Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (To South Africa)

Wednesday night, the U.S. men's soccer team clinched first place in their FIFA conference, CONCACAF, in a 2-2 draw with Costa Rica. Jonathan Bornstein headed the game-tying goal during the fifth minute of stoppage time. Just four days earlier, the team clinched yet another World Cup berth in South Africa next year with a 3-2 victory over Honduras.

This is where USA soccer fans get disappointed. You count how many times the U.S. has gone into the World Cup with hope, momentum, and maybe the U.S. finally taking that next step in international soccer, becoming an elite team. Yet this seems to never be the scenario.

So why do I feel that this year could be different? It even feels different. Maybe it's because U.S. made it all the way to FIFA's Confederation's Cup finals, taking down then #1 world ranked team Spain in the semifinals and going into halftime with a 2-0 lead over current #1 world ranked team Brazil, but eventually losing 3-2.

Yes, this gave USA confidence, and certainly was shocking to all Americans out there. But I feel that the emergence of a legitimate offensive attack. Jozy Altidore, at a young age of 19, has becoming a big, lethal weapon for USA.

Charlie Davies added to that youth attack until he was seriously injured in a one-car accident in Alexandria, Virginia in which Davies suffered a lacerated bladder, fractured right tibia and femur, a fractured elbow, and facial injuries leading to him being out 6-12 months.

And the young guns aren't the only ones scoring. Veterans such as Clint Dempsey and Conor Casey (who scored 2 goals in their 3-2 win over Honduras) have added to the mix. Then, of course, there's Landon Donovan, who seems to always be the steady hand in USA's offense.

So as the 2010 World Cup starts to approach, don't be afraid to cheer on USA, because this year your heart might not be broken.