USMNT in the Confederations Cup, and beyond...

On June 15 at 2:30 PM ET the United States Men's National Team will take on Italy in a rematch of the now famous 1-1 draw from the 2006 World Cup (the US were the only team to take points off of Italy for the entirety of the tournament). Bob Bradley, after a slip-up in Costa Rica, rebounded to beat Honduras 2-1 on goals from Landon Donovan and Carlos Bocanegra. The US, who earlier today just arrived in Johannesburg, will begin training on the morrow. The other two matches in the group (is it just me, or does FIFA just hate the USSF?) pit the US against Brazil and Egypt. Sure, good enough experience for the WC, lets just remember that we still have World Cup qualifiers to play (five to be exact, and three of them are away!) Following the Confederations Cup, the US will return home to have its depth tested as the team will look to defend its title in the 2009 Gold Cup. The US is expected to field a less than full strength squad as most of the regulars will be due some much needed rest and time with families. Damn work will keep me from watching any of the games live from South Africa, but you can rest assured that they will be recorded on my DVR.