The World Cup bound US National mens soccer team will play their last warm-up match against Turkish National team on Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia, Financial stadium at 2:00 PM,ET.
USA head coach Bob Bradley, has trimmed his World Cup roster to the 23 players on Wednesday.
What is so interesting is he selected only four players from MlS league ...
This has to be the lowest number that represent MLS in the national team!
Going back to 1998, there were 15 players from MLS on the World Cup roster.
In 2002 there were 12 and in the last tournament there were 11 players...
But, there are 13 former MLS players on the roster who are playing in the Europe's top leagues!
CONSISTENCY ON USA SIDE...............
Argue or not, United States National team is more consistence from Turkish National team during the past 20 years in the world football(soccer scene,,,
Like it or not, USA has been in every World Cup Tournament since 1994...
Turkish National team after finishing third place in 2002 has not been in the tournament.
In 1994, Americans invested 50 million dollars to build the structure that called project 2010...
Make the story short, USA has produced more players and Goal Keepers from their Academy's which are located in Los Angeles and Florida during past twenty years....
United States is the only country in the world, that sends more goal keepers to Europe league.
Three of the keepers on the 2010 World Cup roster are playing in the Europian leagues..
Tim Howard (Everton)...Brad Guzan (Aston Villa)..Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Turkish National team hired the world known coach Guss Hidink to coach the team..
And he is in the states with the team but, can not be on the sidelines because of his contract details,,,,,
He has watch his team from the stand in the last two friendly matches in the United States...
That is why a lot of the players on the Turkish National team roster, playing very hard to impress Hiddink!
On Saturday you will see the top Turkish players on the pitch aloong with newcomers!
Hiddink invited four players from Turkish Champions Bursaspor team,,,
Sercan.....Ozan....Volkan and Turgay....
Along with those names you will have stars like Arda Turan, Emre Belezoglu,Nihat Kahveci, Tuncay Sanli and Altintop brothers and keeper Volkan Demirel..
USA coach will put his first starters against Turkey in this match...
The Financial Field in Philadelphia will be packed with Turkish-American and USA soccer fans...
The pitch is one of the best stadiums in the United States...
It will be very nice soccer frenzy match on Saturday...
I wish, at the end of the match, on the pitch, both team players will salute the fans in hand and hand showing the solidarity for the friendship between Turks and Americans!
That will be great send-off for USA National team to the World Cup 2010...
That is my wish and dream!
AHMET B TURGUT
