US/Brazil Roster Released...

From Yanks Abroad -- once again, no Altidore or Adu:

Goalkeepers
Howard, Tim Everton (England)
Seitz, Chris Salt Lake (MLS)

Defenders
Bocanegra, Carlos Fulham (England)
Cherundolo, Steve Hannover 96 (Germany)
DeMerit, Jay Watford (England)
Onyewu, Oguchi Standard Liege (Belgium)
Pearce, Heath Hansa Rostock (Germany)
Simek, Frank Sheffield Wednesday (England)
Spector, Jonathan West Ham United (England)

Midfielders
Beasley, DaMarcus Rangers (Scotland)
Bradley, Michael Heerenveen (Holland)
Convey, Bobby Reading (England)
Dempsey, Clint Fulham (England)
Feilhaber, Benny Derby County (England)
Mastroeni, Pablo Colorado Rapids (MLS)

Forwards
Arnaud, Davy Kansas City Wizards (MLS)
Donovan, Landon Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)
Johnson, Eddie Kansas City Wizards (MLS)
Wolff, Josh 1860 Munich (Germany)

Anelka re-ups with Trotters; Shiva says no

Anelka has signed a 4 year contract extension to stay on Sammy Lee's side:

Bolton chalked up their first win of the season at the weekend by beating Reading with Anelka making it three goals in four games.

He said: "I seem to have been linked with every club in the country of late but my heart is with Bolton.

"I am very happy with my form, the club and the manager so signing a new contract was not a difficult decision.

"Hopefully we will prosper together because I would not have remained at Bolton if I had thought we could not win trophies."

Anelka's decision is a marvellous boost for manager Sammy Lee ahead of the home game against Everton on Saturday.

Lee said: "We have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to get him to commit his long-term future to us.

"Nicolas is one of the world's best strikers and I am immensely proud and happy that he has shown such commitment to the club.

"It is also a boost for the dressing room because a team never wants to lose anybody of Nicolas's stature and presence."

Lee added: "This shows our ambition to be among the top clubs, not just in this country but across the world.

"Nicolas is one of the most sought after strikers in the world and I am delighted that he will continue to wear the Bolton shirt.

Don't know if Anelka's presence in the dressing room is as positive as Sammy Lee implies as he's known for being somewhat of a malcontent but Bolton surely needed his talents if they are to stay out of the relegation zone.

In other news:
Shiva won't go back to Dynamo Kiev and wants to return to first team action with Chelski

Most of the other transfer rumors, including the Defoe/SWP swap, were bull.

Zat Knight gets nicked with crack cocaine and heroin just hours before being trumpeted as Villa's new signing.

Reading are offended by West Ham's "derisory" offer for Nick Shorey.

Pompey is still looking for a striker.

Another Russian billionaire is getting into the Premier League.

Freddy Adu is getting settled at Benfica.

Dane, Thomas Graveson, has joined Everton on loan for the rest of the season.

Sam Eto'o is out two months for Barca with a partial tear of his right thigh tendon.

Adu gets a new boss...

Freddy Adu has a new boss after Benfica Fernando Santos was given his P45 following a loss to newly promoted Leixoes in Benfica's opening match of the season. Santos has been replaced by former Real Madrid boss Jose Antonio Camacho, who vows to make the club great again, hopefully with help from the American teenager.

USMNT releases roster for Sweden friendly...

From USSoccer.com:

CHICAGO (August 14, 2007) — U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bob Bradley has named the 19-man roster that will travel to face 11-time World Cup finalists Sweden on Aug. 22 in Göteborg. The U.S. team will begin arriving in Göteborg on Sunday, Aug. 19 and will train twice before Wednesday’s match. Kickoff at Ullevi Stadium is set for 2:30 p.m. ET (8:30 p.m. local time) and will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel (with Galavision airing the match live at 2:30 p.m. ET and delayed at 2:30 p.m. PT). Fans can also follow the match live via ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker.

"We are happy to be able to see so many of our foreign-based players in action and to put them in another challenging environment,” said Bradley, who is 10-3-1 in 2007 and making his first trip to Europe with the team. ”We are continuing to develop our team as World Cup qualifying approaches, and this group will certainly play a large role in that process. Sweden is bringing a very competitive roster, so it should be a great match.”

Here's the roster:

ROSTER BY POSITION
Goalkeepers (2) – Marcus Hahnemann (Reading FC), Tim Howard (Everton FC)
Defenders (6) – Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham FC), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jay DeMerit (Watford FC), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)
Midfielders (6) – DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Bobby Convey (Reading FC), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids)
Forwards (5) – Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Kamani Hill (VfL Wolfsburg), Josh Wolff (1860 Munich), Sal Zizzo (Hannover 96)

Anaylsis from ThatsOnPoint:

1. Benny Feilhaber is listed as a Derby County player. The deal isn't totally official as of Tuesday afternoon. Here's the official Derby release notes. At first I didn't think this was a good move, but I've come around. Hamburg might be near the top of the Bundesliga come May, but it's still not the Prem. Even if Derby goes straight back down, he'll get bigger exposure and should move to a new, higher-profile club in a year. The sky appears to be the limit...right now. (Crossing fingers.)

2. Jon Bornstein is Bob Bradley's adoptive son. There are two MLS players in this squad. Pablo Mastroeni makes sense, Bornstein over, say, Heath Pearce who now plays at Hansa Rostock or Frank Simek at left back just doesn't make sense. After the two International tournaments earlier this summer we all know exactly who Bornstein is. The other two players, not so much. This is a perfect opportunity, wonder what Bradley's thought process is here.

3. Welcome back -- Steve Cherundolo, Marcus Hahnemann, Bobby Convey and Josh Wolff. Considering there won't be a lot of pre-training before this one-off game, which is more of interest to Sweden that anything, it kind of makes sense to recall these players. No sense bringing in any excess MLSers who are still in season. It'll be good to see if Cherundolo has anything left in the tank. Wolff...umm...he had his moments but is past the sell-by date. The Reading boys both deserve looks. Hahnemann should have earned a start after his work vs. Manchester United. Who knows what Convey has coming off his lengthy knee injury.

4. Sal Zizzo is a forward? Looked like a winger to me during the U-20 World Cup.

Again, this isn't a huge game in the grand scheme of things. Yes, Sweden is a nice team with a good pedigree, but this is just a friendly. You can't read too much into it, yet this is a lineup that should be able to compete.

You just wonder if Bradley will recall a similar, Euro-based squad for the much anticipated friendly with Brasil in early September.

The matchup I want to see the most in the Sweden game is Onyewu vs. Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

I would add that although he's young, and just joined Benfica, I think Bradley needs to start considering giving Adu some friendly call-ups so he can get some caps under his belt prior to 2010 as he proved to the world in the U-20 World Cup that he is one of the most skillful Yank in the USMNT's talent pool. Not to mention that it would be nice to cap-tie him.

Adu makes his debut...

Not much to report from Adu's performance but Benfica managed to get the win over Danish powerhouse FC Copenhagen

On Tuesday, Adu began in his usual forward midfield role before alternating between the wings during the second half. He shied away from dribbling runs at the defense and mostly favored quick, short passes.

Early in the second half, he set up Oscar Cardozo, whose header was kept out by the goalie's fingertips. With 10 minutes to play, Adu tried a bicycle kick, but the shot went far wide of the goal.

A scrappy defense prevented Adu from getting any more possessions, and he rarely dented the defense.

Hopefully Adu will continue to get minutes for the Portuguese side

Adu to make debut as a substitute in Tuesday qualifier...

Supporters of US soccer will get a chance to see what Adu will bring to the world stage as he will be on the bench for Benfica's Champions League qualifier against FC Copenhagen:

LISBON, Portugal: American teenage star Freddy Adu could make his debut for Benfica as a substitute in Tuesday's Champions League qualifier against FC Copenhagen.

Adu, who had been one of the highest-profile players in Major League Soccer, was among the 19 players named to the squad Monday for the first leg at the Stadium of Light.

Benfica coach Fernando Santos said the 18-year-old attacking midfielder will not start the match and will be on the bench.

"Adu has only had seven days of training, but he has enormous potential and he is available," Santos said. "But we have to be careful with him under these conditions."

Hopefully Adu can follow up on his excellent performance in the U-20 world cup.