US Soccer 2007 Wrap-up

Hard to believe that just around the corner is 2008, that leaves us only two more years ’till 2010.

This past weekend the USA just passed their last friendly test of 2007 and in the New Year many different challenges will await them.

Let’s look back and look forward at the same time in some sort of unorganized form that will hopefully make sense when you read it, but probably won’t.

First off, we won two out of an available three trophies. Who cares about the Copa America when you have the Nelson Mandela Challenge Cup? The Gold Cup is pretty nice too, thanks Benny.

Bob Bradley’s first full year is now officially in the books and his approval rating is pretty close to an all-time high. The outcries heard from the vast interweb were silenced when Bradley went on a nice undefeated run to open up his career, with the exclamation points coming early in a 2-0 win against Mexico in Phoenix and a 2-1 win against Mexico in the Gold Cup.

From there the program stumbled with the Copa America, but Bob continued to make progress by implementing young players into the squads as we drew closer to the New Year. Despite his rough stretch, he has handled player selections and tactical decisions just about as perfect as you could expect for any national team manager and you would be hard-pressed to find someone who wasn’t happy with his performance thus far.

Ahh the New Year, which means World Cup Qualifiers is just around the corner, which means new kits. Finally. If I have to see that white strip again I might have to gauge my eyeballs out with a rusty butter knife. It’s not so much that I don’t like the white kit, it is the amount they wear them. Especially considering that navy kit is so fricken nice. Try to spread it out in 2008, throw in a red kit too please.

2007 saw many a good player move across the ocean to the continent of their ancestors, but 2008 could see even more. Michael Parkhurst for one is said to have a deal in the making with Yanks Abroad FC, also known as Fulham. The young hope Jozy Altidore is drawing interest from all over Madrid in both the Atletico and Real brand, as well as previous documented interest from Aston Villa and Chelsea. Remember the Grown-Ass Man?… Yeah, me neither. But supposedly he has a few English clubs such as Derby and Reading interested. Maybe they can turn his fortunes around. And by fortunes I mean teach the kid how to play soccer at a level most professionals should.

Speaking of Jozy, anyone remember the U-20 World Cup? That was my favorite soccer moment, or event, of the 2007 US Soccer season. Those kids brought a hope to US Soccer that we needed after that big boy World Cup in 2006. Jozy netting four, Freddy dangling the crap out of those three Brazilians in the corner to set up the winner, Danny Szetela finally living up to some of his potential, and Michael Bradley nearly decimating the entire Uruguayan soccer federation in attendance, only to be held back by any and everyone not pooping their pants in fear. Let’s just say that those Uruguayans were lucky that mass murder isn’t a legal recreational activity. Good times…

Although the Yanks are going home to vacations if their from the MLS, or club teams if their over in Europa, I will still be here, trying to string together some thoughts for you to read as we pass the time until we meet the Mexicans in February.

Wish me luck.

What did you guys think of 2007? Favorite moment? MVP? Share your thoughts…