With the American team now based in South Africa, fans will have to settle for a smattering of stories until the US media contingent heads out there, including MLSsoccer.com’s own Jonah Freedman.
Here are photos from the arrival of Bob Bradley’s squad.
ESPN’s Allen Hopkins phones in a report on Monday following the US arrival.
The US base at the World Cup is set up in Pretoria and will feature a state-of-the-art game room. Maybe this time, Jozy Altidore will not run up a $6,000 cell phone bill as he did last year.
Speaking of cell phones, The New York Times looks at the variety of apps available to fans that will help them follow every minute of World Cup action. In addition to mobile apps, the next most important thing during World Cup season will be the local pub.
Players like Altidore will surely be looking at the World Cup as a launching pad for their club careers.
Altidore was the subject of an in-depth feature which starts with his parents meeting on a bus.
Here’s one write-up in which Bob Bradley highlights the benefit of the World Cup being held in winter.
Today is the FIFA deadline for the official submission of the 23-man World Cup rosters and England’s Fabio Capello will be making seven cuts of his own ahead of their first match against the USA. American Giuseppe Rossi will find out if it paid off to commit to the Italian National Team. Meanwhile, the USMNT has disclosed the official jersey numbers – Herculez Gomez goes from No. 30 to No. 9.
It must have been awkward for Mexican manager Javier Aguirre to cut Jonathan dos Santos on Mondaywhile his brother Giovani dos Santos is still on the team. Their dad had some choice words for Mexico’s coaching staff.
With the World Cup right around the corner, MLS clubs are nearing a scheduled two-week break for the competition. But for the defending MLS Cup champions, they will be facing the busiest week of the season thus far.
Real Salt Lake captain Kyle Beckerman is traveling with his squad to DC but his trip has more to do withseeing a specialist about his ankle injury, which still has no timetable.
RSL are sitting behind the undefeated LA Galaxy, who own the best record in MLS. More staggering statistics continue to emerge from the Galaxy’s 2-0 win in Columbus on the weekend – including no shots taken by Bruce Arena’s men from the 21st minute to the 86th minute.
The Crew on the other hand, had 15 shots in that span and questions about the team’s finishing abilities are being raised with the finger being pointed directly at Steven Lenhart.
Chivas USA should get some help in the scoring department. The signing of Venezuelan international Giancarlo Maldonado is being confirmed by the player’s former Mexican club Atlante.
While goals have been hard to come by for Seattle this season, former Sounders player Sebastien Le Toux is scoring for the expansion Philadelphia Union. Seattle GM Adrian Hanauer has no regrets.
In Toronto, some have already begun thinking about the playoffs. One reporter says he will not fall into that trap just yet.
Today’s television schedule features four warm-up matches that are sure to prove succulent World Cup appetizers: Australia vs. Denmark, Switzerland vs. Costa Rica, Portugal vs. Cameroon (2:30 p.m. ET, GolTV) and the Netherlands vs. Ghana (2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN Deportes).
Seattle Sounders summer signing Blaise Nkufo will be on display vs. CONCACAF’s Ticos. Another anticipated signing by an MLS club, France’s Thierry Henry, is expecting to play a role coming off the bench.
The hosts, South Africa, enjoyed the stage all to themselves on Monday, much as they will when they host the inaugural match of the World Cup against Mexico on June 11. Carlos Alberto Parreira’s teamthumped Guatemala 5-0. The Brazilian manager left off popular Bafana Bafana forward Benni McCarthy from his final squad.
Parreira is a coach who is a fixture at the World Cup. But the most Special coach will not be there as José Mourinho took the helm of Real Madrid on Monday. One MLS player who played for Mourinho describes why he is the real deal.
