Thanks to A Pair of Shaky PK calls, U.S. Survives vs. Spain 2-1 to Reach the WC Quarterfinals

The good news is that the U.S. women's national team had far from their best performance against Spain this afternoon in the Round of 16 but they were still able to squeak by 2-1 as star forward Megan Rapinoe bagged a pair of penalty kicks (1 in each half). After not allowing any goals in the cruise control group stage, Spain was able to become the first opponent to score vs. the U.S. mostly due to a disastrous clearance attempt by goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher and defender Becky Sauerbrunn. Each decision for the U.S. to earn a pk seemed dubious at best so they should count their lucky stars that they benefited from both of those. Conversely, they have to know that they'll need to ratchet things up on Friday (3, Fox) vs. France in the quarterfinals, a more than worthy opponent that is 2-0-1 in their last three matches vs. the mighty Americans.

From the start, it was a bumpy ride for the U.S. as Spain nearly took a shocking 1-0 lead in the first few minutes but defender Abby Dahlkemper blocked a shot that appeared ticketed for the net. Forward Tobin Heath was taken down in the box for a penalty kick in the ninth minute which was a generous call since there didn't seem to be a whole lot of contact. No matter as Rapinoe stepped up confidently to the spot and blasted a low hard shot into the left hand corner past goalkeeper Sandra Panos who dove in the opposite direction. That early strike continued the U.S.' impressive streak this World Cup of getting their first goal within the opening 12 minutes of action.

There was not much time for celebrations though as Spain answered two minutes later to tie things up at one. Naeher had a free kick that she gave to Sauerbrunn's feet in traffic that was quickly stolen by the Spaniards. Lucia Garcia played it to teammate Jennifer Hermoso who was able to pop a pretty shot over Naher's (caught in no-man's land) outstretched hands and into the goal. I would give Naeher a bit more of the blame since she ultimately made the decision to give Sauerbrunn the ball in a dangerous area but with such an experienced, quality defender, you would expect Sauerbrunn to assess things better and either hit it out of bounds or try to get it to Crystal Dunn who was stationed nearby.

Spain's gameplan was obvious: they would never match the skill and speed of the U.S. so they decided to physically beat them up with countless rough, dangerous tackles. For the most part, it worked. It was still 1-1 at halftime and pretty deep into the second half before the Americans drew an even shadier penalty kick after midfielder Rose Lavelle went down a few strides in the box after getting tapped on the leg. As there should have been, there was a lengthy VAR review of the play but surprisingly, the ref stuck with her initial choice of a pk. There was such a long delay that Alex Morgan at first was lined up to take it but the U.S. coaching staff thought better of that and they let Rapinoe give it another go. Panos guessed correctly this time since Rapinoe again went for the same spot but with her precision and power, it still couldn't be stopped.

The U.S. had 55% of the possession and way more shots (10-4) but only one more on target (2-1) and one additional corner kick (3-2). With an injury in the first half, Spain was forced to make an early substitution and then made their final two moves in the second half before U.S. head coach Jill Ellis finally did something to counter them. Carli Lloyd came on for Morgan in the 85th minute, Lindsey Horan replaced Lavelle in the 89th minute and in the last minute of the allotted seven minutes plus of added time and Christen Press took out Rapinoe-the slam dunk selection for Woman of the Match.

Playing in Paris on Friday against the host nation France should make for a great atmosphere. The French went to extra time to defeat Brazil 2-1 yesterday but they'll be sure to bring an even more difficult test than Spain did. I have faith that the U.S. will bring their collective play up a level or two, otherwise they could be going home. They are still the best team in the world and even when they don't have their best effort (like today), they are able to piece a result together with experience and their trademark exceptional work rate. Leave work early or just don't even go to begin with on Friday because you are not going to want to miss that big-time women's World Cup match.

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Welcome Back Everybody to the USWNT World Cup Bandwagon!

Hello friends, it's been awhile (oh only about 3 years or so) since we last talked on this fine blog but I felt like it was time to return from the internet abyss. After all, our U.S. women's national team is defending their crown at the 2019 World Cup in France as they go for their fourth world title. This afternoon, they took down one of their fiercest rivals-Sweden-2-0 in the final match of the group stage. The Americans (3-0-0) won Group F and in the process set a quite impressive record: their 18 goals scored is the most ever in a group stage, besting Norway's 17 way back in 1995.

If you haven't totally locked in on the USWNT yet in France, you are excused. A 13-0 joke on an opener vs. Thailand did nothing but open up a can of worms for lazy sportswriters who don't know a thing about the beautiful game followed by a pretty dull 3-0 win against Chile that could have at least been by more than double that margin. Sweden is always a stern test for the U.S. and you only have to go back to the 2016 Olympics where the Swedes knocked the Americans out in the quarterfinals to understand why head coach Jill Ellis' squad was looking to exact some revenge.

After sitting seven of her best players vs. Chile, Ellis fielded basically her strongest starting 11 today although center back Julie Ertz (who has become one of their most dependable players) was a late scratch with a hip contusion. No worries though, it sounds like it was just a precautionary move and she should be fine for Monday's Round of 16 match vs. Spain (12, FS1). With this victory, the powerhouse U.S. extended their World Cup winning streak to an incredible 13 matches in a row while also qualifying for the knockout round for the eighth consecutive World Cup.

There was no waiting around by the Americans for the game to pick up as center midfielder Lindsey Horan scored the fastest opening goal in this tournament, just three minutes into regulation. It happened to be a pretty strike too as it all started with a corner kick by Megan Rapinoe that Samantha Mewis flicked on to space right in front of Sweden's goal where Horan was the first one there to knock it in. Both teams were already assured of a place in the knockout round but they still played with a purpose and thankfully, the U.S. did anything but sit back after they got that extremely early lead.

The Americans dominated possession (62%-38%) and eventually wore the Swedes down with more than double the shot attempts (16-7) with twice as many landing on goal (4-2). In addition, the USA also had three more corner kicks (5-2) and they drew six more fouls than Sweden (10-4) who were forced to defend relentless attacks for most of the 90+ minutes. Another injury concern for the U.S. came late in the first half as Alex Morgan took the brunt of a rough slide tackle. She stayed in the game but was subbed off at halftime. In her postgame comments, Ellis noted that her superstar striker had picked up a "knock" but that she should be OK for Spain although Morgan skipped talking to the media which always makes you wonder what's really going on behind the scenes.

Sweden really doesn't have many skilled goal-scorers so when they trailed 2-0 in the 50th minute, you pretty much knew that they were finishing second in Group F. FIFA officially ruled it an own goal on Swedish defender Jonna Andersson but Uncle Sam over here is more than happy to (mostly) credit the strike to the brilliance of U.S. forward Tobin Heath. I can't say I'm an expert on every single player and team in women's soccer these days but I doubt that is a more creative and skilled forward in women's soccer than her in 2019. With the ball at her feet in the box (big mistake Sweden), she lulled Andersson to sleep before blasting a shot that took a slight deflection off her past goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl.

Carli Lloyd replaced Morgan and while she couldn't extend her World Cup record goal-scoring streak to an absurd seven games, she did have a wonderful chance that was stopped by Lindahl. The way that the group stage played out for the U.S., I think that they were lucky in the sense that it went from worst opponent to best. For me, their biggest question mark besides Ertz and Morgan's health is goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. Is she good? Who would really know? She made a couple plays vs. Sweden but being the U.S. women's goalkeeper is not exactly the most difficult job in sports. No doubt, as they keep progressing in France, they'll need her to step up and prove why she's the starter over something called Adrianna Franch. While Naeher remains a bit of a mystery, I am very confident in her backline of Kelley O'Hara, Abby Dahlkemper, Becky Sauerbrunn and Crystal Dunn. They are probably the best defense in women's soccer and that's a fact. Likewise, the midfield of Horan, Mewis and Rose Lavelle is loaded and the frontline of Rapinoe, Morgan and Heath is ridiculously good. They are the top team in the world for a reason.

Unlike the currently irrelevant U.S. men who just two plus weeks ago lost friendlies to Jamaica (1-0) and Venezuela (3-0!) on home soil, you have to take a completely different mindset into U.S. women's matches. They are so flawless that you have to consider who can even dare to hang with them on a given day let alone beat them. For that reason, I can't say that I expect all that much resistance from Spain. They finished an uninspired 1-1-1 in Group B (2nd place behind Germany) with a middling goal-differential of +1. Not to get too ahead of ourselves but a quarterfinal match against the winner of France/Brazil is much sexier along with a possible meeting with England in the semifinals. Honestly, the other side of the bracket looks a little more daunting with Netherlands, Japan, Germany, Sweden and Canada among the many strong teams over there. For now, let's just sit back and enjoy this very inspiring group of women with personalities for days that happen to be so easy to root for.

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Barcelona's David Villa Breaks His Leg During Club World Cup Match

Injuries are always around the corner in professional sports but that doesn't make them any easier to accept no matter how many times they occur.

I woke up this morning and checked Twitter, like I always do, and was disheartened to find the news that Barcelona and Spanish star striker David Villa broke his leg.

It happened today while he was playing with Barcelona in a Club World Cup semifinal match against Al-Sadd.

From ESPNsoccernet.com

Villa, 30, was carried off on a stretcher six minutes before half-time at International Stadium Yokohama after appearing to land awkwardly and was taken to hospital for tests.

Barcelona confirmed that Spain's all-time record scorer had "suffered a fracture to the tibia in his left leg" and is likely to miss the majority of Barca's Primera Division and Champions League campaigns, but could be available to world and European champions Spain for Euro 2012, which begins in June.

A statement from Barcelona read: "In the coming hours, Villa will return to Barcelona, via Frankfurt, to be operated on. He will be accompanied by doctor Ricard Pruna and Manel Estiarte. The approximate time he will be sidelined is between four and five months.''

Head coach Pep Guardiola said after the match: "He will now travel to Barcelona as soon as possible. He will be greatly missed as a colleague and as a player. I hope everything goes well.

"He will be a long time. It's a big blow to the team. We just hope that he can play again as soon as possible.

"David is very dear to us. The injury has saddened us all. Everyone can put themselves in his place and know how they would suffer if it happened to them. They feel for him. We must accept it and encourage him in his recovery.''

Guardiola insisted now was not the time to discuss January reinforcements in the light of Villa's absence.

"Let us have compassion and respect,'' he said. "Let's give it time. Now is not the time to talk about it.''

The blow follows a report on Wednesday in Marca that claimed Villa could leave Barca in the January transfer window as the striker has started only half of his side's La Liga matches this season.

Guardiola moved to reject the rumour, branding it as a "lie", and defended his decision to leave Villa on the bench for their El Clasico victory over Real Madrid at the weekend.

Villa has scored five times in 15 league matches this season, following on from his 18 goals in 34 games as Barca won the league title last term. He has made 75 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring 32 goals.
Villa is projected to miss four or five months, meaning the rest of La Liga (Barcelona is tied with Real Madried at the top) and Champions League campaign (Barce is the defending champ in that too) is likely over for one of the world's greatest goal-scorers.

It is never fun to see a good player in any sport you enjoy pick up a serious injury. Let's all hope that Villa heals properly and is back doing his thing for his country in June at Euro 2012.

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This Just In: Spain Is Good At Soccer

When you get down to it, what is the purpose of the monthly FIFA rankings? It has to be more than just to tease and remind U.S. soccer fans how far our team has to go before anybody really respects it. Sadly, that seems to be all I think about when I view the latest depressing rankings.

The top five is predictable: Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Uruguay and Brazil. 6-10 are more surprising: Italy, England, Greece and Portugal are tied for eighth, Argentina and Denmark are tied for tenth. The Greeks and Danes were propelled by winning their group stages in Euro 2012 qualifying.

Mexico is the top CONCACAF squad at No. 22 while the U.S. slots in at 34. Ugh terrible but totally deserved. Former U.S. head coach Bob Bradley and his new team Egypt are up seven places to No. 29.

Japan leads all Asian countries (17) while Ivory Coast is the top African squad (19).

Other notable teams include Montenegro (39), who reached the Euro 2012 playoffs, and Estonia (59) which is the lowest ranked of the eight playoff teams.

Wales won two Euro 2012 matches and had the biggest jump, 45 places up to No. 45. Iraq moved up to No. 91 (16 spots higher) after a win in World Cup qualifying over China. Qatar, the controversial 2022 World Cup host moved up to 92 while Oceania's best team-New Zealand-fell to No. 104 (dropping 16 spots) despite not playing last month.

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Spain is the No. 1 team in the world for a reason

Anytime you take the field against Spain, the reigning 2010 World Cup champions and the undisputed No. 1 team in the world, you're guaranteed to have your hands full.

When you play Spain with most of your best players on the bench to start, you might as well not show up. At least, that's the attitude that the United States seemed to take on Saturday afternoon as they hosted Spain at Gillette Stadium in what should have been a nice send-off for the U.S. before the Gold Cup.

Instead, it turned out to be a 4-0 beating handed to them by Spain which truthfully should have been 6-0 or 7-0. It was that bad. Alvaro Arbeloa scored on a 1-2 but the play was incorrectly blown dead. Alvaro Negredo's cheeky chip went off the crossbar and David Villa just curled a shot wide (all in the first 25 minutes).

"It's been a good moment in football for Spain," said Spanish head coach Vicente del Bosque. "We've had success for some time. We're all reaping the fruits of our labor and hard work."

Carlos Bocanegra (rest) and Landon Donovan (illness) didn't get off the bench while Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey were subbed on at halftime. It didn't make much of a difference since Spain jumped out to a 3-0 halftime lead. I'll bet Tim Howard wished he got a similar break before the U.S. hosts Canada on Tuesday in Detroit for the Gold Cup opener.

"It's a tough test to play them (Spain) anytime, even tougher on the eve of the Gold Cup," said U.S. head coach Bob Bradley. "We've always chosen to take these kind of challenges, playing the best teams. It's the way to see what the game at the highest level is all about."

Spain's finishes were all clinical, leaving Howard with no chance to stop any of them. A leaky U.S. backline was at fault, compounded with Spain's top notch playmaking and shooting abilities.

Santiago Cazorla got Spain on the board in the 28th minute after a David Silva beat his man down the flank then played it to him in the box. Cazorla didn't waste it, putting the ball in the corner, upper 90.

Before the U.S. had a chance to regroup, Alvaro Negredo made it 2-0 after a long, looping pass that sprung him. Xabi Alonso, the Spanish midfield wizard, passed it from behind the midfield line.

Cazorla scored his second in the 41st minute, assisted once again by Silva. It was basically a replay of his earlier strike.

There were wholesale substitutions at halftime for both teams but that only made the game more dull. Neither team did much until Fernando Torres of all people took a through ball and hit a pretty shot off both posts and in. 4-0 Spain, game set match.

The good news for the U.S. is that they'll get right back out there on Tuesday with a game against a rival that they own. I think that's positive for them, rather than going back to training for weeks and letting this stinker stew in their heads.

"Hopefully there's something we can take from this game for the next three weeks and also moving forward," said a strangely upbeat Bradley.

Yeah, let's hope so Bob. If the U.S. doesn't at least get to the Gold Cup final (against Mexico), I'm going to buy the domain name (firebobbradley.com) and then we'll have something to really talk about.

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Spain vs. United States 2nd half live blog

US subs: Bradley in for Jones, Cherundulo for Edu, Dempsey for Rogers, Wondolowski for Altidore, Goodson for Onyewu

Spain subs: Iniesta, Torres and Soriano all in.

Torres has a chance to go in for a shot but he completely bungles it. What has happened to this guy? He can't do anything anymore.

Lichaj gets forward and chips a cross to Wondolowski but its too high and it goes out of bounds. That kind of day for the U.S.

Torres hits a chip off the side netting.

Alejandro Bedoya in for the US. Ramos out for Spain, Valero in.

US gets its first 2 corners of the game.

Dempsey gets loose in the box but stumbles and can't do anything with it.

73rd minute. Torres gets a through ball from Borja Valero and hits it off both posts and in. 4-0 Spain. Yikes. Howard hasn't had a chance any of the goals.

76th minute Reina is out and Iker Casillas is in.

Let the record show, a "Let's Go Bruins" chant just started in the Gillette Stadium crowd. Love it, highlight of the day for the U.S. so far.

Today's announced attendance is 64,121.

Howard comes scrambling out to stop another bid by Spain. Don't know why Bradley didn't give him a breather after halftime, doesn't make sense with the Gold Cup starting on Tuesday.

And it's all over in Foxboro, the U.S. gets stomped 4-0 and it truthfully should have been 6 or 7-0. What a disaster.

U.S. vs Spain 1st half live blog

Spain has already broken down the U.S. defense twice but the first shot was well over and wide. The second one was blocked.

The U.S. just mounted its first attack but it ended with Robbie Rogers flopping.

Sergio Ramos with the best chance: takes a 1-2 and curls it wide.

Spain with another great chance but Silva is incorrectly called offside before he gives it to Arbeloa for an easy tap-in.

Maurice Edu makes a great recovery run to break up another Spain attack. The U.S. is predictably on their heels right now.

Alvaro Negredo hits the crossbar with a ridiculous chip, the U.S. is able to clear the shot out of play. Awesome through ball and sweet shot, should have been a goal.

Spain is just toying with the U.S. right now, David Silva took a shot after a couple nice passes and put it a tiny bit wide.

Juan Agudelo is looking dangerous, so far the only U.S. player to pose any threat with the ball at his feet.

Spain scores in the 28th minute, Santiago Cazorla from David Silva. Cutback in the corner by Silva, plays it to Cazorla who puts it in the corner, upper 90. No chance for Howard, 1-0 Spain.

Alvaro Negredo makes it 2-0 in the 32nd minute. Xabi Alonso found him with a long pass from behind midfield. This is getting ugly.

The US looked to have numbers on a counterattack but Eric Lichaj chose to run into traffic rather than give it to Agudelo who was open and calling for it. And then he left with an injury.

David Silva makes a nice move to get open but he could have done better with the shot. Howard makes the diving save.

Rogers with the best chance so far for the US but it goes wide.

Another quick passing sequence leads to Spain's 3rd goal. 2nd of the game for Cazorla. 3-0 Spain.

Talk about a nightmare of a half by the United States. Shimer is at the game and in the stands and he rightly pointed out that the only way the U.S. can even think of competing with Spain is if they have their full squad. No Donovan, Bradley and Dempsey=No chance in Hell (with regards to Shane McMahon)

Spain's starting 11

Spain's rolling out in a 4-3-3.

Pepe Reina-Goalkeeper
Raul Albiol, Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos & Alvaro Arbeloa-defenders
Xabi Alonso (captain), Sergio Busquets & Santiago Cazorla-midfielders
David Villa, David Silva & Alvaro Negredo-forwards.

Substitutes
Iker Casillas-Goalkeeper
Carlos Marchena, Andoni Iraola & Joan Capdevila-defenders
Andres Iniesta, Bruno Soriano & Borja Valero-midfielders
Fernando Torres, Pedro Rodriguez, Fernando Llorente & Manu del Moral-forwards

Head coach: Vicente del Bosque

Officials:
Referee: Roberto Silvera (Uruguay)
First ast: Palbo Fandino (Uruguay)
Second ast: Miguel Angel Nievas (Uruguay)
Fourth official: Mark Geiger (USA)

U.S. starting 11 vs. Spain

The United States will come out in a 4-4-2 formation.

Tim Howard (captain)-Goalkeeper
Jonathan Spector, Onguchi Onyewu, Tim Ream & Eric Lichaj-defenders
Robbie Rogers, Maurice Edu, Jermaine Jones & Sacha Kljestan-midfielders
Juan Aguedelo & Jozay Altidore-strikers

Landon Donovan is out sick, he's expected back vs. Canada on Tuesday for the Gold Cup opener in Detroit.

Carlos Bocanegra, Freddy Adu, Jonathan Bornstein and Donovan are not in uniform today for the United States.

Substitutes:
Marcus Hahnemann-Goalkeeper
Steve Cherundolo, Clarence Goodson-defenders
Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Alejandro Bedoya-midfielders
Chris Wondolowski-forward

Jonathan Bornstein after practice

I have to admit that I didn't know who Bornstein was at first, I didn't recognize him but I saw other writers putting their recorders in his face so I followed suit. I have ripped him in the past but I have to say that he seems like a really nice guy. Oh and he's tiny, the U.S. site lists him at 5-9 and 145 pounds.

-"Soccer is soccer, sometimes throughout my career I've been asked to play different positions at different times. I think it's adding to my abilities as a player. I think i'll be transitioning back to my old spot. Try to play as I can when I get the opportunity."

-"I think even after the season ended, I do a lot of running on my own. Don't wanna be out of shape coming into camp. Get past where I was a week ago. I think i'm ready, you never know until you get out on the field."

-"Trying to be sharp every day, some days are better than others but overall I think its getting better."

-"Healthy competition. A great quality, move around in the back. Always look forward to learning as much as I can."

Tim Howard after practice

"I'll be anxious and nervous, that's how I've always been. I love that feeling."

-"It's going to be a big game. You have to stand up, a long 90 minutes. Over the last 4 years, we've played some pretty big games. If you ask them, we've given them all they can handle."

-"I watched Barcelona all season, I think everyone does. They're a tough not to crack so I wasn't surprised that they beat Man. U."

-"Argentina plays a 4-3-3 and molds it around Messi. I think Spain will play a version of that. It seems like Barcelona is ruling the world in terms of strategy and style right now."

-"Tough game but good game to start the Gold Cup with (vs. Canada). We're an older brother against Canada in soccer so I expect them to come out swinging. Because its the first game, a good result for us would go a long way. You always want to start a tournament well no question."

-"We've always said, we'll take on all comers. The tougher games you get to play leads to good things. I think playing on the border (in Detroit) will give them a lot of neutral fans."

Alejandro Bedoya after practice

"It's unfortunate that Benny got injured (opening up a spot for him), he's a good friend of mine, but things like that happen in football. You always have to be prepared, I'm here ready. My first major tournament. For me, its just keep on developing: learning from every training session and game."

-How he got the call to the team. "I was in Sweden on summer break (from his club season) and my girlfriend had just flown out there. We had a vacation set already for Barcelona. Already packed and ready to go so just changed my plans. Had to book my gf a ticket and came to the States. It's all for the better."

-"This is my opportunity, I have to show I belong here and hopefully I get the chance to play."

-"Disappointed not to make it initially but coach has some hard decisions to make. Good competition. See what I can do. We didn't go over it. Keep moving forward, gotta work hard."

-"Started out well in Sweden, 4 goals and 3 assists in 9 games so far in Sweden."

-"I have an agent for a reason (transfer rumors)."

-"I've had some texts and phonecalls in the area, nice to see my college coach Ed Kelly today. Some of the people will be coming to the game tomorrow so it's going to be fun to see them. I love this area, Boston, so it's nice to be back."

Carlos Bocanegra after practice

"We want to step on the field and do well but in the back of our minds, we realize that Canada is the real focus (in the Gold Cup opener next week). We've been talking about Canada a little bit, after the Spain game we'll watch some video and get to know all their players and their tendencies. It's not that hard to switch over."

"Normally you're not talking about the second team in a lead up. It's a little different."

"Anytime you can get a game like this, test yourself against the best. They do all the things right at the highest level. If we do it against these guys, we should be able to do it against the CONCACAF teams."

Dempsey after practice

After the practice, Dempsey and the players spoke to the media as they came off the field.


"We had Andy Dorman, Pat Noonan, Taylor Twellman, Matt Reis, Jay Heaps. It was a great team, I miss playing with those guys but at the same time you've gotta keep moving forward to the best competition you can. That's why I went to Europe."

"To get to Europe, it's tough to make it. All you can do is take care of yourself."

"Both are physical leagues, pace of the game is a lot faster in Europe. Skill set and weather conditions. Being warm in the summer, it's tough to move around."

Bob Bradley press conference

I have to admit that the one and only time I had sat in on a Bob Bradley press conference (a year ago after the friendly against the Czech Republic in East Hartford), it was one of the most boring experiences of my life.

So admittedly, today I had very low expectations but I have to say that Bob brought it up a notch. He even cracked a couple decent jokes that went over too much with the chucklehead media assembled before him.

Some highlights from the Princeton grad:

-This game vs. Spain is great for the fans. "Spain is a team that soccer people all get excited to watch."

-his joke came when he talked about Xavi being out and Iniesta playing: "Xavi had 10,000 passes in La Liga this season so that ruled him out. Iniesta is at 9500 so he has 500 left, that's why he's playing."

-"All of us watched Barcelona vs. Manchester United (last weekend in the Champions League final)."

-this is an opportunity to play a good team and see how the U.S. reacts. the challenge of trying to get the ball.

-they want to prevent Spain from coming thru the middle and make them defend, it's hard to get possession 50/50% against them.

-Barcelona's foundation is in its academy. "I have an appreciation for how they do everything."

-he related a story about talking to some of their players a few months after the U.S. beat Spain in the Confederations Cup, he said Spain's players were very humble.

Clint Dempsey press conference

Before training this afternoon, U.S. head coach Bob Bradley and Clint Dempsey sat down for a press conference in what seemed like a back room at Gillette Stadium.

Some highlights from Dempsey (the former New England Revolution star):

-He talked about playing out his contract (2 more years) at Fulham.

-He said the main focus of the U.S. is to win the Gold Cup

-He admitted to not watching the 2010 World Cup after the U.S. was knocked out. "I went back to Texas and went fishing with my dad. You might not know too that my grandfather died the day of the Ghana match."

-He said the U.S. is a tough team to breakdown, "if we're all on the same page."

-"I'm excited to win Fulham player of the year. Now I need to replicate what I did last season."

-Returning to New England: "It's great to be back, I have some great memories here. We had some really good teams. I owe a lot to MLS, this is where it all started."

-Talking about Barcelona and Spain, he said Arsenal is similar in style. Man. U found ways to win games this season.

All the U.S. vs. Spain you can handle

Check back in this afternoon/early evening and of course tomorrow as I'll be checking out all the U.S. vs. Spain I can handle.

The U.S. got into Boston last night and they practice today at Gillette Stadium. Bob Bradley and Clint Dempsey are having press conferences before training.

Later, Spain will also practice. I will probably stick around for that too.

Tomorrow's match is at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN, be sure to check it out. The Red Sox are at 1:10 p.m. and the Bruins are at 8 p.m. so I think this works out perfectly.

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Bedoya in U.S. camp for injured Feilhaber

When one door closes for the U.S. men's national team, another opens in every sense of that tired cliche.

New England Revolution midfielder Benny Feilhaber went down on Saturday night with an ankle injury against the Los Angles Galaxy. That puts his status in serious jeopardy heading into the friendly against Spain this week, not to mention the Gold Cup later in June.

The positive side of that is it gives Boston College product Alejandro Bedoya, a chance to get back with the national team.

Bedoya, a midfielder, has made seven appearances for the U.S. and was on the preliminary roster for last year's World Cup. He has spent the last two years in Sweden with Orebro, scoring four goals in nine matches this season.

Feilhaber is being evaluated after injuring his ankle in New England's 1-0 loss to Los Angeles. Teams have until 24 hours before their first Gold Cup game to replace injured players. The Americans begin group play June 7 against Canada.

The U.S. also faces World Cup champion Spain on Saturday in an exhibition.

It would be the best of both worlds if Feilhaber's injury isn't that serious while Bedoya flourishes in camp and gets a real shot to show what he can do with the U.S. in June.

No Xavi or Puyol for Spain as they visit the U.S. next weekend

Another day closer to U.S. vs. Spain which is a week from Saturday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. The teams are also holding open practices the night before.

Spain announced its roster for that friendly along with a match against Venezuela three days later.

The biggest names left off are Carlos Puyol and Xavi Hernandez, who are both dealing with injuries plus their club team (Barcelona) is playing on Saturday in the Champions League final vs. Manchester United (more on that in the days to come).

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque preferred to rest the Barcelona pair as Puyol has played little in 2011 due to a knee injury.

"He's suffering quite a lot from his problem,'' Del Bosque said regarding the tendinitis in Puyol's right knee that has limited him to three appearances since Jan. 22.

Xavi was being rested after a taxing season which culminates in Saturday's Champions League final against Manchester United.

"I personally spoke with Xavi and we thought it was better not to bring him after such a long season,'' Del Bosque added.

The matches will be the first test of whether relations within the world champion squad have been strained by the recent run of ill-tempered matches between Real Madrid and Barcelona, with a combined 11 players from the two teams included.

Tensions between teammates were raised as the bitter Spanish rivals played four times in 18 days.

"We retain our confidence in the World Cup group of players,'' Del Bosque said. "The most important thing is we're bringing the players we need to.''

Injured Arsenal playmaker Cesc Fabregas is missing, but Fernando Torres kept his place despite his poor form since moving from Liverpool to Chelsea.

"He's a stable player inside this group - we didn't want to open up any debate,'' Del Bosque said from the Spanish federation headquarters.

Del Bosque recalled Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo after a 20-goal season, while Villarreal midfield duo Borja Valero and Bruno Soriano were also included. Striker Manu del Moral earned his first call-up, getting the nod over Valencia pair Roberto Soldado or Aritz Aduritz.
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Spain:
Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Pepe Reina (Liverpool), Victor Valdes (Barcelona).
Defenders: Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid), Raul Albiol (Real Madrid), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Carlos Marchena (Villarreal), Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), Andoni Iraola (Athletic Bilbao).
Midfielders: Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Santi Cazorla (Villarreal), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Bruno Soriano (Villarreal), Borja Valero (Villarreal).
Forwards: David Villa (Barcelona), David Silva (Manchester City), Fernando Llorente (Athletic Bilbao), Fernando Torres (Chelsea), Pedro Rodriguez (Barcelona), Manu Del Moral (Sevilla), Alvaro Negredo (Sevilla)

If you're a U.S. fan, you still have to be excited since Spain is clearly bringing almost all of their big names and taking these games seriously. It's only fitting since Bob Bradley has loaded his team too which should make for a great atmosphere at Gillette! Hope we luck out and get some summer-type weather.

Much Adu about nothing: Freddy's last chance comes in the Spain friendly and Gold Cup in June

U.S. men's national team head coach Bob Bradley announced his 23-man roster for the Spain friendly and the Gold Cup today.

The one real surprise or should I say blast from the past was Freddy Adu. I seem to vaguely remember ranting and raving last summer about how Freddy deserved a shot in the U.S. camp so I'm not going to repeat myself but simply say that I like it Bob.

Yes, Adu is basically a cautionary tale on wasting young talent in a country that didn't know what to do with him but let's remember he's still only 21 (he turns 22 on June 2) so he's not quite fully washed up yet.

It is the first time in almost two years he's been included in coach Bob Bradley's plans. Adu has been playing at Rizespor in Turkey's second division since January.

"Freddy is a player that, in the past, has shown us soccer qualities that we think help our team,'' Bradley said. "It hasn't always added up enough yet with the full national team, but it seems like a good opportunity to get him back in with us when we have a good month together, and challenge him and hope that he has continued to grow and mature.''

The Americans will begin reporting Thursday to training camp in Cary, N.C. They have a June 4 exhibition in Foxborough, Mass., against World Cup champion Spain, followed by the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean.

The Americans open group play June 7 in Detroit against Canada. They play Panama on June 11 in Tampa, Fla., and close the first round against Guadeloupe on June 14 at Kansas City, Kan.

The rest of the roster is mostly predictable with all the big names from European clubs (Howard, Dempsey, Bradley) all coming back to the States for what is one of their most anticipated friendlies ever (and I'm not just saying that solely because it's in my backyard).

The Gold Cup should also serve as a welcome diversion as it finally turns to summer (crosses fingers), the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Finals wind down and there's nothing but baseball to watch for months on end.

If all goes well, the U.S. should carry over the momentum it built last summer, roll over the very beatable teams and eventually meet Mexico in the Gold Cup Final. Sounds good right?

Here's the entire roster with their position and club teams:

Goalkeepers: Tim Howard (Everton, England), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton, England), Nick Rimando (Salt Lake)

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Saint-Etienne, France), Jonathan Bornstein (Tigres, Mexico), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover, Germany), Clarence Goodson (Brondby, Denmark), Eric Lichaj (Leeds, England), Oguchi Onyewu (Twente, Netherlands), Tim Ream (New York), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United, England)

Midfielders: Freddy Adu (Rizespor, Turkey), Michael Bradley (Aston Villa, England), Clint Dempsey (Fulham, England), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles), Maurice Edu (Rangers, Scotland), Benny Feilhaber (New England), Jermaine Jones (Blackburn, England), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht, Belgium), Robbie Rogers (Columbus)

Forwards: Juan Agudelo (New York), Jozy Altidore (Bursaspor, Turkey), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose)

Apologies to all the MLS fans out there but I have to confess that I've never heard of Rimando, Ream or Wondolowski. With any luck, that will soon change as they'll all do something over these few games to make me take notice and not simply label them MLS stars/wannabe national team players.