Bradley names eight MLS players to US roster

United States national team coach Bob Bradley has named a 20-man roster ahead of Wednesday's opening final round FIFA World Cup qualifier against rival Mexico at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

Among those selected are 18 players who participated in the first two rounds of CONCACAF qualifying last year and eight Major League Soccer-based players. The defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew have two players on the roster -- veteran fullback Frankie Hejduk, who is in his fourth qualifying cycle and has eight career caps against Mexico, and midfielder Robbie Rogers, one of six 2008 Olympians on the roster.

The Houston Dynamo also have a pair of players on Bradley's 20-man roster. Joining holding midfielder Ricardo Clark is striker Brian Ching, who scored four goals through the first two rounds of 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying.

Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan, who became only the second player in U.S. history to score his first three goals in the same game when the U.S. collected a 3-2 win against Sweden on Jan. 24 at The Home Depot Center, joins teammate Jonathan Bornstein, who is in search of his 15th cap.

Toronto FC speedster Marvell Wynne is the third MLS-based defender on the roster. Los Angeles Galaxy forward Landon Donovan, currently on loan with Bayern Munich of the German Bundesliga, is the leading capwinner on the roster with 105 international appearances. He has scored four goals against Mexico, including the second goal in a 2-0 win that sent the U.S. into the quarterfinals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

The remaining 12 players are European-based, many with close ties to Major League Soccer. Brad Guzan (Aston Villa) and Tim Howard (Everton FC) from the English Premiership are the goalkeepers of choice for Bradley. U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes, France) joins Danny Califf (FC Midtjylland, Norway), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock, Germany) and Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege, Belgium) join Hejduk, Bocanegra and Wynne in the back.

DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers), Michael Bradley (Borussia Mцnchengladbach) and Jose Francisco Torres of Pachuca are the other midfielders and joining Ching and Donovan up front are Jozy Altidore, who is on loan from Villarreal to Xerex CD in Spain, Charlie Davies of Hammarby IF (Sweden) and Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC).

The U.S. has a 3-0-2 record in qualifying and an unbeaten 4-0-3 all-time record at Crew Stadium, including a 2-0 win against El Tri that officially booked their place for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

Osorio rests Angel with eye on season

BRADENTON, Fla. -- New York Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio has made a bold decision in February that could very well affect the fortunes of the club this summer and beyond.

Osorio has decided to keep star striker Juan Pablo Angel away from the Florida part of preseason training camp to ensure the former Colombian international has a full, productive MLS season.

Angel, whose back problems early last year almost shelved him for the season, has remained home in New Jersey working out on his own with a personal trainer.

"What I said to the other players is, basically, we're giving Juan and everybody else to not only to have a good start of the season, but a good season," Osorio said. "Last year Juan struggled at the beginning and we also struggled as a team. Now I have a better [idea] of what we need to do.

"We are trying to assess everybody individually and try to decide what is the best thing for each player to be doing. At the moment Juan is OK on what he is doing."

Asked how Angel took the decision, Osorio replied: "He's pleased with that. He has been working with his special trainer on specific things that we believe and he certainly believes is going to make him a better player athlete and hopefully a better footballer."

Last season Angel got off to a horrendous start, finding the back of the net just twice early on before rebounding with 12 goals in a 14-game stretch. He finished with 14 goals. Combined with his stellar 19-goal performance in 2007, Angel has scored more goals (33) than any other player over the past two seasons.

"Now I have a better [idea] of what we need to do," Osorio said. "That has been the case not just for Juan. that has been the case also for Jorge Rojas. By the way, he looks very sharp, very good. He had the benefit of doing some training in Venezuela."

Without Angel, the Red Bulls still scored four goals Saturday in their second scrimmage of the preseason, playing to a 4-4 draw with the Kansas City Wizards.

Their first scrimmage on Wednesday did not go as planned as the Red Bulls dropped a 1-0 decision to the U.S. under-17 national team. Now before anyone says that Osorio should be fired, it should be noted that only three starters from the Red Bulls' MLS Cup team played in the match -- goalkeeper Danny Cepero and defenders Kevin Goldthwaite and Carlos Mendes. Osorio was more than concerned about individual performances than team results in the team's first competitive match of the season.

Translated: No key attacking players such as Dane Richards, Dominic Oduro and Angel played as much as a single second.

Osorio looked at 22 players -- 11 in each half.

"At this particular time I am honestly ... assessing the players that we are not sure we are going to keep," he said. "We all know the limitations, the amount of players we can have on the squad, the roster."

Teams will be allowed to keep 24 players, compared to 28 last season.

"With that in mind, there are 10 players we know for sure that will be here," he said. "We have to make the decisions on the other players. That's why we gave them a chance to play 45 minutes. The score is not an issue for me at the moment. I will grade those players and will have a conversation with the other coaching members and then start making decisions."

Osorio admitted he was not happy with the Red Bulls finishing ability in that opening game. They dominated the game, but could not find the back of the net.

"We had plenty of chances [Wednesday], 10 good chances," he said. "I am looking for the guys who can score and today we failed to do that. That is a minus for the forwards and the offensive players."

But at this juncture, that is not necessarily Osorio's top priority.

"There are other things that I was interested in looking at," he said. "There are two or three good performances today. So I will rather keep that in mind rather than in all the chances that we missed." One good performance was by first-round draft pick and midfielder Jeremy Hall, who ran up and down the field, playing well both sides of the ball.

"Jeremy looks good," Osorio said, without elaborating. "The back looks OK. We have to work more in different things. In general it's good to do this. I personally feel I have better facts for my final decision."

Osorio gave some quick assessments about the trialists practicing with the team during preseason camp:

Saja Leigh, Ghana, defensive midfielder who played in the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in 2005: "A player that was recommended to us from a good coach [who is] a good friend of Des [McAleenan, goalkeeping coach]. He does his coaching in the Middle East. Recommended Saja as a good defensive midfielder. I can see he is a good player, gets good tackles in and regains possessions and can hit the ball quite well."

Ryan Mirsky, Southern Methodist University defender: "We identified him at the combine. Good in the air as as a center back. Right-footed. Again a good competitive player."

Tom Parrett, former Queen of the South defender: "Right fullback in Scotland. Has some experience. He is aggressive, strong and good in the tackle, too."

Juan Manuel, midfielder: "Left-sided midfielder ... strong winger. Played in Hungary last season. FC Tatabanya (coached by former MetroStars coach Octavio Zambrano). Mexican-American. Good ability on the ball. Quick. Sort of like a sharp player."

Carlos Gutierrez, Colombian midfielder: "Just doing preseason with us. Played in Colombia. Experienced player. Midfielder. hard-working player. Has won a few titles with Nacional in Colombia. Good utility player.

Jerry Saintil, Seton Hall defender-midfielder: "Left-footed. Can play as an anchor man. Can play as a defensive midfielder. we are looking at him as a possible left back. We are in the early days of discovering him, putting him through certain sessions and see if he can play in that position."

Lionel Saint-Preux, a forward who played for Haiti during World Cup qualifying and scored two goals Saturday in the draw with K.C.: "I spotted him on that Caribbean tournament [Digicel Cup in Jamaica] after that season was over. Haitian national team. Good striker. Quite aware what is around about him. Quick feet. Strong, good ability on the ball."

Nico Colaluca, former Colorado Rapids midfielder: "Richie [Williams, assistant coach] recommended him. Richie had seen enough of him. Wide player on the right side. Short quick and good ability on the ball."

Mohammed Mashriqi, Long Island University midfielder: "According to some people in the New York area, good talented player that for some reason never made it. We're giving him a chance. He has good ability on the ball. He's almost like a playmaker."

Weaver adds aerial dimension to Quakes' attack

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- When Cam Weaver signed with the San Jose Earthquakes last week, not only did he think he was exchanging the white jersey of former club FK Haugesund for Earthquake black-and-blue, but he also thought he was trading Norway's inclement weather for some California sunshine.

But on Weaver's first two days with the Quakes, a steady, cold rain fell, reminding him just a bit of Scandinavia -- in summer.

"The weather [in Norway] is not something I'll miss, but maybe I brought a little bit of it with me," said Weaver with a chuckle. "The guys were telling me that it was quite a bit warmer and sunnier the week before I came."

Yet the dreary conditions did little to dampen the enthusiasm over Weaver's arrival. The Quakes' primary objective this offseason was to add more size and strength to the team, and with the 6-foot-4 Weaver now officially in the San Jose fold, manager Frank Yallop was feeling more optimistic about the state of his attack.

"[Weaver] has got a mobility to him, and he really adds to what we're trying to do," said Yallop. "Getting some sort of target man, I've made no bones about it. I like that, at least as an option for us."

Weaver has taken a circuitous path to MLS. Back in 2006, he scored 18 goals in 27 matches for the Seattle Sounders of the USL First Division. At that point, several MLS teams came calling, but when the offer from Haugesund came, it was one that Weaver felt he couldn't pass up. While the Norwegian second division certainly doesn't qualify as one of the glamour leagues of Europe, Weaver insists that his two seasons there, which saw him net 21 times in 51 league and cup appearances, did plenty for his growth as a player.

"You train a lot there, with not a lot of time off," said Weaver of his time in Norway. "It was good for me going from the USL, where the season was four months, to playing full time every day. That was a good change for me, to experience that and kind of learn how to be a professional, player training every day the entire year through.

"Also, to experience the atmosphere over there ... it's the No. 1 sport, and all of the attention is focused on that. It was good learning how to deal with that pressure and all of the stuff that comes with the game."

Given Weaver's size, it's tempting to think that there is little subtlety to his game. But in last Friday's training session, Weaver showed some considerable skill with his feet, dribbling out of some tight spaces with a defender draped all over him.

The display was reminiscent of Seattle forward Nate Jaqua, another big man with surprisingly good feet. When this similarity is mentioned to Weaver, a wry smile creased his face, as if he wasn't quite buying the comparison. Or perhaps it was a bit of pride at seeing his work in that area pay off.

"I do have quick feet, but it's also something I've struggled with and I'm always trying to improve all the time," said Weaver. "Foot speed is huge in soccer, obviously, but I'm not a guy who is constantly going to turn and go at a lot of defenders. I feel like I do have that ability when there is an opportunity, but I think I definitely like to play with my back towards goal, get the ball at my feet, hold off defenders, bring other guys into the game, and then get in the box."

That kind of presence was sorely lacking from the Quakes attack last year, when their offense was the worst in the league. Now with players like Darren Huckerby and Arturo Alvarez occupying the flanks, Weaver expects to be the guy to finish off much of what those two players create. If that comes to pass, San Jose fans can certainly expect some brighter days ahead.

Galaxy reach into past to help present

CARSON, Calif. -- Todd Dunivant said it's good to be back, although the circumstances have changed dramatically.

The veteran defender has returned to the Los Angeles Galaxy, where he helped the club win MLS Cup and the U.S. Open Cup in 2005 and played every minute of every game that season, after a trade on Tuesday with Toronto FC. He still has plenty of fond memories of his time spent in southern California, although he revisits a club that has fallen on hard times.

The Galaxy haven't made the postseason in each of the last three seasons, and Dunivant said that is unacceptable. The recovery starts, he said, not so much with new players -- there are at least 12 in training camp -- but with a new attitude.

"It's funny," said Dunivant, who turns 29 in December. "Every organization will go through something like that. There are always ups and downs in programs, even in professional sports. Obviously, it's a mind-set issue that needs to change. When I came on the Galaxy, it was championship or else. Now it's kind of the playoffs or else. The expectations are different, so we need to work on that."

Dunivant, who originally was drafted sixth overall in 2003 by San Jose and helped the Earthquakes win the MLS Cup as a rookie, was traded from the Galaxy midway through the 2006 season. He had just signed a new contract with the club and was expecting to be with the organization for some time when then-general manager Alexi Lalas -- who had just taken over for the late Doug Hamilton and also had traded Dunivant from the Earthquakes to Los Angeles when he was general manager in San Jose -- sent him to the New York Red Bulls in exchange for allocation money. Dunivant arrived on that scene just before Bruce Arena was named head coach in New York. Arena, however, then sent Dunivant to Toronto FC in June of 2007.

Arena, now head coach/general manager of the Galaxy, said he reacquired Dunivant because he fills a glaring need.

"He's an experienced left back in the league who has proven himself at a position where we've been fairly inexperienced," Arena said. "He's demonstrated he's a good, solid player who's obviously familiar with Los Angeles. And I feel he will be good in the locker room as well."

Dunivant still is recovering from microfracture surgery on his right ankle, which he broke last season and limited him to only nine games for Toronto, and hasn't been cleared for full training yet. But he is confident he can return by the time the regular season starts on March 22 against D.C. United.

"It's a six-month injury," Dunivant said. "I'm in the early stages of coming back. My recovery has gone great, and it's just a matter of getting fit and getting back in there with the guys. The good thing is we have a lot of time before the season starts."

In the meantime, he'll be more than happy to do what he can to help a team that is eager for improvement.

"I think I can offer a lot," he said. "I won a championship here, and I've won two championships in my career. This has been a little downturn for the Galaxy, but there's no question everyone has their sights set on making this club what it once was.

"We can't always look to the past, but we have such a storied history here it's hard not to aspire to those expectations again. It feels a bit like coming home again. It's good to be back and get this team going in the right direction again and be part of the Galaxy again."

Sidelined Franklin eager to return

CARSON, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Galaxy's Sean Franklin has been making his way around the lockerroom, meeting his new teammates and trying to get to know their names. There at least 12 of them he's had to learn.

Unfortunately, that's about all he can do.

Franklin can't kick a ball, run or jump and has been relegated to watching training camp from the sideline as he recovers from sports hernia surgery. Last year's MLS Rookie of the Year recently returned from Munich, Germany, where he underwent the hour-long procedure and admitted he's getting a little anxious to get back on the playing field.

But he knows better.

At this point he's confined to riding an exercise bicycle until he's cleared to start running. Franklin, who turns 24 in March, said he feels great, but he keeps telling himself to take things slowly. And that's the hard part.

"I mess around with the trainers all the time," he said. "I ask them to let me go out there and run, to let me do some stuff, but I know I can't. They're taking good care of me."

Franklin, the fourth overall pick in last year's SuperDraft out of Cal State Northridge, made 26 starts in 27 appearances in 2008 and was one of the few positive developments in an otherwise dreary Galaxy season. The 5-foot-10, 155-pounder, who played primarily at right back, was so impressive he was called up to the U.S. men's national team for a World Cup qualifier against Guatemala but did not play. He was in camp again last month with the national team for a recent friendly against Sweden, but it wasn't long before he started to feel pain in his lower abdomen.

Actually, the pain had been bothering him for some time, he said.

"It was an ongoing thing at the end of the season," he pointed out. "Then with the U.S. team in early January, I could tell it was getting worse. I went to doctors and told them everything, and I realized it was something serious."

He received an injection to relieve the discomfort, but it didn't help. His next option was surgery, which was performed just under two weeks ago.

Franklin thinks he'll be able to do some light running later this week and then what he called "straightforward stuff," but the ill-timed inactivity hasn't kept him from feeling confident he can be ready to go by the start of the regular season on March 22 against D.C. United.

He said he won't even try to go until "I feel it's 100 percent" and he can run without any pain. Franklin said he isn't worried that he's dropping behind as his teammates adjust to the first training camp under coach/general manager Bruce Arena.

"Do I feel left out? Not really," he said. "It hasn't bothered me. I don't feel like everyone else is going to be much farther along. I want everyone to do well and work hard, and when I get my chance to get back out there I'll work just as hard.

"At times it's frustrating, sure, because I do want to get out there. I want to run and I want to put on the spikes. I want to be with everybody, and hopefully I can pick up where I left off last year."

And if he can do little more at this point except listen and watch, so be it.

"All I want to do is get out there and play with the guys," he said. "But I know my time will come."

Backups see plenty of action for Fire

Chicago Fire coach Denis Hamlett entered training camp this year with an advantage over his peers. Barring injury, Hamlett will have his best XI from 2008 available for selection in 2009.

That doesn't mean the 2009 training camp in Bradenton, Fla., has been easy. For one thing, it has been unseasonably cold. "We tried to get away from the cold, but I think we brought it with us," Hamlett said.

Also, three of Hamlett's starters are with the U.S. national team training for the upcoming World Cup qualifying match against Mexico next week. Forward Chris Rolfe, midfielder John Thorrington and goalkeeper Jon Busch are with the senior team.

Defender Bakary Soumare, the 2008 MLS Defender of the Year, has joined his national team in Mali, and defender Gonzalo Segares is with his counterparts from Costa Rica. Marco Pappa returned this week from playing with the Guatemalan national team in the UNCAF Copa de Naciones.

So while Hamlett knows what he is going to have when the season starts, he doesn't have them with him now.

"It's always nice when you have a good core group coming back, but we don't have a lot of those guys back right now," Hamlett said.

Defender Wilman Conde, whose return to the Fire was in question for much of the offseason, is still dealing with visa issues but could join the team by the weekend.

In the absence of all those starters, many backups and newcomers are getting time in the competitions the Fire have had in their first 10 days of training.

For example, 2008 reserves Mike Banner, Dasan Robinson, Peter Lowry, Austin Washington and Patrick Nyarko received a bulk of the playing time as Hamlett divided the first game against the University of Central Florida into thirds, and the game against the Kansas City Wizards on Wednesday into halves, deploying different lineups in each section.

Nyarko scored twice in a 3-2 loss to the Wizards.

"We have a good competitive opportunity for the younger guys to put them in with that (first) group, to see what they are made of," Hamlett said.

It is also an opportunity to look at some outsiders trying to get in, like undrafted rookie Stefan Dimitrov of Concordia College (N.Y.), who scored twice against Central Florida in the training camp opener.

"He's a big target forward," Hamlett said of the Bulgarian native. "He has a lot of good starting points."

Dimitrov was the leading scorer in NCAA Division II soccer last season, with 23 goals in 17 games.

The Fire are also giving a lot of time to free agent pickup Tim Ward, a former draft pick by the New York MetroStars who was last with the Colorado Rapids but could not break into the first team lineup.

Among familiar faces, veteran defender C.J. Brown is playing after missing almost the entire 2008 season with a variety of injuries. Brown, 33, is the only original Fire player remaining on the roster, following recent retirements by Chris Armas and Diego Gutierrez.

"(Brown) has been through all the training sessions, and he is getting his timing and sharpness down," Hamlett said.

In the absence of Busch, Hamlett is looking at last year's backups, Tyler Kettering and Nick Noble.

The Fire next play the Puerto Rico Islanders on Saturday in Bradenton.

Cunningham ready to make mark for Hoops

FRISCO, Texas -- Even at age 32, Jeff Cunningham still has a burning drive to succeed -- and shows no signs of slowing. On Saturday morning, FC Dallas held an intrasquad scrimmage that was open to club supporters at Pizza Hut Park. Cunningham delivered a pair of goals and an assist, all of which came in the first half of play.

After coming out at the break, Cunningham spent some 20 minutes running around the field before finally taking a rest. For FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman, his veteran striker has shown him a lot so far in preseason.

"I think Jeff has done well," Hyndman said. "He's a seasoned pro. He knows his body very well and is always fit. I thought in our scrimmage the other day, we saw another side of him. Even though we're in preseason and people might be pacing themselves, I thought he stepped it up a bit and looked like the Jeff we remember from last year. He's going to hopefully be a strong threat for us this year."

The veteran scorer, who has 104 goals for his 11-year MLS career, agrees.

"I'm just getting back into things and still have a ways to go," Cunningham said. "I think as a team, we're OK. We've got a good fitness base and the coaching staff is working on some tactical stuff. I think we're good as far as this part of the year to be where we are."

When he was traded to the Hoops last August, Cunningham greeted his new teammates in a cowboy hat. And with his wife and young daughter now also living in Frisco, the seasoned pro has really taken a shine to his new surroundings.

"I feel like a Texan now," he said. "I have one (cowboy hat) but am waiting for the boots. I am eating more steaks and barbecue now. I'm good now. My family is here and they are very settled. Everything is in place off the field. It's time now to prove myself again."

Cunningham made 11 starts for FCD last fall and had five goals and two assists for his new team. After the Hoops missed the playoffs, he resolved that he would be ready for 2009 and look to return to the form he showed in 2006 when he had 16 goals and 11 assists for Real Salt Lake. At least so far, he is making good on that claim and looks very fit.

"It (preseason) is a long time," he said. "I believe we have 50 days left and that's a long time. I think we started as a group with a good base. With the remaining time left, it's going to be perfect because you want to be playing your best football at the right time. I still have a ways to go but I feel like I'm making the right progress."

Hyndman concurs. "I think he's got God-given genetics," he said. "You also have to appreciate how much he's taken care of himself. Players like him when they hit a certain age, they start to slow down. But he doesn't look like he has. He's worked at it, whether it's his diet, exercising or rest. He's taken care of himself very well."

The FCD forward is clearly anticipating the benefits of having one of the league's best crossers on his side in newly acquired midfielder Dave van den Bergh.

"He's going to create more scoring chances by getting balls into the box," Cunningham said. "He has that vision to create space for us and to play balls into us in goal scoring spots. It's good to have that veteran player on the field as well to help some of the young boys. It's a good addition and I'm looking forward to getting some crosses from him."

Cunningham also has some familiar company on the FCD roster. Late last week, the Hoops signed another big striker in fellow Jamaican Sean Bucknor. Growing up in Montego Bay, Cunningham was coached by Bucknor's father, Steve, who is now a well-known cricket official.

"It's funny because there is a lot of history with me and his dad," Cunningham said. "He took a group of probably around 30 players and became that father figure to us. He basically saved us from the streets. He's the reason why I'm here, am able to do this and to be a good human being. If he wasn't in my life at that point, I don't think the outcome would be where I am today. I'm happy that his son is here. The least I can do is to help teach him how to become a good pro. I can't tell you how much his father made a difference in my life."

Cunningham remembers the last time he saw Sean Bucknor before he became one of his teammates with the Hoops.

"When I left Jamaica, he was probably like two," Cunningham said. "Now, he's a grown man and bigger than me. He's worked hard to get to this point. For his son to be here now, it's just a little opportunity to be helpful and to thank his father. For him to be here and to be able to help him settle in, at the end of the day, I can say I did well."

Cunningham couldn't help but begin showing some emotion when discussing the impact that Bucknor's father had on his life.

"His dad has done so much for me," he said. "He's a great man and I owe everything I have to him. You know, in life, there are a few people that shape you and give you direction. He's one of those persons. I was 12 at the time and in Jamaica, there weren't any options besides the streets. He helped us and used football as an avenue to shape us. That life lesson has stayed with me and that's the reason why I'm here. I don't know what to say. I'm just grateful that I was able to get that direction so early in my life."