A win against Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday afternoon would have guaranteed the United States a spot in the knockout stage of the 2007 Gold Cup. With a more suitable crowd on hand to cheer on the United States, the Americans took care of business in Los Angeles with a 2-0 win.

The lineup that new full-time coach Bob Bradley presented for the second group game looked entirely different from the first game. It was as if Bradley took the entire bench and inserted it into the starting eleven. Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, and Tim Howard all took a seat. Newcomers Benny Feilhaber, Steve Ralston, and Ricardo Clark were plugged in. World Cup keeper Kasey Keller took command in goal.

Halfway through the first half in the 29th minute the United States grabbed their first goal of the afternoon almost identically to the goal that they scored on Thursday night. A through ball down the left side was crossed in, finding a sprinting Brian Ching, who struck it home. As the half continued, the youth movement of the United States took center stage. Shots on goal by winger Justin Mapp and Frank Simek nearly found the net, but ended up just wide. The halftime score at the Home Depot Center would finish at 1-0, advantage USA.

After the interval, Bob Bradley subbed in Landon Donovan. The change by Bradley paid off quickly. After a Trinidad & Tobago corner kick, Donovan picked up the deflection from outside the box and turned on the jets. A simple give and go between Donovan and Eddie Johnson resulted in the United States’ second and final goal.

In two matches, the United States has grabbed two wins that has produced both exciting and gritty play. Bob Bradley was questioned before the start of the tournament, as many felt his squad was too young on the bench. The critics have been silenced and Bradley is still undefeated in 2007. Next up for the United States is El Salvador on Tuesday night from Foxboro.

Even though the United States opening round game of the Gold Cup was played in Los Angeles, it never seemed like a home a game against Guatemala. The huge majority of of the Home Depot Center?s capacity (27,000) was filled with the opposing nations? fans. Despite the fact that few supporters showed up to cheer on the Americans, they brought home the victory.

In Bob Bradley?s first tournament game as coach, the boys in red, white, and blue started with a bang. In the 26th minute, DeMarcus Beasley took the ball down the right wing and into the box, where he fed it to Clint Dempsey to strike home for the 1-0 lead. Continuing through the first half, Guatemala never really had a shot on goal because they simply could not outrun the American defense. First half officiating left much to be desired, as several Guatemalan attacks were blatantly offsides. Also, the referee blew the halftime whistle before an American corner kick, which should never happen.

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Last Saturday against Ecuador, the U.S. National Soccer Team introduced some new kits with an old school touch and Yankee pattern. Wearing the jerseys for the first time, the United States beat Ecuador 3-1.

One thing that unnoticed in this unveiling is that the jerseys were introduced at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium. Coincidently, the New York Yankees play across the street at Legends Field, where pinstripes are customary. The Americans also wore the alternate jersey in last night’s friendly against Guatemala.

Team USA’s outfitter Nike has placed white pinstripes down the entire jersey, covering it from front to back. Nike has provided the U.S. with something similar in the past. But those stripes were going horizontal, as opposed to this vertical look. The new alternate shirt is a sparkling royal blue that is a not a traditional color of the national team. During last summer’s World Cup, the Americans went with a darker blue in their shirt.

There is no telling how much the Americans will wear the jersey, but they will have plenty of opportunities to wear it this summer. The team will take part in two major tournaments, Copa America and the Gold Cup. All in all, I love the new kit and hope that it eventually replaces the current away jersey. The royal blueand pinstripes definitely stand out. In my opinion, they’re a must buy for Sam’s Army.

Last week in Venezuela, the Copa America group draw was held and placed the United States Men’s National soccer team in a group where advancing to the knock-out stage could actually happen. There is no reason why Bob Bradley and his boys can’t compete in this tournament and make a huge statement.

The one thing that should be noted before I begin to break down the U.S. chances this summer in the Copa America is that the big teams such as Argentina and Brazil do not bring their most talented and experienced players. Why? I’m not sure, but it mostly surfaces to the fact that the federations of these countries just want to give these players a break.

With that said, look for Bob Bradley to take his best team South of the border. Bradley must unleash his most powerful squad on the South American teams if he wants to win this thing, because sending a “B” team is just not going to pan out. The MLS season will be taking place during the tourney, but there is no reason why he won’t be able to pull some players from those squads along with bringing the other players who currently call Europe their playing field.

The United States has been placed in Group C which holds Argentina, Paraguay, and Columbia. I’m glad the Americans were able to avoid Brazil and host Venezuela in this first round of action, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be able to lineup against them in the next round. The United States is likely to face Argentina’s “B” team in their first game. If the Americans can escape with a tie from this one, and avoid a loss it will be just as good as a win. Next the U.S. will face Paraguay, followed by the last group match against Columbia. The games against Paraguay and Columbia are both winnable for Bradley and his squad, so they must play their game and not get intimated by the foreign atmosphere.

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For all of you out there that don’t like soccer players faking injury after a foul, watch tonight’s USA-Mexico game. This rivalry has gotten so intense, it shouldn’t even be called an international friendly anymore. Make no mistake, these teams hate each other.

There’s no North American brotherhood here and don’t expect to see it change tonight in Glendale, Arizona. The U.S. will take the field for their 2nd game since last summer’s World Cup. Mexico on the other hand, is playing their first game under legend player and new coach Hugo Sanchez.

Sanchez will want to make a point and show why he deserved to be the coach of Mexico. Opposite side coach Bob Bradley will also look to show the American people why he should no longer be considered just an interim coach, but the undisputed.

Aside from the coaches the players are going to eat each other alive. Nobody from the U.S.A. team likes anyone from the Mexico team and vice versa. Players for the U.S. who play club soccer in Europe are flying back just to participate in this one. This is for pride and bragging rights and the USA want nothing short of a win for their side. The last time these two met the United States rode into the sunset in Columbus Ohio with a 2-0 victory and a berth to the World Cup.

The United States will be playing in a World Cup this summer. The Under-20 World Cup that is. The Under-20 U.S. team qualified for the summer tournament over the weekend by earning 2 wins and a draw in 3 matches.

The faces of U.S. soccer will get another test against some of the worlds best countries in Spain, Portugal, and Brazil. Advancing far in the tournament is key for the Americans because the field only consists of 24 teams unlike the big World Cup which has 32.

Freddy Adu will lead the North American side north of the border into Canada as he scored 2 goals in U.S.A.’s 5-0 win over Panama Sunday. Adu alongside a list of current European based players with some college players will make up the team. The roster the team used for qualifying games is available here.

As I mentioned before, this tournament can give the world a sense of what the United States Soccer Federation has to offer. If the team flops, the interest level in the U.S. team will flop as well. The draw for the tournament that will categorize the 6 groups of 4 in Canada has not happened yet, but you can bet the group they’re drawn into will play a large role into how well they play.