Yanks Soccer

We’ve got a bunch of content today coming out of the US National Team camp in Guatemala.  We have pictures galore, quotes galore, and much more.  Check it out after the jump.

Landon Donovan

 on rising expectations over the years: “I see it two ways. The expectation should be now that winning the game is feasible and we should win. The reality is, once you get into the game, who knows what happens because these games are so unpredictable. At the end of the day, if a point is what you get, take it and you are happy with it because you are taking points away from them at home. But I feel like we should win the game. We are clearly a better team - better players, better prepared - but if you get a point, you take it.”

Translation:  We expect a win, but don’t get mad if we only get a point.

Oguchi Onyewu

 on rumblings that Italian club Catania might be interested in him: “I have heard a lot of things. I’ve told everyone who has asked, at this stage in my career, I am no longer a newcomer or a youngster, I prefer to not speak much on transfer options. I let rumors be rumors. I am focused on the reality, and at this point, I am at Standard Liege, and I haven’t been transferred yet. If that were to happen in the next couple weeks, that would be the reality and we would be having a different conversation. Right now, I am just focused on my club and my national team. I like being in Liege and we’ve had a lot of success and I am definitely enjoying my lifestyle there. At the same time, I do have aspirations of playing at a higher level someday. It’s the last year of my contract [and Liege would want to sell him before he became a free agent]. You can put two and two together, if you want, I’m not a math teacher, so we’ll see what they do.”

Translation:  ”I love it where I am, but I’ll be living in a new city before August 31.”  Deny till you die Gooch.

Maurice Edu

 travel over the last week: Beijing to San Francisco to Toronto to London to Glasgow to London to Miami to Guatemala City, then back to Toronto and on to Glasgow. “I don’t even know what day it is anymore,” he said. His British work permit hearing is this Friday. “I am a little worried, but I’m confident it will go through. There is always that little sense of concern.”

Translation:  I need a bit of rest, it’s too bad I have a game tomorrow, and I have to fly back to Scotland by Friday.  

Bob Bradley

 on whether he will make an concerted effort to get Edu into the match, thus boosting his British work permit efforts: “There have been times in the last year and a half where I think we have been able to help in that regard. You know that it is there, but at the same time, when you are in a World Cup qualifier, everybody understands that the focus is only on the decisions that help the team win.”

Translation: Hell yeah I will!  

Landon Donovan

on Bruce Arena becoming his club coach: “I talked to him briefly over the weekend when he was still considering and figuring out what he was going to do. It was nice to hear his voice and I am excited about it. It is easy to have an expectation that he is going to turn us into a champion in two weeks. The reality is, we haven’t been to the playoffs in two years, we are struggling right now, so while short term I think he is going to help us this year, long term his abilities as a people manager, as an organizer, that is where we are going to see massive benefits down the road - putting the right people in place, having a structure and a vision. I want him to do well. We both have a bad taste left from the 2006 World Cup. I feel personally responsible because I feel I could have done more. So I will be very motivated to succeed myself, but to help him succeed as well.”

Translation:  Finally someone who’s sensible (not Alexi Lalas) and finally someone who doesn’t look “sexy” (Ruud Gullit)

Landon Donovan

on returning to L.A. in time for Thursday night’s game vs. Chicago: “I will be back, but whether I play, I would highly doubt it. You never know. My guess is Carlos [Ruiz] won’t be back, but I don’t know. (laughing) My guess is Carlos will be in Guatemala for a few days, if I know him correctly.”

Translation:  Carlos has the best goals scored to laziness ratio in the league.

Now, some photos from Guatemala courtesy of US Soccer:

Some training session pics.

A game of chess on the plane to Guatemala.

Flying in to Guatemala City, it’s a pretty place.

A nice crowd of reporters when the team got off the bus.  

Any thoughts on the game?  How do you like Gooch’s denial?  All thoughts go below.