Things were pretty ugly for Tim Howard and the US against Spain. (Getty Images)

Like most of you, I sat through the US-Spain game on Saturday. It wasn’t enjoyable in any sense in the first half and while the second half got better it was still rather…ugh.

Generally I’m a fan of playing the top teams in the world. I am. You get to put your best out against their best. Only this time it wasn’t the case. Spain put a “B” squad out there and so did the US. It turned out their B was better than ours. Go figure. The effort was lacking from the US but in all honesty the young guys Bradley put out just were no match for who Spain had.

I know Bob Bradley stands behind his lineup and he had to make some tough choices given the fact that some guys were coming in after some taxing seasons aboard and others are in the middle of their season in MLS. Its never easy and I don’t pretend to know the team nearly as well as Bradley does.

But let’s go ahead and say it, the Spain result was ugly. Losing 4-0 to anyone at home is never a good way to go, especially before a major tournament like the Gold Cup.

Playing Spain wasn’t the best idea just three days before the start of the Gold Cup either. Sure it brought in loads of cash for the USSF but at what cost? While adding a couple million to the books seems nice it certainly didn’t make any new fans of the USMNT on Saturday. Little kids watching that game will be more inclined to cheer for Spain and their amazing goal scoring efforts than cheer for their homeland’s pathetic effort in the central part of the field.

But it is time to move on from that result. The US cannot worry about what went wrong and the few things that did go somewhat right in the second half. No, their attentions have to turn to Group C play. Canada. Guadeloupe. Panama. Three countries that would love nothing more to do than to cause all sorts of problems with the US and it’s fans in the coming weeks.

Guadeloupe has nothing to lose when playing the US. Canada would always love to beat their neighbor. And Panama always shows they can be a tough opponent in any competition.

Focusing on Canada is a start. The US has the Maple Leafs set for a battle tomorrow and a win there will easily help folks move away from the debacle that was the Spain game. With the way Costa Rica and Mexico opened up things yesterday, the US has to match those efforts in some capacity though. I’m not saying the US has to beat Canada, Guadeloupe, or Panama 5-0. No, but they do need to get the W’s convincingly here. The foot must firmly be placed on the gas pedal.

Having the likes of Landon Donovan, Carlos Bocanegra, Clint Dempsey, and Michael Bradley back in the starting eleven will certainly be a good thing. The defense should be a little more in line and the midfield should see loads more possession with Donovan, Deuce and Bradley.

I think the stage is still set for a US-Mexico final in this tournament but with the way Mexico looked in the second half, the US better have their A-game in all matches or else.

He's back babydolls! (Getty Images)

Wow, just wow. Most expected a pretty straight forward roster announcement today by Bob Bradley but what came out was anything but expected.

Goalkeepers (3):
Marcus Hahnemann
Tim Howard
Nick Rimando

Defenders (8):
Carlos Bocanegra
Jonathan Bornstein
Steve Cherundolo
Eric Lichaj
Clarence Goodson
Oguchi Onyewu
Tim Ream
Jonathan Spector

Midfielders (9):
Freddy Adu
Michael Bradley
Clint Dempsey
Landon Donovan
Maurice Edu
Benny Feilhaber
Jermaine Jones
Sacha Kljestan
Robbie Rogers

Forwards (3):
Juan Agudelo
Jozy Altidore
Chris Wondolowski

Thoughts:

1. Adu, really? Adu! Wow, this biggest shocker of all is Freddy Adu’s name being listed here. I know he’s done fairly well since moving to a second division team in Turkey but wow. No one and I mean no one saw this coming. That being said, I really do hope he uses all the negative press this will get to his advantage as motivation. I am willing to give the guy a shot here.

2. Shouldn’t be surprised by Bornstein. I know the guy hasn’t played much this year, well just 68 minutes since February, but he’s one of Bob’s guys. Let’s move on from that here, we all know he shouldn’t be here but there is little we can do to talk Bradley out of that now.

3. No Timothy Chandler? A bit of a shock, same could be said about Alejandro Bedoya too.

4. Wondo time! Some will certainly be shocked to see Chris Wondolowski over Teal Bunbury but let’s face it, this could very well be the move that delayed this announcement in the first place. Just my hunch really. Good for Wondo though as he’s really starting to heat up again here as of late. Bunbury on the other hand has been quite cooled in league play.

5. Rogers? Another shocker based on league play. He hasn’t looked good all season for that matter.

6. Bunbury’s no-call. I don’t mind the no call up for Bunbury here. I’d imagine KC head coach Peter Vermes lobbied hard to keep him in a Sporting kit for the Gold Cup. His club is ravaged by the tournament with callups and between that injuries and lack of form for Bunbury at the moment it was the right thing to not call him up. Hopefully this is a case where he can use this as motivation to help turn the KC season around.

What did you all make of this roster?

Spain celebrates their first World Cup trophy. (Getty Images)

It was fun while it lasted huh folks?

The 2010 FIFA World Cup is in the books. Spain is our champion and the Dutch will be complaining about this one for decades to come.

SO what do we do now? No more daily(ish) soccer to tune into in the mornings or mid-afternoon. No more reports from Soccer City from all the ESPN folks. No more stories of South Africa’s past, present and future. Its all over for now.

I can’t say this was the absolute best World Cup in recent memory, for me at least. I’ve only really been able to remember as far back as 1994′s Cup here in America as I was way too little for the 1900 Cup in Italy. But for now this one may stick with me longer than the others. First of all I was able to see nearly every game which was definitely a first for me.

Having a blog during the World Cup made it fun too but as you noticed I didn’t spend all my time this past month discussing the World Cup just for hits and new viewers. I mainly wanted to be a fan and enjoy it more. I think in a small way I did just that. I talked when I wanted to and I shut up when I didn’t feel like speaking.

So what will I take away from this past month? First of all I do believe soccer is at an all-time high here in America. It could have been higher had the US gone further for sure as we all know what a big opportunity missed that was for the country. Still I do believe its high for now. Major League Soccer may benefit from it in small ways but people generally care about the sport like they never did before. Now some may still say its like “watching paint dry” or something like that but deep down they still watched this time around.

Second of all, South Africa did put on a hell of a show. Sure the ball was tricky, the weather was chilly and the altitude stunk for some but it was fun to watch. We knew there would be surprised (Uruguay), some shockers (France and Italy perhaps), and we kind of knew what to expect out of the US and Group C.

At the end of it all we have a new champion in Spain. A country that had never seen their name on the trophy which I think is cool to see again. Sure seeing Brazil, Italy or Germany win it once again is nice and all but having a new member to that club is pretty special to see too. Even if it wasn’t pretty.

We have four years to wait for the next big event and this time around it will be on our side of the globe (prime-time games! Woohoo!). I may throw out my World Cup Best XI and I may not. We’ll see if time allows for that. But until then let’s hear what your favorite moments were from this tournament.

The final is set, Holland and Spain will decide who is the new World Cup champion. (Getty Images)

Sure not having our beloved Americans still in the World Cup hurts but I’m over it. I went from rooting for the US to rooting for teams like Holland and Uruguay. The style of play is a lot different from the US but it was something to get behind. Plus their games seemed to be more entertaining than most in this World Cup.

Yesterday we saw the final become complete with Spain downing Germany 1-0 after a hard-fought battle in Durban. The game wasn’t that great in some respects as Germany sat back and took all that Spain could give them while Spain failed to finish in front of the net yet again.

Now its Spain and Holland. Two counties that have yet to see their name on the World Cup trophy. Two countries that have longed for this chance at greatness.

Honestly I couldn’t be happier with this final.

Sure not having a Brazil or Italy or Germany or Argentina is tough to see but we should be happy to have a new champion for once. Its not often that it happens this way either.

So what do I expect on Sunday? A damn good game for the most part. No doubt the all-European final will be intense, probably as intense as the 2006 final with Italy and France. I have a feeling the Dutch will come out early and try to take it to the Spanish defense while Spain will still get plenty of possession like they always do.

Neither team has been at their absolute best in this tournament but each have found ways to win. The old styles have been thrown out and we’re seeing team football get them this far.

I’m pulling for the Dutch in this one but should Spain win I wouldn’t be too upset. A lot of firsts will happen either way and we should be happy with that.

Can Humberto Suazo lead Chile out of Group H? (AP)

By Geoff Reid

When the draw for the groups were first announced, Group H didn’t raise any eyebrows in-particular and it looked as if European champion Spain would top the group with a three way battle for second place and a shot at the last 16. Six months on, nothing has really changed with the Spanish being favorites to win it all, and three teams, Switzerland, Honduras, and Chile, all having just as good of a chance at progressing as the other.

Spain: No real need to do an introduction to this group. Everyone who follows the game knows their players are some of the best in the world, and what is a scary proposition or everyone else now is that after Spain’s victory is Euro 2008 two years ago, there is no more fear or curse over them. They know how to win and believe in themselves, and rightly so. Gone are the days where the team was divided with players from Catalonia, Madrid, and the Basque country all not getting along. From goalkeeping starting with Real Madrid’s Iker Casillas, arguably the best in the world in his position, right the way through to the forward line of Barcelona’s newest signing David Villa and Liverpool’s Fernando Torres, this is a complete team one through 11. One question is Torres’ fitness after missing the last several games for Liverpool during the season. Even at goalkeeper, if Casillas goes down injured, Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina is probably the best reserve goalkeeper in the whole tournament. The one thing the rest of the 31 nations can take hope from is one year ago in the Confederations Cup with the Spanish losing to the USA shows no team is unbeatable.

Switzerland: The Swiss are a confident bunch despite some injuries, poor form from key players and other setbacks. The main problem for manager Ottmar Hitzfeld is that the current generation is getting up there in age, while the youth is still a little too young to throw into the senior squad. Record scorer Alexander Frei is struggling to get fit for the opener against Spain, which will mean former FC Twente and current Seattle Sounders striker Blaise Nkufo will have much of the pressure to score the goals, and that’s not something he’s never had. After all, he captained Twente to their Dutch league title. Sounders fans will look on with keen interest. But the main problem Hitzfeld has very much like a lot teams at this years tournament is a fair amount of his squad are on the rosters of clubs across Europe, but struggle for a decent amount of playing time.

Honduras: Truth be told, I will be rooting for the Hondurans to get out of this group. The battle more then anything else for these guys will be mentally, to avoid being the whipping boys of this year’s tournament. Make no mistake though, this Honduran side has come very talented players that can hurt almost anyone. It’s now normal to see their top players playing in Europe and doing well for themselves such as Wilson Palacios at Tottenham Hotspur, David Suazo at Genoa, and Julio Cesar De Leon at Torino. Lets also not forget Maynor Figueroa scored the goal of the season in England for Wigan Athletic. All MLS fans know how good Amado Guevara can be when he’s in form. It will be a tough task for this side, but don’t think for a second these players will be the whipping boys. They could surprise a few people.

Chile: First time Chile have played in a world cup since France in 1998, so in that reason alone not reaching the last 16 wouldn’t have the average Chilean that disappointed. However, for coach Marcelo Bielsa, the last 16 is a must after the Argentinean manager fell at the first hurdle in the 2002 tournament that had England, Nigeria, and Sweden drawn in the same group. Bielsa has done a tremendous job with this team and has a nation believing again. The players buy into what he’s saying and did amazingly well in South American qualifying. Striker Humberto Suazo was top scorer in qualifying and is the established leader of the Chilean attack. Another potential sleeper in this tournament and could surprise some people.

Prediction: In all certainty, Spain should top this group convincingly, followed by a competitive fight for second place. Switzerland, Honduras and Chile all can finish in second and it’s tough to see who will come out on top. All three sides should show themselves fairly well, but I see Chile joining the Spanish as qualifiers from this group.

Spain 9pts
Chile 6pts
Honduras 3pts
Switzerland 0pts

Disappointing yes, but proud of the US national team nonetheless. (Getty Images)

No one ever said this game was easy. The highs and lows of soccer have never been more noticeable until today.

It is always amazing how a game can be so different from one half to the next. The first half in the FIFA Confederation’s Cup final against Brazil showed the world that the US is here to stay and could be a power on the biggest stages of them all. But the second half showed that the US is just not all the way there quite yet.

Yeah, it was an emotional game to say the least and I wonder at times if the guys just ran out of steam emotionally late in the second half along with running out of steam physically and mentally. We knew Brazil would make their run in the second half and that they would more than likely score. Its never easy to go into the half with a 2-0 lead. Never easy.

But looking back the first half was more than a dream. For 45 minutes the US pressed hard and got their chances early and often. Clint Dempsey’s first goal was a bit of class between him and Jonathan Spector. The second half on the counter-attack with Charlie Davies and Landon Donovan was something else entirely. Usually the US is on the end of those kind of crazy counters, but this time it was our guys sticking it to one of the world’s best.

Let’s face it though, we should be able to say that we are emerging as a soccer power in some degree. Getting big time results across the pond, even if it is in Africa is still a big deal. Scoring two quality goals on a country like Brazil is something to be happy about. I’m not usually one for moral victories but in a way the US can hang their hats on a few quality things. I don’t believe going into the negatives in this one because I really felt a lot of the same passion and energy from the Spain game was carried over to this one.

I do believe we are getting very close to what a lot of people expect out of this group now. If anything this last week was a total confidence boost to the US national team program as a whole and going forward into next year. I know there is still some qualifying left on the menu for the year but I fully believe the US will now show less fear against those that they have struggled with before. Biggest step for this bunch will obviously be the Mexcio game in a couple months down in Mexico City. If the boys play anywhere near the level that they did against Spain and the first 45 against Brazil then we should expect our first win in Mexcio.

The US has announced to the world that they are for real here and that we aren’t just a fluke. Before this week I don’t believe we could have said that. I can say too that I have never been more proud of this bunch until now. We know where we need to get next and that is a huge step going forward.

Here’s what’s on tap for the weekend:
Saturday:
Colorado at Columbus (FSC)
Toronto at New England (DK, MLSnet.tv)
Real Salt Lake at Kansas City Wizards (DK, MLSnet.tv)
San Jose Earthquakes at Chicago Fire (DK, MLSnet.tv)
New York Red Bulls at Chivas USA (HDnet)
Sunday:
LA Galaxy at DC United (ABC)
EURO 2008 FINAL: Germany v. Spain (ABC)

Discuss, be merry and I will see you folks on Monday!

Its not that I’m not jazzed up for it (because I totally am), its I don’t have enough time or energy right now to preview it like Ives or someone else out there.

As for who I’m rooting for…well seeing how I am a Swede, the boys in yellow will be the ones I will follow closely but once they exit the tournament (which they will probably after group play) I will probably lean towards Portugal or Italy winning it all. Everyone is high on someone like Croatia or Spain, but I’m still hoping Sweden can be that dark horse if their defense holds up.

Who are you all rooting for? Let’s hear it.

Goalkeepers: Dominic Cervi (out of contract), Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Tim Howard (Everton).

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (out of contract), Dan Califf (Midtjylland), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Jay DeMerit (Watford), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard Liege), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock).

Midfielders: Freddy Adu (Benfica), DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers), Michael Bradley (Heerenveen), Maurice Edu (Toronto), Eddie Lewis (Derby County), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado).

Forwards: Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Nate Jaqua (out of contract), Eddie Johnson (Fulham), Josh Wolff (out of contract).

One thought on the roster. Do we really need to have three keepers on the roster for this game? Seriously, I always find that a waste, even in a friendly because you know one will just ride the bench while the other two play.

This roster still seems a bit weak to me, without Landon Donovan this team will struggle to score again. For me, I wish we could have seem some fresh talent from MLS in this one like Robbie Rogers or Kenny Cooper. Look I know we aren’t going to win this one but at least give some guys a chance.

Who do you want to start out of this group?

Head coach Bob Bradley has named his roster for the friendly with a couple surprises:

GOALKEEPERS- Dominic Cervi (out of contract), Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Tim Howard (Everton FC) ]

DEFENDERS- Carlos Bocanegra (out of contract), Dan Califf (FC Midtjylland), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jay DeMerit (Watford FC), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Michael Orozco (San Luis), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)

MIDFIELDERS- Freddy Adu (SL Benfica), DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Eddie Lewis (Derby County), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids)

FORWARDS- Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Nate Jaqua (out of contract), Eddie Johnson (Fulham FC), Josh Wolff (out of contract)

The big thing will be if Landon Donovan can go this time around. He wasn’t able to make it in for the England friendly and his play was surely missed in the midfield and in the attack. If he is able to go he will not only get his 100th career cap but should also help out a US attack that looked lost against England.

Pablo Mastroeni and Danny Califf were the new names on the Spain roster, with all 17 European-based players who played against England also being recalled.

I am sort of hoping to not see some of the same starts in this game. Defensively I thought the US were alright against England, it was the midfield that had little shape and more importantly little possession. I think we shouldn’t see Ricardo Clark start this time around, the same goes for Josh Wolff. Neither really impressed me against England. I would throw Eddie Johnson’s name in there but you know he will still start no matter what, even if his last performance was good considering his expectations are so low these days. Most people like myself are just waiting for him to meet those expectations.

What do you make of this roster? Would you have liked to see some more MLS players or can you hold out until the Argentina game for that?