US ready to face Switzerland

As has been Bob Bradley's habit since assuming the reins of the U.S. national team, his roster for Wednesday's friendly against Switzerland contains a bit of everything: something old, something new and something "huh?"    Getting the most out of such a group has its challenges of course, and establishing cohesion in a short time frame is the most onerous. But ahead of this week's match in Basel, Bradley will continue doing the same things he's always done, namely take a look at new players all while building the team's core brick by brick. It may not be sexy, but it's work that has to be done.

Adding to the hard hat nature of Bradley's task is the fact that he isn't just building the foundation for one team but two. Yes, with World Cup qualifying set to commence next year, establishing the base for the senior national team remains his priority. But it's also clear that constructing a similar framework for the Olympic team is also on his mind. One only had to see names like Freddy Adu, Danny Szetela and Sal Zizzo on the roster to realize that the process of building that U-23 side is gathering speed.

For a while it looked as if that process would accelerate even further after an injury bug reduced the ranks of the Americans' European contingent. The approaching MLS playoffs also rendered many MLS players unavailable, and it looked as though one of the U-23's would earn a start. But with the late addition of forward Taylor Twellman to the team, that possibility is now close to zero. At this point, Bradley has experienced players at every position, meaning that any playing time for younger players will likely come in the form of late substitute appearances.

That will give Bradley another opportunity to assess how the core pieces of the puzzle are fitting together. Some, like midfielder DaMarcus Beasley, have raised their game over the course of the year, and appear close to peak form. Others, like defender Oguchi Onyewu, have been struggling. Bradley's approach so far has been to let players like Onyewu play through any rough patches, leaving one to wonder just how much competition for places actually exists.  As for Wednesday's match, the U.S. manager will be hoping to build upon the team's most recent outings: a disjointed 1-0 loss to Sweden in Goteborg, and a 4-2 home defeat to Brazil that offered more encouragement than the score would suggest.

"We are constantly working to improve our team movement in both attack and defense," Bradley said via e-mail. "As I have said, the first half against Sweden was solid in these areas, but the second half was inconsistent. Throughout the Brazil game, the overall movement was good, but the speed at which we move must continue to get better."

Switzerland is no Brazil, but the Swiss represent precisely the kind of organized European side that has troubled the Americans in the past. The extent of their discipline was evident in the last World Cup, in which they earned the rather unfortunate distinction of exiting the tournament in the second round without conceding a goal. Bradley added that players like Stuttgart's Ludovic Magnin and Bayer Leverkusen's Tranquillo Barnetta "bring a good amount of skill and experience to the Swiss team."

With forward Alexander Frei out with an injured calf, Barnetta in particular will be the player to watch for the Swiss. The midfielder had a hand in all three Swiss goals during their 3-1 friendly win over neighbors Austria on Saturday, and his pace and creativity should pose plenty of problems for right back Steve Cherundolo as well as Beasley, who will likely line up at right midfield now that Eddie Lewis is back in the side.

Forward Marco Streller was the primary beneficiary of Barnetta's service on Saturday, and the two goals he scored make him another player that the U.S. back line will need to keep tabs on. At 6-foot-5, Streller's height is his most prized asset, but fortunately for the U.S., Onyewu at 6-foot-4 should have the size to deal with the FC Basel striker.

For the U.S. attack, Twellman's inclusion will no doubt raise the hackles of some segments of the U.S. fan base, but the New England forward fares best when his front-line partner is someone who looks to combine rather than freelance on his own. And while Clint Dempsey has shown his ability as a solo artist in the past, he'll likely welcome having Twellman's aggressiveness alongside him, thus sparing him from the target-man duties he is presently performing at club level for Fulham. And playing with his old club teammate may be the cure for what has ailed Twellman at the international level. Of course, there is the issue of the Americans' continued struggles on European soil. Their record now stands at 3-15-3 since the beginning of 1998, which would make a win on Wednesday definitely count as something new.

Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPNsoccernet. He can be reached at eljefe1@yahoo.com.