The Rise of Stuart Holden

Before his emergence with the senior National Team this summer, Stuart Holden had already been a fixture in the US youth squads. He made a number of appearances for the US U-20 and U-23 teams, which included time at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. But Scottish by birth, Holden had two options for the senior international level: represent the country in which he was born, or the country he had lived in since he was 10.

Any fears of losing another quality player to another country's national team (a la Neven Subotic this past year) were allayed this past July, when Holden earned his first cap with the National Team in the Gold Cup.

The tournament would put Holden onto Bob Bradley's radar for World Cup qualifying, as he put in a number of quality performances for the US en route to the final. He scored 2 goals in 5 games, both of which were memorable ones. The first came in his first cap against Grenada, which would have been memorable even without the goal, while the second was a 30 yard bomb against Haiti late in the match that rescued a point for the US.

In addition to his goal-scoring ability, Holden showed great vision in the tournament, dishing out 3 assists, 2 of which came in the USMNT's 2-0 semifinal victory over Honduras. American fans were impressed by Holden's passing ability, an example of which was his perfectly weighted through-ball to Davy Arnaud that opened the scoring against Haiti. For a team that has lacked creative play in the past, Holden was a welcome addition.


All in all, Holden showed very well in the tournament and was deservedly named to the All-Tournament team. His play also earned him a trip to Estadio Azteca for the USA-Mexico qualifier on August 12th. There, Holden came off the bench and injected life into a sluggish US attack. Playing his first road match in a USA jersey in CONCACAF's toughest stadium, Holden showed no signs of intimidation and performed admirably, earning himself a call into camp again in September.

Once again, Holden came off the bench and provided a spark in both the game against El Salvador and Trinidad & Tobago. His crosses and flank play nearly created goals in both games, as he caused problems for the opposition's defense as soon as he stepped onto the field.

At the beginning of the summer, Holden had yet to earn a cap for the senior National Team. Now, he and Benny Feilhaber are the two primary offensive sparkplugs off the US bench. Holden's recent performances have put him in great position to earn a spot on the US World Cup roster (should they qualify), with many believing that he has already cemented his place in the squad.

At 24 years old, Holden has many years ahead of him with the National Team, and he has grown substantially as a player over the last couple seasons in MLS. With many expecting the young star to head overseas in the winter transfer window, expect Holden to continue his growth and improvement. Though his rise to National Team prominence has been fast, Holden is thought of as the real deal, and fans, writers, and coaches expect him to be a fixture in the National Team picture for years to come.