Supposed roster leak on bigsoccer yields the following:

GK: Keller, Howard, Hahnemann
D: Cherundolo, Pope, Onyewu, Lewis, Hejduk, Gibbs, Bocanegra, Albright
M: Donovan, Reyna, Mastroeni, Beasley, Dempsey, O’Brien, Olsen, Convey
F: McBride, Wolff, Johnson, Twellman

Albright and Olsen ride the UVA connection all the way to Germany.

Be sure to tune into Sportscenter tonight at 6 pm EDT for the official unveiling. Way to go US Soccer marketing and media relations department. Also, ESPN has the broadcast rights.

So in the interests of being polite in the presence of our friends from across the pond, let me carefully and delicately say that ENGLAND HAVE EXACTLY ZERO-POINT-ZERO CHANCE OF WINNING THE WORLD CUP WITHOUT WAYNE ROONEY.

What’s even crazier was that I actually thought that England had a fighting chance. When the majority of the football coverage you read is in English, it means you read a lot of British press. And as opposed to previous England teams, I actually didn’t think the British press were exaggerating their chances this time around. At least until the idiot coach got stung by the tabloid and the most gifted English player I had ever seen in my entire life, ever, broke his foot.

I mean, this team won’t be terrible, but they had a puncher’s chance as of a couple months ago. Oh well. I actually confess to a weakness for this England squad, only because I’ve finally come to appreciate the level of crap they have to deal with from the press.

(I just hope this doesn’t keep Coleen out of the news.)

Links:
Roo’s Not Going Says Neville [The Mirror, and I can’t believe that the odds on England haven’t moved]
Nike dismisses concerns over Rooney’s boots [ESPN]
Coleen McLoughlin Picks Out Baby Names [Fametastic]