Video: Four years ago, on a rainy night in Guatemala

The video from U.S. Soccer takes you through the streets of Guatemala City, through the line of heavily armed police (apparently required to ensure safe passage on the very short walk from the bus into the stadium), through the inflatable tunnel onto the field (apparently required to ensure safe passage to the playing ground) and then into the match itself.

That’s the business end of this 2008 video, taken in semifinal round qualifying for World Cup 2010. The bonus is identifying all the old faces of the squad, Eddie Lewis, Frankie Hejduk, DaMarcus Beasley, etc. (They were on the south side of their careers, even then, but selected by Bob Bradley because of their experience in dealing with hostile environments.)

Bradley’s last words before leading the men out of the (decidedly Spartan) locker room: “Expect the unexpected.”

.