Rust caused by club inaction hurting U.S. players

CHICAGO (AP) — Bob Bradley sees rusty players arrive at U.S. national team camps ahead of important games, and he isn’t pleased. Too many key Americans have been buried on the benches of their clubs.

“It’s one thing if it happens for three or four months,” the American coach said. “If it happens one year after another, then, guess what? It’s trouble.”

Halfway through the final round of qualifying in North and Central America and the Caribbean, the United States is in good position to grab its sixth straight World Cup berth. But it hasn’t been pretty.

Following a 3-1 loss in Costa Rica last Wednesday, the United States had to rally for a 2-1 victory over Honduras on Saturday night.

The U.S. is second with 10 points, two behind Costa Rica (4-1) and five ahead of third-place El Salvador (1-1-2), which hosts fourth-place Honduras (1-2-1) on Wednesday. That same night, Mexico (1-3) is home against Trinidad and Tobago (0-2-2).

The three top teams qualify, and the No. 4 nation goes to a playoff against the fifth-place finisher in South America.

The U.S. has home games left against El Salvador (Sept. 5 at Sandy, Utah) and Costa Rica (Oct. 14 at Washington, D.C.), plus road matches at Mexico (Aug. 12), Trinidad (Sept. 9) and Honduras (Oct. 10).

Bradley wants to see all his players in regular club action by the fall.

DaMarcus Beasley, a big part of the U.S. World Cup teams in 2002 and 2006, became a virtual nonentity by the end of his second season with Scotland’s Glasgow Rangers.

He appeared in just 11 Scottish Premier League games, plus one each in the Scottish League and FA Cup, and the 27-year-old midfielder didn’t score a single goal. He got into just three games after Dec. 6.

“I love Glasgow. I love Scotland,” he said before adding, “I do want to play more. If that happens, that I need to go somewhere else, then that may be. But at the same time I like Rangers, I’m happy.”

Jozy Altidore, the up-and-coming star forward, was purchased by Villarreal of Spain’s La Liga from Major League Soccer and the New York Red Bulls for $10 million last summer. Just 19, he made only two starts and four substitute appearances during the first half of the season for Villarreal, scoring one goal.