FanHouse U.S. National Team

With the Major League Soccer playoffs quickly hurtling toward their climax and with David Beckham, Cuauhtemoc Blanco and several key Americans still involved, the U.S. national team will have to take a rare spin in the back seat as it prepares for upcoming friendlies in Slovakia (Nov. 14) and Denmark (Nov. 18).

It's always interesting to see how the national team fares on foreign soil, and while the opponents may not be household names, they are bound for South Africa. But with the World Cup still seven months away and with the spotlight on the MLS Cup pursuit of BFFs Becks and Landon Donovan, what makes the upcoming friendlies worth following? Two words and 17 goals: Jeff Cunningham.

The U.S. national team's stirring comeback against Costa Rica last week will be remembered for Bornstein's header, Davies' tragedy, Bradley's hustle and Onyewu's injury. But it also should be remembered for the contribution of Columbus Crew midfielder Robbie Rogers, whose entry in the 69th minute changed the match.

Playing in his first World Cup qualifier, the nimble winger added an obvious spark to a team trailing by two goals. He hit the cross that led to Michael Bradley's 72nd-minute goal, came close twice to tying the game himself, then delivered the corner kick that Bornstein finished in stoppage time. A key member of this summer's CONCACAF Gold Cup squad and a regular camp participant, Rogers certainly made his case for South Africa when presented with the opportunity.

This weekend, Rogers sat down with FanHouse and offered some interesting insight into a young player's path to the national team, his famous mentor, the Davies accident and the curfew culture that likely played a role.

A very good friend, a big sports fan who appreciates soccer but doesn't really follow it closely, sent me an e-mail on Thursday morning, hours after the U.S. national team had escaped Trinidad and Tobago with a 1-0 win, saying, "Looked like it was an ugly one but we'll take 3, right? Am I right that the U.S. will coast through and qualify now?"

"Coast?" What would have given him that idea? And then I looked at some of the press reports that circulated following the game. "U.S. moves to verge of 6th straight World Cup berth," said the AP, while CNN's headline was, "United States and Mexico march on to 2010." ESPN mentioned the "vital steps" taken toward qualification, while most other outlets referenced the mere two standings points needed from the final two games to secure a summer in South Africa.

So, we're all set then. It's a mere formality, right?

Twenty years ago, the U.S. national team took its first legitimate step onto the global stage thanks to a perfect half-volley from Paul Caligiuri that vaulted the Americans to a 1-0 win at Trinidad & Tobago and their first World Cup since 1950.

Wednesday night, the U.S. returns to Port of Spain as a recognized global contender, but the stakes are just as high. Perhaps more than any other country, the growth, legitimacy and visibility of the sport in the United States depends on World Cup qualification. With just one point separating the top four teams in CONCACAF and the Americans' road difficulties making a playoff with a South American side an unappetizing prospect, a win in Trinidad is critical to ensuring a place in South Africa next summer.

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The U.S. national team overcame a stunning early deficit and typically bizarre CONCACAF refereeing Saturday night outside Salt Lake City, defeating El Salvador, 2-1, in a wide-open World Cup qualifier that was surprisingly close and intense.

Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore scored near the end of the first half for the Americans, who had fallen behind thanks to the sort of early defensive lapse that has been uncomfortably common this summer. A second-half strike from Altidore was ruled out controversially by the Honduran referee, but the U.S. had done enough to secure a valuable three points on its road to South Africa.

With Saturday's soccer spotlight shining on Rosario, Copenhagen, Budapest, Basel, Bratislava and even San Jose, Costa Rica, the U.S. national team is faced with a flattering yet potentially problematic scenario -- playing a World Cup qualifier that will be big news only if it loses.

Without a home qualifying loss to anyone since 2001 and boasting a 10-0-2 all-time record (with five straight shutouts) against El Salvador on U.S. soil, the Americans (3-2-1) would appear to have little to fear from the Cuscatlecos (1-3-2) at Rio Tinto Stadium outside Salt Lake City (ESPN Classic, 8 p.m. ET). But injuries and suspensions are a factor, and the tightening CONCACAF standings give the hosts no room for error.

MEXICO CITY -- When Miguel Sabah scored his game-winning goal in the 82nd minute, or the 83rd, or the 84th -- nobody was really quite sure -- it rained beer at Estadio Azteca. The suds were accompanied by thunder, a roar from more than 100,000 delirous fans, two of whom turned toward the American press sitting a few rows behind them and screamed obscenities. The one with the hair gel and popped green collar made exaggerated typing gestures, while his classy friend with the face paint simply flipped us the bird.

Welcome to the world's most inhospitable stadium, which proved too much for the media, the Panamanian referee and the U.S. national team (again) in Wednesday's World Cup qualifier. "It's hard to play here," Landon Donovan said. "It wears you out. It's just exhausting."

Freddy Adu was carrying a limp as he made his way through the tunnel beneath RFK Stadium Wednesday night. The 20-year-old midfielder had played 64 indifferent minutes for the U.S. national team in its CONCACAF Gold Cup match against Honduras. It was his replacement, Charlie Davies, who was part of the combination that ultimately unlocked the visitors' defense and helped the Americans to a 2-0 win.

It smelled like a lost opportunity, and in fact, it turned out that Adu's Gold Cup was over. U.S. coach Bob Bradley announced, and Adu confirmed, that he is on his way back to Portugal to join Benfica for its preseason. After a quiet year with the Portuguese power and an anonymous one-year loan with Monaco, one is left to wonder when the former prodigy, now a pro for five years, is going to make an impact.

Tonight, the U.S. national team returns to the scene of the crime. On Sept. 1, 2001, a confident and athletic Honduras side defeated the Americans, 3-2, in a back-and-forth World Cup qualifier played before a raucous, pro-Honduran crowd at RFK Stadium in Washington.

That was the low point. The U.S. went on to qualify and advance all the way to the quarterfinals the following summer in South Korea, while los Catrachos stayed home. And the Nats haven't lost on U.S. soil to a CONCACAF opponent since then, compiling an amazing 44-0-10 record. Even though defender Steve Cherundolo is the only American who played in that 2001 game who's on the current CONCACAF Gold Cup roster, a victory over Honduras tonight at RFK would be pretty sweet, and would put the U.S. in position to win Group B and avoid Mexico in the upcoming quarters and semis.

The 2006 World Cup is remembered as a tournament where key players fell well short of expectations. It should also be remembered for the play of Clint Dempsey and Jimmy Conrad, the two MLS players who arguably were the only members of that U.S. national team who could be proud of their performances in Germany.

Why is that relevant today? Because both Dempsey and Conrad likely cemented their roles on Bruce Arena's World Cup roster with their play at the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Neither was a national team fixture before that tournament, but in helping the Americans to their third title, they established themselves as legitimate World Cup options. The U.S. team that takes the Qwest Stadium field tonight against Grenada in their Gold Cup opener will be composed of players with similar status -- on the outside looking in as the next World Cup approaches. History suggests that two or three of those athletes will play their way onto Bob Bradley's team for next summer.