U.S. arrives in Cuba

Game Notes

• Eighteen players are eligible to dress for both the U.S. and Cuba, and must wear 1-18 for jersey numbers.
• Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard and Oguchi Onyewu are the only U.S. players carrying a caution into this match. Any player accumulating two cautions in the semifinal round will be suspended for the next FIFA World Cup qualifier.
• For Cuba, Yusvanys Caballero, Jaime Colome, Reisandry Fernandez, Jeniel Marquez, and Dany Quintero are carrying cautions.
• Steve Cherundolo is suspended for this match after receiving two yellow cards in the USA's 1-0 win against Guatemala on Aug. 20 in Guatemala City. Cherundolo was sent off in the 60th minute.
• The U.S. is making their second-ever visit to Cuba and the first since 1947, when the U.S. fell by a 5-2 scoreline in Havana.
• The teams have met twice in FIFA World Cup qualifying play, both matches coming during efforts to advance to the 1950 FIFA World Cup. Playing twice in Mexico City, the teams first drew 1-1 on Sept. 14, 1949, before the U.S. cruised to a 5-2 victory a week later.
• Overall, the U.S. holds a 5-1-1 lifetime record against Cuba, including three shutouts.
• The U.S. boasts a 9-2-6 all-time record against Caribbean nations during World Cup qualifying, having not lost on Caribbean soil since a 3-0 loss to Canada in Port au Prince, Haiti, in 1976.
• Four players on the current roster appeared in the last meeting against Cuba, a 4-1 win on July 7, 2005 in CONCACAF Gold Cup group play in Seattle: DaMarcus Beasley (1), Clint Dempsey (1), Landon Donovan (2), and Frankie Hejduk [starters in bold]. The victory sparked the USA's run to the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup title.
• Frankie Hejduk has started in all four of the USA's matches against Cuba since 1998, while Donovan has three appearances against the island nation. Along with the players above, Carlos Bocanegra, Danny Califf and Eddie Lewis also have stints against Cuba's full team.
• Midfielders Maurice Edu and Sacha Kljestan appeared in the U.S. Under-23 MNT's 1-1 draw against Cuba in the first match of group play in the 2008 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying tournament.
• Three players on the roster have tallied goals against Cuba - Beasley, Dempsey and Donovan - all three scoring in the same game. Additionally, Donovan had a history-making performance against the Cubans in the 2003 edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Overall, Donovan has scored six goals in the three matches he has played against Cuba.
• With his game-winning goal against Guatemala on Aug. 20, Carlos Bocanegra recorded his 10th career international goal for the United States and his second in FIFA World Cup qualifying.
• Tim Howard, who was named Sierra Mist Man of the Match in Guatemala, made an impressive seven saves in the win, good enough to earn his third clean sheet in four all-time FIFA World Cup qualifying appearances.
• Maurice Edu earned his first FIFA World Cup qualifying cap that day when he entered as a substitute to replace Pablo Mastroeni.
• The U.S. has posted a 5-2-2 record in 2008, which includes three straight victories in FIFA World Cup qualifying, a road win against Poland and a 0-0 draw against No. 1-ranked Argentina. Overall, the U.S. has scored 17 goals while surrendering only five.
• Michael Bradley leads the U.S. in 2008 in minutes played (647).
• Michael Orozco is the only uncapped player on the roster. The other 19 players have at least one qualifying cap to their credit. Orozco and defender Marvell Wynne are the only players on the roster who haven't appeared in a FIFA World Cup qualifying game.
• Donovan leads the team in FIFA World Cup qualifying caps (22), and is tied with Eddie Johnson for most goals in qualifying (8). Johnson has produced a remarkable strike rate, with eight goals in eight qualifying appearances. Johnson became the first player in U.S. history to score three goals as a substitute when he recorded a hat trick in the 6-0 semifinal round qualifying victory against Panama on Oct. 13, 2004, at RFK Stadium.
• Johnson and Donovan are tied for third on the USA's all-time goalscoring list in FIFA World Cup qualifying. Brian McBride is the USA's all-time leading goalscorer in FIFA World Cup Qualifying with 10 goals scored over three FIFA World Cup cycles (1998, 2002, 2006).
• Leagues from eight different countries are represented on the U.S. roster: Belgium, Denmark, England (4), France, Germany (3), Mexico, Scotland (2), and the United States (7).
• The U.S. collected a 12-2-4 record in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, outscoring their opponents 35-11 while collecting 11 shutouts. The U.S. finished undefeated at home during the qualifying campaign, going 8-0-1, with all eight victories coming by shutout.

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION

GOALKEEPERS (2): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa: 2/2 SO), Tim Howard (Everton FC: 4/3 SO)
DEFENDERS (8): Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes: 14/2), Danny Califf (FC Midtjylland: 2/0), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96: 16/0), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew: 12/1), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege: 9/0), Michael Orozco (San Luis: 0/0), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock: 3/0), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC: 0/0)
MIDFIELDERS (6): DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers: 17/4), Michael Bradley (Borussia Moenchengladbach: 3/1), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo: 1/0), Maurice Edu (Glasgow Rangers: 2/0), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA: 1/0), Eddie Lewis (Los Angeles Galaxy: 20/3)
FORWARDS (4): Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo: 8/4), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy: 22/8), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC: 9/2), Eddie Johnson (Cardiff City: 8/8)

CONCACAF Group 1 Standings

The 411 on Cuba:

CUBA FACT FILE
Asociación de Futbol de Cuba
Founded: 1924 (Joined FIFA in 1932)
Head Coach: Reinhold Franz (GER)
Best World Cup Finish: Second Round, 1938
Best CONCACAF Gold Cup Finish: Quarterfinals, 2003

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Cuba was drawn against the tiny Caribbean nation of Antigua & Barbuda for the home-and-home series of the second round, and got quite a scare when the country of 70,000 people pushed them to the limit in the opening match. A goal by substitute Leonel Duarte in the 85th minute rescued three points for the Cubans, who then coasted to a 4-0 victory in the return leg in Havana and a place in the semifinal stage.

Cuba vs. The U.S. All-time Series:

The U.S. holds a 5-1-1 lifetime record against Cuba dating back to 1947, posting three shutouts. All three shutouts have come in Gold Cup competition, where the teams have met in 1998, 2002, 2003 and 2005. The U.S. has recorded 17 goals in the series, while the eight of nine goals surrendered coming in three matches prior to 1950. Nearly 50 years passed between meetings, the teams resuming the series in 1998 after last playing in a World Cup qualifier in 1949. The U.S. has twice posted five-goal performances against Cuba, including the 5-0 quarterfinal win last year and a 5-2 World Cup qualifying win Sept. 21, 1949 in Mexico City. 

Last time out vs. Cuba

July 7, 2005 – Qwest Field, Seattle, Washington – 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup
USA   4   Clint Dempsey 45’, Landon Donovan 87’, 92’+, DaMarcus Beasley 90’
Cuba 1   Lester More 18’

USA: Marcus Hahnemann; Frankie Hejduk, Jimmy Conrad, Tony Sanneh; Chris Armas (capt.), Ben Olsen (Josh Wolff, 76), Santino Quaranta, Brad Davis (John O’Brien, 76), Clint Dempsey; Conor Casey (Landon Donovan 66), DaMarcus Beasley
Subs not used: Kasey Keller, Oguchi Onyewu, Steve Cherundolo, Steve Ralston
Head Coach: Bruce Arena

CUB: Odelin Molina (capt.); Reysander Fernandez, Yenier Marquez, Alexander Cruzata, Silvio Minoso; Disney Aquino, Jaime Colone, Enrique Villauruttia, Alain Cervantes; Lester More (Leonel Duartes, 57), Maykel Galindo (Mario Gil, 77)
Subs not used: Alexis Aviles, Mario Rodriguez, Gisbel Morales, Pedro Faife, Jensis Munoz
Head Coach: Armelio Garcia