The room was almost in silence.
Only a few sounds could be heard, mostly cameras taking photos of the man sitting on a chair behind a table littered with microphones and tape recorders.
The man had a blank stare. He waited for the first question during the news conference.
That man was U.S. national team coach Bob Bradley. And the first question was, "Bob, what happened?"
The answer was obvious.
The Americans had just lost to bitter rival Mexico 5-0 in the 2009 Gold Cup final. It was the worst American home loss since a 5-0 defeat to England in Los Angeles in 1985.
The United States was dominated on the field, embarrassed, sent back a few soccer decades in front of more than 80,000 people and millions more watching on TV.
It was a different feeling from what the Americans had experienced only a month before the Gold Cup, the CONCACAF's regional tournament that pits nations from North and Central America and the Caribbean in a month-long event.
The United States was coming off an unprecedented run at the FIFA Confederations Cup, where the team beat world powerhouse Spain and reached the title match but lost to Brazil.
But that was a U.S. team that carried all of its stars, all of its players in European club leagues. The one that was humiliated by Mexico in the '09 Gold Cup final was mostly made of players from Major League Soccer. Most were youngsters making their first or one of their few appearances on the national squad.
In this year's Gold Cup tournament, which began on Sunday, Bradley can't take a risk and be embarrassed once again. He's looking for redemption.
The United States wants to be back in the Confederations Cup in 2013 ahead of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The winner of this Gold Cup will represent the region.
That is why Bradley has his "regulars" ready for this tournament.
Goalkeeper Tim Howard (Everton, England), defenders Carlos Bocanegra (Saint-Etienne, France) and Oguchi Onyewu, midfielders Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy, MLS), Clint Dempsey (Fulham, England), Maurice Edu (Rangers, Scotland) and Michael Bradley (Aston Vila, England) are on this Gold Cup squad.
Bradley has also called up Jozy Altidore, Maurice Edu, Freddy Adu, Jermaine Jones, who is making his debut in an international tournament, Benny Feilhaber, Robbie Rogers and Sacha Kljestan.
These players bring plenty of experience as 14 of them were on the squad that made it out of the group stage at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. There are 11 players on this roster with a Gold Cup title, including the 2007 title match in which the U.S. beat Mexico to qualify to the 2009 Confederations Cup.
"We have said since the start of the new cycle that winning the Gold Cup this year is a top priority, and that was our focus as we built this roster," said Bradley. "We have a very experienced group, and we know that in a tournament like this all 23 players will need to contribute in order for us to be successful."
The U.S. opens Group C play against Canada on Tuesday at Ford Field in Detroit. The Americans then face Panama in Tampa, Fla. (June 11), and close group play against Guadeloupe on June 14 in Kansas City.
If the United States makes it out of the group stage, the team will be on a path to a possible rematch against Mexico in the final on June 25 in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. It's the match-up soccer fans want to see, and neither team wants to disappoint.
ivan.orozco@sandiegored.com
[sidebar]Where to watch
The United States vs. Canada game in the Gold Cup Tournament will be televised live by Fox Soccer Channel at 4:30 p.m. (San Diego time). More information in English and Spanish at goldcup.org
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