SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: WORLD CUP 2010: United States gear up for key World Cup match against Algeria

Record ID: 455863

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: WORLD CUP 2010: United States gear up for key World Cup match against Algeria
  • Date: 23rd June 2010
  • Summary: PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA (JUNE 22, 2010) (REUTERS) SOCCER BALL ON FIELD VARIOUS OF UNITED STATES TEAM TRAINING UNITED STATES COACH BOB BRADLEY WATCHING TRAINING LANDON DONOVAN ON FIELD VARIOUS OF TEAM USA TRAINING COACHING STAFF WATCHING TRAINING CAPTAIN CARLOS BOCANEGRA TRAINING VARIOUS OF COACH TALKING TO TEAM TEAM TRAINING BRADLEY AND BOCANEGRA WALKING INTO NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED STATES COACH BOB BRADLEY, SAYING: "The game is 90 minutes and you always have to have an understanding of how to play those 90 minutes, the different twists that a game can take. Of course, we'd like to have a good start, we'd like to have the first goal, but we still balance that with an understanding of playing from start to finish." SOCCER BALL (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED STATES CAPTAIN CARLOS BOCANEGRA, SAYING: "We obviously had a bad outing in 2006 and we weren't happy how things worked out. We have a great chance, tomorrow night, to get a win and advance to the second round. It is important for us because of that disappointment in 2006, it's not really extra motivation but it's in the back of our minds, that you work so hard and train for so long for the World Cup and it can be over so quickly if you don't advance." TEAM USA TRAINING
  • Embargoed: 8th July 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA76KFRUE9DTKH11KLMCOYNMUZ8
  • Story Text: The United States gave few clues about their starting line-up for Wednesday's (June 23) final Group C match with Algeria, but coach Bob Bradley indicated he wanted a better start than their previous games.
    Against England, Team USA conceded a goal in the fourth minute but came back to draw 1-1, and then they forced a 2-2 draw with Slovenia despite trailing by two goals.
    "The game is 90 minutes and you always have to have an understanding of how to play those 90 minutes, the different twists that a game can take. Of course, we'd like to have a good start, we'd like to have the first goal, but we still balance that with an understanding of playing from start to finish," Bradley told a news conference in Pretoria, South Africa on Tuesday (June 22).
    United States striker Jozy Altidore missed training on Tuesday due to a stomach problem but Bradley was confident he would be fit to play.
    The United States must win against Algeria to guarantee reaching the second round, but a draw would also be enough if England lose to Slovenia in the other Group C match.
    Four years ago in Germany, the Americans went into their final group game needing a win to have a chance of progressing but lost to Ghana and headed home early.
    Six of the starting line-up from the Ghana game are in the current squad and one of them, skipper Carlos Bocanegra, said that the disappointment will be in the team's minds.
    "We obviously had a bad outing in 2006 and we weren't happy how things worked out. We have a great chance to get a win and advance to the second round," said Bocanegra.
    "It is important to us because of that disappointment in 2006, it's not really extra motivation but its in the back of our minds. You work so hard and train for so long for the World Cup and it can be over so quickly if you don't advance," he added.
    Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Steve Cherundolo, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan and DaMarcus Beasley all played in the defeat to Ghana and all except Beasley are expected to start on Wednesday.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register