U.S. Qualifying Preview by Mike Autry

Qualifying resumes with the U.S. in need of maximum points

Letʼs face it, Itʼs starting to get a little tricky at the top of the Group A table with Guatemala, Jamaica, and The U.S. all tied with seven points heading into this pivotal round of World Cup Qualifying. As the U.S. head into their first match in just a little over a month, the Message from Jurgen Klinsmann should and will be clear, Win! The squad, which is made up of mostly foreign based players, will head into tonightʼs match against Antigua & Barbuda with high hopes of attaining maximum points. The only kicker is that this match will not be played in the cushy confines of an American Stadium, but rather at a relatively unknown venue, the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium located in North Sound, Antigua.

The U.S. has and will face tougher venues and crowds than the one we probably see tonight, however, when venturing into the Unknown, you guessed it, you just never quite know. The U.S. will surely be up to the task tonight however and will certainly know that any slip up going forward could have lasting affects in their hopes for yet another World Cup. The U.S. will certainly be boosted by the return of Roma hardman, Michael Bradley, who missed the last round of WCQ. Clint Dempsey is also back in the side after a strong start with his club team, Tottenham Hotspur. Jurgen Klinsmann and the U.S. will certainly be looking to these two influential figures to spark the attack and provide confidence for the rest of the squad.

It certainly gets a little bit trickier after tonights visit to Antigua & Barbuda as the U.S. will once again come face to face with Guatemala at Livestrong Sporting Park in Kansas City. This Match, which is on Tuesday Oct 16, could prove crucial. The last time these two sides met was at the hostile confines of The Estadio Nacional Mateo Flores in the heart of Guatemala City. The U.S. were fortunate to walk away with a 1-1 draw on that particular night, but you could not deny the quality of the Guatemalan side, We will need to be sharp! I hope all of you enjoy the Upcoming Qualifiers and as always, Come on U.S.!!

Jozy Altidore Leading the Eredivisie in Goals by Jeffrey Graceffo

Jozy Altidore continued his impressive form as he scored his eighth goal of the season as AZ Alkmaar tied 3-3 over the weekend. This is great news for American soccer.  American fans can only dream that he keeps this up and earns a transfer to a top flight English team next year such as Arsenal or Tottenham.

Tottenham Shocks Manchester United 3-2 by Jeff Graceffo

Tottenham defeated Manchester United at Old Trafford for the first time since 1989 when the legendary Gary Lineker scored the game winning goal. It is without a doubt the Premiership's game of the year. Tottenham dominated the opening 45 minutes as defender Jan Vertonghen opened the scoring in the 3rd minute. It was a daring run that set the tone for the remainder of the game. Gareth Bale launched a Spurs counter attack and blew past Rio Ferdinand before burying the ball in the far corner to give the Spurs a 2-0 lead.  United appeared shellshocked.  The remainder of the half saw Gareth Bale, Moussa Dembele, and Sandro dominate the midfield.

At the break, Sir Alex Ferguson brought in Wayne Rooney to replace Ryan Giggs and the dimension changed immediately.  United had a greater urge to push forward as Rooney attacked with vigor.  In the 51st, Rooney's cross ended up in the back of the net after a Nani deflection. Although the result appeared to be in question, Tottenham scored in the next minute after a rebound off of a Gareth Bale went right to Clint Dempsey who buried it.  Dempsey's first goal in a Spurs jersey was the game winner. That's a pretty good way to begin a new era.

To cap off an exciting few minutes, Shinji Kagawa brought United to within one.  For the remainder of the game Tottenham shrank into a defensive formation and let United come at them. They hit the post several times, but were fortunate to hang on as United couldn't put another one past Brad Friedel.


Thoughts:
- Great win for Tottenham. Should be a huge confidence booster. It's the type of game that should make a team believe they're going to win every game.
- Although the AVB era got off to a slow start, the team is beginning to find the right chemistry after the purchases of Dembele and Dempsey
- Daniel Levy's looking like a brighter guy
- Gareth Bale is a monster.  The guy can play anywhere on the field for any team in the world.
- Moussa Dembele was a great acquisition.  They removed the Modric headache for a young, hungry guy.
- Brad Friedel is still top class even at age 40
- Tottenham must not ever sink back into a defensive position when having the lead like they did.
- Manchester United needs an overhaul
- They're way too reliant on one player; Rooney