Bob Bradley, coach of the U.S. national soccer team, just finished a teleconference with journalists.

I won’t vouch for 100 percent veracity of the following transcript, but it’s pretty close to being complete and I’m comfortable I never got “gist” wrong.

The Americans have two matches left in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup — Saturday at Honduras in San Pedro Sula, and next Wednesday at home, in RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. against Costa Rica.

A victory in either match sends the U.S. to South Africa 2010. Two defeats probably means the Yanks finish fourth and go into a home-and-home playoffs with the No. 5 team out of South America.

Questions and answers:

Opening statement by Bradley: We’ve had a good couple days training in Miami. We look forward to traveling to Honduras tomorrow. Everybody is excited about this last stretch of qualifying and understands the challenge of going to Honduras and playing against a talented Honduras team.

Q: Why are qualifiers in Central America so daunting?

A: A combination of factors, in this last round. The teams from Central America are good teams, well-coached, and combine that with environment. Passionate crowds that are there behind their team and an environment is never easy on the visitor. But those are things we have experienced and those are things we look forward.

Q: Are you disappointed the match is not available on home TV in the U.S.?

A: I’m disappointed for our fans. We’re very fortunate that wherever we go there is passionate support for the U.S. … The idea that this match is not on regular TV … we feel bad about that and are disappointed.

Q: Seems like there are two challenges here. A draw probably won’t do you any good, so do you go in with the attitude that you need a victory? And the team is sitting on top of a bunch of yellow cards … How do you balance that?

A: Those are all factors that get weighed. Our thoughts to the Honduras game, we go with the idea that we have on opportunity to go there and go for the win. We will pay attention to the score in Costa Rica, but going in it’s an opportunity to play aggressively, to know from the start that playing for the first goal, being aggressive, trying to put Honduras on the defensive are all these things we would like to accomplish. The yellow-card situation is a challenging one. We have to find some balance. That includes players who play the same position who are both carrying yellows. Also, discipline is important. We didn’t pick up any yellow cards in the last two games and we have to make sure our players understand the importance of that.

Q: Can you talk about your options in replacing Clint Dempsey?

A: Our two primary options would be Benny Feilhaber and Stuart Holden. As we move through the week, we have some decisions to make. Yellow cards are also a factor, but those are the primary options.

Q: Can you assess the team’s road performance in qualifying?

A: I’ll go a game at a time. I thought early in the El Salvador match that we had good energy. We lost a ball in a difficult situation and they scored on  a counter. We got behind two goals, and felt very good about the response at that point. To come back and get a point was a good feeling, though we went into that game for sure, like all games, thinking we could win. Costa Rica, a tough start, a goal early, played into their hands and we never recovered. The game in Azteca, we gave ourselves a good chance going down the stretch and made a mistake late that cost us a possible point. Trinidad was not our best performance. The first half was not good; second half was better, the result was a good three points. … We’ve experienced all the different things. We got behind early, played through a tough stretch to keep the other team at zero.

Q: How important is it to keep from having to qualify in the final match?

A: Ideally, we can finish up things Saturday but, again, there are factors in all of this that are out of our control. It’s been a very, very tight final round because of some other results. But the opportunity to go there and play to win and come away with three points is a great challenge, one that we are embracing. I think the players are ready for it, and we’re going to go for it with everything we have knowing we have the home game to follow.

Q: You’re going to a country in some political turmoil. Are you taking any unusual security precautions?

A: Whenever we travel we always have tremendous security. In this case we’ve had a session with the team so they’re aware of the factors. We’ve been on top of this even earlier; we played Honduras twice (in the Gold Cup) and we mentioned what was going on in Honduras. We’re very comfortable with the way our security gets handled, with the information we have. Tom King (U.S. Soccer managing director for administration) has traveled to Honduras and is on site in San Pedro Sula, and he’s been able to give us information, and everything seems fine.

Q: It’s been a long time, 2001, since you played a qualifier down there. What conditions are unique to Honduras?

A: The main thing that we’ve talked about and are aware of is the fact that this game means everything to Honduras and to its people, and that the atmosphere in the stadium will be loud, passionate, exciting. We have seen that in other places, and draw the parallels and draw on those experiences, and I think that will work well for us.

Q: What do Holden and Feilhaber bring to the table? And what would it mean for you, personally, to qualify for the World Cup?

A: Stuart and Benny both have had good stretches now for our national team. Benny was a key contributor in the Confederations Cup, has settled in well in Denmark, has played different spots in the midfield for us, has shown that versatility as a player who is comfortable on the ball, capable of making the right pass, the final pass. Stuart can play different spots; for us he’s been more on the right. His mobility, his ability to serve balls … he’s come on in some recent games, and even in the small amount of time he’s played (in qualifiers) he’s been able to create opportunities with his play on the right side. … We’re lucky to have those options. … As far as qualifying for the World Cup, I think about it from the team side. We’ve worked hard, we know the challenge, we know the responsibility, and now we’re excited to finish the job.

Q: Can you give us an update on the different role Charlie Davies is facing now in France?

A: I think, most importantly, Charlie continues to grow and mature as a player. He understand the total responsibility on the field, in terms of not only being someone who has speed and can break through a defense, but someone who has to combine with his teammates, who understands responsibilities when the ball turns over. The thing I’ve said over and over with Charlie is that it’s been steady growth from the time he went to Hammerby. It isn’t like he skipped a bunch of steps. His experience with France is part of that. Sochaux is a team that has to work very hard every week — not that much was expected from them — but has done a good job establishing their way of playing. Charlie has done well at gaining respect and for the most part is a 90-minute player and he continues to improve …

Q: Jozy Altidore is getting minimal playing time at Hull. How does that hurt him, you?

A: Whenever a player moves to a different club … there are challenges. That initial challenge of earning respect, getting on the field and earning game time, there’s no timetable there. Jozy had a great start when he went into his first game and set up the winning goal. But Hull has had a difficult stretch, and they’ve added some players. Jozy has learned this is all part of it. He comes into our camp motivated, but it is a concern that players are not getting regular time.

Q: Your team seems to be slow getting into games. How do you resolve that?

A: We’ve had some games giving up early goals, and we addressed that early in the match you need to know how to manage the game better. These are areas we’ve been able to address … to use the right amount of positive energy to get off to better starts, but we all know the game doesn’t always go as planned. There’s the need to respond, and I think we’ve been able to do that. Hopefully, the range of experience we’ve had helps us deal with whatever comes our way. We will start the match with the idea that we want to be the aggressor. Yes, it’s away from home, but we want to take the initiative. Again, we respect Honduras, and with their crowd behind them, it would be naive to not believe they will be flying from the start and not going with everything they’ve got.

Q: Can you elaborate on the importance of the tie at El Salvador? And guys not playing; at the transfer window will you push them to look at clubs that might give them more time?

A: The Salvador game, you live in the moment, and obviously, that’s the second game in qualifying and we go in after a good home victory over Mexico, and we find ourselves behind, and you hope in these moments — make some changes, subs, some things on field — but mostly what you want to see is the response of the team on the field, and that was positive. … As you look back, that point right now is a point well-earned and is good to have. Hopefully, the other parts to that comeback are still with us, and as mentioned, the learning aspect of not going down on the road becomes important. … As far as some of the situations our players are in, yes, we do talk about that, and for the most part the players are all anxious to be in situations where they are playing regularly or have a really good chance to play regularly. (If not) then it’s possible to consider loans; when there are options, we always support that. … There’s many factors, but across the board we support our players and try to encourage them all the way, and through conversations with agents. It’s no secret; playing is a big part of form.

Q: Can you talk about Jozy earning playing time? It seems like you like to play with a target forward on the road.

A: I wouldn’t say we think of it as a preference. We try to look at the different strikers and their qualities and form and fitness, all as a package of things. … Jozy is physically still a talented player, but watching him play, he still moves around the field, likes to drift wide. In that sense, he is not a … I don’t use these words always … but he’s not a true target striker. But what he does is physically, with his ability on the ball and speed and strength, he’s a presence. and he typically causes defenses trouble. … And yellow cards is one more thing that has to be factored into the decisions.

Q: What is your take on having the same referee (Roberto Moreno of Panama) for the third time in this qualifying round?

A: The pool of officials that we see in qualifying is usually pretty small. In that respect, Concacaf has challenges at times in terms of who to put on different games. … Beyond that, we are focusing only on the tendencies of referees, things that we see in terms of how they call games and make sure our team is aware of the tendencies and the experience that we have. Finally, it’s always necessary, in these games, to put an emphasis on the discipline in our team. That’s the part we can control.

Q: Oguchi Onyewu hasn’t seen much time (in Milan). How does he look?

A: We have confidence in Gooch and his experience and the environment day in and day out at Milan is a good one. He got his first taste of Champions League action, 30 minutes as a sub … but he comes in ready to go.

Q: How close was the game to being held at a different site?

Michael Kammarman, U.S. Soccer spokesman: I will handle this one. Sunil Gulati (U.S. federation president) answered that question that we never asked for game to be moved … and while we don’t discuss specific security measures, there is a heightened arrangement — and we’re confident in the measures being taken for this match.

Q: You haven’t lost to Honduras in your last five matches with them, since 2005. Is that meaningful?

Bob Bradley: Probably not a huge factor. We had a good match with them in Chicago, played them twice in the Gold Cup and both us and Honduras didn’t have all their regulars … So we know each other very well, and there is a great deal of respect. If you look at their players, there’s talent, guys have done well, particularly in England. I know Amado (Guevara, Honduras midfielder) very well — who won’t be playing, out with cards. But knowing the styles of play … and we have respect for their talent, think they’re well-coached. We understand how much they’re playing for and how much it means for their fans. It’s gonna be an electric stadium with people who are very, very passionate about their team and their goal of qualifying.