Fresh Meat

It's hard to complain when you open up World Cup qualifying with three straight wins, two of them on the road in very hostile territories. Still, US soccer fans are a surly bunch and lots of them (me included) have dinged coach Bob Bradley for sticking with a roster full of under performing veterans rather than bring in some fresh blood that will be the backbone of the 2010 World Cup squad.

With Bradley's choices for the next two qualifiers announced (Sunday v. Cuba @ DC and next Wednesday at T'n'T), our concerns have been answered. Ives over at ESPN has the lowdown on the youngsters, including one particularly intriguing pick:

The most intriguing call-up of the group was Pachuca midfielder Jose Francisco Torres. The Texas-born playmaker had been courted heavily by both the United States and Mexico and ultimately decided to play for the U.S. That didn't stop Mexico from making another last-ditch push for his services even after Torres was named to the U.S. squad for the Cuba match. Torres has stuck by his decision and he now gives the U.S. national team an exciting prospect capable of playing on the left flank or in an attacking midfield role.

Savor that for a second - a talented young (creative!) player, plying his trade at the top of the Mexican league, is choosing to play for the United States. Will he be the first of many? Let's hope, if only to piss off the Mexicans.