What’s on Tap in 2012 for USA Soccer
The United States national team had mixed results in 2011, falling in the Gold Cup final to arch-rivals Mexico. The fallout saw long-time coach Bob Bradley fired and Jurgen Klinsmann hired as his replacement.
The results under Klinsmann have varied, largely because the former German national team coach has given a host of players, new and old, tryouts and has not been able to field a full-strength side yet. That will remain the same to begin 2012, but this time because the Americans are focusing on putting together a squad for the upcoming Olympic qualifiers in March and the tournament itself beginning in July.
Lets take a look at what’s on tap in 2012 for American soccer.
Early Exhibitions
First off a pair of friendlies, in Phoenix against Venezuela on January 21st and at Panama January 25th, that will be used to put together a squad to be used for Olympic qualifiers.
Klinsmann currently has 20 players in a training camp that will run through the 26th. The roster is made up of younger players, as all but three players on the Olympic roster must be 23 or younger.
The current roster:
Goalies- Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake).
Defenders- Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo), A.J. DeLaGarza (LA Galaxy), Jeff Parke (Seattle Sounders), Zach Loyd (FC Dallas), Michael Parkhurst (FC Nordsjaelland), Heath Pearce (Chivas USA).
Midfielders- Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Ricardo Clark (Eintracht Frankfurt), Benny Feilhaber (New England Revolution), Jeff Larentowicz (Colorado Rapids), Brek Shea (FC Dallas), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders).
Forwards- Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls), Teal Bunbury (Sporting Kansas City), C.J. Sapong (Sporting Kansas City), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes).
Parke and Evans were recently called into the squad to replace Omar Gonzalez and George John, who are both pursuing transfers/loans overseas.
There is a lot to like about this roster. Klinsmann has talented, but unproven, forwards in Bunbury and Agudelo. Brek Shea burst into the first team at the end of 2011 and playing on this roster will allow him to be the focal point of the offense. Feilhaber, a former hot prospect who is best known for scoring the winning goal against Mexico in the 2007 Gold Cup Final, will look to re-establish himself within the national team. Beckerman and Clark provide experience in the middle of the park.
On defense it is mainly experimental with DeLaGarza and Loyd the most likely to figure their way into the true senior team with standout performances. Heath Pearce comes out of a long exile to get a second (fifth chance) at left back. It is a shame John and Gonzalez will be absent as they, along with Tim Ream, represent the future for the US at center back. Hamid should get his first look in goal as he is viewed as the distant replacement for Tim Howard.
So take the results with a grain of salt in these games and look more for individuals who make their mark and can provide a spark in the future.
Olympic Qualifers
The comes the Olympic qualifiers in March. On March 22 the US will take on political rival Cuba, on the 24th they face Canada, and on the 26th against El Salvador. All the group games will take place in Nashville, Tennessee. Assuming the US advances to the semi-finals, those and the final will be held March 31st and April 2nd in Kansas City.
With so many games in such a compact period of time everyone on that roster should get a run-out, allowing Klinsmann a chance to find and develop more young players to fit his system and style of play.
Olympic Games
Lets skip ahead for a second to the Olympic games. Assuming the USA can finish in one of the top two spots in CONCACAF qualifying, they will play in the Olympic Games, with play beginning on July 26th. At the least the United States is guaranteed three games, with potential for as many as six.
As we said before, this is mainly a team for the younger players, but it still holds plenty of importance. The Olympics gives young players a chance to get a taste for the international stage and to compete against the very best from the likes of the Netherlands, Spain, Nigeria, and Brazil. Often times a future star will be found during the Olympics.
World Cup Qualifying
Ah the joy of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup begins in June for the USA in the third round of the CONCACAF. The US has been drawn into a group including Jamaica, Guatemala, and Antigua & Barbuda. No this isn’t a group of world powers, no qualifying prelims are. And it will be a disappointment if the US doesn’t win each and every one of these matches. But there is plenty of reason for excitement, as it will be the first time under Klinsmann that the USA will field a full-strength squad. Finally we will get to see Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey on the same field again. Road games against Jamaica and Guatemala will at leave provide a bit of a challenge.
All six matches will be played this year, beginning with a home match against Antigua & Barbuda on June 8th and culminating with the US hosting Guatemala on October 16th. The top two teams in the group advance to the final group of six, where three to four teams advance on to 2014 Brazil.
It will be a busy year indeed for United States soccer with so many different competitions taking place, with the potential for a couple of higher-profile friendlies in November to finish out the year strong. We will get a look at the future of the US in earlier exhibitions and the Olympics. We will get to see the first-team stars back on the pitch together. And we get to move forward in the first full year under Klinsmann.
Good times await American soccer fans. Get excited.
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