By Justin Shaffer - SEATTLE, WA (Jan 5, 2012) US Soccer Players --Previously, we previewed the year ahead for club soccer and now we give you a look ahead at 2012’s jam-packed international calendar. Between the Olympics, European Championships, and World Cup qualifying, 2012 should be a huge year for soccer fans.
Women’s Olympic Soccer Qualifying
January 20th marks the start of the CONCACAF qualifiers in Vancouver, British Columbia. The US is expected to qualify without an issue, but Pia Sundhage will use the time to continue her implementation of the new 4-2-3-1 formation to better utilize her best players.
Abby Wambach should feature nicely at the top of the formation, as the target striker. However, it remains to be seen what this will mean for Amy Rodriguez and Alex Morgan who shared time as Wambach’s partner up top in the 4-4-2 used in Germany.
Telemundo will provide Spanish-language television coverage in the United States while Universal Sports Network will provide English-language telecasts of all matches featuring the United States and the finals.
African Cup of Nations
January 21st opens the 28th edition of the African Cup of Nations (also known as Afcon) in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. Unfortunately, former US coach Bob Bradley and the Egyptian team will not be making an appearance, as the Pharaohs finished at the bottom of their group in the qualifying stage prior to his arrival. Cameroon and Nigeria also failed to make it through qualifying, leaving Ivory Coast and Ghana as the favorites.
Adding to the drama, on January 6th, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will hear an appeal filed by Namibia to disqualify Burkina Faso from the competition. Namibia is protesting the use of an ineligible player by Burkina Faso during the latter’s qualifying stage victories over the former. An appeal in Namibia’s favor could put them through to the Afcon final stage in place of Burkina Faso.
Unfortunately it appears that Afcon will not be televised in the United States.
Men’s Olympic Soccer Qualifying
March 22nd Caleb Porter and his Under-23 national team will open CONCACAF Olympic qualifying in Group A against Cuba at 9pm ET. Group A also includes Canada and El Salvador which the US will play on March 24th and 26th, respectively. The full schedule is available here.
In order to move on to the knockout rounds at Livestrong Sporting Park, where they would face one of Mexico, Honduras, Panama, or Trinidad & Tobago, the US will have to finish in the top two of their group. A win in the semifinals will put them through to the Olympics, as the top two teams qualify.
Universal Sports Network will provide English-language telecasts of all matches featuring the United States and the finals. Telemundo will have Spanish-language television coverage.
Men’s World Cup Qualifying
June 8th is the start of the USA’s journey to World Cup 2014 in Brazil. The USA must finish in the top two of Group A to move on to the hexagonal in 2013 against the top two teams from each of the other two groups. The full 2012 schedule is available here.
Although the US is coming off a 2-0 win against Jamaica at the 2011 Gold Cup and is 10-0-8 all-time versus the Reggae Boyz, it has never beaten Jamaica during World Cup qualifying. The US is 12-4-5 against Guatemala all-time, and won both matches between the two teams during qualification for the 2010 World Cup. Antigua & Barbuda will be a first-time opponent for the US, with a dominant 25-3 goal differential in their prior qualifying group stage.
Broadcast information has yet to be officially announced.
Euro 2012
June 8th The premier international Confederation tournament kicks off its final phase in Poland and Ukraine. Spain and Germany are the top two teams in the world heading into the tournament but will be faced with difficult paths; each facing other top ten teams in their respective groups.
Spain will face ninth ranked Italy, eighth ranked Croatia, and Ireland in Group C. Meanwhile Germany must fight it out in the group of death with eleventh ranked Denmark, seventh ranked Portugal, and third ranked Netherlands in Group B.
Like World Cup 2010, England gets a fairly favorable draw in Group D with Ukraine, Sweden, and France. Group A looks like the lightest group in the bunch, but should be entertaining nonetheless with Russia, Ukraine, Poland, and Czech Republic.
ESPN will televise games in both English and Spanish across their networks.
Women’s Olympic Soccer
On July 27th, less than a month after the Euro 2012 finals, the soccer-packed summer continues with the 30th Olympiad in London. Barely a year removed from the excitement and tears of World Cup 2011 in Germany, Pia Sundhage’s team will look to defend their 2008 Olympic Gold.
Expect a barrage of reminders from the various media outlets about the way the 2011 World Cup ended and a heavy dose of NBC ads promoting the revenge/redemption factor.
Rumors abound that this may be Sundhage’s last tournament with the US team and that she may head back home to finish out her career coaching the Swedish national team. Either way, the Olympics should feature plenty of exciting action as Abby Wambach and team take on foes like Marta and Homare Sawa.
Men’s Olympic Soccer
In stark contrast to the women’s game, FIFA’s done all they can to ensure the men’s tournament can’t match the prestige of the World Cup. However, depending on which teams qualify for London, we could see an amazing collection of young soccer talents like Neymar, Mario Goetze, Thiago Alcantara, Ganso, Alexandre Pato, Eduardo Vargas, Daniel Sturridge, Luuk De Jong, and Christian Eriksen.
US Olympic coach Caleb Porter has previously said that he’s counting on having young US talents Brek Shea, Timmy Chandler, and Jozy Altidore available to his U-23 squad. In addition, US senior team members Freddy Adu, Danny Williams, Juan Agudelo, Bill Hamid, and Teal Bunbury are also eligible. Porter will mix the younger US experienced internationals with up to three overage players and the best up-and-comers in US soccer, such as Joseph Gyau, Andrew Wooten, and Sebastian Lletget.
Porter will only be able to take a roster of 18 players and four alternates to London, but the mix of experience and talent gives Porter and the young players an opportunity to shine on the world stage.
The US hasn’t won an Olympic medal in men’s soccer since 1904 where they won both Silver and Bronze in a tournament which featured a total of three teams. Success in London would go a long ways towards earning the next generation of US soccer some respect both at home and abroad.
Justin Shaffer joins USSoccerPlayers after regularly contributing to the site's comments section. Look for his byline every other week.
