Evening News: USMNT to Play Australia, Beckham, & Yanks in Europe

On top of today's earlier post on Herculez Gomez, here are some news and notes of interest to fans of the USMNT and international soccer:

USMNT to Play Australia in June Friendly

As much as people love to criticize Sunil Gulati and the USSF, they've really done a great job in setting up a formidable pre-World Cup schedule that will prepare Bob Bradley's squad well for the quality teams they'll face in South Africa.  As if the Netherlands, Turkey, and Czech Republic weren't enough, the federation added one more friendly to the list: a June 5 match against Australia in Roodepoort, South Africa (Johannesburg area).  This one will give the Yanks another good test, as well as allowing them to get a competitive match under their belt on African soil before group play begins.  Tim Howard and now ex-Everton loan player Landon Donovan will get a chance to play against Toffee teammate Tim Cahill, who should give the US back line a nice battle. 

These two nations have played just twice before, with only one goal scored in those matches, that coming in a 1-0 Australia win nearly 20 years ago.  The match will be shown live on ESPN2 at 8:30 AM ET.  Overall, this is just another great move by US Soccer, who have really done their job well when it comes to organizing the pre-tournament tune-ups this time around.

David Beckham's Injury

I'm sure you've heard by now that David Beckham's World Cup dreams ended yesterday after he ruptured his Achilles tendon.  Say what you will about the man and his club level commitment, but his desire and determination to represent his country were admirable.  His international career is likely done now, with his club career in doubt as well.  With this development, Fabio Capello will no longer have to field tons of questions on Beckham's status in the World Cup picture, but he will have to find someone to fill the void that was left.  While adequate midfield replacements exist (like Aston Villa's Ashley Young), the Italian will be hard-pressed to find someone who can provide the same set piece expertise that made Beckham such an asset late in a close game.  Further, while the absence of Beckham may save Capello some grief in terms of answering questions, it may actually end up leading to more English media scrutiny (as if that were possible) now that there is one less subplot to focus on.  Some may have thought that Beckham's push for South Africa was a distraction for the Three Lions, but if anything, in this crazy couple of months, he drew some of the attention away from the scandals that were eating away at team chemistry and morale.

I have never been particularly fond of Beckham, but there's no denying that he had some special moments on the international stage (though a few rough ones, as well).  More than anything, he epitomized one of the many great things about international soccer, that being the appreciation of the privilege of wearing the national jersey.  He loved playing for England and was working hard to make that dream come true one last time, but sadly he come up short.  Some MLS fans may call it karma, that he was hurt in Milan after working so hard to get such a loan; that's another conversation, which I won't get into.  While he may not be the player he once was, I think a good number of USMNT fans will be a little relieved that Tim Howard won't have to deal with one of those patented free kicks.  I may fall into that category, but I also feel sorry for someone who put in years of tireless work to achieve his goal, only to get tripped up by injury right before the finish line.

Monday Yanks in Europe

There weren't many USMNT players in action today, as is usually the case with Mondays.  Only Alejandro Bedoya saw the playing field, as he went 90 minutes in Orebro's 2-0 victory over Atvidabergs.  The game was the first of the 2010 Allsvenskan for both sides, with the result pushing Bedoya's side to second place at this early, early juncture.  It's nice to see that the USMNT prospect in the starting XI; all signs seem to indicate that he will have a significant role with his team in his second season as a pro.

Bedoya has really transitioned nicely into the European game and could very well be on the same career path as former Hammarby star and fellow Boston College Eagle Charlie Davies.  It's tough to catch Bedoya's games, but hopefully I'll be able to watch a few over the course of this season and give you a better idea of how he's faring in Sweden. 

Elsewhere, Benny Feilhaber did not feature in AGF Aarhus' match, as he is still nursing an ankle injury that he suffered last month. 

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