U.S. to bid for 2018 and 2022 World Cups

U.S. Soccer will join the race to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup, federation president Sunil Gulati said on Thursday.

U.S. soccer will unveil its plans on Monday, the deadline for associations to submit official paperwork expressing an intention to bid.

FIFA said this week it already had six proposals on the table — Indonesia, England, Japan, Qatar, Russia and a joint application from Spain and Portugal — and several other association have said they will join the process.

The 2010 World Cup will be held in South Africa while Brazil will host the 2014 tournament.

FIFA is due to announce the hosts of both the 2018 and 2022 tournaments in December 2010.

In other US Soccer news:
US Soccer announced Wednesday, that the February 11th World Cup Qualifier against Mexico, in Columbus, Ohio is SOLD OUT. The tickets sold out 90 minutes after going on sale to the general public.

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U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bob Bradley has called 20 players back to U.S. Soccer’s National Training Center at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., to begin preparations for the USA’s first match of final round qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The U.S. will take on regional rivals Mexico on Feb. 11 in front of a sold-out crowd at Columbus Crew Stadium live on ESPN2, ESPN2 HD and Univision beginning at 6 p.m. CST.

U.S. Men’s National Team Training Camp Roster
Carson, Calif.
Jan. 29 – Feb. 7, 2009

U.S. Men’s National Team Roster By Position
GOALKEEPERS (3): Jon Busch (Chicago Fire), Will Hesmer (Columbus Crew), Matt Pickens (Colorado Rapids)
DEFENDERS (5): Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Ugo Ihemelu (Colorado Rapids), Chris Wingert (Real Salt Lake), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Brian Carroll (Columbus Crew), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Jack Jewsbury (Kansas City Wizards), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), John Thorrington (Chicago Fire)
FORWARDS (4): Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Chris Rolfe (Chicago Fire)

European based players will be called into camp to train before the game in Columbus.

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Mexico was beaten in a friendly, 1-0 by the same Swedish team that the US handled easily on Saturday evening. According to the Grahame Jones of the LA Times, Sven-Goran Eriksson’s Mexican team was abysmal in its 1-0 loss in front of an increasingly restless crowd of about 46,000 at the Oakland Coliseum that booed the unimaginative display by “El Tri.”

Eriksson, meanwhile, has less than two weeks to figure out how, if he can’t defeat a third-string Swedish team, he is going to overcome a full-strength American one.

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And last but not least, thanks to David W. who created these images and to the Offside Rules for making me aware of this Obamacon treatment of some of our U.S. National Team players.