfer.

The worry here is that I feel that Donovan’s career was held back. The MLS is no comparison to the talent level in England, and as such one could argue that the American National Team suffered because one of their best players was limited in his growth.

A similar thing could happen to Brek Shea. He is clearly a top prospect in the MLS and could become a focal point of the USA attack in the next five years. There is no doubt in my mind that he would benefit greatly by moving to a team like Stoke City in advancing his development and career. The USA National Team would benefit as well. This is the argument of the other view, that moving America’s best players abroad will help the National Team find more success as players play in more competitive leagues.

So where does the current situation reside? It seems as though Shea will at least spend this year in the MLS with FC Dallas, but if he performs well I would love to see him secure a move to Europe. I think the success of the National Team is more important than the MLS and having our players succeed abroad is instrumental for America competing on the global scale. Let’s just hope that the MLS can sort out a move with Shea for a more reasonable fee this summer.

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America Could Really Use Jozy Altidore in 2013

Posted on January 9, 2013 by nrspiller@gmail.com

The United States soccer team had an up-and-down year in 2012, defeating the likes of Mexico and Italy, but also suffering an ugly defeat to Brazil and generally struggling throughout their CONCACAF third round 2014 World Cup qualifying group. Goals have been rather hard to come by since Jurgen Klinsmann took over the squad, and it has resulted in his dropping of top American striker Jozy Altidore last October.

In 14 total matches in 2012, the USA only managed 23 goals for a marginal 1.64 goals/game rate. Five of those goals came in a 5-1 thrashing of Scotland, and if you subtract that game, the USA only managed 18 goals in 13 games for a 1.38 goals/game rate. Considering that most of the matches were played in qualification games against teams like Jamaica, Guatemala, and Antigua & Barbuda, there is a high amount of evidence that America could stand to improve in their goal-scoring department.

Jozy Altidore must be the answer up top. The young striker has been in sensational form for AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands, where he has scored 11 league goals in just 8 starts this season. His goal mark is nearly half of the entire team’s goals! Nevertheless, Altidore hasn’t replicated that form with the national team, and Klinsmann’s patience has worn thin. Last October, Altidore wasn’t included in the final two games of CONCACAF third round World Cup qualification, when the team needed results to progress. Clearly this was a lesson to the young player and resulted in stories circulating the web that Altidore had poor work ethic and was seen as a negative presence to the team as a whole.

Having no inside information, I doubt that the reality is as bad as those stories have suggested, but clearly the move was made to give Altidore a bit of a wake-up call. He has been a great young talent for the country and has already scored 13 international goals, remarkable for someone just 23 years old. But his international play last year wasn’t up to scratch, and I actually think the message from Klinsmann could do some good into improving his attitude and his game.

For 2013, I sense that Jozy Altidore will be called into action in the final round of World Cup qualifiers that includes teams like Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Jamaica (who memorably defeated America last September). Mexico is always a tough team, and Honduras had a memorable 2012 Olympics where they defeated Spain. These games will challenge the team, and players like Altidore will need to be at their best to ensure qualification.

America is well stocked with offensive talent. Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan are natural forwards who often make plays. Midfielder Michael Bradley brings a great physical presence and also scores plenty of goals. But regardless, America needs the top striker center man, and Jozy Altidore is clearly the man for the job. Here’s to hoping that he continues to develop and score plenty of goals, and is able to replicate his club form for America to help the USA navigate the treacherous last round of World Cup qualifiers!

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USA Soccer Boasts Strongest Collection of Goalies Worldwide

Posted on January 4, 2013 by nrspiller@gmail.com

The United States Men’s National team has been something of an enigma in recent years. Glimmers of hope have emerged like the 2009 Confederations Cup, where the USA stunned Spain and reached the final match where they lost a close heartbreaker 3-2 to Brazil. But then there are more saddening and maddening displays like the U-23 squad’s failure to qualify for the 2012 Olympics, or the alarming 2-1 loss to Jamaica this past September which threw America’s 2014 World Cup Qualification hopes in limbo. The team is clearly dealing with consistency issues, but among those worries the one part of the team that has been resoundingly strong in recent times is goalkeeper. Tim Howard is near the world’s best at the position, and the depth and future for American goalkeepers is bright. Will this crucial position be enough to help America finally compete on the global stage?

Tim Howard has been one of the few Americans to establish a successful career in the English Premier League. After impressing at the New York Metrostars, he was awarded a daring move to Manchester United. Still young and under the weight of immense pressure at such a powerful club, Howard failed to impress and was eventually moved on to Everton, still a respectable Premier League club. Since then he has flourished and developed into one of the finest keepers in the world. He now holds the Everton club record for most clean sheets in league matches in a season, and has rightfully earned the starting spot on the American National team. At age 33, he is at the prime age of goalkeepers and has the maturity and ability to lead the team. How far America goes in the next World Cup will be largely up to how well Howard performs, but with him between the sticks, America will have a chance to win every match.

But what makes the American situation so special with their goalies is the depth and future at the position. Two other Americans currently play in the EPL in Brad Friedal and Brad Guzan. Friedal was a former star for America but retired from the National team in 2005. Remarkably he is still performing well for Tottenham at the age of 41. With the signing of Hugo Lloris, a highly rated French international, Friedal may be on the outs soon, but his longevity has been impressive.

Brad Guzan has made a name for himself at Aston Villa. After struggling to break into the starter’s role for roughly five years, Guzan is now the starter at the club at age 28. Although he has performed well, Aston Villa has endured a rough season and Guzan has been called into action far too often. Nevertheless, he is competing at the highest level of the game and is a strong number two keeper behind Tim Howard.

The future of American goalies looks very bright. Two goalies of note include Sean Johnson and Bill Hamid. Both start for MLS clubs and have enjoyed recent call-ups to the national team. Johnson is just 23, and though he was the goat in the unfortunate U-23 Olympic failure by allowing a weak shot to bumble past him in injury time, he has been a force playing at the Chicago Fire. Johnson has been scouted by Manchester United and Everton and could possibly move abroad in the near future.

Bill Hamid plays for D.C. United and has also enjoyed several National team opportunities. A successful product of the D.C. United youth academy, Hamid has been linked to both Celtic and West Bromwich Albion. Only 22, the goalie has fantastic potential and could well become a successor to the American shot-stopper.

Hopefully Johnson and Hamid will both continue to develop and eventually duel it out for the American goalie position. At the moment however, Tim Howard is well entrenched in the side and should remain for the foreseeable future. That future for American soccer does look to be bright, at least in the keeper department.

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Memorable 2012 Provided Many Exciting Moments for American Soccer

Posted on December 21, 2012 by nrspiller@gmail.com

Looking back upon American soccer in 2012 provides for many exciting moments and stories. Although there were as many frustrating occurrences for the nation, the sport of soccer is a glorious one, and a fair amount of glorious occasions marked 2012. Here are five of the more memorable events that occurred in American soccer in 2012:

1. High Point – American Women win Gold Medal at 2012 Olympics – Avenging a dramatic loss to Japan in the 2011 Women’s World Cup in penalty kicks, the Americans claimed the Olympic Gold Medal by winning 2-1 at Wembley Stadium. Carli Lloyd provided both the American goals and it made for a spectacular scene. Goalie Hope Solo also provided a stunning save near the end of the match that preserved the win and put the America women back on top, where they belong!

2. Low Point – American Men fail to qualify for 2012 Olympics – While the women were graced with their Gold Medals, the American men didn’t even manage to qualify for the tournament. Although this was a youth tournament, meaning the best Americans weren’t on the pitch, it does still provide an unsettling feeling about the Men’s National Team’s future when they cannot qualify by beating the likes of Canada and El Salvador. The crushing blow came in stoppage time against El Salvador when a mistake by goalie Sean Johnson resulted in a game-tying goal that prevented America from progressing. Better luck next time!

3. Best Goal – Patrick Ianni of the Seattle Sounders vs. Sporting Kansas City – Patrick Ianni made a name for himself with this stunning volley off of a free kick during an MLS game, winning the MLS Goal of the Year Award. Reminiscent of this fabulous goal by Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the EURO 2012 tournament, Ianni incredibly guided the ball past the keeper and into the net. Although he has yet to represent the senior American National Team, if he continues to score goals like that, his moment will surely come.

4. Best Game – 2012 Olympic Semifinals – USA vs. Canada – Back to the impressive Olympic display by the American women, their 4-3 overtime victory over border rivals Canada in the semifinal match was an instant classic. Canadian striker Christine Sinclair had an impressive hat trick, but every time she scored the Americans came back. Megan Rapinoe had two remarkable goals including one sent in directly off of a corner kick. The match brimmed with controversy in the 80^th minute when a questionable handball in the Canadian box led to a match tying penalty kick by Abby Wambach. Both nations had close chances in extra time, but it was Alex Morgan with a header right at the death to send America into the final and left Canada to scrape for the Bronze Medal. It was a truly magnificent game, full of twists and turns, which seems to be the norm for the American women these days.

5. Best Player – Alex Morgan – Although Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard have been playing wonderfully in the English Premier League, the efforts of Alex Morgan have been simply astonishing. Just age 23, Morgan scored a sensational 28 goals and provided 21 assists this year, becoming the focal point of the American women’s attack. Incredibly, she wasn’t even the starter at the beginning of the year, but she has developed into one of America’s best players. At such a young age she has the potential to become the best American woman to ever play soccer, and has even been tipped by team mate Abby Wambach to break the goal-scoring record in American women’s soccer some day, a feat that Wambach is soon to eclipse herself.

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United States Struggles to Draw Against Russia Without Donovan, Dempsey, and Cherundolo

Posted on November 14, 2012 by nrspiller@gmail.com

The United States Men’s National team is surely one that is dependent upon their best players for success. In their friendly match against Russia today, manager Jurgen Klinsmann decided to play a vastly inexperienced side without several key players. Although the USA battled out to a 2-2 draw with the ninth ranked team in the world, they were largely outplayed and only managed to draw because of two fortunate long-range efforts.

The Russians were at it all game long. The United States defense was again exposed, and without quality right back Steve Cherundolo, they gave up chance after chance. It was only a matter of minutes before sloppy defending led to a Russian goal by Fyodor Smolov. Klinsmann may be changing tactics with this team, but he really needs to focus on the defensive side of the ball. Careless play will not lead to any international achievement, especially at the back.

Fortunately, America has one of the world’s best goalies in Tim Howard, and he was a delight in the game, making countless saves. An average goalie could have easily given up four goals in this game. His talents help the team avoid embarrassments stemming from the defenders.

Offensively, the team produced little, though it was nice to see Jozy Altidore return to the side. He did well to hold up the ball for our midfielders, but he didn’t have the proper service to find many goal-scoring chances. He looked to be working hard which is a very god sign, especially after Klinsmann dropped him from the team for the most recent 2014 World Cup qualifiers. Altidore will need to improve and start scoring more goals, however. He is playing very well for his club AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands, so hopefully he will discover a similar form at the national level.

Michael Bradley played admirably in this game, and earned a lovely equalizing goal that brought the USA back into this game midway through the second half. He has a great work-rate and is always involved in impact plays and goals. He was probably the best player on the field for America besides Howard and should continue to be a dominant force in the midfield. His goal was a daring long-range strike that displayed a player in great current form.

However, this team is clearly not the same without Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan. These are two veteran leaders in the side who are of supreme importance to the team in competitive games. Donovan hasn’t played for a while due to nagging injuries, but his current form for the LA Galaxy has been great, and he is a player who can simply take on defenders and create chances. Dempsey is also a key figure and has the talent and class to influence games. I feel that if these players had taken part in the game, regardless of final score, the game would have been much more balanced.

However, this was a friendly game and rightly allowed for Klinsmann to bring on several youngsters to see what they can bring into the side. Players like Josh Gatt, Mix Diskerud, Terrence Boyd, and Juan Agudelo brought lots of good things to the side and look like they have some potential for the future in the American national team. Although the play today wasn’t terribly impressive, Russia is a good side, and the fact that the team battled to an away draw with such questionable play shows that the team has some resilience, and for that their efforts must be commended.

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The 5 Most Important Soccer Players for USA Men’s National Team

Posted on October 25, 2012 by nrspiller@gmail.com

With CONCACAF qualification going on hiatus for the next several months, the American National Soccer team will have some time to determine who will take part in the next set of important qualification matches for the 2014 World Cup. With a rather sketchy progression in the 3^rd round, the margins will be slimmer for the USA in the final round where America will need to play at their best to beat the likes of Mexico, Honduras, and Costa Rica. Here are in my opinion the five most important players for the team heading into these games ranked in order:

5. Eddie Johnson – It is a bit of an odd choice given that he has been largely absent from the squad the past few years, but when given a chance this month in the matches against Antigua and Barbuda and Guatemala, Johnson came through in amazing fashion scoring two goals and one assist in the games. His 90^th minute winner in the first match was simply clutch. This is the type of player that Jurgen Klinsmann will want in his side in Brazil, and I fully expect him to be in the squad for the remainder of qualification and could become one of the team’s best scoring threats.

4. Michael Bradley – The central midfield player provides physical stability in the middle of the park and dominates the opposition. He has excellent scoring capabilities as well, evidenced by his 10 goals for the USA team. Playing for Roma in Italy, Bradley now has an opportunity to learn from some of the world’s best midfield players like Daniele de Rossi and Miralem Pjanic. At just 25 years of age, the best is likely to come from Michael Bradley and he should become a key figure for the national team by 2014.

3. Tim Howard – The goalie is often the most important player on a team, especially for those considered underdogs when they play against the major soccer nations like Germany and Argentina. Tim Howard has the ability to keep America in games in which they struggle, and that is a vital weapon for the team going forward. Especially considering the defensive deficiencies of this team (Notice how not one defender made this list!), the Everton star goalkeeper is vital to American success, and at age 33 is the veteran leader that the nation needs at the back.

2. Landon Donovan – After having been the most exciting player in America for a full decade and featuring in three World Cups, its incredible to realize that Donovan is just 30 years old. His drive and quick work-rate make him one of the team’s most dangerous weapons, and I attribute much of the struggles that the USA has dealt with in recent qualification games to his absence from the team due to injury. Although he has been quoted to be contemplating retirement after next year, I think that those words come from frustrations of a player who has been injured for more than a few crucial games this season. Once he recovers, he will probably start loving life again and be a key ingredient in leading America to glory.

1. Clint Dempsey –Far and away the most vital player to this team, Dempsey has been the creative force and leader of the offense for America. One of the few players to enjoy sustained success in the English Premier League, Dempsey now plays for Tottenham where he recently scored a game-winning goal against Manchester United. Playing against the world’s best week in and week out should keep Dempsey producing for the American team, and he will be the vital player in American soccer in the final qualification round of CONCACAF.

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America Reaches Final Stage of 2014 World Cup Qualification with Ease

Posted on October 17, 2012 by nrspiller@gmail.com

Anxious American fans had to endure several weeks of tense nervousness ahead of the last two matches in the second round of CONCACAF World Cup qualification, but fortunately, the team was able to overcome the obstacles and comfortably win the final match against Guatemala to spare the blushes of manager Jurgen Klinsmann.

The first match was an away trip to Antigua and Barbuda that proved to be a rather difficult task. The match was deadlocked at 1-1 until the dying moments, when Alan Gordon and Eddie Johnson combined for a glorious headed goal to steal the game right at the end. It was a brilliant moment for the player and one must sit back and praise Klinsmann for his brave roster decision to select Johnson over the younger Jozy Altidore.

Eddie Johnson has had a great season for the Seattle Sounders of the MLS but hasn’t featured for the US Men’s National Team in several years. The game-winning goal against Antigua and Barbuda was actually Johnson’s second goal of the match and highlighted the type of display that America needs from its strikers. Johnson was able to find goals when the team wasn’t playing at its best. In the Guatemala match, Johnson added an assist with a good cross for Dempsey’s goal and this cemented him in the team for me.

Two goals and an assist in two crucial matches is the type of performance that America needed and I believe that Eddie Johnson is likely to have more call-ups in the near future. Jozy Altidore is for the moment placed on the back burner and hopefully he will have the fight to go ahead and reclaim his place on the team.

Elsewhere on the pitch, Clint Dempsey had a remarkable match against Guatemala. He was around the goal all throughout the match and proved too much for the defense to handle with his two goals and assist in the game. Clearly he is America’s finest player and it was nice to see what he is capable of when he is in top form.

Michael Bradley also had a decent game back with the team and is also a solid performer for the national team. He put in a lovely chip over the goalie that Dempsey finished for the goal and also had a clear penalty call denied late in the match. He now plays for Roma and has performed well in his few appearances despite being injured for much of the young season.

With team leader Landon Donovan still sidelined, one has to presume that we have yet to see the best of this American side, and hopefully they can produce some results in the final stage of qualification to ensure that the United States has a place at Brazil 2014.

The recent games were a bit nerve-wracking, but considering the vital players that have been hurt, I think Jurgen Klinsmann’s side displayed great poise and strength to navigate through the troublesome group. The team walked the tightrope but managed to come out unscathed and I think that they will be better for it. Eddie Johnson earned his call up and this team is destined for success in the near future. Let us hope they can prevail in the final group round and qualify for the World Cup.

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American Victory Sets up All-Or-Nothing Encounter With Guatemala

Posted on September 12, 2012 by nrspiller@gmail.com

The USA Men’s National Soccer team earned a vital victory over Jamaica last night with an excellent Herculez Gomez free kick to establish a three-team stalemate on top of their CONCACAF 2014 World Cup Qualifying group. Jamaica, Guatemala, and America all sit with 7 points from four matches, but only two are set to progress to the next round. Naturally, America would prefer to have already progressed from the group at this stage like Mexico achieved in their group. But fortunes did not fall in that way and now the US is facing a certain all-or nothing match against Guatemala in mid October.

Clearly the recent Jamaica games proved to be a tough task without the services of Landon Donovan and Michael Bradley, two hugely influential members of the USA team. The loss in Jamaica was a true stinger and will dampen the hopes of our fans regardless. There really is no excuse to losing to that sort of opposition, even if the match was in a foreign stadium. But that was what fate beheld.

Fortunately, the Americans were able to take a victory during the home match as widely was expected. This prevented an all out panic for American World Cup hopes, but looking ahead the future is still uncertain.

America will have to travel to Antigua and Barbuda to play the team at the bottom of their group. The nation has only scraped 1 draw in four matches. They are beatable, but considering that America’s away form in the group has achieved 1 draw and 1 loss, don’t expect anything to be taken from this match.

Guatemala will host Jamaica in their next match that is vital for both teams. Regardless of the outcome, it certainly means that for America, the Guatemala match will decide their qualification hopes. Lucky for the USA the match will be played at home, and one must hope that our injury situation will have improved in the next month. America proved that they need their key players in order to compete and so having the likes of Donovan and Bradley back, as well as the improved match-fit Clint Dempsey should serve to help their efforts.

But one must feel a level of concern given that the USA has struggled in such a weak group of nations. How in the world will this team actually compete in Brazil in 2014 if they play like this? Manager Jurgen Klinsmann will need to address some glaring weaknesses in the squad ahead of the tournament or else the World Cup may yet be another short trip for Team USA.

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