Jurgen Klinsmann's debut tonight overshadows the Mexican rivalry. (Photo from MLSSoccer.com)

It is a dawn of a new day for the US Men’s National Team. Jurgen Klinsmann’s first game as the US coach is a big one, against arch-rival Mexico. There is no way of getting around it, this one will be anything but friendly.

Throw away the result a few weeks ago in the Gold Cup to this Mexican side because both will be fairly different in this contest. With Klinsmann involved now with the US, things will change and we saw that already with the roster announcement last week. There is a new spark or intrigue to this match that wasn’t there when it was announced after the Gold Cup.

We know what Mexico brings to the table, minus Javier “Chicharito” Hernández, who is out still with a head injury. Pablo Barrera will be called to carry the offensive load as he found the back of the net twice against this US squad at the Gold Cup final. I also look for Giovani dos Santos to carry a load of the offensive weight in this one as well for El Tri.

The US will likely see a different lineup, formation, the works tonight. I’d look for some of the usual faces to start for Klinsmann tonight like Landon Donovan, Tim Howard, Carlos Bocanegra, and Steve Cherundolo. With no Clint Dempsey or Jozy Alitdore up top, expect some guys like Freddy Adu, Brek Shea and Juan Agudelo to get a shot.

We know defensively things will go a little differently with Klinsmann than it did with Bob Bradley. We should see Bocanegra and Cherundolo in the back but I think someone like Health Pearce will get a start. Or possibly Michael Orozco.

Klinsmann is noted as saying he wants to bring a nice attacking style of play to the US team. You should expect just that tonight too though I’d imagine it will take a few games for his style of play to really kick in with this bunch.

Expectations are going to be high for Klinsmann but let’s just remember one thing about tonight’s game, the result really does not matter. Yes it is Mexico, I get that, but really we shouldn’t worry so much of the result of this game. Good or bad we just need to know where this team is headed under Klinsmann. Tonight, we should definitely see that.

Will Oguchi Onyewu be apart of the Gold Cup roster? (Photo by ISIphotos.com)

We’ll know on Monday who Bob Bradley picks for the US National team for this summer’s Gold Cup and for the upcoming friendly against Spain. I figured today would be as good of a day as ever to throw out my 23-man roster that I think Bradley could select come Monday.

As we know this is a big Gold Cup for the US as they’ll want to get the crown back from Mexico in hopes to qualify for the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil.

Keepers (3)

Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann, and Nick Rimando

The first two are locks in my mind while Rimando would easily be beaten out by a younger keeper that Bradley wants to give some experience to for the training camps and what not. We know Howard is the starter no matter what here so this area is really the easiest to pick I would think. David Yelldell could see his name called as he saw time with the US against Paraguay earlier this year.

Defenders (9)

Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Steve Cherundolo, Timothy Chandler, Heath Pearce, Jonathan Spector, Tim Ream , Eric Lichaj, Jonathan Bornstein

Another group that seems fairly easy to figure out. I know Bornstein hasn’t played a lot in Mexico but you know there is a familiarity factor between him and Bradley. Believe me I hate even the thought of him in the mix here but it will likely happen since he is still one of Bradley’s guys. Lichaj was a toss up for me as I think Zak Whitebread could be a good idea for a call-up too. Chandler can also slide into the midfield if needed here too which makes me a lock for me.

I would like to see someone like FC Dallas defender George John get a look for this roster but I’m sure Ream will have beaten him out even though Ream has looked shaky at times this season for New York.

The big question for me comes down to Onyewu. He hasn’t played well since his injury in 2009 in a US kit and really he hasn’t played a lot of minutes since joining AC Milan. But like Bornstein, Bradley sees him as one of his guys and that’s why he falls into this camp.

Midfielders (8)

Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Jermaine Jones , Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu, Benny Feilhaber, Mixx Diskerud, Alejandro Bedoya

A tough group to predict outside the obvious (Dempsey, Donovan, Bradley, Edu and Jones). I think Feilhaber is an easy pick, but Diskerud and Bedoya are toss-ups for me. I could easily see Bradley take a chance on Sacha Kljestan here over Diskerud and someone like Brek Shea over Bedoya.

I’d love to see Shea here but his lack of big international experience hurts him here I think for such an important tournament. I know his explosiveness off the bench would be great to have but given how well Diskerud does with the forwards that will be taken, its hard to pass up on chemistry for a risky move like Shea.

Forwards (3)

Jozy Altidore, Juan Agudelo, Teal Bunbury

I don’t think this one needs any explanation. Altidore is a lock while Agudelo and Bunbury have formed quite a bond together with the US. Charlie Davies saw his chances go away last weekend when Bradley was in D.C. to watch him and United play Colorado. His chance fluttered away quickly when he went out of the game early with an injury.

I see no reason to even consider Eddie Johnson, Edson Buddle or even Herculez Gomez here. I’d say Gomez is really the only other player that could have a chance here to make the roster but it would be an outside one at best.

I came across an article on MLSSoccer.com earlier this morning and really thought it was worth discussing. The article is about former MLSers and other Americans/Canadians abroad that should return home to play in MLS. I can’t say I disagree with many on this list and I have a couple more that probably just need to suck it up and return home so they can actually see some playing time on the field.

We know its tough for a young player to head to Europe when they get the big contract. For some it works out. You have a decent group of Americans now in Europe that see playing time on a consistent basis but others struggle. I think Stuart Holden put it well recently in an interview (sorry couldn’t find the link). He said that MLS set him nicely for a move to Europe. Had he gone straight away and not gotten a few years experience in MLS first he would be struggling to see any sort of playing time because the adjustment is so tough for younger players.

For some of these guys below the adjustment was either due to them going to Europe at the wrong time in their career, coaching changes…or constant coaching changes, injuries or whatever.

One of the biggest obstacles in getting any number of these guys back in a MLS uniform is money. Most of these guys have earned more in Europe and will expect to that much here in MLS. Well, that probably won’t happen.

I’ll give you the five mentioned in the article and a few others worth discussing as well.

Eddie Johnson – I’ve thought for a while he needed to return to MLS. He’s been with Fulham since he left MLS a couple years ago. The Grown-Ass Man has seen loan spells to two other clubs that yielded some playing time for him. His contract runs out with Fulham next summer which would be the perfect time for a MLS team to make a pitch to him. He can still score and grabbing a guy like him for a late season push could be the difference in winning a MLS Cup and not reaching the playoffs.

Benny Feilhaber – He’s still very young but I’ve thought for ages he should give MLS a shot. His contract ends in the summer as well and he would be a big upgrade for anyone’s midfield. He may be just entering his prime but maybe a trip back home could help get his career back on track after a couple slowish seasons.

Carlos Bocanegra – This is more of those he’s done plenty and now its time to come home for a couple seasons before he hangs it up. I kind of doubt he’ll come just yet but maybe in a year or so he’ll give it a shot. He’s a natural leader that could really help a number of clubs in the back.

Rob Friend – I had to do a little more studying up on this guy. He’s Canadian and would obviously be a draw to Vancouver or Toronto (or even Montreal). He’s 30 but probably would be an instant upgrade on offense for TFC should he ever make the treck back home to the great white north.

Eddy Sidra – Not a common name for some MLS fans. He’s still very young and would be a nice defensive addition for either Canadian side. The article mentions he’s a free agent at the moment so why not make a play for the young defender?

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A few others worth throwing out there:

Freddy Adu – It won’t happen probably due to him and his agent being stubborn about where plays but he’d actually find playing time if he came back to MLS. I’d imagine the expectations would still be places on him if he did which could keep him from ever returning back here.

Frank Simek – He may have just signed a two year deal with Carlisle United so he could be a couple years away from considering it unless he helps them reach the EPL next year (unlikely at the moment it seems).

Mike Grella – Another young guy that has seen his moments already in England with Leeds and now Carlisle United. He was loaned out this season to get more playing time and so far he’s only seen limited action.

Paul Stalteri – Another Canadian to keep watch out for. He’s still in Germany at the moment but the playing time for this 33-year old isn’t all that great. He’s a little older than most TFC or Whitecap fans would want to see come back to them but I’d imagine he’d be a much better improvement for the Reds over someone like Nick Garcia.

Charlie Davies – Yes I know he finally returned to the first team bench this weekend but I still have a hunch he’ll be in MLS before long. I hope to be proved wrong for his sake though as I’d love to see him get back to where he was at before his horrific car crash.

Kenny Cooper – The move to Europe hasn’t been a smooth one for KC Junior. Either its a lack of playing time or another loan spell that doesn’t work out for him it seems like nothing has really gone his way so far since leaving FC Dallas.

Marcus Tracy – Another one I still have a hunch will come to MLS before long. He skipped out on playing in MLS a couple years ago even though he was drafted by the Houston Dynamo. Things looked nice starting out for him in Denmark but only 15 appearances since joining Aalborg in 2009 doesn’t bode well for his future.

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I’m sure there are plenty more that are really in need of a better playing situation and returning home to MLS would be a good fit. Feel free to add them below. Just keep in mind that I’m not saying any of these guys are going to come back to MLS tomorrow or even next summer. Just an opinion that I think they’d be better off back here.

Robbie Findley makes the World Cup squad because of his speed. (Getty Images)

Youth will be served, that seems to be the theme for the U.S. Men’s National team roster for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Manager Bob Bradley announced his 23-man roster yesterday afternoon to the press and the world. I thought talking about it yesterday but I really wanted to give myself a day to cool off and really look at the roster from top to bottom to see if I did like it or not.

For the most part the roster didn’t surprise me. At first the omission of Brian Ching for Robbie Findley was surprising but on a deeper look it wasn’t too shocking. Ching is older, a little more banged up while Findley has speed to burn and could be a spark off the bench.

I’ll be pretty blunt when I talk about Findley so Real Salt Lake fans don’t get too angry with me here. I really don’t see Findley getting lots of minutes in this World Cup so his selection is there for additional speed if Bradley needs it off the bench. I’d be utterly shocked if he starts a game there but I am always willing to be surprised in a good way if it comes to it.

A lot of folks will rail on Bradley for his selections but let’s face it the man knows what he is doing and for the most part his hands have been slightly tied behind his back lately with all the injury issues and lack of form for some keys that were considered for selection (ie Conor Casey, Jeff Cunningham, etc.).

We’ve been speculating for what seems like ages about who would replace the speed and power of Charlie Davies since his car crash in October. Bradley shocked some folks by selecting Findley, Herculez Gomez and Edson Buddle. Findley we know is there for speed but Gomez and Buddle are there for other reasons, ones that Bradley should be happy he had to deal with. Gomez is playing better than any striker the U.S. has right now anyways and Buddle just continues to do the little thing right. Its hard not to go against those guys.

Experience is lagging up top and I get that. But remember the last time we had a fairly inexperienced group at a World Cup? Yeah 2002 was a fairly young bunch of guys that did alright and made it to the quarterfinals. I’d be willing to bet that most American fans would take that kind of run again this year.

I mentioned above that the majority of the roster was not a real shocker. The midfield selections were just about what we expected even before the friendly against the Czech Republic. Some folks wanted Robbie Rogers included here while others expected Alejandro Bedoya. Both were wingers and both would have trouble finding playing time with the likes of Stuart Holden and DeMarcus Beasley there.

In the back is still an issue but that may be a topic for another day. None of the selections surprised me and I know lots of you hated seeing Jonathan Bornstein’s name being called. Deal with it, we’re weak at left back and as much as I hate to say it he may be the best that we have right now. Carlos Bocanegra could be an option for Bradley but don’t be shocked if its Bornstein.

Depth is an issue that we should be used to by now. But even with the glaring issues I still feel confident about our chances in this tournament. It won’t be pretty but the results will come.

Bob Bradley has a lot of thinkin' to do right now. (Getty Images)

I realized I’ve slacked on my World Cup hype duties these last couple months and now that the big event is a month and a half away I need to pick it up here. Today just seems like a good day to talk about the USMNT and who Bob Bradley will call into camp next month.

We know Bradley will be calling in more than what will ultimately become the final 23-man roster for the World Cup. He’s gotta do this to evaluate the final few roster spots that aren’t finalized just yet. Most would agree that a good chunk of the roster is probably already set in Bradley’s mind. He knows his keepers and likely most of his defense and midfield. But up top things get dicy with the slew of injuries and lack of quality form out of some guys in the pool.

Bradley has a lot to consider in the form of guys coming off of injuries too at this point, which in a way is a good thing. Sure their form could be off but having a few main guys back will go a long way in getting out of the group stages in June.

You’ve probably seen plenty of these rosters guesses but this is my take at it. Feel free to agree or disagree below in the comments section. I’ll give you my 26-28 guys I think that could be called in next month (obviously not all will be called here).

Goalkeepers: Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann, Brad Guzan

There’s really no dancing around this one unless one of these guys goes down in the final weeks of the English season. Howard is the easy pick for starter and really if we had to go with the other two in any game I’d feel okay with that as well.

Defense: Jonathan Spector, Oguchi Onyewu, Jay Demerit, Carlos Bocanegra, Clarence Goodson, Jonathan Bornstein, Steve Cherundolo, Heath Pearce

This area is fairly set in my mind. Having Onyewu back in training at AC Milan is huge for him and the US. I’ve gone back and forth in my mind over Bornstein’s inclusion with the team but he’s a Bradley guy so he’s in no matter what really. I won’t go into who should start on the right or left back but with this group we should be ok. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Spector at left back at this point but Bocanegra could end up there as well based on his play in France this year.

Midfield: Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Stuart Holden, Maurice Edu, Michael Bradley, Benny Feilhaber, Ricardo Clark, Alejandro Bedoya, Jose Francisco Torres, DaMarcus Beasley

Things get a little tougher here. In a way I consider both Deuce and Donovan more as strikers than as midfielders but I know they’ll be listed here when the roster comes out so I won’t even try arguing it. There is a thought too that Edu could slide into a centerback role as well which could free up another spot for another midfielder or take away from one defender.

Holden is getting healthy and that’s a real positive thing to see for this group of players. I think Bedoya has made some major strides in getting close to winning a roster spot, he’s one of my darkhorse picks here. Beasley is another guy that is on the fringe for me but I just got a gut feeling that he’ll make it.

Forwards: Jozy Altidore, Conor Casey, Edson Buddle, Herculez Gomez, Charlie Davies, Eddie Johnson, Brian Ching

This group is the hardest to figure out. Part of me thinks Brian Ching will make it if he returns from injury in time, the other part of me figures at this point its a long shot. With the way that Buddle and Gomez have played recently we know at least one of them should probably make it to South Africa.

I put Casey up there because I see him as another one of those Bradley guys. His form hasn’t been great this season but its been good enough. I don’t love the idea of Johnson here but he’s really finding his own way in Greece right now which should boost his confidence. He’s one of those guys that rides good confidence to the bank and if he is sailing high right now in Greece it will only make things tougher on Bradley, which isn’t a bad thing either.

Robbie Findley struggled yesterday in Holland. (Getty Images)

Do we chalk this loss yesterday to Holland as a bad thing. Uh, yes and no. Yes because its a loss and one that showed us exactly where we stand. No because it did help US manager Bob Bradley out in figuring out who exactly he needs to take with him to South Africa.

I felt like going into the classic good, bad and ugly theme for this recap. I gave it a day to mull things over and see where I think things stand. We did see some good, things we can take from the game and move forward with a positive attitude about. But on the flip side there were some negatives in this one and then some down right ugly items I hate even bringing up today.

The Good:

• DeMarcus Beasley: Boy I really was counting Run DMB out of the running for a South Africa ticket a month or two ago but lately I am starting to change my mind. Yesterday showed me he can still be dangerous for the US on the wings. Against top competition this summer we’ll need all the help out wide that we can get, especially if Stuart Holden isn’t fit to go.
• Carlos Bocanegra: He got the goal but there was more to it than that for me. He was strong in the back when the US needed him to be and wasn’t too fazed by a quality striker coming down his way. We’ll definitely need that against England with Wayne Rooney on the other side of the pitch.
• Jozy Altidore: Sure he didn’t look all that great yesterday but upon further review he had some chances (especially late) that could have been a game changer had it not been for a nice save. Altidore showed he isn’t afraid to take on the best the other side has to offer in the back. I also loved seeing him fire one off from distance too, more of our guys should do that.
• Alejandro Bedoya: I’ll admit I haven’t seen enough of this kid before yesterday. His chances of being apart of this roster come June are still pretty low but he wouldn’t be a bad option at all off the bench.
• Heath Pearce: Only got 20 minutes or so out of him yesterday but it was enough to make me think he’ll be on the roster come June. He’s showing he’s very dangerous on the wings…we’ll definitely need that.
• Tim Howard: I don’t think I have to explain this one, Howard is easily the best keeper this country has ever produced…there I said it.

The Bad:

• Bradley’s Subbing: Some subs were good (see Beasley, Edu, Goodson) but some were done too little too late. The subs themselves were good yesterday and did help the US, especially late but the timing was off with guys like Jonathan Bornstein not coming off soon enough. When a guy is struggling sometimes you do have to wait it out and hope he finds his way but in pressure situations you gotta be tougher and put in someone who works out better. Hopefully that improves this summer.
• Landon Donovan: So where was this guy yesterday? We need him to show up in big games not disappear.
• Robbie Findley: If he makes the roster in June it won’t be because of this game against Holland. Honestly he showed he doesn’t have the skills on the ball or the physical play to keep up on the international stage. He’s got speed to burn which I love but what I saw yesterday won’t cut it on the big stage in June.
• Jose Francisco Torres: For the most part when he was out there he was getting passed by left and right. He had one decent crack on goal and that was it. Plus he was a defensive liability far too often. I know there is a love-fest for him out there to be on this squad but I don’t buy it right now.

The Ugly:

• Jonathan Bornstein: Poor guy had a bad day but this wasn’t the first time we saw that he was out of his element on the international stage. Nope, this just put everything into perspective in regards to Bornstein. He’s good in MLS and against CONCACAF teams but outside of that there isn’t much there. The PK was a terrible play on his part and the other goal was just unlucky.
• De Jong’s Tackle: Just a stupid challenge that didn’t even get a card. Now Holden is out for six weeks (or more).

Not a bad showing by the US against Holland. (Getty Images)

I won’t go too into the match just yet, I have a plan on re-watching some of it later on today but I did want to give my initial player ratings from this afternoon’s 2-1 loss to the Dutch in Amsterdam.

WVH USMNT Player Ratings:

Tim Howard – 7
Jonathan Spector – 5
Carlos Bocanegra – 7
Jay DeMerit – 5
Jonathan Bornstein – 2
Stuart Holden – 5
Michael Bradley – 5
Jose Francisco Torres – 5
Landon Donovan – 4
Jozy Altidore – 6
Robbie Findley – 4

Subs:
Maurice Edu – 4
DeMarcus Beasley – 7
Alejandro Bedoya – 6
Heath Pearce – 4
Eddie Johnson – 4
Clarence Goodson – 5

Top Three Players for US:

1. DeMarcus Beasley – Off the bench he was very good today, probably much better than he’s been in recent games that I’ve seen him in. I like the idea of him still coming off the bench though instead of starting for the US.
2. Tim Howard – He made his usual few big saves but got unlucky with the PK and the other goal. Still can’t blame this loss at all on Timmy, he worked his ass off as usual.
3. Carlos Bocanegra – Got the lone goal on a great free kick by Beasley. He was so freakin’ open on that play it was ridiculous. He also did well in the back today for the US.

Overall it wasn’t a terrible game by the US. I thought Donovan was a ghost most of the game but that could be due to poor service from out of the back for him. Early on the US was too predictable in the midfield and in the final third. Robbie Findley was okay but really showed he has no shot at a roster spot in South Africa after getting over powered in this game by the Dutch defense. He has the speed to beat them but never really took people on like we would have liked.

Bad day for Bornstein though. First the penalty late in the first half and then the deflection for the second Dutch goal in the second half. I thought Bob Bradley should have subbed him at half for someone like Pearce but he’s got too much of a love fest for Bornstein.

Again, I hope to have more later on this game.

Bob Bradley has some tough choices to make for tomorrow's friendly against Holland (Getty Images)

Honestly I need to amp up my USMNT cover on here. I’ll admit I don’t get to see every game like I would like and I honestly nearly forgot the El Salvador game last week. In fact I didn’t even get to watch all of it but what I did see what the final 20 minutes or so which were fun to view since it was a nice comeback for the US.

What we know is this Holland game tomorrow is a biggie. Its in Holland and the Dutch are easily one of the best squads in the World right now. But this is more than a high profile friendly for Bob Bradley it is a chance to really finish filling out his roster for June at the World Cup in South Africa.

A good chunk of the roster is probably set but for those bubble players this is a big test. The two friendlies so far this year were definitely for the MLS talent to show their stuff and while they did a decent job only a couple of that B or C bunch will make an sort of dent in this roster come June.

Bradley has a couple areas to hammer out before June. The nearly all his defense needs to be figured out, his defensive midfield spot, and a striker.

Left Back: It will either be Jonathan Bornstein or Heath Pearce come June in this spot. That I am certain of. Pearce had a nice game against El Salvador and really seems to be doing well in Dallas right now. Having quality playing time has certainly helped him out too. Depending how they look tomorrow will go a long way in determining who gets a roster spot in June. My money is on Pearce right now.

Center Back: I still have a guy feeling Oguchi Onyewu will be available come June but some how if he isn’t it will be between Jay DeMerit, Clarence Goodson and Carlos Bocanegra to pick up the slack. I think the bigger story will be if Goodson can continue to impress Bradley. I think should Onyewu return to full health and Goodson continue to impress it will make Bradley’s life tough but in a good way. I’m not saying that he’d take Goodson over Onyewu here but having an improving Goodson only helps our chances in the back.

Right back: I worry about the wings in the back but if Pearce can get up to speed on the left I think so can Jonathan Spector on the right. But let’s not sleep on Frank Simek here, this game could be his big chance to make it in June.

Defensive Mid: It will likely be a WVHooligan favorite Maurice Edu to go in the midfield along side Michael Bradley. I think at this point this is Edu’s spot to lose. With Ricardo Clark on the outside looking in for a roster spot at this point I think Edu is a good bet, which I am happy with here too.

Striker: Ok we know Jozy Altidore is set and if Charlie Davies doesn’t return in time it will come down to three guys: Jeff Cunningham, Robbie Findley or Eddie Johnson. If that is the case my money is on Findley here. I’m curious to see which gets the start tomorrow with Altidore though because both need a strong start to do well.

Again tomorrow is a big deal. We must find a way to stop the Dutch on the wings. I’m very worried that Arjen Robben and Rafael van der Vaart will eat our boys alive on the wings. If we find a way to stay in front of them and keep them honest we’ll be fine. If not it could be a very long night in Amsterdam.

The Dutch also like to shoot from range, so guys in the midfield and in the center part of the pitch must be on guard. One slip up will put Tim Howard in some jeopardy. Protecting the ball in the midfield will be key for the US.

I expect a high tempo to this game from both sides but the US will be wise to slow it down at some points to keep the pressure off the defense. Our forwards will need to work together to get quality looks on goal. The Dutch defense is a savvy one, but isolating one of them at a time can help work wonders. A big game from Landon Donovan also wouldn’t hurt!

This won’t be an easy game by any stretch for the US. Holland is damn good and they are very tough to beat in Holland. Forcing mistakes early will boost our confidence if we can get them but giving up silly passes in the midfield and on the wings will doom us. I hate going against the US but until we show up on the road, particularly in Europe I have to go against us. It should be fun to watch…key word is should.

WVH Prediction: Holland 2, US 0

Our boys are ESPY winners! (Getty Images)

The U.S. men’s national team’s amazing upset of Spain in the 2009 Confederations Cup semifinal is now an award winning upset. The national team won the award at the ESPY Award Ceremony on Wednesday night in Los Angeles for Best Upset in American sports.

The ESPY Awards Ceremony was taped on last night, but will air on Sunday on ESPN.

Several members of the USA Confederations Cup team were on hand to accept the award, including Landon Donovan, Sacha Kljestan, Clint Dempsey, Carlos Bocanegra and Jozy Altidore.

Could this be the biggest win ever for the US? (Getty Images)

Boy what a thriller huh? If you called a 2-0 win over Spain for the US you should probably be well on your way to an island somewhere celebrating your winnings. No one honestly called that kind of a win for the US today. Sure some had hopes of that kind of result but truth be told you’d be kidding yourself if you thought it would actually happen.

But looking back on the game I can honestly say this was the best performance from the entire team as a whole in a long time. It’s been a very long while since I’ve seen the US national team play so well for 90 minutes and not give up anything too stupid or costly.

Consider this, the Spanish put their best squad out there today and gunned for the win. Its not like some past wins in this tournament where the world power didn’t care. Today they cared and the US were able to take it to them. While I don’t think this makes us a world power or anything just yet I do believe it will help get us to that next level that we as a country have been reaching for a while here.

A big thing today was the level of passion and intensity on the field from the US. I have to give credit all around the field because the defense stepped up like never before and the offense did just enough to annoy the Spanish defense to get the two goals. Maybe it had something to do with Carlos Bocaengra wearing the captians armband once again, or maybe it had something to do with the level of respect that US were not getting from the start.

I kind of believe the US just delievered the world a blueprint to beating Spain. Hold them tigh defensively and press the crap out of them when the chances are there.

Also the possession was there more so for the US than expected. They weathered the storm of corner kicks and Tim Howard came up huge with needed. Oquchi Onyewu and Jay DeMeirt had one of their best games each in defense, they were constantly clearing everything that came in their way.

Just how good were the two US goals too? Jozy Altidore and his strong possesional play to score his first goal and Dempsey’s hammering home of the second game late in the second half. Landon Donovan really set up the second goal were as good play from Charlie Davis and Michael Bradley helped fuel the first.

I know a lot of folks hammered Bob Bradley last week but this lineup worked well for the US today. Some would have liked subs brought on earlier in the second half but he picked his moments right today when he did bring on fresh legs. Also speaking of those fresh legs I thought he did an excellent job of picking the right guys off the bench to come on for the game. Benny Feihaber came on first for US and I thought he was the best sub of the game. Conor Casey late for Altidore was a smart move as Casey is big, strong and able to hold possession well.

In all this will definitely go down as one of the biggest wins in US soccer history. Bigger than the Brazil win in the Gold Cup a decade ago, and bigger than the Portugal win in 2002.

Now on to the final on Sunday. Do you all think the US has any magic left for the final?