US Men's National Soccer Team To Visit Rentschler Field

By Bill Strong

(Above) Carlos Bocanegra and Bobby Convey are both expected to play at Rentschler Field on August 17.

The United States Men's National Team will face off against Trinidad & Tobago at Rentschler Field in East Hartford on August 17. It will be the Americans' first game World Cup Qualifying game in Connecticut since 1996, when they played Scotland in New Britain, a 2-1 victory.

In 2002, the US placed in the final eight at the World Cup, marking the Americans' highest finish ever in the tournament. The result ushered in a new era for US soccer, one in which the American side has every reason to believe that they can compete and defeat the world's traditional soccer powers. Coming off that (then) surprising finish, manager Bruce Arena has assembled an ever-improving group that will go to Germany in 2006 to continue the evolution of American soccer.

The team is paced by attacking midfielder Landon Donovan. Donovan, 23, plies his trade for the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer. He has scored 3 goals in the last two qualifiers and is an electrifying attacking player on the pitch. While the roster for the game is not set, we can expect to see Landon Donovan in East Hartford.

Other players of note that will be available to Arena are: DaMarcus Beasley, 23, who plays for PSV Eindhoven in Holland, goalkeeper Kasey Keller, and two players from the Fulham side of the English Premier League: striker Brian McBride and gritty defender Carlos Bocanegra. Both players will also be in Columbus, OH for the MLS All-Star game, as Fulham will be taking on the best MLS players in a July exhibition.

For a bit of the local flavor, we will need to look no further than Foxborough, MA. The New England Revolution of MLS will have three or four of their players available for Coach Arena: midfielder (and reigning MLS Rookie of The Year) Clint Dempsey, goal-scoring forward Pat Noonan, and steady veteran Steve Ralston. All three have been playing signifigant minutes for the American side in qualifying matches, with Ralston solidifying himself himself a spot on the outside of Coach Arena's midfield.

The United States currently is in second place in our region for qualifying, a point behind arch-rival Mexico. With four wins and a loss in five games, the US can cement their berth in the World Cup with a victory over Trinidad & Tobago, who will enter the game with three losses and only one win in their five qualifying matches.

The US Men against Trinidad & Tobago match will be broadcast on ESPN2 at 8PM.

Related Links:

www.ussoccer.com

www.rentschlerfield.com