If the US team get lost on the way to the World Cup...

...you'll know why...

32 for 2010: USA

We're now a quarter of the way through our 32 for 2010 series looking at the teams that have qualified for the World Cup in South Africa this summer. To mark the occasion, we've set our resident Football Americana writer and brains behind TwoFootedTackle Chris Nee the job of giving you his own personal profile of the USA team...

England supporters will be keeping an eager eye on the USA as World Cup 2010 approaches. Bob Bradley's side were something of an unknown outfit before last summer's FIFA Confederations Cup, where impressive performances against Spain and Brazil repaired the damage of a poor start and brought the Americans crashing back into the English footballing psyche. And wouldn't you just know it, England and the US were drawn together in Group C along with Algeria and Slovenia.

As soon as the draw was complete the social media garden fence between friendly neighbours became a banter battleground. The most famous match in this most dormant of rivalries took place in Brazil in June 1950 and Haiti-born US international Joe Gaetjens scored the only goal to help the underdogs to a shock victory which was wheeled out with alarming regularity on the 2010 draw's conclusion.

It was a memorable moment for the Americans, but it wasn't their only World Cup high point. The 1994 host team has played in every tournament since 1990, reaching the quarter final in Japan and South Korea in 2002 thanks to the defeat of arch-rivals Mexico in the second round in their first ever World Cup finals meeting. Germany proved too difficult a foe in the last eight, and 2006 was a disappointment which resonated throughout US soccer.

But forget DaMarcus Beasley's toilet break, Alexi Lalas' magnificent beard and John Harkes' John Terry impression. Forget Leonardo's elbow in 1994 and the slugfest against Italy in 2006. Things are a little different now, and spirits are high.

In qualifying, Bradley's boys topped the CONCACAF hexagonal tournament ahead of Mexico in second and Honduras in third. They lost just twice in qualifying, both in genuinely difficult away matches in Costa Rica and Mexico. Two draws - away to El Salvador on matchday two and at home to Costs Rica in the final game - punctuated six wins including two crucial victories on the road in the last three games. In August, defeat in Mexico put the USA in a tough position. But a run of three wins against El Salvador (home), Trinidad & Tobago (away) and Honduras (away) secured Bradley's job and his team's berth at the top of the Hex.

In the same week as the USA confirmed its qualification for the World Cup, tragedy struck the US soccer community. Sochaux striker Charlie Davies was badly injured in a fatal car accident in the DC suburbs. Davies miraculously escaped the wreckage with a ruptured bladder, breaks to his left tibia and femur, a fractured elbow and several facial fractures. His recovery has been amazing, and he returned to Sochaux in February well on the road to fitness, despite a scar from ear to ear from surgery which is best left undescribed.

It was just one of a litany of injuries which has beset the US squad since qualification was secured. Defender Oguchi Onyewu of AC Milan and Fulham's Clint Dempsey are both in a race against time to make the plane to South Africa, while Jay Demerit's freak eye injury put him out for much longer than expected. Fortunately, the situation seems to be shaping up nicely for Bradley and, with Davies on track for a return, the fixture against England on day two of the World Cup could make for an emotional 90 minutes.

The returning trio will bolster a team of deceptive strength, and one which has found its style in the last 12 months. Bradley's side is solid and obstinate, fast enough and clever enough to counter-attack with ruthless efficiency. Goalkeeper Tim Howard is a reliable stopper and recent on-loan Everton colleague Landon Donovan's lightning pace and superb technique is vital to the USA's attacking play. Michael Bradley, the coach's son, and Ricardo Clark are two tough, tenacious central midfielders plying their trade in the Bundesliga. Both press the ball well and the partnership could be key to a good campaign in South Africa.

With the central midfielders protecting a defence which won't have played together properly for a year, much of the creative work will fall to Donovan and Dempsey. Ahead of them, Davies will be partnered by Jozy Altidore, who finally seems to be finding his feet in Europe. Altidore's got bags of technical ability and the Premier League is quickly teaching him how to use his considerable strength, not that he was struggling with that last summer.

Whether or not 2010 turns out to be a vintage US performance in years to come, make no mistake: the Americans are here to stay.

The Friday List of Little or No Consequence #153

CurioUSly named
14 Defunct American Soccer Teams With Interesting Or Amusing Names

1. Bethlehem Hungarian
2. Bricklayers and Masons FC
3. Chattanooga Express
4. El Paso/Juarez Gamecocks
5. Hawaii Tsunami
6. Holley Carburetor FC
7. Indiana Flooring
8. New Brunswick Hungarian Americans
9. Ohio Xoggz
10. Permian Basin Shooting Stars
11. Philadelphia Ukrainians
12. San Diego Top Guns
13. San Jose Frogs
14. Syracuse Salty Dogs

Football Americana Week 16: Happy Days for Cunningham

Another stunted week in Major League Soccer, and another week of surprising results and solid if unspectacular footballing goodness Stateside. The focus was very much on the Eastern Conference as DC, Chicago and Columbus were all in action looking to cement their playoff challenge.

Week 16 kicked off at the altitude of Rio Tinto on Friday. San Jose Earthquakes went ahead just after the hour with a brilliantly taken goal by Arturo Alvarez, darting through with the ball on a string to finish past Nick Rimando in the Real Salt Lake goal. Fabian Espindola had seen plenty of the ball for RSL and created a sackload of chances, but the frustration got to him more than anyone - he was dismissed for scything down Brandon McDonald with 14 minutes to go. RSL still bagged the point, Chris Leitch pinching the ball off Yura Movsisyan's toe but placing it beyond his goalkeeper Joe Cannon.

On Saturday, DC United took their lead in the East to Columbus Crew, for whom a win would be enough send them above United. Tommy Soehn's men took the lead thanks to Christian Gomez who pounced to sweep in a loose ball after 33 minutes. United had enough chances to be home and dry, but it was Crew who found the net, Alejandro Moreno equalising from close range.

With United and Crew sharing the spoils, Chicago Fire had a chance to close the gap. They led Colorado Rapids 2-0 after just 37 minutes. Marco Pappa got the first, bending it confidently into the corner from 12 yards. A towering Wilman Conde header converted a Cuauhtemoc Blanco corner for the second. Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch made a difficult save from a Conor Casey header in the 76th minute but was unable to make the ball safe, allowing Jacob Peterson to tap in the Rapids' consolation.

One goal was enough for Houston Dynamo at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. Kei Kamara headed in a Mike Chabala cross to defeat Kansas City Wizards before whipping a white glove out of his shorts and paying tribute to deceased popstar Michael Jackson, chamone.

Pizza Hut Park hosted the Battle of Ineptitude between FC Dallas and New York Red Bulls, and FCD emerged victorious thanks to a lightning brace from Jeff Cunningham, playing up front to cover for USA Gold Cup pick Kenny Cooper. He got two goals in three minutes, the first a neat finish after a poor backpass by Luke Sassano and the second a tap-in from a pinpoint cross by Dave van den Bergh. Juan Pablo Angel almost missed from a yard, but the cross which he controlled towards the net just squeezed in for 2-1. He thought he'd levelled after half time but was ruled offside, a sight familiar to supporters of Aston Villa.

Alecko Eskandarian stole the headlines after moving to Los Angeles Galaxy from Chivas USA last week and scoring on debut against New England Revolution. The finish was simple but assured, Eskandarian turning a deep, diagonal cross into a gaping net to give the Galaxy all three points at HDC.

Results in the East leave DC United top from Chicago Fire, but both have 24 points. Houston Dynamo (31), Chivas USA (27) and Seattle Sounders (25) head up the West. Columbus Crew, Toronto FC and Colorado Rapids currently occupy the remaining playoff spots.

Full results and standings here.

For more great football writing by Chris Nee, visit TwoFootedTackle.com...

Football Americana Week 15: Landon who? (just kidding!)

Wow, what a week for American football! The national team rose from the dead in South Africa to stun Spain and Brazil in the Confederations Cup, eventually running out of steam in the final against Dunga's men. Make no mistake, it was an historic tournament for the USA - but while Landon Donovan was impressing us all with some fine performances for Bob Bradley, the Galaxy did some impressive business without their talismanic captain.

A truncated week was made all the more stunted by a Wednesday start. Two games took place, with two goals apiece. In Canada, struggling New York Red Bulls went down 2-0 against Toronto FC. Pablo Vitti opened the scoring, nodding over a stranded (through his own fault) Danny Cepero, and Dwayne DeRosario sealed the win with a delightful lob.

The points were shared at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, where David Ferreira put FC Dallas in front, dinking the ball over the goalkeeper against the run of play. The first half hour saw some excellent goalkeeping by FCD's Ray Burse. The in-form Omar Cummings missed a sackful of chances for Colorado Rapids, but finally equalised with a more difficult opportunity with six minutes to go.

On Saturday, New York and Toronto were back in action. The Red Bulls travelled to Ohio to face Columbus Crew but were beaten 1-0 thanks to Chad Marshall, who headed in a corner on the stroke of half time.

Toronto were also on the wrong end of the result, slumping to a 3-0 hiding by Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto. RSL took the lead with a a cool Yura Movsisyan finish after he pounced on a stray backpass. Dreadlocked captain Kyle Beckerman made it two before half time, and Clint Mathis killed off Toronto by driving in a third.

The Rapids were back in action on Sunday, travelling to Qwest Field to face Seattle Sounders. Fredy Montero took the credit after glancing in a Nate Jaqua header, but he more than made up for it. First he acted as the wall in a one-two which Jaqua finished for 2-0, and then mis-controlled to tee Jaqua up perfectly to thump in his second. Cummings had missed a penalty for the Rapids at 1-0.

But it was Los Angeles Galaxy who provided the week's big surprise. With skipper Landon Donovan putting in a couple of brilliant shifts for the national team, the Galaxy still upset league leaders Houston Dynamo in Carson. Todd Dunivant won it, turning a Mike Magee cross past Pat Onstad and into the corner to earn all three points for the Galaxy.

The Dynamo remain at the top, looking down on the rest of the West on 28 points along with Chivas USA on 27. DC United lead the East with 23 points from Columbus Crew who move up to 22. The next four are Seattle (West, 25), Toronto (East, 22), Colorado (West, 21) and Chicago Fire (East, 21). RSL and LA closed the gap on the Rapids, while Toronto's weekend defeat leaves them vulnerable to the Fire and Kansas City.

Full results and standings here.

For more great football writing by Chris Nee, visit TwoFootedTackle.com...

Confederations Cup Final: Review

Final
USA 2 Brazil 3
Johannesburg

The 2009 Confederations Cup Final lived fully up to expectations last night. From the moment we heard the distinctive sound those vuvuzelas to the moment when Brazil lifted the trophy for a record third time, everything seemed to be perfectly predictable and ultimately satisfying.

The USA, fresh from their outstanding 2-0 semi-final win over Spain, arrived intent on making the world sit up and take notice. Brazil merely had their reputation as purveyors of fine football to protect, although the prospect of a defeat to their North American neighbours was also something worth trying to avoid.

Bob Bradley’s USMNT disappointed none of their home fans by being up and out of the blocks first. Fulham’s Clint Dempsey flicked home a Jonathan Spector cross to put the Americans 1-0 up after just ten minutes and a repeat performance of the Spanish win was once again on the cards.

et Brazil didn’t sit back as Robinho tried and failed to grab an equaliser only moments later, his shot saved well by Tim Howard. In fact the US keeper had to be on his mettle again on two subsequent occasions when Maicon and Felipe Melo tested the Everton number 1, and to his credit he remained consistently strong.

It would prove vital in enabling the US to extend their lead and extend it they did when Charlie Davies counter-attacked with speed and crossed for Landon Donovan to drive neatly past Julio Cesar. The Americans led 2-0 and with Howard blocking anything the Brazilians could throw at them, the half time lead was certainly deserved.

Brazil came out in the second half knowing that they had to convert their greater possession and better chances into goals, and within moments of the restart, they got one. Maicon managed to get the ball to Luis Fabiano and with a deft turn and shot, the ball was in and finally past Tim Howard.

With the game standing at 2-1 to the USA, Brazil needed to push on and they thought they had an equaliser just after the hour mark when Kaka’s header was cleared from behind the goalline by Howard – out of sight from any of the officials.

After 74 minutes, the equaliser did arrive. Kaka played a firm, low cross into the area which found Robinho who could only shoot onto the underside of the bar. When the ball bounced out, it was tournament top scorer Luis Fabiano that was first to reach it, heading in from close range to make it 2-2.

With only six minutes remaining and US spirits (and energy levels) flagging, Brazil did what they always seem to do – grab a winning goal when it matters. Elano’s corner was met by Lucio who deftly powered in a header off the inside of the post to win the game 3-2.

It was cruel on the Americans and a great shame for a team that had tried so hard to transform itself from tournament non-achievers to potential tournament winners. In the end, however, our words from the second semi-final rang true again: Brazil are devilishly difficult to beat and can never be written off.

Here in the Final, the US had come out with a plan in mind which so very nearly worked. They defended well, played efficiently on the break and scored important goals, but critically only for one half of the match. It was always going to be difficult to maintain that level of proficiency over the full 90 minutes, and Brazil exposed that harsh truth all too well.

Dunga’s team are to be applauded for their trophy win. They looked professional without really trying to be on occasions, and that in itself requires great skill and technical ability, but let’s acknowledge America’s role in all this.

Not so long ago, they were heading home in something approaching shame for the way they started this competition, yet here they were asking Brazil to score three in 45 minutes to prevent them from being proclaimed the victors. They almost made it, but the fact that they didn’t doesn’t matter. They played their part in entertaining and inspiring all those who watched them and that must also be recognised as adding great value to what has been a very enjoyable tournament indeed.

Confederations Cup Review: Spain 0 USA 2

"This is no fantasy - no careless product of wild imagination." - Marlon Brando

You could argue that the Confederations Cup is the least important of the senior competitions and had last night's game been a World Cup match, Spain would have ramped up the intensity and pulled the win out of their collective behinds. You could also say that the European champions had a bad day at the office and on any other occasion would have done to the US what pretty much everyone expected and reduce them to a smear. And you'd be right.

But these factors don't tell even half the story behind the Yank's win over Spain so it would be unfair to dwell on them further. If you did not see the game be under no illusion - this was not a freak result made up of a bizarre set of circumstances that contrived to deny a Spanish victory. The US won this game fair and square.

It would be difficult to find anyone who would argue that, player for player, Spain are the better side. I can't be alone in the belief that the current Spanish team is one of the best international football teams ever. I still believe that now. This makes the US' victory even more special and even more important.

In the midfield, Dempsey and Donovan provided attacking dynamism, while the excellent Michael Bradley and Ricardo Clark disrupted Spain's diamond formation just enough to keep them off balance. There were times when you felt that Spain were about to swamp the US but in fact, looking back, they were reduced to only a few chances which Tim Howard was equal to. The back four were extremely well disciplined and I would never have believed that Jay DeMerit was capable of playing as well as he did had I not seen it with my own eyes.

Jozy Altidore is clearly a decent player and performed like a man desperate to prove his worth. His pace, strength and directness are the definition of a modern European striker and his lung-bursting display will surely force the coaching staff at Villareal to reassess him come pre-season.

Also, any doubts about Bob Bradley's ability to coach under these conditions must be put to one side. To reach the final after such a shocking start to the competition required the team to draw on some serious reserves. It is impossible to believe that Bradley did not play some part in that and his tactics were absolutely spot on.

On the basis of last night's performance, my earlier description of the US team as journeymen seems harsh. And while one swallow does not make a summer, it is clear that some of these players are much better than they are given credit for -perhaps even better than they give themselves credit for. Their combination of industry, guts and dynamism going forward contributed to a match that has set a new marker in the progress of the game in the States and increased their standing in the global football community. They have given us a life affirming result that was a triumph for the game in general and for international football in particular. If anyone asks why you love football so much, the answer is simple:

Spain 0 USA 2

If they play like that in the Final, they stand an excellent chance of winning.



(PHOTO: Martin Meissner and Paul Thomas / Associated Press)

Confederations Cup – Day 4 Review

Group B
Egypt 1 Italy 0
Johannesburg

Let’s lay our cards on the table first of all. We’re more than well aware that we predicted Italy to come second in Group B and go on to play Spain in the semi-finals, but that’s because, like you, we thought Italy would beat Egypt. Just goes to show how wrong you can be, doesn’t it?

Of course it could yet happen, but the Egyptians are now level on points with Italy prior to the last round of games in Group B. Having scored three against Brazil and beaten the Italians, Egypt must surely now fancy their chances of picking up another three points against the USA. Not that we’re making an official prediction, mind you.

Italy easily made the better start of the two teams, Rossi fashioning a couple of good chances in the first half hour. Meanwhile at the other end, Egypt’s goalscoring hero against Brazil, Mohamed Zidan, had been virtually marked out of the game by a resolute Italian defence. It didn’t put off Zidan’s compatriots from attacking, however, and Aboutrika was once again a key figure for the Egyptians.

Five minutes before half time, the deadlock was broken. Egypt had a corner kick and surprise surprise, it was Aboutrika that delivered it direct to the head of Mohamed Homos who powered it into the Italian net.

Keen to avoid a shock upset, Italy ploughed forward with more attacking moves but chance after chance was wasted – most notably by Vincenzo Iaquinta who should have done better with one particular one-on-one with Egyptian ‘keeper El Hadary.

In fact the further the game went on, the more El Hadary was called upon to rescue the African champions on a number of occasions, but ultimately it was the woodwork that saved Egypt from dropping two points. With four minutes remaining, Iaquinta’s speculative shot eluded the Egyptian keeper only to bounce back off the post, and that was pretty much the last chance Italy had of rescuing a point from the game.

Egypt ended the match 1-0 winners and with Italy needing to beat Brazil on Sunday, the smart money will surely be on Spain facing the Pharaohs in the semi-finals. Watch this space to find out more…



Group B
USA 0 Brazil 3
Tshwane/Pretoria

Where last time Brazil scored the goals but failed to prevent them going into their own net, this time there was no such otiosity. Against the Americans they were ruthlessly efficient and had the game effectively sown up in the opening half-hour or so.

Brazil flew out of the blocks first and were 1-0 up after just seven minutes. A foul by Michael Bradley gave Maicon the chance to steer a free kick towards Felipe Melo who headed it in.

Brazil could have doubled their lead five minutes later were it not for Onyewu’s vital tackle to deny Robinho scoring his first goal of the competition. Yet the Americans were powerless to stop the Man City forward scoring with 20 minutes on the clock. When DaMarcus Beasely allowed the ball to slip under his foot near to the Brazilian goal, Kaka was nearby to initiate a swift and clinical counter-attack which resulted in Robinho slotting past Tim Howard at the other end of the pitch.

When half time came, a huge victory looked highly likely for Brazil and indeed could have already been achieved, but at 2-0 there was a little more work to be done to snuff out the USA’s chances.

In the second period, Brazil launched attack after attack on the American goal, and Tim Howard was easily the busier of the two goalkeepers. The key moment, however, came when American midfielder Sacha Kljestan was sent off in the 55th minute for a bad tackle on Ramires. After that, Bob Bradley’s side were even weaker and paid the ultimate price when Maicon’s slick one-two with Kaka in the box led to a fine shot past Howard to make it 3-0.

In the interests of balance, the USA did hit the crossbar late on in the game, but it would have made little difference had it gone in. They were well beaten by a much more diligent Brazilian side and an imminent exit from this competition now looks almost certain.

Brazil, however, were impressive in the way they controlled the game from start to finish, and their encounter with Italy on Sunday now looks to be nothing short of a mouth-watering prospect.

Confederations Cup – Day 2 Review

Group B
Brazil 4 Egypt 3
Mangaung/Bloemfontein

If Group A provided a soporific opening to the 2009 Confederations Cup, Group B was the wake up call everyone must have been hoping for.

The first game of the day was an exciting encounter between the champions of South America and Africa which proved to be a lot closer than expected. Brazil, for their part, entered into battle in familiar fashion, passing the ball well in midfield and generally out-muscling the opposition.

In fact so efficient were they that they took the lead after only five minutes thanks to some nifty ball juggling in the area by Kaka who calmly slotted past Egyptian keeper Essam El Hadary to make it 1-0. Yet it was here that Brazil were to learn their lesson for the day – that Egypt are not a team to dismiss easily.

Just four minutes later, Borussia Dortmund striker Mohamed Zidan was on hand to head in a cross from Mohamed Aboutrika which highlighted Brazil’s defensive frailties no end. But we all know that Brazil play best when on the attack, and so it was proven when a further three minutes later Elano’s free kick found Luis Fabiano in the box who deftly flicked the ball home beyond the reach of El Hadary.

Brazil were back in front 2-1 and they extended their lead eight minutes before the break. Elano executed another perfect set-piece when his corner was headed in from close range by Roma defender Juan.

So far, so predictable perhaps, but Egypt burst out of the blocks at the start of the second half as if they meant business. With 54 minutes on the clock, African Player of the Year Aboutrika showed his ability to pass and move with the best of them when he set up Mohamed Shawky who scored with a fine finish from the edge of the penalty area.

Then, almost straight from the restart, Aboutrika played a through-ball in to FIFA Man of the Match Zidan who only had to slot the ball past Julio Cesar to make it 3-3.

Brazil were reeling from Egypt’s swift fightback but their lack of organisation at the back was entirely the reason why they’d lost their lead for the second time – that, and the fact that Egypt were giving as good as they got offensively.

With the game evenly poised, the defining moment came in the 90th minute when a free kick was volleyed goalwards by Brazilian captain Lucio only for the ball to be cleared off the line. Though referee Howard Webb initially awarded a corner, he later changed his decision to a penalty having been informed that Ahmed Al Muhamadi had used his arm to deliberately block the ball. Al Muhamadi was subsequently sent off and Kaka scored his second from the spot to win the game.

So Brazil pick up the three points from their first game, but it wasn’t a cakewalk for them. Furthermore Egypt’s next opponents, Italy, may now be revaluating Egypt’s chances of winning following their own first game of the competition.



Group B
USA 1 Italy 3
Tshwane/Pretoria

Italy also had a rude awakening as they reignited their tetchy relationship with the Americans in Group B. Almost two years ago to the day, both teams played out a feisty World Cup First Round match in which three players were sent off – two of them for the US team.

This time around, tempers weren’t quite so high although the Americans did lose a man again. Just past the half-hour mark, Ricardo Clark petulantly lashed out at Gennaro Gattuso after losing the ball and the referee decided he didn’t want to see any more of that, thank you very much.

It was all rather unfortunate given the great start Bob Bradley’s men had made to the match. They’d been very organised, were strong at the back and had the best of the chances, if truth be known. Italy, wearing their new pale blue shirts and brown shorts, were left frustrated – particularly when the USA were awarded a penalty four minutes before half time.

Curiously, Giorgio Chiellini’s kick at Jozy Altidore and the subsequent holding back that caused him to fall in the box were not deemed serious enough to warrant a red card, but a penalty was awarded. Landon Donovan, the US captain, stepped up to give his side a 1-0 lead which few could argue hadn’t been hard earned.

Going into the second half with a man down, the Americans had it all to do in order to retain their lead. Playing with only Altidore up front, Italy had every chance to find an equaliser, but it didn’t arrive until former Manchester United striker Giuseppe Rossi came on as a 57th-minute substitute.

Only a minute later, Rossi picked up the ball on the edge of the centre circle in the American half, ran straight at goal and unleashed an unstoppable shot from 30 yards out that eluded Tim Howard’s right hand. Italy were back in the game and full of belief once again.

After 72 minutes, Daniele De Rossi (the Italian sent off when both sides played in the 2006 World Cup) scored a second from long range when he shot across the face of goal beyond Howard’s left hand. Now 2-1 up, Italy looked in control but the final nail in the coffin wasn’t banged in until the fourth minute of injury time.

With the game almost over, Andrea Pirlo danced past Jay DeMerit on the wing, reached the by-line and chipped a neat ball into the area for American-born Rossi to half-volley into the back of the net. The game ended 3-1 to Italy but the USA will be rueing the chances Altidore and Michael Bradley had early on which, if finished better, could have earned them at least a point.

That said, Italy showed enough steel to edge it on the night and they now lead Group B ahead of their game against Egypt on Thursday. The USA play Brazil in the day’s early kick-off.

World Cup 2010 Qualifying Update (Part 3)

Remember those heady days of June when Euro 2008 was seemingly the main focus of everyone's attention? Well over in North and Central America, Euro 2008 couldn't have been lower on the list of priorities for that was when the CONCACAF nations continued their fight for a place in the 2010 World Cup Finals.

So what was the upshot of all those recent qualifiers? Who's progressing nicely and who's chance for glory has come to an end? Read on and find out…

North and Central America

Overview
Twenty-three teams entered the first round of qualifying, among them such overlooked notaries as the Cayman Islands, Montserrat and Anguilla. They were quickly rounded down to twelve after a series of home-and-away matches (excluding St. Vincent & The Grenadines who got a bye) and it was they who progressed to the next round.

Joining the successful dozen in Round 2 were a further twelve teams, all of whom were seeded and included the likes of the United States, Mexico and Costa Rica. It was these 24 teams that took part in the two-legged ties that took place in June. The twelve winners go through to Round 3 which begins on August 20th and they'll be split into three groups of four playing 'round-robin' fashion.

The winners and runners-up will enter Round 4 and those six teams will be drawn to play in a single group, again playing each other home and away 'round-robin'-stylee.

At the end of all that, the top three in the group will qualify for South Africa 2010 while the fourth-placed team enters a play-off with the fifth-placed South American team. Whoever wins that will also go through to the 2010 finals.

Understood? Any questions? Then let us begin…

News
Most of the big guns that joined the action in Round 2 successfully negotiated their 'David and Goliath' ties against the lesser lights of the region, and some did so with considerable ease.

The USA broke the back of their contest against Barbados in the first leg thanks to an 8-0 win at the Home Depot Center. A pair of goals from Clint Dempsey and Brian Ching along with individual contributions from Landon Donovan, Michael Bradley, Eddie Johnson and an own goal by Daryl Ferguson ensured the second leg was just a formality. The aggregate score was 9-0 in the end, so the USA team take their place in Third Round Group 1 along with Guatemala who did a similar demolition job on St. Lucia.

Captain Carlos Ruiz (right) was the man who did most of the damage, scoring four of the six Guatemala goals in their first leg shut-out of the islanders. A 3-1 win in the second leg on June 21st signalled the end of St. Lucia's run, but for Suriname, their journey from Round 1 continues thanks to a close-fought 3-1 aggregate win over Guyana.

The Surinamese began their campaign with a 7-1 rout of Montserrat before their tie with neighbours Guyana and they can consider themselves lucky to survive after a 1-0 home win that saw them reduced to ten men late in the game and a 2-1 win in Guyana where the hosts grabbed a late winner to set up a nervy finish.

So Suriname become one of only two Round 1 starters to reach Round 3 (the other being El Salvador who beat Panama 3-2 on aggregate) and both will be in Group 3 along with Haiti (1-0 aggregate winners over Netherlands Antilles) and a not-entirely convincing Costa Rica.

Costa Rica's second round tie against Grenada looked like a formality on paper, especially given that the former is sixty positions higher up the FIFA world rankings than the latter, but Grenada showed they were made of sterner stuff in the first leg. Within 23 minutes, they found themselves 2-0 up against their supposed superiors thanks to a goal each from Patrick Modeste and Jason Roberts.

The Costa Ricans grabbed a goal back just before half time through Armando Alonso, but it wasn't until fourteen minutes from time that an equaliser materialised from Victor Nunez. The game ended 2-2 and Costa Rica were left looking back on a twelfth successive match without a victory.

Luckily for former player and now coach Hernan Medford, Costa Rica's fortunes were to change for the vital second leg as they cruised to a 3-0 victory, but the damage had already been done as Medford was fired from his job just a week later.

In other news there were easy aggregate wins for Sven Goran Eriksson's Mexico (9-0 over Belize), Jamaica (13-0 over the Bahamas), Canada (7-1 over St. Vincent & The Grenadines) and Honduras (6-2 over Puerto Rico), but Trinidad and Tobago only made it through after slipping up in their first game against Bermuda.

Lacking the talents of injured Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones, Trinidad and Tobago looked a shadow of their former-selves and though they equalised John Nusum's seventh minute strike, the all-time top Bermuda striker was to get a second on 38 minutes which effectively won them the game. Once again, however, the second match was to prove decisive as the Soca Warriors grabbed a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Darryl Roberts and Southampton's Stern John.

So Trinidad and Tobago take their place in the next round in a group that will feature the USA, Guatemala and a Cuban side that had problems of their own in overcoming a plucky Antigua and Barbuda team. A Leonel Duarte goal five minutes from time was all that separated the two sides in the first leg which finished 4-3 to Cuba, but that all-important second leg gave the favourites time to regroup once again and the tie ended 8-3 to the Cubans.

And there you have it. We now know the twelve teams remaining that will take part in Round 3 and here's how the groups were drawn out:



Each group appears to have its runaway favourites to finish top - even Costa Rica despite their recent turbulent past. What should be more interesting is who will grab the runner-up places, and for what it's worth we're going for Guatemala in Group 1, Honduras in Group 2 and El Salvador in Group 3.

It won't be clear cut, however, and when the action starts up again on August 20th, you can bet there'll be twelve teams all fighting for their football lives as they look for a place in the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa.

Time for our stars to lead by example

I can see you're dying to ask me, so let me save you the embarrassment. Yes, I did watch the England v USA international friendly match last night. Was I pleased with the result? I suppose I was, really. Always nice to win, of course. Was I pleased with England's performance? In as much as one can be when they've won 2-0 against reasonable opposition in a meaningless friendly, yes.

Unfortunately, although last night's game ended in a relatively satisfactory way, there was one sour note that lingered on for me. I know this has been discussed before and I'm probably going to open up a can of worms again, but I was quite appalled by the conduct of two of England's players with regard to the influence they'll have on the young children watching.

I give two examples to explain my point. Firstly, there was an incident in the second-half when Wayne Rooney was spoken to by the referee following a tackle on one of the USA players. I think he might have even been booked at the time, but what I do recall quite clearly was the image on my TV of Rooney repeatedly shouting the words "f*** off" at the referee as he walked away from the official. Not a very mature way to react, in my opinion.

Secondly, an England attack on the US goal sometime later was brought to an abrupt halt by the referee's whistle (again, excuse me but the exact reason why escapes me - I think a foul or offside was called), and this resulted in John Terry running back to his own half uttering the F-word openly several times in abject frustration at the referee's decision.

I couldn't help but think that for any kids watching the game last night, this was not the example to set them. I know many children these days have a more than accomplished expletive vocabulary before they're out of kindergarten, but it's not them I'm concerned about. They've already been let down by their parents and probably society as a whole, so maybe there's little that can be done for them now.

It's the kids who are being brought up by responsible people in a respectable environment that I fear for. Not only are they being given every encouragement to swear profusely by their sporting heroes, but they're also being taught that it's OK to disrespect their superiors and elders.

Now before I carry on, I know there'll be plenty of you out there telling me to wake up, smell the coffee and get real, but this really irritates me. The likes of Rooney and Terry need to realise they are role models for kids and are as responsible as anyone for making sure they get the right messages and influences during their developmental years. Given the amount of money they're earning every week, they've surely got to justify it one way or the other and this is just one way of many.

Of course one way to look at this is to suggest some form of punishment that would discourage players from acting so irresponsibly. My wife, a keen rugby union and cricket fan, tells me that in the former you can be sin-binned for acting in an unsportsmanlike way towards the referee. This sounds like a fair way of dealing with the problem to me, especially if the temporary expulsion from the game were to last around 15 minutes or more. I personally feel the absence of such talented players for that time would certainly put extra pressure on their team-mates and discourage them from acting that way again.

There's also the option of heavily fining the players involved, but let's face it, the fine would have to run into six figures to make them lose any sleep over their actions, and that's not going to happen.

So what else can be done? What are your thoughts and ideas on the matter? Should I be cutting a bit more slack for supposedly committed, professional players like Rooney and Terry or should they be punished more severely for their poor demeanour?

Let us know what you think by leaving us a comment… oh and remember, any swearing will not be tolerated… ;-)

SuperLiga: The story so far...

Guest writer Chris (B Squad) introduces a new competition kicking-off Stateside...

The inaugural SuperLiga will see four Mexican sides face off against four MLS sides. There is pot of a million or so for the winner. This, along with television rights, has been enough to persuade some of the top Mexican sides to participate.

All matches will be played in the US, but in the south where crowds are typically pro-Mexico. The top two teams from each group will meet in a knockout phase. Hopefully in the coming years, we will see matches played in Mexico. I'm anxious to see how quickly an MLS side wilts in front of 100,000+ in the Azteca. I have a feeling some details will be tweaked in the future, such as adding more CONCACAF teams, moving the dates back during Mexico's season, and playing matches abroad. Until then, we have these eight teams in what looks to be a very exciting North American Champions League.

Dallas 1-1 Chivas (Gaudelajara)
This match was an excellent way to cut the ribbon on this tournament. After a very tense first half, Dallas struck first on well orchestrated goal. Juan Toja cut through Chivas' midfield and found Carlos Ruiz in space, who ,in turn, played an incredible through ball to Arturo Alvarez. Alvarez then struck a stunning ball that managed to be inches above the keeper's fingers and inches below the crossbar. Minutes later, Chivas would capitalized on Dallas' inability to clear the ball. Jose Olvera smashed home the equalizer from 25 yards, as the Dallas defenders petitioned for a hand ball. And what is sure become a running theme in this tournament, Drew Moor was sent off for pushing Hector Reynoso, who had elbowed Moor in the face.

The goals from FC Dallas v Chivas, courtesy of those withdrawn people at Telemundo...


LA Galaxy 2-1 Pachuca
In what I would consider the most surprising scoreline of the match day, LA defeated defending Mexican and CONCACAF champions Pachuca. Pachuca were by far the stronger side in this match, and thoroughly dominated the first half, but came away empty.

LA managed to weather the onslaught and in opening minutes of the second half, they took full advantage of their first real opportunity. An excellent cross from Landon Donovan found Alan Gordon on the far side. Gordon calmly slid the ball past the keeper to the far post.

Pachuca struck back with very nice play from Damian Alvarez, as he squared the ball to Rafael Marquez-Lugo who tapped in from three yards out. LA would score a late winner as Cobi Jones shot was deflected past the keeper by Donovan's right boot.

DC United 1-1 Morelia
The district opened the scoring early with a well taken goal by Christian Gomez. They spent the balance of the game trying desperately to hold onto that one goal lead. In the spirit of retaliation red cards, Luis Angel Landin was sent off after taking a vicious kick to the thigh and then pushing Bobby Boswell. Despite playing with 10, Morelia managed an equalizer in the form of a Diego Martinez goal from the edge of the box.

Houston 1-0 Club America
On paper, this looked to be the best of the opening games. On the pitch, however, it was possibly the most boring. Nate Jaqua scored a fine goal from close range. That about summed up the majority of action. I honestly expected more from America.

Saturday 27 July

Dallas v Pachuca
Dallas, behind Juan Toja (quickly becoming my favorite MLS player) and Carlos Ruiz, looked to be the class of the first match day. Taking points from this game will be a big step toward qualifying for the semifinals. After a disappointing loss to LA, Pachuca will be desperate for any points as they hope to move on.

LA v Chivas (Guadelajara)
LA put themselves in a very good position securing three points. A point from this match will almost certainly see them through to the semi-finals. The same can be said for Chivas, as they will be looking to take all three points.

Sunday 29 July

DC United v Club America
Both DC and America, each disappointing in their first match, will need to take the full three points in order to bolster their hopes.

Houston v Morelia
Houston can wrap up this group with a win. Morelia will need the three points if they hope to keep pace.