Something of a latecomer to this USA World Cup party, Buddle has staked a claim to make the most of his inclusion in Bob Bradley's 23-man party with his goals in the warm-up win against Australia pushing his claims for a start in South Africa.

The ankle problem suffered by Jozy Altidore in the run-up to this World Cup and the absence of Brian Ching and Charlie Davies means the stand-by strikers have been presented with a glorious chance to push for a start, with Buddle keen to make up for lost time after many a long year in the international wilderness.

This former Columbus Crew, New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC striker made his international debut way back in 2003, but he had to wait a long time to add to his USA caps collection. He seems to have timed his return to the international stage perfectly.