Clint Dempsey got the US level thanks to a gift from the England keeper. (Getty Images)

So I’ll take it.

One-one against England to open the tournament is not a bad way to start at all. Sure a win would have been nice and we certainly could have gotten that but seriously a good result.

Now the start wasn’t great. Allowing England to go up so early with Steve Gerrard’s sneaky little goal in the forth minute. It set the tone for the start of the match that England wasn’t messing around. The U.S. looked a bit lost in the back and it allowed the goal to happen.

But once the U.S. settled into things they handled the pressure and really took it to England. Having Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey on the wings switching things up really threw the English defense off their game. Also the runs out of the back from Steve Cherundolo really added to it for the U.S. attack.

Then there was Dempsey. The nifty little play on Gerrard to get the goal was something special. Sure the shot wasn’t the greatest and the keeper Robert Green should have had it but it was a goal that the U.S. would take any day of the week. Getting a goal so late in the first half (40th minute) really helped the U.S. going into the locker room at the half.

Second half was better from the U.S. with Jozy Alitdore finally getting into the attack and nearly coming away with a goal. But the defense impressed me more with Oguchi Onyewu putting all the concerns about him to rest. It seemed that with each passing minute he was getting stronger and better out there for us. No doubt that is something good to have going forward.

The man of the match in the end had to be Tim Howard. Stop after big stop Howard continued to show why he is one of the world’s best.

England keeper Robert Green will be drinking alone after this bobble that drew the US level at 1-1. (Getty Images)

A few notes that I took during the game:

- England has the talent to win it all no doubt but collectively I just don’t see it happening. Something about the way they play together tells me it won’t be an easy road for them though I do think they can go fairly far on talent alone.

- I would have liked to have seen some subs earlier in the match from Bob Bradley. Robbie Findley didn’t appear to give all that much in this match and towards the middle of the second half he was fairly empty in terms of gas in the tank. Having Edson Buddle or even Herculez Gomez come on about ten minutes sooner would have been nicer to see.

- Midfield wise for the U.S. they played a lot better than I expected. I’m still not a huge fan of the Ricardo Clark-Michael Bradley pairing but it worked fine today.

- This group won’t be as easy for England as they thought it would be. Next game for each side will tell us more for sure but no doubt the English will feel they lost two points today.

Edson Buddle and Landon Donovan could be the perfect duo for this U.S. team. (Getty Images)

It is so close we can taste it. One day away from the start of the World Cup and two days away from the biggest U.S. Men’s National Team game. Going into Saturday’s game and the rest of the group phase I do have a few questions to discuss.

1. How will the defense hold up to the pressure?

Injuries are a pain in the butt, there is no getting around that. We hear talk that everyone is good to go a full 90 but the issue becomes who are those four that will start in the back? Is it a four that we all expect (Onyewu, Bocanegra, DeMerit, and Cherundolo)? Or will someone like Clarence Goodson sneak into the lineup?

For me the key still rests on Onyewu. If he is indeed ready to go a full 90 and his head is actually strong again then the U.S. defense doesn’t worry me nearly as much. His timing has to be there both on the ball and in the air. Some reports have suggested he is looking better at both so that helps out a bunch. But if he doesn’t good I’d say Goodson will be in there to replace him, which to me is fine.

Depth is very low in this area, so if one falls the whole team could struggle.

2. Can this group keep the possession going?

On this big of a stage keeping possession and creating chances are key. In fact I’d argue keeping possession is a bigger factor facing this team. I think they’ll get that against Algeria and Slovenia but I have a feeling against England they’ll sit back more than anything else and wait for their chances. Its a risky tactic but we know it can pay off if a team gets frustrated like England will do.

3. Has the team gotten over the lack of Charlie Davies?

We’ll still hear Davies name come up in the World Cup, its almost certain to happen. Plus I don’t think they ever really had to “replace” him in the first place. Instead what Bob Bradley has done is shifted his team’s focus offensively a bit. There is some pressure on Jozy Alitdore but bringing in guys like Edson Buddle, Herculez Gomez and Robbie Findley meant he is no afraid to find someone who is hot that will score.

Davies pace will certainly be missed here but we can’t help but like what we saw against Australia last week. Buddle as we know plays extremely well off the ball and he also knows how to link up well with Landon Donovan, something I’m not sure Davies is as good at doing here.

4. Will Donovan handle the pressure this time?

Absolutely. He’s saying all the right things about the pressure but we can tell this time around Donovan means business. In 2002 he was just a kid that was happy to be there, and in 2006 he wasn’t ready to handle it. He’s said that much and we knew that much. But 2010 is different as we already know. His time with Everton and the start of the MLS season with LA showed that Donovan is a real force for this U.S. team. The team goes as he goes and I feel very confident in knowing that he will lead this team to some good stuff.

5. Biggest X-Factor on this team?

Gomez. For me I want Gomez off the bench in late game situations. Its what he is comfortable with and its how he scores a majority of his goals. Findley wouldn’t be a bad choice here either but to me Gomez could really help carry this club far with some late-game goals.

6. How easy is this group?

No group is easy, even if you’re Brazil or Italy. I agree with what some others around the blogosphere are saying, this group is tricky. Its not deadly like in 2006 but it is tough. One slip and you’re done.

We know what to expect with England but Slovenia and Algeria are two different equations. Slovenia won’t be a push over but they should be someone the U.S. can beat. Algeria might not be a pushover but if they stumble in their first two games they could just pack it in for the final game against our boys.

Getting points in the England game are vital though. That will only build the proper momentum for the final two group games, which by most people’s expectations are suppose to be wins.

We’re better as the underdog so finding ways to live up to the hype will be interesting to see.

7. How far can this bunch really go?

When I first looked at the bracket and made a first guess on all the results I had the U.S. in the semifinal. It was just a gut check kind of call. Will it actually happen though? I doubt it, but a quarterfinal visit should be doable. The draw is favorable to get out of the group though, which is more than we had in 2006.

8. How will this World Cup affect the game back here in the States?

We’ll unfortunately hear Alexi Lalas say something about the “power of a World Cup” a million times of the next month. But there is some truth to what he is saying. A good World Cup for the U.S. will only increase the profile here. Though in 2006 the team crashed pretty hard but the game didn’t seem to die here because of it.

The deeper this team goes the better off the game will be back here. Without a doubt. The fact that people who barely watch the game expect the U.S. to get out of this group tells us a lot about where this game is going here in the U.S.

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.

Houston travels to Rio Tinto Stadium to face Real Salt Lake tonight. (Getty Images)

Revenge is the thought in the minds of Real Salt Lake players tonight as they host the Houston Dynamo in the league’s showcase game on ESPN2. It was a month or so ago when the Dynamo hosted RSL on a Thursday night and scored a 2-1 win over the defending champs thanks to not one but two penalty kicks.

Jamison Olave was a big reason why RSL gave up those two penalties that night as he committed both fouls. Both times Brad Davis went to the spot and put it home for the Dynamo. One thing we can bet on is Olave being a little more disciplined tonight for his club. RSL has put themselves in a position to move up the western conference latter with a win tonight and giving up more penalties is not a way to do that.

I’ve always been a big backer of RSL at home and for good reason, they hardly lose in Salt Lake and at Rio Tinto Stadium. If anyone could knock them off their horse at home its a club like Houston who plays physical through the back and midfield and gets a lot of free kicks in dangerous spots. RSL gives up enough fouls around their box so they will have to limit those mental mistakes.

I think tonight is RSL’s game to lose. They need the three points and will want to continue their dominance at Rio Tinto. A couple guys need to step up offensively in this one like Robbie Findley who just got called into the US national team’s camp for the World Cup. Also RSL will need another strong performance out of Javier Morales. If he can regain the form he had to start the season there is no doubt that RSL will walk out of this one with three points.

Houston will have to play a little more tight in the midfield but also need to spread out RSL through the midfield. Teams that have seen some success against RSL did a good job spreading them out to create chances on goal.

I like RSL in this one for the revenge factor and because Houston hasn’t shown enough consistency recently (though injuries play a part of that). Expect a real physical match too and probably a couple cards as well.

Player to watch out for: Kyle Beckerman – He has to be the rock in the midfield for RSL. His play will dicate how RSL fares in this one.

WVH Prediction: RSL 2, Houston 1

I caught this news earlier this afternoon. Real Salt Lake forward Robbie Findley has ended contract talks with the club and will leave the team and the league following the 2010 season. A move similar to his former teammate Yura Movsisyan did a year ago.

Only difference between Movsisyan and Findley is that Findley has no club lined up right away to snatch him up like Movsisyan did with Randers.

The sides had been negotiating on a new contract for several months — Findley’s current deal expires after this season — and McCabe commended RSL and general manager Garth Lagerwey on making a “very competitive” offer to re-sign his client. But Findley has long dreamed of playing overseas, and has decided to make the jump the same way former RSL teammate Yura Movsisyan did after last season.

Findley announced this news just moments after he learned he made the preliminary US World Cup roster yesterday. Findley was a surprise selection to some considering his lack of form so far this season.

So is this kind of news shocking to hear? Another young player leaving the league for a dream of play in Europe. I don’t see this as a total shock, honestly I was shocked he didn’t try to go last year when he was playing so well. I don’t see a big league like in England or Spain snatching him up unless he makes the World Cup roster and has a monster month in South Africa. Those are big “ifs” all around considering his lack of international experience (he’s made an appearance three times with the national side).

A smaller league like in Sweden or Norway seems like a good fit as long as the playing time is there. Movsisyan’s move overseas has served him well so one could only hope Findley goes into a similar situation. I’m sure this move could have something to do with getting him more time with the national side but again it comes down to playing time, if he isn’t getting any like a Kenny Cooper then he’ll fall off the national team radar in a hurry.

What do you think of Findley testing the overseas waters?

Peter Nowak and Philadelphia make their home debut this weekend. (MLSSoccer.com)

Are you ready for tomorrow? Seriously, are you ready? Eight games in one day, a new league record. We knew this day would come eventually with all the expansion in the league and kudos to the league for putting one so early in the season too.

If you’re like me, you’ll find tomorrow to be a tough one because of the amount of games on at once. Thankfully with my Mac I can at least throw up a few different game windows in multiple spaces.

So get your DVRs ready (if you can hold this many games), sign up for the league video package online (if you haven’t done so already), or be like most folks and just go to a game if you can. Its going to be a fun weekend for sure.

Feel free as always to leave your predictions below in the comments section.

New York Red Bulls – at – Chivas USA:

Lets just say that Chivas USA needs to figure out their offensive issues here. In to town is the new look Red Bulls who’ve won two straight shutouts. Hans Backe’s club has been solid defensively so far this season but a second straight west coast game will prove to be a bigger test than some will really think, even though Chivas has yet to score this season. We could see a potential letdown by the Red Bulls after they finally got their first road win a week ago after 27-games of coming up short away from home.

For me its going to come down to who scores in this one. Even with the two wins on the year the Red Bulls haven’t lit up the scoreboard so far (only two goals). I see a slight drop off in this one while Chivas continues to struggle to score.

Player to watch out for: Tim Ream – the rookie is as good as advertised here. Look for him to be all over Chivas’ Maykel Galindo in this one.

WVH Prediction: Chivas 0, New York 0

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D.C. United – at – Philadelphia Union

Home opener for Philadelphia is a big, big deal. They’re expecting about 30k+ tomorrow at the Linc, don’t be shocked if they reach a sellout figure (they’re caping the capacity for this one at 35k). This new rivalry will be heated, especially given how bad both have started off the year. D.C. has look awful all over the field while Philadelphia struggled on the road in their debut two weeks ago. Given the fact that Peter Nowak has had a little more time to prepare for this one I like the Union’s chances in this one a little more.

Curt Onalfo’s side has to figure out where to get their offense from. So far in attack they’ve looked uncreative and in result have been unproductive. You could say it comes down to their midfield not doing enough with the possession too. I’d imagine Nowak will do a better job with his lineup now that he gets Fred back. Look for their shape to be a little better in this one as they ride the massive fan support in the home opener. Its easy to go for a draw here given the poor results by these two so far but I like Philadelphia’s chances here.

Player to watch out for: Danny Mwanga – With Fred back and likely in the midfield, we should see more out of Mwanga in this one for Philadelphia. Hopefully Nowak learned that he belongs up top.

WVH Prediction: Philadelphia 1, D.C. 0

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Toronto FC – at – New England Revolution

Steve Nicol is looking for his 100th career MLS win in this one, and he probably couldn’t ask for a better opponent. Toronto FC is still in a bit of a state of flux after all the moves that have gone on over these last few weeks including the latest with the retirement of Jim Brennan. That loss thins out the Reds defense even more here. New England could possibly see Shalrie Joseph back for the home opener but even without him I like the Revs chances in this one. The Revs could also see Darrius Barnes back for this one as well, which would only make it rougher on Toronto to score in this one.

It seems like Toronto hasn’t scored a goal in league play or in exhibition play in ages here. I don’t see that starting back up right now. The Revs played their game last week in D.C. and I’d imagine Nicol will use some of the same tactics this week to get three more points.

Player to watch out for: Dwayne De Rosario – Really Toronto’s only hope to get on the scoreboard. If he can work his magic that we’ve seen him do in the past against the Revs, Toronto could sneak out with some points.

WVH Prediction: New England 2, Toronto 0

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Colorado Rapids – at – Kansas City Wizards

Here’s one game this weekend I’m looking forward to. Two clubs that everyone is still trying to figure out here. Are both contenders or pretenders this season? We think they could be contenders but its still too early to tell. The Rapids have to get their defense in line here for this one as the Wizards showed early on this year that they can score early and often.

As we saw last week, Kansas City’s best bet to get by the Rapids defense is to go right at them with some speed. Look for Ryan Smith and Kei Kamara to do just that on the wings as things in the center of the park will be a little tight. The Rapids haven’t won in KC since 2002 and something tells me that streak isn’t going to end here this season either. However I do think a draw sounds more likely with these two trading some goals early on in this one.

Player to watch out for: Omar Cummings – For me he is by far the most dangerous player on the field in this one. If he finds open space in the final third for Colorado he can score and create chances for Conor Casey.

WVH Prediction: Kansas City 2, Colorado 2

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LA Galaxy – at – Houston Dynamo

I love the promo the Dynamo are running for this one –  a flash light campaign, in case the lights go out again with these two on the field. Beautiful stuff.

Houston as we know is a bit banged up with Brian Ching on the shelf for a few weeks. Dominic Kinnear will have to look elsewhere for offense. Maybe we’ll finally see their Designated Player Luis Angel Landin finally step into the role. Or Kinnear can go with Cam Weaver. Either one with the speed of Dominic Oduro should be fine.

LA has been very good on defense so far this year, with no goals against. But both of those games came from the friendly confines of the Home Depot Center. Things are a little different for the Galaxy at Robertson Stadium, a place few get points at. I see this one staying close but look for the Dynamo to figure out a way to get one by Donovan Ricketts.

Player to watch out for: Brad Davis – Don’t expect another two goals from the PK spot this weekend for Davis but no matter who scores for Houston in this one it will be due to the play of this guy.

WVH Prediction: Houston 1, LA 0

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Columbus Crew – at – FC Dallas

The regular season version of the Pioneer Cup. Both teams had a week off last week to plan for this game. It will be interesting to see if Chad Marshall makes it back for this one for the Crew. If he isn’t out there their defense could be a bit exposed with him gone and Eric Brunner out. Guys like Andy Iro will likely have to step up to contain Jeff Cunningham.

Dallas isn’t too different in the back either as both Kyle Davies and Ugo Ihemelu are banged up. We could even see Brek Shea in the back for the Red Stripes in this one as a bit of a patch work job by manager Schellas Hyndman. Expect this one to come down to who can control things in the midfield. On one side we have Guillermo Barros Schelotto and the other David Ferriera. I’d be lying if I didn’t think that was the best matchup of the weekend right there. The visitors could go away with three points but a draw sounds more likely.

Player to watch out for: Atiba Harris – Dallas needs some big time play on the wings and Harris has to be that guy for them. He scored in the season opener and if he can work his way into the middle in the final third of the field we could see him score again.

WVH Prediction: Dallas 1, Columbus 1

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San Jose Earthquakes – at – Chicago Fire

We know the storyline in this one, Jon Busch’s return to Chicago. That should be a it awkward. The Fire looked a little better in week two but they still haven’t found that consistent play out of their midfield. Manager Carlos de los Cobos went with a 4-3-3 last week and it started to work for them as Collins John made an impact with the open space up top. Chicago has to get more out of Marco Pappa though in the midfield.

The Quakes just need to figure themselves out here though. In week one they looked more like an expansion team than a team in it’s third year. Frank Yallop made a couple changes to his roster and got former Quake Scott Sealy back. I’m not entirely sure if that move will get their club going or not here. The road hasn’t been kind to the Quakes lately either. Chicago should find a way to win this one.

Player to watch out for: Ryan Johnson – He’s the main guy for the Quakes, if he doesn’t get going in this one it will be a long night in the Windy City for Yallop’s side.

WVH Prediction: Chicago 2, San Jose 0

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Seattle Sounders FC – at – Real Salt Lake

Probably the game of the week in most folks minds. Rightfully so as both clubs are looking to rebound after dismal efforts in week two. RSL will look to resume their home dominance while Seattle will hope to get on the right track this year away from Qwest Field. Sigi Schmid has to find a way to get his club going offensively though to get any sort of points in this one. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Pat Noonan get the starting nod in this one for them to make an effort to kick start their offense.

RSL also has some decisions to make offensively. Do they start Robbie Findley over Fabian Espindola or Alvaro Saborio, or do they keep him as a second half sub for now? Either way I think we’ll get more Findley this week than what we’ve seen so far this season. I like RSL in this one though with the way their midfield plays at home. I doubt we’ll see the same defensive meltdowns that we saw out of them in Houston a week ago too.

Player to watch out for: Steve Zakuani – The one big chance the Sounders have in this one is for Zakuani to expose RSL on the wings. His pace could be a big difference maker.

WVH Predictions: RSL 2, Seattle 1

Conor Casey and Pablo Mastroeni lead Colorado against Chivas USA tonight. (Getty Images)

So far the season is off to a bang, the Seattle Sounders FC downed Philadelphia Union 2-0 last night thanks to goals from Brad Evans and Fredy Montero. I’d be lying to you if I said that I wasn’t happy to see my score prediction come true last night. I highly doubt that trend will continue this weekend.

Speaking of which the weekend slate is here. Everyone else in the league will get their season opener tonight or Saturday. Lots of good games all across the board. I know I am ready to get out to Pizza Hut Park tomorrow for the first game of the year.

Friday

Colorado Rapids – at – Chivas USA:

Both clubs saw a lot of changes this winter either in the coaching side of things (Chivas) or in the player side (Colorado). I love the Colorado midfield with Jeff Larentowicz. But the real interesting deal was done yesterday that sent trusty midfielder Nick Labrocca to Toronto for speedy outside back Marvell Wynne. If Wynne gets the starting nod it could pose some pressure to left side for Chivas. I see Colorado holding their own in the midfield in this one though. They’ll have to find a way to get Conor Casey and Omar Cumming involved early and often here. Getting those two going early will go a long way here this season. But I like Chivas to keep it close and end on a draw.

Player to keep an eye out for: Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA) – If he can get a handle on controlling what Casey does on and off the ball in this one it could go a long way in keeping Chivas in the game.

WVH Prediction: Chivas 1, Colorado 1

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Saturday:

Toronto FC – at – Columbus Crew:

At this point you have to wonder what kind of club Toronto FC has with all the moves Preki has made this winter. I think that will definitely play a factor in how this club plays early on this season. Its obvious they’ll rely on the one strength on their club to carry them, their midfield with Sam Cronin, Julian du Guzman, and Dwayne De Rosario. If those three can carry the banner both offensively and defensive until Preki sorts out his roster the club stay fine. Thing is they’ll start the year off in the worst place for them, at Columbus. The Crew are just too deep and too good not to take in this pick right now. They need to sort out their issues up top still but I think if Steven Lenhart can get the goals for them this year they’ll be just fine. Look for the Crew to control the pace in this one and come away with three points.

Player to keep an eye out for: Lenhart – Again, he’ll be asked to be the man up top for the Black-and-Gold this year. Could be ugly at times but I think he’s a quality striker waiting to bust out.

WVH Prediction: Columbus 2, Toronto 0

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Houston Dynamo – at- FC Dallas:

I love a good rivalry game to kickoff a new season and this one should be as competitive as ever between the Dynamo and Red Stripes. Houston lost a lot of key parts to their midfield over the winter but with recent additions and some shifting of the roster, Dominic Kinnear should once again have a tough club to face in 2010. Schellas Hyndman and FC Dallas won’t be an easy out this year either. Their hot finish to the season last year should put a lot of clubs on alert. I see Dallas getting on the board early but Houston will find a way to level things off before the game ends.

Player to keep an eye out for: Geoff Cameron – If his move into the middle of the park pays off for the Dynamo it will keep the offense going and allow Brad Davis to stay on the wing where he is more dangerous.

WVH Prediction: FC Dallas 1, Houston 1

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Chicago Fire – at – New York Red Bulls:

Red Bull Arena really opens for league play this weekend. Expectations are definitely high after the big win over Santos last week. I still don’t like either keeper situation for both clubs. This game will definitely come down to the midfield and right now I actually like New York’s over the Fire with Joel Lindpere leading the charge. Chicago has had some big wins over the Red Bulls in recent years but this one will be closer. Part of me leans Red Bulls but I know the Fire will put up a good fight, draw seems likely here.

Player to keep an eye out for: Juan Pablo Angel – If he can go at least half or more of the game he should be able to find a way to help lift this club to a victory.

WVH Prediction: New York 1, Chicago 1

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D.C. United – at – Kansas City Wizards:

Both teams are in transition here, and both have loads of question marks going into the new year. Part of me sees Curt Onalfo getting some revenge on his old side right away here in this one. Kansas City will be better this year because of all the moves Peter Vermes has made this winter but I don’t see them paying off just yet here in this one. D.C. should be able to still control things in the midfield and even in the tighter field in KC I think Chris Pointus and Jamie Moreno are able to find space to score here.

Player to keep an eye out for: Carey Talley – He was just brought in by Onalfo after being waived by Chivas USA. I wouldn’t be shocked if he is thrown in the defense right away in this one. If he adjusts quickly to the changes look for United’s defense to be solid in this one.

WVH Prediction: D.C. 2, KC 1

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Real Salt Lake – at  - San Jose Earthquakes

The reigning MLS Cup champs take their title defense to the one place that haunted them a year ago, the road. If they want to get their confidence up they’ll need these three points on the road to start out the new year. I’m really looking forward to the combo of Alvaro Saborio and Robbie Findley for RSL. I think they’ll be a handful for the Quakes who are still sorting out their defensive issues. If Jason Hernandez and Ike Opara can control things from the back they could keep those two in check. I just see RSL’s midfield taking control though in this one, thus getting a rare road win for this club.

Player to keep an eye out for: Kyle Beckerman – He’s got to be the rock in the midfield for RSL. I just see him being too much to handle for the Quakes.

WVH Prediction: RSL 2, San Jose 1

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New England Revolution – at – LA Galaxy:

Early west coast road trip for the Revs here this weekend. New England has a lot of question marks surrounding them while the Galaxy are hoping their new additions pay off in 2010. Landon Donovan will likely run all over this Rev’s midfield that is going to look a lot different than the 2009 version (plus Shalrie Joseph is out with a hip injury). I don’t see where the offense will come from yet out of the Revs which leads me to easily take the Galaxy in this one. Donovan and company will be too much to handle at home.

Player to keep an eye out for: Juninho – I’m very curious to see how this young Brazilian stacks up in MLS competition. Word out of their preseason camp was that he will fit in nicely in this league.

WVH Prediction: LA 3, New England 0

Saborio comes in on a loan arrangement from FC Sion (Switzerland) and Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica) who each hold 50% of his rights.

US national team fans will remember Saborio as the Costa Rican no one wanted to go up against in Costa Rica last year in World Cup qualifying. Now he’ll be the guy no one wants to see in MLS as he teams up with Robbie Findley.

To be honest this move really sets RSL up for a good year. Saborio is a very dangerous striker and putting him up top with Findley only improves RSL’s chances of a repeat. At 28-years old he is still relatively young.

What do you make of this move by RSL? You think he’s a good replacement for Yura Movsisyan?

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.