I forgot to buy the hype

Maybe it's the raw weather. Or it could be the fact that it's March and I'm not wearing any spring colors. I honestly don't know. But for some reason, I haven't bought into the hype surrounding this afternoon's USA-Netherlands match.*

(*Another reason may be that the Yanks are debuting their - how do I say this - aesthetically unpleasing navy blue World Cup kits. This from the same Nike company that created one of the best-looking soccer jerseys ever - the 2006 "Don't Tread on Me" red kits. And how long did they last? One game. Against Latvia. Sheer brilliance.)

I understand that alot of people are talking about how crucial this game is for Bradley's boys. A win would be tremendous a confidence booster. A loss would destroy the last of the Project 2010 crew. A draw would make an effusive John Harkes double his "as well" quota. Take your pick.

To me, the importance of this game seems to have been a bit overstated. It's really nothing more than a glorified tryout for guys like Robbie Findley, Clarence Goodson and international newb Alejandro Bedoya. They need to lodge convincing arguments to show Bob Bradley they're World Cup worthy.

The rest are either locks or friendly fodder while Deuce, Gooch, & Co. convalesce. I don't care how many goals E.J. scores. Dude's streaky. Bob Bradley will probably lose his number after the game. Same goes for Stuart Holden, even if he channels Soccer Dog and becomes a Best XI ballwinner. In all likelihood, he'll be watching it on TV like the rest of us.

If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say that Bob Bradley has two, maybe three, spots that are legitimately open. The squad is pretty much settled aside from the vacancies for starting left back and Jozy's striking partner.

Anyway, it'll be a good one to watch. The Dutch don't mess around. The Yanks will have their hands full. It should be entertaining.

Hopefully, the sun comes out so I can enjoy it.