Stiff challenge for Bafana vs USA
Brad Morgan
13 November 2007
Bafana Bafana face the USA in the Nelson Mandela Challenge at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday - and it is sure to be a stiff contest for the home side.
The visitors might be called the United States but, looking at where the members of the 18-man squad ply their trade, they could just as well be called the League of All Nations.
Twelve of the players are Europe-based, playing in seven different countries: Belgium, Denmark, England, Germany, Holland, Portugal and Scotland.
Award winners
Only six of the 18 ply their trade on home soil, but they include two MLS award winners: Brad Guzan of Chivas USA, who was named Goalkeeper of the Year, and Maurice Edu of Toronto FC, who was named Rookie of the Year and recently made his debut in a 1-0 win over Switzerland.
The scorer of the goal in that win was Michael Bradley, the son of the coach, Bob Bradley. He plays for Dutch club Heerenveen, for whom
former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Hans Vonk played.
Bradley is even younger than Edu at 20 years of age and youth is a theme that runs through the team, especially in the midfield where the average age is just over 21 years old.
Freddy Adu, who seems to have been around a pretty long time, is just 18 years old. That's because he signed a professional contract with DC United at the age of 14 in 2004! He was selected as the number one player in the MLS draft and helped his club win the MLS Cup that year.
Young players
The Ghana-born Adu is only half-a-year younger than striker Jozy Altidore, and played with the New York Red Bulls striker in the Under-20 World Cup earlier this year where the USA lost in extra time in the quarterfinals. He is one of 10 players aged 23 years or younger. Bafana Bafana have eight players of that age, but that is in a squad of 21.
In goal, the choice will be between Guzan or Tim Howard, who plays
alongside South Africa's Steven Pienaar for Everton in the English Premier League.
A couple of late changes boosted the number of defenders from five to seven. They play their their club football in five different countries: In England, Carlos Bocanegro represents Fulham and Jonathan Spector plays for West Ham United. In Germany, Steve Cherundolo is with Hannover 96, while Heath Pearce represents Hansa Rostock. The three remaining players are Jonathan Bornstein of Chivas USA, Oguchi Onyewu of Standard Liege, and Dan Califf of Aalborg.
Two South African internationals, Siyabonga Nomvete and Benedict Vilakazi, are also on Aalborg's books, but they won't be in action against the Americans.
Midfield
Apart from Bradley, Adu, and Edu, the US midfield also features DaMarcus Beasley, who is enjoying a fine season with Glasgow Rangers, recent Derby County signing Benny Feilhaber, and Sacha Kljestan, one of three three Chivas USA players in
the team.
Up front, Altidore is joined by Fulham's Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan of the Los Angeles Galaxy.
To celebrate its tenth anniversary, the MLS named its All-Time Best XI in 2005 and Donovan was selected as one of the five midfielders. In the past six years, he has been named the USA's Player of the Year four times, including this year, while Dempsey was the winner in 2006.
Donovan is the most experienced member of the team, having appeared in 96 internationals and shares the USA goal-scoring record with Eric Wynalda, having netted 34 times.
Concacaf Gold Cup winners
Nine players in the 17-man squad were members of the United States team that beat Mexico in the final of the Concacaf Gold Cup earlier this year.
That victory booked the USA a place in the 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup, which means they'll be back in South Africa in 2009, when the Rainbow Nation hosts the event one year before the World
Cup.
Coach Bob Bradley is looking forward to the showdown against Bafana Bafana at Ellis Park. He reckons it's a great way to end off a year he describes as "very productive"; in 17 matches played during 2007, the USA has recorded 11 wins, five losses and a draw.
Previous meeting
Bafana Bafana have played the Americans only once previously and it didn't go well for the South Africans as the USA drilled SA 4-0 in a meeting in Washington in June 2000. That equals the biggest margin of defeat Bafana Bafana have suffered in any international.
It will be only the third time the United States travel to Africa for a match and, if South Africa is hoping for a good omen, then going back to the record books to check on those previous matches might provide some optimism. Facing Morocco in 1992, the USA lost 2-1 and six years later the Africans won again, this time by a 3-1 margin.
Parreira unhappy
South
African coach Carlos Alberto Parreira is unhappy with the preparations of his squad ahead of the game. The PSL website features an article titled "Bumper 'Super Wednesday' ahead!" and it is precisely that – eight league fixtures to be played on Wednesday – that the Brazilian has taken issue with.
At a press conference, he said: "It's very clear that the league game is more important than the national team; it makes no sense to me."
He also returned to one of his oft-raised pet subjects - that of developing young players - saying "Unless this country has a policy for the youth, it will not be big again." Thus it is that the relative youth of the American squad makes for interesting reading.
Close to full strength squad
Parreira will, at least, have a squad that is close to full strength. Elrio van Heerden, who has been battling with an injury since July and only recently returned to full training, has been omitted, but captain Aaron
Mokoena is in the line-up.
He recently suffered a hard knock in Blackburn Rovers' League Cup match against Portsmouth, which was at first feared to be a broken leg, but the injury is less severe than was at first feared. His partnership in the centre defence with Nasief Morris is a vital part of South Africa's make-up, so Parreira will be hoping Mokoena is completely over his injury.
Siyabonga Nkosi of Arminia Bielefeld, recently returned to action after overcoming a knee problem, and is also in the South African line-up. He is one of three players from the club, which is managed by former Kaizer Chiefs' coach Ernst Middendorp. The other two are goalkeeper Rowen Fernandez and striker Sibusiso Zuma, who scored at the weekend in a 3-1 over Nurnberg.
Good news
Zuma's inclusion is good news for Parreira. He was in good form before being injured against Scotland and has missed Bafana's last four matches; the fact that he scored at the
weekend is an encouraging sign for the coach.
Parreira will be happy with the form recently displayed by Steven Pienaar in the English Premier League. The Everton midfielder has been making steady progress in adjusting to the league since signing a loan deal with the Toffees from Borussia Dortmund.
Pienaar, in form, has the skill and vision to make a huge creative difference in the Bafana midfield.
Up front, Parreira will be able to call on Benni McCarthy once again. The Blackburn Rovers' striker, after a slow start to the season, has been finding the target in recent times and will be aiming to become the first South African international to tally 30 international goals; his current total stands on 29.
SQUADS
USA
Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Tim Howard (Everton)
Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Dan Califf (Aalborg BK), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard
Liege), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)
Midfielders: Freddy Adu (Benfica), DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers), Michael Bradley (Heerenveen), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA)
Forwards: Jozy Altidore (New York Red Bulls), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)
SOUTH AFRICA
Goalkeepers: Rowen Fernandez (Arminia Bielefeld), Moeneeb Josephs (Bidvest Wits)
Defenders: Aaron Mokoena (Blackburn Rovers), Vuyo Mere (Mamelodi Sundowns), Nasief Morris (Panathinaikos), Bryce Moon (Ajax Cape Town), Tsepo Masilela (Maccabi Haifa), Bradley Carnell (Karlsruhe), Benson Mhlongo (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Midfielders: Macbeth Sibaya (FC Rubin Kazan), Kagiso Dikgacoi (Golden Arrows), Steven Pienaar (Everton), Siphiwe Tshabalala (Kaizer Chiefs), Lance Davids (Djurgårdens IF), Brent Carelse (Mamelodi Sundowns), Siyabonga Nkosi (Arminia
Bielefeld), Teko Modise (Orlando Pirates), Delron Buckley (Borussia Dortmund)
Strikers: Sibusiso Zuma (Arminida Bielefeld), Benni McCarthy (Blackburn Rovers), Lerato Chabangu (Mamelodi Sundowns), Thembinkosi Fanteni (Ajax Cape Town)
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