Photo by Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today Sports
By RYAN TOLMICH
Michael Bradley knows that Tuesday night will be special, but the U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder also understands that the night will be about much more than his personal achievements.
The U.S. kicks off the 2015 Gold Cup Tuesday night (9:30 p.m., FOX Sports 1, UniMas), taking on a tough Honduras team to start play in Group A. For Bradley, that matchup presents the potential for his 100th cap, a real milestone on a road that has featured plenty of twists and turns.
Bradley calls that milestone”special”, one that he will cherish when the time is right. However, that time is certainly not Tuesday night, as the USMNT captain understands that the night is about moving towards a Gold Cup crown more so than his personal achievements.
“When you talk about pride and honor and responsibility, that only adds to it, but as I’ve touched on, this week at this point, I’m not making any more of that than there needs to be,” Bradley said. “We’re excited to get this tournament going. we’ve all been looking forward to it for a long time. It’s a big opportunity for us. It’s a big tournament and everybody’s mentality is to push and push so that, at the end of the month, we can be the ones holding up a trophy.
“They’re very hard to play against,” Bradley said. “So we’ll be committed to stepping on the field, and trying to be sharp and trying to push the tempo and getting after them and seeing if we can start [the Gold Cup] off with a good result.”
Bradley is correct in his assessment that this tournament is a big one, one that could see the U.S. claim its sixth Gold Cup and, more importantly, it’s second straight on the road to a berth in the 2017 Confederation’s Cup.
After kick-starting its tournament run with a friendly win against Guatemala, the U.S. now enters a very difficult group, one that is kicked off by a tough Honduras team.
Led by former Costa Rica head coach Jorge Luis Pinto, Honduras is an improved team, especially on defense, where the Catrachos will play in the same style Pinto used to help to steer Costa Rica to a place in the World Cup quarterfinals.
Defensively stout, Honduras also features some familiar faces in attack. Houston Dynamo ace Oscar Boniek Garcia, former Seattle Sounder Mario Martinez and former MLS Rookie of the Year Andy Najar lead the offense.
Because of Honduras’ talent on both sides of the ball, Bradley knows that the first match of the Gold Cup will be a tough test, and the U.S. is certainly not looking past a Honduras team that could pose plenty of threats.
“They’re a very good team. We watched the game the other night against Mexico,” Bradley said. “I think you see a lot of the qualities of a Pinto team. Defensively, they’re very organized, very difficult to play against, very quick to close down the space and they also have quality going forward. We know that it will be a difficult game, but we’re excited to get going.”
“We saw them play against Mexico, we saw them go, they were all over the place,” added U.S. goalkeeper Brad Guzan . “They’re a lot more physical than Guatemala, a better footballing side. You just have to be careful on the counter. They play with five backs so you have to be patient. We have to move the ball a lot faster than we did against Guatemala to open them up.”
Gold Cup debutant Greg Garza, who will be playing near his hometown of Grapevine, Texas, understands that the game will be difficult, but the fullback believes that the U.S. is more than ready to finally get the tournament underway.
Ready for his first appearance, Garza enters with a bit of confidence, a trait that he believes will be crucial in pushing the U.S. past Honduras and, in later weeks, into yet another trophy ceremony.
“I think this is our time. It’s a wonderful competition for us to win, and I think that we’re ready for that.,” Garza said. “We’ve prepared ourselves in the best way possible Friday night against Guatemala and now we have to get ready for Honduras.
“Just thinking of it game to game and hopefully we’ll lift the cup at the end of the tournament. “
Does anyone know if FS1 is going to replay the game at a later date?
WondoWOWski with a hat trick
Guzan
Yedlin, Brooks, Alvarado, Johnson
Mix, MB, Beckerman, Bedoya
Altidore, Dempsey
I might start Garza over Yedlin and save him for a substitute roll.
Personally, I don’t want to see Gonzales at all. He still falls asleep and gets caught out of position far to often.
USA- 2 Honduras- 0
I’m not excited about seeing Dempsey and Alitidore. Time to move on…
I mean Altidore….
close enough
+1,000,000
I for one hopes he sits Antiscore down tonight. He did absolutely nothing last week to earn the start tonight and its time JK sent him a warning shot across his bow. Get your game in gear or sit.
Wondo, is that u?
No Wondo, just a fan that is tired of seeing JK prop up the biggest stiff in the forward pool
The biggest stiff who is 5th all time on the US scoring list, at age 25.
Not gonna be pretty tonight. Neither team wants a loss. Will probably be 0-0 or hopefully 1-0 USA win.
When was the last time you saw the USMNT play for a draw?
If we can’t beat this team handily, then JK deserves to be fired
Sorry my auto correct added some things. But i think you can make out me thoughts
Qualifying for the Confederations Cup is not “more important” than winning the Gold Cup. The Confederations Cup is a relatively newly made-up tournament created solely to pad FIFA’s bottom line. We didn’t do any better in 2010, after we played in it, than in 2014, after we didn’t.
US needs to win CONCACAF whether or not it leads to something.
We still talk about that Confederations Cup five years later. It’s another opportunity to test our squad against the best in the world. Of course we want to be there.
It provides our players with experience in a WC-like setting, as well as giving our players more exposure to teams abroad. Gooch got a move to AC Milan after the 2009 GC, and Charlie Davies to Sochaux.
Usual I disagree with you slow. Call just because in 2010 team did not excel does not mean winning the opportunity to play in the confederations cup is not advantageous. The more opportunities this young and growing team has to play against top international teams the more cohesive and prepared they will be. I think beingtop in yourregionis great gut it didnt affect Costa Rica in the world cup that they were second in CONCACAF.
slowleftarm,
Nice sentiment if somewhat off base.
As they say the proof is in the pudding.
In 2007 when winning the Gold Cup meant getting into the 2009 Confed Cup., since it could not send it’s A team to both, the US sent it’s A team to the Gold Cup and it’s B team to Copa America.
In 2009 when the Gold Cup had nothing to do with the Confederations Cup the US sent it’s B team featuring the likes of (with all due respect to them)Jay Heaps, Logan Pause , Colin Clark , Troy Perkins, Sam Cronin, Kenny Cooper Jr, Santino Quaranta, etc. This team got destroyed 5-0 in the final.
Does that sound like the USSF took the tournament seriously?
In 2011 when winning it meant a ticket to the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil the US sent Mikey, Dempsey, LD, Timmy and the rest of the A team. Unfortunately they got humiliated by Mexico in the final and they got BB fired.
How is that for serious?
In 2013 winning it meant the US had a place in the playoff game for the 2017 Confed Cup and it was also the only warm up tourney they had for Brazil, so they sent a squad that was not exactly full strength but not 2009 weak either.
Neither you nor I know what is in the heart of the USSF board of governors but by their actions they tell us that if the Gold Cup gets you a ticket to the Confed Cup they will send the A team. If not then it is the B team.
The Confederations Cup only matters because you get to play some very good teams in a serious tournament in the same stadiums and country where the World Cup will be held the next year.
There is no finer dress rehearsal for the World Cup for a team like the USMNT.
.
And there is no higher priority for the USSF than the World Cup.
In my humble opinion, the soccer world needs to get better at advertising dates and times for its games. I’m sure I can find the time for this one with a couple quick keyboard clicks, but why do people have to work to find such things? It seems the other main sports in this country make it easier on the fan base.
The time for this game is listed in the article (unless it was added after this comment).
(9:30 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, UniMas)
Ah, thanks. Pretty sure it was added after the comment.
It was added after the comment.
This is a pet peeve of mine as well. SBI writers will very often refer to an upcoming matchday and neglect to mention when the match is during that day and were it is on my television dial.
GK: Guzan
DF: Chandler, Gonzo, Brooks, Johnson
DM: Beckerman
AM: Bradley
OM: Yedlin, Zardes
FW: Dempsey, Altidore
This is an exciting lineup which would be nice to watch but I think Alejandro Bedoya has earned a starting spot through his recent USMNT performances and club season.
I’ve been wondering how Bedoya fits in. He doesn’t have the athleticism or wow factor that Zardes and Yedlin have, but he’s just so damn effective. He’s also applies relentless pressure on defense.
At first I wasn’t a fan of Bedoya, but you can’t argue with the guy’s output.
Is he effective? I mean as far as USMNT goes? Sure he produces fine for league, but for country he has not made a difference either to the good or bad.
bizzy should be lambasting this lineup any moment now…