U.S. MNT coach Jurgen Klinsmann called in 26 players for a training camp before playing a pair of friendlies against Belgium and Germany prior to resumiong CONCACAF World Cup qualifying on June 7 in Jamaica.

The U.S. will host Belgium on May 26 in Cleveland, and then take on Germany on May 29 at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.

After the trip to Jamaica, the U.S. comes home for a Hexagonal match against Panama on June 11 in Seattle and a June 11 meeting against Honduras at sold-out Rio Tinto Stadium in Utah to start the second half of the final qualifying round.

“We are very excited about the group we have put together,” said Klinsmann, who also has to look ahead to who he will put into the U.S. roster for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, which begins on July 9 in the USA against Belize.  The U.S. also has Gold Cup group against against Cuba and Costa Rica.

The players understand more how we’re working, what we’re looking for, the way we want to play and the way we want to challenge big nations eye-to-eye.  As we go into this stretch of two friendly games against Belgium and Germany, and three big World Cup Qualifiers, we want to see more consistent performances.

“This is a huge opportunity to pick up a lot of points and put ourselves in a good position to qualify for Brazil.”

Donovan is back playing for the Los Angeles Galaxy after taking an extended offseason break.  Chandler and Cherundolo are both still recovering from injuries, although Cherundolo had returned to the field with his German Bundesliga team Hanover.

On the positive side, both Tim Howard and Brad Guzan return, and will train with four MLS goalkeepers who will rotate in and out of the camp.

This camp also marks the return of Stuart Holden, who has been out of the national tem picture with injuries since October of 2010.

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION

GOALKEEPERS (6) : Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tally Hall (Houston Dynamo), Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Tim Howard (Everton), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (8) : DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Edgar Castillo (Club Tijuana), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Michael Parkhurst (Augsburg)
MIDFIELDERS (10) : Michael Bradley (Roma), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Maurice Edu (Bursaspor), Stuart Holden (Bolton), Jermaine Jones (Schalke), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht), Brek Shea (Stoke City), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
FORWARDS (5) : Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), Terrence Boyd (Rapid Vienna), Clint Dempsey (Tottenham Hotspur), Herculez Gomez (Santos), Eddie Johnson (Seattle Sounders FC)

Additional Roster Notes

• As in March, both Steve Cherundolo (knee) and Timmy Chandler (knee) will be unavailable. Cherundolo has not fully recovered from the injury that kept him out for four months, while Chandler suffered ligament damage May 6 in training.
• The U.S. strikeforce is loaded with players scoring goals for both club and country: Clint Dempsey has seven goals in World Cup qualifying in this cycle and 12 overall, and is now tied for first place on the USA’s all-time list.
• Jozy Altidore tallied 31 goals in all competitions for AZ Alkmaar, breaking the single-season record for an American in Europe that was set by Dempsey (23) last year. Altidore became the first U.S. player to be named to the Dutch Eredivisie Team of the Year.
• Eddie Johnson has 10 career goals in qualifying to his credit, tied for second all-time with Brian McBride.
• Herculez Gomez has 11 goals in all competitions and is playing for Santos in the Liga MX semifinals after having reached the CONCACAF Champions League final earlier this year. Gomez potted a pair of goals during the Semifinal Round, including the game-winner against Jamaica on Sept. 11, 2012, in Columbus.
• Terrence Boyd finished his first season at Rapid Vienna with 15 goals in all competitions.
• After two outstanding performances at left back, DaMarcus Beasley is one appearance shy of becoming the 13^th player in MNT history to earn 100 caps. He has 28 career caps in World Cup qualifying, good for fifth-most on the USA’s all-time list.
• Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler return after the pair impressed in the 0-0 draw against Mexico. In that game, Besler became only the second U.S. player in history to start a World Cup qualifier with fewer than two caps.
• Besler replaced Clarence Goodson, who stood firm in the 1-0 win against Costa Rica and was subsequently sidelined with a hamstring injury.
• With two straight clean sheets in March, Brad Guzan now has five shutouts in seven matches played in qualifying in his career, posting a 4-1-2 record.
• Guzan was voted the Aston Villa Player of the Year by both players and supporters.
• Between UEFA Champions League, Europa League, Copa Libertadores and CONCACAF Champions League, a total of 11 U.S. players competed in regional cup competitions this season.
• Stuart Holden returns to the U.S. fold for the first time since October of 2010. Klinsmann has already indicated that Holden will be a part of this roster as well as the Gold Cup.
• Michael Bradley will compete in the Coppa Italia Final on May 26 in Rome against Lazio.
• Edgar Castillo and Joe Corona have continued the historic run with Club Tijuana in the 2013 Copa Libertadores, advancing to the quarterfinals to face Atletico Mineiro on May 22 and May 29.
• Sean Johnson (May 26-30), Bill Hamid (May 30-June 2), Tally Hall (June 2-June and Nick Rimando (June 9-19) will all rotate through camp at different stages and serve as the third goalkeeper.
• Eight players are carrying yellow cards into the next World Cup qualifiers: DaMarcus Beasley, Michael Bradley, Matt Besler, Brad Davis, Clint Dempsey, Maurice Edu, Fabian Johnson and Graham Zusi. Their next caution will result in a one-match suspension.

Julian Brown

A jury has found the North Carolina Youth Soccer Association negligent in the death of two young soccer players in a 2004 bus accident in France.  The jury awarded about $8.3 million in compensatory damages to be divided between the parents of  Onslow County’s Matt Helms and Charlotte’s Julian Brown.

Both boys, age 13, were members of the N.C. Youth Soccer Association’s 1990 boys Olympic Development Program team. They were among the best soccer players in North Carolina in their age group.

The three-week trial, which ended on April 26, was held in Onslow County.  Charges were filed there, home county for the Helms family, in 2005.

Brown was a freshman at Myers Park High School and Helms was a goalkeeper from Jacksonville.  The team had been in France  on a 10-day tour.  The accident occurred right outside Paris as the team was traveling by charter bus to Charles de Gaulle International Airport for their return flight home to the U.S.

The bus was reported to have been speeding on wet roads and overturned into a ditch.  It was reported that Helms died shortly after the accident, and Brown was one of three Charlotte players who were injured.

Brown was hospitalized with critical injuries, but died a week after the crash.  At the time of his death there had been signs that he was making progress in his recovery.

Original 2004 reports of the accident said that approximately 34 persons were on the bus, including players, coaches, NCYSA officials and at least 10  parents of the players.

“We feel a sense of vindication for our children,” Julian Brown’s father Edgar told Cameron Steele, who reported the verdict in The Charlotte Observer.  “We’re just relieved that someone, after so much energy and effort has been expended, thought we deserved compensation for the loss of their lives so many years ago now.”

The civil trial was held in Onslow County Superior Court In Jacksonville.  The judgement was rendered after only four hours of jury deliberation.

Attorney William Bystrynski, who specializes in motor vehicle negligence and trucking negligence for the Raleigh personal injury law firm Kirby & Holt ,said that the verdict stressed the importance of safety being a priority on trips for children.

“On this trip, all the emphasis was on soccer,” Steele quoted Brystrnski as saying, “It wasn’t on safety.”

The driver of the bus, Philippe Daniel, who lost control of the bus, was arrested and jailed after the accident.  He faced charges of involuntary homicide, but information about his trial and his charges have not been made available.

A number of witnesses who were on the trip testified.

“It was as if it just happened yesterday,” Edgar Brown told Steele.  “I can tell you that every witness that was on the bus trip….cried on the witness stand at the trial.”

NCYSA has made no statement concerning the trial and the judgement by the jury.  Inquires were directed to the attorneys for NCYSA.  It is not known if an appeal will be filed to to have judgement overturned or have the amount awarded reduced.

Honduras 3, USA 1

PANAMA CITY, Panama — Honduras recorded a 3-1 quarterfinal win to stun the United States to qualify for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup and reach the semifinals of the 2013 CONCACAF U-17 Championship on Sunday night.

The result denied the Americans from qualifying for the U-17 World Cup for the first time. The U.S. was the only country that had participated in every FIFA U-17 world championship, having qualified a record 14 times.

The Hondurans will play the winner of the Mexico-Guatemala quarterfinal match in the semifinals on Wednesday.

Christopher Alegria, Alberth Elis and Kevin Alvarez scored for the Central Americans, who defeated the U.S. for the first time in eight meetings in the U-17 championship. Honduras entered the match with a 0-0-7 record vs. the U.S.

The Americans controlled the early part of the game, but had little to show from their efforts.

With the match barely three minutes old, the U.S. had the first opportunity as Shaquell Moore had close-range header off a corner kick.

Corey Baird fired a left-footed shot that bounced to Honduras goalkeeper Cristian Hernandez, who bobbled the ball a bit, but covered up for his second save in the 10th minute.

Three minutes later, Hernandez was up to the task again, denying Joel Sonora from eight yards.

The Hondurans got back into the swing of things, placing their first shot on goal in the 18th minute. Devron Garcia tapped captain Luis Santos a free kick and Santos launched a low shot that went right to goalkeeper Jefferson Caldwell.

Brayan Velasquez broke through the U.S. defense in the 26th minute and raced in on Caldwell, who managed to knock the ball away before the Honduran could get off a shot. Velasquez was injured on the play and limped off the field before rejoining the action minutes later.

Honduras grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 42nd minute on a screaming, 30-yard drive by Alegria. Alvaro Romero, on the left flank, passed the ball to an unmarked Alegria toward the middle of the field and he fired a line drive that Caldwell got a hand on, but could not stop from going into the far right corner.

Sonora equalized for the U.S. in the 45th minute. The Boca Juniors youth product took a pass from Christopher Lema and as Honduran players converged, he sent a 30-yard rocket to the near left post for a 1-1 tie.

Velasquez turned playmaker for Honduras in the 57th minute. He sent a diagonal pass to an onrushing Elis, who beat defender Thomas Redding to the ball, before he tipped it past Caldwell from six yards for a 2-1 lead. An exuberant Elis took off his blue shirt to celebrate as referee Henry Bejarano of Costa Rica issued him a yellow card.

Elis almost gave the Hondurans a two-goal lead off a counterattack in the 66th minute. He raced down the field with U.S. defender John Requejo Jr. and fired 12-yard blast that hit the underside of the crossbar. The game officials ruled that the ball did not cross the goal line and play continued.

However, Honduras did give itself some breathing room only two minutes later. This time Alvarez powered home a 28-yard rocket off a free kick to the left near post past a leaping Caldwell for a 3-1 advantage. Copying Elis, Alvarez also ripped off his shirt to celebrate his goal and was assessed a yellow card.

UCFs Cromwell New Bruins Coach

The UCF women’s soccer team has reached the end of an era. Amanda Cromwell has accepted the head coaching position at UCLA.

Cromwell will be taking over the reins of UCLA women’s soccer program as its head coach, after 14 years in the same position at the University of Central Florida. She replaces B.J. Snow, who left the program in December to serve as head coach of the U.S. Under-17 women’s national team.

“With all she has accomplished, it is nearly impossible to describe what Amanda Cromwell has meant to the UCF women’s soccer program,” said Todd Stansbury, vice president and director of athletics.

“She is an outstanding coach and a wonderful person. When you have a program that is as successful as Amanda’s has been, other opportunities are inevitably going to be presented. We thank Amanda for her 14 years of service to UCF and wish her all the best in the future.”

Since taking charge of the UCF women’s soccer program in 1999, Cromwell guided the Knights to a 203-83-26 record, 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, four Atlantic Sun Tournament championships, four Conference USA regular-season titles and the 2012 C-USA tournament title. With 224 career victories and a .681 winning percentage at the close of the 2012 season, Cromwell currently ranks among the top-25 winningest active coaches and the top-30 all-time winningest coaches in NCAA history.

“On behalf of the entire Bruin Family, I’d like to be the first to welcome Amanda Cromwell to UCLA as our women’s soccer coach,” said Athletic Director Dan Guerrero. “She is a former elite student-athlete and professional player and has been a very successful collegiate head coach. We look forward to having her continue the tradition of excellence in women’s soccer we have established here in Westwood.”

Cromwell led Central Florida to 12 NCAA Tournament appearances in 14 seasons, highlighted by a run to the Elite Eight in 2011 and defeat of perennial powerhouse North Carolina in the third round. Overall, UCF has appeared in NCAA Tournament 17 times – the most of any program in the State of Florida.

In addition to their accomplishments as a team, many of Cromwell’s UCF players also earned individual honors for their play. During her tenure, Knights’ players earned 96 all-conference honors and 38 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-Region selections. They also amassed nearly 300 conference academic awards during her 14 years in Orlando, including 10 NSCAA Women’s Collegiate Scholar All-American awards and one Senior CLASS Award.

“Obviously, it’s with a heavy heart that I leave UCF after so many years with the program, but I’m very excited for the opportunity ahead of me at UCLA,” Cromwell said.

“UCLA’s athletics history is rich in national championships, and I know the women’s soccer program has the ability to add to that impressive number of 108.

“My 14-year journey at UCF has been an incredible ride. I’ve been so thankful for all the support along the way. The current team is tremendous. I think it is one of the best teams we have ever had, and I am excited for what the future will bring for them.”

A native of Annandale, Va., Cromwell attended the University of Virginia and was the captain of the 1991 Cavaliers team that advanced to the Final Four. She was a two-time All-America selection, a finalist for the 1991 Hermann Trophy and a four-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference honoree.

Following her standout career in Charlottesville, Cromwell earned 55 caps while representing the U.S. Women’s National Team. She was a member of the United States’ 1995 FIFA Women’s World Cup team and an alternate for the U.S. Olympic team in 1996. She later played professionally for the Washington Freedom, Atlanta Beat and the San Jose CyberRays of the Women’s United Soccer Association.

Cromwell graduated from the University of Virginia in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in biology.

Abby Wambach Scored Career Goal #155

OFFENBACH, Germany (April 5, 2013) – The U.S. Women’s National Team tied Germany 3-3 in a thrilling match on the 100th Anniversary of the U.S. Soccer Federation. The USA got goals from Abby Wambach, Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan in a superb second half that featured six goals in front of a spirited crowd of 16,090 on a chilly night outside of Frankfurt.

The U.S. WNT now travels to The Hague to meet the Netherlands on April 9 in a match live on ESPNW.com and ESPN3.com at 1 p.m. ET.

“Overall it was a fair result and a competitive, exciting game that showed the quality of the two best teams in the world,” said head coach Tom Sermanni. “It’s always disappointing when you’re winning the game with 10 minutes to go and you end up drawing. But the positive side for us is we created some very good chances. We knew it was always going to be very difficult to come here and get a result.”

Sermanni made six changes to the starting lineup he sent out against Germany on March 13 in Portugal, as young outside backs Kristie Mewis (on the left) and Crystal Dunn (on the right) got the nod alongside center-backs Christie Rampone and Whitney Engen.

There was an excellent atmosphere for the entire match and both sides had good chances in a scoreless first half. That score line would change just two minutes after the break.

From a short corner Rapinoe danced past her marker with a scintillating nutmeg before firing a cross to the far post. Wambach arrived with perfect timing to head home the 155th goal of her U.S. Women’s National Team career and give the USA a 1-0 lead in the 47th minute.

The U.S. doubled its lead in the 55th minute with Wambach turning provider. She flicked a pass from Shannon Boxx that was lofted toward the penalty area into the path of Rapinoe and the U.S. winger made no mistake with her first touch, lashing a left-footed volley into the bottom right corner from 16 yards.

Many sides would go into damage limitation mode after falling behind 2-0 to the United States, but the hosts surged forward and in the 63rd minute got themselves back into the game.

A good team move beat the U.S. backline and Bianca Schmidt chipped a cross that was just half cleared by Dunn. Kim Kulig was there to clean up the scraps, smashing home from 12 yards to halve the deficit.

The USA continued their assault and in the 71st minute and restored its two-goal advantage. Lauren Cheney collected a poor clearance around the halfway line before lofting an exquisite 40-yard ball over the Germany backline and into the path of an onrushing Morgan.

The U.S. striker needed only one touch to lift the ball over Angerer with the deftest of finishes for the 42nd goal of her National Team career.

But Germany refused to give up. In the 85th minute, Germany was awarded a penalty kick to cut the lead to 3-2.

Just a minute later the game was tied with substitute Anja Mittag sweeping in a loose ball from the middle of the penalty area after goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart had only got a hand on the cross from the left wing and after a German attacker had bundled over Engen.

There was still time for one more chance, with forward Sydney Leroux’s header in the fourth minute of second half stoppage time getting cleared off the goal line acrobatically by Verena Faißt.

Additional Notes:

• The USA drawn 3-3 only two previous in its history: March 19, 1995 during an Algarve Cup third-place match against Norway (which the USA would lose 4-2 on penalty kicks) and June 6, 1995 vs. China PR (which the USA was leading 2-1 at halftime) in the 1995 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Sweden.

• Morgan’s goal was her fourth of 2013.

• Rapinoe’s goal was the 22nd of her career and third of 2013. Her assist was the 22nd of her career and second of 2013.

• Wambach’s assist was the 61st in her career and first of 2013.

• Cheney’s assist on Morgan’s goal was the 23rd of her career and second of 2013.

• The USA improved its unbeaten streak to 30 games, with the last loss coming against Japan on March 5 at the 2012 Algarve Cup in Portugal. During that span, the U.S. has scored 91 goals while allowing 21 in 25 wins and four draws.

• U.S. Soccer capped off Centennial Week in New York with a number of events on its 100-year anniversary today, including a joint press conference with Mayor Bloomberg’s office on the steps of New York City Hall, lighting the Empire State Building red, white and blue and a viewing party for this match with fans at Nevada Smiths at Webster Hall.

-U.S. Women’s National Team Match Report-

Match: U.S. Women’s National Team vs. Germany

Date: April 5, 2013

Competition: International Friendly

Venue: Sparda Bank Hessen Stadium; Offenbach, Germany

Kickoff: 6:15 p.m. local / 12:15 p.m. ET

Attendance: 16,090

Weather: 43 degrees, cloudy, cold

Scoring Summary:    1      2      F

USA                           0      3      3

GER                           0      3      3

USA – Abby Wambach (Megan Rapinoe)                      47th minute

USA – Megan Rapinoe (Abby Wambach)                      55

GER – Kim Kulig                                                        63

USA – Alex Morgan (Lauren Cheney)                           71

GER – Celia Okoyino da Mbabi (penalty)                       85

GER – Anja Mittag                                                      86

Lineups:

USA : 18-Nicole Barnhart; 6-Crystal Dunn, 3-Christie Rampone (capt.), 14-Whitney Engen, 8-Kristie Mewis; 9-Heather O’Reilly (17-Tobin Heath, 77), 7-Shannon Boxx, 12-Lauren Cheney, 15-Megan Rapinoe; 13-Alex Morgan, 20-Abby Wambach (2-Sydney Leroux, 80)

Substitutions Not Used: 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 5-Kelley O’Hara, 11-Ali Krieger, 16-Yael Averbuch, 19-Rachel Buehler, 21-Adrianna Franch, 22-Meghan Klingenberg, 23-Christen Press, 24-Ashlyn Harris, 25-Julie Johnston

Head coach: Tom Sermanni

GER: 1-Nadine Angerer (capt.); 25-Leonie Maier 3-Saskia Bartusiak, 22-Luisa Wensing, 4-Babett Peter (2-Bianca Schmidt, 57); 10-Linda Bresonik (11-Anja Mittag, 60), 8-Kim Kulig, 26-Nadine Keßler, 7-Melanie Behringer (15-Verena Faißt, 46);  13-Celia Okoyino da Mbabi, 14-Dzsenifer Marozsan (9-Alexandra Popp, 88).

Substitutions Not Used: 12-Almuth Schult, , 18-Svenja Huth, 21-Kathrin Langert, 23-Josephine Henning, 27-Jennifer Cramer, 28-Tabea Kemme  

Head coach: Silvia Neid

Stats Summary: USA / GER

Shots: 13/8

Shots on Goal: 7/4

Saves: 1/4

Corner Kicks: 5/5

Fouls: 7/10

Offside: 4/3

Misconduct Summary:

USA – Shannon Boxx (caution)                  50th minute

USA – Christie Rampone (caution)             84

Budweiser Woman of the Match: Lauren Cheney

Hall of Famer Joe-Max Moore

CHICAGO (April 3, 2013) – Former U.S. Men’s National Team forwards Joe-Max Moore and Peter Vermes have been elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Moore is the sole Player representative, while Vermes enters the Hall of Fame as a representative from the Veteran ballot. None of the candidates in the Builder category received the required amount of votes to be elected into the Hall of Fame this year.

Watch Now: U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame 2013 Inductees

As a forward and midfielder who played for three U.S. World Cup teams, Moore enters the Hall of Fame in his second-to-last year of eligibility on the player ballot. Starting with the 1992 Olympics, Moore made 100 appearances for the Men’s National Team over the next decade, including three FIFA World Cups and his 24 goals rank fifth all-time in MNT history. He also spent six seasons in Major League Soccer – all with the New England Revolution – scoring 53 goals.

Moore scored plenty of big goals in big games for his country throughout his career, however, none bigger than his final two tallies. On Oct. 7, 2001 in Foxboro, Mass. Moore scored both goals in the crucial 2-1 World Cup clinching victory against Jamaica, spearheading the USA’s best World Cup run in history the following year.

Moore was elected on a second ballot vote by electors after no one received the required 2/3 vote total in the first round of selection.  Moore was joined on the second ballot by Chris Armas, Shannon McMillion, Cindy Parlow and Marco Etcheverry, who were not selected.

The National Soccer Hall of Fame induction announcement comes as part of Centennial Week, as U.S. Soccer continues a year-long celebration honoring the history of the game. Centennial Week kicked off Tuesday with the ringing of the NYSE closing bell and continues Thursday with activities all day in Times Square. The week-long celebration will culminate on April 5, the exact date the U.S. Soccer charter was signed back in 1913, with a press conference at New York City Hall, lighting of the Empire State Building and a watch party for the U.S. Women’s National Team at Nevada Smiths.

Joining Moore in the Hall of Fame from the Veteran ballot is current Sporting Kansas City head coach Peter Vermes. Vermes was an integral part of the U.S. Men’s National Team from 1988-97, making his debut in the ’88 Olympic Games. He scored 11 goals in his 67 career caps and helped the MNT qualify for its first FIFA World Cup in 40 years in 1990. Following the ’90 World Cup in Italy, Vermes captained the MNT for its championship run in the inaugural CONCACAF Gold Cup in ’91.

Vermes also became the first American to play in the Hungarian and Dutch first divisions during his club career and starred in MLS from 1996-2002 for the New York MetroStars, Colorado Rapids and Kansas City Wizards.

“Soccer is the consummate team sport and being inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame is certainly indicative of that. It is humbling and a great honor” Vermes said. “I am appreciative and have learned so much from all of the teammates I have played with and now all the players I have been around from the youth level up on the technical side. My dedication and passion for soccer will never waver and I am so grateful for this recognition.”

The location and date for the 2013 National Soccer Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is still to be determined and will be announced at a later date.

The National Soccer Hall of Fame closed its Oneonta, N.Y., facility in 2010. The election process is being administered by U.S. Soccer Federation staff under election and eligibility guidelines established by the Hall of Fame board of directors.

Established in 1950, the National Soccer Hall of Fame is dedicated to the sport of soccer in the United States by celebrating its history, preserving its legacy, inspiring its youth and honoring its heroes for generations to come.

U.S. U-20 vs. Mexico

The U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team was drawn into Group A of the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup starting on June 21 in Turkey.  The draw was held in Istanbul, Turkey.

Joining the U.S. in Group A will be Spain, France and a team from the Confederation of African Football, which is still finishing up qualification. Each group match for the U.S. will take place in Istanbul.

“I’m really excited for our players, to play against some of the best teams in the world.” U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team head coach Tab Ramos said. “This is the reason why you go to the World Cup – to play against the best. We get Spain and France right off the bat and we’re going to start working toward our preparation for that.”

The U.S. will open against Sp;ain on June 21, followed by a group game with France on June 24.  Group play will conclude for the Americans on June 27 against the CAF team.

Following the tournament’s group stage, the schedule per each round is as follows: round of 16 (July 2 and 3), quarterfinals (July 6 and 7), semifinals (July 10), third-place match (July 13) and championship (July 13). The top two teams in the six groups, along with the top four third-place teams, advance to the round of 16.

Türk Telekom Arena, located in Istanbul, will be the host stadium for the championship, third-place match and several earlier knockout stage games. Türk Telekom Arena seats more than 52,000 spectators and is the home of Turkish professional club Galatasaray.

The U.S. U-20 MNT is coming off a second-place finish at the 2013 CONCACAF U-20 Championship in Puebla, Mexico. The USA finished runner-up to Mexico as the shorthanded squad took the host team to overtime but fell 3-1 on March 3 at Estadio Cuauhtémoc.

The U.S. qualified for the FIFA U-20 World Cup with a 4-2 victory against Canada on Feb. 23 at Estadio Olímpico Universitario Lobos BUAP, led by two goals from Jose Villarreal. Villarreal, Luis Gil and Wil Trapp were named to the CONCACAF U-20 Championship All-Tournament Team as the USA advanced to its 13th World Cup at this age level.

The four semifinalists of the CONCACAF U-20 Championship advanced to the U-20 World Cup in Turkey. Joining the USA are Mexico and first-time U-20 World Cup qualifiers Cuba and El Salvador.

USA's Captain Clint Dempsey

Ah, spring in the Rockies!

Three days after spring official arrived in Colorado, the snow arrived at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City.

The U.S. Men’s National team faced Costa Rica in a CONCACAF World Cup 2014 qualifier in what U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann had called ‘a must win”.  The U.S. entered last in the six-team hexagonal after a 2-1 road loss to Honduras.

In a game that will long be remembered for the weather conditions as much as the results, the U.S. team rode a first-half goal by Clint Dempsey and came away with a 1-0 victory, which lifted the Americans into second place in the standings, behind Honduras.

A sellout crowd in excess of 19,000 braved the snow and biting wind that dropped temperatures into the low 20ss.  They cheered and chanted throughout, creating the atmosphere that allowed the U.S. to dominate long stretches as the snow covered the field preventing any real soccer from being played.

At times it looked more like ice hockey with a yellow soccer ball.

Nevertheless, when the whistle blew after more than five minutes of added time, the U.S. had secured three points, while the other two games being played in the hexagonal ended in ties.  Mexico, the USA’s next opponent, blew a two-goal lead and settled for a 2-2 draw on the road against Honduras.  Panama and Jamaica tied 1-1.

“I think the most important part is we have three points and it prepares us for Mexico,” said Klinsmann after the game. “The second half was a battle. It was tough to create a good passing game.

“We wish the conditions would have stayed as they were at the beginning of the game. Overall, great character shown by all the players to fight and just gave everything they had. We want to thank the crowd for the amazing support. They suffered as much as we did.”

The game ended a week of controversy that saw U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann come under heavy criticism by anonymous national team players and other officials, in an article in The Sporting News.

Klinsmann, had to deal with injuries or illness that kept at least seven key players out of the roster for the two games, including goalkeeper Tim Howard.  He also left U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra off the roster because he hasn’t recently been playing for his club team and deemed not to be match fit.

Brad Guzan was credited for the shutout, and was solid making four saves in horrible conditions.  Dempsey wore the captain’s armband for the first time in his career.

His goal in the 16^th minute was the 32^nd of his career.  He now has seven in this World Cup cycle. The goal originated on a shot by Jozy Altidor that was deflected to Dempsey who knocked in the rebound into an open goal.

Early in the second half play was stopped, and it appeared that the game might be stopped.  However, the referee, after conferring with match officials and with the players from both teams, asked grounds crews clear the lined, and let play continue.

The Man of the Match was veteran DaMascus Beasley, who played the entire game at left back.  It marked the 13^th consecutive years that Beasley has played for the U.S. MNT and it earned his 98^th cap.

The win improved the USA World Cup Qualifying unbeaten streak at home to 23 games (21-0-2) and 42-6-12 all-time in home qualifying matches.  It also ended Costa Rica’s five-game unbeaten streak (3-0-2) against the U.S.

The U.S. travels to Mexico City to play Mexico on Tuesday,  March 26.  Last year Klinsmann’s team won at Azteca, 1-0, marking the first victory over Mexico in that venue in 75 years.

The USA made six changes to the lineup that drew 1-1 with Sweden two days earlier, with Sermanni forced to withdraw Megan Rapinoe at the last moment. The U.S. midfielder, who would later be named Player of the Tournament, sustained an injury at the last moment and was replaced by Tobin Heath.

Looking to earn its first trophy under Sermanni, who took the reins of the team in late 2012, the U.S. dictated the pace against Germany from the opening whistle.

Morgan started the scoring in the 13th minute after some hard work on the right wing from strike partner Sydney Leroux. Leroux got to the byline before whipping in a dangerous cross that Germany’s center defender Josephine Henning tried to head clear. But the ball fell to Morgan just inside the area and the U.S. forward was lethal: taking one touch before firing into the top corner with her left foot.

Twelve minutes later the U.S. doubled its lead, with Morgan again doing the damage. Germany should have dealt with a routine ball over the top from Heath but a mix up between goalkeeper Almuth Schult and her defense let Morgan steal the ball. She had the easiest of finishes and stayed composed, rolling the ball home into the empty net from the edge of the box for her second on the day.

The U.S. opened the Algarve Cup with wins over Iceland (3-0) and China PR (5-0).

The U.S. Women will return to Europe in about two weeks for matches against Germany in Offenbech on April 5 and against the Netherlands in The Hague on April 9.

Additional Notes:

• Morgan’s two goals take her career total to 41, making her just one of 12 women to score 40 or more for the USA.
• ChasingMia Update: Abby Wambach came off the bench for the first time since March 9, 2011, against Iceland at the 2011 Algarve Cup. She entered in the 75th minute for Christen Press.
• Morgan and Leroux, who paired together to help the USA win the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, started together for the full National Team for the second time. The first time was earlier in this tournament against China.
• Megan Rapinoe, who didn’t play in the final due to a late injury, was named the best player of the 2013 Algarve Cup.
• The USA played in its 14th Algarve Cup Final in 18 years of competing in this tournament. The USA has won nine Algarve Cup titles overall, winning in 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2013.
• The USA improved its unbeaten streak to 29 games, with the last loss coming against Japan on March 5 at the 2012 Algarve Cup in Portugal. During that span, the U.S. has scored 91 goals while allowing 21 in 25 wins and four draws.
• The match in the Algarve Cup Final against Germany becomes a first leg of sorts as the two sides will also meet each other in the following game for both teams, a friendly match on April 5 in Offenbach, Germany.
• Tobin Heath, usually a flank midfielder, started the game in the middle at attacking midfield as Carli Lloyd was held out due to a shoulder injury. Heath assisted on the second goal.
• The match marked the third career start for Christen Press.

U.S. Women’s National Team Match Report

Match: U.S. Women’s National Team vs. Germany
Date: March 13, 2013
Competition: 2013 Algarve Cup; Championship Game
Attendance: 1,200
Weather: 56 degrees, sunny, clear

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 2 0 2
GER 0 0 0

• USA – Alex Morgan: 13th minute
• USA – Alex Morgan: 33

Lineups:

USA: 18-Nicole Barnhart; 11-Ali Krieger (6-Crystal Dunn, 58), 19-Rachel Buehler, 14-Whitney Engen, 5-Kelley O’Hara; 23-Christen Press (20-Abby Wambach, 75), 7-Shannon Boxx (capt.), 16-Yael Averbuch (4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 68), 17-Tobin Heath (8-Kristie Mewis, 82); 13-Alex Morgan, 2-Sydney Leroux
Substitutions Not Used: 3-Christie Rampone, 9-Heather O’Reilly, 10-Carli Lloyd, 15-Megan Rapinoe, 17-Tobin Heath, 22-Lindsey Horan, 24-Ashlyn Harris
Head coach: Tom Sermanni

GER: 12-Almuth Schult; 4-Babett Peter (capt.) (27-Jennifer Cramer, 46), 22-Luisa Wensing, 23-Josephine Henning, 25-Leonie Maier; 15-Verena Faißt (18-Svenja Huth, 75) 17-Viola Odebrecht (26-Nadine Keßler, 46, 10-Linda Bresonik, 60), 20-Lena Goeßling, 14-Dzsenifer Marozsan (24-Lena Lotzen, 81); 13-Celia Okoyino da Mbabi, 11-Anja Mittag (9-Alexandra Popp, 46)
Substitutions Not Used: 1-Nadine Angerer, 3-Saskia Bartusiak, 7-Melanie Behringer, 8-Kim Kulig, 21-Laura Benkarth, 29-Isabel Kerschowoski
Head coach: Silvia Neid

Stats Summary: USA / GER

• Shots: 6 / 12
• Shots on Goal: 3 / 5
• Saves: 5 / 1
• Corner Kicks: 1 / 4
• Fouls: 12 / 14
• Offside: 3 / 6

Misconduct Summary:

USA – Sydney Leroux (caution): 23rd minute

Officials:

• Referee: Carol Anne Chenard (CAN)
• Assistant Referee 1: Marie-Josee Charbonneau (CAN)
• Assistant Referee 2: Suzanne Morisset (CAN)
• Fourth Official: Esther Staubli (SUI)

Budweiser Woman of the Match: Alex Morgan

Hundreds of college athletes were asked to think back: “What is your worst memory from playing youth and high school sports?”

Their overwhelming response: “The ride home from games with my parents.”

The informal survey lasted three decades, initiated by two former longtime coaches who over time became staunch advocates for the player, for the adolescent, for the child.

Bruce E. Brown and Rob Miller of Proactive Coaching LLC are devoted to helping adults avoid becoming a nightmare sports parent, speaking at colleges, high schools and youth leagues to more than a million athletes, coaches and parents in the last 12 years.

Those same college athletes were asked what their parents said that made them feel great, that amplified their joy during and after a ball game.

Their overwhelming response: “I love to watch you play.”

There it is, from the mouths of babes who grew up to become college and professional athletes. Whether your child is just beginning T-ball or is a travel-team soccer all-star or survived the cuts for the high school varsity, parents take heed.

The vast majority of dads and moms that make rides home from games miserable for their children do so inadvertently. They aren’t stereotypical horrendous sports parents, the ones who scream at referees, loudly second-guess coaches or berate their children.

They are well-intentioned folks who can’t help but initiate conversation about the contest before the sweat has dried on their child’s uniform.

In the moments after a game, win or lose, kids desire distance. They make a rapid transition from athlete back to child. And they’d prefer if parents transitioned from spectator – or in many instances from coach – back to mom and dad. ASAP.

Brown, a high school and youth coach near Seattle for more than 30 years, says his research shows young athletes especially enjoy having their grandparents watch them perform.

“Overall, grandparents are more content than parents to simply enjoy watching the child participate,” he says. “Kids recognize that.”

A grandparent is more likely to offer a smile and a hug, say “I love watching you play,” and leave it at that.

Meanwhile a parent might blurt out …

“Why did you swing at that high pitch when we talked about laying off it?”

“Stay focused even when you are on the bench.”

“You didn’t hustle back to your position on defense.”

“You would have won if the ref would have called that obvious foul.”

“Your coach didn’t have the best team on the field when it mattered most.”

And on and on.

Sure, an element of truth might be evident in the remarks. But the young athlete doesn’t want to hear it immediately after the game. Not from a parent. Comments that undermine teammates, the coach or even officials run counter to everything the young player is taught. And instructional feedback was likely already mentioned by the coach.

“Let your child bring the game to you if they want to,” Brown says.

Brown and Miller, a longtime coach and college administrator, don’t consider themselves experts, but instead use their platform to convey to parents what three generations of young athletes have told them.

“Everything we teach came from me asking players questions,” Brown says. “When you have a trusting relationship with kids, you get honest answers. When you listen to young people speak from their heart, they offer a perspective that really resonates.”

So what’s the takeaway for parents?

“Sports is one of few places in a child’s life where a parent can say, “This is your thing,’” Miller says. “Athletics is one of the best ways for young people to take risks and deal with failure because the consequences aren’t fatal, they aren’t permanent. We’re talking about a game. So they usually don’t want or need a parent to rescue them when something goes wrong.

“Once you as a parent are assured the team is a safe environment, release your child to the coach and to the game. That way all successes are theirs, all failures are theirs.”

And discussion on the ride home can be about a song on the radio or where to stop for a bite to eat. By the time you pull into the driveway, the relationship ought to have transformed from keenly interested spectator and athlete back to parent and child:

“We loved watching you play. … Now, how about that homework?”

Five Signs Of A Nightmare

Sports Parent

Nearly 75 percent of kids who play organized sports quit by age 13. Some find that their skill level hits a plateau and the game is no longer fun. Others simply discover other interests. But too many promising young athletes turn away from sports because their parents become insufferable.

Even professional athletes can behave inappropriately when it comes to their children. David Beckham was recently ejected from a youth soccer field for questioning an official.

New Orleans radio host Bobby Hebert, a former NFL quarterback, publicly dressed down LSU football coach Les Miles after Alabama defeated LSU in the BCS title game. Hebert was hardly unbiased: His son had recently lost his starting position at LSU.

Mom or dad, so loving and rational at home, can transform into an ogre at a game. A lot of kids internally reach the conclusion that if they quit the sport, maybe they’ll get their dad or mom back.

As a sports parent, this is what you don’t want to become. This is what you want to avoid:

• Overemphasizing sports at the expense of sportsmanship: The best athletes keep their emotions in check and perform at an even keel, win or lose. Parents demonstrative in showing displeasure during a contest are sending the wrong message. Encouragement is crucial — especially when things aren’t going well on the field.

• Having different goals than your child: Brown and Miller suggest jotting down a list of what you want for your child during their sport season. Your son or daughter can do the same. Vastly different lists are a red flag. Kids generally want to have fun, enjoy time with their friends, improve their skills and win. Parents who write down “getting a scholarship” or “making the All-Star team” probably need to adjust their goals. “Athletes say their parents believe their role on the team is larger than what the athlete knows it to be,” Miller says.

• Treating your child differently after a loss than a win: Almost all parents love their children the same regardless of the outcome of a game. Yet often their behavior conveys something else. “Many young athletes indicate that conversations with their parents after a game somehow make them feel as if their value as a person was tied to playing time or winning,” Brown says.

• Undermining the coach: Young athletes need a single instructional voice during games. That voice has to be the coach. Kids who listen to their parents yelling instruction from the stands or even glancing at their parents for approval from the field are distracted and can’t perform at a peak level. Second-guessing the coach on the ride home is just as insidious.

• Living your own athletic dream through your child: A sure sign is the parent taking credit when the child has done well. “We worked on that shot for weeks in the driveway,” or “You did it just like I showed you” Another symptom is when the outcome of a game means more to a parent than to the child. If you as a parent are still depressed by a loss when the child is already off playing with friends, remind yourself that it’s not your career and you have zero control over the outcome.

Five Signs Of An Ideal

Sports Parent

Let’s hear it for the parents who do it right. In many respects, Brown and Miller say, it’s easier to be an ideal sports parent than a nightmare. “It takes less effort,” Miller says. “Sit back and enjoy.” Here’s what to do:

• Cheer everybody on the team, not just your child: Parents should attend as many games as possible and be supportive, yet allow young athletes to find their own solutions. Don’t feel the need to come to their rescue at every crisis. Continue to make positive comments even when the team is struggling.

• Model appropriate behavior: Contrary to the old saying, children do as you do, not as you say. When a parent projects poise, control and confidence, the young athlete is likely to do the same. And when a parent doesn’t dwell on a tough loss, the young athlete will be enormously appreciative.

• Know what is suitable to discuss with the coach: The mental and physical treatment of your child is absolutely appropriate. So is seeking advice on ways to help your child improve. And if you are concerned about your child’s behavior in the team setting, bring that up with the coach. Taboo topics: Playing time, team strategy, and discussing team members other than your child.

• Know your role: Everyone at a game is either a player, a coach, an official or a spectator. “It’s wise to choose only one of those roles at a time,” Brown says. “Some adults have the false impression that by being in a crowd, they become anonymous. People behaving poorly cannot hide.” Here’s a clue! If your child seems embarrassed by you, clean up your act.

• Be a good listener and a great encourager: When your child is ready to talk about a game or has a question about the sport, be all ears. Then provide answers while being mindful of avoiding becoming a nightmare sports parent. Above all, be positive. Be your child’s biggest fan. “Good athletes learn better when they seek their own answers,” Brown says.

And, of course, don’t be sparing with those magic words: “I love watching you play.”

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Rachel Buelher

ALBUFEIRA, Portugal (March 6, 2013) – The U.S. Women’s National Team overcame a subpar first half to defeat Iceland 3-0  with all three goals coming in the second half. U.S. defender

Rachel Buehler tallied in her 100th career cap and forward Abby Wambach’s 154th goal moved her closer to Mia Hamm’s all-time international scoring record during a 3-0 victory to open Algarve Cup play. Those two scores were sandwiched around Shannon Boxx‘s 27th career goal.

It was the seventh year in a row the USA has won its Algarve Cup opener, but it was not easy against a physical Iceland team that played low pressure on the front line while pushing its backs high, which severely compacted the space in the midfield.

After a scoreless first half, Buehler gave the U.S. a 1-0 lead in the 48^th minute. Boxx scored in the 62^nd minute and Wambach scored her goal 12 minutes later.

Former U.S. Under-20 star Crystal Dunn (UNC), who earned her first career cap at the senior level against Scotland on Feb. 13 in Nashville, Tenn., made her first career start, going the full 90 minutes at right back.

U.S. head coach Tom Sermanni made just one substitute in the game, sending on Christen Press for Carli Lloyd in the 64th minute.

The USA continues group play against China PR on March 8 back at the Municipal Stadium in Albufeira. Kickoff is at 2 p.m. local / 9 a.m. ET and fans can watch the match on TV or online via Pay-Per-View.

Additional Notes:

• As is tradition on the U.S. team, Rachel Buehler wore the captain’s armband in her 100th cap. She earned her 100th cap in the same tournament and in the same stadium where she earned her first cap in 2008 against China.
• When Christen Press came on in the 64th minute for Carli Lloyd, she moved to left midfield and Lauren Cheney moved into the middle to take Lloyd’s spot.
• Megan Rapinoe and Tobin Heath, who arrived late into training camp due to a match with their French clubs and participated in just one training session, did not see action.
• The USA is riding a 26-game unbeaten streak since the last loss, which came to Japan on March 5 at the 2012 Algarve Cup in Portugal. The U.S. has scored 83 goals while allowing 20 in 23 wins and three ties.
• As U.S. head coach Tom Sermanni made just one substitute in the game, that sets the stage for possibly using a group of fresh players against China on March 8 in the USA’s next Group B match.
• Shannon Boxx’s 27th career goal came in her 183rd career cap.

U.S. Women’s National Team Match Report

• Match: U.S. Women’s National Team vs. Iceland
• Date: March 6, 2013
• Competition: 2013 Algarve Cup
• Attendance: 500

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 0 3 3
Iceland 0 0 0

• USA – Rachel Buehler (Lauren Cheney) 48th minute
• USA – Shannon Boxx (Christie Rampone) 62
• USA – Abby Wambach (Alex Morgan) 74

Lineups:

USA : 21-Jill Loyden; 6-Crystal Dunn, 19-Rachel Buehler (capt.), 3-Christie Rampone, 5-Kelley O’Hara; 9-Heather O’Reilly, 7-Shannon Boxx, 10-Carli Lloyd (23-Christen Press, 64), 12-Lauren Cheney; 13-Alex Morgan, 20-Abby Wambach
Substitutions Not Used: 2-Sydney Leroux, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 8-Kristie Mewis, 11-Ali Krieger, 14-Whitney Engen, 15-Megan Rapinoe, 16-Yael Averbuch, 17-Tobin Heath, 18-Nicole Barnhart, 22-Lindsey Horan, 24-Ashlyn Harris
Head coach: Tom Sermanni

Iceland: 1-Thóra Helgadóttir; 2-Sif Atladóttir, 5-Hallbera Gudn‡ Gísladóttir, 13-Glódís Perla Viggósdóttir, 10-Dóra María Lárusdóttir, 6-Hólmfrídur Magnúsdóttir (22-Sandra María Jessen, 64), 7-Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir (capt.) (20-Gunnhildur Jónsdóttir, 83), 11-Katrín Ómarsdóttir (4-Edda Gardarsdóttir,73), 14-Dagn‡ Brynjarsdóttir (15-Gudn‡ Ódinsdóttir, 79), 9-Fanndís Fridriksdóttir (3-Rakel Hönnudóttir, 46), 18-Harpa Thorsteinsdóttir (23-Elín Metta Jensen, 73)
Substitutions Not Used: 8-Katrín Jónsdóttir, 12-Gudbjörg Gunnarsdóttir, 16-Birna Kristjánsdóttir, 17-Ólína Gudbjörg Vidarsdóttir, 19-Mist Edvardsdóttir, 21-Elísa Vidarsdóttir
Head coach: Sigurdur Eyjolfsson  

Stats Summary: USA / Iceland

• Shots: 18 / 4
• Shots on Goal: 8 / 1
• Saves: 1 / 5
• Corner Kicks: 7 / 3
• Fouls: 12 / 16
• Offside: 7 / 2

Budweiser Woman of the Match: Heather O’Reilly

U.S. Open Cup

The 2013 tournament features 68 teams, an increase from the 64 that competed last year, marking the largest field in the modern era (1995-present). This year also marks the second-consecutive year in which all U.S. based Division I, II and III teams will participate in the tournament proper: 16 from Major League Soccer, six from the North American Soccer League and 12 from USL PRO.

The amount of prize money distributed will also see a substantial increase, with the overall champion earning a total of $250,000 (up from $100,000 in recent years). The tournament runner-up will receive $60,000 (up from $50,000) and the team that advances the furthest from each lower division will win $15,000 (up from $10,000).

Another significant change for 2013 is the process for determining the site for the Open Cup tournament semifinals and final. In past years, the sites for the final three matches of the tournament had been determined through a sealed-bid process, but this year the hosts of those games will be determined by a coin flip. Home teams throughout the entire tournament will be determined by random selection.

Beyond the Division I, II, and III teams, the remaining 34 spots in the tournament field will be filled by amateur teams from the Adult Council category. There will be 16 from the Premier Development League, eight from U.S. Adult Soccer Association regional qualifying, eight from the National Premier Soccer League, one from US Club Soccer and one from the United States Specialty Sports Association. Entry deadline for all amateur teams is March 15.

The tournament will begin with the Play-In Round to be completed by May 7 and will culminate with the tournament final, which will take place on Oct. 1 or 2.

2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Facts:

• Largest field of teams (68) in tournament proper in competition’s modern era (1995-present), eclipsing previous record of 64 (2012)
• Second consecutive year in modern era where all U.S.-based Division I, II and III professional clubs will participate in tournament proper
• Home teams through entire tournament to be determined by random selection (change from sealed bid process for semifinals and final)
• Largest field of professional teams (34) in tournament proper in competition’s modern era, eclipsing previous record of 32 (2012)
• Largest field of amateur teams (34) in tournament proper in competition’s modern era, surpassing previous record of 32 (2012).

Tournament Format and Match Dates:

Qualifying Deadline
Date: April 28

Play-In Round
Number of Games: 2
Date: May 7
One NPSL team will take on the US Club Soccer representative, while a second NPSL team faces the USSSA representative.

First Round 
Number of Games: 18
Date: May 14
Two winners from Play-In Round join remaining 30 Adult Council category teams and four USL PRO teams (Dayton Dutch Lions, Pittsburgh Riverhounds and expansion sides Phoenix FC Wolves and VSI Tampa Bay FC).

Second Round
Number of Games: 16
Date: May 21
Eighteen (18) winners from First Round join remaining eight USL PRO clubs and six NASL teams.

Third Round
Number of Games: 16
Date: May 28
Sixteen (16) winners from Second Round are paired against 16 MLS sides.

Fourth Round
Number of Games: 8
Date: June 12
Sixteen (16) winners from Third Round face each other.

Quarterfinals
Date: June 26
Fourth Round winners face each other.

Semifinals
Date: Aug. 7 or 21
Quarterfinal winners face each other.

Final
Date: Oct. 1 or 2
Participating Professional Teams (34 total)

Major League Soccer (Division I – 16 teams): Chicago Fire, Chivas USA, Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, LA Galaxy, New England Revolution, New York Red Bulls, Philadelphia Union, Portland Timbers, Real Salt Lake, San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders FC, Sporting Kansas City.

North American Soccer League (Division II – 6 teams): Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina RailHawks, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Minnesota Stars FC, San Antonio Scorpions, Tampa Bay Rowdies.

USL PRO (Division III – 12 teams): Charleston Battery, Charlotte Eagles, Dayton Dutch Lions, Harrisburg City Islanders, Los Angeles Blues, Orlando City, Phoenix FC Wolves, Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Richmond Kickers, Rochester Rhinos, VSI Tampa Bay FC, Wilmington Hammerheads.

Distribution of Amateur-Level Places (34 total): 

U.S. Adult Soccer Association Regional Qualifiers - 8 places: Four USASA regional qualifiers advanced to the second round in 2012, including Cinderella story Cal FC, who reached the fourth round.

United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League - 16 places: The PDL will have the largest representation among amateur leagues. In 2012 the Michigan Bucks were the lone PDL team to reach the fourth round.

National Premier Soccer League – 8 places: The NPSL is a national amateur league affiliated with the USASA. Prior to last year, its teams participated via USASA regional qualifying.

US Club Soccer – 1 place: US Club Soccer is an organization member of U.S. Soccer. It was first represented in last year’s tournament.

U.S. Specialty Sports Association – 1 place: The USSSA is an organization member of U.S. Soccer. Its clubs will be participating for the first time in this year’s tournament.

U.S. U-17 MNT coach Richie Williams

The U.S. under-17 national team faces a potentially tricky path to this fall’s Under-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates as it was drawn in the same half of the bracket with Mexico, winner of the world championship two years ago in this category. The USA will open against Haiti — just like it did in the under-20 qualifying — April 7 and then play Guatemala April 11. Both matches will take place at Panama City’s Estadio Rommel Fernandez.

The tournament consists of four groups of three teams each, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarterfinals, and the four semifinal winners qualifying for the U-17 World Cup.

The other groups:

• Group A: host Panama, Barbados and Jamaica.
• Group B: Canada, Costa Rica and Trinidad & Tobago;
• Group D: Mexico, Honduras and Cuba.

“Our players are aware that we are facing quality opposition in Haiti and Guatemala,” said U.S. U-17 head coach Richie Williams in a statement. “We respect those two teams and know it won’t be an easy path through the group, but we are ready to play our game and take on the responsibility of qualifying for the World Cup.

Groups C and D will play all their matches at the Estadio Rommel Fernandez on April 7, 9 and 11. Group A and B will play at the Estadio Muquita Sanchez on April 6, 8 and 10.

The USA will play one of the top two teams from Group D if it advances to the quarterfinals — the runner-up if it wins Group C; the winner if it finishes second in Group C.

Haiti qualified for the 2013 CONCACAF U-17 Championship by finishing in first place in Group 3 of Caribbean qualifying with wins over Curaçao 4-1, Dominican Republic 3-1 and St. Lucia 3-0.

Guatemala was the third-place team from Central America behind first-place Honduras and second-place Costa Rica. In qualifying, Guatemala tied 0-0 with Nicaragua, defeated El Salvador 3-2, tied with Honduras 1-1 and fell 2-0 to Costa Rica.

Starting XI

PUEBLA, Mexico (March 3, 2013) – Despite an impressive effort, an under-strength U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team fell 3-1 to Mexico in overtime of the 2013 CONCACAF U-20 Championship final this evening in front of a sold-out crowd at Estadio Cuauhtémoc in Puebla.

Tab Ramos’ young team fell behind early, but rebounded with a first-half penalty kick dispatched by midfielder Benji Joya to finish regulation tied 1-1. In overtime, the hosts pulled away with two goals, including a spectacular overhead kick for the game-winner by Julio Gomez, to earn the championship.

The U.S. was led by great displays from stand-in captain Joya and his midfield partner Wil Trapp, as well as an impressive performance from goalkeeper Cody Cropper. The U.S. was the only team to score against Mexico and finished the tournament with a 4-1-0 record. After the match, Wil Trapp, Jose Villarreal and Luis Gil were named to the all-tournament team.

The U.S. now looks forward to the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which runs June 21-July 13 in Turkey. The USA’s best performance in that event was a fourth-place showing in the seventh FIFA World Youth Championship in 1989 in Saudi Arabia.

With the U-20′s initial goal of World Cup qualification achieved, a few key players returned to their clubs and were unavailable for the showpiece final between CONCACAF’s biggest rivals. Daniel Cuevas was unfit to make Ramos’ starting 11 but Villarreal was healthy enough to return to the lineup after missing out on the semifinal victory against Cuba.

The opening exchanges of the final were fast and furious, with the U.S. earning the first major chance. Villarreal did well to get to the endline in the fourth minute before clipping the ball to the far post. Mexico goalkeeper Richard Sanchez punched weekly and the ball fell invitingly for Mario Rodriguez near the penalty spot but the U.S. forward skied his shot.

Moments later Mexico grabbed the lead, with Jesus Corona opening the scoring for the home side. Corona got on the end of a long ball and rode successive challenges from Javan Torre and Dillon Serna before lifting the ball deftly over Cropper from 11 yards out.

The home crowd at Estadio Cuauhtémoc was delighted with the fast start for the hosts, and Mexico could have been two up were it not for Cropper. The U.S. goalkeeper dived superbly to his right to push out Corona’s curling effort from 18 yards in the seventh minute.

Cropper’s intervention was crucial and within minutes the USA equalized after earning a penalty kick when Hedgardo Marin handled Joya’s shot from the top of the penalty area. Joya stepped up and did the business himself, coolly slotting home the penalty kick to Sanchez’ right to bring the U.S. level in the 10 th minute. It was Joya’s first goal of the competition.

The teams continued to trade attacking chances in the first half, with Corona ballooning a shot over the U.S. goal from 10 yards. At the other end, Torre got his head to a Joya corner kick, but Sanchez sprung to his left to expertly turn the ball around the post.

If the teams were tired from five games in 10 days it wasn’t showing and both teams answered the bell with vigor in the second half, with Cropper and Sanchez one-upping each other between the pipes.

Joya was the architect of the USA’s best chance of the second half, bending a delightful 40-yard cross onto the head of Rodriguez. The header was textbook stuff, down and difficult to stop but Sanchez was somehow able to stick out a leg and turn the ball over the crossbar to keep the scores level.

Mexico finished the 90 minutes with two clear chances. First, Marco Bueno headed over from close range and then Gomez nodded wide after a dangerous free kick from Flores.

Ramos’ depleted squad had given their all but in extra time the hosts pulled away. Gomez, whose acrobatic finish proved to be the winner, met Espericueta’s corner in the 99th minute to send the home crowd into raptures.

Running on fumes, the U-20s were reduced to 10 men after Shane O’Neill’s late red card for a clumsy challenge. Shortly thereafter Espericueta put the result out of reach, converting a penalty kick after Juan Pablo Ocegueda impeded Corona in the area.

Additional Notes:  

• U-20 Men’s National Team head coach Tab Ramos made one lineup change following the USA’s 2-0 semifinal win against Cuba with Jose Villarreal back in the lineup, recovered from an ankle injury. He played up top while injured Daniel Cuevas was on the bench.
• Midfielder Benji Joya wore the captain’s armband for a second-straight game after Caleb Stanko held the honor for the first three games in the tournament. Following the USA’s berth to the FIFA U-20 World Cup with a 4-2 win against Canada in the quarterfinals, Stanko, Luis Gil and Jerome Kiesewetter returned to their respective club teams.
• The U.S. has moved to 1-8-0 all-time against Mexico in CONCACAF Youth Tournaments and Championships.
• The USA starting lineup on Sunday featured seven players who had played in at least one game for a U.S. Soccer Development Academy team.

U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team Match Report

• Match: U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team vs. Mexico
• Date: March 3, 2013
• Competition: 2013 CONCACAF U-20 Championship – Final
• Venue: Estadio Cuauhtémoc; Puebla, Mexico
• Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
• Attendance: -
• Weather: 66 degrees, partly cloudy

Scoring Summary: 1 2 OT1 OT2 F
USA 1 0 0 0 1
MEX 1 0 1 1 3

• MEX – Jesus Corona (Marco Bueno) 4th minute
• USA – Benji Joya (penalty kick) 10
• MEX – Julio Gomez (Jorge Espericueta) 99
• MEX – Jorge Espericueta (penalty kick) 113

Lineups:

USA: 1-Cody Cropper; 16-Dillon Serna, 5-Shane O’Neill, 14-Javan Torre (19-Brandon Allen, 107), 3-Juan Pablo Ocegueda; 15-Mikey Lopez, 6-Wil Trapp; 9-Mario Rodriguez, 8-Benji Joya (capt.), 17-Danny Garcia; 7-Jose Villarreal
Substitutions Not Used: 2-Boyd Okwuonu, 12-Kendall McIntosh, 20-Daniel Cuevas, 22-Zack Steffen
Head coach: Tab Ramos

MEX: 1-Richard Sanchez; 2-Francisco Flores, 3-Hedgardo Marin (14-Abel Fuentes, 59), 4-Antonio Briseño (capt.), 5-Bernardo Hernandez, 6-Armando Zamorano (7-Jorge Espericueta, 46), 9-Marco Bueno, 10-Jesus Corona, 15-Jose Van Rankin, 18-Uvaldo Luna (8-Julio Gomez, 75), 20-Jesus Escoboza
Substitutions Not Used: 11-Emmanuel Hernandez, 12-Manuel Lajud, 13-Jose Abella, 16-Carlos Treviño, 17-Carlos Fierro, 19-Luis Madrigal 
Head coach: Sergio Almaguer

Stats Summary: USA / MEX

• Shots: 14 / 22
• Shots on Goal: 5 / 11
• Saves: 8 / 3
• Corner Kicks: 8 / 12
• Fouls: 18 / 19
• Offside: 1 / 1

Misconduct Summary:

• MEX – Hedgardo Marin (caution) 10th minute
• MEX – Antonio Briseño (caution) 31
• USA – Mikey Lopez (caution) 42
• USA – Danny Garcia (caution) 61
• USA – Shane O’Neill (sent off) 112

Officials:

• Referee: Enrico Wijgaarden (SUR)
• Assistant Referee 1: Graeme Browne (SKN)
• Assistant Referee 2: Warner Castro (CRC)
• Fourth Official: Hugo Cruz (CRC)

U-20 MNT Man of the Match: Wil Trapp

Tab Ramos

PUEBLA, Mexico (Feb. 26, 2013) – The U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team delivered its finest performance of the 2013 CONCACAF U-20 Championship, overpowering Canada 4-2 in the quarterfinals at Estadio Olímpico Universitario Lobos BUAP.

With the win, the United States earned a berth to the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which will take place from June 21-July 13 in Turkey. The USA qualified for the 13th time at this age level.

The U.S. will face Cuba on Friday, March 1 in the semifinals at Estadio Olímpico Universitario Lobos BUAP. The match will be televised on FOX Soccer and Univision Deportes, and fans can follow on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and on twitter @ussoccer_ynt.

After falling behind 1-0, the U.S. exploded for three goals in a 17-minute span to close out the first half. Luis Gil opened the scoring, and ussoccer.com Man of the Match Wil Trapp added one just before halftime. U.S. Soccer Development Academy product Jose Villarreal scored a pair of goals to increase his tournament total to three.

“I have to give the players so much credit for today,” said U.S. Under-20 MNT head coach Tab Ramos. “Not only are they playing a very difficult game that has a lot of pressure, but at the same time they found themselves behind. I enjoyed seeing the satisfaction on the players’ faces when they accomplished something big. I’m glad to be a part of today’s result.”

Canada struck first as Dylan Carreiro found space 30 yards from goal and decided to have a go, unloading a wicked shot that whistled into the far right corner past a scrambling Cody Cropper.

The United States responded well and picked up the pace, with Mario Rodriguez and Daniel Cuevas consistently posing threats down the flanks. Just six minutes after going down, the U.S. leveled terms.

Cuevas sparked the play with a nifty solo effort that took him to the byline where he slipped a pass back across the six. Gil took a clever first touch to create space firing a left-footer low to the far post.

The goal sparked both teams. With its confidence growing, the U.S. remained aggressive in the attack. After nearly putting the U.S. ahead in the 34th minute, Villarreal finally broke through with five minutes remaining in the opening stanza. Rodriguez created space down the left flank and looked for an option inside the area. Villarreal sliced to top of six-yard box unnoticed and side-footed the entry pass into the goal from eight yards out.

The U.S. kept its foot on the pedal and added a third goal in first half stoppage time. Gil delivered a corner kick that goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau punched to the top of the area where Trapp lurked for a rebound. He ripped a full volley from 20 yards that deflected off Mauro Eustaquio and caromed past the helpless ‘keeper.

Buoyed by a two-goal lead, the United States came out flying in the second half and snatched a fourth goal in a display of precision and sophistication.

Additional Notes:

• The victory was the USA’s third in three games in the tournament.
• U-20 MNT head coach Tab Ramos chose a starting lineup similar to the USA’s Group A opener against Haiti, using 10 of the 11 starters from that match. The only difference was at left back where Juan Pablo Ocegueda got the call for a second-straight match.
• For a second-straight game, the U.S. went with a 4-2-3-1 formation with Jose Villarreal playing up top.
• Luis Gil nabbed his second goal of the tournament, having opened the USA’s scoring in the 2-1 win against Haiti. He now has four goals at this age level, good for second-most on the squad.
• The U.S. has moved to 5-2-2 all-time against Canada in CONCACAF Youth Tournaments and Championships.
• The USA starting lineup on Monday featured seven players who had played in at least one game for a U.S. Soccer Development Academy team.
• The U.S. played without midfielder Mikey Lopez, who picked up his second yellow card of the tournament against Costa Rica and was consequently suspended for Tuesday’s match.

U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team Match Report

• Match: U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team vs. Canada
• Date: Feb. 26, 2013
• Attendance: -
• Weather: 74 degrees, partly cloudy

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA: 3 1 4
CAN: 1 1 2

• CAN – Dylan Carreiro: 23rd minute
• USA – Luis Gil (Daniel Cuevas): 29
• USA – Jose Villarreal (Mario Rodriguez): 40
• USA – Wil Trapp: 45+1
• USA – Jose Villarreal (Benji Joya): 54
• CAN – Samuel Piette: 64

Lineups:

USA: 1-Cody Cropper; 2-Boyd Okwuonu, 4-Caleb Stanko (capt.), 5-Shane O’Neill, 3-Juan Pablo Ocegueda; 8-Benji Joya, 6-Wil Trapp; 9-Mario Rodriguez (19-Brandon Allen, 90+2), 10-Luis Gil (17-Danny Garcia, 77), 20-Daniel Cuevas; 7-Jose Villarreal (16-Dillon Serna, 84)
Substitutions Not Used: 11-Jerome Kiesewetter, 12-Kendall McIntosh, 14-Javan Torre, 18-Eric Miller, 22-Zack Steffen 
Not available: 15-Mikey Lopez 
Head coach: Tab Ramos

CAN: 18-Maxime Crépeau; 2-Jon Dollery, 3-Marco Lapenna, 4-Doneil Henry (capt.) (15-Manjrekar James, 33), 5-Daniel Stanese, 6-Samuel Piette, 7-Ben Fisk, 9-Caleb Clarke, 12-Dylan Carreiro, 13-Alessandro Riggi (10-Kevin Aleman, 46), 16-Mauro Eustaquio (22-Stefan Vukovic, 76)
Substitutions Not Used: 1-Richard Gomes, 8-Zakaria Messoudi, 11-Michael Petrasso, 17-Anthony Jackson-Hamel, 21-Ben McKendry, 23-Allan Zebie 
Head coach: Nick Dasovic

Stats Summary: USA / CAN

• Shots: 17 / 9
• Shots on Goal: 12 / 5
• Saves: 3 / 8
• Corner Kicks: 10 / 3
• Fouls: 12 / 10
• Offside: 1 / 2

Misconduct Summary:

• USA – Jose Villarreal (caution): 58th minute
• CAN – Dylan Carreiro (caution): 12
• CAN – Manjrekar James (sent off): 90+2

Officials:

• Referee: Javier Santos (PUR)
• Assistant Referee 1: Dion Neil (TRI)
• Assistant Referee 2: Graeme Browne (SKN)
• Fourth Official: Jairo Morales (PUR)

ussoccer.com Man of the Match: Wil Trapp

Chicago Fire

Charleston, SC. The Chicago Fire claimed their first Carolina Challenge Cup championship with a 1-1 tie against the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday, February 23.

After a scoreless first half of play, Chicago finally got things going at the 57′ with a left footed blast that nicked the crossbar on it’s way to the back of the net from Maicon Santos. Vancouver found the equalizer shortly after at the 68′ as Darren Mattocks buried a penalty shot.

Chicago needed a draw or a win to be crowned the winners of the tournament and they got exactly the result they needed against Vancouver.

Battery top Houston 2-1
Charleston, SC. A pair of nice goals helped the Battery to their first win of the tournament against the Houston Dynamo, but superb goal tending from Battery keeper, Odisnel Cooper, was the real story of this game.

Houston opened the game up with a goal at the 16′ as Garcia floated it over to Weaver who was able to cleanly lay it off for Barnes to punch it home. Charleston immediately struck back at the 18′; Dane Kelly caught Dynamo keeper, Tally Hall, out of position and was able to turn and shoot one on the ground that just snuck by Hall’s fingertips.

Cooper made sure he was noticed in this match with a series of exquisite saves, he created a brick wall between the pipes for the Battery. At the 25′ Cooper kept it knotted at 1-1 with a diving save off Houston’s corner kick opportunity. Shortly after, Cooper came up huge again, stoning Brad Davis’ penalty shot attempt with another beautiful dive to his left in the 36′, and again at the 42′ on a shot from point blank.

Both teams were finding opportunities in the second half with the Dynamo pressing late in the game; however, it was the Battery who found the back of the net. Austin Savage made his contribution within minutes of subbing into the game. In the 75′, Savage headed the ball home at the back post off a corner kick from Zach Prince to give the Battery a 2-1 advantage.

Charleston maintained the lead to claim their first win of the Challenge Cup and their first win of the 2013 season. The Battery moved the ball extremely well in this contest and played some of their best defense of the tournament.

Kirk Urso

Over 2,000 fans from the Columbus Crew and University of North Carolina communities gathered at UNC Greensboro Stadium in Greensboro, NC Sunday afternoon to honor Kirk Urso in the inaugural Kirk Urso Memorial Match. Though the Crew topped the Tar Heels 1-0 behind Konrad Warzycha’s 79th minute tally, results were unimportant as all proceeds from the match went to the Kirk Urso Memorial Fund, which helps fund research for congenital heart failure to help prevent the condition that led to Urso’s early passing last August.

It was an emotional day for everyone involved as Urso was remembered for his legacy on the soccer field and the impact he left off of it.

“[The turnout] just shows how many lives Kirk touched and how many people were thankful to have him in their life,” Crew defender Eric Gehrig said after the match.  “It’s always nice looking back on Kirk, remembering the good things and keeping him a part of our lives and letting his legacy live on. We’re always sharing stories about the great Kirk Urso because that’s what he was. He was great.”

“I started getting a little teary-eyed as we got closer to kickoff, just seeing the boys Kirk used to play with at Carolina come together with us,” Gehrig continued. “I had the pleasure start a couple games with [Urso], so it was kind of an emotional scene of all the guys he battled with over the years.

Midfielder Ben Speas helped deliver the 2011 NCAA Championship with Urso while at North Carolina before the two joined the Crew as rookies in the 2012 season. The former Tar Heel was pleased to see both communities come together for the cause.

“For me personally, it’s awesome,” Speas said. “All these people probably knew Kirk better than I did, all these teammates that were with him for longer than I was. I think it just shows the lives that he touched. For our Crew teammates, it’s good. We still think about him daily. It’s still tough, but I think this is a good event.”

Orlando-daSilva0218

“Every year, hundreds of thousands of Brazilians visit Orlando,” said da Silva. “It’s our number one destination in the US and us Brazilians, besides being famous for our friendliness and willingness to buy at the outlets and malls; we are also a nation that loves soccer. More than that, we are a country of 200 million fanatics for soccer. It is a great honor that I now become a part of this vibrant soccer club, Orlando City, which is being built with boldness to make history in this country and will give much pride to this City.”

Until last week, da Silva chaired the Ometz Group, with 16 holding companies, including the country’s leading English language schools for adults, Wise Up, a FIFA World Cup Sponsor. On February 7th, the Ometz Group was acquired by Abril Educação, one of Brazil’s largest media companies. Today, Mr. da Silva still leads the Wise Up Group and is also the third largest shareholder in Abril Educação. As part of the acquisition, Mr. da Silva will oversee the development of Abril Educação operations around the world.

He also owns the Canal Geração de Valor “Value Generation”, where he shares entrepreneurial experience and advice; he has more than 304,000 followers on twitter and 670,000 on Facebook.

The new owner gives Orlando a major advantage in its drive to be named the next MLS expansion franchise. To secure a move up to the major leagues, MLS requires clubs to have, among other things, a fiscally stable and established ownership group and a stadium seating between 18,000 and 25,000. The Citrus Bowl and its upcoming redevelopment does not meet these needs, therefore, the club is on record stating that a 18,500 seat downtown stadium is their goal. The Lions recently presented an independent economic impact study to local press and political leaders which demonstrated that the stadium and MLS franchise would create a $1.3 billion impact for the region over the next 30-years.

Florida Governor Rick Scott came out in favor of Orlando’s MLS bid last week, saying “I am very supportive and will do everything I can do at the state level.”

MLS Commissioner Don Garber visited Orlando in March of 2012, leaving the town after meeting with Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and County Mayor Teresa Jacobs. Impressed by the support from Lion fans at a town-hall style meeting, Garber said “It’s not a matter of if, but a case of when” in regards to a franchise in Central Florida. The club has been in close communication with Garber and the MLS for over two years now.

Mr. da Silva’s investment gives Orlando’s MLS bid a unique advantage, immediately gaining ties to one of the biggest soccer countries in the world, Brazil. More announcements will be made on specifics regarding the ties to Brazil in the upcoming weeks.

The existing ownership group, which includes President Phil Rawlins, will remain in place and continue to run day-to-day operations at Orlando City. Flavio Augusto joins Orlando’s current local ownership group, which includes amongst others, entrepreneur John Bonner and Morgan & Morgan’s Scott Bates.

Carolina Challenge-Cup-Day-One

Houston Dynamo vs. Chicago Fire

On an unusually cold evening in Charleston, MLS team’s the Chicago Fire played the Houston Dynamo in an Eastern Conference preseason matchup at the 10^th annual Carolina Challenge Cup. The opening game of the tournament was action packed as the Fire came up with the win, defeating the Dynamo 3-2.

The Dynamo started strong with a goal early on in the 14^th minute by Adam Moffot. Moffot scored on a set piece from just outside the box with a powerful shot that snuck by Chicago’s keeper, Sean Johnson. The Fire responded in the 24^th minute with a great breakaway move and an excellent finish around the keeper by Sherjill MacDonald. The Fire struck again in the 26^th minute on choppy goal by midfielder Dilly Duka. Chicago scored yet again in the second half to make it 3-1 with a goal by Jeff Larentowicz. Houston brought themselves within reach after a great finish by Cam Weaver in the 64^thminute, but didn’t have quite enough to tie the game up.

The Chicago Fire narrowly escaped with a win in the opening game of the Carolina Challenge Cup. The Houston Dynamo will take on the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday, February 20 at 5 PM. The Chicago Fire will follow up with a match against the Charleston Battery at 7:15 PM.

Charleston Battery vs. Vancouver Whitecaps

The Charleston Battery made a valiant effort to overcome a three-goal deficit in the second half, but it just wasn’t enough. Vancouver moved the ball with speed in the first half as Kekuta Manneh records two goals at the 4′ and 27′. Manneh used his quickness to beat the Battery defense twice down the left side of the pitch and added an excellent touch to find the back of the net.

The Battery missed a huge opportunity at 43′ coming off a nice pass from Zach Prince through the middle to Jose Cuevas, Cuevas’ shot missed wide to the right of the net. The Whitecaps pushed the issue further with a goal in the 50^th minute of play as Daigo Kobayashi connected with a terrific volley to make it 3-0 in favor of Vancouver.

Down 3-0 in the second half, the Battery had a tall task ahead of them; but with their backs against the wall, the Battery came out and played a nice second half of soccer. Goal scorer, Nicki Paterson, scored his first goal of the 2013 season and put the Battery on the scoreboard in the 71^st minute with a one-time shot over Vancouver’s keeper to pull the Battery within two.

In the 77^th minute the Battery had another great opportunity off a set piece but the Whitecaps goalie, Brad Knighton, made a huge save to hold onto the 3-1 lead. Dane Kelly continued the charge with a fantastic goal at 80′. Kelly connected with a beautiful shot from the left side of the box as he finessed it over the Whitecaps keeper to make it 3-2.

The combination of slow play early on from the Battery and authoritative ball movement by Vancouver would be the decider in this match as the Whitecaps sprinted to an early lead. The Battery simply didn’t get it going until it was too late and will start the 2013 Carolina Challenge Cup tournament with a loss.

USA vs. Scotland pix web

Four games into his new job as U.S. Women’s National Team Coach, Tom Sermanni is 2-0 with both victories coming against the national team of the country oif his birth.

The U.S. posted its second win over Scotland over a four-day span of time, handing the Scots a 3-1 loss at LP Field in Nashville in front of a crowd of 14,224. It was the largest crowd ever to watch the U.S. Women in the state of Tennessee.The Americans had hoped their 2013 schedule with a 4-1 victory half a week earlier in Jacksonville, FL.

The U.S. Women’s National Team scored once in the first half and twice in the second in Nashville, including a diving header from Abby Wambach that was her 153rd career goal.

Wambach earned her 200th cap in the match, becoming the eighth U.S. player to reach that milestone, and her goal puts her just five short of tying Mia Hamm (158 goals) on the world’s all-time scoring list.

“I told her she wasn’t coming off until she scored,” said Sermanni of Wambach. “It’s great, what a career. Every game Abby plays she either scores or she’s in the mix. She creates so many chances and opportunities; stuff happens for other players. I think it’s a great way for her to celebrate her 200th game.”

Megan Rapinoe opened the scoring in 21st with a superb strike and Christen Press came off the bench to supply a clinical finish of her own, giving the 24-year-old her third goal in just two caps. Press had led the U.S. offense in the Jacksonville game with a pair of goals in her first senior team cap for the USA. She is the first player in U.S. history to score three goals in her first two games.

Rapinoe, who sat out the first match after arriving from France (where she is playing club soccer), scored her 20th-career goal to make it 1-0.

Forward Sydney Leroux, who set a U.S. record for goals as a substitute last year, made her first-career start after earning her 29 previous caps off the bench. Leroux was a menace all game long and had numerous chances to score, especially in the second half when she saw two shots from close range kick-saved by Scotland’s back-up goalkeeper Shannon Lynn, who came on for Fay at halftime. Center back Whitney Engen, who earned her first two caps at the 2011 Algarve Cup, also made her first-career start and went 90 minutes alongside Rachel Buehler.

The Americans dominated the second half, out-shooting Scotland 11-3 after the break and were rewarded with two goals and a slew of close chances. Wambach made it 2-0 in the 51st minute after O’Reilly ran onto a pass slipped down the right wing. She pushed it forward into the penalty box for Leroux, who struck a low cross into the middle that Wambach finished with power on a diving header from close range.

Press came off bench in 61st minute for Wambach and played forward after getting her first start and scoring her first two goals from right midfield on Saturday.

Press made it 3-0 just three minutes after entering the game as midfielder Shannon Boxx led a break up the middle before playing a pass to her right into the penalty area. Press was wide open and had time to settle and choose a corner, crisply side-footing it into the right side of the net from 10 yards out.

Scotland pulled a goal back in the 81st minute as forward Suzanne Grant, who was playing in her 100th match for her country, skillfully volleyed home a cross from the left side, but by that time, the match had been decided.

The attendance at LP Field surpassed the record for most fans to watch a U.S. WNT game in Nashville (previously it was 9,110 for a game in 2004) and broke the record for most fans to see the Women’s National Team in the state of Tennessee which was the 13,081 that came to watch the U.S. team defeat Sweden in Chattanooga back in 1997.

Additional Notes:

• The U.S. team will now have about two weeks off before re-grouping for the Algarve Cup in Portugal that will take place from March 6-13. The USA will be playing Iceland, China PR and Sweden in group play at the annual tournament on the southern coast of the country. The roster for that tournament will be announced shortly.
• Defender Crystal Dunn, a member of the U.S. team that won the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, earned her first cap at the senior level when she came on for Ali Krieger in the 69th minute.  Dunn is the 2012 MAC Hermann Trophy winner and a junior at UNC Chapel Hill.
• Dunn became the fourth player to receive her first cap under new head coach Tom Sermanni, after forward Christen Press, midfielder Kristie Mewis and defender Julie Johnston earned their first caps against Scotland on Feb. 9.
• The USA is riding a 25-game unbeaten streak since the last loss, which came to Japan on March 5 at the Algarve Cup in Portugal. The U.S. has scored 80 goals while allowing 20 in 22 wins and three ties.
• U.S. forward Alex Morgan did not suit up for the match for precautionary reasons. She trained in the two days prior to the match after twisting her ankle in the first match against Scotland, but the U.S. team will leave for the Algarve Cup in Portugal in less than two weeks and the coaching staff wanted to ensure her health for the highly competitive tournament.
• Defender Ali Krieger made her second-consecutive start after missing a year of action following a major knee injury in January of 2012.
• U.S. captain Christie Rampone sat out the match to give some minutes to Engen and Buehler. It was the first U.S. match she had not played in since July 13, 2010 against Sweden in Omaha, Neb.

U.S. Women’s National Team Match Report

Match: U.S. Women’s National Team vs. Scotland
Date: Feb. 13, 2013
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: LP Field; Nashville, Tenn.
Kickoff: 7 p.m. CT
Attendance: 14,224
Weather: 43 degrees, cold

Scoring Summary:  1   2   F
USA                         1    2   3
SCO                         0    1   1

USA – Megan Rapinoe 21^st minute
USA – Abby Wambach (Sydney Leroux) 51
USA – Christen Press (Shannon Boxx) 54
SCO – Suzzane Grant (Emma Mitchell) 81

Lineups:

USA: 1-Hope Solo; 11-Ali Krieger (27-Crystal Dunn, 69), 28-Whitney Engen, 19-Rachel Buehler, 5-Kelley O’Hara (Lori Lindsey, 85), 9-Heather O’Reilly, 7-Shannon Boxx (10-Carli Lloyd, 67), 12-Lauren Cheney, 15-Megan Rapinoe, 14-Sydney Leroux (17-Tobin Heath 81), 20-Abby Wambach (Capt.) (22-Christen Press, 61)
Substitutions Not Used: 3-Christie Rampone, 21-Jill Loyden
Head coach: Tom Sermanni 

SCO: 1-Gemma Fay (capt.) (12-Shannon Lynn, 46); 2-Rhonda Jones, 10-Jennifer Beattie (17-Frankie Brown, 56), 4-Elish McSorley, 3-Rachael Small; 14-Leanne Crichton (18-Emma Mitchell, 66), 5-Leanne Ross, 7-Hayley Lauder (15-Joelle Murray, 78), 8-Kim Little, 13-Jane Ross9- (Suzanne Malone, 89), 6-Joanne Love (11-Suzanne Grant, 76)
Substitutions Not Used: 16-Lisa Evans
Head coach: Anna Signeul 

Stats Summary: USA / SCO

Shots: 19 / 7
Shots on Goal: 10 / 1
Saves: 0 / 6
Corner Kicks: 6 / 4
Fouls: 7 / 7
Offside: 3 / 2

Misconduct Summary:

none

Officials:

Referee: Katja Koroleva (USA)
Assistant Referee 1: Felisha Mariscal (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Kathryn Nesbitt (USA)
Fourth Official: Maggie Short (USA)

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Christen Press (USA)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Feb. 9, 2013) – Tom Sermanni made his debut as the U.S. Women’s National Team Coach, and heard the national anthem of his native Scotland being played before the game.

The U.S. Women’s National Team opened its 2013 campaign with a 4-1 win against Scotland in front of 18,656 fans at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Fla. It was the largest crowd ever to watch the U.S. Women in a stand-alone friendly match in Florida and the entire southeast.

Christen Press made an immediate impact in her U.S. WNT debut by becoming just the third player to score two goals in her first game. Cindy Parlow (Jan. 14, 1996; 8-1 win against Russia) and Sherrill Kester (Jan. 7, 2000; 8-1 win against the Czech Republic) also scored a brace in their debuts. Press is the 17th player overall to score a goal in her first WNT match.

Shannon Boxx added her 26th career goal and Sydney Leroux her 15th career tally in the second half as the U.S. extended its unbeaten streak to 24 games (21-0-3). The USA also improved to 22-4-3 in its calendar year openers since the team debuted in 1985.

The match marked the first victory for new U.S. head coac. Sermanni  also gave three players their first caps on Saturday: Press, midfielder Kristie Mewis and defender Julie Johnston.

The U.S. and Scotland face each other again on Wednesday, Feb. 13, at LP Field in Nashville, Tenn. The match will be broadcast live via a ussoccer.com stream and the game kicks off at 7 p.m. CT. Fans can also follow the game through ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and on Twitter @ussoccer_wnt.

Press, who was named the Budweiser Woman of the Match, gave the U.S. an early lead in the 13th minute. Right back Ali Krieger, who returned to the lineup for the first time since suffering a severe knee injury in Olympic qualifying in January of 2012, drove a long free kick into the penalty box and Scotland’s defense failed to clear it. It bounced only to the edge of the box and Press struck a first-time left footed half-volley that sailed past Scotland goalkeeper Gemma Fay for the 1-0 lead.

She then got her second goal in the 32nd minute when Tobin Heath served up a precision left-footed cross from the left flank. Press made a perfectly timed run to slip behind her defender at the far past and headed the ball back across the goal into the lower left corner.

Forward Alex Morgan, who was third in the voting for 2012 FIFA Women’s Player of the Year and won the 2012 U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year, had to depart in the first half when she injured her ankle on a Joanne Love foul that drew a yellow card in the 39th minute. The injury is not serious, but Morgan was replaced by Leroux in the 41st minute.

Boxx gave the USA a 3-0 lead in the 52nd minute when Press lifted a pass to her from the left corner of the penalty area. Boxx took a deft left-footed touch, brought the ball to her right and smashed her shot into the upper left corner of the goal from 25 yards out for one of the best finishes of her career.

Scotland responded with a brilliant strike of its own just two minutes later when midfielder Kim Little, who played for Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics, ran onto a poor clearance at the edge of the box and drilled a shot past second-half goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart into the right side of the net to cut the lead to 3-1.

Leroux capped off the scoring in the 89th minute with a typical powerful run into the attacking third. She sprinted under a long service from Yael Averbuch into the left side of the penalty area before lifting the ball past the onrushing Fay and into the net from 10 yards out. Averbuch came close to scoring a goal of her own, striking a wicked 35-yard free kick off the crossbar in the 76th minute. All of Leroux’s 15 career goals have come as a substitute.

Additional Notes:

• Forward Abby Wambach, who had several chances to get her 153rd career goal, played in her 199th career game and was replaced by Lauren Cheney in the 55th minute. She could potentially play in her milestone 200th match on Wednesday against Scotland and become the eighth WNT player to reach that mark.
• Kristie Mewis, the third pick in the 2013 NWSL College Draft out of Boston College, who played in two youth World Cups for the USA at the U-17 and U-20 levels, came into the match for Christen press in the 73rd minute to earn her first cap.
• Julie Johnston, the captain of the U.S. U-20 WNT that won the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Japan, made her senior team debut by replacing Becky Sauerbrunn in the 83rd minute.
• Sydney Leroux, who made her 29th career appearance, played in the first half of a game for the first time in her WNT career. She came off the bench in all 27 games she played in 2012.
• Midfielder Yael Averbuch played in her first WNT game since she played the second half of a 2-0 victory against China PR during the Four Nations Tournament. Averbuch earned her 17th career cap when she replaced Shannon Boxx in the 66th minute.
• In an odd twist of circumstances, Tom Sermanni’s first match was against the country of his birth, which was coached by a Swede, the country of birth of the USA’s previous coach, Pia Sundhage.
• In the 24-game unbeaten streak since the USA lost to Japan on March 5 at the Algarve Cup in Portugal, the U.S. has scored 77 goals while allowing 19 in 21 wins and three ties.
• Press’s first-half scoring effort was a rarity as the last player to score just one goal in the first half of her debut was Nikki Serlenga in 2000.
• Longtime starting goalkeeper Hope Solo has a minor calf strain and did not suit up for the match. She had started in 22 straight games to end the 2012 campaign and started in 31 of the 32 matches overall, setting a new record for goalkeeper wins with 26.
• Goalkeeper Jill Loyden made her fifth career appearance and second start. Her first cap and start for the U.S. WNT was a 2-1 victory against China PR on Oct. 2, 2010.
• Nicole Barnhart played in goal for the second half, making her 47th career appearance.
• Midfielder Megan Rapinoe and defender Rachel Buehler, who both arrived late into training camp and trained in just one practice session, did not suit up.

U.S. Women’s National Team Match Report

• Match: U.S. Women’s National Team vs. Scotland
• Date: Feb. 9, 2013
• Competition: International Friendly
• Venue: EverBank Field
• Kickoff: 5 p.m. ET
• Attendance: 18,656
• Weather: 59 degrees, sunny, clear

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F

USA 2 2 4
SCO 0 1 1

• USA – Christen Press 13th minute
• USA – Christen Press (Tobin Heath) 32
• USA – Shannon Boxx (Christen Press) 52
• SCO – Kim Little 54
• USA – Sydney Leroux (Yael Averbuch) 89

Lineups:

USA: 21-Jill Loyden (18-Nicole Barnhart, 46); 11-Ali Krieger, 3-Christie Rampone (capt.), 4-Becky Sauerbrunn (26-Julie Johnston, 83), 5-Kelley O’Hara; 22-Christen Press (23-Kristie Mewis, 72), 7-Shannon Boxx (25 Yael Averbuch, 66), 10-Carli Lloyd, 17-Tobin Heath; 13-Alex Morgan (14-Sydney Leroux, 41), 20-Abby Wambach (12-Lauren Cheney, 55)
Substitutions Not Used: 9-Heather O’Reilly
Head coach: Tom Sermanni

SCO: 1-Gemma Fay (capt.); 2-Rhonda Jones, 3-Rachael Small (17-Frankie Brown, 84) 6-Joanne Love (15-Joelle Murray, 83), 7-Hayley Lauder, 8-Kim Little, 10-Jennifer Beattie (4-Elish McSorley, 73), 13-Jane Ross (11-Suzanne Grant, 88), 14-Leanne Crichton (5-Leanne Ross, 65), 16-Lisa Evans, 18-Emma Mitchell (9-Suzanne Malone, 73)
Substitutions Not Used: 12-Shannon Lynn
Head coach: Anna Signeul

Stats Summary: USA / SCO

• Shots: 20 / 8
• Shots on Goal: 9 / 3
• Saves: 2 / 5
• Corner Kicks: 2 / 2
• Fouls: 13 / 17
• Offside: 1 / 1

Misconduct Summary:

• SCO – Joanne Love (caution) 39th minute
• SCO – Rhonda Jones (caution) 80

Officials:

• Referee: Margaret Domka (USA)
• Assistant Referee 1: Marlene Duffy (USA)
• Assistant Referee 2: Melanie Stoner (USA)
• Fourth Official: Christina Ibanez (USA)

Budweiser Woman of the Match: Christen Press

The Arkansas Razorbacks finished 2012 with a 9-10-1 record with first-year head coach Colby Hale.  The ‘Backs improved from 2011 when they were 4-14-0.  Only two seniors, Andrea Carlson (Tulsa, OK) and Allie Chandler (Mesquite, TX) will graduate from the team for next season…..The University of Arkansas Little Rock has hired Adrian Blewitt as the school’s new women’s head soccer coach.   Blewitt compiled a 167-66-12 overall record while coach at D-II Lees-McRae College and Lenoir-Rhyne University, both in N.C.  Blewitt coached both the men’s and women’s teams at L-R  Blewitt replaces Freddy Delgado, who was 33-64-4 in five seasons as the Trojans’ women’s head coach….Bentonville senior Tayler Estrada (Bentonville HS) has been named NSCAA Girls High School All-America for the second consecutive year….Junior Adriana Lucar, a transfer from Harding University, had a big season for Central Arkansas last fall, leading the Bears in scoring with 14 goals…..The Arkansas State Soccer Annual General Meeting was to be held on February 23, 2013 in North Little Rock.

Arkansas made its first appearance since 2000 in the Southeastern Conference tournament, but was eliminated in the first round by the South Carolina Gamecocks.  USC scored four minutes into overtime for a 3-2 win.  The Razorbacks, under first-year head coach Colby Hale, finished 9-10-1, but had a school record six wins in SEC play.  The nine wins are the most since 2008…..Arkansas State scored three unanswered goals to top Arkansas Little Rock 3-1 in their season finale. Sophomore Ariel Galletti gave UALR a 1-0 lead in the eighth minute, but ASU (11-7-1) got the win with goals from Madison Joyce, Christina Fink and Ashley McMurtry.   Arkansas Little Rock’s head coach Freddy Delgado‘s five-season run as the Trojans’ head coach came to an end with the loss to ASU.  Delgado was 33-64-4 in his five seasons, and missed the conference tournament the past three seasons….A new era of men’s soccer began under first year head coach Ross Duncanat at Central Arkansas this fall, as the Bears quadrupled their win total from the 2011 season (8), picked up their first Missouri Valley Conference Tournament win, and received five All-MVC honors, more than doubling the number of players who have previously earned such honors.

North Texas’ 1997 Olympic Development Program squad has advanced to the semifinals of the U.S. Youth Soccer ODP Chmpionships, which will be held March 1-3 at the FC Dallas Stadium in Frisco, TX.

Cal South swept Region IV ODP championships for boys and girls in the 1996 and 1997 age groups and is the only state association competing in each of the four age groups.

The ODP state teams competing for the national championship are as follows:

1996 Girls: New Jersey, Indiana, Georgia, California South.
1997 Girls: Eastern New York, Michigan, North Texas, California South.
1997 Boys: Virginia, Michigan, Florida, California South.
1996 Boys: Eastern Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina, California South

North Texas Executive Director David Messersmith and Virginia’s Larry Monaco are the latest inductees into the US Youth Soccer Hall of Fame.  They were inducted during the US Youth Soccer Workshop Awards Gala held in Indianapolis in January.

For more than 20 years, Messersmith has dedicated himself to the development of youth soccer. His commitment and service has been diverse and extensive, and it culminated in his election and service as President of US Youth Soccer from 2000 to 2006. Messersmith remains active in US Youth Soccer and serves as the current Executive Director of the North Texas Youth Soccer Association. Read the full profile here.

For the complete article click here: http://www.usyouthsoccer.org/messersmith_and_monaco_inducted_into_us_youth_soccer_hall_of_fame/

Former U.S. Olympian and Dallas Sidekicks pro soccer star, Doc Lawson, is helping to restore HOPE to the children of his homeland, Liberia, West Africa — and you can help!

Rebounding from a 15-year civil war, the nation is in a social crisis. With 80 percent of the population under age 18 and with too much idle time, the children are lost and desperate for wholesome activities and solid role models. Founded by the U.S. in 1822, 10 of Liberia’s first 12 Presidents were Americans.

Click here for complete article: http://www.ntxsoccer.org/story/2013/01/14/olympian-and-former-sidekick-doc-lawson-rallies-support-for-soccer-in-liberia/

Worn soccer nets sitting in heaps of frozen soil presents a less-than-attractive site for a park.

But converting an ugly duckling into a public attraction is what Carroll County Park District officials have in mind this year for their 43-acre property.

Boosted by grants and donations, county park district officials look to transform the land from its amorphous state into an outdoor recreational gem for the Carrollton area.

Click here to be directed to complete article http://www.cantonrep.com/newsnow/x1433781787/New-community-park-to-take-shape-in-Carrollton

New Bremen’s Patrick Ferguson  was named Region III Girls Competitive Coach of the Year. He lets his players know that each individual can have an impact on the game. He is adept at putting his Ohio Galaxies FC players in positions to succeed and work well together, leading to positive results. His teams have made multiple US Youth Soccer Ohio South State Cup finals and semifinals, and he also is the current coach at Wright State University, where he was named 2009 Horizon League Coach of the Year.

Click here to be directed to complete article http://www.osysa.com/about/OSYSA_Annual_Awards.htm

In order to protect young athletes, the State of Ohio has passed a concussion law, commonly called the “Return to Play” law.  This law, similar to laws enacted in most other states, imposes training, safety, and awareness requirements on youth sports organizations, like OSYSA, and its leagues, tournaments, coaches, referees, officials, and athletes and their families.

A concussion is a brain injury and all brain injuries are serious. They may be caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head, or by a blow to another part of the body with the force transmitted to the head.  They can range from mild to severe and can disrupt the way the brain normally works. Even though most concussions are mild, all concussions are potentially serious and may result in complications including prolonged brain damage and death if not recognized and managed properly.

Because of the significant health concern posed by the risk of concussions, and because of the Return to Play laws enacted by the State of Ohio, OSYSA is instituting the following expectations of its leagues, coaches, referees, officials, and athletes and their families.

Click here to be directed to the completete article http://www.osysa.com/Forms___Resources/Concussion_Education.htm

The 2013 Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association Symposium will be held March 1-2 at the Ohio State University Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

Click here to be directed to symposium application http://ossca.altersoccer.net/

Clint Dempsey

SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras (Feb. 6, 2013) – The U.S. Men’s National Team garnered a first-half lead, but Honduras rallied for a 2-1 victory in Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano in the teams’ opener of the Final Round of 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying.

Clint Dempsey scored the USA’s goal, only to see Honduras get goals from Juan Garcia and Jerry Bengtson to take all three points.

It was a very disappointing result, and marked the first time the U.S. had ever begun the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying with a loss.  It also puts the U.S. team, which plays three of its first four qualifiers in the Hexagonal on the road, in a hole to start the process.

Both Honduras goals were results of defensive breakdown.  Garcia, poorly marked, scored a spectacular highlight-reel bicycle kick to tie the score 11 minutes after Dempsey’s goal gave the U.S. a 1-0 lead.

U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann found little positve about the way his team played. “We didn’t find our passing flow,” he said. “We didn’t combine well enough, we didn’t hold the ball well enough.

“I think we had too many mistakes in too many areas. Tactically, in certain ways. Individual mistakes. Collective mistakes.”

On the winning Honduras tally, the ball was played to the edge of the box with Honduras midfielder Garcia, U.S. defender Geoff Cameron and goalkeeper Tim Howard all having an opportunity to get to the ball. Cameron noticeably held back on his run and Garcia took advantage, passing the ball to Bengtson who lost U.S. center back Omar Gonzalez and slotted the ball into the net for the victory.

Next up for the U.S., a home World Cup qualifier on March 22 against Costa Rica at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo. Following that game the U.S. goes on the road for games with Mexico and Jamaica.

After a sluggish start for both teams through much of the first half, the U.S. got on the score sheet first in the 36th minute when Jermaine Jones lofted the ball over the Honduras defense to Dempsey in the box. Dempsey struck the ball solidly with his right foot, driving his volley past Honduras goalkeeper Noel Valladares for the 1-0 lead.

Dempsey’s goal was the 31st of his career, his 11th in World Cup qualifying matches and the sixth goal in this current World Cup qualifying cycle to lead the USA. He moves into sole possession of second place in qualifying goals ahead of Eddie Johnson and Brian McBride. Dempsey also moved into sole possession of third all-time in career goals ahead of McBride (30 career goals).

Honduras scored the game-winner with 11 minutes left in the second half.

Additional Notes:

• With his start in Wednesday’s game, German-born defender Timmy Chandler officially became cap-tied to the United States as he started at right back, paired with Cameron and Gonzalez and left back Fabian Johnson. Chandler and Gonzalez made their World Cup qualifying debuts.
• U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard had three saves in the match, including a clutch punch on Mario Martinez’s left-footed shot in the 33rd minute to keep the match scoreless at the time.
• The USA saw its unbeaten streak (3-0-2) dating back to last year come to a close and moved to 12-4-3 all-time against Honduras in a series that dates back to 1965.
• The U.S. is now 3-2-1 in games played in Honduras and 3-1-0 in San Pedro Sula.
• Since 2002, the U.S. is 9-1-1 against Honduras.
• In World Cup qualifying matches, the U.S. is now 4-2-1 all-time against Honduras.
• In the past five openers of the Final Round of FIFA World Cup Qualifying, the U.S. is now 3-1-1.
• The U.S. has qualified for six straight FIFA World Cup tournaments, which is the seventh-best active streak behind Brazil (19), Germany (15), Italy (13), Argentina (10), Spain (9) and Republic of Korea (7), and ahead of eighth-place CONCACAF rival Mexico (5).
• Five USA players are currently carrying yellow cards in World Cup qualifying: Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Maurice Edu, Fabian Johnson and Graham Zusi. Their next caution will result in a one-match suspension.

Head coach Jurgen Klinsmann is now 11-7-5 at the helm of the U.S. MNT. Klinsmann’s first win was the USA’s 1-0 victory on Oct. 8, 2011, against Honduras at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.

U.S. Men’s National Team Game Report

Match: USA vs. Honduras
Competition: FIFA World Cup Qualifier – Final Round
Venue: Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano
Kickoff: 3 p.m. CT-
Attendance: 37,000
Weather: 84 degrees, humid

USA – Clint Dempsey (Jermaine Jones) 36^th minute
HON – Juan Carlos Garcia (Maynor Figueroa) 40
HON – Jerry Bengtson (Oscar Garcia) 79

Lineups:
USA: 1-Tim Howard (capt.); 2-Timmy Chandler, 5-Omar Gonzalez, 20-Geoff Cameron, 23-Fabian Johnson; 14-Danny Williams (7-Maurice Edu, 58), 13-Jermaine Jones (19-Graham Zusi, 67), 4-Michael Bradley, 18-Eddie Johnson (16-Sacha Kljestan, 59); 8-Clint Dempsey, 17-Jozy Altidore
Subs not used: 3-Carlos Bocanegra, 6-Michael Parkhurst, 9-Herculez Gomez, 10-Jose Torres, 11-Brad Davis, 12-Brad Guzan, 15-Edgar Castillo, 21-Brad Evans, 22-Sean Johnson
Head Coach: Jurgen Klinsmann

HON: 18-Noel Valladares , 5-Víctor Bernárdez, 3-Maynor Figueroa, 6-Juan Carlos García, 8-Arnold Peralta, 15-Roger Espinoza, 14-Oscar Boniek García, 19-Luis Garrido, 10-Mario Martínez, 11-Jerry Bengtson (20-Jorge Claros, 84), 13-Carlo Costly(9-Georgie Welcome, 90+3)
Subs not used: 22-Donis Escobar, 1-José Mendoza, 17-Brayan Beckeles, 2-Osman Chávez, 4-Juan Pablo Montes, 12-Orlin Peralta, 16-Alex López, 23-Aldo Oviedo, 7-Christian Altamirano, 21-Roger Rojas
Head coach: Luis Suarez

Stats Summary: HON / USA
Shots: 12 / 11
Shots on Goal: 5 / 2
Saves: 1 / 3
Corner Kicks: 4 / 7
Fouls: 10 / 9
Offside: 5 / 0

Officials:
Referee: Walter Quesada (CRC)
Assistant Referee 1: Leonel Leal (CRC)
Assistant Referee 2: Octavio Jara (CRC)
Fourth Official: Jeffrey Solis (CRC)

Budweiser Man of the Match: Clint Dempsey

Centennial Shield

CHICAGO (Feb. 4, 2013) – U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has called 24 players into training camp to prepare for its opening match against Honduras in the Final Round of 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying. The tough road to Brazil kicks off Feb. 6 in San Pedro Sula at 3 p.m. CT, and the match will be broadcast live on beIN SPORT. Fans can follow the match live on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and via Twitter @ussoccer.

The U.S. is coming off a very disappointing 0-0 draw with Canada in a friendly that featured mostly players from Major League Soccer.

“We want to have a sense of urgency right from the start of the Final Round,” said Klinsmann. “We have a lot of respect for Honduras, but our message to the team is that we are going there to get three points. One thing we learned from the Semifinal Round is that you have to bring the right mentality to play in the tough games on the road, and I’m confident we are ready to do that.”

With the match falling on a FIFA international fixture date, Klinsmann is able to call upon a full squad that includes a total of 17 players based in Europe and Mexico. The roster is loaded with experience, including five players with 50 caps or more.

The United States holds a 12-3-3 lifetime record against Honduras in a series dating back to 1965. Both the United States and Honduras earned a place in the Final Round by virtue of winning their respective Semifinal Round groups. The Catrachos qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup after only losing once at home in nine qualifiers throughout the cycle. That lone loss came against the United States.

The U.S. and Honduras are part of the six-team Hexagonal along with Costa Rica, Jamaica, Mexico and Panama. The 10-game, round-robin format will be contested from Feb. 6-Oct.10. The top three teams will automatically advance to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, while the fourth-place team will compete in a two-leg playoff against the champion from the Oceania Confederation.

U.S. Roster by position (World Cup qualifying Caps/Goals)

GK (3) : Brad Guzan (Aston Villa – 5/3 SO), Tim Howard (Everton – 22/9 SO), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire – 0/0)

Defenders (9) : Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City – 0/0), Carlos Bocanegra (Racing Santander – 31/5), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City – 5/0), Edgar Castillo (Club Tijuana – 0/0), Timmy Chandler (Nuremberg – 0/0), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders – 0/0), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy – 0/0), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim – 3/0), Michael Parkhurst (Augsburg – 3/0)

Midfielders (8) : Michael Bradley (Roma – 19/5), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo – 0/0), Maurice Edu (Bursaspor – 9/0), Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04 – 5/0), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht – 12/0), Jose Torres (Tigres – 9/0), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim – 4/0), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City – 3/0)

Forwards (4 ): Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar – 17/6), Clint Dempsey (Tottenham Hotspur – 26/10), Herculez Gomez (Santos – 6/2), Eddie Johnson (Seattle Sounders – 11/10)

Roster Notes

• All of the USA’s scorers in the Semifinal Round are on the roster, led by Clint Dempsey. He tallied five in six games, with two coming on the road. Herculez Gomez collected a pair, including the game-winner against Jamaica on Sept. 11 in Columbus.
• Carlos Bocanegra scored two as well, his goal against Guatemala on Oct. 16 marking his 14th career strike that set the all-time record for a U.S. defender.
• Eddie Johnson scored two in his return to the National Team for the first time since being a part of the preliminary roster for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. His pair against Antigua & Barbuda led the USA to a 2-1 win. Dempsey and Johnson are tied for second place along with Brian McBride on the USA’s all-time scoring list in World Cup qualifying with 10 goals each.
• Dempsey, Gomez and Tim Howard were the only three players to appear in all six matches in the Semifinal Round.
• Jermaine Jones led all U.S. field players in games played (12) and minutes (1,002) in 2012.
• Entering 2012 with only one previous cap, Geoff Cameron ended the year with the second-most minutes played in the field.
• Should he appear in the World Cup Qualifier, Timmy Chandler will officially become cap-tied to the United States. Chandler has already played in nine friendly matches.
• Howard sits in second place all-time for victories among U.S. goalkeepers (45), and third in shutouts (29). He has nine clean sheets in 22 World Cup Qualifying appearances.
• Brad Guzan brings an additional three shutouts in five matches played in qualifying.
• Bocanegra has 31 career caps in World Cup Qualifying, the second-most in U.S. history along with Kasey Keller, Eddie Pope and Claudio Reyna. Dempsey is on 26 caps, tied for fourth-most with Jeff Agoos and DaMarcus Beasley.
• Seven players from the January camp roster earned a spot on the roster – Matt Besler, Brad Davis, Brad Evans, Omar Gonzalez, Eddie Johnson, Sean Johnson and Graham Zusi. Of that group, only Eddie Johnson and Zusi have seen action in a World Cup Qualifier.
• Steve Cherundolo is sidelined with a knee injury and was not available for selection.
• Five players are carrying yellow cards: Michael Bradley, Dempsey, Maurice Edu, Fabian Johnson, and Zusi. Their next caution will result in a one-match suspension.

Cat Whitehill

U.S. WNT veterans Lesley Osborne, Sarah Huffman and Cat Whitehill were among a list of 16 free agents signed last month by National Women’s Soccer League teams. Each club could sign up to four or five players through Jan. 31.

Osborne was signed by the Chicago Red Stars, Huffman by the Western New York Flash, and Whitehill by the Boston Breakers.  Osborne and Whitehill played together on the 2007 U.S. Women’s World Cup team.

Other players signed for the inaugural 2013 season include Australians Lisa De Vanna (Sky Blue FC) and Samantha Kerr (Western New York) and Spanish international Adriana (Western New York).

Western New York, allocated one less player than its seven rivals, was supposed to be the only team allowed to sign a fifth free agent, but three other teams were able to sign a fifth free agent to make up for players lost due to unforeseen absences or late-season arrivals.

Chicago and Seattle were were allowed an additional free-agent signing because of the loss of Amy LePeilbet (ACL surgery) and Amy Rodriguez (pregnancy), respectively. Washington goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris may have to finish her season at Duisburg in Germany before joining the Spirit, which was granted a fifth signing.

Only six of the eight teams signed free agents during the January free agent period. Seattle and Washington decided not to participate in signing free agents.

Next up: the six-round supplemental draft on Thursday in which Washington has the No. 1 pick.

NWSL free-agent signings:
Boston Breakers
Cat Whitehill (Boston Breakers, WPSL)

Chicago Red Stars
Lesley Osborne (Boston Breakers, WPSL)

FC Kansas City
Jen Buczkowski (Chicago Red Stars, WPSL)
Sinead Farrelly (Apollon Limassol, Cyprus)
Melissa Henderson (Boston Breakers, WPSL)
Leigh Ann Robinson (New York Fury, WPSL)

Portland Thorns
Ally Long (Paris St. Germain, France)

Seattle Reign
none.

Sky Blue FC
Danesha Adams (Vittsjo, Sweden)
Brittany Bock (Colorado Rush, W-League)
Lisa De Vanna (Perth Glory, Australia)
Manya Makoski (Aland United, Finland)

Washington Spirit
none.

Western New York Flash
Adriana (Chelsea Ladies, England)
Sarah Huffman (Pali Blues, W-League)
Samantha Kerr (Sydney FC, Australia)
Brittany Taylor (New York Fury, WPSL)
McCall Zerboni (Western New York Flash, WPSL)

Kirk Urso pix

The North Carolina men’s soccer team will play an exhibition match against Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew next month at Bryan Park’s Macpherson Stadium.

Money raised at the match Feb. 24 will benefit the Crew Soccer Foundation’s Kirk Urso Memorial Fund.

Tickets cost $10 in advance and $15 on game day. Standard seating and lawn seating are both available, with all tickets serving as general admission.

Urso was a midfielder who played in the summers for the Carolina Dynamo, helped the Tar Heels win an NCAA national championship and played in six games for the Crew after Columbus picked him 10th overall in the 2012 MLS draft.

Urso, who had been sidelined with a groin injury, died in August, 2012, during a night on the town at Park Street Patio, a popular bar in Columbus, Ohio. He was 22.

In September, Franklin County (Ohio) coroner Dr. Jan Gorniak said Urso died of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy — a genetic condition that can cause sudden death.

The Urso Fund, launched late last year by the Columbus Crew, supports heart health research.

“The Kirk Urso Memorial Fund (is) intended to honor Kirk’s legacy by funding research initiatives focused on congenital heart defects and sudden cardiac death in youth,” Mark McCullers, Crew president and general manager, said in a news release. “The inaugural Urso Memorial Match provides a valuable opportunity to once again draw attention to this goal and garner support through the sport of soccer.”

Urso, a team captain for UNC’s  2011 championship team, finished with 15 goals and 24 assists in 91 career matches for the Tar Heels.

He played two seasons for the Dynamo in the Premier Development League, scoring four goals in 25 games.

Urso started five of the six games he played for the Crew and had one assist.

“Working with the Columbus Crew to support the Kirk Urso Memorial Fund is an honor,” Tar Heels coach Carlos Somoano said in a statement. “We at the University of North Carolina love Kirk and his family and hope to be involved for many years to come. … Hopefully the teams he loved, through the game he loved, will raise dollars, awareness and intentions for the memorial fund.”

To buy tickets, call 669-0841 or visit thecrew.com/ursofund (where fund donations will also be accepted).

CONCACAF LOGO

“We would like to thank all cities and venues in the United States for their interest in our Confederation’s Gold Cup and congratulate the ones that have been selected to host its 2013 edition.” said CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb. “CONCACAF is looking forward to a successful tournament, working in close partnership with both stadium and local authorities, while expanding the reach of our competition to a larger number of fans in more locations throughout the United States.”

The region’s premier National Team tournament will again expand its footprint by visiting eight new world-class venues in this year’s edition: Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA; M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, MD; Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver, CO; Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT; BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, TX; Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL; JELD-WEN Field in Portland, OR and Rio Tinto Stadium in Salt Lake City, UT.

Six new Gold Cup cities are featured in this group of newcomers, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Denver, Hartford, Portland and Salt Lake City. Houston and Miami return to host the tournament, for the 5th and 9th time consecutive time, respectively.

The event will also return to five venues from its previous editions including Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX (2009, 2011); Soldier Field in Chicago, IL (2007, 2009, 2011); Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA (1991, 2002, 2011); Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ (2011) and CenturyLink Field in Seattle, WA (2005, 2009). Years in parenthesis denote Gold Cups at each venue.

With a mix of historic venues and brand new state of the art soccer facilities that average 57,000 spectators, the 2013 edition of the Gold Cup promises to provide fans both in stadium and at home with unforgettable atmospheres in world class venues. In 2011, the tournament drew more than 600,000 fans throughout 13 match-days, including nine sell-outs.

To date, eleven of the twelve participating national teams have qualified for this year’s tournament.  In alphabetical order: Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Trinidad & Tobago and the United States. The final spot will be decided on Friday in the fifth-place match of the 2013 UNCAF Copa Centroamericana between Guatemala and Panama, which is being held in Costa Rica.

Taking place every two years, the Gold Cup has established itself as the region’s most popular national team tournament, routinely drawing capacity crowds and millions of viewers across the region. Featuring the best players from the confederation, the tournament includes the top 12-nations in the region.

2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup Host City & Venue list

HOST CITY – VENUE (Venue Location)
(In alphabetical order by host city)

• Atlanta - Georgia Dome (Atlanta, GA)
• Baltimore - M&T Bank Stadium (Baltimore, MD)
• Chicago - Soldier Field (Chicago, IL)
• Dallas - Cowboys Stadium (Arlington, TX)
• Denver - Sports Authority Field at Mile High (Denver, CO)
• Hartford - Rentschler Field (East Hartford, CT)
• Houston - BBVA Compass Stadium (Houston, TX)
• Los Angeles - Rose Bowl (Pasadena, CA)
• Miami - Sun Life Stadium (Miami Gardens, FL)
• New York- Red Bull Arena (Harrison, NJ)
• Portland - JELD-WEN Field (Portland, OR)
• Salt Lake City - Rio Tinto Stadium (Sandy, UT)
• Seattle - CenturyLink Field (Seattle, WA)

US Youth Soccer

US Youth Soccer honored 14 individuals with national awards Friday night, Jan. 18, at the US Youth Soccer Awards Gala, held at Indianapolis Marriott Downtown Hotel.

Hilary Kennedy, host of The US Youth Soccer Show on Fox Soccer, set the stage for the night as the master of ceremonies for the more than 1,000 in attendance. Boys and Girls Competitive Coaches of the Year, Boys and Girls Recreation Coaches of the Year, Young Referees of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Administrator of the Year, Goal and Save of the Year, TOPSoccer Buddy of the Year and the Dr. Thomas Fleck Award were presented during the Gala, and the 2012 US Youth Soccer Hall of Fame Class was inducted.

The Winners

Female Young Referee of the Year:  Ashley Marroquin (Holt, Mich)
Male Young Referee of the Year: Jordan Cavaco (Brockton, Mass)
Volunteer of the Year: Zoe Unger (Boca Raton, Fla.)
Administrator of the Year: Kevin Cathelyn (Braidwood, Ill.)
TOPSoccer Buddy of the Year: Laura Ellen Aspelund (Anchorage, Alaska)
Female Recreation Coach of the Year: Chris Thomas (Lawrenceville, NJ)
Male Recreation Coach of the Year: Thomas Velek (Columbus, Miss.)
Female Competitive Coach of the Year: Larry Best (Vienna, Va.)
Male Competitive Coach of the Year: Mike Dean (Omaha, Neb.)
Goal of the Year: Nikosi Burgess (Deer Park, NY)
Save of the Year: Luke Whelan (Roswell, Ga.)
Dr. Thomas Fleck Award: Bill Buren (Satellite Beach, Fla.)
Hall of Fame: David Messersmith (North Texas)
Hall of Fame: Larry Monaco (Virginia)

Georgetown University and Louisville University led the draft with three players each being selected.

Ives Galarcep rated the draft on his website Soccer By Ives.

Tom Sermanni

CHICAGO (Jan. 22, 2013) – U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Tom Sermanni has named the 29 players for a training camp leading into the USA’s first two matches of 2013, on Feb. 9 in Jacksonville, Fla., and Feb. 13 in Nashville, Tenn. The USA will face Sermanni’s native country of Scotland in both games.

Sermanni, who was appointed the new head coach of the USA at the end of October, will be coaching in his first event with the U.S. team. He named 17 of the 18 players who helped the USA to the Olympic gold medal in London last summer, as well as numerous players with previous National Team experience and a handful of young talented players.

“I’m excited to get out on the field and work with the team for the first time,” said Sermanni. “For this particular part of the cycle, it’s important to look at the established players in the squad but also the up-and-coming players and the ones who we think have the potential to really fight for positions on the team. For me, this period is really about observation and evaluation of some players who I know very well, some I’ve seen play only a bit and some who I will be seeing in a competitive environment for the first time.”

Forwards Abby Wambach, the 2012 FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year, and Alex Morgan, the 2012 U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year, are coming off a stellar year in which they combined for 55 goals, tying a 21-year-old U.S. record for most goals by two players in a calendar year.

The training camp also marks the return of defender Ali Krieger to the U.S. team for the first time since she suffered a serious knee injury during the Olympic Qualifying tournament in Canada just over a year ago. Krieger, one of the heroes of the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup Team, played the past five years in Germany and has returned to the USA to play in the NWSL for the Washington Spirit.

Several players who have been battling to make WNT rosters over the past few years and who have recently been playing in Europe were called up for the start of 2013: midfielder Yael Averbuch, who is playing for FC Göteborg in Sweden; defender Whitney Engen, who signed with Liverpool FC in England; goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris, who was playing for FCR Duisburg in Germany and has been allocated to the Washington Spirit; midfielder Keelin Winters who was playing for FCC Turbine Potsdam in Germany and has been allocated to the Chicago Red Stars; and forward Christen Press, the 2010 MAC Hermann Trophy winner at Stanford, who was second in scoring in Sweden’s First Division last season, scoring 17 league goals and 25 in all 2012 competitions for FC Göteborg. She recently transferred to Tyresö FF.

Press was an alternate on the 2012 Olympic Team along with midfielder Lori Lindsey and goalkeeper Jill Loyden, who were also called up for the camp.

Looking to the next generation, Sermanni named two of the stars of the U.S. team that won the 2012 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Japan last summer. Sermanni has given first full National Team call-ups to University of North Carolina defender Crystal Dunn, who played a dominating tournament at right back and assisted on the winning goal in the 1-0 World Cup Final victory against Germany, and to Santa Clara University defender Julie Johnston, the U.S. captain and winner of the Bronze Ball as the third-best player in the tournament, a rare achievement for a defender. Dunn recently won the MAC Hermann Trophy as the best player in college soccer. Dunn and Johnston are both 20 years old and have one year of college eligibility remaining.

Sermanni also called up 21-year-old midfielder Kristie Mewis, who was picked third overall in the NWSL College Draft by FC Kansas City. She has logged extensive training time with the U.S. team but has yet to earn a cap. She was the 2008 U.S. Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year.

The youngest player called up is 17-year-old goalkeeper Jane Campbell, who was the starter for the USA at the 2012 Under-17 Women’s World Cup in Azerbaijan. Campbell, who allowed just one goal in three matches at the World Cup and shut out eventual champion France, becomes the youngest goalkeeper called into the full National Team since an 18-year-old Hope Solo participated in her first training camp in 1999.

The 5-foot-9 Campbell will not turn 18 until Feb. 17. Campbell is the first high school-aged player to be called into the full U.S. Women’s National Team since forward Amy Rodriguez, who debuted at the Algarve Cup in Portugal in 2005. Midfielder Heather O’Reilly, who currently has 179 career caps, was called up at the age of 17 in 2002.

U.S. Women’s National Team Training Camp Roster

GOALKEEPERS (5): Nicole Barnhart (FC Kansas City), Jane Campbell (Concorde Fire South), Ashlyn Harris (Washington Spirit), Jill Loyden (Sky Blue FC), Hope Solo (Seattle Reign FC)

DEFENDERS (9): Rachel Buehler (Portland Thorns FC), Crystal Dunn (North Carolina), Whitney Engen (Liverpool FC), Julie Johnston (Santa Clara), Ali Krieger (Washington Spirit), Heather Mitts (Boston Breakers), Kelley O’Hara (Sky Blue FC), Christie Rampone (Sky Blue FC), Becky Sauerbrunn (FC Kansas City)

MIDFIELDERS (10): Yael Averbuch (Göteborg FC), Shannon Boxx (Chicago Red Stars), Lauren Cheney (FC Kansas City), Tobin Heath (Portland Thorns FC), Lori Lindsey (Washington Spirit), Carli Lloyd (Western NY Flash), Kristie Mewis (FC Kansas City), Heather O’Reilly (Boston Breakers), Megan Rapinoe (Seattle Reign FC), Keelin Winters (Chicago Red Stars)

FORWARDS (5): Sydney Leroux (Boston Breakers), Alex Morgan (Portland Thorns FC), Christen Press (Tyresö FF), Amy Rodriguez (Seattle Reign FC), Abby Wambach (Western NY Flash)

US Soccer Crest

The U.S. Men’s National Team will open its home schedule in the Final Round of 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying on March 22 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. MT.

The match will be broadcast live on ESPN, WatchESPN and on the Univision family of networks.

“We are really excited to play our first home qualifying match at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park,” said U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann. “Winning games at home in World Cup qualifying is crucial, and we really are expecting the fans in Colorado to bring us a huge home-field advantage.”

The match against Costa Rica just outside the “Mile High” city comes as part of a double-fixture date. Four days later, the U.S. travels to face regional rival Mexico at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. This will be the first meeting between the teams since the USA’s historic 1-0 win in that stadium last summer.

This is the second World Cup qualifier hosted at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. In 2008, the U.S. gave six players their first cap in qualifying while cruising to a 2-0 win against Guatemala to secure the top spot in its group in the Semifinal Round.

The U.S. MNT is currently training at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., in preparation for the first match of 2013 against Canada on Jan. 29 at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston. (TICKETS)

The U.S. opens the Final Round of 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying on Feb. 6 against Honduras in San Pedro Sula. The match kicks off at 4 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on beIN SPORT.

Along with Honduras, Costa Rica and Mexico, the U.S. is joined by Jamaica and Panama as the final six teams set to compete in the 10-game round-robin format from Feb. 6-Oct. 15. The top three teams in the Hexagonal automatically advance to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, while the fourth-place finisher will contest a two-game playoff against the winner of the Oceania region.

In addition to the Hexagonal, U.S. Soccer is celebrating its 100-year anniversary and will be hosting a number of events throughout the year.