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AFTER CLASH WITH MEXICO DONOVAN TESTED POSITIVE FOR SWINE FLU

CHICAGO (August 14, 2009) — U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder Landon Donovan was tested and diagnosed with the influenza A virus on Thursday (Aug. 13), a day after playing in the FIFA World Cup qualifier against Mexico in Mexico City.

Based on the close exposure to Donovan during the team’s training camp in Miami and match against Mexico, the U.S. Soccer medical staff is following the recommendations from the Center of Disease Control and providing prophylactic treatment as a preventative measure to all players, coaches and staff members that were part of the team delegation.

It has been determined that Donovan most likely contracted the virus while with his club team, the Los Angeles Galaxy, before coming into camp with the Men’s National Team on Aug. 9. Prior to his arrival in Miami to join the Men’s National Team, Donovan was unaware he had come in contact with the virus as he only experienced very mild symptoms, and did not feel the need to express any concern to the U.S. medical staff. No other players expressed or showed signs of flu-like symptoms while in camp.

Based on the category of the virus strain, the fact that influenza does not normally occur in the United States in the month of August, and the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in the United States, it is presumed he has the H1N1 strain of influenza.

As a precaution, all members of the U.S. team delegation who came in close contact with Donovan have been advised to take a course of Tamiflu, which consists of 75 mg a day for 10 days. According to CDC guidelines, it is not necessary for members of the team delegation to be quarantined if they do not have any symptoms of the virus.

“We have prescribed the medication to players, coaches and staff members who may have come in close contact with Landon Donovan solely as a preventative measure,” said Dr. David Wallis, a member of the U.S. Soccer medical staff. “Based on CDC recommendations, individuals who did not experience close contact with the player, such as journalists, fans or opposing players, do not need to take any preventative measures. As of now, no other member of the U.S. team delegation has indicated any symptoms associated with the virus and at this time we do not believe additional steps are necessary. However, we will be continuing to monitor the situation and CDC recommendations very closely as we continue to learn more.”

Donovan joined the U.S. team on Sunday (Aug. 9) in Miami, where they trained for two days before traveling to Mexico City. After playing in the match against Mexico in the afternoon on Aug. 12, Donovan returned to Los Angeles that night. The following day, he felt ill and as a precautionary measure he decided to get tested and was diagnosed with the virus. Donovan was quarantined and is being treated with Tamiflu. According to Dr. Wallis, Donovan continues to experience mild symptoms and is expected to be fine within a couple days.

AS GAME TIME NEARS USA ANNOUNCES LINEUP

Coach Bob Bradley has announced the starting eleven for the crucial qualifier match against Mexico.

1-Howard; 6-Cherundolo, 5-Onyewu, 15-DeMerit, 3-Bocanegra (capt.); 8-Dempsey , 13-Clark, 12-Bradley, 10-Donovan; 9-Davies, 11-Ching

Mexico's lineup is as follows:

1-Ochoa, 2-Magallon, 3-Salcido, 5-Osorio, 6-Torrado, 8-I.Castro, 9-Franco, 10-Blanco, 16-Juarez, 18-Guardado, 17-Dos Santos

The American players are on the pitch for warm-ups and the crowd's booeing is deafening.

Bradley Names Roster for Mexico Qualifier Match

CHICAGO (Aug. 7, 2009) — U.S. Men's National Team head coach Bob Bradley has named a roster of 20 players that will train in advance of the FIFA World Cup qualifier against Mexico that will take place Aug. 12 in Mexico City. The U.S. seeks its first-ever victory on Mexican soil, with kickoff set for 3 p.m. CT at Estadio Azteca, famed for its grueling combination of altitude, smog and more than 100,000 spectators.

The U.S. team will begin gathering Aug. 9 in Miami, and will depart for Mexico on Tuesday. With a lifetime record of 0-22-1 in Mexico and currently in second place of final round qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the U.S. looks to pick up points on the road to start the second half of the hexagonal after posting a 3-1-1 record through five games. Mexico sits in fourth place in the group with a 2-3-0 record. The top three teams automatically advance to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, while the fourth place team will participate in a two-leg playoff against the fifth place team from South America.

“We are excited about the challenge and the opportunity,” said U.S. head coach Bob Bradley, who guided the U.S. to a second-place finish in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. “Mexico is a very good team, and we are all aware of their great success playing in Mexico City. Every game in qualifying is important, and this is a chance to gain further ground in the group. Our team continually tries to raise the bar, and certainly the chance to win for the first time in Mexico is a welcome opportunity.”

Seventeen players on the roster return from the group that defeated No. 1-ranked Spain and finished runners up to Brazil in the FIFA Confederations Cup in June. Tim Howard, who earned the Golden Glove award in South Africa as the tournament’s best goalkeeper, is unbeaten in five matches against Mexico and has posted an impressive five shutouts in seven all-time World Cup qualifying appearances. Clint Dempsey, honored with the Bronze Ball as the third best player in the Confederations Cup, tallied three times in South Africa, including goals against Spain and Brazil.

Nine players in this group appeared in the USA’s comprehensive 2-0 victory against Mexico on Feb. 11 in Columbus to start final round qualifying, including ussoccer.com Man of the Match Michael Bradley, who scored both goals that day.

Led by team captain Carlos Bocanegra, four players have appeared in all five of the USA’s final round qualifiers thus far. Landon Donovan is the leading capwinner on the roster with 115 international appearances. Long the USA’s all-time leading scorer in both goals and assists, his strike in the 2-1 qualifying win against Honduras on June 6 in Chicago lifted Donovan to the top of the team’s all-time scoring list in World Cup qualifying with 11 career goals. Donovan has been a particular nemesis to El Tri, having scored four times in his career against Mexico, highlighted by the second goal in a 2-0 win in the Round of 16 of the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Jozy Altidore, who is set to go on loan to Hull City of the English Premier League pending work permit approval, leads all U.S. scorers in the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign with five goals, including a record-setting hat trick performance in the 3-0 win against Trinidad & Tobago. With the three goals, the 19-year-old Altidore became the youngest player in U.S. history to record a hat trick.

Chad Marshall and Stuart Holden are making their first appearance on a World Cup qualifying roster, both coming off solid performances during the USA’s run in the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Also returning from the Gold Cup roster is forward Brian Ching, who is tied with Bradley, Dempsey and Donovan with four goals each in the current qualifying campaign. Veteran defender Steve Cherundolo returns to the fold for the first time in the final round after being sidelined by injury through the first half of the hexagonal.

The U.S. has never won in Mexico, and has only earned one draw. Down a man for nearly an hour, the U.S. earned a 0-0 draw on Nov. 2, 1997, in World Cup qualifying at Estadio Azteca. It has been a much different story on U.S. soil, with Mexico finally putting the brakes on the USA’s decade of dominance at home with their victory in the Gold Cup final. Prior to that match, the U.S. had posted an unbeaten 9-0-2 home record against El Tri dating back to 1999.

Costa Rica currently leads the group on 12 points, followed by the United States with 10 points. In other CONCACAF qualifying action Aug. 12, third place Honduras hosts Costa Rica while winless Trinidad & Tobago welcome El Salvador. Following this single fixture date, the U.S. will host El Salvador at Rio Tinto Stadium on Sept. 5 in Salt Lake City, Utah, before traveling to face Trinidad & Tobago on Sept. 9 in Port-of-Spain.

U.S. Men’s National Team Roster vs. Mexico
Estadio Azteca; Mexico City
Aug. 12, 2009

GOALKEEPERS (2): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa: 5/3 SO), Tim Howard (Everton FC: 11/7 SO)
DEFENDERS (7): Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes: 21/3), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA, 2/0), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover: 18/0), Jay DeMerit (Watford: 2/0), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew: 0/0), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan: 16/1), Jonathan Spector (West Ham: 2/0)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach: 10/4), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo: 5/0), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC: 17/4), Benny Feilhaber (AGF Aarhus: 1/0), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo: 0/0), José Francisco Torres (Pachuca: 5/0)
FORWARDS (5): Jozy Altidore (Villarreal: 8/5), Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids: 5/0), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo: 15/6), Charlie Davies (FC Sochaux: 2/1), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy: 30/11)
*numbers indicate all-time World Cup Qualifying caps/goals

After clinching a quarterfinal berth with victories against Grenada and Honduras, the U.S. Men’s National Team will face Haiti to determine first place in Group B. The Men's National Team can win the group with a victory or a tie at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, July 11, at 4 p.m. PST. The U.S. is 6-0-1 in Gold Cup matches at Gillette Stadium, and has rolled with wins in the first two games of the Gold Cup for the 10th time. So far six different players have produced six goals for the U.S., and Troy Perkins has held strong in goal with his first two career shutouts.

U.S. ROSTER AGAINST HAITI: U.S. head coach Bob Bradley will have 21 of his 30-player roster for the CONCACAF Gold Cup available for selection to the game day roster against Haiti on Saturday night. Freddy Adu and Benny Feilhaber have left the team to begin preparations for their 2009-10 club seasons in Europe. Adu scored a goal in the opener against Grenada, and Feilhaber helped create both U.S. goals against Honduras. Four players on the roster have yet to debut for the U.S. and are looking for their first cap: goalkeeper Luis Robles, defender Jay Heaps and midfielders Colin Clark and Sam Cronin.

USA SITS ON TOP OF GOLD CUP GROUP WITH WIN OVER HONDURAS

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 8, 2009) — Second half goals by Santino Quaranta and Brian Ching four minutes apart fired the U.S. to a 2-0 victory against Honduras and the top spot in Group B before an enthusiastic crowd of 26,079 at RFK Stadium.

The U.S. currently sits in first place in Group B as the only team with six points after two games. Honduras and Haiti each have three points, while Grenada sits in last place with zero. A win or a tie for the U.S. against Haiti in their final group match on Saturday, July 11, in Foxborough, Mass., would clinch the top spot in the group. With a five-goal advantage over second place Haiti in goal differential, the U.S. could also still finish first or second in the group even with a first-ever loss in group play in the Gold Cup. Their current all-time record stands at 22-0-3 through 10 regional championship appearances.

“We knew that this would be a good challenge tonight,” said U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bob Bradley. “Honduras is a good team and this was the game that was going to go a long ways towards determining who would finish first in the group. I thought the response of our team was quite good. Games like this there's got to be a good collective effort from start to finish, you have to have the ability at certain points to bring on subs who help and in all ways I thought it was a good solid team effort.”

For each of the goal scorers, the match marked a return to international action after a layoff – although Quaranta’s was by far the most notable and longest. The 24-year-old, who was a member of the U.S. Gold Cup champion team in 2005 and made his most recent appearance more than three years ago, provided a storybook return by netting the game-winner – and first career international goal – in his home stadium in front of family and friends.

Quaranta broke the deadlock after a nice build-up that started on the right sideline when Chad Marshall reacted quickly to step around his man and win the ball just across the midfield line. The ball found the feet of Heath Pearce and he squared the ball for Benny Feilhaber, who entered the game only 10 minutes earlier. Feilhaber played a quick combination with Ching and then found his fellow substitute Charlie Davies with his back to goal about 16 yards out. Holding off his man, Davies smartly guided the ball to his right toward a charging Quaranta near the top of the box and the D.C. United midfielder directed a hard, first-time shot low and to the left of goalkeeper Donis Escobar.

“It was a very special night for me, personally,” said Quaranta. “But to be back wearing the jersey was probably more special. Just to be back with the team and to listen to the anthem was very emotional for me because it's been such a fun and long road back. It was a special night.”

The goal took the wind out of the Hondurans’ sails, and off a restart in the 79th-minute the U.S. doubled the lead. Ching, who hadn’t played for the U.S. since April 1 due to a hamstring strain, drew a foul trying to turn with the ball 40 yards from goal on the left side of midfield, and after Honduras brought on Georgie Welcome for Carlos Costly, Feilhaber quickly restarted play and switched the ball to Steve Cherundolo who had acres of space on the right side. Cherundolo served a cross into the six-yard box, where Ching out jumped his defender and headed the ball off Nery Medina’s shoulder and into the top of the net.

The goal was Ching’s 10th of his career, becoming the 18th player in U.S. history to tally double digits in his career. It was also Ching’s second career Gold Cup goal, with the last coincidentally coming in the second group match of the 2007 Gold Cup.

The two goals were well deserved as the U.S. controlled most of the pace throughout the match even though both teams had chances during the scoreless first half in front of a festive atmosphere charged by partisan fans supporting both sides.

Bradley brought in three new faces to the starting lineup from the Group B against Grenada on July 4 by Quaranta starting on the right, Ching starting at forward, and Michael Parkhurst stepping into the back line.

The U.S. got the first chance in the 15th minute when a series of passes and a nice flick from Freddy Adu put Robbie Rogers through to the baseline. He chipped a ball to the penalty spot, where a charging Quaranta put a diving header just wide. Seven minutes later, Kyle Beckerman played Ching through the back line but was shouldered off as he attempted to shoot and slipped the ball past the goalkeeper but off target before it was cleared.

After the U.S. had grabbed control of possession, finding space on the wings for the combination of Robbie Rogers and Pearce on the left and Cherundolo on the right making advances, Honduras began claiming the momentum in the last 15 minutes of the first half with pressure on the U.S.

In the 30th minute, the U.S adverted disaster after a bad giveaway in midfield providing a quick counter for Honduras. In behind the U.S. defense and all alone, Walter Martinez had only Troy Perkins to beat. Choosing to go near post, his effort struck the outside of the side netting.

The U.S. had two more scoring opportunities in the 34th and 38th minute. Adu’s golden chance came as the U.S. countered off a Honduran free kick. Ching sent Pearce off to the races down the left wing, where he picked out Adu alone 10 yards out, but his header went straight into the hands of Escobar. Four minutes later, Rogers hit a bouncing volley over the crossbar on a back-post cross by Quaranta.

The second half opened with neither team staking claim, although as the game carried on the U.S. began playing downhill. Bradley went to his bench in the 64th minute and brought on a pair of veterans from the team that finished second at the Confederations Cup, bringing on Davies and Feilhaber in favor of Adu and Logan Pause, respectively.

The hustle of Davies saw the U.S. nearly steal a goal in the 71st minute. As Honduran goalkeeper Donis Escobar received a back pass and set up to clear, Davies closed quickly and blocked the kick, sending the ball towards the Honduran goal. Mercifully for Honduras, it lacked the pace to cross the line and Escobar was able to collect.

Four minutes later, Quaranta put the U.S. ahead and Ching followed suit to put the game away. After the second goal, Kenny Cooper replaced Ching and the U.S., through the work of Feilhaber’s fresh legs, kept possession to finish off the game. Cooper ended up with three shots, but none could beat Escobar.

In stoppage time, Perkins was called upon one final time as Honduras had a free kick from 30 yards out. As Honduras pushed their attackers forward for a cross at the far post, Martinez attempted a surprise shot, but Perkins pushed the blast wide of his left post to preserve his second shutout in three appearances.

Following last night’s match, both Adu and Feilhaber will join their clubs in Europe to begin preseason training for the upcoming season.

The U.S. improved to 12-3-3 at RFK Stadium, and closes out Group B play at against Haiti on July 11 in another familiar location, Foxborough, Mass., where the U.S. is 16-1-4 all time, including a 6-0-1 record in the Gold Cup at Gillette Stadium. Kickoff on Saturday is 7 p.m. ET live on Fox Soccer Channel, TeleFutura and the Futbol de Primera Radio Network.

Haiti currently sits in second place in the group with three points and a plus-one goal differential, following a 2-0 victory against Grenada in the first match of the evening. Honduras is third with three points and a minus-one goal differential, and faces Grenada on Saturday.

SHOCKING: Onyewu to A.C. Milan

In what has to be the summer's most shocking transfer AC Milan have signed the USA international from Belgian side Standard Liege.

AC Milan have completed the transfer signing of Standard Liege centre back Oguchi Onyewu.

The 27-year-old apparently impressed the italians during the recent Confederations Cup for the United States, but it comes as a surprise that the Rossoneri have moved to snap him. Particularly, here at Ninetieth Minute, we have always been very critical of Onyewu's ability, or lack of, to play at a high level. Although he is a physical presence no matter where he is placed on the pitch, he definitely lacks the technical skills to play as a central defender.

 

Having followed A.C. Milan's last campaign very closely and realizing their back line was responsible for missing the Scudetto, Onyewu's signing does absolutely nothing to help them in that department. Time, and a very short one, will prove that statement true.

"AC Milan would like to inform that they have signed Oguchi Onyewu on a permanent basis from Standard Liege," a statement on the club's official website reads.

The contract is for three years. 

Onyewu arrives on a free transfer as his contract at Liege had expired. The 6' 4" centerback  possesses a Belgian passport, and so will not take up Milan's final non-EU slot.

Formerly with Newcastle United, Metz, and La Louviere, he has won 47 caps for the United States, and is expected to fight it out with Thiago Silva for a place alongside Alessandro Nesta in the center of the Milan defense next season.

U.S. Debuts With a Win in Gold Cup

SEATTLE (July 4, 2009) — The U.S. Men’s National Team continued their dominance in opening matches of the CONCACAF Gold Cup this evening with a 4-0 victory against Grenada at Qwest Field in Seattle.

Robbie Rogers, who was named Man of the Match for his excellent play at left midfield, assisted on the first two goals by Freddy Adu and Stuart Holden. In the second half, Rogers buried his own goal to cap off his second appearance for the national team, while Charlie Davies also tallied to give the U.S. their highest output in the calendar year.

With two goals in each half, the U.S. has now won all 10 of their Gold Cup opening matches, six of which have been shutouts. Overall, the U.S. improves to 22-0-1 lifetime in group play in the Gold Cup.

The four goals tied for the second most ever scored by the U.S. in the Gold Cup. In 2003, Landon Donovan scored four goals in a 5-0 victory against Cuba in the quarterfinals. The U.S. also scored four goals three other times: against El Salvador (4-0) in the quarterfinals in 2002, against Cuba (4-1) in their opening match in 2005 and against El Salvador (4-0) in their final group match in 2007.

"It's important to start the Gold Cup the right way," said U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bob Bradley, who improved his record in Gold Cup play to 7-0-0. "There were a lot of good things – a good team effort and four different guys scoring goals. All those things are important as we start the tournament.”

“We said at halftime that there is a professional way to finish this game that involves discipline and knowing to respect the opponent, but in a good smart way knowing how to finish the game. We also understand that this is the first round and there are three games to play. Those are all important lessons and things you want to take from tonight."

The U.S., which only played on July 4 once before when they fell 1-0 to Brazil at the Rose Bowl during the World Cup fifteen years ago, was coming off an impressive performance at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, but entered the opening match of the Gold Cup with a fairly inexperienced lineup. Steve Cherundolo, who was playing his first match since October of last year due to injury, had the most caps by far of any player in the starting lineup, earning his 52nd at right back and was chosen by Bradley to wear the captain’s armband for his first time ever.

Three players earned their first cap on the night, including Holden, Logan Pause and Brad Evans, who came on as a substitute to make his debut on the home field for his club team, the Seattle Sounders. Overall, seven players in the lineup had a combined 11 caps before stepping foot on Qwest Field.

Despite the young lineup, the U.S. took control of possession from the opening whistle, combining crisp passing and incisive moment to put Grenada on the back foot almost immediately. In the seventh minute, the USA’s overwhelming pressure took its toll when Rogers stole the ball from Ricky Charles near the left sideline and quickly darted up the field towards goal. Dribbling along the edge of the penalty area, he deftly rounded defender Marc Marshall and slotted a perfect ball across the box for the trailing Adu who hit a one-timer that goalkeeper Desmond Noel got a hand to, but couldn’t keep out of the net. The goal was Adu’s second for the full national team.

The U.S. continued to press the attack, finding combinations all across the park to unlock the Grenadian defense. Rogers proved a menace throughout the half, his speed and delivery of dangerous crosses creating a multitude of scoring opportunities, and also taking chances as well. In the 17th minute, a beautiful series of passes put Cherundolo through on the right side and he hit a curling ball to the far post that found the head of Rogers, but his attempt was just wide.

Five minutes later, Grenada had one of their only chances on the night. The ball was served in from the right side and a glancing header from Kithson Bain seemed destined for the far side netting, but U.S. goalkeeper Troy Perkins was equal to the task, making a fine sprawling save to preserve the 1-0 lead. The save was the only one Perkins was required to make on the night.

After that scare, the U.S once again regained control and in the 31st minute took a two-goal lead. The play started when Holden played a ball across the goalmouth that eluded Davies, but Rogers hustled to keep it in and returned the favor for Holden. Rogers served the ball towards the back post where Holden took the initiative and darted in front of a flat-footed Anthony Modeste from six yards out and headed a ball down and off the underside of the crossbar. With the goal, Holden is the 45th player in U.S. history to score in his first appearance.

The second half was much of the same with the U.S. continuing to press forward and get numerous looks on goal. Rogers finally got one of his own on the hour mark, after a well-timed Pause through ball sliced open the Grenada defense and sent Rogers off to the races. In alone on Noel, Rogers calmly tucked the ball just inside the left post.

"We had a great team effort tonight,” said Rogers. “The chemistry was really good, and we were able to create a lot of chances. For us, it is a fantastic way to start the Gold Cup, and at the same time we know it is only the beginning."

Eight minutes later, the U.S. tallied their final goal on the night. From his center back position, Chad Marshall hit a long ball over the top to Pearce, who was streaking down the left flank. Perfectly in stride, the defender deftly touched a first-timed pass to his right, directly into the path of the unmarked Davies. The striker took one touch before slipping the ball low past Noel for his third goal in 10 career appearances.

The U.S. will travel to Washington, D.C., on Sunday in preparation for their second group match on July 8 against Honduras at RFK Stadium. The match kicks off at 9 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel and TeleFutura.

AT THE END BRAZIL PREVAILS 3-2

The US National was not able to hold on to the 2-0 lead and succumbed
to Brazil 3-2 in the final of the Confederations Cup in South Africa.

Luis Fabiano, scoring twice, and Lucio turned the score around for the
Brazilians who win the Confederations Cup for a record three times.

If you watched the game let us know your thoughts.

USA STUNS BRAZIL 2-0 AT HALFTIME

Playing very intelligent soccer, closing the spaces, populating the
midfield and having Howard perform great saves, the US National team
is beating Brazil 2-0 with goals by Dempsey at the 10' mark and Landon
Donovan at the 27'.

Let us know what you think of this match so far!!

USA READY FOR BRAZIL TODAY

JOHANNESBURG (June 26, 2009) - The U.S. MNT is counting down to Sunday's final against Brazil at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. It's the first final in a FIFA tournament for the team and they are eager to earn the win.

The U.S. Men's National Team arrived in Johannesburg on Thursday in plenty of time to see Brazil top South Africa 1-0 to set up a Group B rematch in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup final on Sunday. While the U.S. Men are in their first-ever FIFA tournament final, five-time FIFA World Cup champions Brazil are making their fourth appearance in the Confederations Cup final and looking for their record-setting third title.

Game time is 11:25 PST and ninetiethminute.com will bring you all the details.

Reactions From South Africa

BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa (June 24, 2009) — In one of the greatest matches in U.S. Soccer history, the U.S. got goals by Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey to stun No. 1-ranked Spain 2-0 and advance to the finals of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. The U.S. Men's National Team will face the winner of the other semifinal match between Brazil and South Africa in their first ever final in a FIFA tournament on Sunday, June 28 in Johannesburg. 

Altidore ignited the upset with a fantastic show of strength and skill to score from the top of the 18-yard box in the 27th minute, while Dempsey surprised the Spaniards to provide the insurance goal in the 74th minute. Tim Howard, who returned to goal after resting for the final group match against Egypt, made eight saves to match an impressive performance by the U.S. defense, which shutout Spain to snap their world record 15-game winning streak and 35-game unbeaten streak. 

"For us it's a big night," said U.S. Men's National Team head coach Bob Bradley. "The players all work hard. We constantly talk about reaching higher and trying to accomplish new things. Spain is a team that we have the greatest respect for. They are a super team. Their ability to play, pass and move. We knew it was a challenge, but we felt that we would have a chance and that we could win this game. 

"We had a real confidence that we could try to make it harder for them than some of the other teams they have played against, and we had the weapons that could cause them some trouble. We have some speed up front. We have some guys that come out of the midfield. I think that those are all things that work for us."

U.S.Midfielder LANDON DONOVAN  On the scope of the win and expectations moving forward:

"It's a big win. There's no way around out. If we want to continue to get better, then this isn't necessarily the expectation, but we need to expect to be able to compete that way all the time with these teams. That was huge tonight, and you see when you compete like that you have a change to win." 

On the tactics of the team's win: 
"I thought we did a very good job of making it hard on them. Most teams against them respect them a little too much and back off. We did a good job of being harder and more aggressive than most teams are against them. We had our chances, we took them and that was important too." 

On the second U.S. goal: 
"It was a good play from Benny Feilhaber, who had come on the field. He made a good move in the middle and slipped the ball to me. My first thought was actually to shoot it, and as I got to that spot I tried to put it across in a good spot because I felt that would be more dangerous. Clint made a great play at the end of it." 

His thoughts on the U.S. advancing to the final: 
"Sports are amazing. I've grown up loving sports, and I think this is the reason why people love it. Sometimes the improbable can happen. We were really down and out going into the last game of our group, but give us a lot of credit. We did what we needed to do to get through. We got a little bit of help from Brazil, and tonight we put on a really good show." 

On Brazil and South Africa: 
"They both present different challenges. Brazil we know well because they beat us pretty badly a week ago. They would probably be comfortable playing against us, but I think we're in a better place now. If you play South Africa. They are the hosts, and if they beat Brazil tomorrow and are in the finals that stadium will be rocking." 

U.S. Goalkeeper TIM HOWARD 
On the team's advancement: 
"We're proud that this group is the one that is going to represent the U.S. in the final. We are scratching our heads the same way you are, but it goes to show you what heart work and commitment to each other can bring." 

On the play of the U.S. back line: 
"They played great today. Anytime you come out with a shock win you need to take your chances in front of goal – we did – and you need some guys who are defending like bandits, and you need your goalkeeper to come up with some saves and sometimes you get lucky on certain occasions. We rode our luck today, but Spain is unbelievable – I don't need to tell you that, though. They are No. 1 in the world." 

On the credit Bob Bradley should be given for the victory: 
"We've had our share of critics and I think everyone, including the coaching staff, stood up and took it on the chin. We just kept going. The press was hard on us, maybe rightfully so, but it never phased him, it never took its toll on him and he continued to prepare the team as though he believed we could do something like we did tonight, and that was infectious." 

U.S. Midfielder CLINT DEMPSEY 
On the win: 
"This win is huge for American soccer because it's the first time for the men to be in a final in a major competition. This one is much sweeter because we were down and out, came back fighting in the Egypt game. No one expected us to win this game. We fought hard, showed a lot of heart, stayed compact defensively, picked our moments when to go forward and scored some goals and that made it difficult on them. I'm excited about the result, and think all the fans back at home will be excited as well." 

On if he ever thought the team would be in this position after the loss to Brazil: 
"You never know. The coaching staff came to us and said that there is a possibility. We knew it was going to be a long shot to advance. We knew we would have to score a lot of goals in the Egypt game. We worked hard and the other result went our way as well so we are excited about that. We carried that over to this game. Worked hard with the same mentality and we're excited about the result but we're looking forward to the final and whoever we play we know it's going to be a difficult match." 

U.S. Defender and Captain CARLOS BOCANEGRA 
On tonight's game: 
"Spain had the long winning streak, is the No. 1 team in the world and it was a huge game for us, the semifinals of a major tournament. We put in a great effort as a team and it was nice to get a win." 

On whether he thought the team could compete with Spain: 
"We played them last summer, and we thought we were a bit tentative when we started that game. So, we wanted to make sure we got after them (tonight) and pressure them and make sure they didn't have the ball the whole time. I thought we did well with that. At the beginning of the game we had a few chances, and we were getting some shots on goal. Obviously, toward the end of the game we were absorbing a lot of their pressure, but before the game they had all the pressure on them. They were the big team, and we just went out there and play without any worries and it went great tonight." 

On how he felt coming back from injury: 
"Tonight I felt good. I was getting a bit tired obviously in the second half because that was difficult to come back to in your first game back, but a lot of guys were doing running for other people tonight so it was good." 

On whether he wants to play Brazil again: 
"We played (Brazil) already, and we didn't have a good game against them, but we're not worried about that tonight. We're just going to be happy with our victory and celebrate a little back in the hotel, relax, and then we'll watch the game tomorrow night and see what happens." 

On how it felt to play at left back: 
"I played pretty much the entire season with Rennes at left back so I'm pretty comfortable back there. The guys in the center did fantastic again tonight, and they've been doing well this entire tournament. Bob and I spoke about this about a year ago and he said that he was going to use me at left back if we ever needed it. I told him I'm happy to do that, so whether he needs me in the middle or out left it's not a problem for me." 

On if he thinks Spain was getting frustrated near the end of the game: 
"Maybe a little bit. Toward the end they were playing long balls a little bit more but, I don't know, I'm still in a little bit of disbelief to be honest. We're in the finals of a major competition and we're confident, but it hasn't really sunk in yet. We're going to go back and just enjoy it tonight." 

On what the team has done to showcase American soccer in this tournament: 
"It just shows that we can compete with the best. Now we need to do it on a consistent basis, and that's the biggest thing moving forward. We've been a bit inconsistent, especially in CONCACAF, which we need to improve on. Coming here we've shown that we can play with the big boys and we can beat them." 

U.S. Defender JONATHAN SPECTOR: 
On the performance of the back line: 
"It was certainly a hard fought win and it took the entire team defending, not just the back four, we needed our midfielders and even the front runners. We knew they wanted to go through middle so we forced them wide and defended whatever crosses came in. It was successful for us tonight." 

On the back line changing a lot over the past few games: 
"There have definitely been changes to the back four recently and it's not easy, obviously, when there isn't as much cohesiveness because we haven't all played together as much. I think the entire team dealt with it really well." 

On what the game means for U.S. Soccer: 
"It's certainly a huge win for us, probably one of the biggest that the team has had. It's our first major final and beating a team like Spain is a great result, especially with their win streak." 

On whether he sensed Spain becoming frustrated: 
"I think after the second goal you could tell they were, not panicking, but just that they needed to get one back quickly. We all knew that if we could hold them for five minutes that we would have a great chance of going on to win the game. At that point I'd say is when I could feel it." 

On what he wants fans in the U.S. to know about his team: 
"Well we certainly hope that we'll gain a few fans who will watch the final, and we hope that we can turn in another good performance like we just had."

After what will undoubtedly be considered one of the greatest victories of all-time, the U.S. Men's National Team is now 2-7-1 against the top team in the FIFA World Rankings and has a 2-2-0 overall record at the Confederations Cup with six goals scored and six allowed. The U.S. was the first team to shutout Spain since Italy did so in the 2008 European Championship final. The win was the first victory by a CONCACAF team against Spain, and the match marked the first time in 29 games that Spain allowed two goals. 

Bradley made just two changes to the lineup that started against Egypt, with Howard returning in goal and team captain Carlos Bocanegra making his first appearance of the tournament. Bocanegra, making his first start at left back since March 25, 2007, joined a back line of Oguchi Onyewu, Jay DeMerit and Jonathan Spector.

Following the Confederations Cup final, the team switches gears immediately to returns to home soil to defend the CONCACAF Gold Cup title from July 3-26 in 13 venues across the United States. Training camp for the Gold Cup opens on June 30 for the U.S. in Seattle, and Bradley will announce the 23-player roster on Thursday, June 25.

Lineups:
USA:  1-Tim Howard; 21-Jonathan Spector, 5-Oguchi Onyewu, 15-Jay DeMerit, 3-Carlos Bocanegra (capt.); 10-Landon Donovan, 13-Ricardo Clark, 12-Michael Bradley, 8-Clint Dempsey (2-Jonathan Bornstein, 88); 9-Charlie Davies (22-Benny Feilhaber, 69), 17-Jozy Altidore (4-Conor Casey, 84) 
Subs not used: 18-Brad Guzan, 23-Luis Robles, 6-Heath Pearce, 7-DaMarcus Beasley, 11-Marvell Wynne, 16-Sacha Kljestan, 19-Freddy Adu, 20-Jose Francisco Torres
Head Coach: Bob Bradley

SPA: 1-Iker Casillas (capt.); 15-Sergio Ramos, 3-Gerard Pique, 5-Carles Puyol, 11-Joan Capdevila; 10-Cesc Fabregas (20-Santi Cazorla, 68), 14-Xabi Alonso, 8-Xavi Hernandez, 18-Albert Riera (22-Juan Manuel Mata, 77); 7-David Villa, 9-Fernando Torres
Subs not used: 23-Pepe Reina, 13-Diego Lopez, 2-Raúl Albiol, 4-Carlos Marchena, 6-Pablo Hernandez, 12-Sergio Busquets, 16-Fernando Llorente,17-Daniel Güiza, 19-Alvaro Arbeloa, 21-David Silva
Head Coach: Vicente del Bosque

USA SHOCKS SPAIN AND THE WORLD!!

A superb performance by the American team shocked the world's number
one team Spain to advance to the final match of the Confederations Cup
against the winner of Brazil vs. South Africa tomorrow.

The US snapped Spain's record 35 game-unbeaten streak dating back to
November 2006, by getting outstanding performances by defender
Demerit, midfielders Donovan, Dempsey, forwards Altidore and Davies.

The second half saw the US play a different match than they had
performed in the first by sitting back and waiting for Spain. That
created too much pressure for the Americans and the unlikely heroe
Demerit began his superb run well accompanied by Tim Howard who had
several huge saves. I thought the Spanish pressure was going to be too
much for us to handle, but a well crafted counter attack by Feilharber
created the American second goal when Dempsey notched the ball in
Casillas' net. This is a huge win for US Soccer.

Next for the Americans is the winner of Brazil versus South Africa in
the other semifinal match tomorrow.

After the First 45' US Shocks Spain

The United States Men's Soccer team is shocking the world's number one
team Spain in the semifinal match of the Confederations Cup in South
Africa.

Spain saw a very aggressive American team from the initial whistle
that generated several scoring opportunities in the first 15' through
forwards Davies, Altidore and midfielder Dempsey. Charlie Davies is
having a superb performance, but it would be the 19 year-old Jozy
Altidore who put the ball in the net at the 27th minute. Altidore
received a deflected pass from Dempsey and with a beautiful muscle-
turn on his defender took a shot past Spain's Iker Casillas.

The last 10 minutes of the first half saw a Spanish side trying even
the score, but the American central defenders are having a great game.
The US is hurting on both outside flanks, where most of Spains plays
are coming from.

What has changed in relationship to previous games for the US? Mainly,
Beasley is not playing, and that has helped American chances greatly.

It will be a monumental task to hold the Spaniards in the second half,
but the US team has to play aggressively in order to advance to the
final this Sunday.

We will continue to inform you on this game, so please check back soon.

USA Faces Toughest Battle Yet

It was the most improbable of the results. Although soccer is a very
unpredictable sport, not even the biggest US Soccer fan would have
dreamt to find the team in the semifinals of the Confederations Cup.

Having lost their first two matches to Italy and Brasil, respectively,
by a combined score of 6-1, we didn't stand a chance against a superb
and surprising Egyptian side. Something happened; Egypt crumbled, and
the US, which had been playing horribly, scored the necessary goals to
put them in this stage: 3-0.

Today is a completely different story. Spain is the heavy favorite to
win the cup. They have not lost in 35 straight games; tying a record
worthy of Brasil only. It is going to be a long day for the Americans
on the pitch, and Bradley on the bench, who has shown one more time
his inefficiencies as a coach in the big leagues. Xavi, one of the
best players in the world, alongside Iniesta, will more than likely
control the midfield, and feed all game long the lethal balls they
have us used to, to two of the best strikers in the world: Fernando
Torres and David Villa. Have you seen the pattern yet? If not, let me
explain. Spain has some of the best players in the world in every area
of the pitch. Sort of like a Brasil or Argentina. This Spanish side is
for real, and they are here in South Africa to win it all.

Game time is set for 11:25am PST and ninetiethminute.com will bring
you all the details of the match.

What Went Wrong Against Costa Rica?

One minute and 20 seconds into the match we were already down one goal. Thirteen minutes into it we were two goals down. This, obviously, complicates every effort players can make in order to come out with a positive result.

I heard many complaints about the pitch. "Too hard", "the ball bounces too much"...bunch of non-sense. "The crowd was too loud..." Give me a break! If we want to use these excuses again, does it mean that when we go against Mexico away we should expect to get badly beaten also?

Bottom line is Bob Bradley continues to make the same mistakes over-and-over again, game-after-game. Lining up Onyewu and Beasley might be acceptable against weaker teams, only if he has nobody else to line up. But against more competitive teams, such as Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, and Mexico it will always come back to haunt us. Beasley's contribution against Costa Rica was nill. Onyewu's contribution even worse. Even Michael Bradley, his son, Landon Donovan, Jozy Altidore, and others had way-off performances. No time to cry over the spilled milk. We got beat 3-1, Costa Rica displaced us from first place, and it is now time to regroup, think, and prepare for the battle against Honduras at Soldier Field in Chicago this coming Saturday. We will be without Michael Bradley and Sacha Kljestan who will serving a one-game suspension due to yellow cards.

Let's hope we are able to regroup after this loss, and this was not the beginning of a debacle for the US team.

Bradley Names Roster for Mexico Qualifier Match

U.S. Men's National Team head coach Bob Bradley has named a roster of 20 players that will train in advance of the FIFA World Cup qualifier against Mexico on Feb. 11 in Columbus, Ohio. Kickoff for the USA’s most anticipated match of the final round is set for 7 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2, ESPN2 HD and Univision.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (2): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton)
DEFENDERS (7): Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes: 16/2), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Danny Califf (FC Midtjylland), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)
MIDFIELDERS (6): DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers), Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), José Francisco Torres (Pachuca)
FORWARDS (5): Jozy Altidore (Xerez C.D.), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF) Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC), Landon Donovan (Bayern Munich)

U.S. Suffers First Casualty

Defender Steve Cherundolo became the Americans' first roster casualty for Wednesday's World Cup qualifier game against Mexico. Cherundolo hasn't played since January 10 when he had to leave his side Hannover's match at the end of the first half with a strained right hip. The announcement was made Friday by U.S. head coach Bob Bradley.

Bradley will conduct a press conference Monday, February 9 to discuss the roster for the match against Mexico with the press. Ninetiethminute.com will bring the details of the press conference to our readers at 9AM PST.

Cherundolo's likely replacement at right back should be Frankie Hejduk, who has been training with the team in Carson, CA, and is certainly a veteran of this type of affairs.

Who Will Win on Wednesday

There has been quite a build-up prior to Wednesday's showdown between the U.S. and arch-rivals Mexico in Columbus, Ohio. I have been reading some blogs, one in particular where two writers, one from each side, face each other off in true fan-fashion. I find it quite amusing when people mention stats; past stats, at that, as if those were going to play any role in Wednesday's match. Regardless of history, whether we talk about all-time, or the past 10 years between these two countries, one thing is for sure: Mexico is hungry and wants revenge. The fact that they have been struggling in all facets of the game up to this point; the Mexican fans being extremely upset, because of their ultra-nationalistic pride about the number of naturalized players on their roster; the disapproval that Eriksson "enjoys" in Mexico; the number of suspended and injured players, quite frankly, I think it's going to matter very little, if any, when the whistle blows at 4PM EST on Wednesday signaling it's time to kick-off the show.

Mexico is hurt in its pride, and they want to turn things around. Who better to do it against than the U.S. Although head coach Bradley and company have been training in Carson since the beginning of the year -mind you, with MLS players who probably will not even make game-day roster- I have not seen the type of training or competition required for a game of this magnitude. The biggest problem we face right now is two-fold. On one hand, we have several European-based players struggling severely for playing minutes. On another, the MLS has been out of season for some time now. In other words, our players have not been playing at a high level at all, and when we have the opportunity to schedule an international friendly to measure what we have done thus far, we bring a C level Swedish team filled with national team debutants.

We were probably counting on home field advantage and the bitter cold of Columbus to improve our chances for Wednesday. But one thing we did not take into consideration is the fact that Mexico's Salcido (Holland), Nery Castillo (Ukraine), Rafael Marquez (Spain), Ricardo Osorio (Germany), and until recently Pavel Pardo (Germany), must all be very well used to playing in bitter cold conditions. So, at the end of the day, what is our true advantage for Wednesday's game? Our players? Our home field advantage? Or could it be, finally, Sam's Army's turn to play a huge role on the outcome of a home-played U.S. World Cup qualifier match? What do you think? Let us know by posting your comments.

Mexico Names Squad for Columbus

Mexico head coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has named 24 players for the squad that will face the United States in Columbus next week. As expected, the roster includes many high profile names, including team captain and Barcelona-based defender Rafael Marquez -listed as questionable for the match-, long-serving midfielder Pável Pardo, also nursing an injury, and young forwards Giovanni Dos Santos and Nery Castillo. Fans will also recognize long-time U.S. nemesis, goalkeepers Oswaldo Sánchez, and Guillermo Ochoa. Mexico has begun training with their domestic based players in Mexico City, and will be joined by their foreign contingency in Columbus this coming weekend.

Mexico Roster:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Oswaldo Sánchez (Santos Laguna), Guillermo Ochoa (Club América), José de Jesús Corona (Tecos)
DEFENDERS (7): Juan Carlos Valenzuela (Club América), Julio César Dominguez (Cruz Azul), Carlos Salcido (PSV Eindhoven), Ricardo Osorio (VFB Stuttgart), Rafael Marquez (FC Barcelona), Aaron Galindo (Guadalajara), Leobardo López (Pachuca)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Fausto Pinto (Cruz Azul), Pável Pardo (Club América), Leandro Augusto (Pumas), Luis Perez (Monterrey), Israel Martinez (San Luis), Antonio Naelson (Toluca)
FORWARDS (8): Alberto Medina (Guadalajara), César Villaluz (Cruz Azul), Giovanni Dos Santos (Tottenham Hotspur), Matías Vuoso (Santos Laguna), Carlos Ochoa (Guadalajara), Nery Castillo (Shakhtar Donetsk), Guillermo Franco (Villarreal), Omar Bravo (Deportivo La Coruña).

On the other hand, there have not been any announcements by head coach Bob Bradley, nor U.S. Soccer, about the American foreign-based players who may be called for next Wednesday. This leads us to believe that Bradley may be thinking of facing Mexico with the training camp roster he is currently working with in Carson, CA. If that ends up being the case, it would be a sure suicide decision by Bradley. But, if he was thinking of bringing back any European-based players, such as Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, Freddy Adu, or Tim Howard, that announcement should have been made already. FIFA mandates that clubs release their players called for national team duty 5 days prior to match-day, and that day would be Saturday. We can only hope Bradley brings some of these players back for such a crucial and important match. Meanwhile, the roster which has been training in Carson is:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Jon Busch (Chicago Fire), Will Hesmer (Columbus Crew), Matt Pickens (Colorado Rapids)
DEFENDERS (5): Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Ugo Ihemelu (Colorado Rapids), Chris Wingert (Real Salt Lake), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Brian Carroll (Columbus Crew), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Jack Jewsbury (Kansas City Wizards), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), John Thorrington (Chicago Fire)
FORWARDS (4): Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Chris Rolfe (Chicago Fire).

Truthfully, we do not stand a chance of beating Mexico with these players, even if Mexico has been struggling to find their form lately, but the experience of the Mexicans would prove to be the decisive factor at the end. Let us know what your thoughts are.

World Cup Qualifying Match Goes to Nashville

FIFA World Cup qualifying will go to Nashville, Tenn., for the first time as the U.S. Men’s National Team will face Trinidad & Tobago at LP Field on April 1 at 6:45 p.m. CT in the second of five home qualifiers on the road to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and Galavision.

"We are very excited to be playing such an important World Cup qualifying match in Nashville," said U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bob Bradley. "We have had very good experiences there, both in 2006 before the World Cup and during qualifying for the 2008 Olympic Games. LP Field is an excellent facility, and we look forward to tremendous support from the fans.”

The U.S. has never lost to Trinidad & Tobago on home soil, the unblemished record including a 3-0 win in Bridgeview, Ill., on Sept. 10, 2008, during the semifinal round. After clinching a final round berth, the U.S. sent a less experienced team to Port of Spain the following month, where Trinidad & Tobago turned the tables, snatching a 2-1 victory. The U.S. controls the overall series, 14-2-3, and has a 9-1-2 record against the Soca Warriors in FIFA World Cup qualifying.

The match will be the third for a full U.S. National Team in Nashville. In 2004, the U.S. Women’s National Team beat Canada 1-0 in a preparation match before the 2004 Olympic Games. Two years later, the U.S. Men’s National Team faced Morocco on May 23, 2006, prior to the FIFA World Cup in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 26,141 fans.

In April of 2008, the venue hosted the knockout round of the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying tournament, where the U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team defeated Canada in the semifinals to become one of two teams from the region to qualify for Beijing.

The U.S. is looking ahead to their opening match of the final round of FIFA World Cup qualifying against archrival Mexico on Feb. 11 at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, which sold out in 90 minutes. The match, the first of 10 games in the final round commonly referred to as the ‘hexagonal,’ will kickoff at 7 p.m. ET, and fans can watch the match live on ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD.

U.S. Soccer Makes World Cup Bids Official

U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati announced on Monday afternoon that the U.S. Soccer Federation has officially submitted a declaration of interest to host either the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups, and that David Downs will be the Executive Director of the USA Bid Committee. Downs, who will start immediately, previously served as President of Univision Sports from 2001-2009.

The entire bid process will span 16-months, with FIFA setting May 2010 as the deadline for countries to submit their final paperwork. FIFA’s 24-man Executive Committee will then review each bid and name the two hosts for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups in December 2010.

Gulati will serve as the Chair of the Bid Committee, with U.S. Soccer CEO Dan Flynn, MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Phil Murphy, the former National Finance Chair of the Democratic National Committee, as the other initial members of the Committee. Other members of the USA Bid Committee will be announced in the near future.

“I’m pleased to announce we have submitted our interest to FIFA to host either the 2018 or 2022 World Cups,” said Gulati. “The World Cup is the greatest sporting event in the world, and to have the opportunity to host it once again is an honor, but also an incredible challenge. We are confident we can put together a successful bid to host another impressive event, and invite fans from around the world to enjoy the world’s game in our country.”

Downs enters into his new position after serving more than 30 years in the broadcast industry as an executive with both ABC and Univision Communications, Inc. During his time at both networks, Downs participated in successful negotiations with international governing body FIFA to acquire the U.S. television rights to every World Cup beginning with USA ‘94, including the 2010 and 2014 tournaments.

Since 2001, Downs was President of Univision Sports at Univision Communications Inc., the fifth largest television network in the United States and by far the country's leading Spanish-language television broadcast company.

"It is a privilege to be named Executive Director and have the opportunity to be part of the country's bid to bring the World Cup back to the United States,” said Downs. “I believe the sport will continue its incredible growth in this country and I know that the U.S. can host yet another first class World Cup tournament. It's a formidable challenge, but I'm looking forward to dedicating the next two years to the pursuit of that goal."

As the President of Univision Sports, Downs was instrumental in acquiring and developing sports programming for three networks – Univision, TeleFutura and Galavision. Overall, Univision televises between 300-400 live soccer matches each year across the three networks, including U.S. National Team, CONCACAF Gold Cup, Major League Soccer, SuperLiga, Mexican Primera Division and CONCACAF Champions League.

“Through his involvement in the sport, David has demonstrated he is the right person for the position of Executive Director,” said Gulati. “With his extensive understanding and knowledge of the game, he will be a key member of our team to help the U.S. present a strong bid for the World Cup.”


Moving forward there will be numerous components that will go into FIFA’s decision process for the two selections, but the only initial requirements for making a formal bid were for a country to have 12 stadiums with minimum capacities of between 40,000 for group matches, and 80,000 for the opening match and final. In addition, the very highest standards of TV broadcasting, information and telecommunications technology, transport and accommodation are an absolute must.

In 1994, the U.S. hosted the FIFA World Cup for the first time and silenced a world of doubters on how the sport would be received in the United States. World Cup USA 1994 was the most successful event in FIFA history, demonstrating the United States’ ability to stage major international events, and Americans’ ability to embrace the world’s most popular sport.

The cumulative attendance of 3,587,538 broke the previous record by more than one million, and the average attendance for the 52-game tournament of 68,911 also established a new mark. On July 17, 1994, Brazil and Italy disputed the FIFA World Cup title in front of 94,194 fans at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. Overall, U.S. stadiums were filled to 96 percent capacity during the World Cup.

World Cup USA 1994 also left behind a legacy for soccer in the U.S. A surplus of approximately $50 million — more than double original projections — was contributed to the U.S. Soccer Foundation, the U.S. Soccer organization created to administer the World Cup surplus. The charitable arm of U.S. Soccer, the U.S. Soccer Foundation has taken a leading role in supporting the continuous development of the sport at all levels, helping develop coaches, players and referees, especially those in economically disadvantaged urban areas.

David Downs
USA Bid Committee Executive Director

David Downs oversaw Univision’s coverage of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan and 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany, which earned an estimated 50 million viewers – including 29 million Hispanics and 21 million non-Hispanics – their highest ratings ever for a World Cup. Univision’s average audience during the 2006 World Cup was higher than English language telecasts across key demographics (adults 18-49, 25-49 and 25-54). The final between Italy and France in 2006 far out-delivered the finals in 2002 and 1998.

In addition to the FIFA World Cup, Downs secured the exclusive Spanish-language broadcast rights on behalf of Univision to other FIFA soccer events, including the 2003, 2007 and 2011 FIFA Women's World Cups, the FIFA Confederations Cup, and the FIFA Under-20 and Under-17 World Cups. He also played an instrumental role in obtaining the exclusive North American broadcast rights to Copa America, one of the world's most prestigious soccer events, for the 2001, 2004 and 2007 tournaments.

Born in Leiden, Netherlands, to a Dutch mother and an American father, Downs’ family moved to the United States when he was a young child. He attended Amherst College, playing soccer for the Lord Jeffs, before graduating in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in history.

An avid soccer fan since he was a kid, he looked up to his grandfather who played for first division Dutch club HVV (Haagse Voetbal Vereniging) in the late 1910s-early 1920s. Downs attended his first professional match in the early 1970s when his uncle took him to an Arsenal match at Highbury, making him a fan of the Gunners for life.

Along with playing and watching the game, Downs has been involved in almost every level of U.S. youth soccer as a coach, referee and parent. He and his wife, Alexis, live in Westchester County, New York, and have two children, Ashley and Taylor.

The Countdown Begins

The countdown for the crucial, bitter rivalry between the U.S. National Team and Mexico has begun. We are merely ten days away from the showdown in Columbus, Ohio which will kick off the final World Cup qualifying hexagonal round. Ninetiethminute.com will bring you all the news leading up to the game, as well as live coverage on February 11, 2009.

The USMNT started the second stage of training in Carson, CA with a 20-Men roster called up by head coach Bob Bradley. As the initial training camp, the current roster is filled up by MLS players, in anticipation of the foreign-based players who will be part of the final roster for the match.

Mexico is presenting a few problems to complete a roster filled with injuries and card-suspensions. Carlos Vela, Gerardo Torrado and Fernando Arce are all serving game suspensions. Mexico's most dynamic player, Andres Guardado, has a ruptured tendon in his left leg and will not play against the U.S. Rafael Marquez, Mexico and F.C. Barcelona's central defender has been nursing a strained muscle, and is listed as questionable. The latest potential blow to Mexican's interests came last night from their captain and field-leader Pavel Pardo, who came off the game limping at the 59th minute during his Club America's loss 0-1 to Morelia in the Mexican first division match and had to be substituted.

Whether Mexico has a full roster or not will ultimately not affect the anticipation and adrenaline-filled match. U.S. - Mexico matches are special, and the one coming up will not lack its share of drama and excitement. On the line are the first 3 points of final round of qualifiers, but most importantly, the pride of not having lost to Mexico in the last 10 games played at home. Starting the final round with 3 points at home against our arch-rivals will be huge, and that should be all U.S. players must be thinking about.

We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this upcoming crucial match.

Landon Donovan Makes Official Bayern Debut in Bundesliga

Bayern Munich's head coach Jurgen Klinsmann gave Landon Donovan the nod to get in a high-pressure match with 15 minutes left in regulation. Bayern was down 0-1 and was not only putting the game at stake, but also the lead in the Bundesliga table. Maybe not the ideal situation for Landon to showcase his talent, but on the other hand, maybe he's mature enough to desire this type of adrenaline rush.

It appeared that Donovan was a bit nervous at first, letting a couple of balls slide through his feet. But he quickly got into the game, just as Bayern was applying high pressure on HSV's end and began distributing the ball well through the right side of the pitch. He even managed a shot with goal direction which was deflected by one of HSV's defenders. The only shame during Donovan's official Bayern Munich's Bundesliga debut was teammate's Tim Borowski's bitter recrimination towards the American for a slightly inaccurate pass which ended out of bounds.

In all accounts, given Donovan's mere 15 minutes of play, he had a decent game. Bayern was downed 1-0 by HSV in the start of the Bundesliga's second half of the season, and also was displaced from first place by Hamburg. Should Donovan continue to get minutes, he should prove to be a nice addition off he bench for head coach Klinsmann. The big question remains whether Landon will continue in the Bundesliga beyond his ten-week loan term, or ultimately make the trip back to Los Angeles for the start of the MLS season on March 19th.

Feel free to let us know your thoughts.

U.S. SOCCER PRESIDENT SUNIL GULATI TO ANNOUNCE 2018/2022 FIFA WORLD CUP BID INTENTIONS

U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati will discuss the Federation’s intentions to submit a simultaneous bid to FIFA for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups on Monday, Feb. 2 at 3 p.m. ET. Gulati will also introduce the Executive Director of the USA Bid Committee.

FIFA set Monday, Feb. 2, as the deadline for federations to submit the official paperwork expressing their interest to bid for either or both of the competitions. FIFA emphasized that at this initial stage in the bidding process, the only requirement is for countries to be able to demonstrate their ability to host a sporting event as large as the FIFA World Cup.

The first, and last time, the World Cup was played on American soil was in 1994 when Brazil claimed the trophy by beating Italy on penalty kicks, after regulation of 90 minutes ended in a scoreless tie. The USA 1994 World Cup has been to date the most successful in terms of attendance, which hopefully will play a positive role in the USSF's intentions to land either of the two bids. As we recall, the 2014 World Cup has been awarded to Brazil.

BRADLEY RECALLS 20 PLAYERS TO CARSON TO BEGIN PREPARATIONS

U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bob Bradley has called 20 players back to U.S. Soccer's National Training Center at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., to begin preparations for the USA’s first match of final round qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The U.S. will take on regional rivals Mexico on Feb. 11 in front of a sold-out crowd at Columbus Crew Stadium.

The 20-man group is made up almost entirely of players who participated in the previous camp from Jan. 4-24 at the HDC, with Columbus Crew defender and three-time World Cup veteran Frankie Hejduk the only new addition. The U.S. team will train in Carson for nine days before departing on Feb. 7 for Columbus.

Fourteen of the players on the roster appeared in the USA’s 3-2 win against Sweden on Jan. 24, including midfielder Sacha Kljestan, who became the second player in U.S. history to score his first three goals all in the same game. Both Robbie Rogers and Chris Wingert made their debut for the full team in the victory.

Tickets for the USA-Mexico clash sold out in 90 minutes following the beginning of the public sale. The match is the first of 10 in the final round hexagonal that will determine the three automatic entrants from CONCACAF into the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

U.S. Men’s National Team Training Camp Roster By Position
Carson, Calif.
Jan. 29 – Feb. 7, 2009
GOALKEEPERS (3): Jon Busch (Chicago Fire), Will Hesmer (Columbus Crew), Matt Pickens (Colorado Rapids)
DEFENDERS (5): Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Ugo Ihemelu (Colorado Rapids), Chris Wingert (Real Salt Lake), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Brian Carroll (Columbus Crew), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Jack Jewsbury (Kansas City Wizards), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), John Thorrington (Chicago Fire)
FORWARDS (4): Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Chris Rolfe (Chicago Fire)