When English fans glance through the US squad roster for the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa, many will be forgiven for thinking that the squad wearing the USA soccer apparel look somewhat familiar.
While the MLS continues to grow in popularity Stateside, the real test for American players seems to be making it in the rarified climes of European soccer and in particular in the English League.
Of Bob Bradley’s 23 man squad, almost half have experience of playing in English soccer. The three goalkeepers, Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolves) and Tim Howard (Everton) all ply their trade in the English Premier League, as does defender Jonathan Spector (West Ham United). So do midfielders Clint Dempsey (Fulham) and Stuart Holden (Bolton), while striker Jozy Altidore (Hull City) and playmakers Landon Donovan (Everton), Oguchi Onyewu (Newcastle United) and DaMarcus Beasley (Manchester City) have all spent time on loan at Premier League sides in recent times.
Add to that the fact that defender Carlos Bocanegra enjoyed a lengthy spell in England before signing for French side Rennes last season, not to mention Jay DeMerit who plies his trade in the Championship with Watford and it is just under half of Bob Bradley’s squad that has direct experience of life in England as a professional soccer player. Let’s not forget too that Maurice Edu plays soccer just across the border in Scotland with Rangers.
However it is not just in the UK where the top American stars are heading to prove themselves. Steve Cherundolo (Hannover ’96), Michael Bradley (Borussia Monchengladbach) and Ricardo Clark (Eintract Frankfurt) play soccer in Germany. Lynchpin centre back Oguchi Onyewu is at AC Milan, Benny Feilhaber and Clarence Goodson play in Scandinavian soccer for AGF Aarhus and IK Start respectively and two other players, Jose Torres and Herculez Gomez play in the Mexican league for Pachuca, which means that only four players, Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas), Landon Donovan, Edson Buddle (both LA Galaxy) and Robbie Findlay (Real Salt Lake) can claim to play regularly in the MLS.
The experience gained by these US stars of playing abroad will, no doubt, stand them in good stead in the finals. Manager Bob Bradley will be counting on the experience of this core group of players to push the US team on from the first phase and into the knockout stages of the competition.
Certainly the European experience gained by many of their squad will be a bonus to the US World Cup dream. Playing in competitions such as the Bundesliga, Premier League, Champions League and Europa League will have given some of the US squad members an experience which can only help them achieve their dreams on the fields of South Africa this summer.
It won’t be easy. England will be tough first opponents and the US will be pleased to take anything from the game against Fabio Capello’s much fancied Three Lions. However with subsequent games against Slovenia and then Algeria to follow, Bradley’s men will be confident of achieving the results needed to progress into the second stage of the competition for the first time since 2002 and the experience many of their squad have gained in playing in Europe, will only help their cause.
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