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The U.S. men's national team had plenty of bright spots and highlights in 2009, but the final game of the year had few moments worth remembering.

With most of the team's top stars unavailable, Bob Bradley handed opportunities to several players to show that they deserve more playing time.

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Amidst all the drama with the Ireland vs France match and earlier the Egypt vs Algeria showdown, the USA played a friendly with Denmark. Bob Bradley started Jeff Cunningham and I am happy to say, it turned out well because he scored his first international goal and nearly set up Altidore with another.

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The less said about this match, the better. It was painful to watch at moments. I think that this is one of those matches that we're supposed to learn from. So, what did we learn?

-Landon Donovan is even more integral to this team than we could have imagined. We knew he was the driving force, but the team looks completely lost without him.

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It was a triple killing -- three goals in eight minutes that easily saw off the U.S. challenge in Aarhus. Friendlies tend to spawn more overreactions than calm, logical analysis simply because most American soccer fans expect to be better than they really are.

From the distant perspective of a TV screen carrying the international feed, the defensive collapse was a frustrating exercise that you'd rather not see.

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The United States played two tough European opponents and were defeated in both matches. But we certainly learned something from both games, and thus this European Adventure has been useful for Bob Bradley.

• The US has its style: tactically Bob Bradley is modeling his team after what Carlo Ancelotti did at AC Milan.

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Jimmy Conrad got his 27th cap earlier today coming on for Jonathan Spector in the 70th minute of the United States 3-1 loss to Denmark. The US led 1-0 at the half thanks to a Jeff Cunningham goal, but struggled right out of the game in the second half, giving up 3 goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half. Click to continue reading...

Allow me to introduce, if you don't know it already, the very worthy Free Beer Movement. The goals and tactics of this movement are simple, but profound:

The success of soccer in the United States depends on a larger and more supportive network of fans that attend games, watch them on TV, and spread their love and knowledge of the game to others.

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The final match of the year is set to kick off today for the U.S. men's national team as the Americans take on Denmark (2:30pm, ESPN Classic/Galavision/ESPN2 after Ukraine-Greece) on the last international matchday of the year.

The United States will be playing its 24th match of the year and this match is an important one as head coach Bob Bradley looks to learn more about the depth of his squad.

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The final match of the year is set to kick off today for the U.S. men's national team as the Americans take on Denmark (2:30pm, ESPN Classic/Galavision/ESPN2 after Ukraine-Greece) on the last international matchday of the year.

The United States will be playing its 24th match of the year and this match is an important one as head coach Bob Bradley looks to learn more about the depth of his squad.

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2 - Jonathan Spector 3 - Carlos Bocanegra 4 - Michael Bradley 5 - Benny Feilhaber 7 - Stuart Holden 12 - Jonathan Bornstein 13 - Ricardo Clark 15 - Jimmy Conrad 17 - Jozy Altidore 18 - Brad Guzan 19 - Robbie Rogers 22 - Frankie Hejduk 25 - Clarence Goodson 28 - Dax McCarty 32 - Jeff Cunningham 33 - Edgar Castillo 35 - Marcus Hahnemann 36 - Eddie Johnson Click to continue reading...

Edgar Castillo fue convocado de nuevo por Bradley, técnico de los Estados Unidos para el partido de éste miércoles ante Dinamarca, en Aarhus.

Edgar debió de haberse presentado ayer lunes en Dinamarca junto con Stuart Holden y Ricardo Clark jugadores del Dynamo para unirse el grupo que ya está en aquel país.

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An injury-riddled, star-lacking USMNT team lost 1-0 to Slovakia over the weekend. I didn't watch, so I don't have much to add.
Seems like a fair result on the road. Here's the tweaked lineup for the upcoming Denmark friendly:

GOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan, Marcus Hahnemann, Troy Perkins.

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Bob Bradley added four players over the weekend to his roster for the upcoming friendly in Denmark. Ricardo Clark, Stuart Holden, and Edgar Castillo.

José Francisco Torres was initially called into the camp for Denmark and has since been excused for personal reasons.

Steve Cherundolo, Clint Dempsey and Chad Marshall have been released back to their clubs after the USA's 1-0 loss to Slovakia on Nov.

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Edgar Castillo, Stuart Holden, Jose Francisco Torres, and Ricardo Clark were called in. Clint Dempsey, Steve Cherundolo and Chad Marshall have been sent home.

The full squad:

GOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton), Troy Perkins (Valerenga)

DEFENDERS: Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Edgar Castillo (Tigres), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Jonathan Spector (West Ham)

MIDFIELDERS: Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Benny Feilhaber (AGF Aarhus), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Dax McCarty (FC Dallas), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), José Francisco Torres (Pachuca)

FORWARDS: Jozy Altidore (Hull City), Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids), Jeff Cunningham (FC Dallas), Eddie Johnson (Fulham)

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Edgar Castillo has been called into his first U.S. national team camp.

The New Mexico native and former Mexican national team player was one of four new players called into the U.S. men's national team camp ahead of Wednesday's friendly against Denmark.

Midfielders Stuart Holden and Jose Francisco Torres were also called in, as was Ricardo Clark.

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Edgar Castillo has been called into his first U.S. national team camp.

The New Mexico native and former Mexican national team player was one of four new players called into the U.S. men's national team camp ahead of Wednesday's friendly against Denmark. He will be joining the U.S. team for the first time since the new FIFA rule that allowed him to change national team affiliations from Mexico to the United States.

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The USMNT list for the Aarhus party:G: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton), Troy Perkins (VÃ¥lerenga )D: Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Edgar Castillo (Tigres), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)M: Michael Bradley (Borussia Click to continue reading...

This group could look a lot different in 2010. (Getty Images)

Moving forward once again in our expansion draft coverage. Today we take a look at the Supporter's Shield winning Columbus Crew. More than likely we will see a player picked from this bunch, anytime you go through the regular season and are as good as the Crew were this year you will most certainly see a player picked off in an expansion draft.

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GBS helped lead the Crew to a second straight Supporter's Shield trophy. (Getty Images)

We all expected big things in 2009 for the Columbus Crew. Anytime you win a MLS Cup and retain the bulk of a lineup that got you that title you expect to repeat or come extremely close to do so. As we saw last week the Crew fell short of that this year as they lost to Real Salt Lake at home in the semi-finals of the eastern conference.

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With the World Cup inching ever closer, it's just about time to stop nibbling around the edges of the U.S. depth chart conversations and start biting into the chewy center of that little candy bunny.

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Marcus Hahnemann is back in the US MNT roster with his new ride (hint: it's his bike don't get you hopes up for a pimped out 1970s army tank or something), but first, the best news of the week from The AP:

U.S. forward Charlie Davies was released from a Washington hospital on Tuesday nearly a month after a car accident killed a fellow passenger.

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Bob Bradley didn't call up those guys with league commitments in the MLS playoffs, which explains why a few familiar names aren't included.

GOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Troy Perkins (Valerenga)
DEFENDERS: Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus), Chad Marshall (Columbus), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Jonathan Spector (West Ham)
MIDFIELDERS: Michael Bradley (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Dax McCarty (FC Dallas), Robbie Rogers (Columbus)
FORWARDS: Jozy Altidore (Hull), Conor Casey (Colorado), Jeff Cunningham (FC Dallas), Eddie Johnson (Fulham)

How about that EJ/Cunningham forward pairing. Click to continue reading...

Chivas USA's Jonathan Bornstein and Sacha Kljestan, as well as former Goat Brad Guzan, were named to the 22-player U.S. squad today for games Saturday against Slovakia (10 a.m. Fox Soccer Channel and Galavision) and Denmark four days later (no TV by the sound of it).

From U.S. Soccer::

The U.

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Yes, that is no typo. Thanks to a striker pool as thin as a wafer due to both injuries and MLS playoffs reaching their peak, Bob Bradley has his hands tied when it comes to available players for Saturday's friendly against Slovakia. Landon Donovan is unavailable because of the Los Angeles Galaxy's playoff triumph, while a fringe player such as Robbie Findley also misses out thanks to success.

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US Soccer has announced the roster for the upcoming friendlies vs. Slovakia (11/14) and Denmark (11/18).

GK: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton), Troy Perkins (Valerenga).
DEF: Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Clarence Goodson (Start), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Jonathan Spector (West Ham).

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I guess the late season run for FC Dallas helped cash things in for a couple guys as Bob Bradley named a handful of FC Dallas players to his 22-man roster for the Slovakia friendly later this month.

Also the loss of Columbus in the playoffs meant callups for a few Crew players as well.

To me though the big news may be the re-call of Eddie Johnson, someone we haven't seen called into action in a very long time.

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MLS Golden Boot winner Jeff Cunningham, veteran goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann and Fulham striker Eddie Johnson are three of the 22 players called up by Bob Bradley for Saturday's friendly against Slovakia.

Bradley called in a mostly full-strength squad of available players, with Tim Howard and Landon Donovan among those not called in for this match.

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MLS Golden Boot winner Jeff Cunningham, veteran goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann and Fulham striker Eddie Johnson are three of the 22 players called up by Bob Bradley for Saturday's friendly against Slovakia (10am, Fox Soccer Channel).

Bradley called in a mostly full-strength squad of available players, with Tim Howard and Landon Donovan among those not called in for this match.

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I'm happy for Salt Lake fans and all, but let's face it, Columbus losing is going to have some horrifying consequences.
(1) Some may suggest that Frankie Hejduk should not be on the World Cup roster next year. What, just because, contrary to what I predicted, he played perhaps the single biggest role in the Crew losing? Click to continue reading...

Where to begin with this one? If you approached fans of Columbus and let them know in advance of the game, that they would take a two goal lead within the first 35 minutes at home, against the worst road team in MLS, they would have taken that in a hearbeat. And that's just what did happen, as two Guillermo Barros Schelotto goals got the Crew off to the start they needed.

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RSL was down on the strength of two Schelotto goals by the 35th minute and it appeared as if Crew would be able to get over the one goal disadvantage and advance to the quarter finals. But RSL struck back from a Javier Morales goal two minutes later. Ten minutes later, RSL were awarded a penalty by referee Baldemero Toledo, a dubious call on Frankie Hejduk as Espindola went down a bit too easily.

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Guillermo Barros Schelotto was being counted on to help his Columbus Crew climb out of the one-goal deficit it faced after a Game One defeat to Real Salt Lake, and he did just that with two first-half goals in Thursday night's Game Two. Unfortunately for the Crew, the normally stout defense it was counting on to pitch a shutout delivered a mistake-filled performance that has helped put an end to Columbus' quest for a repeat.

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Guillermo Barros Schelotto was being counted on to help his Columbus Crew climb out of the one-goal deficit it faced after a Game One defeat to Real Salt Lake, and he did just that with two first-half goals in Thursday night's Game Two. Unfortunately for the Crew, the normally stout defense it was counting on to pitch a shutout delivered a mistake-filled performance that has helped put an end to Columbus' quest for a repeat.

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Well, sometimes you're wrong. Like tonight. I've got to admit, I'm a little gutted considering that was my team. Salt Lake by two clear goals? Wow. Just wow.
First off, you've got to say well done by RSL. They came to play, they weren't intimidated.
And yet I'm going to lay all of this on the Columbus Crew. Click to continue reading...

The U.S. men's national team's European friendlies are fast approaching and we will soon learn which new faces head coach Bob Bradley will be taking a look at.

Why should we expect to see some new faces? The long term losses of Charlie Davies and Oguchi Onyewu, coupled with the absence of Jay DeMerit, has left serious voids in the squad.

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