The US WNT has had a well-deserved month off from dominating the international scene. Not only did they win the gold medal, but they also achieved it with a cross-country international friendly tour. And in case you forgot, they still have some achieving to do. And, speaking of which, Shannon Boxx and Hope Solo are looking to overachieve by bagging Player of the Year honors. Both are in the running against the world’s top players, so keep your fingers crossed for another US win.

After sweeping the Irish back in September, the WNT is back at it to take on the South Koreans in an upcoming three-game series – the second installment of the Achieve Your Gold tour. The first was no let-down, as the girls showed why they came home with the loot when they held the Irish scoreless in three consecutive games.

The first game kicks-off in Richmond, VA on November 1st, 6 p.m. ET. That’s right, the day after Halloween. But you can be sure that Angela Hucles and the rest of the crew won’t need a scare to get after it once the opening whistle blows.

After all, they’re gold-medal gamers.

Every athlete has their preferences when it comes to apparel – what they look for in a product, how they like it to perform. For Carli Lloyd only the best will do. So what does it take for a product to make it into her soccer bag?
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Carli Lloyd trains and competes the world over, and she’s not about to let conditions get in the way of her progress. Here Carli explains how the right apparel keeps her body ready to perform at peak levels.

How good is Wayne Rooney playing right now? After losing to Man United 3-0 in Champions League on Tuesday, Celtic manager Gordon Strachan said this:

“He is unplayable. We tried everything. When you see players like that, you’ve got to hold your hands up and say ‘I’ve just seen a world-class player.'”

23 years old. 99 goals. Rooney is already in the form of his life. What explains it? Difficult to say, although training with great managers and teammates for club and country surely couldn’t hurt. The tireless work rate and passion for the game have always been there, but now Rooney’s scoring goals and imposing his presence like never before. Heads up Cristiano, looks like this year you’ve got some award competition on your own team.

What else went down in European tournament action? Theo Walcott continues his rapid coming of age for Arsenal, which overpowered Fenerbahce; Barca trounced Basel in Switzerland and in probably the biggest match up for the week, Juventus versus Real Madrid, the Bianconeri came up huge.

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When soccer clubs across the world take the weekend off, the game just gets busier, and the stakes are raised. All the big names were on call with vital qualification points at stake: Rooney for England, Robinho for Brazil, Cristiano and Ibra in the Portugal vs. Sweden match-up. Here’show it all went down.

In England’s 5-1 pounding of Kazakhstan in London, it was all about the Man in the Middle. With Rooney rediscovering his scoring touch for club and country, these types of offensive explosions might be more frequent for a talented squad known for making things difficult for themselves. Having had to sit out Euro, England looks to be in the clear for the next stage of qualification.

Brazil followed suit against Venezuela, putting the pressure on their opponents early and often, including two goals from the fast and powerful feet of Robinho. It wasn’t the pedalada this time, but a long-range strike. When Ronaldinho’s back from injury, that oft-mentioned Brazilian samba will be that much hotter.

Portugal and Sweden tied in a close affair. Both Cristiano and Ibra had their share of scoring chances, but neither could find the mark. Too bad the Swedish striker will be sitting out the rematch because of yellow-card accumulation.

France didn’t exactly get the outcome they were hoping for against Romania, but at least Franck Ribery helped the FFF level up. The highlight of the match came in the 69th minute when Ribery’s teammate crushed a dipping shot from 35 yards out. One word: Dirrrrty.

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Throughout the MNT’s 2008 campaign to qualify for South Africa the defense has given up zero goals. Zip. Zilch. Nada. That’s right, they’ve been absolutely perfect.

The U.S. will take this unblemished record into this Saturday’s game in D.C. when they take on Cuba for a chance to secure passage to the Final Round of qualifying (ESPN Classic & Galavision at 7 p.m. ET). The Cubans most likely won’t put too much pressure on our rearguard, so the opportunity should be ripe for our attacking players, like Landon, Adu and Dempsey, to crank up the offense.

We know our D is solid, but we need to get our offense firing on all cylinders. As we advance in qualifying our attacking players will need to take the pressure off our defenders and force teams to play both sides of the field.

The foundation is laid with our incredible defense, anchored by Howard, ‘Los, Gooch and Bradley in midfield. Now we just need to build on top of that with some offensive fire power. As we look down the line to the likes of Mexico and Costa Rica, we’re going to need the total package if we plan to be in South Africa in 2010.

Even Landon, the stronghold of American-born, American-based talent, is talking about a move abroad. Europe is where the top-level competition is at, and a trip across the Atlantic is often necessary to elevate your game. But it’s no longer uncharted waters. The boys overseas have made their way onto the pitch and into the headlines in every major league in Europe.

So where to begin? How about the core of the MNT – the rock solid D. Tim Howard and Oguchi Onyewu have more than proved their worth overseas. Gooch’s squad, Standard Liege, currently stands atop the Belgian Jupiler League thanks to an Onyewu-anchored backline. Howard has gotten the nod every game this season for a perennially strong Everton squad.

What’s more, the two American-lead defenses were pitted against each other on the world’s stage in a UEFA Champions league match played on October 2nd. That’s something you don’t see too often.

And of course, you can’t forget Freddy. Freddy might not be getting a ton of burn right now, but he is getting onto the pitch for some PT. And, Monaco is starting to turn to their younger players for goals, so look to see Freddy get some starts as the season wears.

Deuce Dempsey might not be getting a ton of PT for Fulham either, but he’s certainly getting some recognition. Give him some time already – you know he’s got the talent. And they like the Yanks in Fulham. Remember Brian McBride?

The American talent is staring the world in the face. The US guys are playing all over Europe. It’s been a long journey to garner this much acknowledgment, but it’s far from over, and the road remains a difficult one. But, we’ve got the skill and we’ve got the heart.