Historic clash takes spotlight from U.S. coach Bradley

by Jamie Trecker

Updated: September 8, 2008, 6:06 AM EST 63 comments

The first game is compelling politically, as it has been over sixty years since the Americans have played a game on Cuban soil. The second could offer the chance of virtual qualification for the hexagonal final if the USA takes care of business on Fidel Castro's island.

In 1947, Cuba beat the USA 5-2, the last time the Americans lost to a Cuban side. Since that time, the U.S. has routed them, running up a 5-1-1 record against the islanders, and crushing them 4-1 in their last meeting (a 2005 Gold Cup win in Seattle). But as Cuba has been under American embargo since 1962, the USA have not returned to the island until now and they can be fairly certain of a "warm" welcome.

"We're very excited about this opportunity to represent the USA," said coach Bob Bradley Thursday afternoon in a teleconference with reporters. "We're very appreciative to have this honor, and we know it is important. We have experienced players to keep us on track, especially on the road ... and while we have talked a little bit about the politics, overall we're excited about the opportunity."

Yet while the game is notable politically, on paper, it's a damp squib. Cuban soccer lags far behind the island's national sport, baseball, in quality, funding and popularity. Adding to the side's woes is that fact virtually every time a Cuban team has come to America, its players vanish. In March, the Cuban U-23 team was decimated when seven players chose to defect during the Olympic qualifying tournament in Florida. So while the Cubans will play hard for the faithful, they don't have that much talent to offer.

As for Trinidad & Tobago, which will begin the weekend with a game against Guatemala, the record is even grimmer. The Americans have never lost to them in a qualifying game, running up an 8-0-2 record. Since T&T won in Havana they, like the USA, are in position to take a step toward qualifying with a win over the Guatemalans.

That's fine for a U.S. team that has some struggles of its own.

The American attack has been solid against very bad teams, like Barbados, but has been lacking against just about anyone else. And, the American defenders keep making the same elementary and exploitable mistakes, allowing most opponents two or three decent chances right down the gut.

U.S. players arrive in Havana for their historic visit. (Adalberto Roque / Getty Images)

With that in mind, Bradley's roster for these two games has fans scratching their heads. Absent are playmaker Freddy Adu and forwards Jozy Altidore and Kenny Cooper, while Bradley has kept faith with the punchless Eddie Johnson and the stuttering central back tandem of Oguchi Onyewu and Carlos Bocanegra.

Once again, Clint Dempsey looks set to play out of position, and once more, Heath Pearce will be called upon to clean up the messes in the middle. Steve Cherundolo is suspended for the Cuba game, and Pablo Mastroeni is out injured.

On his central defense, which has been repeatedly exposed, Bradley opined: "Obviously we have shown a lot of confidence in Carlos Bocanegra and Oguchi Onyewu. They have done a very good job and given us stability in the middle."

But when Bradley was directly asked why Adu and Altidore were absent, he dissembled: "We feel that we have an overall good pool of players to draw upon and we weigh different things, which can include again, where a player is in his season in his club, how much he has played lately, as well as just a feeling about the group we bring in for a match to cover bases, who we think might start, how we think about subbing. All these things get weighed."

There was, of course, room on the roster for the recently transferred Maurice Edu, the tired-looking Michael Bradley and the erratic Ricardo Clark, as well as uncapped Michael Orozco.

Many fans will wonder about Johnson, who was recently shipped off to Cardiff City on loan after a disappointing spell at Fulham. When he was asked, Bradley said, "We felt that Eddie showed good progress during the month we worked together. We think he changes the game with his physical qualities. It is important to have players that bring different challenges and options and that's what he does."

If this sounds familiar, it should. This is the same kind of rhetoric offered by the last American head coach, a man who also seemed to dislike being questioned.

Yet the fires are burning far hotter for Bradley than they ever did for Bruce Arena, as he is a man that many fans seem to feel is emblematic of the failures of U.S. Soccer. Fans have not forgotten that U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati promised — and failed — to deliver an internationally reknowned coach.

So far, Bradley's tenure has been a mixed bag. The coach has played much tougher opponents than his predecessors did, but the results have not been striking. The very good draw against Argentina at Giants Stadium came after disappointing games against England and Spain. There has been no indication that the team has solved its attacking deficiencies.

Having won in Guatemala, the U.S. should walk through this semifinal quadrangular with a minimum of effort, but whether they will produce any flair to excite the fans is another story.

Jamie Trecker's newest book, "Love and Blood: At the World Cup with the Footballers, Fans and Freaks" is out now from Harcourt. Jamie is assisted by Jerry and Janice Trecker. Contact Jamie at jamie.trecker@gmail.com and visit his blog and website at www.jamietrecker.com.

The views and opinions expressed by Jamie Trecker do not necessarily reflect those of the Fox Soccer Channel or FoxSoccer.com.