<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td class="header_titles_black" valign="top">U.S. Men Begin Semifinal Round of 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifying Wed., Aug. 20 at Guatemala </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top">
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SEMIFINAL SHOW ON THE ROAD: The journey to the 2010 FIFA World Cup resumes on Aug. 20 when the U.S. takes on Guatemala on MatchDay 1 of Semifinal Round qualifying for South Africa. Kickoff at the Estadio Mateo Flores is set for 8 p.m. MT, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and Galavision. Fans can also follow the match live on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker. The team traveled from Miami to Guatemala City on Monday afternoon where they were met by team captain Carlos Bocanegra and Maurice Edu. The U.S. will train in the stadium Tuesday evening, just over 24 hours from kickoff.
QUICK HITS</p>
U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (2): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa: 2/2 SO), Tim Howard (Everton FC: 3/2 SO)
DEFENDERS (6): Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes: 13/1), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96: 15/0), Jay DeMerit (Watford FC: 1/0), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew: 11/1), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege: 8/0), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock: 2/0)
MIDFIELDERS (6): DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers: 16/4), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen: 2/1), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC: 1/0), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA: 1/0), Eddie Lewis (Derby County: 19/3), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids: 10/0)
FORWARDS (4): Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo: 7/4), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy: 21/8), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC: 8/2), Eddie Johnson (Fulham FC: 8/8)
*numbers indicate all-time World Cup Qualifying caps/goals
IN QUALIFYING FOR THE U.S.: Overall, the U.S. holds a 48-30-28 lifetime record in FIFA World Cup qualifying play, posting a 35-9-16 mark since 1990. In the last three qualifying cycles, the U.S. boasts an impressive 26-1-6 record on home soil.
MLS CONNECTIONS: In addition to the six MLS players on the U.S. roster, there are several Guatemalan connections to the USA's top-flight league. Carlos Ruiz and Landon Donovan share the same locker room at the Los Angeles Galaxy, while midfielder Guillermo 'Pando' Ramirez also used to ply his trade at The Home Depot Center. Marco 'Loco' Rodriguez and Fredy Garcia once wore the same uniform as Frankie Hejduk in Columbus. Gustavo Cabrera left Real Salt Lake for AGF Aarhus in Denmark, the club that just signed U.S. Olympic Team midfielder Benny Feilhaber. Finally, 20-year old uncapped midfielder Marco Pappa recently moved to the Chicago Fire, where he has assumed a starting role as a wide midfielder.
BOB ON THE JOB: Since January of 2007 it has been the charge of U.S. head coach Bob Bradley to achieve the most important goal of any soccer playing nation: qualification for the FIFA World Cup. With 26 games under his belt and the process of reaching South Africa in 2010 in full swing, a review of the body of work during the past 20 months points to the U.S. clearly heading in the right direction. Since the start of the four-year cycle, the U.S. has:</p>
OLYMPIANS ON BOARD: It was a long flight home and a short stop in the States for several members of the U.S. Men's Olympic Soccer Team as four players were quickly recalled by Bob Bradley for the crucial first step in the semifinal phase of qualifying. Newly transferred Aston Villa 'keeper Brad Guzan is coming off an outstanding performance at the 2008 Olympic Games, earning Sierra Mist Man of the Match in the gut-wrenching 2-1 loss to Nigeria that eliminated the squad from the tournament. Guzan posted clean sheets in both of the USA's second round qualifying victories against Barbados. Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan recorded two goals in China, while Maurice Edu served admirably in central defense. Since the summer of 2007, midfielder Michael Bradley has appeared in four international tournaments at both the youth and full national team levels. At the same time, U.S. Olympic head coach Peter Nowak resumes his duties with the full team as Bob Bradley's lead assistant.
PODCAST - FREQUENT FLIER MILES ANYONE? Former Chivas USA teammates Brad Guzan and Sacha Kljestan are still getting their body clocks adjusted from China. Guzan chilled in Chicago for a few days before heading to Miami, while Kljestan got a few days in Huntington Beach before flying coast to coast. Still resting but reflective, the pair sat down to talk with ussoccer.com about their Olympic experiences , and making the quick but important transition to focusing on the full team. Meantime, the frequent flier award must go to Maurice Edu, who flew from Beijing to Toronto last Thursday, then left two days later for Glasgow, Scotland, and will fly today to meet the team in Guatemala City.
2004 SEMIFINAL ROUND REWIND: After handling Grenada in the home and home series in the second round, the U.S. advanced to Group 1 of the semifinal phase along with El Salvador, Panama and Jamaica. Like this time around, the U.S. opened on the road when they traveled to Kingston, Jamaica. An 89th minute goal from World Cup qualifying debutante Brian Ching delivered the U.S. the sought after points away from home in the 1-1 draw with Jamaica. The ever-reliable Cobi Jones would later follow suit, netting a 92nd minute equalizer against Panama to deliver yet another important draw. At home it was a different story, as a convincing shutout against El Salvador (2-0) set the stage for a record-setting performance from Eddie Johnson in the 6-0 pasting of Panama on Oct. 13, 2004, at RFK Stadium. Johnson became the first U.S. player in history to record a hat trick as a substitute. In that match, Oguchi Onyewu earned his first taste of qualifying action. Overall, the U.S. finished the group with an unbeaten 3-0-3 record and momentum heading into the final phase.
UP NEXT: Following the Guatemala match, it's a quick turnaround before the first double-date of the semifinal round. The U.S. will first make an historic visit to Cuba on Sept. 6, making their first appearance on the island since 1947. Four days later, the U.S. welcomes Trinidad & Tobago to Chicago for the team's debut in Bridgeview, Ill. (tickets)
U.S. Schedule - Semifinal Round, 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifying
</p> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="60%" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td>Aug. 20</td> <td>@ Guatemala</td> <td>Guatemala City, Guatemala </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Sept. 6</td> <td>@ Cuba</td> <td>Havana, Cuba </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Sept. 10</td> <td>vs. Trinidad & Tobago</td> <td>Bridgeview, Ill.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Oct. 11</td> <td>vs. Cuba</td> <td>Washington, D.C.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Oct. 15</td> <td>@ Trinidad & Tobago</td> <td>Port-of-Spain, Trinidad </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Nov. 19</td> <td>vs. Guatemala</td> <td>Commerce City, Colo.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>
The U.S. has only faced Cuba once before in World Cup qualifying, dating back to a two-game series in 1949 that was played in Mexico City, Mexico. The U.S. tied Cuba, 1-1, in their first meeting and then won, 5-2, during a three-team group that also included Mexico. Overall, the U.S. holds a 5-1-1 record against Cuba with 21 goals for and nine goals against.
The U.S. also has an undefeated record in qualifying against Trinidad & Tobago, holding an 8-0-2 record. The two countries last met during qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, with the U.S. winning both matches. The first meeting was the opening match of the Final Round and the U.S. got goals from Eddie Johnson and Eddie Lewis for a 2-1 victory in Port of Spain, Trinidad. In the second match, Brian McBride tallied the lone goal in a 1-0 victory in East Hartford, Conn.
DONOVAN JOINED THE CENTURY CLUB: With his start on June 8 in the 0-0 draw against Argentina, Donovan added another remarkable statistic to his already impressive international résumé by becoming the fourth youngest male player of all-time to earn 100 caps. Only 10 other U.S. players have achieved that mark, with Kasey Keller being the most recent player to reach 100 appearances when he minded the net during last year's CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal victory against Canada. Cobi Jones remains the USA's all-time capwinner with 164 appearances - still good for fourth most in the world - while Marcelo Balboa holds the distinction of becoming the first U.S. player, either male or female, to join the century club.
SEMIFINAL SHOW ON THE ROAD: The journey to the 2010 FIFA World Cup resumes on Aug. 20 when the U.S. takes on Guatemala on MatchDay 1 of Semifinal Round qualifying for South Africa. Kickoff at the Estadio Mateo Flores is set for 8 p.m. MT, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and Galavision. Fans can also follow the match live on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker. The team traveled from Miami to Guatemala City on Monday afternoon where they were met by team captain Carlos Bocanegra and Maurice Edu. The U.S. will train in the stadium Tuesday evening, just over 24 hours from kickoff.
QUICK HITS</p>
- Eighteen players are eligible to dress for both teams, and must wear 1-18 for jersey numbers.
- Oguchi Onyewu is the only U.S. player carrying a caution into this match. Any player accumulating two cautions will be suspended for the next FIFA World Cup qualifier.
- The U.S. has never lost to Guatemala in World Cup qualifying play. With an unblemished 4-0-4 record, the USA's victories have all come on U.S. soil.
- The United States is 1-4-4 all-time in Guatemala. The lone victory came Jan. 13, 1988, a 1-0 win courtesy of a goal by Jeff Agoos.
- Four players on the current roster appeared in the last World Cup qualifier against Guatemala, a 0-0 draw on Sept. 7, 2005 in Guatemala City: Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Eddie Johnson, Pablo Mastroeni (c) [starters in bold]. The match came four days after the U.S. clinched a place in the 2006 FIFA World Cup with a 2-0 win against Mexico.
- Frankie Hejduk and Eddie Lewis have also seen action in Guatemala, both part of the squad that earned a 1-1 draw on July 16, 2000, in Mazatenango in the opening match of the semifinal round of the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.
- Three players on the roster have tallied goals against Guatemala. Johnson has a pair, including the game-winning goal in the 2-0 victory on March 30, 2005, in the final round of qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Dempsey put away the lone goal in the 1-0 win in the first match of group play in the 2007 Gold Cup, launching the USA's run to their second-consecutive regional title. Brian Ching scored the second of four goals in the 4-0 friendly on Feb. 19, 2006 in Frisco, Texas.
- Donovan leads the team in World Cup qualifying caps (21), and is tied with Johnson for most goals in qualifying (8). Johnson has produced a remarkable strike rate, with eight goals in eight qualifying appearances. Johnson became the first player in U.S. history to score three goals as a substitute when he recorded a hat trick in the 6-0 semifinal round qualifying victory against Panama on Oct. 13, 2004, at RFK Stadium.
- Johnson and Donovan are tied for third on the USA's all-time goalscoring list in FIFA World Cup qualifying. Brian McBride is the USA's all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup Qualifying with 10 goals scored over three World Cup cycles (1998, 2002, 2006)
- Michael Bradley leads the U.S. in 2008 in minutes played (557).
- All 18 players were part of the roster that handed Barbados an 8-0 defeat in the first leg of Second Round qualifying on June 15 at The Home Depot Center. Additionally, all six of the USA's goalscorers in the Barbados series - Michael Bradley, Ching (2), Dempsey (2), Donovan, Johnson and Lewis - will be on hand.
- The U.S. collected a 12-2-4 record in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, outscoring their opponents 35-11 while collecting 11 shutouts. The U.S. finished undefeated at home during the qualifying campaign, going 8-0-1, with all eight victories coming by shutout.
- The U.S. has posted a 4-2-2 record in 2008, which includes the pair of victories against Barbados in the second round of FIFA World Cup qualifying, a road win against Poland and a 0-0 draw against No. 1-ranked Argentina. Overall, the U.S. has scored 16 goals while surrendering five.
- Leagues from seven different countries are represented on the U.S. roster, with England and the United States each contributing six players. Others include: Belgium, France, Germany (2), Holland and Scotland.
U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (2): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa: 2/2 SO), Tim Howard (Everton FC: 3/2 SO)
DEFENDERS (6): Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes: 13/1), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96: 15/0), Jay DeMerit (Watford FC: 1/0), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew: 11/1), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege: 8/0), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock: 2/0)
MIDFIELDERS (6): DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers: 16/4), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen: 2/1), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC: 1/0), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA: 1/0), Eddie Lewis (Derby County: 19/3), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids: 10/0)
FORWARDS (4): Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo: 7/4), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy: 21/8), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC: 8/2), Eddie Johnson (Fulham FC: 8/8)
*numbers indicate all-time World Cup Qualifying caps/goals
IN QUALIFYING FOR THE U.S.: Overall, the U.S. holds a 48-30-28 lifetime record in FIFA World Cup qualifying play, posting a 35-9-16 mark since 1990. In the last three qualifying cycles, the U.S. boasts an impressive 26-1-6 record on home soil.
MLS CONNECTIONS: In addition to the six MLS players on the U.S. roster, there are several Guatemalan connections to the USA's top-flight league. Carlos Ruiz and Landon Donovan share the same locker room at the Los Angeles Galaxy, while midfielder Guillermo 'Pando' Ramirez also used to ply his trade at The Home Depot Center. Marco 'Loco' Rodriguez and Fredy Garcia once wore the same uniform as Frankie Hejduk in Columbus. Gustavo Cabrera left Real Salt Lake for AGF Aarhus in Denmark, the club that just signed U.S. Olympic Team midfielder Benny Feilhaber. Finally, 20-year old uncapped midfielder Marco Pappa recently moved to the Chicago Fire, where he has assumed a starting role as a wide midfielder.
BOB ON THE JOB: Since January of 2007 it has been the charge of U.S. head coach Bob Bradley to achieve the most important goal of any soccer playing nation: qualification for the FIFA World Cup. With 26 games under his belt and the process of reaching South Africa in 2010 in full swing, a review of the body of work during the past 20 months points to the U.S. clearly heading in the right direction. Since the start of the four-year cycle, the U.S. has:</p>
- Compiled a 16-7-3 record, with 47 goals scored and 25 against
- Defended the CONCACAF Gold Cup title and qualified for the 2009 Confederations Cup
- Won by the largest margin of victory in U.S. World Cup qualifying history (8-0 vs. Barbados on 6/15/08)
- Won back-to-back games in Europe for the first time in team history
- Won three straight matches on the road for the first time in team history
- Played five matches against four teams ranked in the Top 10 in the world at the time they stepped on the field against them (Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Spain)
- Played matches on four continents and in two major international tournaments
- Used 67 different players
OLYMPIANS ON BOARD: It was a long flight home and a short stop in the States for several members of the U.S. Men's Olympic Soccer Team as four players were quickly recalled by Bob Bradley for the crucial first step in the semifinal phase of qualifying. Newly transferred Aston Villa 'keeper Brad Guzan is coming off an outstanding performance at the 2008 Olympic Games, earning Sierra Mist Man of the Match in the gut-wrenching 2-1 loss to Nigeria that eliminated the squad from the tournament. Guzan posted clean sheets in both of the USA's second round qualifying victories against Barbados. Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan recorded two goals in China, while Maurice Edu served admirably in central defense. Since the summer of 2007, midfielder Michael Bradley has appeared in four international tournaments at both the youth and full national team levels. At the same time, U.S. Olympic head coach Peter Nowak resumes his duties with the full team as Bob Bradley's lead assistant.
PODCAST - FREQUENT FLIER MILES ANYONE? Former Chivas USA teammates Brad Guzan and Sacha Kljestan are still getting their body clocks adjusted from China. Guzan chilled in Chicago for a few days before heading to Miami, while Kljestan got a few days in Huntington Beach before flying coast to coast. Still resting but reflective, the pair sat down to talk with ussoccer.com about their Olympic experiences , and making the quick but important transition to focusing on the full team. Meantime, the frequent flier award must go to Maurice Edu, who flew from Beijing to Toronto last Thursday, then left two days later for Glasgow, Scotland, and will fly today to meet the team in Guatemala City.
2004 SEMIFINAL ROUND REWIND: After handling Grenada in the home and home series in the second round, the U.S. advanced to Group 1 of the semifinal phase along with El Salvador, Panama and Jamaica. Like this time around, the U.S. opened on the road when they traveled to Kingston, Jamaica. An 89th minute goal from World Cup qualifying debutante Brian Ching delivered the U.S. the sought after points away from home in the 1-1 draw with Jamaica. The ever-reliable Cobi Jones would later follow suit, netting a 92nd minute equalizer against Panama to deliver yet another important draw. At home it was a different story, as a convincing shutout against El Salvador (2-0) set the stage for a record-setting performance from Eddie Johnson in the 6-0 pasting of Panama on Oct. 13, 2004, at RFK Stadium. Johnson became the first U.S. player in history to record a hat trick as a substitute. In that match, Oguchi Onyewu earned his first taste of qualifying action. Overall, the U.S. finished the group with an unbeaten 3-0-3 record and momentum heading into the final phase.
UP NEXT: Following the Guatemala match, it's a quick turnaround before the first double-date of the semifinal round. The U.S. will first make an historic visit to Cuba on Sept. 6, making their first appearance on the island since 1947. Four days later, the U.S. welcomes Trinidad & Tobago to Chicago for the team's debut in Bridgeview, Ill. (tickets)
U.S. Schedule - Semifinal Round, 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifying
</p> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="60%" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td>Aug. 20</td> <td>@ Guatemala</td> <td>Guatemala City, Guatemala </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Sept. 6</td> <td>@ Cuba</td> <td>Havana, Cuba </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Sept. 10</td> <td>vs. Trinidad & Tobago</td> <td>Bridgeview, Ill.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Oct. 11</td> <td>vs. Cuba</td> <td>Washington, D.C.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Oct. 15</td> <td>@ Trinidad & Tobago</td> <td>Port-of-Spain, Trinidad </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Nov. 19</td> <td>vs. Guatemala</td> <td>Commerce City, Colo.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>
The U.S. has only faced Cuba once before in World Cup qualifying, dating back to a two-game series in 1949 that was played in Mexico City, Mexico. The U.S. tied Cuba, 1-1, in their first meeting and then won, 5-2, during a three-team group that also included Mexico. Overall, the U.S. holds a 5-1-1 record against Cuba with 21 goals for and nine goals against.
The U.S. also has an undefeated record in qualifying against Trinidad & Tobago, holding an 8-0-2 record. The two countries last met during qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, with the U.S. winning both matches. The first meeting was the opening match of the Final Round and the U.S. got goals from Eddie Johnson and Eddie Lewis for a 2-1 victory in Port of Spain, Trinidad. In the second match, Brian McBride tallied the lone goal in a 1-0 victory in East Hartford, Conn.
DONOVAN JOINED THE CENTURY CLUB: With his start on June 8 in the 0-0 draw against Argentina, Donovan added another remarkable statistic to his already impressive international résumé by becoming the fourth youngest male player of all-time to earn 100 caps. Only 10 other U.S. players have achieved that mark, with Kasey Keller being the most recent player to reach 100 appearances when he minded the net during last year's CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal victory against Canada. Cobi Jones remains the USA's all-time capwinner with 164 appearances - still good for fourth most in the world - while Marcelo Balboa holds the distinction of becoming the first U.S. player, either male or female, to join the century club.
