Great Expectations for Team USA's Reserve Squad: Gold Cup Preview Part 2

Team USA fans, say it with me now: We will not judge our team by this Gold Cup.

We don’t need to win this cup. We will judge our team on August 12th, when Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Tim Howard and the rest of the first team face Mexico at Azteca.  

Team USA has earned massive respect after their Confederations’ Cup success, especially to the casual American sports fan. Consequently, these fans have put an extraordinary amount of expectation on this year’s Gold Cup squad to carry on their first team’s momentum by defending the CONCACAF Gold Cup next month.  

Needing to be assured Team USA is not just a flash in the pan, casual soccer fans will judge our class against the CONCACAF “minnows.” As many on this site have said: moral victories will no longer be tolerated; anything less than three points in CONCACAF is an abomination. 

Trust me, they don’t need this. This B-team (see part one) has enough targets on its back. 

Bitter rivals Mexico are sending their first-class talent to avenge their Cup final loss in 2007. Canada will be seeking retribution for its controversial semi-final loss in 2007.  El Salvador and Honduras are seeking revenge after having a chance at three points against our first team in World Cup qualifying.  

Costa Rica will want to rub their recent 3-1 home win against our first team in our reserves’ faces at this tournament. And, as defending champions, every other team will be sending out their best boys to thrash us. Roles have reversed. Team USA now has everything to lose. 

Team USA fans: get ready to hate Bob Bradley again.

Despite the pressure, the ever-aloof Coach Bradley will focus on the long-term goal I mentioned in part one: use this competition to find a solid bench for the 2010 World Cup. What does this mean?  

More awkward formations. More strange line-ups. More dodgy substitutions. Especially against smaller competition like Grenada and Haiti. Bob Bradley will make sure he knows how each player on his 23-man roster will respond to the pressure of international competition. 

Of course, Team USA will hopefully send the best this team has to offer—Freddy Adu, Stuart Holden, Jimmy Conrad, and company—against stronger competition, but this team is not the first team, nor is it the U-23 2008 Olympic team. These boys are the American faces of an import-crazy MLS. 

So, how will the MLS stars and alumni deal with their continental counterparts?

According to recent history, not so good. The 2008 Olympic Team performed well, but went three-and-out in Beijing’s U-23 tournament. And they had Brian McBride and Jozy Altidore. 

But many players on the Gold Cup squad were not on that team.  Many of these players star on MLS sides that regularly struggle against continental, not just Mexican, competition. No Revolution fan can forget Joe Public’s 4-0 thrashing of New England at Foxborough during the CONCACAF Champions’ League, a cup where lowly USL sides put up a bigger fight than our MLS stars.  

Do you know who Joe Public is? Exactly.

Even when MLS is in form and face out-of-season Mexican competition, they still struggle. Just last week, Chivas USA just got embarrassed by Tigres’ U-20 side in the SuperLiga. 

But what about when these stars are put together? They have done a little better… against European out-of-season reserve teams. The MLS All-Stars, even with David Beckham, were almost outclassed by West Ham’s reserves in a 3-2 victory. 

Yes, West Ham’s reserves.   

Knowing this, will Team USA buck the trend and beat all comers this Gold Cup? 

Two things work in their favor:

First, they are the host nation. Like in 2007, they will get that favorable official decision in crucial games, and they will have our fans’ support in every big game.

Second, Bob Bradley is an incredible motivator. Coach Bradley and the Confederations’ Cup veterans will make sure this JV squad understands the short-term and long-term opportunities for this team. It will be up to these players to stand up to their opposition and uphold the USA’s dominance in CONCACAF and this competition.

So, does the USA defend the Gold Cup?

You will hear my official prediction in the third and final part of this preview. As always, you are free to leave your own thoughts on this question below.