- Title: USA: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - U.S. Soccer team starts World Cup preparations
- Date: 19th May 2010
- Summary: PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES (MAY 17, 2010) (REUTERS) MEMBERS OF THE U.S. SOCCER TEAM RUNNING AROUND THE PITCH MIDFIELDER CLINT DEMPSEY (WITHOUT SHIRT) AND FELLOW PLAYER RESTING AFTER RUNNING U.S. DEFENDER CARLOS BOCANEGRA SPEAKING WITH ONE OF THE COACHING TEAM U.S. TEAM'S HEAD COACH, BOB BRADLEY CALLING THE TEAM TO DO STRETCHES VIDEO CAMERAS / PAN TO TEAM STR
- Embargoed: 3rd June 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVACRX6PK3HSFRZAWQJB4WCL8MS7
- Story Text: The U.S. men's soccer team took to the field on Monday (May 17) to begin a week-long training session for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Head coach, Bob Bradley, has based the 30-man squad this week at Princeton University in New Jersey.
Of the 30 players, only 23 will be chosen by June 1 for the final roster that will travel to South Africa.
At a news briefing after training, Bradley said that he's excited about his team's much-vaunted first match against rivals England. In one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history in 1950, England, taking part in the World Cup for the first time, lost 1-0 to a ragbag American team in Brazil. But Bradley said their first game will be all about soccer.
"The first game of the World Cup is ... not about grudge matches at that point. It's about getting off to a good start. You've got three games in the frost round and you've got to get off to a good start and use that to push through the first round," said Bradley.
Midfielder Clint Dempsey, who plays for English side Fulham, told Reuters that team U.S.A. plans to take every game seriously, not just the first.
"It's exciting playing against England because they're a top team and you know, you want to play against the best and to see where you are and hopefully we can get the job done and the main goal is to advance out of the group," said Dempsey.
African-American goalkeeper, Tim Howard, who also plays in England for Premiere League club Everton, said that he has played in South Africa before, but this tournament is different.
"I think the fact that this World Cup is in South Africa, the first one on African soil, being in South Africa. At the moment it's hard to wrap my head around it, but I do think, I do know that I'll be privileged to have played in this World Cup, without question," said Howard.
The U.S. soccer team is often not taken seriously in a sport where they compete against far more experienced soccer-playing nations in Europe and Latin America.
"I don't think anyone is shaking in their boots when they play the U.S. We still have to go out and prove it every single game," Tim Howard explained.
The U.S. soccer team will play two warm-up friendlies before heading for South Africa. The first, on May 25 is against the Czech Republic and the second pits the U.S. against Turkey on May 29. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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