US likely to get new players involved in qualifying opener

The lingering hangover left behind by an very bad run of results has left a dark cloud hanging over the team. He cut Landon Donovan before last year’s World Cup. The United States shouldn’t have any trouble with St. Vincent, the lowest-ranked team still alive in CONCACAF qualifying, but there are no guarantees, even if St. Vincent’s qualifying history is filled with lopsided losses in later rounds. Mexico was lucky to qualify, having to beat New Zealand in a play-in game. “You watch their previous games, you analyze their individual players as much as you can, but you don’t have that detailed picture that you have for teams like T&T, who played in the Gold Cup, or the usual powerhouses in CONCACAF that you know pretty well”. Come tomorrow night, we win, and we win on Tuesday, all of a sudden everyones talking a different game.”.

Klinsmann said in October that he planned to rotate the two goalkeepers for the start of qualifying, potentially for up to a year. “You tell us how great we are and how bad we are”. We’re not naive in thinking that our performances have been great.

“That’s all behind us”, USA captain Michael Bradley said of the team’s rough run of results dating back to the Gold Cup.

Klinsmann did say goalkeeper Brad Guzan will start on Friday and Tim Howard is set to play Tuesday at Trinidad and Tobago “if everything goes fine, ” which would be Howards first competitive appearance for the Americans since making 15 saves in the extra time loss to Belgium in the round of 16 at last years World Cup. The World Cups for us are the pinnacle, what it’s all about. “With St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and Trinidad & Tobago, they’re two nations that are not taken lightly”.

Coach Jurgen Klinsmann acknowledged there will be lineup changes.

For a team used to playing in front of 5,000 on a pitch it shares with a cricket team, Friday’s match is going to be a new experience for the squad with an average age of just 23 years old. Mexico also starts Fourth Round qualifying against El Salvador on Univision Deportes. “The team has more live and he keeps pushing us to be better no matter what”. They’re especially young at forward, where only Jozy Altidore has played a qualifier before.

“Only if you give them opportunities and minutes on the field over time, will you see if they’re capable of stepping up”, Klinsmann said. “And were ready to get started on a marathon.”. “We’ve been bringing these guys along for the previous year as part of the transition period, and it’s time for them to prove their point”. We don’t expect three goals from them tomorrow. “At the forward position, the learning experience is about building confidence, it’s about smelling the thinner air of the worldwide game where you can mature”. There’s always a game on the horizon you have to get ready for, you have to perform in. At the end of the day, that’s all you can do. They all have, hopefully, a lot of steps in their career and that’s what we’re going to do. “Its important with any team to find that right balance.”.