Training Began Today for the US Men; 2010 Cycle Underway

I don’t know exactly what’s going on in this photo (it looks like an odd game of twister to me). However, I do know that the US Men’s National Team participated in their first training session of 2007 Thursday morning. 27 players rolled around The Home Depot Center for 92 minutes, marking the beginning of the 2010 World Cup Cycle. The press were out in number – I was invited, however couldn’t attend due to personal reasons. The team returned again in the afternoon for another workout, and have double sessions scheduled through the weekend.

There were a number of new faces at the camp today, all trying to do their best to impress the head boss, Bob Bradley, who’s new himself. He’s designated as interim coach, and it isn’t guaranteed he’ll be on the pitch in South Africa, but if he does well in the upcoming friendlies, he might as well stay.

And while 2010 is a long way off (relatively speaking), the US has a scheduled friendly in just 16 days. On January 20th, the Americans will take on Denmark. The kick-off is at 2:00 PM PT and will be broadcast live on ESPN2. The US and Denmark have met four times in their history, but the Americans, with a record of 0-1-3, have yet to beat the Danes. This is their second time meeting at The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA, with last game ending in a 1-1 draw.

The US is then scheduled to head to Glendale, AZ, where they’ll play arch-rivals Mexico at the University of Phoenix Stadium. This will be a crucial match for both the team and for Bradley, who says, “I’m excited to be a part of my first game against Mexico. There is a great history to the rivalry, and I know it is always a special game for the players and fans. It is a great opportunity to see how our players respond against a challenging opponent.” It definitely is. The players will be looking to impress in attempt to earn their seat to this summer’s epic soccer action, where the US is participating in both the Gold Cup and the Copa America. Bradley will also be looking to impress, as big wins in both Carson and Glendale could give him a better chance of keeping his job.

Photo Credit: U.S. Soccer