Five-a-side: What's hot around MLS

MLS Five-a-side:Five things you should know about as the preseason moves forward:

1. The other shoe to fall: All the news about David Beckham has been about, well, David Beckham. It's all about the illustrious midfielder and how it will affect him, how it will assist his bid for England inclusion in South Africa 2010, etc.

But there is another side that all the breathless Beckham reports, so many coming from across the Atlantic, haven't cared to address. It's about how this potential high-profile relocation to AC Milan will impact the Los Angeles Galaxy. After all, this is a team in the nation's second-largest market, and it hasn't made the playoffs since 2005.

So the Galaxy's rebuilding efforts, with or without Beckham, is a big story in MLS this year.

The international transfer window closed for most countries earlier this week. But MLS teams may purchase players from other leagues until April 15. That means the Galaxy have time to patch up the holes -- but the clock is certainly ticking, with games beginning in less than six weeks. Galaxy manager Bruce Arena will surely want to know soon what he's dealing with, personnel asset-wise.

DaMarcus Beasley is one name that might seem a natural for Arena to pursue if Beckham moves permanently to Italy. The U.S. international is currently languishing on Rangers' bench in Scotland, although he did score in 45 minutes of action during a friendly against AC Milan this week. (How ironic, eh, that Milan would be the opponent?)

Arena has always been a big Beasley backer. It was Arena who tabbed the sleek and slick attacker for starting duty at the 2002 World Cup, when Beasley was just 20 years old. That bold choice by Arena turned out just dandy. And four years later it was Arena who faithfully stuck with the out-of-form Beasley during Germany 2006.

Beasley appears to be stuck in the mud at Ibrox, and the Galaxy is a place where conditions would be perfect for a run at restored confidence.

Otherwise, the Galaxy's needs still include an experienced goalkeeper, a creator in midfield and additional help along the back line.

2. A doozy of a shopping spree: We might or might not ever know the transfer price involved in Beckham's move to the San Siro, if it comes to pass. But we certainly know this much: It will be a significant amount. And the important thing to remember is that two-thirds of it can be used by Los Angeles to buy players in the international market or to buy down salaries.

Suffice to say, Arena and the Galaxy management will have ample money to spend, and will be flush with room beneath the salary cap. Then there's the Landon Donovan factor, which could super-fuel the buying spree.

If Bayern Munich were to make a successful bid to purchase the on-loan attacker, the Galaxy will have that much more cash and room in their salary budget. That possibility seems to be growing, thanks to Donovan's success so far under the tutelage of Bayern manager Jьrgen Klinsmann.

Of course, the alternative for Arena's side isn't that bad either -- to have Beckham and Donovan lining up in the Galaxy jersey on opening day.

3. Why ratings matter: Fox Soccer Channel, one of Major League Soccer's broadcast partners, is surely happy with its decision late last year to invest in Nielsen, the widely used rating system for TV viewership in the United States.

Ad rates are all tied into viewership, of course, and so far FSC must be happy with the results. Just last week, the Chelsea-Liverpool match was seen in about 298,000 homes. The represents the highest rated match since FSC paid $7.5 million to be part of the Nielsen lineup last October.

FSC is in only about 30 million homes across the country. More numbers like that will assist in FSC's push to get onto more systems -- and that's a good thing for MLS.

As in 2008, Fox Soccer Channel will again dedicate a three-hour block to MLS each week on "MLS Saturday on FSC." A 30-minute pregame lead-in will carry viewers into the match, followed by a 30-minute postgame show for 33 regular-season telecasts of FSC.

4. Growing influence of USL: At least three players with recent time on USL rosters have a chance to compete for significant playing time during the MLS preseason. And it should be interesting to see how these players stack up, considering the USL's success in 2008 in the U.S. Open Cup and the CONCACAF Champions League.

Greg Janicki has a chance to land a starting spot at D.C. after his promising spell on loan from USL Second Division's Pittsburgh late in last year's MLS campaign. In fact, Janicki started for manager Tom Soehn last week alongside Kyle Veris at center back in a preseason friendly.

We also have striker Sebastien Le Toux at Seattle. He was the first player signed after two successful seasons for the Sounders in USL-1, where he struck 24 times in 54 appearances. Interestingly, he played as a midfielder for Sigi Schmid in a scrimmage earlier this week. It's probably just a preseason look-see thing for Schmid, but it's interesting just the same.

Perhaps Schmid is exploring his options for how to replace midfielder Freddie Ljungberg early in the season. Ljungberg began running this week as he recovers from offseason hip surgery. As it stands, Ljungberg will miss only one or two regular season contests, although the Sounders are sure to be cautious with their DP attacker.

Last week, San Jose signed former forward Cam Weaver, the USL-1 Rookie of the Year three seasons back. He's a big fellow, about 6-4, part of GM John Doyle's plan for the Earthquakes to get a little bigger and pose a bit more danger on set-pieces. Weaver spent last year with FK Haugesund in Norway, so he probably knows a little about getting physical around goal.

5. A friend abroad: No one in the U.S. soccer establishment could ever be too happy about the potential for English Premier League sides playing a round of matches outside England. That proposition has been floating around for about a year now. And you can bet that one or more would land in the United States.

You could also bet that some officials here wouldn't be happy, competing for the soccer audience against the novelty factor of watching matches from one of the globe's truly premier associations.

One ranking official in England has come out against the idea ... and he happens to have a deep affiliation with Major League Soccer.

Ivan Gazidis recently left his post as deputy commissioner to inherit the CEO seat at Arsenal.

In an article published Wednesday in The Times, Gazidis describes himself as a traditionalist, and says he is not in favor of such propositions.

"Other leagues like the NFL are finding ways to play abroad," Gazidis told The Times. "We have to grow, but how we grow requires careful thought. People constantly focus on globalization and use words like 'brand' and 'equity,' but if you lose your center, your core, and don't take care of central values, you won't have anything to take globally. Whatever steps the league takes, we have to preserve the integrity of the core of the league."

Van den Bergh an instant hit in Dallas

FRISCO, Texas -- Last month, FC Dallas traded for veteran left-sided midfielder Dave van den Bergh and in a flash, the Hoops shored up their midfield, improved their flank play and also gained some much-needed veteran leadership for one of the youngest rosters in the league.

In the first two weeks of preseason, it has been apparent what van den Bergh brings to the field and how much better he makes the Hoops. However, an added bonus has been his fluency in Spanish, something that has gone over well on a team with its share of Spanish speakers.

Last week, the seasoned pro was heard engaging in back-and-forth banter with two of the team's more vocal Latin players in midfielder Pablo Ricchetti and goalkeeper Dario Sala, something that amused FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman.

"Last week when I heard Pablo and Dario having a go at Dave, teasing with him in Spanish and he was laughing, I was wondering if he really understood what they were saying or if he was just laughing along with him." Hyndman said. "I asked him if he really understood those guys and he said yes. He said he learned Spanish when he played two years in Madrid.

"He's a very outgoing person, so when he was in Madrid, he loved the experience of being there and spoke the language," Hyndman continued. "I already know that Dario and Pablo would rather speak to him in Spanish than English because they feel more comfortable in Spanish. I think for Dave, it's another thing he brings to us. We knew we were getting a talented player but we also knew we were getting a person of good character. All these extra things coming along are icing on the cake."

Van den Bergh agrees his language skills have definitely been a big asset in getting acclimated to his new teammates.

"You've got a lot of Hispanic players here," he said. "So it's helped me tremendously. Thank God these guys speak very good English. We had some guys coming in at New York that didn't speak any English. Especially in those types of situations, it helps a lot. I'm glad I've got that under my belt."

Consider Ricchetti and Sala impressed that their new teammate can converse with them in their native tongue.

"It's good," Ricchetti said. "It's always good to have people who can communicate with everyone. He played three years in Spain and speaks Spanish very well. For us, it's great and it makes it easier. Those two (Sala and van den Bergh) are old, so I can joke with them. I'm really young but they are old and they have the same thoughts and stuff, but I'm really smart and can understand that."

Sala agreed. "He came into the locker room on the right foot because he's a really easy going guy and language isn't an issue," he said. "He was in Spain for a few years and speaks perfect Spanish. He's funny and understands our jokes. I was surprised. He speaks four languages but I told him that I've got him beat by one."

Ricchetti definitely likes having another veteran in the midfield to help him direct traffic.

"I think he's a great player," he said. "He has experience, is smart and has a great foot. He can help us a lot. Right now, we are the most experienced guys in the middle. We have to talk to the other guys and organize the team. Last year, that was mostly my job. Now I have another guy to help me and that's always good."

The former Dutch international has definitely been impressed with what he has seen thus far with his new side.

"What I've seen is a very talented team," van den Bergh said. "It's unbelievable. There's a reason that there are six Generation adidas (players) and a lot of under-20 guys here. We haven't even talked about Kenny (Cooper) and Drew (Moor) being on the short list for the men's national team. There is a lot of talent here. We just need to come together and make sure we're a team that's competitive and fights to make the playoffs this year."

He has also enjoyed the methodology of Hyndman, who approaches preseason a bit differently than some of the coaches van den Bergh has played for in the past.

"The thing I've enjoyed the most is that all the exercises have been with the ball," he said. "I've had some coaches in preseason where you didn't see a ball for the first two weeks. So that is a huge improvement. He's very clear in what he wants. So it's up to us to execute."

And his rising comfort level includes playing in the 4-4-2 that Hyndman prefers.

"In Holland and in New York, I played in the 4-4-2," van den Bergh said. "So I'm very comfortable with it. It's just a matter of executing what we feel is the right approach in the next couple of tune-up games to find our best shape."

Even though much of FCD is now in camp, he is clearly looking forward to the return of star forward Cooper, currently with the U.S. national team.

"I think it's important (to start working together)," van den Bergh said. "Kenny is the most prolific forward this team has got. So I'm looking forward to practicing with him. It's just important in preseason to get to know each other, learn what the movements are, what somebody likes and doesn't like to learn each other's tendencies. I think it's important to get that done. Hopefully, he'll have a great game against Mexico and score a couple. Then he can get in here with great confidence."

Another plus for him with the Hoops is that he has a couple of big targets up top to deliver balls into Cooper, who is 6-foot-3 and newly-signed striker Sean Bucknor, who is an inch taller at 6-4.

"It's easier (to get the ball in there to a taller guy) than it is with a 5-foot-3 guy," van den Bergh said. "If you're going to put a cross in, you have options to put it on the ground or put it in the air. I know that in the air, they can get to it.

"In previous years, I have had to put it low because I knew there was no chance that my forward was going to get to it. This way, I can put it in low because they're both good with their feet and Jeff (Cunningham) is also good with his feet. He's got great jumping abilities as well. Don't underestimate him in the air. It's good to know that you can put it at any height that you want and they will be able to get to it."

Kljestan making impact with U.S. squad

COLUMBUS -- When the United States national team takes to the Crew Stadium pitch on Wednesday evening to face rival Mexico to open the final round of World Cup qualifying, it will be almost 10 months since Sacha Kljestan scored a riveting goal on the same field for Chivas USA.

"I hope to get a chance to be a part of the match against Mexico and if I do then maybe if there's an opportunity I can do it again but my main focus is on us winning," he said.

It was April 12, 2008, when Kljestan ran onto the ball and unleashed a wicked 25-yard knuckler that left Columbus goalkeeper William Hesmer defenseless as the ball curled into the upper right corner. The midfielder went on to score four more times for Chivas and earn a spot on the MLS Best XI, but none of his goals would be as clinical.

His finishing ability is one reason the Huntington Beach, Calif., native made the 20-man roster for the match against Mexico. It also didn't hurt that he become only the second U.S. player to have his first three national team goals in the same game when he had a hat trick during a 3-2 win over Sweden on Jan. 24.

"It's been important for Sacha to develop a more complete game, to continue to improve, to play at a higher level," U.S. coach Bob Bradley said. "To play an important role on the national team you have to do things that you do and make them calculable when the games are faster and harder and more difficult."

Kljestan also benefitted from a week-long trial with Celtic FC in January and although he reaffirmed his commitment to start the MLS season with Chivas USA, there is a possibility he could be headed overseas this year at some point.

"Come summertime we'll have a look at what's going on," he said. "I hope to be a mainstay with the national team."

His full attention for now is helping the U.S. hand the Mexicans a third consecutive qualifying defeat in Crew Stadium after victories in 2001 and four years later.

"I remember the '05 game pretty good. The '01 game I've seen highlights but I don't remember watching it," he said. "My main memory is the 2002 World Cup (another U.S. 2-0 victory). I always watched USA-Mexico but that the one that sticks out in my mind of all the games.

"Watching those games and watching the U.S. dominance over the past eight years, especially in the United States, has been quite an accomplishment."

Kljestan, who had a pair of goals in the 2008 Olympic tournament, has a good chance of being in the starting lineup on Wednesday as he continues his development as a steady international player after 13 caps, including six qualifiers.

"We continue to see things that show us he is picking up on certain things and improving and we see certain things that we can point out to him that maybe he can get better," Bradley said.

The most noticeable difference in the 23-year-old Kljestan is his appearance. Gone is the stringy long hair that had been his trademark in favor of a cropped look. The only one upset by the change was U.S. and Crew defender Frankie Hejduk, who won't let go of his rock star locks.

"Frankie's sad I cut my hair. He said he's the only one left now with the long hair. We're not brothers anymore, he says," Klejstan joked.

He's learned quite about the U.S.-Mexico rivalry from Hejduk, who has played in eight of them.

"There always so intense. Neither side wants to give an inch," Hejduk said.

The irony for Kljestan is he plays professionally for a club that is an offshoot of the Mexican club Chivas de Guadalajara and he's had several Chivas teammates from the "enemy" side.

"I've always had the support of some of the Mexican players I've played with, guys like Ramon Ramirez and (Juan Francisco) Paco Palencia and Claudio Suarez, especially," he said. "Even though these are guys that if I was a little bit older potentially I could have matched up against in USA-Mexico games now they always tell me good luck when I leave for the national team. They always help me out with tips when I get back from games. I've always had their support. We can always trash talk a little bit, USA-Mexico, but they're all good guys and support me."

Yet to be seen is their reaction if he helps defeat Mexico.

Kljestan is one of eight current MLS players on the roster for the match (including Landon Donovan, on loan to Bayern Munich). The league players and several others spent January training in Carson, Calif., before being joined by their European brethren the past two days in Columbus.

Houston Dynamo forward Brian Ching doesn't think it will be hard to get everyone to jell by Wednesday's kickoff.

"If you look at this team and the whole qualifying process it's pretty much the same core group of guys and Bob's done a good job of keeping the guys focused and on the same page as far as coming in and knowing what to expect from every player," he said.

It's the American Way.

"We don't talk much about just the camaraderie of this group of guys when they get together," Bradley said. "That's what's been behind our success. It's a great thing to see."

Bautista excited to train with Galaxy

CARSON, Calif. -- It didn't take long for Los Angeles Galaxy defender Leo Bautista to like what he saw of southern California.

Bautista, on trial from Caracas FC, one of the most popular clubs in South America and a winner of nine Venezuelan national league titles, went to Universal Studios after he arrived in Los Angeles last month. From there it was on to the Kodak Theater, annual site of the Oscars. Then it was over for a look at the Santa Monica pier.

If that wasn't enough to get him to smile, all he has to do is look out from his hotel room and view the Pacific Ocean to know he is in a special place.

Yes, he's far from home, but he could get used to this.

"It's great having this experience," he said through an interpreter. "It's been fabulous so far."

The 25-year-old Bautista, a 6-foot-3, 175-pounder, played two years at Caracas FC after previous stops at Deportivo Italchacao and Estrella Roja. He said he'd always been a fan of MLS because of two fellow countrymen already in the league: Alejandro Moreno of the Columbus Crew and Jorge Rojas of the New York Red Bulls. And when the opportunity to come to North America became viable, Bautista didn't think twice about making the move.

He said four teams -- Real Salt Lake, New York, Columbus and the Galaxy -- were interested in him, with Los Angeles apparently showing the most interest.

Bautista said he had been hoping to play in the States for some time.

"For any player on any team, it's very important on a personal and professional level to go out and play abroad," he said. "When this opportunity came up, I was very interested.

"With the grace of God, hopefully the coaches will like what they see."

Galaxy head coach/general manager Bruce Arena said he has been impressed with the newcomer, but he isn't quite sold on him yet. Arena, however, did say Bautista will be in camp for an "extended period of time."

"Like all foreign players," Arena said, "there's a little transition period. They have to come into this league and environment and see how the game is played here. You have to adapt to a new culture and a new game.

"He's made progress. You want to see him move forward day in and day out, and I think he's been fairly steady. I think in the new few weeks we'll be seeing a lot more out of him."

Bautista said life has been a little less hectic since he arrived in southern California. Venezuela, he said, wasn't as soccer-crazy as, say, some European countries, but he still could walk the streets of Caracas and people occasionally would recognize him.

"It's not like England. No, no, no," he said with a smile. "But you get your moments."

On one occasion, he recalled, he was at a restaurant with his parents when the child of a family sitting nearby recognized him. The boy, Bautista said, had been following his career since before his days with Caracas FC.

"There was plenty of passion among the supporters," Bautista said.

He said he would love to get the opportunity to witness that same kind of passion in Los Angeles, and getting a chance to do it while living in southern California would be the ultimate. He isn't ready to go back home.

"I'm very happy I came here," he said. "If I told you my country was similar to this, I'd be lying. The streets are clean, people respect laws ... it's just spectacular. I would stay here. I've fallen in love with the city."

Dynamo keep focus on long campaign

FRISCO, Texas -- The Houston Dynamo didn't even start preseason practice until Feb. 1, but the two-time MLS Cup champs already have a pair of preseason games on the books, both against FC Dallas. On Friday in Houston, the Orange prevailed 3-0 and the same sides played to a 0-0 draw on Monday morning in Frisco.

While most MLS sides are preparing with their regular-season opener in mind, the Dynamo have something else to focus on, a Feb. 24 match with Mexican side Atlante FC in the 2008-09 CONCACAF Champions League.

"It was a good game," Kinnear said about Monday's draw. "Both games were a great exercise for both teams. I didn't think it was going to be a 3-0 game again today. There were chances on both sides and I think the draw is pretty fair. For us, we're looking to hurry up and get ready for the 24th. I think the two games were great for us and I think they were good for them too."

One encouraging sign was that veteran midfielder Brian Mullan played the full 90 for the Orange, something Kinnear took notice of.

"We're asking certain guys on certain days to play 90 minutes," he said. "He only played 65 the other day. The guys came in pretty good shape and that is helpful for what we're doing. I think it's impressive that he did but the energy that he showed the whole time is what was impressive."

The Houston coach also lauded fellow midfielder Brad Davis for his solid play. Davis created one of the better chances of the first half, a cross to Kei Kamara that was saved by FCD goalkeeper Dario Sala. And Davis himself was denied by Sala in the second frame.

"I think he was good," Kinnear said. "We all know he is a good passer of the ball. He played some good passes in there. He has a little bit different form in there. But I think that any time you give him time and space, he is a threat going the attacking way."

Davis, who has had his share of injury troubles the last few years, said he is feeling better than ever.

"Everybody keeps asking me that (about how I feel)," he admitted. "I know that I have struggled with injuries and that has been my biggest downfall. I've worked really hard the past year-and-a-half to build myself up and to get fit, especially this offseason. I know this is the best I've felt in any preseason. I will keep working at it and my goal is to stay injury free."

While the veteran has enjoyed playing FCD, whom he played for in 2003 and 2004, he is also eagerly anticipating his side's first Champions League match.

"I think they're good games," Davis said. "They're definitely challenging and those guys are in the middle of their season right now while we're in preseason. We're going to be ready. I think this team isn't treating it as a preseason game. We're working hard. I think when we get to that game, guys will be firing on all cylinders and will be ready for that game. It's just preparing us for when the MLS season starts. Our season starts on the 24th."

Playing twice against his team's in-state rival has been a nice plus, but for Kinnear the bottom line remains simple.

"I just want to play games," he said. "Any time you can get games, no matter who your opponent is, it's good for your team. You can only train so much and the guys really want to play. It made it nice to play these guys back-to-back in four days. With this Atlante series coming up, it's important that we try and get in as many games as possible."

With the start of the MLS season rapidly approaching, Davis admits that he and his teammates have already started thinking about how they are going to approach the upcoming campaign after failing to capture a third consecutive league title last fall.

"There is definitely a bitter taste in our mouths because we know we are a better team than what stepped on the field against New York, especially in that game down in Houston," he said. "It was a long year. We played 50 games or something like that. We're not using that as an excuse but it does wear you down. We played through a lot of injuries and without a lot of guys last year. We know that if we play our game, we're going to be a tough team to beat. We think when we step on the field, we thinking that no matter where we're at, we're going to get a result. That's our goal every time we step on the field, to get points no matter where we are at. We have a sour taste in our mouths and are ready to get back after it this year."

Next up for the Dynamo is a Thursday date out West with the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Tierney eager to return to play

NORFOLK, Mass. -- New England Revolution defender Chris Tierney wanted to kick the ball. The ball trickled across the field as his teammates went for a water break. The slow pace invited Tierney to strike it.

Just before he started his approach, Tierney stopped in his tracks and aborted the idea.

From across the indoor facility, Revs striker Taylor Twellman yelled out to Tierney, telling him to tap the ball with his toe and forget about lashing the it across the field.

As Twellman correctly pointed out, the temporary satisfaction of hitting the ball wouldn't help if Tierney further aggravated his sprained knee. The warning served as another reminder to the eager Tierney that patience is required with training camp injuries.

"The guys like to give me a little bit of stick," Tierney said. "I'm still a rookie in a lot of the older guys' eyes. They're trying to help me out. They've been there before. They know that it's not worth it. Obviously, I want to be back and I want to be smashing balls around, but it's not the right thing to do right now."

A selection in the 2008 Supplemental Draft, Tierney mainly saw action in Open Cup, SuperLiga and CONCACAF Champions League games during the regular season. He made six appearances, four as a starter, in league play -- five of those coming in a six-game span from Aug. 9-Sept. 6.

But for the first leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series against Chicago, Tierney was thrust back into the fray, starting at left back. However, a sprained knee in training between matches left him injured and out of the travel party for the Revolution's eventual season finale.

Revs head coach Steve Nicol said there wasn't any reason to push Tierney at this point during training camp, even though Tierney said his injury isn't a serious one.

"It's just a minor sprain," Tierney said. "It's a little tweak that takes a little bit of time. I feel like I could probably go right now if need be. I'm just trying to make sure and take the necessary precautions."

Instead of participating in fitness drills with teammates, Tierney receives extra treatment from head athletic trainer Sean Kupiec and ices down his bum knee. The arrangement isn't one that Tierney particularly likes.

"It's getting frustrating," Tierney said. "I'm getting a little itchy. I'm getting a little sick of not being able to play, but it's necessary. Now is not the time to do anything stupid and make this situation. It's definitely tough, but you have to do what you have to do."

Tierney might be one of the few players who would rather take the field and go through a collection of drills designed to improve fitness rather than sit out, rest and pop onto the field when the drills are over.

"I'm not one of those guys who comes up with a phantom injury when fitness time rolls around," Tierney said.

Over the next week or two, Tierney will continue to watch himself as he gradually returns to training. Despite missing the fitness work, the second-year defender thinks he'll be ready to go once he gets the all clear to resume training.

"I've been training really hard," Tierney said. "Fitness isn't that much of a concern for me. I feel as though I'm pretty fit. I think I can maintain that even with the injury. I hope to be back when we start going full force and we actually start playing."

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.