Some seasons Ferrisin'

Mexico were all over us, we were lucky it was only 3-1 in fairness. We finish 2nd in the group and qualify for the final stage of WC qualification. I expect no problems during this phase, its absolutely vital that I begin to bed in some younger players during this time. I can't afford to be heading into the WC with an attack made up of 37 year olds. Either the likes of Altidore need to step up or the MLS draft needs to throw up some great strikers.

I'm half tempted to call up a whole squad of under 24 year olds for a game or two, just so I can get a good look at some of our fringe players and brighter prospects.

I have a friendly against Holland and I've mixed the squad up a little. The level of American talent is really depressing, absolutely nothing coming through. Least I've managed to squeeze Freddy Adu into things. Consider this USA B.

A very, very respectable 0-0 draw against Holland, we hit the post and the bar. More specifically Adu hit the post and Julian 'The Next Adu' Green hit the bar. I haven't really learned anything or any new players, but atleast we got a good result. Nice way to round the year up.

Next year I've got ten qualifying games and the Gold Cup. Big year for us and great prep for the WC.

Good result against Holland. Interesting draw, hopefully you can put one over Mexico! Where are you expecting to finish in the league?

A disappointing 1-1 away draw to kick of qualification vs Honduras. My next qualifiers come in two months time, Mexico and Haiti at home.

In qualifying I fully expect a 2nd place finish behind Mexico.

A 1-0 win vs Mexico and then a 0-0 home draw vs bloody Haiti. Inexcusable, inexplicable, inexplainable.

Named my Gold Cup squad, no real surprises. Juan Agudelo comes into the fold after some good form in Mexico, much of the same beyond that.

First warm up for the Gold Cup, again its about getting cats match fit and also getting the guys used to the tactics. Tremendous start and we didn't have to rely on the old Demp - Wondo - Donovan trio.

Wondo from the bench doing the business. Last warm up game is vs the Cosmos, this is the final chance for guys like Sonora and Agudelo to stake their claim for a starting place in the first Gold Cup game vs El Salvador.

Things wrap up with a 2-1 win, no stand outs, just the usual. Expect no surprises in the starting eleven for the first game.

A Dempsey job. Glad I got some gametime in for Agudelo and Johannsson too, both are struggling for match fitness and I want them firing for the knockouts. Think I might start the pair of them in the Guyana game.

Simple, very simple. Gametime for everyone who needed it, rests for the older boys. A draw against Jamaica is enough for me to finish top but I'll be going for the win.

Went down 1-0 to Jamaica so we qualify in second place, Cuba in the Quarters, gonna start with Donovan and hope he can turn this ship round once more.

Standard, basic, still unhappy about the Jamaica loss.

Panamamamama in the semis. Donovan. Them. Goals.

Landon
Landon
He's our man
If he can't do it
Bradley and Wondo can.

The old enemy in the final......

Good win over Panama

How many caps has Donovan got now?

THEY MUTILATED SENOR DONOVAN.



NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

WHAT IS THIS?

He's retiring on 202 caps for gods sake, I wanted him to get to 300 under my tutelage.

1-1 draw with Jamaica.

Four games left, three of which are away from home. I'm still on course for qualifying but we need to pick things up, I want the World ranking up a bit to try and give us a bit of an easier WC group.

Fucking Mexico wow 202 caps?!

Far, far too tight. I do think we'll make it but Jesus, I just wish we had some consistency.

Over the course of qualifying we just couldn't get enough goals, just shows you how important Donovan was for us.

Bloody Uruguay in the playoffs, huge.

God damn it, we just got totally undone by the class of Cavani. I gave young Bowes a debut for his pace and he repaid me with a goal, but damn it, we could have won this. We can do this. BELIEVE.

We've done it the hard way but it doesn't matter, we've done it. Without the injured Demp and Wondo and without the retired Donovan.

All about the fans baby.

World Cup draw, tough group........

So the WC will obviously be my last throw of the dice with the USA, I think I'm gonna pick a very experienced side for it. The youngsters haven't come through and I don't want to risk anything. I'm gonna pick a mix of players who have played well under me and players who fit exactly what I want. Its last chance saloon for a few of the younger players, they've got to impress in the build up games.

A great 3-0 win vs the Ivory Coast in our March friendly, next up our WC warm up games. I've arranged games against Spain, Serbia, Ghana and a local Russian team, with those opponents I've tried to cover playing teams from a 'similar region' as FM reccomends and the last game against the locals is just a fitness builder.

62 days till the Spain game. 80 till our World Cup starts vs Russia.

And there is my World Cup squad, delighted to have Dempsey and Donovan in the mix, only a few players who haven't featured massively over the past few years and they are as follows;



Been in one or two of my squads and injury to Omar Gonzalez sealed his place in my squad.



Came in during the playoffs vs Uruguay and got two goals over the two legs, I think he could be a handful from the bench.



Been trying to get this guy into the fold since I arrived, and he only accepted a call up once we made the World Cup. He'll be starting and he'll be our main goal threat.

Mixed bag really, slow start but we got there as the fitness levels went up. Think my starting eleven for the first game will feature Parker and Donovan uptop, goals please.

A beautiful, beautiful team performance and the absolutely perfect start to things.

Sadly Sonora is out for the rest of the WC, pretty big blow as I had him down as a game changer from the bench at AMC. Now that role goes to Julian 'The next Freddy Adu' Green.