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To call 2009 a busy year for the U.S. national team would be an understatement. Even labeling it a marathon wouldn't be quite right. An ultra-marathon might make more sense.

Bob Bradley's team has participated in two tournaments -- the Confederations Cup and Gold Cup -- along with the final round of CONCACAF 2010 World Cup qualification. All told the U.S. has already played 22 matches -- going 13-6-3 -- on two different continents.

The grueling year winds down with a trip to a third continent -- Europe -- when the U.S. places fellow 2010 World Cup qualifier Slovakia in Bratislava. (10 a.m., Fox Soccer)

The official U.S. roster hasn't been released yet for the U.S. National Team's upcoming European friendlies against World Cup qualifiers Slovakia and Denmark, but Goal.com is reporting that Edgar Castillo will be selected for the squad by coach Bob Bradley.

Castillo, who has played his entire career in Mexico, originally declared his intentions to play for El Tri despite the fact he was born in New Mexico. A new tweak in the FIFA rules allowed Castillo to switch allegiances since he never appeared for Mexico in an "official match."

Sort of a weird situation that developed Saturday with U.S. teenage striker Jozy Altidore at his Premier League club team Hull City. Altidore wasn't in the lineup, nor was he even on the bench for the Tigers 0-0 draw with last-place Portsmouth.

Apparently Altidore was late to the KC Stadium and posted an apology on his Twitter page. What's weird, is on his actual page, the apology is no longer posted and the most recent tweet is encouraging Hull fans to make a lot of noise at the game.

All things considered, it's hard to read all that much into the situation. Altidore wouldn't be the first player in the history of professional soccer to be late for a match. It was a little distressing that the 19-year-old, who is fighting for a place in the starting XI, would risk being late and nullify any chance of seeing the field.

Maurice Edu made news not for playing, but for running across a couple of racist idiots in Glasgow. The Houston Dynamo lost to previously winless and goalless Isidro Metapan on Wednesday night and was eliminated from the CONCACAF Champions League. Oguchi Onyewu had surgery on his torn left patella tendon and will be out an estimated six months--50 percent longer than originally thought.

Thankfully, a lousy week for American soccer is about to get better. On Thursday night, the Chicago Fire will host Chivas USA (8PM ET, ESPN2) in the first of a half-dozen games that will impact the MLS playoff picture. The competition for postseason spots is unprecedented, with seven clubs vying for three berths on the final weekend. We'll save the criticism of the league's ridiculous playoff format for another time, and instead will enjoy the fact that with 14 relatively even-matched teams (and New York), MLS at last has produced a meaningful regular season.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Landon Donovan was named the best player on
the U.S. team for a record-breaking sixth time on Tuesday.

Donovan, 27, was instrumental in the Americans' successful qualifying campaign for the World Cup and its trek to the Confederations Cup final.

The U.S. national team's stirring comeback against Costa Rica last week will be remembered for Bornstein's header, Davies' tragedy, Bradley's hustle and Onyewu's injury. But it also should be remembered for the contribution of Columbus Crew midfielder Robbie Rogers, whose entry in the 69th minute changed the match.

Playing in his first World Cup qualifier, the nimble winger added an obvious spark to a team trailing by two goals. He hit the cross that led to Michael Bradley's 72nd-minute goal, came close twice to tying the game himself, then delivered the corner kick that Bornstein finished in stoppage time. A key member of this summer's CONCACAF Gold Cup squad and a regular camp participant, Rogers certainly made his case for South Africa when presented with the opportunity.

This weekend, Rogers sat down with FanHouse and offered some interesting insight into a young player's path to the national team, his famous mentor, the Davies accident and the curfew culture that likely played a role.

WASHINGTON -- Playing a man down following Oguchi Onyewu's knee injury, the U.S. national team continued to press as it faced its first World Cup qualifying defeat on home soil in eight years. With seconds remaining in the 95th and final minute, defender Jonathan Bornstein raced unmarked onto Robbie Rogers' corner kick and powered home a sharp header that set off celebrations in both Washington D.C., and Honduras, while sending Costa Rica into sudden mourning.

The Ticos, up 2-0 at half and apparently on their way to the South Africa, surrendered their lead in the second half and settled for a 2-2 draw in Wednesday night's match at RFK Stadium. The result consigned them to a two-game playoff against Uruguay and lifted the Hondurans, who won in El Salvador, to the finals for the first time in 28 years.

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U.S. national team forward Charlie Davies will be hospitalized "for at least a week" following surgery to repair numerous fractures and a lacerated bladder suffered in a one-car accident early Tuesday morning in Arlington, Va.

A federation doctor said that "injuries of this nature usually require a recovery period of 6-12 months and extensive rehabilitation," making it likely that the 23-year-old will miss next summer's World Cup.

A 22-year-old Maryland woman was killed in the crash, which occurred at around 3:15 AM. The identity and condition of the third passenger still hasn't been released, and the relationship between the pair and Davies is unclear. The NBC affiliate in Washington posted pictures of the mangled SUV on its Web site, while The Washington Post's Steven Goff reported that Davies was indeed in violation of a national team curfew.

The U.S. national team's World Cup qualifying celebration took a very somber turn on Tuesday morning when it learned that Charlie Davies, the Boston College product who has established himself as a first-choice forward this year, was involved in a serious car accident near the team's Arlington, Va., hotel.

He was in surgery throughout the afternoon for injuries that U.S. Soccer described as "serious" but "not life-threatening." Davies reportedly was one of three people involved in the single-car accident, which killed 22-year-old Ashley J. Roberta. It was unclear whether Davies was the driver or a passenger, or whether he had permission to be out when the crash occurred at about 3 AM ET.

This much is simple for the U.S. national team's Saturday night 2010 World Cup qualifier at Honduras. If the U.S. leaves San Pedro Sula with three points, then it automatically qualifies for next June's World Cup in South Africa. Anything else? Well it's so confusing that the U.S. Soccer site has established a scenario generator to run through all the possible outcomes.

It's also known that a) the U.S. is stepping into a tricky road environment in a country in the midst of a political crisis, b) the U.S. won't have midfielder Clint Dempsey and c) the game will not be seen in America except for select closed circuit establishments.