Players faced with proving themselves

PRINCETON, N.J. (AP) - Before the U.S. team can prove itself on soccer's biggest stage, such players as DaMarcus Beasley and Edson Buddle must prove themselves worthy of being on the squad that goes to South Africa.

For Beasley, it's a strange situation. A rising star for the 2002 World Cup, where the Americans made the quarterfinals, he was a mainstay heading to the 2006 tournament. Then Beasley's career went into decline; only recently has he emerged from that funk. Buddle has played 11 minutes for the U.S. team, back in 2003.

Yet he might need to demonstrate less to make the final 23-man roster than does Beasley. Also needing to re-establish their credentials will be players fighting back from injuries: Brian Ching, Eddie Johnson and Oguchi Onyewu