What? It’s not as if my absence from posting caused me to miss commenting on anything important in American soccer.

Actually, I have been taking care of a newborn (human) baby (mine) and have truthfully barely had time to watch the games, much less comment on them. So in the interest of summary, I give you the TEN BY TEN: 10 point of discussion in 10 words each.

USA v ITALY – oh, come on guys. you can do better than that.
USA v BRAZIL – oh, come ON guys. can you do better than that?
USA v EGYPT – luckiest circumstance in the history of US soccer. nice game.
USA v SPAIN – greatest day of my life. GREATEST DAY of my LIFE.
USA v BRAZIL: THE SEQUEL – expected result unfolded painfully. Donovan’s goal: USA at its best
BOB BRADLEY – please stop giving the wrong players chances game after game.
GOLD CUP – would have preferred a real team. we tied Haiti? WTF.
DONOVAN v BECKHAM – Beckham do your job. Donovan please find a better club.
ONYEWU TO AC MILAN – another euro pinerider? hopefully he becomes a powerhouse in Italy.
AGUIRRE BANNED FOR KICKING A PLAYER – ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

The following is a short list of items that are NOT something:

-Clint Dempsey’s moves
-Sacha Kljestan, DaMarcus Beasley, Brian Ching on the field
-Adu, Torres on the bench
-flubbing shots from the six
-hitting the crossbar
-playing long ball to Jozy Altidore more than once per game
-marking respectable opponents from 20 feet away
-beating CONCACAF teams
-Bob Bradley’s coaching decisions in general
-Landon donovan’s penalty kicks
-red cards
-sucking
-losing

American keepers have been successful at the highest levels of English football. Everton’s Tim Howard (who started his English footballing career at Manchester United) might be one of the best.

Howard has been instrumental in leading Everton to the 2009 FA Cup Final against Chelsea. The final will be played May 30th at Wembley, and is the oldest football competition in the world.

Tim Howard and the Everton defense has also been given credit for an Everton record 16 cleansheets this season. After Everton’s 0-0 tie this weekend, Everton has gained a place in next season’s UEFA Cup. Any season that Everton earns a place in a European competition is a good season.

Howard, who is the number one keeper for the United States national team, is expected to lead the US to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Jozy Altidore (in this dated photo, I am too lazy to upload a new one) has undergone surgery to remove an ingrown toenail. There has not been an official announcement on the amount of time he will miss but the assumption is roughly four weeks.

The US National team does not play again till June 6th, giving Altidore plenty of time to recover. In the last round of World Cup qualifying Altidore scored four goals.

Jozy still has not started for his club team Xerez CD, which are leading the Spanish second division and are looking to be promoted to the top flight.

United States Head Coach Bob Bradley has named his 20-man roster for the upcoming World Cup Qualifier against Mexico on February 11th in Columbus, Ohio.

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton)

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Danny Califf (FC Midtjylland), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)

Midfielders: DaMarcus Beasley (Rangers), Michael Bradley (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Ricardo Clark (Houston), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Robbie Rogers (Columbus), José Francisco Torres (Pachuca)

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Xerez C.D.), Brian Ching (Houston), Charlie Davies (Hammarby) Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Landon Donovan (Bayern Munich)

I like to follow how Americans do in foreign countries, especially in Europe. Yanks Abroad is a great site that I watch closely. One of my favorite columns is 23 Tickets to South Africa. It is an article that places the top American talent in buckets based on the likelihood that they will be a member of the 2010 World Cup team.

We are about a year and a half from the 2010 World Cup and the young American talent has to start making a statement as we enter the final round of World Cup Qualifying (which will kick off here in Columbus against Mexico in February). I believe that Major League Soccer has risen the level of play of American soccer. We are better fit to complete on the world stage than we were 15 years ago. One reason is soccer is more popular, bringing more young talent in, but the MLS has provided better players and higher competition on a more consistent basis.

As I was reading the latest edition of 23 Tickets to South Africa, one detail caught my eye. There are very few MLS players on the list. Maybe a blog about Yanks in Europe would have a bias on players from across the pond. Possibly, but I don’t see any overwhelming mistakes. Maybe the level that is needed to play on the US National Team has risen above the level of MLS? Again, this is possible, but I don’t think we are quite to that level yet.

A quick breakdown from the 23 Tickets to South Africa article:

• Pack Your Bags Boys: 0 of 5 from MLS (though Donovan is on the list as Bayern)
• Nearly A Lock: 0 of 2 from MLS
• Fairly Safe Bet: 0 of 6 from MLS
• In A Battle: 2 of 4 from MLS
• Work to Do: 3 of 6 from MLS (including Marshall who is all but signed to play in Germany)

So, out of a possible 23 slots, MLS players hold 5. I don’t have a reason, or conspiracy theory on the original article. I just find it interesting that by 2010, MLS could have brought the level of play in the US up, then was surpassed. Meaning that playing in Europe is almost a needed skill to make the National Team.

Yeah, the U.S. had 6 goals. Yawn.

CUBA SCORED! SERIOUSLY!

It was one of those moments that can brighten up any room… a scruffy lad on a hopeless team (so hopeless, in fact, that some of its own players defected before the game, leaving them 2 guys short) beat the odds and put one in against the big fish. I was surprised, entertained, and actually happy to see it! I knew Cuba had zero chance of winning this game (i.e. I wasn’t worried), but Munoz’s unexpected goal showed what a little hope, some effort, and a shitload of luck can do in the game of soccer.

For those of you that missed it, Jenzy Munoz took a seemingly last-ditch, shot-in-the-dark, wing-and-a-prayer toepoke after finding himself in a grim situation at the top of the US penalty area, crowded by 4 defenders with nowhere to go. For some perspective, this was Cuba’s only shot on goal the entire game. The resultant milkshake-earning ping off the crossbar and over Tim Howard’s head unquestionably defined why people say, “it’s worth a shot.” Because sometimes, it is.

Toeball had to knock some heads, but he got the FIFA rankings fixed…

“The United States is once more best among CONCACAF countries, climbing seven places to No.21, while Mexico holds steady at No.24.”

FINAL: 3 USA V T&T 0

T&T had a greatly improved 2nd half.

But enough about them.

I’m worried. There’s a curse that has followed this team since at least 2006 and probably back much, much farther. The USA Men’s team has a severe deficiency in scoring during the run of play. And scoring off set pieces against CONCACAF teams does not make up for it. I saw balls at the feet of Ching, Donovan, Beasley, Johnson, and Kljestan in or around the T&T box that should have found net with minimal effort. How many times can a player hit a keeper’s chest and smile about it? You’re not Brazilian. Ronaldinho can laugh when he messes up because he plays for the greatest teams in the world, and likewise, the world knows he is one of the greatest. Dues paid. But Damarcus, just because Landon thinks you’re unlucky doesn’t preclude the rest of us from thinking you’re not good enough to earn the USA some respect in ‘10.

It’s very telling that the United States’ single goal in the 06 World Cup came during the run of play. Telling because in the presence of top-level teams we were only able to put one ball away, and telling because it didn’t come off a set piece.

The States squad has the type of players necessary to compete in 2010: Creative, quick thinkers who adapt and adjust. Adu, Edu, Dempsey, Altidore, and yes, sometimes Donovan, all have what it takes to evolve the program by streamlining our run-of-play play. Beasley too; I’ve seen it before. Ching, Johnson, Lewis… I’m sure you’re great guys but you’re not doing us any favors. Back to the minors with ya. You’ve got something to prove again.

Everyone else, figure out how to work with each other in flux, because that’s the nature of the game abroad. And South Africa will be very, very abroad.

2 USA V TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 0

• What words can I use to describe tonight’s Trinidad & Tobago team? Slow, disorganized, intimidated, scared, weak, clumsy, inaccurate, sloppy, disappointing, and… opposing, I guess. This performance is one tiny notch above Barbados, MAYBE. They’re playing so poorly, it’s hard to tell how bad our defense is. (I was clued in when two USA players were dancing with one another in their own box, neglecting the clearance for some buddy time.)

• Brian Ching and Sacha Kljestan need some time off. Ching can’t finish, or do much of anything, with a ball in the opposing third, and Kljestan has actually passed more to T&T than USA. And guess what else they have in common.

• AND THIS BRIAN CHING GUY! You know that feeling when the USA is almost close to maybe having a try on goal, and you get a wee bit excited? And when it’s Brian Ching and nothing happens and you yell at the TV? I know that feeling too!

• Where is Freddy Adu?

• Landon Donovan looks pretty good even though I read his lips whining to the ref. Seriously I saw it.

• Why is a T&T guy commenting on this game? I feel bad for him because he seems nervous, he’s hard to understand, and because John Harkes has been ripping his team’s guts out all night.