The way things have been going in recent months, U.S. soccer fans may be forgiven if they have taken to watching games involving prospective World Cup squad members from behind their sofa.
With two first-choice men -- Oguchi Onyewu and Charlie Davies -- already nursing serious injuries that put in doubt their participation in South Africa, Sunday's news that Clint Dempsey had sustained a knee injury initially seemed to be yet another hammer blow to Team USA's hopes this summer.
Fortunately, tests revealed that the severity of Dempsey's damage isn't as great as was first feared by his club manager, Roy Hodgson, who uttered two words you never want to hear in the same sentence of an injury update: "cruciate" and "ligament." Fulham's statement on Tuesday may have been vague and contained no specific diagnosis but, crucially, it did say that Dempsey should not require surgery and is expected to be back before the end of the Premier League season.
No player ever likes to be sidelined by an injury, but the chance to rest what must be a weary body is one that may prove beneficial for Dempsey. Since the start of the 2008-09 season, he has made 67 appearances for his club and played 18 times for his country. An enforced break provides a perfect opportunity to recharge his batteries ahead of a huge summer.
For although Dempsey has been criticized at times for his play with the national team, there is no doubt he is an absolutely vital member of Bob Bradley's side, possessing the ability to change games in a way that few others on the U.S. roster can. His versatility is important too, especially with uncertainty about Davies. I wouldn't be surprised to see Dempsey play at his best position, as a supporting striker, in South Africa.
A case for the defense
While the encouraging displays of Landon Donovan for Everton have garnered much attention in recent days, it's worth noting that he isn't the only American abroad who has impressed.
Among the defenders, Carlos Bocanegra logged 90 minutes in Ligue 1 for the first time in more than a month as Rennes drew at St. Etienne, a club to which the American captain has been linked recently. Jonathan Spector was included in the West Ham lineup to face Aston Villa and performed well against Ashley Young -- this three weeks after doing OK against another young England international, Aaron Lennon.
In Scotland, Maurice Edu appears to have made his own starting spot with Rangers' first team. Meanwhile, one of his rivals for a place in the national team midfield is bound for Germany, as Ricardo Clark agreed to join Eintracht Frankfurt.
Donovan aside, the news for other members of the U.S.' attacking fraternity has been less positive. Jozy Altidore has lost his place at Hull and will be further discouraged by the arrival of a new rival for playing time, Amr Zaki. Meanwhile, Stuart Holden's trial at Bolton was hampered by a thigh injury, though Wanderers manager Owen Coyle hasn't ruled out signing the Texan.
Good luck, contending men
With places on the U.S. World Cup squad still up for grabs, Saturday's friendly against Honduras will provide a chance to impress for a number of players. Among those I'll be following closely are Benny Feilhaber and Robbie Rogers, who could be key men this summer (especially if Dempsey is deployed as a forward), as well as Geoff Cameron. The Houston man is capable of playing in midfield, but I would prefer to see him in central defense, an area in which quality depth is a little sparser.
Beyond that trio, perhaps two stars of last year's draft class -- Kevin Alston and Omar Gonzalez -- will make their international debuts while, at the other end of the age and experience scale, Jimmy Conrad and Jeff Cunningham have another chance to show they have something left to offer.
A thing that made me go hmmm …
After a slow start, Africa's World Cup-qualified countries have found their form in the African Cup of Nations. Bouncing back from its opening-match loss to Malawi, Algeria -- a group opponent for the U.S. on June 23 -- claimed a win and a draw against Mali (1-0) and Angola (0-0), respectively (although just one goal scored in three games will concern coach Rabah Saadane). In the quarterfinals, Algeria will meet Ivory Coast, which was impressive in its 3-1 disposal of Ghana.
The Black Stars, whom the U.S. could face in the second round in South Africa, overcame that defeat and the injury loss of their inspirational captain, Michael Essien, to beat Burkina Faso and clinch a knockout-stage tie against the host nation. Meanwhile, Nigeria put together back-to-back wins to reach the last eight. Cameroon would also advance by avoiding defeat against Tunisia on Thursday.