Por: Inside The World Cup
Tattoos, nine-year grown dreadlocks and the ‘sno-fro’ look – the US team are going to be eye-catching however they get on
This article is part of the Guardian’s World Cup 2014 Experts’ Network, a cooperation between 32 of the best media organisations from the countries who have qualified for the finals in Brazil. theguardian.com is running previews from four countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 12 June.
Omar Gonzalez
As one half (along with Matt Besler) of what looks to be the first choice central defensive pairing for Jürgen Klinsmann, Gonzalez will be under a lot of scrutiny, especially since his recent form has dipped below the level that first got him into the national team a year or so ago. His reputation hasn’t been helped by a number of big lapses of concentration during games, though Gonzalez’s self-inflicted wounds don’t end there. Here he is seen taking a saxophone to his dignity on Instagram.
Graham Zusi
As an eight-year-old child, Zusi was part of the World Cup 94 opening ceremony at Soldier Field, Chicago. So if the USA advance to the second round and go to penalties, this man has seen first hand from Diana Ross how not to do it. One of the faces of the current MLS champions Sporting Kansas City (funnily enough, Zusi missed a penalty in the shootout that clinched them the title), and with Landon Donovan taking a sabbatical from the game early last year and not being selected in the current squad, Zusi has been seen as his natural long-term replacement.
Tim Howard
Goalkeepers are different. Discuss. Remarkably, Howard may not even be the most tattooed goalkeeper in the US squad. Real Salt Lake’s Nick Rimando (the defacto third-choice keeper) is pretty heavily inked himself, though that’s perhaps understandable when you consider that RSL’s official anthem “Believe” was actually penned by the drummer from punk legends Rancid, Branden Steineckert. Even more remarkably, that isn’t the only official MLS anthem penned by a member of Rancid. San José Earthquakes (represented in Klinsmann’s 30-man provisional squad by the striker Chris Wondolowski and the defender Clarence Goodson) have a song called “Never say die” by Rancid guitarist/vocalist Lars Frederiksen.
Kyle Beckerman
Speaking of Real Salt Lake, even if their captain Beckerman, a defensive midfielder, doesn’t get on to the pitch in Brazil (and with the incumbent holding player, Jermaine Jones being something of a yellow card machine there’s every chance he will), the first camera pan to the bench should ensure that the Salt Lake captain reaches cult icon status among football hipsters, owing to his natty dreads (he claims it’s nine years since his last haircut).
Jermaine Jones
Not that Beckerman’s hair represents the most eye-catching tonsorial display from USA players. That honour would have to go to Schalke’s Jones, who in an infamous World Cup qualifier played (unbelievably) in a Colorado blizzard last year, gave us the hash tag #snofro: see above. It should be noted that the man anchoring the midfield alongside Beckerman or Jones, Michael Bradley, has no hair at all.
ield alongside Beckerman or Jones, Michael Bradley, has no hair at all.