US Qualifiers this week!

For your calenders this week:

Wednesday - 10 pm EST at Costa Rica on ESPN

Saturday - 8 pm EST in Chicago vs Honduras on ESPN

Tony Sanneh playing for the Red Bulls...

According to the Red Card by Luis Arroyave on the Chicago Tribune, Tony Sanneh is set to train with the New York Red Bulls this week where he will finish the last three weeks of his rehab and train with the team. Sanneh believes he will sign with the Red Bulls once he gets medical clearance.

SFUSA's take: I love Tony Sanneh. Sanneh is exactly the type of player that MLS helped developed for the US National team and European squads. I hope he has enough gas in the tank to contribute to the Red Bulls.

Tony Sanneh's career stats:

Senior clubs
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1994 1995-96 1996-98 1998-2001 2001-04 2004 2005-2006	Milwaukee Rampage Minnesota Thunder D.C. United Hertha Berlin FC Nürnberg Columbus Crew Chicago Fire	18 (14) 24 0(6) 86 (20) 31 0(1) 52 0(5) 08 0(2) 13 0(0)
National team
1997-	United States	43 0(3)

USA 4 China 1

Yesterday evening in San Jose, CA the US National team beat China's National team by the score 4-1. This was a friendly as the US National team prepares for the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

The team was made up of a solid English based backline and a mix of Chivas USA players and European based Americans in the midfield and upfront did the job.

Considering the opponent it was a good win. I was happy to see that Bradley's boys didn't play down to their opponent and finished when they had chances.

Here's Jeff Carlisle's ratings of individual players on ESPN:

Player Ratings (Out of 10)

Tim Howard, 6 -- Wasn't asked to do much, but did come through in the 18th minute when he touched Shao Jiyai's free kick around the post. Howard had little chance on Zhang's equalizer.

Jonathan Bornstein, 5 -- The Chivas midfielder found it hard to find space on the small field, and he struggled with his distribution a bit more than normal. One terrible giveaway gifted the Chinese a rare chance, but he recovered to force a corner, so no harm done.

Carlos Bocanegra, 6 -- The Fulham defender was solid in defense, although his weak clearing header preceded China's goal. That said, it appeared to be more of a team-wide breakdown (with a hint of luck) than the fault of a single player, and Bocanegra played well otherwise.

Oguchi Onyweu, 8 -- "Gooch" was towering in the middle, and capped of his day with a well-deserved goal. Due to the opponent, it's tough to draw many far reaching conclusions from this match, but given his struggles earlier in the year with the national team, as well as at Newcastle, this performance should boost his confidence.

Jonathan Spector, 4 -- The West Ham defender performed adequately on the right, but he struggled with his touch on a few occasions, and his crosses lacked quality.

DaMarcus Beasley, 6 -- Traded flashes of brilliance with moments of ineptitude, but the good outweighed the bad. Had terrific success with some slashing runs towards the middle of the field, but his touch and finishing seemed off. (Then again, when has his touch ever been "on"?) His delivery on Onyewu's goal was excellent, however.

Michael Bradley, 5 -- Spent the first half struggling with the speed of the game, and always seemed to take one touch too many. He also went to ground on tackles way too often, and needs to pick his spots better in those instances. He did have his good moments however. It was his pass that sprung Beasley for his eventual penalty, and he improved in the second half.

Benny Feilhaber, 7 -- Another big step in the right direction for the Hamburg midfielder. He seemed to be the first to adapt to the tight spaces, took his goal well, and had some well-timed tackles. His pinpoint corner kick on Dempsey's goal makes me hope that we have seen the last of Landon Donovan in that role.

Sacha Kljestan, 5 -- Considering it was his first international, the Chivas midfielder acquitted himself well, and it was his quick thinking that released Feilhaber for his goal. He'll need to polish up his crossing, but a spot on the Copa America roster seems within reach.

Clint Dempsey, 5 -- Started out wide, but gradually drifted up top, where he partnered well with Razov. He could have had a hat-trick had he converted all of his chances, and was too in love with the dribble for long stretches. No complaints about his goal though.

Ante Razov, 5 -- A solid performance from the veteran, who showed good movement and some good touches in leading the American front line. Razov is pretty far down on the U.S. forward depth chart, but he didn't look out of place in this game.

Subs:

Kasey Keller, 5 -- I can't recall him making one meaningful save. It was a day at the beach for the veteran.

Charlie Davies, 4 -- Showed tremendous pace, and brought the crowd to its feet with one mazy run. But Davies was also pushed off the ball a little bit too easily, making me wonder if his future for both club and country lies out wide.

Frank Simek, 5 -- Slid comfortably into the right side of defense, and might have helped his cause in his quest to earn a starting role.

Kamani Hill, 4 -- Had one darting run that caught the eye, but otherwise didn't do much.

Lee Nguyen, 5 -- Wasn't on long, but showed some flashes of his renowned technical ability.

Jesse Marsch, 5 -- With the game already won, Marsch earned his second career cap.

US Game today!

Bob Bradley leads the US against China tonight in San Jose (8 p.m. ET, ESPN2). The team is main made up of Americans playing overseas with only MLS players being from Chivas USA.

This game should be a good test for some of the young players on the roster.

All-European starting lineup against China

U.S. coach Bob Bradley will likely use an all-European starting lineup against China, with players from Chivas USA, the only idle MLS team, on the bench.

I look forward to seeing the roster.

National Team Roster Analysis

Take a look at ESPN's Jeff Carlisle's analysis on the National Teams roster for the Gold Cup. It's an interesting read.

US Team for the Gold Cup

Coach Bob Bradley has picked his team for the Gold Cup. Its half from Europe and MLS. It looks like a feisty bunch.

The U.S. team will open the 2007 Gold Cup on June 7 at 9 p.m. ET against Guatemala at The Home Depot Center. They will follow that match two days later when they take on Trinidad & Tobago at 5 p.m. ET. The group stage will end for Bradley's team on June 12 (7 p.m. ET) vs. El Salvador at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. All three U.S. group matches will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel and TeleFutura.

ROSTER BY POSITION
Goalkeepers (3) - Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Tim Howard (Everton FC), Kasey Keller (Borussia Moenchengladbach)

Defenders (8) -Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham FC), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Jay DeMerit (Watford FC), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution), Frank Simek (Sheffield Wednesday), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)

Midfielders (8) - DaMarcus Beasley (PSV Eindhoven), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC), Benny Feilhaber (Hamburger SV), Justin Mapp (Chicago Fire), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids), Steve Ralston (New England Revolution)

Forwards (4) - Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Eddie Johnson (Kansas City Wizards),Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution)

US National Coach announcement tomorrow!

U.S. Soccer will announce Bob Bradley's permanent appointment as U.S. national team coach on Wednesday. This is a good step for the national team. Bradley is good coach who has a feel for US soccer and the new players coming up the system.

US National Team Update!!!

US players have stated that winning the Gold Cup is of more importance to the National Team than any possible glory at the 2007 Copa America.

Despite carrying an interim tag, Bob Bradley is steaming ahead with preparations for both summer tournaments.

The US head coach was in Europe recently checking on the status of players and the initial Gold Cup roster was released to clubs last week; it is expected that Bradley will select a stronger squad for that tourney.

Any national team coach must unsurprisingly tread a fine line with his players' clubs, but according to DaMarcus Beasley, the former contest is the one of more importance to the 'Nats.

"I might play a couple in the Copa America as well," the Manchester City loan ace told Yanks Abroad. "There is better competition, of course, in the Copa America and you get more exposure - but at the same time, the Gold Cup is very important for the US because we want to get to the Confederations Cup next year."

The States' next date is a friendly with China at San Jose's Spartan Stadium on June 2nd, mere days before Gold Cup play begins against Guatemala on June 7th at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.

Landon Donovan Interview (with ESPN)

ESPNsoccernet recently interview Landon Donovan. It interesting that now he is focused after a terrible world cup. It's a little to late in my book. Here's what he had to say:

Following a disappointing World Cup performance, Landon Donovan has grown up both mentally and physically in the last six months. The Galaxy star married longtime girlfriend Bianca Kajlich earlier this year and has been appointed captain of both club and country.

ESPNsoccernet: How does it feel to be captain of the U.S. men's national team and the Galaxy?

Landon Donovan: How does it feel? It feels great -- when you get asked about it, it's pretty cool because I think most kids growing up would be ecstatic to say I'm a professional athlete. But to say you are the captain of your national team and club team, that's awesome.

ESPNsoccernet: Do you motivate the two teams in different ways? Are you laid-back or do you give a speech in the Galaxy or national team locker rooms?

LD: That's a good question. I don't ever get up and give speeches. I don't like to be that guy. If I feel it is necessary I will -- if I look around and guys are ready, then you don't need to say anything. I try to be honest -- it's nice to pretend everything is great all the time, but sometimes you need to say it's not good enough and we need to be better. Other times just a little encouragement to a certain player helps.

I have a feeling that I have respect from everybody [on the national team and Galaxy] and so that gives me freedom to say what I want. In the past I didn't always feel that way.

ESPNsoccernet: As a captain, do you prepare for games differently?

LD: I definitely do. My first five to six years in the league and playing with the national team, you kind of wake up and do what you got to do. Now I'm a lot more focused on how you make sure you are prepared and that starts even the night before the game. From what I'm eating, how I'm training, getting my body ready -- I've found that it makes a big difference.

ESPNsoccernet: You talked about your diet; can you be specific about what you are eating that makes you feel better?

LD: I want to say I didn't eat OK [in the past]. Bianca [my wife] eats a lot of good, clean foods, and it's helped me too, because it's around the house. She makes dinner, or we order and it's cleaner, healthier and it's more vegetables, more fruits and not a lot of dressings and sauces or extra fat that you don't need. I eat pretty much everything, but I eat it the right way. If I eat steak, I don't have tons of blue cheese, sauce and teriyaki on it. It's the same with any fish or meat that I eat.

ESPNsoccernet: How is life as a married man?

LD: It's great man. It is a different status but nothing has really changed. We lived together for almost two years before we got married. From our standpoint, it's not a whole lot different, but it's fun to say, "my wife." It's been fun for me, and it's probably all mental. I feel like I've grown up a little bit more. In my mind maybe I'm a little bit more responsible than I was before I got married.

ESPNsoccernet: With Bob Bradley as head coach, there is an influx of new and younger talent. How do you inspire the new guys on the team?

LD: I think the biggest issue facing the kids coming in now is they do not know how to be professionals. And that's because if you are a Benny Feilhaber at 20 years old, Michael Bradley at 18 -- whether you act like a professional or not, when you step on the field against other guys where it really means something, they are professionals and they are going to kick your ass if you are not ready to play.

Also I think there needs to be an understanding sometimes that [while] it is an honor to play for your national team, you don't get to just come in and feel like you got a cap. You have a responsibility; this team is used to winning and whether you are Bradley or Claudio [Reyna], you have to be on the field to win the game. That I think we'll get better at, but that's usually my advice to most of the young guys.

ESPNsoccernet: You've mentioned in the past that you are more locked into games. Describe what you mean by that.

LD: I'm just more focused in everything I do in games than I've ever been. Honestly almost the day I got back from the World Cup, I've felt that change. Every game I've been tuned in and focused. I've been in every game mentally, and for me that's rewarding, because I've always struggled with that.

ESPNsoccernet: The World Cup was months ago, but it seems like you took something away from it. What did you learn from your experience in Germany?

LD: It obviously was negative for all of us involved. But if you let that negativity define you, then you not only have a disappointing World Cup, you also have a disappointing rest of the year, the following year and maybe your career. If you learn from it, then you can take some positives.

I learned that I was not ready to play in two of those games [against Czech Republic and Ghana]. The Italy game I was ready to play and I think it showed, but the other two games I was not mentally ready. Guess what? In that stage you only get three shots at it. If two out of the three are not good, it's not good enough. We're not at a point like a Brazil where we can have an off day and still beat someone. That's what I learned, and given the chance to get there again, it will be a lot better.

ESPNsoccernet: What would have gotten you mentally prepared? Was there pressure to perform?

LD: I don't know, I never really thought about what the reasoning was. You have to remember in this country our soccer team has never played with that kind of pressure to perform especially in the World Cup. So maybe we were not ready mentally to carry that, because the casual sports fan watching expected the team to qualify for the next round. It's easy for me to look back now and ask questions. Going into those games, I honestly felt we could win all three games.

ESPNsoccernet: Now that you are matured with a different routine, what has changed?

LD: Not a lot, it's just mental. At the end of last year I turned over a new leaf. When I first came into the league -- and I think this happens to a lot of young, promising players too -- you come in and you are excited, everyone loves you, everything is great and you play well, because everything is going your way. Then you're at a point where you don't play well and it becomes a little heavy. There's a lot of games and you realize it is a business, such a grind and it's every day you have to be in there. You get to a point where you are burned out. Now the faster you can understand the whole business part of things, and get back to your roots where you are having fun, the better for you to become a great player. There is a new me and now I'm really enjoying myself because I understand that.

ESPNsoccernet: Are you tempted to want to take over games when teammates are not playing up to par?

LD: Yeah I do, but soccer is hard and it is funny, too. You have a couple of chances to score and you don't. Next thing you know, you are down. You put your game face on then you realize that you have 21 other guys on the field. Eleven of them are trying to keep you not only from scoring but also from getting the ball, period. People ask me all the time why I don't just get the ball and dribble through everyone. I wish it was that easy, but it's not that black and white and I probably could do more sometimes and that's another part of my game I am trying to get better at.

ESPNsoccernet: David Beckham is soon to arrive. Skeptics and fans have voiced their different opinions on his move to MLS. What is your expectation as a player and captain of this team?

LD: As a player, he is still a good player. You cannot play for Real Madrid and be a poor player, I don't care who you are, and people forget that. Honestly, I don't know how he is going to approach it. We can say he is going to be a great pro and he will come here, train and work hard, but you don't know. I don't know him from Adam, but I'm hoping and assuming that he will come ready to play.

You have to take him for his word when you see him say he really cares and wants to help this team win. People are skeptical -- but he's not going to go out there and embarrass himself, he will want to be sharp for the first game. From all accounts I hear anyway, he's a great guy. We'll reserve judgment till we meet him, but my hope is that everything will be great. How can someone like Beckham hurt us?

ESPNsoccernet: Do you ever want to return to Europe? Is it something on your mind and now that you have grown up?

LD: Sometimes it's tempting to watch a game and go like; I think I can play there. It'd be fun to play in that situation at that level where it is constantly competitive. If it did happen, good, but I don't think it would be for a while, because I'm happy where I am.

You also have to remember I'm married now; I have the dogs now too. It's not just what I think. I have to consider people around me. Does my wife want to go when her work is mainly in Los Angeles? What do we do with the dogs if that happened? If that could work out, I would consider it, but my guess is it wouldn't be for quite a while.

ESPNsoccernet: Speaking of your wife, how do you pronounce her last name?

LD: It's Donovan [laughs]. You are the second person to ask me that.

US National team ties with Guatemala

Here is how the soccertimes rated the US National team members individual performance. Take a look - pretty interesting if you compare to the game on Sunday.

U.S. player ratings

Starters

Goalkeeper Kasey Keller - 6: His 46th international clean sheet was among his easiest. He was not really challenged all evening; when he was challenged, he made covering them look easy.

Defender Frank Simek - 6: In his first cap, he showed he is an experienced professional who can play with pace and not get rattled under pressure.

Defender Jimmy Conrad - 6: Responded well to marking Ruiz, a man he faces regularly in MLS. He only lost Ruiz once, allowing a potentially dangerous volley which missed the target.

Defender Jonathan Spector - 6: He pushed forward aggressively without giving up anything in back. He is gaining experience and maturity in England.

Defender Jay DeMerit - 6: With Conrad concentrating on Ruiz, DeMerit was left to shut down the middle. Although he was not put under much pressure, he showed a year in the English Premier League with Watford has given him experience, which allowed him to handle tonight's assignment with ease.

Midfielder Justin Mapp - 6: At times, he was the point of the U.S. attack, pushing the ball up the left side. Still young and improving, he could compete to start on the left flank. for the U.S.

Midfielder Benny Feilhaber - 5.5: A decent outing, but after recording his first two caps wince Sunday, he is still trying to find his role on the team. Will he be most effective as a defensive midfielder, as a link or by stepping into the attack? At 22, he still needs to gain more international match experience.

Midfielder Clint Dempsey - 5: Playing reserve matches and a few odd first-team minutes for Fulham in England, he is not sharp and could not take advantage of the couple of opportunities that came his way. Twice, he probably should have had goals or at least made a better effort. He needs to start playing somewhere as a regular.

Midfielder Michael Bradley - 5.5: He partnered well with Feilhaber in the middle, but the 19-year-old seemed to be have difficulty flowing from defense to attack and back. He could not find much room to operate in the crowded midfield and while his play was decent, he did not add much to the offense.

Forward Landon Donovan - 5: To his credit, he put in 90 minutes of effort, but the U.S. captain did not get the help or the breaks that went his way on Saturday. He was smothered by a defense designed to deny him the ball, but he also was not very effective on set plays, while his corner kicks and crosses were not sharp.

Forward Eddie Johnson - 4.5: For the second time since Sunday, he made a sub-par start and was replaced early. He was completely ineffective, even though he appeared to expend a lot of effort. He must do something to play his way out of his deep slump both at the international and club levels.

Reserves

Forward Kenny Cooper (59th minute for Benny Feilhaber) - 5.5: His entrance changed the shape of the attack for the better. He had his moments, but got little help. It will be interesting to see him over 90 minutes.

Midfielder Brian Mullan (67th minute for Johnson) - 5.5: He had a few good moments and did not make any glaring errors in a generally an understated appearance.

Defender Wade Barrett (83rd minute for Spector) - 5.5: Fit in well on the back-line.

US National game tomorrow!!!

A good test tomorrow! Here is the details on the game:

U.S. vs. Guatemala,
March 28
9 p.m. ET, ESPN2

U.S. player ratings for Sunday's game...

Big win on Sunday...

Here is how Soccertimes ranked the performance of the US players. Let me know what you think!

U.S. player ratings

Starters

Goalkeeper Tim Howard - 5.5: Looked a bit unsettled at times and might have done better on Ecuador's goal, but he did make a couple of nice saves though he was rarely pressured.

Defender Carlos Bocanegra - 5: Still seems more comfortable playing in the center of defense rather than the left flank, as he did today. Was beaten several times by midfielder Luis Valencia, including once that should have resulted in a goal

Defender Oguchi Onyewu - 5.5: Go off to a rough start and was abused when he was outmuscled by Caidedo. But settled down in the second half and did better.

Defender Jimmy Conrad - 6: Played well, though seemed to have some communication problems with Onyewu at times in the first half and was bothered by the pace. His slide tackle in the 28th minute did save what almost certainly would have been goal. Ecuador would have led 2-1 and the tenor of the game might have changed.

Defender Steve Cherundolo - 6: Produced a steady effort, especially in the second half. He pushed the ball forward at times and was a threat down the right side.

Midfielder Landon Donovan - 8: Not only did he have a hat trick, but he was outstanding in all facets of the game. Now, he must learn to perform consistently at this level and live up to his role as the natural successor to Claudio Reyna as team leader.

Midfielder Benny Feilhaber - 5.5: For a number of reasons, he was much better in the second half than in the opening 45 minutes of his first international appearance. In the first half, he seemed a bit unsure of his role, offensively and defensively. When Michael Bradley was inserted at the break, he helped clog the middle defensively and slow the pace, which helped Feilhaber, a promising 22-year-old, do much better.

Midfielder Clint Dempsey - 5: Except for a few brief minutes, he was never really in the match. Perhaps he is showing the effect of not playing regularly at Fulham in England

Midfielder DaMarcus Beasley - 5: Much like Dempsey, he mostly had little impact and was often pushed off the ball by defenders. He ran freely, but failed to use his pace effectively. He did lay off a nice ball for Donovan's third goal.

Forward Brian Ching - 5.5: Considering he is really still rounding into form following off-season knee surgery, he is looking better. A hard-nosed player, he was in the thick of things all afternoon and worked well with Donovan, his former Major League Soccer teammate in San Jose.

Forward Eddie Johnson - 4.5: Another appearance with little impact. He should have done better given the wide open spaces available to him in the first half.

Reserves

Midfielder Michael Bradley (46th minute for Johnson) - 5.5: He helped settle down the defense and offered support, allowing Donovan to move forward. Took advantage of the slower play in the second half and did everything asked of him.

Forward Taylor Twellman (72nd minute for Ching) - 5: Made little difference other than occasionally dropping back to give some help on defense.

Defender Jonathan Spector (80th minute for Cherundolo) - 5.5: Showed some speed on the defensive flank. but had some trouble near the end, though no harm done was done.

Midfielder Brian Mullan (80th minute for Dempsey) - 5.5: Helped run tome off the clock.

Midfielder Justin Mapp (83rd minute for Beasley) - 5: made little impact during short stint.

Midfielder Brian Carroll (91st minute for Donovan) - no rating: A token appearance.

US National game today!!!

A good test today since we have several European based players back. Let's see how Bradley uses them, especially in the Midfield! Here is the details on the game:

U.S. vs. Ecuador,
March 25
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
12 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Keller expects to be in the net for the National Team in 2010!

Kasey Keller doesn't consider himself a has been. He's a starting goalkeeper and hopes to be the starter for the 2010 World Cup team.

The U.S. starter at the 1998 and 2006 World Cups, Keller will be 40 by the time the 2010 tournament opens in South Africa.

If Keller is picked for the U.S. roster at the 2010 tournament, he'd be part of a small group to be selected for five World Cups. He was a backup in both 1990 and 2002.

Meanwhile Keller has made 25 Bundesliga appearances this season for last-place Borussia Moenchengladbach in Germany.

"From my first trips with the national team in '89, it's been an astronomical change in the game," Keller said in a CNNSI article. "We have a long ways to go, but we also have a tremendous amount of competition to compete against. I think if we continue the good steady growth we've had over the last 15, 16, 20 years, I think this sport will be in a perfect position come 2015, 2020."

Let's hope Keller is right and that he continues to compete.

U.S. roster for exhibition games against Ecuador and Guatemala.

Below is Bob Bradley's roster for the next two national teams game. Three players were chosen who have never played for the national team: defenders Jay DeMerit and Frank Simek, and midfielder Benny Feilhaber.

Also interesting to not that Bradley picked his son. Thirteen of the players are based in Europe, including seven in England.

Take a look:

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Tim Howard (Everton, England), Kasey Keller (Borussia Moenchengladbach, Germany)

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham, England), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover, Germany), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City), Jay Demerit (Watford, England), Oguchi Onyewu (Newcastle, England), Heath Pearce (Nordsjaelland, Denmark), Frank Simek (Sheffield Wednesday, England), Jonathan Spector (West Ham, England)

Midfielders: DaMarcus Beasley (Manchester City, England), Michael Bradley (Heerenveen, Netherlands), Brian Carroll (D.C. United), Ricardo Clark (Houston), Clint Dempsey (Fulham, England), Benny Feilhaber (Hamburg, Germany), Justin Mapp (Chicago)

Forwards: Brian Ching (Houston), Kenny Cooper (Dallas), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles), Eddie Johnson (Kansas City), Chris Rolfe (Chicago), Taylor Twellman (New England)