By ADAM SERRANO
As the United States prepares to close up camp in preparation of Saturday's friendly with Honduras, players have began to reflect upon their performance throughout the month.
One such player is 33 year old forward Jeff Cunningham.
The forward is the oldest in a young group of forwards who are eager to earn a place on Bob Bradley's roster for South Africa. Cunningham has been frequently partnered with fellow speedster Robbie Findley during the recent training sessions this week. Although the FC Dallas forward has been around longer than his counterparts, the always frank striker admits that he is constantly developing throughout camp.
"I've been Inconsistent (this camp), some stuff I do well, but a lot of other things I need to learn to do better for the team. We all have our natural tendencies as players, but this level requires a much higher amount of concentration especially defensively," said Cunningham. "I wish I was 20 again and getting all this information and applying it to my game. These young boys who are here will have a better future for it."
The forward has appeared dangerous during training at times showing the penchant for goal scoring which was on showcase during his past season with Dallas. Although he is not the youngest member of the squad, the opportunity that the United States' depleted strike force offers a forward like Cunningham is not lost on the 33 year old.
"Over the years, I've said that I haven't really gotten the opportunity (with the national team), but I'm getting it now," said Cunningham. "I'm where every player wants to be with a shot at playing in the World Cup, I'm getting my fair chance now. I can't complain and I just have to do the business."
In addition to the strike force, the biggest story of the morning was the play of midfielder Robbie Rogers. Playing on the left side opposite Alejandro Bedoya and Geoff Cameron, the Columbus Crew winger was dangerous during 11 v. 11 scrimmages routinely sending in dangerous crosses into the attack. Rogers was a constant threat due to receiving a number of crisp passes from the midfield duo of Benny Feilhaber and Kyle Beckerman.
The news as not all positive as Kevin Alston appears doubtful for Saturday's match after missing much of the camp. The New England Revolution defender has returned to training but is unlikely to appear against the CONCACAF foe.
The United States' opponent for Saturday, Honduras has arrived in Southern California and will be begin training tomorrow during the U.S.' evening practice. The Catrachos arrive from a two-week training camp in Florida that saw them take on and defeat the Canadian U-23 squad. Honduras boasts many of their top domestic players and familiar faces such as Honduran scoring leader Carlos Pavon and Captain Amando Guevera.
Thanks for the US camp inside stories. Although, next time you need someone to fly out to Southern Cali let me know. I wouldn’t mind. I promise.
Bro!?
BRO!!
Cunningham said he never really got his chance with the nats before? Ten caps and never got his chance? How many do you need to prove yourself? Twenty? Fifty?
Agreed. If he doesn’t get time I will feel like I wasted a little bit of my money.
Also Honduras only beat Can U-23 3-1. It was 1-1 going into half and then the Canadian coach switched out everyone. So pretty much we should own Honduras.
Hope Pontius gets some PT.
I believe in Beckerman doing good things for the nats this world cupand upcoming friendlies and also in Cunningham. Some how I believe Cunningham will have a great world cup
Yeah, given the injury issues the past couple of months I was doubtful but Ives got my hopes up with his starting 11. His time will come.
If Cunningham makes the WC roster we’re doomed.
Hopefully everyone is healthy but we need people that are more than healthy to make any type of advancement in the WC. We need players with confidence that are on their game.
well, i think feilhaber must sit in a deeper role because mike bradley likes to push forward so much. I think benny’s more natural role is to as a playmaker. i don’t know what he does with his club team though, never saw dutch league games here. but, i could see benny pushed up more, and kyle holding more. if our MNT is stacked anywhere, it is at CM.
Actually Rogers looked great against Costa Rica and better than average in Gold Cup. I see setady improvement as he gets comfortable.
but i heard it’s better to be loved (amado) than it is to be loving someone else (amando).
exactly!lol
Guevara is recovering from surgery. He played a few minutes in a scrimmage vs Canada’s U-23, but dont expect him to figure into this match much.
Uh, someone hoping a player gets better is not ‘hating’
Rogers has been pretty poor internationally against better competition, and I too, hope he gets better.
Such a happy day for the readers…
Cccc-can’t we all just get along? Just get along?
Let’s go out and kick some Honduran ass, mañana!
You’re right! He is faster than a cup of coffee.
BnBKC
The team continues to train in the rain as has been evidenced by the posts. The rain here in LA is expected to continue through Friday but the forecast for Saturday is positive. 60 degrees and clear.
I said this before on this site:
Cunningham is the poor mans Anelka. Poacher who is always dangerous even when quiet all game. Underestimate him at your own peril
Well Cunningham, we all wish you had it together when you were 20 too. Good to see he’s relishing the chance. At the point we’re at now, we’ll likely take one striker who is just in form at the right time. Unfortunately our pool of strikers with great depth and production is shallow, so if he’s on this spring he has a shot.
I just would like to see solid performances in our friendlies, especially the ones like this where our top guys will be out. We really need guys like Robbie R. to step up and show he’s ready. A little goes a long way here.
Ives,
Curious to know how the recent storms in SoCal have effected the camp and if it’s expected to effect Saturday’s match at all?
I would like to see Wynne improve dramatically, too. Come to think of it, I’d like to see everyone in the USA team pool improve dramatically. Nice of you to notice that Wynne has speed. That, and a couple of bucks will get him a cup of coffee at most coffee shops.
Chill pill……BRO!
A lot of people here in Seattle care about the MLS, specifically the Seattle Sounders. You don’t know what you’re talking about dummy.
you know i would really like to see wynne improve dramatically this year and become the U.S right back for the world cup. he has speed.
We need a thumbs up/down button in here.
“No one in the US cares about the MLS.”
Most ignorant statement of the day
Dang I was hoping Alston would play
What! lucky basta!d
He loves everyone, haven’t you heard.
Actually, in real time, it happend in the reverse order. LMAO
It’s good to know that Beckerman and Feilhaber are distributing well and working together in the midfield. I wonder exactly HOW they’re working in midfield though. Is one sitting deep and the other getting forward? Or are they sitting in a dual holding role, because, and not to be biased, that’s what I really want to see. Beckerman and Feilhaber seem to possess excellent vision, skill, and are technical and tactically gifted. However, Beckerman’s development in the league led him down a somewhat different path. He retained his creativity and skill, but he was used mostly as a defensive midfielder because most league playmakers, and virtuoso’s are foreign or DPs.
Feilhaber seems to have gotten into the habit within the past couple of national team matches of sitting in a deeper role and I’m interested in seeing if that leads to something a bit new.
No. But now I hate you. 😉
So about Ives’ actual post…
It sounds like Cunningham is showing the maturity we’ve always wished he had. Perhaps he’s just spouting cliches, but I’d be thrilled if he earned a spot on the team and contributed for the US in SA.
Congrats!
Ditto!
(Sigh) Hating on Rogers again.
LMAO Edwin gives Patrick a smack down only for Patrick to then give Charles a smack down
I’m not sure why you feel qualified to say that “no one cares about the Ty mls….blah blah blah” I just happen to be aware of many others besides myself who love mls. I don’t kid myself about quality of the football but it is still my league. Only speak for yourself goucho…
cunningham highlight clip, 2009.
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2g4Hwlw7rFM[/url]
FIFA let me know, today, that I have tickets to the England and Slovenia matches at the World Cup. Anybody else?
I agree with Tim; great stuff SBI!
Cunningham saying all the right things and it really seems like he gets it. Best of luck to him.
“No one in the US cares about the MLS.”
-broad statement to say the least, makes you sound like a giant douchebag.
Bro, are you in like 2nd grade or just that plain dumb?
Could be a very common characteristic of people not knowing Latin American countries or any countries for that matter outside of the 2 bordering us, but you would of said Mexico.
We’re playing Honduras bro!
It was recently announced that the US will play El Salvador, but that’s next month in Florida
God, well I hope Robbie Rogers plays well, because he was ver inconsistant in the Gold Cup, he kept getting past his man but I saw him mess up A lot more crosses than the ones some have claimed he got, I do remember him getting a few good crosses vs Costa Rica, but what worries me is against equal or lesser oposition he’s been average at best.
Sacha is the same story.
I hope we don’t see any of Casey.
Bedoya and Davis seem very interesting.
I guess Wynne at right back for the whole game is what we can expect?
I was hoping to at least see him split the game with Alston
I like all of the posting today! well done SBI team.
Charles, you are completely wrong. No one in the US cares about the MLS. People do however care about a “middle of the standings” team in Europe (Everton or Fulham for instance). That is why Fox is creating a second soccer channel and why ESPN is buying rights to broadcast EPL and La Liga games. Americans want to watch the best players playing in the best leauges in the world. We have the best baseball, basketball, football, and hockey leagues in the world. MLS is far from it.
lmao
wow, what a rambling incoherent statement about playing abroad. I dont even know what your point is. Do you want them to go abroad, or do you want them to stay in the mls?
I would love to see Cunningham, Findley, and Donovan win big in WCup 2010, MLS style .
(Then all the Euro-lovers can pray they go to Europe to play for a middle of standings team no one living in the US should care about)
Sorry about the bitterness, starting to get hungry for supper. Probably some saying I am hulicinating with that first statement…but as a US soccer fan I can dream.
looks like we’ll get good competition from the el salvadorians with guevara pavon etc. Looking forward to seeing rogers, feilhaber and any and all forwards in the pool.
amando?