Round 'em up!

Argentina faces Scotland in Maradona's first match as the albiceleste's coach. It's the final day of the semifinal round of World Cup qualifying for CONCACAF teams (lets not even begin to speculate what would happen if Mexico doesn't qualify). England's injury plagued (and Beckhamless) squad will visit Germany for a friendly. These are just some of the more intriguing stories to follow during today's jam-packed international schedule.

Here's a list of some of today's matchups:

• Honduras v Mexico
• Jamaica v Canada
• United States v Guatemala
• Saudi Arabia v South Korea
• Greece v Italy (will be shown on ESPN2 at 4:30 pm ET)
• Germany v England
• Netherlands v Sweden
• Scotland v Argentina
• Spain v Chile
• South Africa v Cameroon
• Brazil v Portugal
• France v Uruguay
• Colombia v Nigeria

Lots of quality games to be played so we should be in for an intriguing day of footy.

Starters vs Guatemala?

Will fan favorite Kenny Cooper get his first taste of World Cup qualifying tomorrow against Guatemala? Most likely, but it probably won't be as a starter. With the surplus amount of forwards Bob Bradley has brought along for this qualifier, you can expect to see some disappointed fans tomorrow as not all the forwards will see the pitch in Colorado. Will the Cooper supporters go berserk if he doesn't play? You can count on it.

Another main story line to follow is Freddy Adu, who desperately needs to be on the pitch tomorrow. With his Monaco woes fresh in his mind, Adu needs some playing time. This match against a physical Guatemala team can serve as a way for the 19-year-old to not only gain some confidence back, but to also demonstrate to the coaching staff that what's going on in France is an anomaly and that he is ready to handle a bigger role come Hex time.

With that said, here's who I think Bob Bradley will field tomorrow:


----------------Ching--------Altidore---------------
Adu------------------------------------------Thorrington
--------------Kljestan--------Mastroeni---------------
Bornstein-------Gibbs-----------Parkhurst------------Moor
------------------------Guzan--------------------------

Notes:

• Don't be too surprised if Sean Franklin gets the nod over Drew Moor at RB, especially if he's impressed during this week's training. But I'd still expect Moor to start.
• No Kenny Cooper? Bradley didn't bring the veteran presence of a Brian Ching to be left on the bench. And Josmer Altidore is a no brainer. Cooper will most likely see minutes, but it'll probably be off the bench.
• Expect Kljestan to maintain his role as a center midfielder along side Pablo Mastroeni as Bob Bradley saw against T&T that Sacha is not made for the right side, at least not at the international level.
• Cory Gibbs and Jonathan Bornstein should make their comebacks to the National Team after lengthy layoffs.
• I expect Chicago Fire midfielder John Thorrington to get the start at RM, as the coaching staff looks to add depth to a position that the U.S. needs help with.
  

Who do you think Bob Bradley will put on the pitch? And in what formation? Share your thoughts below.

Michael Bradley burns Bayern

Another event I didn't get to touch on during this past weekend (ugh, how I loathe studying) was Michael Bradley's late equalising header that sealed off a late come-from-behind effort as Borussia Monchengladbach earned a crucial 2-2 draw against German powerhouse Bayern Munich.

The late rally began in the 79th minute as Canadian international Rob Friend nodded one home to cut the deficit in half. Two minutes later, it was another CONCACAF representative that scored, as Michael Bradley brought the home crowd to its feet with his clutch header.

Monchengladbach now sits in 14th place, out of the Bundesliga relegation zone (16th-18th) courtesy of the 21-year-old's timely goal. One has got to wonder though, how did American star Landon Donovan feel as he witnessed his international teammate net against the team he is on trial with? Bittersweet? Probably.

Here are all the goals from this weekend's clash. Bradley's starts at the 1:27 mark.

Bradley calls in 20 for final qualifer of 2008

Freddy Adu is one of the 20 players that Bob Bradley has summoned upon for the United States' final 2008 World Cup qualifier against Guatemala this Wednesday in Commerce City, Colorado.

As expected, Bradley has left most of the European contingent with their clubs and has decided to go with a heavily based domestic side, as 14 of the 20 players are plying their trade in Major League Soccer.

The squad selected also consists of mostly inexperienced players as 13 of the 20 have 10 caps or fewer. But with the Americans already having secured their passage into next year's Hexagonal, this game serves as a way to give those inexperienced guys some minutes against a Guatemalan side that has everything to play for.

“This match gives us an opportunity to test many of our players in what will be a very hard game,” said Bradley. “Guatemala will certainly be pressing for a victory, and we want to end this round on a positive note."

Here's the roster for Wednesday's tilt:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Troy Perkins (Valerenga IF), Matt Pickens (out of contract)

DEFENDERS (6): Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Sean Franklin (Los Angeles Galaxy), Cory Gibbs (Colorado Rapids), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Drew Moor (FC Dallas), Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution)

MIDFIELDERS (5): Freddy Adu (AS Monaco), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids), John Thorrington (Chicago Fire)

FORWARDS (6): Jozy Altidore (Villarreal), Davy Arnaud (Kansas City Wizards), Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Chris Rolfe (Chicago Fire)

Caught up in all of the MLS Final talk as well as the Neven Subotic hoopla yesterday (which got kind of ugly on some parts of cyber space), I didn't get a chance to talk about Bob Bradley's roster, which was released yesterday evening. My take on his player selections are that though this wasn't a predictable bunch, it was quite obvious that he didn't intend on calling up the core group.

With that said, there remains much to play for as far as the Americans are concerned. Guys like fan favorite Kenny Cooper and veteran Pablo Mastroeni will have a chance to show Bradley that they want to be a part of the squad in 2009 and beyond. While the trio of Adu, Sacha Kljestan and Jozy Altidore look to cement their spots with the "A team", other players, like defenders Cory Gibbs and Jonathan Bornstein, look to bounce back and impress after injuries caused them to serve lengthy hiatuses from the squad.

For a game that's so meaningless, it sure should be interesting.

Red Bulls stun Real Salt Lake

The improbable run continues. The New York Red Bulls have made it to their first MLS Cup Final in the team's 13-year history after defeating Real Salt Lake at the Rio Tinto Stadium last night by the score of 1-0.

Dave Van Den Bergh's easy first half tap-in was the decider in a game that saw Real Salt Lake hit the woodwork on three seperate occasions. Goalkeeper Danny Cepero, who has been lights out thus far in the playoffs, also salvaged the Red Bulls' victory as he made big save after big save, including a left handed swat off a Yura Movsisyan shot in the 71st minute.

Real Salt Lake's lone defensive meltdown in the 28th minute proved to be a season-ending mistake as they couldn't find a response to New York's first half goal. A plethora of missed opportunities paired with Lady Luck's absence saw RSL eliminated in front of their home crowd.

Juan Carlos Osorio's Red Bulls will now look to finish off this magical ride next Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET as they take on the East's top-seeded Columbus Crew at the Home Depot Center.

The Red Bulls will undoubtedly be the underdogs for the championship bout, but they wouldn't have it any other way.


What did you think of last night's match? Is Cepero the MVP of this year's playoffs? Do the Red Bulls have it in them to knock off the Crew? Express your thoughts below.

Preview: New York Red Bulls v Real Salt Lake

We're just moments away from kickoff and the teams' lineups look like this:

New York Red Bulls

----------------Angel---------Wolyniec---------------
Van Den Bergh-----Ubiparipovic---------Richards
------------------------Sassano---------------------
Goldthwaite----Jimenez----Mendes-------Leitch
------------------------Cepero----------------------

Real Salt Lake

---------------Movsisyan-----------Mathis-------------------
Johnson------------------Morales----------------Kovalenko
--------------------------Beckerman-------------------------
Russell----------Olave--------------Borchers-------Wingert
--------------------------Rimando----------------------------

Keys to the game:

New York Red Bulls: Juan Pablo Angel is the key to the Red Bull's attack, but he needs a supporting cast in order to outdo Real Salt Lake. If Dane Richards can put forth an effort like he did last week against the Houston Dynamo, then you could expect New York to make it the MLS Cup Final.

Real Salt Lake: Danny Cepero has played like a ten year veteran since becoming the starting goalkeeper for the Red Bulls, however he's still inexperienced and I still believe he's prone to making at least one costly "rookie" (inexperienced) mistake in these playoffs. Real Salt Lake have to test him, especially from distance.

Journeyman Dema Kovalenko could also play a vital role for Real Salt Lake in tonight's match as he will go against left back Kevin Goldwaite. This matchup could be key in deciding who advances to the MLS Final next week.

We're minutes away from kick-off so I'll go with the prediction that the New York Red Bulls upset Real Salt Lake 3-2 in extra time


Who do you think will win tonigh's tilt? What will be the key to the game? Predictions on the scoreline? Share your thoughts below.

Not so fast: Subotic saga continues

If you're an American fan closely keeping tabs on Neven Subotic, then this morning's news that stated that he had declared for the Serbian national team may have left you feeling a little down and out. But U.S. soccer president Sunil Gulati has squashed those reports claiming that Subotic is still undecided.

"We have spoken to Neven's representative and can confirm the story is untrue," Gulati said.

Gulati's words have brought a sigh of relief to many Yanks' fans who we're busy this afternoon expressing their dejection on forums throughout cyber space. So you fans that were so dismal just hours ago can now once again hope that the Borussia Dortmund defender, that net twice today in his team's 4-0 rout of Eintracht Frankfurt, will choose the United States when everything is all said and done.

Here's a lengthy video that shows both of Subotic's goals from today:




Are you jumping for joy now? Back to being optimistic? Or do you still see him going to Serbia eventually? Express your thoughts below.

Subotic selects Serbia

Add Borussia Dortmund defender Neven Subotic to the list of Giuseppe Rossi, Bakary Soumare and Edgar Castillo as American-eligible players who chose to represent another country. Fox Sports is reporting that Subotic has elected to play for the Serbian national team.

The news comes as a surprise as Subotic had claimed earlier this year that he would not declare for a national team in the immediate future as he wanted to concentrate on his club. Yet it appears that the 6-foot, 4-inch defender has finally come to a decision.

Subotic's lack of interest in playing for Bosnia and Herzegovina paired with FIFA's recent ruling that denied the 19-year-old of the opportunity to play for Germany, left him with two options, the United States or Serbia. He's chosen the latter.

His decision comes as an immense blow to American fans as not only were they enamored by his skill-set, but less than a month ago another towering defender, Chicago Fire's 6'4 Bakary Soumare, opted to pass on the United States and play for Mali.

With two top prospects choosing to play for other countries in the past month, can you really blame the fans for their woes? Perhaps a win over Guatemala in next week's World Cup qualifier will suffice to help the fans recover from this hang over.


What do you think of Subotic's decision? Upset? Was it a foregone conclusion? Share your comments below.

Gaven's glorious goal sinks Fire; Crew to the Finals

The Columbus Crew were down 1-0 heading into the first half and the Supporters' Shield winner appeared to be at risk of failing to get to the MLS Final yet again. However, two quick second half strikes killed the dreams of the Chicago Fire and their fans as Columbus earned its first ever trip to next Sunday's championship game.

Near the half hour mark, a pass close to the left sideline took a deflection and Cuauhtemoc Blanco intelligently shielded veteran defender Frankie Hejduk off the ball leaving the U.S. national team defender on the ground and seeking a foul. He didn't get the call as the ball rolled out of bounds for a Columbus throw-in.

Blanco then once again outsmarted the American as he threw the ball in quickly to Justin Mapp who had loads of room on the left flank due to Hejduk being caught off guard and out of position. Mapp put in a well-weighted cross that found the head of Brian McBride. The former Columbus Crew player hit the ball with a trademark header and saw the it sail over goalkeeper Will Hesmer for the 1-0 lead in the 29th minute.

But four minutes into the second half, Columbus would find the break they needed as they notched things up.

Eddie Gaven drew a foul from Gonzalo Segares on the right flank and Columbus was awarded a free kick. Guillermo Barros Schelotto curled a beautiful ball into the penalty area that found the towering Chad Marshall. The MLS defender of the year got away from McBride and adjusted to the ball to head home the equalizer.

Six minutes later, Columbus found the go-ahead goal as a set of headers floated over Chicago Fire defenders before landing to Gaven, who would net from 12 yards out.

Gaven made a diagonal run as he received the headed-pass and controlled the ball with his left foot before slotting it past goalkeeper Jon Busch with his right. The midfielder then ran to fans in the stands and let out his emotions as the Crew supporters embraced him for what turned out to be the eventual game-winning goal.

Columbus now has a date with destiny next Sunday as they've punched their first ever trip to the MLS Cup Final. Who they'll play will be determined this Sunday as the New York Red Bulls travel to Utah to take on Real Salt Lake in the Western Conference Championship.


What did you think of last night's game? Is it the Crew's year? Were you impressed by Gaven's goal? Share your thoughts below.

MLS Rookie of the Year: Sean Franklin

Sean Franklin has been named MLS Rookie of the Year. Franklin, who made his debut on April 3, 2008 against the San Jose Earthquakes, was the lone bright spot on a dreadful Los Angeles Galaxy defense that ranked last in the league.

A natural right back, Franklin was asked to man the center of the defense and although he was out of position, Franklin demonstrated he had all the abilities one looks for in a defender. The 23-year-old played in 27 games, while starting in 26 of them.

This week must've been one of his proudest as not only did his play warrant the rookie accolade over New England's Kheli Dube and Houston's Geoff Cameron, but he also was earned a callup from U.S. national team head coach Bob Bradley for a training camp ahead of next week's World Cup qualifier against Guatemala.

"It has been a big week, a very exciting week for me and for my family," said the Rookie of the Year. "I'm really excited where I'm at right now."

If Franklin can impress in the training camp, as he has all season long, then expect him to earn his first cap next Wednesday.


What do you think of Franklin winning the ROTY award? Do you think he'll make the gameday roster against Guatemala? Think he'll start? Share your comments below.