Rider Insider

I really can’t justify any sort of discussion about the Revs right now. The SuperLiga? yawn. The US Open Cup? Well I’m not going to New Britain but I will have something to say about that after the match. It could be Edgaras Jankauskas’ Revs debut and the first Gabriel Badilla sighting in a long time.

If you’re a fan of the US Men’s Soccer team you are going to have to get over the disappointment of Sunday’s loss to Brazil in the Confederations Cup Final even quicker than most of the team who played in the match.

Most of that team will now turn its attention to rest, relaxation, and a certain August 12th match-date below the border.

US fans don’t have the luxury of such a break and neither do Charlie Davies, Freddy Adu, Heath Pearce, and Luis Robles. That’s because the Gold Cup starts this Friday and even though no Confederations Cup berth is at stake we have a reputation to improve (as fans) and uphold (as a team).

During my trip to Chicago to see the US play Honduras in a World Cup Qualifier it was really quite evident just how far the United States has to go with concern to fan support. There was a reported 56,000 people in the stadium that day and I would say about 38,000 of them were Honduran. Hopefully the US team can steal some of the momentum built up from their great Confederations Cup run and play in front of entirely pro-US crowds.

The team is going to need all the help it can get from the stands in the weeks to come. While I understand giving your big guns a rest after a strenuous tournament in South Africa with the big Mexican date looming. I am not in the camp that is just assuming the Nats will be at Giants Stadium for the final on the 25th of July. Costa Rica and Honduras are both sending close to full squads and showed that they can give the USMNT’s best XI a run for their money just within the last month. How will the inexperienced midfield, second-rate goalkeepers and youth of this team handle this challenge?

I can’t even begin to prognosticate what Bradley considers his best midfield out of this group and I’m sure there will be plenty of rotation with Grenada and Haiti as two of the opponents early on, but I will try my best, this has become a bit of preview of the Gold Cup without me really intending to do so.

US Midfield
I’m like everyone else in regards to Freddy Adu. I really hope he gets an extended run out to hopefully impress scouts of teams that will let him play and to give everyone else an idea of where he is best employed. I think the position I would most like to see him utilized is in a similar manner as Landon Donovan was in the Confederations Cup. He starts from the left but has a bit of free reign to roam where he is most needed. On the other wing I can see Stuart Holden gaining a considerable chunk of the minutes considering how well he’s been playing with Houston this year. Davy Arnaud’s veteran presence, the enigma that is Santino Quaranta and Robbie Rogers will also get play on the wings.

The center of the midfield is where all the real questions are. So seriously, don’t take my word for it, you could actually skip ahead to the next section right now.

Thanks for continuing though if you did.  Kyle Beckerman will be relied on quite a bit as one of the more experienced center mids and Logan Pause has always been a steady presence in the Chicago Fire midfield. If I had my pick of the group they would be my starting central partnership. Young guys like Sam Cronin, Colin Clark, and Brad Evans will be in the mix as well but their relative competitive inexperience makes me question how useful they will be in a hostile crowd or a tough knockout round match.

The US Defense
This is the group that I have the most faith in. There is plenty of experience here and several guys who have a real, legitimate, shot at a roster spot for 2010. The central of the defense will be anchored by veteran Jimmy Conrad who has always been a good soldier for the Nats. The other center back spot is expected to go to Chad Marshall who has been the best MLS center back over the past last year (Bakary Soumare may have something to say about that.) Two players who ply their trade in the Nordic region will also compete for playing time as well. Clarence Goodson who is a big question mark to many fans and Michael Parkhurst, who the Midnight Riders are very familiar with, both have the most to prove out of this group. Steve Cherundolo, who up until a week ago was everyone’s first choice for right back when healthy, might have lost his job to Jonathan Spector but is still a classy player, and with over 50 caps he has the most out of this group by a substantial amount. Heath Pearce certainly seems to have the best claim to left back but his recent drop in form may give Jay Heaps more minutes than many expect for the surprise call up.

US Forwards
Brian Ching will log the most minutes out of this group. He may not have the best scoring record out of the US forwards but he does all of little things very well. Charlie Davies fresh off of his breakthrough Confederations Cup performance will be expected to show up in this tournament as well and continue to score goals. If he keeps this up the European clubs from the more soccer hungry nations will show up to save him from his Hammarby Hell.

Like Freddy Adu, Kenny Cooper’s lack of caps with the Nats has been a big issue with many fans. Like Adu, Cooper should get his chances here in this tournament. If he can show he can be productive in front of goal and work within the system like Ching, it could go a long way to his making the 2010 WC roster.

My expected line up from Bob Bradley:
———————–Perkins————————-
–Cherundolo—-Marshall—-Conrad———Pearce—–
—————-Pause——–Beckerman—————
—-Holden———————————-Adu——-
—————–Ching——-Davies——————–

AO Boston
If you want to show your support for the United States in person, AO Boston has you covered for the Nats return to Foxboro. AO Boston is working with the Riders and Sam’s Army to sell discounted tickets to the USA v. Haiti match on July 11th. Tickets for the supporters section will be $23 and can be purchased by sending money via Paypal to Monty Rodrigues at patfan1@yahoo.com.

Once you have your ticket you’re going want to get in the proper mood to support the team. That is why AO Boston is throwing a Night Before Pre-game Party on the 10th. Get to the Banshee Pub in Dorchester, Ma for free dinner, cold beer, and plenty of wild partying. It will be a great time.

The next day, if you’re from out of town or if you’re from Boston and are sick of driving all the way down to Gillette Stadium, AO Boston is running a bus from the same Banshee Pub, day of game, for $11. We’re going to meet at the Banshee Pub in the morning and depart for the stadium at 1pm. We encourage everyone to go to the Banshee for breakfast and brews in the morning.

This trip will include beer and food at the tailgate, although you are always encouraged to bring your own reinforcements. We should return back at the Banshee Pub by 11pm. There is plenty of free on-street parking around the Banshee and it is accessible by the Red Line, too. Please send $11 to garrett.quinn.3000@gmail.com via paypal to reserve your spot on the bus.

So no rest for the weary, or depressed, let get behind the Nats and before we know it the SuperLiga will be over.