Zusi will arrive at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, his hometown, on Sunday to join the 27-player camp. It marks his second camp under head coach Jurgen Klinsmann after participating in the January Camp and making his international debut in a start against Venezuela on January 21. Four days later, Zusi started again in Panama and scored in the eighth minute on an assist from Sporting Kansas City teammate Teal Bunbury for his first international goal.

“I’m extremely excited to get this opportunity again with the national team,” Zusi said. “Any chance you get to represent your country is an honor. I’m just very excited about these five games coming up, including the two World Cup qualifiers.”

The U.S. Men’s National Team will train in Orlando through Friday, May 25, when Klinsmann will select a final 23-player roster for a series of five upcoming matches. The U.S. will play international friendlies against Scotland (May 26 in Jacksonville, Fla.), Brazil (May 30 in Landover, Md.) and Canada (June 3 in Toronto) to prepare for their first FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Antigua & Barbuda on June 8 in Tampa, Fla. and Guatemala on June 12 in Guatemala City.

“Graham Zusi left a very strong impression in the January camp,” Klinsmann said in a quote sheet released by U.S. Soccer.”

A University of Maryland product, Zusi is in his fourth MLS season and was named MLSSoccer.com’s Breakout Player of the Year in 2011 with five goals and nine assists in MLS competition.

The 25-year-old signed a new contract with Sporting Kansas City in February and has started all 11 of the club’s MLS matches this year. He scored the game-winning goal in Sporting Kansas City’s home opener against the New England Revolution and ranks second in MLS with six assists behind reigning MVP Dwayne De Rosario.

It is the all-important semifinal stage where a win qualifies the U.S. for the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Azerbaijan. A loss would relegate the team to the third-place match, where the winner of that game would earn the third and final CONCACAF berth to the World Cup.

U.S. forward Summer Green (pictured) has nine goals in the tournament through three games, already matching the U.S. record for a U-17 World Cup Qualifying stage set by forward Lindsey Horan at the 2010 CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship in Costa Rica. Green will have two more games to eclipse Horan’s mark starting in the semifinal against Panama

CONCACAF TV PROVIDING LIVE, FREE STREAM OF U-17 MATCHES: All the matches of the 2012 CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championships can be watched live on CONCACAF.com. Fans need to visit CONCACAF and follow the instructions to register for free. Fans can also follow the action on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker.

TOURNAMENT FORMAT: The 2012 CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship – the third one to be contested – features eight nations divided into two groups of four teams. The top two finishers in each group will qualify for the semifinals with the winners of those games earning berths to the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Azerbaijan. The winner of the third-place game will claim CONCACAF’s third and final berth at the WWC. Group A is comprised of host Guatemala, Canada, Panama and Jamaica. Group A kicked off the tournament on Wednesday, May 2, as Canada defeated Panama 6-0 and Jamaica defeated Guatemala 3-0.

The USA’s 2010 U-17 team was the first U.S. Women’s National Team that did not qualify for a Women’s World Cup when it fell in penalty kicks to Canada in the semifinal match. Amazingly, the U.S. team failed to qualify despite outscoring its opponents 38-0 during the tournament and lost its World Cup dreams based on one missed penalty kick. This group of U-17s is well aware of the drama of two years ago and will be working hard not to repeat it.

All the matches will be played on an artificial surface at the Estadio Cementos Progreso, home to popular Guatemala professional side C.S.D. Comunicaciones. Read more on the team and the tournament at US Soccer.

The U.S. will open Group G play on July 25 – two days before the Olympic Opening Ceremonies – against France (5 p.m. local / 11 a.m. CT) at the famed Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland’s National Stadium. The USA will then face Colombia at Hampden Park on July 28 (5 p.m. local / 11 a.m. CT) and finish group play against Korea DPR on July 31 (5:15 p.m. local / 11:15 a.m. CT) at the legendary Old Trafford in Manchester, home to Manchester United. (2012 Olympics Schedule)

The USA’s draw pits the Americans against three teams it faced at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup and two teams it faced in group play in Colombia and Korea DPR. In Germany, the USA played Korea DPR first and now will face the Asian power in the group finale. Like in the Women’s World Cup, the USA will play Colombia second.

Read more at US Soccer

For the first time, Nike has taken a unified approach with the USA’s home kits, creating jerseys that feature the same design and concept for both teams. The American flag is utilized as the jersey’s inspiration, with a shirt that features horizontal red and white stripes and a blue crew neck collar. There is also a subtle tonal sash echoing the same design on the jerseys worn by the U.S. Men’s National Team when it famously defeated England in the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Pre-sale for the U.S. Men’s jersey starts online at 12:01 a.m. ET on Tuesday, April 17, and orders will be shipped starting on April 26. The new jersey will be available for purchase in stores on May 1. The U.S. Women’s jersey will be available starting on July 1.

The Kirin Challenge Cup features three of the current top-four teams in FIFA’s Women’s World Rankings. The U.S. is No. 1 just ahead of second-place Germany. Host Japan is ranked No. 3, and Brazil is ranked fourth ahead of Sweden. In the other Kirin matchup, Japan and Brazil square off at 7 a.m. ET on April 5 at Homes Stadium in Kobe, Japan.

The roster includes St Louis native Becky Sauerbrunn (#4) on defense. The US is 0-2 against the Japanese in the last two games, including the Women’s World Cup Final and more recently, a 0-1 loss at the Algarve Cup in Portugal on March 5th. They followed that loss with a 4-0 win over the #4 FIFA-ranked Swedes (darn it says Ole Olson).

The network’s live exclusive English-language coverage of the U.S. Women’s National Team matches includes all the group games and a semifinal should the Americans advance from group play. The tournament’s championship game will be broadcast live on the NBC Sports Network with a re-air on Universal Sports Network.

Along with airing all the U.S. matches, Universal Sports Network will provide free online video streaming at UniversalSports.com. CONCACAF.com will also web-stream all the matches live.

Schedule
Jan. 20, 9:30 p.m. CT – Dominican Republic vs. USA
Jan. 22, 6:30 p.m. CT – USA vs. Guatemala
Jan. 24, 9:30 p.m. CT – USA vs. Mexico
Jan. 27 - Semifinal TBD
Jan. 29, 7:00 p.m CT – Final, Live on NBCSN
Jan. 29, 10:00 p.m. CT – Final (Delayed re-air)

The eight-team competition runs from Jan. 19-29 with the top two finishers advancing to participate in the 2012 London Olympics.

Calling the network’s tournament coverage will be Glenn Davis, voice of two World Cups and part of NBC’s coverage of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, and two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time FIFA World Cup champion Brandi Chastain.

In addition, Universal Sports Network will offer studio coverage with a pre-game, halftime and post-game report, which will feature interviews with members of the U.S. Women’s National Team.

“We look forward to showcasing this exciting event across multiple platforms and featuring the U.S. Women’s National Team, who have the well-earned reputation as one of the most dominating teams in international soccer,” said David Sternberg, CEO of Universal Sports. “As momentum builds to the 2012 Olympic Games in London, the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying tournaments are yet another example of our high-caliber, world class programming that adds to the value of Universal Sports Network.”

Universal Sports Network will also have exclusive English-language telecasts of the 2012 CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying tournament, which takes places March 22-April 2. The opening rounds will be played in Carson, Calif., and Nashville, Tenn., with the semifinals and final taking place at the new LIVESTRONG Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas. Telemundo will provide Spanish-language television coverage of the tournaments in the U.S.

Contrast that to the game Friday night at the Home Depot Center where at best it was half-full and of those that were there, many were supporting the visitors.  10 years later, much has changed for American soccer fans.  We have unprecedented coverage of games on ESPN, with great production and announcers.  Soccer news is all over the Internet and even appears on SportsCenter and other mainstream media outlets.  When the US National Team plays, twitter is abuzz about the game.  Yet despite unprecedented coverage, people in Southern California refuse to attend, or better yet support our National Team.

Why US Soccer continues to put games in LA is baffling.  If they were short of funds, you could understand playing Mexico at the Rose Bowl or Coliseum would make sense from a financial standpoint.  But playing these games, in a half-full Home Depot Center makes no sense when there is demand for these games in other cities.  They could make more money and have a much friendlier crowd in pretty much every other city in the country.  Yet games are played at the Home Depot Center with tiny crowds and marginal support.

There are so many better candidates to host the National Team.  Portalnd sells out their stadium and gets larger crowds then what US Soccer got in LA for reserve team matches.  Seattle can always pull in a large Pro-American crowd.  Kansas City has the nicest stadium in the country, and has one of the largest supporters groups, American Outlaws Kansas City.  It is also close to other large American Outlaw groups that travel well from Des Moines and Omaha.

Although the result didn’t matter last night, in a year’s time the US will begin qualifying for the World Cup.  It is time to play games only in places where we can have a large Pro-American crowd and sell out the stadium.  Kansas City provided a great atmosphere 10 years ago and did it again last summer.  If US Soccer were smart, it would set up shop in KC.

Klinsmann is one of the greatest strikers to ever play the game and someone the players can look up to.   No past National Team coach in recent memory has had the playing career or experience that Klinsmann had.  He won the World Cup with West Germany in 1990, and at a minimum, our young strikers Jozy Altidore, Juan Agudelo, and Teal Bunbury should improve under his tutelage.   All 3 of these players are very young, a little raw, but with a lot of physical ability.  We’ve never had a world-class striker on our roster, and while the three players named above may never have the technical skill to develop into one, they can become great players under Klinsmann’s guidance.  With his accomplishments as a player, it will give him instant credibility with the current team.

He has also had a lot of success as a coach, leading Germany to a 3^rd place finish at the 2006 World Cup.  Following a disappointing Euro 2004, Germany named Klinsmann their head coach. The Germans had an aging squad, and needed to interject new players and new tactics.  Klinsmann elevated many young players into the starting line-up and also had the team play an attacking style.  The team played with an attacking flare that up to that point had rarely been seen from German teams.  This is very similar to the challenge facing him today with the US.

With the job openings at the Youth National Team Level, Klinsmann will have the opportunity to shape US Soccer for the considerable future.  Because of a pretty fortunate draw in World Cup Qualifying, Klinsmann will have at least the next 18 months to experiment with new young players and tactics without risking progression to the final round of qualifying.  It will be exciting to see who is brought into the team.  The goal should be bringing in players that can start in 2014, not necessarily the best players at the moment.

The turnaround will not be overnight and there will be a lot of growing pains in the future but finally US Soccer has shown a commitment to someone who has a vision for developing a world-class program.  For the first time in a year, there is excitement surrounding the future of the National Team, something Bradley could not do.  Hopefully, the hiring of Klinsmann is not 5 years too late.

The US National Team is facing a critical period and a possible loss in identity. After being the undisputed kings of Concacaf for the majority of the last decade, Mexico has knocked us off our perch. With stronger competition for World Cup qualification, the path to Brazil will be incredibly difficult. To qualify, we must develop new young players that are capable of developing into reliable contributing members of the national team. The biggest question facing US Soccer is whether or not Bob Bradley is the right man to lead us to Brazil 2014? Past history tells us to question the decision making of the USSF.

Following a break through World Cup in South Korea/Japan 2002, where the team was a bad call away from a semi-final date with South Korea, the USSF decided to retain coach Bruce Arena. At the time, it seemed to be a good decision. Reward the man that took your team to new heights. But in hindsight, a change was needed, as the team did not improve in the four-year cycle between World Cups and was poorly prepared for Germany 2006. As any coach can tell you, if you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse. Now, the USSF is making the same mistake.

Other countries often limit their coaches’ tenure to one cycle. Of the 32 teams that qualified for South Africa, only 12 coaches are still leading their teams today. By the time European and South American qualifiers begin, the number will be further reduced. Many teams out of principle change coaches just so someone fresh takes a look at their player pool and stirs it up a little bit. The new coach does not have the same loyalties to the squad as the previous one. A new coach often drops players that are getting too old, that have underperformed, and has the ability to bring younger or otherwise overlooked players into the team. While many cite the US has a model of stability, it alternatively shows that we are unable to make difficult decisions and unwilling to pay a top tier coach and give him the control required to take our team to new heights.

Looking back at recent competitive results (Confederation’s Cup, World Cup, 2011 Gold Cup) Bradley supporters will point to reaching the final of two of those competitions, and being group winners at the World Cup. But when individual games are analyzed, the team has underperformed in the vast majority of them. Consistently falling behind early, and often times relying on the ability to comeback; the team has rarely played from a position of strength. When a team consistently gives up early goals, the team is not prepared to play. The coach is picking the wrong players to start, or is putting players in the wrong position. All of those issues are Bradley’s responsibility, and our team does not have the talent to overcome those deficiencies against top competition.

At the Confederations Cup, the US was beaten convincingly by Italy, destroyed by Brazil the first time, blew a two goal halftime lead in the final to Brazil the second time, and beat Spain in a game where we were outshot 29 to 9. Considering the Spanish firepower and past record, that result was reminiscent of the Miracle on Ice. If the US had not found a way to hold on against Spain, the tournament would have been a complete disaster.

At the 2010 World Cup, the US was about a minute away from failing to get out of the easiest group at the tournament. It was the latest goal scored for a team to clinch qualification to the second round in the history of the World Cup. The reward for that late goal was top spot in our group and a game with Ghana to go to the quarterfinals. What has come to be expected, the concession of an early goal, finally caught up with the US, as we conceded early in the first half and almost immediately after extra time started. The first goal was especially painful, as Bradley had unexpectedly inserted Ricardo Clark into the line up and his error led to the goal. Bradley then replaced Clark in the first half, using one of three available substitutes to correct his error. It is rare to see a coach make a tactical sub in the first half, probably because most of them pick the right players to start the game in the first place. Having to use a sub early, we were left without a substation late in extra time when we were losing. With many established teams already eliminated, South Africa presented an opportunity for a deep run to at least the semi-finals, but Bradley squandered it.

The Gold Cup completed this summer was a complete roller coaster. While the US made the final as expected, two embarrassing loses show that a change at head coach is needed now. I’m not going to waste your time talking about the Panama loss. We shouldn’t lose to Panama at home in anything. Period. The game against Mexico was a microcosm of the problem with Bradley. He inserted Jonathan Bornstein into the game, and moments later a 2-0 lead evaporated in the hot California sun. How Bornstein was even picked to be part of the team is worthy of an investigation, as he has done nothing to warrant to selection. But Bornstein played for Bradley at Chivas and has continually been given chances only to cost the team each time he plays. The result was a humiliating loss that cost the US a major championship and the chance to play at the next Confederations Cup.

Looking ahead, the US is going to face a difficult road in World Cup qualifying. Mexico is strong, and getting better. Honduras and Costa Rica are very competitive sides, capable of winning here and even in past years were tough road trips. Jamaica and Panama are vastly improved. A home loss, like the one to Panama, could doom qualification for the next World Cup. The time is now to make a change; we can’t afford to stand still.

World Cup Watch Party at Farmers Gastropub by James Radke

Pre-game broadcast begins at 1:00 pm. Kick-off is scheduled for 1:45 pm.

The US defeated Japan twice in exhibition matches in May, played on the East Coast. University of Illinois head coach Janet Rayfield scouted those games and put together the following Match Analysis of those games. Will we achieve a similar result Sunday? Share the excitement with us at Farmers!

By the way, did you hear the team won Best Play at the Espy’s?

CHICAGO (July 14, 2011) – The U.S. Women’s National Team woke up in Germany this morning to the news that they won Best Play at the ESPY Awards on Wednesday night for Abby Wambach’s header in the second minute of stoppage time in the second and final 15-minute overtime period of the FIFA Women’s World Cup quarterfinal against Brazil. Wambach’s dramatic goal, the latest in Women’s World Cup history, forced the match into penalty kicks, where the U.S. went on to win the penalty shootout and earn a place in the semifinal against France.

Join us for brunch at Farmers Gastropub for the USA vs France match on Wednesday morning. Bill Griffiths is opening at 10am in time for the pre-game show. Kickoff is at 10:30 am.

Here are some stories about the team and the game. I’ll update this list as more pop up.

Women’s World Cup a Great Cultural Display of Football

Great story with key points for any coach IMO – Time To Give Pia Sundhage Some Credit

Did you know Rapinoe has had 2 ACL injuries on her left leg, the one she hit that great cross with? World Cup Squad Injury Count

Even a conservative who called soccer a ‘sissy game’ can come to love the beautiful game – When Team Spirit Becomes The American Spirit

And, closing with Dan Loney and his inimitable look at the tournament – Its the Terror of knowing what the Women’s World Cup is about