What started as an incredibly favorable draw for the US Men’s soccer team to advance beyond group play in this summer’s World Cup in South Africa, has quickly turned into a rather dire situation. In fact, so much so, that the team that showed some flashes of brilliance during qualifying rounds and in the Confederations Cup last summer (with wins over Spain and Egypt) will be nearly unrecognizable to the team that will take the pitch this June.

The US has suffered some devastating injuries along the way…first with up-and-coming striker, and our only legitimate speed, Charlie Davies breaking many parts of his body in a fatal car accident this summer and then Gooch doing his knee. Both starters and, even, stars will very likely miss the World Cup. Gooch may have a look at it, but I fear Davies may be done for sometime yet. And who really knows how he may recover after breaking a leg like that.

All this, and then now it seems the US may now lose their most creative on-ball threat next to Landon. It appears Clint Dempsey may have torn a cruciate ligament today in Premier League play for Fulham. If this is true, I fear you can almost put a fork in the Nat’s chances this summer. Losing not simply 3 of our starting 11, but more likely 3 of our top 5 players may be a little too much to overcome with nearly all of the preparatory friendlies behind us. Beyond that, as referenced in a previous post, Dempsey is also our only on-mic threat too…Don’t Tread.

Pour some out today soccer fans.