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Former Fire player DaMarcus Beasley talks about the United States' upcoming match against arch rival Mexico in the Azteca stadium on Tuesday.

In Part 1 of this two-part interview, Sean Johnson discusses why he can replace Tim Howard when he retires, what he learned during his time with the National Team, and what to expect from the Fire.

About 10 minutes from opening a comfortable lead in its semifinal group of World Cup qualifying, the United States stumbled.

Marco Pappa scored on a free kick in the 83rd minute, giving Guatemala a 1-1 tie with the Americans on Tuesday night

Clint Dempsey put the U.S. ahead in the 40th minute, but Fabian Johnson pulled down Carlos Ruiz just outside the penalty area to set up the late free kick in a dangerous position. Pappa, a Chicago Fire midfielder, froze goalkeeper Tim Howard with a 24-yard shot that went just under the crossbar.

"When you control the game the way we did, especially after we scored the goal and passed around the ball really well, you're a bit disappointed when something like that happens," U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said. "But overall it was a good game from our end. I'm happy with the performance. I would love three points but I will take it the way it is."

The 28th-ranked Americans were outshot 13-11 by 85th-ranked Guatemala, a team that has never qualified for the World Cup.

Seeking its seventh straight appearance in soccer's showcase, the U.S. (1-0-1) tops Group A of North and Central America and the Caribbean on goal difference over Jamaica (1-0-1), which tied 0-0 tie at Antigua and Barbuda. Guatemala (0-1-1) and Antigua (0-1-1) have one point each.

The top two teams advance to next year's six-nation regional finals, which will produce three qualifiers for the 2014 tournament in Brazil.

"I think it's an open group, and it will be a competition until the very last game," Klinsmann said. "We wanted three points but we're OK with the one point that we take away leading the group."

The Americans extended their unbeaten streak against Guatemala to 18 games (12-0-6) since 1988 and improved to 6-0-5 against the Guatemalans in World Cup qualifying.

Dempsey scored his 27th international goal off a play that started with a short pass from Johnson on the left. Dempsey cut across to his right, taking two touches as he sidestepped slipping defenders Carlos Gallardo and Erwin Morales, then wrong-footed Ricardo Jerez Jr. with a right-footed shot from 16 yards to the goalkeeper's right.

It was Dempsey's 28th goal of the season for club and country, including 23 for England's Fulham.

Just before the goal, Howard made a diving save on Carlos Figueroa's open 10-yard shot from an angle. Ruiz nearly tied the score in first-half injury time, hooking just wide on a left-footed shot from the top of the arc.

Johnson returned to left back after missing Friday's game because of a strained calf muscle.

Klinsmann gave Geoff Cameron his World Cup qualifying debut, bringing him in to start the second half in place of Clarence Goodson, who had gotten a yellow card in the 23rd.

Guatemala coach Ever Hugo Almeida used all three substitutes to start the second half, just as he did Friday. Pappa, Manuel Leon and Dwight Pezzarossi replaced Figueroa, Jose Contreras and Mario Rodriguez.

When the second half started, Pezzarossi just missed with a header that went narrowly over the crossbar following a corner kick.

Guatemala argued unsuccessfully for a penalty kick after American defender Carlos Bocanegra kicked a clearance up off his own hand. Jozy Altidore entered at forward for Herculez Gomez in the 64th minute.

Howard made a diving stop on Rodriguez's 5-yard in shot in the 69th after a corner kick was headed in front of the goal. Then, with the net wide open, Ruiz skied the rebound over the crossbar.

Altidore was open and put the ball in the net in the 79th, only play had been whistled by referee Joel Aguilar of El Salvador.

Notes

The game was shown on pay-per-view in the U.S. after the Guatemalan federation, which owns the rights, sold them to Traffic Sports. ... The U.S. next plays in an exhibition on Aug. 15, most likely at Mexico. The Americans resume qualifying Sept. 7 at Jamaica, then host the Reggae Boyz four days later at Columbus, Ohio. ... Johnson received a yellow card for the foul that led to the tying goal. Michael Bradley and Maurice Edu also received yellow cards.

Chicago Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson, who is entering his third season in MLS, has been called up by U.S. National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann for a January training camp.

The session starts on Jan. 3 as the U.S. prepares for a Jan. 21 match against Venezuela in Glendale, Ariz., followed by a Jan. 25 game against Panama in Panama City.

"I'm definitely excited about it," Johnson said. "There's a lot to look forward to in getting to play alongside the guys that are going to be there. We have two games to cap off the camp, so I think it will be good competition, and one that will help prepare for the season, as well."

Other than defender Michael Parkhurst and midfielder Ricardo Clark, the 20-player roster consists of MLS players, five of which are in search of their first international cap.

"I've heard a lot of things from their club coaches and received a lot of recommendations," Klinsmann said. "These guys are leaders in their MLS teams, and now they have the chance to show themselves on another level. Hopefully they get that extra sense of responsibility after they spend time in our camp, and go back to their club teams and become role models."

Johnson made his U.S. MNT debut on Jan. 22 during a 1-1 draw against Chile at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. He played in the second half, replacing starter Nick Rimando. Johnson, Rimando and D.C. United's Bill Hamid represent the Americans' goalkeeping crew heading into this January's training session.

Johnson is currently training with U.S. U-23 head coach Caleb Porter's squad, and he recently had an opportunity to train alongside U.S. starting goalkeeper Tim Howard and Everton FC.

With the upcoming Olympics, it is likely that Johnson will represent the U.S. and miss several Fire matches during the 2012 campaign.

"You're always honored to wear your nation's crest and to represent the U.S.," Johnson said. "With that, it's still tough to miss games with your club, but it's part of being a national team player. I'll likely miss games here or there, but I think representing my country is second to none. It'll be an interesting year, and a really busy one at that."

U.S.'s 20-man roster:
Goalkeepers: Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake); Defenders: Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo), A.J. DeLaGarza (Los Angeles Galaxy), Omar Gonzalez (Los Angeles Galaxy), George John (FC Dallas), Zach Loyd (FC Dallas), Michael Parkhurst (FC Nordsjaelland), Heath Pearce (Chivas USA); Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Ricardo Clark (Eintracht Frankfurt), Benny Feilhaber (New England Revolution), Jeff Larentowicz (Colorado Rapids), Brek Shea (FC Dallas), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City); Forwards: Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls), Teal Bunbury (Sporting Kansas City), C.J. Sapong (Sporting Kansas City), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

Fire face Real España in preseason: The Fire announced Tuesday that they will be playing Honduran side Real España at 5 p.m. Feb. 4 at Tad Gormley Stadium in New Orleans, La. Real Espana has won 10 Liga Nacional titles, including a 2010-11 championship.

Chicago will be training in Ave Maria, Fla., from Jan. 20 to Feb. 3 at the campus of Ave Maria University. The Fire's preseason docket includes a return to the Carolina Challenge Cup, which runs from Feb. 25 to March 4 in Charleston, S.C., against D.C. United, the Columbus Crew and host Charleston Battery.

New U.S. National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann named his 22-player roster on Thursday for the team's Aug. 10 match against Mexico at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia (8 p.m. CT, ESPN2).

Former Chicago Fire defender Carlos Bocanegra and forward DaMarcus Beasley were included on the roster. Both players are seven caps away from reaching 100 for their international careers.

Beasley returns to the national team for the first time since the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The Fort Wayne, Ind., native's last appearance was as a second-half sub during the U.S.'s 1-0 win over Algeria on June 23, 2010. He was on the pitch when Landon Donovan scored his memorable 91st-minute goal to win Group C and reach the Round of 16.

U.S. ROSTER:
Goalkeepers: Bill Hamid (D.C.United), Tim Howard (Everton); Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Saint-Etienne), Edgar Castillo (Club America), Timmy Chandler (FC Nürnberg), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Michael Orozco Fiscal (San Luis), Heath Pearce (Chivas USA), Tim Ream (New York Red Bulls); Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Ricardo Clark (Eintracht Frankfurt), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04), Brek Shea (FC Dallas), Jose Torres (Pachuca); Forwards: Freddy Adu (Benfica), Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls), DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Edson Buddle (FC Ingolstadt), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)

Former Chicago Fire head coach Bob Bradley's tenure as the U.S. National Team head coach has ended. U.S. Soccer announced Thursday that he has been relieved of his duties for the national squad.

"We want to thank Bob Bradley for his service and dedication to U.S. Soccer during the past five years," U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati said in a statement. "During his time as the head coach of our men's national team he led the team to a number of accomplishments. But we felt now was the right time for us to make a change."

Bradley was the Fire's first head coach and led Chicago to an MLS Cup and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title in the organization's debut season in 1998. Bradley was named the U.S. head coach in January of 2007 and compiled a 43-25-12 record over five years.

"I was shocked, just like you and most people were," Fire interim head coach Frank Klopas said Thursday after the team's training. "I was on a flight back and someone told me at training. Obviously I have tremendous respect for Bob. He coached me here for two years -- very memorable years. And I was on the staff with him for a year. So to tell you the truth, I'm shocked."

Bradley's U.S. squad won the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, was second in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and advanced to the Round of 16 in last year's FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

"It is always hard to make these decisions, especially when it involves someone we respect as much as Bob," Gulati said. "We wish him the best in his future endeavors."

The level of concern for the Chicago Fire grows with every week as the team continually winds up without a victory each time out.

Chicago is in the midst of an eight-game winless streak in league play, and the Fire has had ample opportunities to turn things around.

They'll have a couple more chances when they face the San Jose Earthquakes on Tuesday and Saturday. San Jose is toward the bottom of the Western Conference with a 3-4-3 record, while Chicago is second-to-last in the East with a 1-4-5 mark.

Chicago and San Jose take a break from league play on Tuesday, but they have a lot to play for as they square off in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play-in match at Buck Shaw Stadium. The Fire have always been a part of the Open Cup, winning four times from 1998 to 2006.

"This is a big week for us," Fire goalkeeper Jon Conway said following Saturday's 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Union. "We have a goal of advancing to the Open Cup and doing well in that. We need to get everything right on the field and build some momentum heading into our next match Saturday. Every match is critical toward wronging the mistakes we have made."

The Fire have not produced a win in two months, dating back to their 3-2 victory over Sporting Kansas City on March 26. They are currently in a 0-4-4 skid in league play.

Chicago is coming off a road loss to Philadelphia in a match that included reasons for optimism in a strong 15-minute start, followed by the Union dictating a bulk of the play in key stretches the rest of the way.

"We started out fresh and we were good moving the ball around," Conway said. "We started so well, maybe we were lulled to sleep and got into a funk. [The Union] didn't really change their tactics, but we lost our grip."

Following the Open Cup play-in match, the Fire and Quakes return to MLS action when Chicago plays host on Saturday at Toyota Park.

Pappa called in to Guatemalan side: Fire midfielder Marco Pappa will be called in to Guatemala's club for the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He will be available for Tuesday's Open Cup match against San Jose, as well as the Fire-Quakes rematch on Saturday in league play. But with Pappa set to participate in the Gold Cup, it means he will minimally miss Chicago's June 9 match at Sporting K.C. and the Fire's June 12 match at the Columbus Crew. Guatemala is in Group B, up against Grenada, Honduras and Jamaica.

Bradley names U.S.'s Gold Cup roster: U.S. head coach and former Fire head coach Bob Bradley named his roster Monday for the Gold Cup. Long-time U.S. captain and former Fire defender Carlos Bocanegra is on the squad, along with Downers Grove native and Leeds United defender Eric Lichaj. The U.S. is in Group C and faces Canada on June 7 in Detroit, Panama on June 11 in Tampa, Fla., and Guadeloupe on June 14 in Kansas City, Kan.

The Gold Cup final takes place on June 25 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Second-year goalkeeper Sean Johnson's rise has had a feel-good aura to it. For Chicago Fire players, fans and supporters, there were not a whole lot of high points to the 2010 campaign, so Johnson's showcase in the net naturally has stood out.

The 2010 fourth-round draft pick opened last preseason as the projected third-string option, earned the starting job by July, regularly garnered MLS Save of the Week nominations, helped the Generation adidas team post an unbeaten run during its trip to Spain in December, and then earned his first international cap during the U.S.'s 1-1 draw against Chile in January.

"He's only in his second year, but he's a winner," Fire captain and defensive midfielder Logan Pause said. "He just has the charisma and he has the personality to help lead."

Johnson's role with Chicago will be more magnified this year now that he has established himself as the team's No. 1 goalkeeper.

"Even though I gained experience last season, it definitely didn't end up the way I wanted it to end," Johnson said. "I think we got off to a bit of a slow start, and this year it's important to come out of the gates to set ourselves up to have a good season. More than anything, we just have to put it all together and develop some consistency."

Johnson will have a different defensive group in front of him -- one that lost its two central backs in C.J. Brown and Wilman Conde. And the team will need to have some personnel step into more of a leadership role, having lost veteran Brian McBride to retirement.

"I think they've done a great job of scouting talent and bringing talent in," Johnson said. "There are always going to be offseasons where you're looking at your team in different areas, especially losing guys like C.J. and Brian. But we gained experience from those guys, and now we've got to take that and pass that to the new guys coming in."

Earning the opportunity to play for the American squad obviously was a high moment for Johnson this winter.

"That has always been a dream to play at the highest level for my country," Johnson said. "Playing with them will do wonders for my game. Working with Nick Rimando, Matt Pickens and those guys was a great experience. I learned a few things from guys who have been around a lot longer than I have, and I'll try to apply it to this season."

Johnson's quick rise will be a season-long focal point for this Fire squad as the 21-year-old has plugged away with a non-stop offseason on the pitch.

"I'm going to have to balance it out and give my body a rest every now and then," Johnson said. "It's been a long offseason for me as far as playing. I haven't had much of a break. I just need to make sure that my body is set to go. When the season comes, I'll be fine. I'm young."

Umanzor released: The Fire officially parted ways with defender Deris Umanzor on Wednesday. Umanzor played in 10 games for Chicago during the 2010 season. The Fire already are set at left defensive back with Gonzalo Segares, and it is expected that Umanzor is looking to return to Salvadoran club Aguila.

Chicago Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson played in the second half of the U.S. National Team's 1-1 draw on Saturday against Chile at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

The end result hardly was the top priority in this international friendly as former Fire and current U.S. head coach Bob Bradley has spent the past three weeks evaluating other talent across the country in the national team's recent camp.

Bradley made six substitutions during the night, including the addition of the 21-year-old Fire goalkeeper, who replaced Real Salt Lake's Nick Rimando for the second half.

"We had seven guys get their first cap tonight, so that's always positive," Bradley said. "When you have a young group of guys in camp, at the end of everything you want to put it to the test, and it gives you a good picture of where these guys are."

After a scoreless first half, the energy picked up in the second. In less than 10 minutes, Johnson faced his first pivotal moment on the U.S. squad.

In the 53rd minute, Chile's Esteban Paredes had a scissor kick goal to give his side a 1-0 lead. Paredes' opportunity opened up when U.S. defender Marvell Wynne aggressively attempted to disrupt Felipe Seymour's cross from the right side. But Wynne could not get in the way of the pass, and Paredes netted home a stylish goal.

There was little Johnson could do by the time the ball got to Paredes, who was the only player on both rosters to play during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Johnson made a diving attempt, but Chile garnered the 1-0 lead.

However, the U.S. made a push on the offensive end. And in the 75th minute, Teal Bunbury of Sporting Kansas City netted the equalizer with a penalty kick. The New York Red Bulls' Juan Agudelo drew a foul in the penalty box following a give-and-go with Alejandro Bedoya in the 73rd minute.

Bunbury directed his shot at the lower right corner of the net -- the opposite direction of Chile goalkeeper Paulo Garces' diving guess.

Defensively, the U.S. had some shaky sequences throughout the match. But overall, Johnson was not tested a great deal during the second half. Paredes did head in another shot past Johnson, but he was clearly offside on the play.

Next up for the U.S. is a Feb. 9 match against Egypt in Cairo.

Chicago Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson, coming off his first Major League Soccer season in 2010, begins the new year with a call-up to the U.S. National Team.

Former Fire and current U.S. head coach Bob Bradley named his 24-player U.S. camp roster on Tuesday as the Americans prepare for a Jan. 22 match against Chile at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The 21-year-old Fire goalkeeper Johnson gets his first look with the U.S. squad.

Johnson took over the Fire's starting goalkeeper slot during his rookie season, posting a 4-6-3 record and saving 52 of 69 shots. Most recently, Johnson joined the Generation adidas team in Spain along with teammates Corben Bone and Baggio Husidic.

The U.S. camp begins on Jan. 4 and the roster consists of an average age of about 23 years old.

"The timing is right to assess many of the younger players and to broaden the player pool as we look forward to the next three years," Bradley said. "These extended camps gives the coaching staff an opportunity to work with these players closely, and at the same time expose them to what the environment and expectations are like at the international level."

Also named to the U.S. roster were former Fire and current Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Matt Pickens, who just took up the MLS Cup this past season. Barrington, Ill., native and defender Ryan Miller, who is playing with Halmstads BK in Sweden, was called up for the first time.

The U.S. MNT camp roster consists of the following players:
Goalkeepers: Dominic Cervi (Celtic), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Matt Pickens (Colorado Rapids), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
Defenders: A.J. DeLaGarza (Los Angeles Galaxy), Sean Franklin (Los Angeles Galaxy), Omar Gonzalez (Los Angeles Galaxy), Ugo Ihemelu (FC Dallas), Zach Loyd (FC Dallas), Ryan Miller (Halmstads BK), Tim Ream (New York Red Bulls), Anthony Wallace (Colorado Rapids), Marvell Wynne (Colorado Rapids)
Midfielders: Eric Alexander (FC Dallas), Alejandro Bedoya (Orebro), Sam Cronin (San Jose Earthquakes), Mikkel Diskerud (Stabaek), Jeff Larentowicz (Colorado Rapids), Dax McCarty (D.C. United), Brek Shea (FC Dallas)
Forwards: Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls), Justin Braun (Chivas USA), Teal Bunbury (Sporting Kansas City), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

The U.S. Men's National Team's second post-World Cup match against Poland on Saturday certainly looked like a start-up moment to a new four-year cycle. There were highs and lows, decent spurts but also poor movement. There were a few sloppy scrums and a few missed chances.

All-in-all, the U.S. managed a 2-2 draw against Poland in front of 31,696 at Soldier Field. Jozy Altidore and Oguchi Onyewu netted goals for the U.S., but Poland answered both strikes, as Adam Matuszczyk and Jakub Blaszczykowski scored for Poland.

"We put ourselves in a position twice to win the game," U.S. forward Clint Dempsey said. "We just conceded on two bad plays. But it's just a friendly. I don't think it's the end of the world."

Former Chicago Fire and current U.S. head coach Bob Bradley particularly was disappointed in allowing Poland to tie the game at 2 midway through the second half, when the U.S. had chances to increase its lead instead.

"That was a part of the game where I think we had the chance to really finish it off," Bradley said. "We didn't take advantage of it. Our tempo in that period of time was too slow, at times having the ball, but a casualness that ended up letting them back into it, and ultimately they get the goal."

Chicago native and FC Schalke midfielder Jermaine Jones made his first national team appearance as the 29-year-old was in the starting lineup. Jones took advantage of the opportunity with an assist on Altidore's first-half tally in the 13th minute. Jones made the pass at midfield while Altidore stormed past Poland's Lukasz Piszczek on the run, striking the ball past Poland goalkeeper Artur Boruc for the 1-0 lead.

"I made the movement and I thought he did great looking up," Altidore said. "The awareness was great, perfectly weighted pass. It was kudos to him. I thought he had a good night tonight."

Poland's first tally by Matuszczyk in the 29th minute was the end result of the U.S. being unable to make a couple of clearances in its defensive third. Poland attacked from the right side and Stuart Holden's clearance attempt was headed straight up into the air. Onyewu then tried to clear with a header, but he could not strike it cleanly forward. Poland's Ludovic Obraniak was underneath the ball and made a quick touch to set up Matuszczyk, who shot to the left side of the goal past U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard to tie the match at 1-1.

"The clearances tonight weren't the best," Howard said. "We put ourselves under some pressure."

Onyewu gave the Americans a 2-1 lead when he headed home a Holden corner kick from the right side in the 52nd minute. Onyewu flew over a pair of Poland defenders and found the inside of the left post.

The back-and-forth scoring action continued when Poland's Blaszczykowski tied the score at 2-2 in the 73rd minute. Jones was trying to make a pass to his left, but Poland broke it up, and Blaszczykowski was there to clean up with a shot just inside the left post.

"It was a little bit of a misunderstanding," Jones said through a translator. "I looked over at Tim and didn't see the guy that came in from the back side. It's just a little bit of a mixup between playing with some guys for the first time."

Overall, Jones played an aggressive match and at times made some strong passes. He had one tight pass in the 42nd minute to Holden, a razor sharp, left-footed feed that found the U.S. midfielder, even though Poland's defense closed in on him.

For his first cap, his highs and lows were reflective of the U.S. squad as a whole.

"He still needs to get used to the style of play here," former Fire defender and U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra said. "Sometimes he's so overly aggressive, he wants to go and chase on his own. That's good, because we need someone like that. He's hungry in the middle of the park. He's a ball-winner. He's going to be great for us."

Bocanegra will not be joining the U.S. for Tuesday's match against Colombia as he departs for St. Etienne. With Heath Pearce coming in and Jonathan Spector also having played at left back, the team will likely lean in those directions in replacing Bocanegra.

Analysis: By no means was Saturday night the prettiest of matches, with several sloppy sequences in front of each net for both teams.

Altidore did get a goal, but he had a multitude of chances, including a 42nd-minute strike that skimmed off the crossbar, and a one-on-one situation against Boruc in the 58th minute, when Boruc made a kick save.

The U.S. had a 17-8 advantage in shots, but Poland had the 7-5 edge on goal. Poland had several potential counters where the team could have cashed in. In the 21st minute, Howard came up with a huge save when Robert Lewandowski had a break.

Bocanegra's take on Jones is right on the money. If Jones can refine that aggressiveness with consistency, he should turn into a dependable person in the middle of the pitch.

This is a four-year work in progress, so clearly there is plenty of time to iron things out. Bradley only utilized one substitution on Saturday and plans to insert other players into the mix for Tuesday's match.

U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard talks to Sarah Spain about Bob Bradley, facing Poland in Chicago and baring all for ESPN the Magazine.

The U.S. Men's National Team hosts Poland on Saturday at Soldier Field for its second post-2010 FIFA World Cup match.

Former Chicago Fire and current U.S. head coach Bob Bradley's squad is coming off a 2-0 defeat to Brazil on Aug. 10 in New Jersey. The Americans are facing Poland for the first time since a 3-0 victory on March 26, 2008, at Wisla Stadium in Krakow.

"Poland is a team that has done a good job in terms of trying to pressure opponents and also has the ability when they win the ball to go quickly in the attack," Bradley said. "So our ability to also pressure them becomes a battle to see which team is able to put the other team on the defensive and take control of games, especially in the midfield."

Bradley has brought in 13 players who were part of the U.S.'s World Cup squad, including five who played in every minute of the Cup: goalkeeper Tim Howard, midfielder Michael Bradley, forward Clint Dempsey, and defenders Carlos Bocanegra and Steve Cherundolo.

Also with the U.S. squad is Downers Grove native and Aston Villa defender Eric Lichaj, whose parents were born in Poland.

"Eric, for a young player, is physically strong, has good speed, good power, and I think that he continues to improve," Bradley said. "He's a young player that we have high hopes for."

Following up its disappointing showing against a young and lively Brazilian side in August, the U.S. needs to find its finishing touch and vastly improve its possession.

"The possession thing is interesting because I think that if you look at the last few years we all know there are games when we're able to dictate the terms a little bit more," Bradley said. "We now are able to have more of the ball, possess the ball, move the ball well, and we're more confident. And we've shown that. Yet there are other days when you play against an opponent and on that day they manage to win that part of the game.

"We've tried to be a team that understands on different days how we can win the game, but nonetheless continue to grow, continue to improve, to continue to improve technically and tactically."

Dempsey naturally will be a focal point on the attack. He has been vital both up front and in the midfield, and his dual roles with the national team and at Fulham are quite similar.

"He's an attacking player, comfortable of playing in the midfield, but also equally comfortable playing up front, playing underneath another striker," Bradley said. "The bottom line is Clint is an important player in terms of being a little bit different in his ability to maybe make a chance for himself or a teammate, where he can come up with a play that'll produce the unexpected and make it count for something big, for a goal."

As Bradley goes through the early phases of this four-year cycle in preparation for the 2014 World Cup, it is apparent that he is going to sort through any potential new talent with a fine-toothed comb.

"On one hand, there's a need to start the process with some younger players that we think potentially can help the team," Bradley said. "But at the same time, it's done with the sense that some veteran players continue to play really well. Carlos is a good example at St. Etienne this year. His team's off to a great start, he's played very well and he continues to be a very important part of our national team."

Recognizing McBride: Former U.S. and current Chicago Fire forward Brian McBride will be acknowledged on the field before the match. The Arlington Heights native, who tallied 30 goals for the U.S., announced that he is retiring following the Fire's 2010 campaign.

Former Chicago Fire and current U.S. Men's National Team head coach Bob Bradley named his 20-player roster Thursday for the team's October friendlies against Poland in Chicago, and against Colombia in Chester, Pa.

The U.S. hosts Poland at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9, at Soldier Field (Fox Soccer Channel, Galavision), then takes on Colombia at 7 p.m. CT on Oct. 12 at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. (ESPN2, Galavision).

Among the group is former Fire standout and two-time MLS Defender of the Year Carlos Bocanegra. Also joining the squad are Homer Glen native Brad Guzan, Arlington Heights' Jonathan Spector and Downers Grove native Eric Lichaj. Former Palatine resident and Chicago Sockers FC youth player Michael Bradley also joins the group.

"We believe we have a strong nucleus of talented players, many of whom we are going to challenge to assume greater leadership roles during the next four-year cycle," Bob Bradley said. "We certainly have ideas on how we want to move forward, and these games will be the start of that process."

Bocanegra is currently enjoying a first-place start to the season with St. Etienne of the French Ligue 1 with a 5-1-1 record. He represents one of 13 players who participated in the U.S.'s Group C-winning squad in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Lichaj is joining the U.S.'s full-team roster for the first time. The Aston Villa defender has ties to the Chicago Magic, spent one year at the University of North Carolina, then latched on to Villa, where he made his debut in late August during a 1-1 draw against Rapid Viennain UEFA Europa League qualifying.

U.S. roster:

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (St. Etienne), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Eric Lichaj (Aston Villa), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan), Michael Parkhurst (FC Nordsjaelland), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)

Midfielders: Alejandro Bedoya (Orebro), Michael Bradley (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus), Stuart Holden (Bolton Wanderers), Jermaine Jones (FC Schalke), Brek Shea (FC Dallas)

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Villarreal), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Eddie Johnson (Fulham)