By FRANCO PANIZO

TAMPA - The U.S. men's national team entered its game on Saturday night with an unblemished record against Panama and in the all-time history of the group stages in the Gold Cup.

Both unbeaten records were broken at Raymond James Stadium after Panama held off a comeback effort from the United States and defeated the Americans, 2-1, in a Group C match played in front of 27,731 fans.

1. Bob Bradley's lineup will look a lot like the one we saw against Panama, with a couple of exceptions. While it would be ideal to start Clint Dempsey up top, the decision is really between Juan Agudelo and Sacha Kljestan. Since Sacha had a fairly bad game against Panama, we're going to say Juan gets the nod.

Alejandro Bedoya tweeted the above image today when he came across a story on the Son of Ben in the UK edition of GQ.
I have no idea what prompted a British mag to feature an American supporters group, but its clear that the SoB legend has broken free of US shores. Headed into their second season, the group has become a model for soccer fans in other cities desperate to bring MLS to their hometowns through expansion.

Thoughts on the United States 4-2 loss to Mexico;

• Cherundolo's early injury hurt the United States much more than anything else in the game. Bob Bradley had just two options to replace Dolo, Bornstein or Spector. Bornstein as it turns out was the wrong decision for so many reasons however lets not forget Spector is not exactly a track star.

While we wait for my MLSS report to be published, I'll just give you all the lowdown on Alejandro Bedoya's Rangers deal (work permit pending). It is a three-year contract to join when his Örebro deal expires this winter. I've asked, and both his agent and the club are feeling confident he can win a UK Home Office rubber stamp on appeal.

US midfielder Alejandro Bedoya will join Rangers this week after Orebro accepted an improved offer from the Scottish champions.

Tampa, Fla. The United States suffered a humbling defeat to Panama 2-1 at Raymond James Stadium last night. Flat and disorganized for the first 68 minutes the United States could not overcome a slow start losing for the first time ever in the Gold Cup group stage. The US seemed surprised at the level of intensity shown by Panama, something I warned about in my preview of the match.

1. Given the success most of the team had against Guadeloupe on Tuesday particularly the back line and center mids Bob Bradley will only make one change to this afternoon's lineup. Chris Wondolowski will be benched, Clint Dempsey will pair with Jozy, and Alejandro Bedoya's recent substitute performances will be rewarded with a start on the left wing.

Freddy Adu's heads up play found Landon Donovan steaming on the right and in a flash the LA Galaxy man positioned himself to lay a perfectly delivered low cross which found who else but Clint Dempsey. Goal. This was the USA at its best 0-60 counterattacking best. It took but a moment but it changed a match desperately in need of an adrenaline rush.

The first U.S. national team match of the year won't feature many familiar faces. In fact, there are no players who could be considered first-choice national team options. No, Saturday's friendly against Chile is instead about new faces and Bob Bradley's chance to see how a new crop of MLS players can measure up in what will be a first or second appearance for many of them.

Tag team game review here by TSG's "Tuesday" and Editor-in-moniker only Matthew.

We start with Tuesday and I'll follow up with bullets and ratings

Review

Bunbury....bang!

The kids were allowed to stay up late on Saturday night.

Alejandro Bedoya opened his goal-scoring account for the new Swedish League season with the winner in Orebro SK's match versus Syrianska FC on Friday, and what a goal it was.

Bedoya netted the winner in Orebro's 1-0 victory, volleying a corner kick into the side of the net after the ball bounced by a group of players.

After a little bit of a wait Bob Bradley released the U.S.' Gold Cup roster and there were a few surprises included. With that in mind here are five or thoughts about the U.S. roster and how it affects their chances in the championship.

1. The return of Freddy Adu

It's been a while since Adu figured into the U.

With Benny Feilhaber unavailable due to injury, Alejandro Bedoya has been added to the Gold Cup roster. Bedoya joined the squad for last week's training camp. He came on as a second-half substitute against Spain on Saturday. The United States had until 24 hours before their opening game to change their Gold Cup roster.

Alejandro Bedoya has officially replaced Benny Feilhaber on the U.S. men's national team Gold Cup roster, U.S. Soccer announced Monday.

With Feilhaber sidelined for 3-6 weeks with an ankle injury, Bedoya will get a chance to play in his first tournament with the United States.

I'm heading up to Kansas City tomorrow for the U.S.-Guadeloupe match. A lot of this trip was about seeing Livestrong Park, the shiny new ground at Sporting K.C. that is supposedly such a high-tech dream machine.

But this little trip just got a lot more interesting. Now, the United States needs a result.

So which was more shocking for you: Clint Dempsey's menagerie of missed sitters or Bob Bradley finishing the game with Dempsey as his lone striker? It's not an idle question. My notes, even from early in the first half, mention Dempsey looking heavy-legged and lacking his usual spark. I think it was about a half hour in that I wondered why Bradley hadn't started the energetic Bedoya, saving Dempsey, coming off a long club season, for emergency sub duty and the latter stages of the tournament.

Photo by ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

KANSAS CITY, Kan. - If things would have gone as planned, Alejandro Bedoya would still be playing in Sweden with Orebro SK.

Things did not go as planned, however.

With Benny Feilhaber suffering an ankle injury prior to the Gold Cup, Bedoya was summoned by U.

With the knockout rounds of the CONCACAF Gold Cup now upon us, the U.S. men's national team will need to find the right mix of players to help it navigate what will be a tough road to the Gold Cup Final, a road that begins on Sunday against Jamaica at RFK Stadium.

Though the United States only managed a 1-0 victory against a weak Guadeloupe side, there were enough promising signs from that group to make that starting lineup the foundation for the squad Bob Bradley will start against Jamaica.

Photo by Bill Barrett/ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

As far as the Gold Cup goes, the U.S. men's national team is where it should be. But the road to get to the this point of the tournament has been far from perfect.

1. Given the success most of the team had against Guadeloupe on Tuesday particularly the back line and center mids Bob Bradley will only make one change to this afternoon's lineup. Chris Wondolowski will be benched, Clint Dempsey will pair with Jozy, and Alejandro Bedoya's recent substitute performances will be rewarded with a start on the left wing.

Brain Straus of The Sporting News writes of how US coach Bob Bradley had a tactical ace up his sleeve in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Saturday afternoon, U.S. national team coach Bob Bradley wouldn't admit that the pressure was on, or that a CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal loss to Jamaica might put his five-year reign in jeopardy.

Tomorrow the US will get a second chance at Panama when the two teams meet in the semi-final of the Gold Cup. In group play Panama earned its first ever win against the Americans while also snapping the US's undefeated streak when competing in the Gold Cup group stage.

Since the 2-1 loss to Panama the US has come back with two straight shutouts and has tightened up its back four by moving captain Bocanegra to center back and bringing in Lichaj at left back.

The United States gets a chance to avenge its most shocking loss in the history of the Gold Cup tonight when it takes on Panama at Reliant Stadium in Houston.

Just eleven days removed from the 2-1 defeat the United States are a completely different team, in terms of attitude and tactics. Bob Bradley made excellent adjustments to his squad for the game against Jamaica on Sunday, switching to a 4-2-3-1 formation and inserting both Alejandro Bedoya and Sasha Kljestan in the midfield.

HOUSTON – Following the U.S. soccer team over the last couple of weeks has been like watching an extended NBA or NHL playoff series.

The temperature rises and falls like day turning to night in the desert.

There are wild swings of perception. The home team wins and everything is lollipops and Slurpees.

In a match of limited opportunities, Clint Dempsey made his one chance count, scoring from close range after a fantastic set-up from Landon Donovan and Freddy Adu in the 77th minute. Dempsey's goal would be all the U.S. needed to defeat Panama 1-0 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas and advance to the CONCACAF Gold Cup Final on Saturday.

On Wednesday, the United States Men's National Team looked to avenge their Group Stage defeat to Panama at Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX. Two second-half substitutes contributed to Clint Dempsey's clincher, as the Americans secured their place in the CONCACAF Gold Cup Finals with a 1-0 victory over the Canal Men.

Tim Howard, sore loser

Saturday's Gold Cup post game ceremony conducted by Univision's Fernando Fiore mostly in Spanish brought on a expletive laden rant by the US goalkeeper. He perceived in it a slight akin to a gatecrasher eating with chopsticks when everyone else is using forks.

Rangers FC's 2011-2012 UEFA Champions League run didn't last very long.

Maurice Edu's (and Alejandro Bedoya's soon-to-be) club played to a 1-1 draw at Swedish club Malmo FF on Wednesday and fell via a 2-1 aggregate in a Champions League qualifying round.

Edu set up the opening goal, which leveled the aggregate and away-goal count at 1-1 in the 24th minute, but Rangers couldn't overcome having two players -- Steven Whittaker and Madjid Bougherra -- get sent off.

Excuse my slight tardiness on this. I was waiting to speak to a couple of folks who had meetings before I said anything here. But yes, Alejandro Bedoya has been rubber-stamped for a UK work permit and his Rangers free move in January. However... a few days ago, I was told that this verdict would clink into motion one last Rangers try to grab Bedoya on an August transfer.

U.S. Soccer announced today there is no English-language TV coverage of the U.S.-Chile game scheduled for 6 p.m. Jan. 22 at Home Depot Center in Carson, although you'll notice the time change apparently made at the behest of Telemundo and ESPN3.com.

About 8,000 tickets have now been sold for the game.

The MLS Supplemental Draft doesn't have the hype or get the attention of the MLS "Super" Draft but there were still good values to be had during Tuesday's draft.

The Vancouver Whitecaps began proceedings by taking UCSB centerback Michael Boxall with the first pick to get the draft going.

United States Men's National Team: Sean Johnson will not be starting

Per U.S. Soccer's Twitter page, Sean Johnson will not be starting in goal tonight. Bob Bradley, I am disappoint.

Starting lineup #USMNTvCHI 4-2-3-1: Rimando; Franklin, Ream, Gonzalez, Loyd; Larentowicz, McCarty (C); Bedoya, Diskerud, Shea; Wondolowski

1. The January Camp friendlies rarely provide the most exciting matches normally our MLS-ers against a decent country's domestic-leaguers but they do provide a glimpse at our youth (most players on our roster are under 25). For a lucky few, it can even propel them into the first-team conversation.

We applaud the move too....

Prelude to a move?

Via Soccer by Ives and the Orebro Web site, the TSG crowned Ambassador to Brazil, Alejandro Bedoya will train with Birmingham City.

City could certainly use the wingers cough, Alexander Hleb and Bedoya's got the body, the crossing power and headers for the EPL.

11.03.2011 - Ya visto el calendario (10.02.11) y conformado el listado de players, la 16º edición de la MLS (temporada 2011) se larga el próximo 15 de marzo (Seattle Sounders vs LA Galaxy) y, como viene sucediendo, volvió a crecer la cantidad de latinoamericanos participantes en el torneo.

Which is Turkish for "house" - yes, Bursaspor forward Jozy Altidore has opened in club account by nodding the cross from whence it came to break ice on the stroke of halftime. We'll watch for a brace-maker and get any clips up after the game.UPDATE: We now have two Friday night lights clips on the way.

Last season, Örebro workhorse Alejandro Bedoya had two goals. Tonight, he bagged his second of this term from just three games with 16 minutes to go in a 3-2 late collapse home loss to Gefle (shoulda been his second winner).Clip when I find one...UPDATE: Shazam. That didn't take long at all.And while we're talkin' Bedoya, here is part one of a three-part, half hour talk with the man himself (

Alejandro Bedoya and Orebro face a winner-takes all Cup game against Ljungskile while Gale Agbossoumonde and Djurgarden should have no problem with their lower-league opposition.

1. The MLS contingent arrived yesterday (minus Benny Feilhaber), bringing the number of players present to 20 as of this morning. Alejandro Bedoya, Carlos Bocanegra and Clarence Goodson all arrive later today.
2. More than 57,000 tickets have been sold for the match against Spain, leaving only 10,000 remaining for what will be a record-setting crowd at Gillette Stadium.