U.S. men's soccer team holds first practice

PRINCETON - The U.S. men's national team began its World Cup journey Monday at Roberts Stadium on the campus of Princeton University. The team's first practice of training camp lasted 75 minutes.

The team will train at Princeton this week and then play two World Cup send-off matches - May 25 against the Czech Republic in Hartford, Conn., and May 29 against Turkey at Lincoln Financial Field - before flying to South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which begins June 11 and ends July 11.

The United States opens competition against England on June 12.

Before Bob Bradley's squad can fly halfway across the world, he must pare down his roster from 30, the number invited to camp, to 23, the FIFA requirement.

"The idea would be that by the time we get to Philadelphia, we will have made our decisions and we have our 23," said Bradley, referring to the team's match at the Linc.

Monday's training session included only 19 of the 30 selected players: Four were in the training room because of injuries, three were taking physicals, and four others had not yet arrived.

"It's about playing and being fit and trying to piece together the team," said defender DaMarcus Beasley, a veteran of two previous World Cups. "Right now, it's not going to be about positioning and this and that. I think we'll save that until we get closer to the games. Right now, [it's about] seeing everyone, doing fitness, playing football and have fun."

In Group C at the World Cup, the United States will have matches against England, Slovenia (June 18), and Algeria (June 23). Two of the four participants will move out of group play and into the knockout stage.

"We talk often about the whole first round, the understanding that as you go through those three games, it's rare that it's just going to fall perfectly into place," explained Bradley, who coached and played at Princeton. "Normally there's a moment there where you have to regroup, something didn't go right, you have to adjust. If you win the first game, that's exciting, but that would not mean you're guaranteed to go through.

"I liken it sometimes to the kind of adjustments that go on in the NBA playoffs, where teams understand the need to adjust and adapt and come back the next game a little bit better."

In the final minutes of Monday's training, the team ran for distance, circling the perimeter of the 120-yard field until Bradley's whistle ended the run.

"The fitness, early on, is a priority," Bradley said.

Inquirer staff writer

Kate Fagan will be covering the World Cup, starting with daily reports from Team USA's training camp in Princeton. Get updates and video reports on her Kickin' It World Cup 2010 blog at

www.philly.com/kickinit. Extra coverage

can be found at www.philly.com/worldcup.

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