Here we go!! The World Cup Qualifiers have begun!! We have been placed in group 6 and I believe we have the team to take us to the WC. The following is a list of the players called up to play in the 2014 qualifiers. 

* Will retire end of Season 50

Round 1

Definitely a great way to stat these qualifiers beating la Roja 2-0 . The Chileans started very early by knocking on Roach’s goalpost not even two minutes into the game but from then on it was a possession battle that the USA won but Chile was still close to scoring on a couple of occasion. Then around the 30^th minute Stanford Downs stole the ball from Topocho Escala and once he left Topocho Escala in the dust, Stanford Downs passed the ball to Jasper Holbrook who showed Podador Semell his dribbling skills and proceeded to score the USA’s first goal.

After the goal the NC for the USA made a tactical change that only seemed to continue the dominance of the USA against a Chilean team that made only a few attemps at Stefan Roach’s goal. In the second half the only situation that made Stefan Roach work was around the 69^th when Bertran Malaree shot the ball from inside the box but the post rejected his attempt and Stefan Roach seemed to be woken up after the nap that he was taking. Then right after the Chilean’s attempt to tie things up, Warner Gaines received a pass from Cody Arnold and then sprinted with the ball all the way to the side and centered it to Jasper Holbrook who beat out to Chilean defenders and showed no mercy to Podador Semell as he collected another goal for the Americans. 

The USA had a chance to walk away with a 3-0 but Cameron Jamison bombed to take the advantage of a penalty given to us in the 80^th minute. Regardless, the USA controlled the attacking game that the Chileans could not stop us.

Round 2

 Unfair result in my opinion of course but lets not forget that the sims doesn’t forgive!!! Goals that you don’t score on them… they will score on you!!!! After trying one side of the field the team decided to try the opposite side of the field around 10 minutes into the game. We kept the ball and kept attacking but our forwards could not finish! the first attempt at goal by the serbians was in the  22^nd minute but thanks to Stefan Roach the attempt at goal was turned into a corner. 

In the 28^th minute, once again like in the game against Chile, Stanford Downs stole the ball away from a Serbian defender and then delivered the ball to Walton Grayson that after beating a Serbian defender out of his way scored the first goal for the USA. Another goal came for the USA in the 39^th after the Serbian Keeper tried to clear the ball to one of his players but did not see Stanford Downs creeping and once Stanford Downs caught a hold of the ball….. he saw Walton Grayson and Walton Grayson did not hesitate and turned in a goal for the American Squad. 

In the second half the story was the same… USA kept attacking and the Serbian teams had limited opportunities. This is until the 57^th minute when a Serbian midfield acquired a break and caught the back line sleeping but what made the difference was Viseslav Jovicin’s sprint (Gareth Bale style) that lead him to score Serbian’s first of the game. Nothing that the defense could have done better, Jovicin’s sprint was just amazing….. In the 79^th minute the second Serbian goal came of a corner kick after a failed attempt at goal by Sima Mitic who could have easily scored but Stefan Roach’s reflexes were just too good for the Serbian forward. The goal….. well… Dragutin Pjevac caught an opportunity after Jasper Holbrook failed to clear the ball. The 3^rd goal by the Serbians came in the 82th minute where again Viseslav Jovicin’s speed made the difference, as Jovicin left everybody in the dust in the midfield he found Serafim Askovic open and Askovic made a great play through DeAndre Law and left him one on one with Stefan Roach… and well….we all know who won that fight…. 

We had a couple of chances to tie up the game but our forwards just could not finish, but incredible game for Jovicin who flattened the middle of the field to help his team create plays that ended up in goals.