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Dissecting the Cycle:
Examining the Four-Year Preparation for the World Cup
When a player steps onto the field in the first game of the World Cup, he knows he’s on the biggest stage in world soccer. The frenzied crowd, thousands of flashing cameras, the intensity and unparalleled level of competition: there really is nothing like the World Cup Finals. What’s not as apparent, however, is just how long the path is to get the point where you’re going face-to-face with the world’s best. Always talked about, but never really examined in depth, the road to the World Cup is an incredible four-year cycle that begins just months after the previous tournament concludes.
2007 – Year 1
Bob Bradley is inserted as head coach, and promptly leads the team to a 4-0-1 record. The highlight is a victory over Mexico in front of a raucous crowd in Phoenix where Jimmy Conrad and Landon Donovan goals give the U.S. the victory.
In the Gold Cup, the U.S. successfully defends their title, staving off tough competition from other countries in the CONCACAF region. The final, which pits the U.S. against Mexico again, sees the Americans go down 1-0 before a Donovan penalty and a Benny Feilhaber wonder goal complete a fantastic comeback.
After a young U.S. teams gains experience in a three-and-out performance at the Copa America, the U.S. finishes the year with matches against tough opponents (all of whom look likely to be in South Africa in 2010). Bradley and his staff finish a successful year with an astounding 61 players earning at least one cap for the United States.
Bob Bradley’s 61 Players – By the Numbers
61 players with an appearance in 2007
49 players with MLS experience
31 players with experience in Europe
23 players with first cap in 2007
19.25: Average number of caps amongst all players who appeared in 2007
16 players with one cap in 2007
16 players with at least one goal in 2007
15 players who have played in the World Cup
11 players with 10 or more caps in 2007
7 shutouts in 2007 for the U.S. defense
6 players scoring their first career goal in 2007
5 different goalkeepers used in 2007
3 players on teams competing in the Champions League in 2007-08
2008 – Year 2
Starting in January, the U.S. begins a series of friendlies that eventually lead up to one big event: the beginning of World Cup qualifying. In June, the U.S. will play a two-leg home and away series with either Barbados or Dominica in Stage 2 of the CONCACAF Preliminary Round. The winner will move on to the CONCACAF Semifinal Round, which consists of three groups, with the top two qualifying for the Final Round in 2009.
Last time around, a total of 46 different players were used in the various stages of qualification. That’s double the amount of bodies you’d generally get on a roster for the World Cup. With only two players among the USA’s all-time top 10 players in World Cup qualifying caps having not retired (Landon Donovan and Kasey Keller), experience on the squad will be a big question mark for Bob Bradley, who will likely find himself thankful for the caps he gave out to so many younger players in 2007.
Amongst active players, Eddie Johnson and Donovan have the most WCQ goals, with seven. With 22 total points in the previous cycle, Donovan was far and away the leader for players who participated in World Cup qualifying.
2009 – Year 3
Qualifying continues for six CONCACAF teams, with the important final round looming on the horizon. On the road to the 2006 World Cup, the U.S. compiled an impressive 7-1-2 record, and finished atop the standings for the first time in more than 70 years. Back then, things were quite different. The U.S. qualified after only 90 total minutes on the field, courtesy of a 4-2 defeat of heated rivals Mexico in Rome, just three days before the beginning of the tournament. Compare that with the 18 potential games and 1,620 minutes needed for qualification to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
During the summer, the U.S. will travel to South Africa to compete in the Confederations Cup. By global standards, the tournament is still relatively new, however its format of selecting the champions of each confederation around the world makes for a highly competitive event. In its last appearance in the Confederations Cup, in France in 2003, the U.S. was eliminated in the opening stage. This time around, the U.S. gained entry to the draw by virtue of its 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup victory, and will look to better their performance from six years prior. The tournament will serve as important preparation to the World Cup Finals, which will likely be held in many of the same venues, with many of the same teams.
In December, the U.S. will learn of its opponents for the first round, when the World Cup Draw takes place in South Africa. 32 teams, 8 groups, the top two move on. Seems simple enough, but it never is. Analysis of the opposition begins in earnest at this time, and it is an ongoing process that will continue up until the days and hours before the U.S. takes the field.
2010 – Year 4
With qualification to the World Cup hopefully secured, the U.S. begins the final stage of its preparations. Scouting opponents, whittling down a squad to 23 players, and playing tune-up matches (in 2006 the U.S. played 10 of them). All of that leads to a June 11 kick off of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
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About The Team
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