I’m wearing some different hats today.
A few U.S. national team tidbits from Cary, N.C.
I’ve got me MLS writing cap on one hand; I’m working up the Tuesday Tactics column, which will focus on our first look at expansion sides Portland and Vancouver and their schemes on the pitch.
But I’m also wearing my U.S. national team writer’s hat; I’ve got a U.S.-Argentina advance to write for later this week at SI.com.
Oh, and I’ve got a podcast hat on, too. We tape the SI.com podcast today. See? Lots of hats and just one itty-bitty, think-challenged noggin.
So I just spoke to a U.S. press officer in Cary, North Carolina, where the team has gathered for the week. (They are in Cary, by the way, for the first time since the 2006 pre-Word Cup training camp.)
Any-who, in a hurried conversation I picked up three little tidbits from said press officer ...
- In case you're wondering, Timothy Chandler, the FC Nurnberg man named to the U.S. roster, is a right-sided defender or right-sided midfielder. He's the son of an American serviceman, born in Frankfurt and raised in Germany.
- The coaching staff has no plans to bring in any more replacements as cover for three U.S. players injured over the weekend. In case you haven't heard, Steve Cherundolo, Stuart Holden and Zak Whitbread will miss this weekend's contest against Argentina and next week's match against Paraguay after collecting weekend injuries. (Holden, we know today, will miss about sixth months, a serious bummer.) Eric Lichaj has been added, but he'll be the only one. So, the roster will stand at 22.
- Finally, there is zero interest in the U.S. camp in looking at Oguchi Onyewu as a fullback. He's a center back, and that's that. He has appeared at left back for FC Twente only because the side desperately needed cover at that position.
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