Looking back at the last four years there have been quite a few highlights, here are some of the memorable moments:

• U.S. qualifies for the World Cup by defeating Honduras in San Pedro Sula:

• U.S. starts the Final Round of World Cup qualifying with a victory against Mexico:

• U.S. beats Spain in the semifinals of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.
• Benny Feilhaber's wonder goal defeats Mexico in the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final.

• Clint Dempsey's goal against England as the USA battles to a 1-1 draw.

• MNT defeats Algeria with Landon Donovan's last minute strike. You may remember this one:

U.S. Soccer has agreed to a contract extension with U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bob Bradley.  The agreement with Bradley, who guided the U.S. team to numerous achievements including finishing in first place in their group at the 2010 FIFA World Cup for the first time in 80 years, will keep him at the helm through the end of 2014.
 

The 52-year-old Bradley has compiled a record of 38-20-8 in four years in charge of the U.S. team.  After winning the 2007 Gold Cup, the regional championship of CONCACAF, he led the United States to their first final of a major FIFA tournament, reaching the championship match of the 2009 Confederations Cup after a 2-0 victory against No. 1-ranked and current World Cup champions Spain in the semifinal. 

 

Prior to the team’s run in South Africa, Bradley marshaled the U.S. to a first place finish in CONCACAF qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup ahead of regional rivals Mexico.

 

Since the start of the four-year cycle, the U.S.:

• Won its group at the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1930 (that's 80 years ago), and for the first time ever in a four-team group.
• Earned the first point and win for the U.S. in the third group game at the World Cup in eight tries by defeating Algeria.
• Went unbeaten in group play during a World Cup for the first time ever, earning a 1-0-2 record.
• Produced the best finish ever at a FIFA tournament, finishing second at the FIFA Confederations Cup.
  Posted 1-1-1 record against No. 1-ranked teams, including a semifinal upset of Spain at the FIFA Confederations Cup, ending a 35 match unbeaten run for the Spaniards
• Only one of two teams to beat Spain since November of 2006
• Won the CONCACAF Gold Cup title in 2007 to qualify for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.
• Finished in first place in CONCACAF qualifying, collecting the most road wins of any team in the region during the campaign while going unbeaten at home in nine matches.
• Scored the most goals (42) of any team in the world in 2010 World Cup qualifying
• Won six straight FIFA World Cup qualifiers in a row in 2008, a new team record (June 15-Oct. 15).
• Posted the team’s best scoring and defending marks in a year with more than 10 games, scoring a record 2.14 goals per 90 minutes while allowing just .57 goals per 90 minutes in 2008
• Won by the largest margin of victory in U.S. World Cup qualifying history (8-0 vs. Barbados on June 15, 2008).
• Won three straight matches on the road for the first time in team history (Oct. 17, 2007 @ Switzerland, Nov. 17, 2007 @ South Africa and March 26, 2008 @ Poland).
• Played seven matches against four teams ranked in the top five in the world at the time they stepped on the field against them (Argentina, Brazil-3, Italy, Spain-2).

 

U.S. Mens' National Team midfielder DaMarcus Beasley has signed with Hannover 96 of the German Bundesliga. The three-time World Cup veteran will join Steve Cherundolo at the club. Beasley will now play for his fourth club in Europe, after PSV, Manchester City and Rangers.

The European leagues got in a full slate of action before taking a break for Euro qualifiers:

• Michael Bradley played the full 90 minutes of Borussia Mönchengladbach's impressive 6-3 win against Bayer Leverkusen. HIGHLIGHTS
• Jermaine Jones was on the scoresheet but Steve Cherundolo and Hannover were 2-1 winners in a Bundesliga encounter. HIGHLIGHTS
• In England, Fulham continued their unbeaten start to the Premier League season. Clint Dempsey was a substitute in an eventful second half as the Cottagers drew 2-2 with Blackpool.
• Who's that in fifth place in the Premier League? OH HAI, it's Bolton Wanderers with a win and two draws. Stuart Holden and Bolton battled back from a man down and two goals down to snatch a 2-2 draw with Birmingham. So far an excellent start to the season for Owen Coyle's team. BRIEF HIGHLIGHTS
• Former MNT goalkeeper Brad Friedel came out on top of a U.S. 'keeper battle on Sunday, with Aston Villa defeating Tim Howard and Everton 1-0. 
• Benny Feilhaber got an assist in AGF Aarhus' 3-1 win against FC Vestsjælland. Feilhaber crossed for hat-trick hero David Devdariani's third goal. HIGHLIGHTS
• Things are a bit topsy-turvy in the French league this year. Glance at the table and you won't see names who occupied those top spots in recent years. Carlos Bocanegra's St. Etienne is in fifth place after a 3-1 win this past weekend.
• The European leagues take an international break now, with qualifiers for Euro 2010 commencing next weekend.

After two opening losses, West Ham released the pressure valve ever-so-slightly with a midweek win against Oxford Utd. in the league cup. Things are about to get tougher with the Hammers traveling north to Old Trafford to face Manchester United. It's a return to the Red Devils for Jonathan Spector, who signed for the club in 2003. Spector featured at left-back during the win on Wednesday. The game can be seen live on Fox Soccer Channel at 12:30 ET on Saturday.

Also on Saturday, Clint Dempsey and Fulham travel to Blackpool for the first top-flight match at Bloomfield Road in 39 years. Fulham hammered Port Vale in the League Cup this week, with Dempsey grabbing a goal in the rout.

On Sunday, Tim Howard and Everton travel to Villa Park to meet Aston Villa while Stuart Holden and Bolton play host to Birmingham.

In Germany the season is picking up speed: Ricardo Clark and Eintracht Frankfurt meet Hamburg,  Steve Cherundolo and Hannover face Jermaine Jones and Schalke. You can see that match live on ESPN3.com from 9:30 ET. On Sunday, Michael Bradley and Borussia Mönchengladbach host Bayer Leverkusen.

Other Fixtures:
- Serie A commences this weekend, with Oguchi Onyewu and AC Milan hosting Lecce on Sunday.
- Carlos Bocanegra and St. Etienne meet Lens on Saturday - http://soccernet.espn.go.com/preview?id=295026&cc=5901
- Sacha Kljestan and Anderlecht face Zulte Waregem on Saturday
- José Torres and Herculez Gomez could feature as Pachuca take on Puebla on Sunday.

• Germany's Bundesliga got underway this weekend. Michael Bradley played 90 minutes in Borussia Mönchengladbach's 1-1 draw with Nurnburg. Steve Cherundolo captained Hannover to a 2-1 victory against Eintracht Frankfurt while Jermaine Jones featured in Schalke's 2-1 loss to Hamburg.
• Sacha Kljestan scored the first goal in Anderlecht's 3-0 win against Lokeren:
• In England, Clint Dempsey started Fulham's 2-2 draw with Manchester Utd (HIGHLIGHTS), Stuart Holden played the full game in Bolton's 3-1 win against West Ham Utd., and Tim Howard and Marcus Hahnemann battled to a stalemate as Everton drew 1-1 with Wolves.
• José Torres and Herculez Gomez played in Pachuca's 2-2 draw with Monterrey:
• Maurice Edu helped Rangers continue their unbeaten start to the season by playing 90 minutes in the 3-0 victory against Hibernian.

Things are picking up in Europe, here are some highlights from across the Atlantic:

• Michael Bradley scored in Borussia Mönchengladbach's cup win this weekend. Bradley grabbed the first goal of a 3-1 victory against lower division side FC Erzgebirge Aue.

• Stuart Holden played 90 minutes in Bolton's 0-0 draw with Fulham. Clint Dempsey came on as a late sub in the first game of the Premier League season for both teams (HIGHLIGHTS). Tim Howard was also in action as Everton fell 1-0 to Blackburn.
• Rangers began their title defense in Scotland with a 2-1 victory against Kilmarnock. Maurice Edu played the full 90 minutes in the win.

First game for the U.S. team after the excitement of the 2010 FIFA World Cup - check.

70,000 plus expected at New Meadowlands Stadium in showcase event - check.

Match against five-time World Champions Brazil - check.

Official U.S. Soccer Bars ready to rock in prime time - you know it.

Across the country, fans new and old of the U.S. National Team will be gathering to celebrate the team's return to action after the fantastic summer in South Africa.  Folks in our backyard who can't quite get to the stadium can watch at Mulligans on First in Hoboken or Nevada Smiths in NYC.  And there's plenty of other watering holes around the United States who are gearing up for tonight's first-class encounter.  If you haven't had the experience yet, there's no better time to join the growing legion of supporters who gather to cheer on the MNT.

Several players on the roster have roots in the Garden State, and you know what that means - ticket requests galore!

Jozy Altidore - Born in Livingston, he began his professional career with New York Red Bulls in 2006 and played two seasons before being transferred to Villarreal in Spain for a U.S. record $10 million transfer fee

Alejandro Bedoya - Born in Englewood

Michael Bradley - Born in Princeton

Tim Howard - Born and raised in North Brunswick, he joined the MetroStars at age 17 and in 2001 earned MLS Goalkeeper of the Year honors before transfering to Manchester United in 2003

Sacha Kljestan - spent three seasons at Seton Hall, earning NCAA First Team All-America honors in 2004

And of course there's U.S. head coach Bob Bradley, born and raised in Montclair and both a student, player and coach at Princeton University
 

Get yourself ready to discuss all the inside info on tonight's contest by studying up on the game notes.  Here's a quick cheat sheet:

• The U.S. will be playing its first match at the New Meadowlands Stadium. With seating for soccer set at 75,000, the new venue is one of 18 included in the USA’s bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2018 or 2022. 
• The U.S. is 1-14-0 lifetime against Brazil.  The lone victory came in the semifinal of the 1998 Gold Cup, a 1-0 win on a goal by Preki Radosavljevic, who today gets inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
• Fifteen players on the U.S. roster were part of 23-man group at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. 
• Twelve of the 15 players saw action in South Africa. Ten got at least one start and five players played every minute: Carlos Bocanegra, Michael Bradley, Steve Cherundolo, Landon Donovan and Tim Howard. 
• Eight players on the U.S. roster appeared in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup final against Brazil, including six starters. Donovan’s spectacular goal put the U.S. up 2-0 in the first half, only to see the Brazilians come roaring back to capture a 3-2 win. The U.S. players on the field that day (starters in bold): Howard, Jonathan Spector, Bocanegra, Donovan, Benny Feilhaber, Bornstein, Altidore, Sacha Kljestan. Read the ussoccer.com review of the dramatic final. 

Tonight's U.S. team jerseys will have another element to their already impressive design, as each will be branded with game-specific information.

If it can make it here, it can make it anywhere ...

The new Nike Total 90 Tracer ball makes it U.S. National Team debut tonight at the New Meadowlands.  Designed for unrivalled consistency, accuracy, touch and visual acuity, the ball delivers superior playing benefits for players at every level. Nike worked closely with the leagues, with the national teams of Portugal and the United States, and in confederation matches throughout South America and Asia. The Nike design team spent 18 months testing the T90 Tracer Ball at the Nike Equipment Innovation Test Lab in Portland, Oregon. The result is the Total 90 Tracer, which delivers enhanced consistency, accuracy, touch and visual science.

The Total 90 Tracer will also debut in August in the world’s leading leagues including the English Premier League, Italy’s Serie A, and Spain’s La Liga.

The U.S. team held its sole training session tonight at the New Meadowlands Stadium, testing out the turf for 75  minutes before tomorrow night's match against Brazil.  The grass was installed over two days at the end of last week. 

The training activity itself was standard fare, with a long warm-up, passing, an 8 v. 8 possession game, and crossing and finishing.  Post-training interviews were conducted in five languages, Benny Feilhaber drawing a small crowd as a native of Brazil.  French, Spanish, English and German were also being exchanged, and as the U.S. team departed, the Brazilian team passed in the hallway.

More than 65,000 tickets have been sold as of the evening, which means tomorrow night will be rocking...

U.S. Soccer - and Landon Donovan - have asked fans to submit their favorite memory from the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and there have been some pretty incredible responses.

Check out the video and text messages, and then add your own. (we still get goose bumps every time we hear the goal call from legendary broadcaster Andres Cantor...).

Ten of the U.S. players got a distinct view of the New York City skyline this morning when they were hosted at the Empire State Building.  After being escorted through the private entrance and taking three different elevators  - there are only two that go up to the 86th floor, as we learned on the tour - the players took photos and did interviews from the 86th Floor Observatory.  The view got even more spectacular from the VIP area on the 103rd floor, which isn't open to the public.  It took no small amount of courage to step out onto the deck up there, especially since there is no railing, and let's be honest: it's a long way down. Recognized as soon as they walked in, the players signed autographs and took pictures, and even managed a kick-around with a kid waiting in line for the elevator...




The group displaying the new Nike ball from the 86th Floor Observatory




Maurice Edu and Robbie Findley on the 103rd Floor.  Mo didn't move much.





Benny Feilhaber hanging out - and hanging on ...




Jonny Bornstein on the 86th Floor

New Brazil manager Mano Menezes has named his first squad as coach of the national team. Menezes will bring 24 players to New Jersey for the Aug. 10 friendly against the United States, including four players who were part of Brazil's 2010 FIFA World Cup squad. Robinho, Ramires, Dani Alves and Thiago Silva were all part of Dunga's team which was elminated by the Netherlands in the quarterfinals of the competition this past summer. Menezes has also included some exciting players who weren't on the World Cup roster, including young talents Neymar and AC Milan midfielder Alexandre Pato. Defender Rafael da Silva, who is currently in the U.S. as part of Manchester United's pre-season tour, will also be a part of the squad. Tickets for the game at New Meadowlands Stadium are still available and stay tuned for the U.S. roster as we start to move closer to gameday early next month.           

Brazil National Team Roster by Position
GOALKEEPERS (3):  Jeferson (Botafogo), Renan (Avaí), Victor (Gremio),
DEFENDERS (8): André Santos (Fenerbahçe), Daniel Alves (Barcelona), David Luís (Benfica), Henrique (Racing Santander), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Rafael (Manchester Utd.), Rever (Atlético Mineiro), Thiago Silva (AC Milan)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Carlos Eduardo (Hoffenheim), Ederson (Lyon), Hernanes (São Paulo), Jucilei (Corinthians), Lucas (Liverpool), Paulo Henrique Ganso (Santos), Ramires (Benfica), Sandro (Internacional)
FORWARDS (5):  Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), André (Santos), Diego Tardelli (Atlético Mineiro), Neymar (Santos), Robinho (Santos)

The MNT took home the ESPY for Best Moment at last night's award show in Los Angeles. Nine members of the World Cup team - Landon Donovan, Jozy Altidore, Carlos Bocanegra, Jonathan Bornstein, Edson Buddle, Steve Cherundolo, Maurice Edu, Benny Feilhaber and Stuart Holden - got on stage to accept the award. Check out the videos below...
Shorter clip of the guys accepting the award:


The long version, with all the nominees:


Donovan also picked up awards for the Castrol Performance Under Pressure and the Best MLS Player.

The USA has moved up a spot in the latest FIFA World Rankings and now sits at 13th. The top two are as you'd expect, with Spain and Netherlands. England has also moved up a place to 7th. Here's the top 10:

1. Spain
2. Netherlands
3. Brazil
4. Germany
5. Argentina
6. Uruguay
7. England
8. Portugal
9. Egypt
10. Chile
13. USA

Other big movers included Italy, who dropped six places to 11th, and France, who fell 12 places to 21st. The USA is the highest ranked team in CONCACAF, with Mexico ranked 24th and Honduras ranked 46th.

Southern California natives Carlos Bocanegra and Landon Donovan are back home these days. Carlos is enjoying a vacation period before his season in France starts up while Landon is in the midst of the MLS season with the MLS galaxy. Both MNT players were seen on the baseball diamond this past week as they threw out the first pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Up first was Carlos who attended the game on July 8. He threw the first pitch to his Dad and in the 7th inning went to the Spanish broadcast booth to pitcher Fernando Vuvuzela. Sorry, that's legendary Dodger pitcher Fernando Valenzuela. Carlos and his family took in the game from the Dugout club and got to check out a Dodger win!


Carlos preps in the Dodgers dugout


Excellent form!


Carlos plus star catcher, Dad.

On July 11 Landon Donovan took the mound, throwing out the first pitch for another Dodger win...ussoccer.com will have a video of this one so stay tuned.



First Pitch!



Landon also met actress/singer-songwriter Demi Lovato!



"It's time for Dodger baseball!"