Gearing Up

Hello there golf fans, and welcome to a special blog from us. In this blog, I won't be talking about golf or anything related to it really; I'm going to write about a different sport. More specifically, soccer (or what the rest of the world calls football). I'm gonna be profiling the team you see in the photo above- the United States Men's National Team, or the USMNT for short. Since their memorable run in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa last year which included a Hollywood-style ending in their game against Algeria, a win in a group that included soccer powerhouses England, and a near run to the quarterfinals, the hype for this team has begun to snowball. They followed up that World Cup performance with a solid tie against a strong Argentinian team that included the likes of the World's best footballer in Leo Messi. This upcoming Saturday, they host World Cup champions spain in Massachusetts and then begin their 2011 Gold Cup prospects on Tuesday against Canada. In this post I'm gonna talk about their chances against the WC champs, and how they might be able to do in the Gold Cup. (Slight Warning: I have only been seriously watching soccer for a little over a year now, and I mean serious as watching it as much as I watch golf or football when I have the chance. So, my knowledge of this game is still growing and I might not be as fluid in my writing as if I were to write about golf or the NFL. Oh well, here goes...)

On Saturday, June 4, 2011 in Foxborough, Massachusetts (where the New England Patriots play) the USMNT hosts "La Roja"for a high profile international friendly. It will be a good tune up and test for the Yanks, as they see where they stack up against them this year. The last time they faced was in the 2009 Confederations Cup, and quite a shocker went down there. Many people were surprised by the result, and it showed how the USA does show the grit to be able to compete with the best out there. They are set for kick off at about 1:30 PST, with the US wearing their new Red kits and the Spaniards wearing white kits with red trim on them. The weather is set to be at about a nice 70 degrees and sunny, which should make for excellent conditions. As far as the line-ups go, both teams look to be fielding their "A" squads (Spain will be without Carles Puyol to injury, and their midfield madman Xavi is not listed for this game as well). All in all, I believe this game will come down to how the US can crack the amount possession Spain usually has. They will also need to create scoring opportunities and not start slow like they have shown for the past year now. If they can salvage at least a tie against the best team in the world, then I believe they can ride this confidence into the Gold Cup. If not, then at least they'll know their true weaknesses.

After this encounter things become a bit more high-stakes, as the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup begins. The US starts off things with 2000 Gold Cup champion Canada on June 7th. Canada, Panama, and Guadeloupe are all in the same "Group C" with the US. And although these teams aren't necessarily considered big time threats, you never know what may happen. For the Yanks to have a successful Group stage, they have to do as Clint Dempsey said, which was "start fast and score a lot of goals". This theme is going to have to stick with them if they want to go far in this tournament this is because besides the hybrid midfielders/forwards that Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan are, the attacking options are pretty slim for the States. Jozy Altidore is talented, but hasn't shown much for the national team lately. Juan Agudelo has been shining, but is still very young. Freddy Adu has been out of the spotlight for many years now, and its a question as to whether how he'll be able to contribute or not. So, although the defense can get a bit shaky at times, big time goalkeeper Tim Howard usually can hold down the fort pretty well. It will just come down to the ability to score goals from the forwards/strikers. If they can score, then the United States should be able to make it far into the tournament, setting up a possible showdown with border rival Mexico.