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U.S. To Play Argentina In New Jersey Coming off a 3-0 victory over Poland, the U.S. MNT’s first-ever back-to-back wins in Europe, U.S. Soccer has announced a May 28 game against England in Wembly Stadium, and a June 8 game at Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands, NJ against #1 ranked Argentina. The 3-0 victory in Krakow followed last fall’s 1-0 win over Swizerland in Basel. The games with England and Argentina, along with a June 4 game against Spain in Santander, gives the U.S. three consecutive high-level games before going into World Cup 2010 qualifying in June. The match against Argentina will kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be televised live on ESPN Classic and Galavision. Fans can also follow the match live on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker. "Argentina is clearly one of the best teams in the world and playing against an opponent of that caliber is a great opportunity for our team," said U.S. head coach Bob Bradley. "Combined with the matches against England and Spain, we have put together a very good schedule to help us prepare for World Cup qualifying. We expect it will be a fantastic crowd at Giants Stadium, and we are looking forward to an exciting atmosphere." The U.S. begins the quest to qualify for their sixth-consecutive World Cup finals when they take on Barbados on June 15 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The second leg of the home-and-away series will be played either June 21 or 22 in Barbados. Prior to the USA’s first World Cup qualifier, the U.S. will have faced six teams that have been ranked in the top 15 in the world since 2007 – Argentina, Brazil, England, Mexico, Sweden and Spain. The U.S. is 2-0-1 this year, having also beaten Sweden 2-0 and played Mexico to a 2-2 draw. The U.S. has played top-ranked Argentina eight times in their history, holding a lifetime record of 2-6-0 against the South American juggernaut. Of those eight matches, only three have been played in the United States, with the other five taking place in neutral sites. The two U.S. victories include a 3-0 upset of the defending champions in the group phase of the 1995 Copa America, and a 1-0 win in 1999 at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., when a Joe-Max Moore goal was the difference. This will be the last friendly match for the U.S. Men at Giants Stadium. The U.S. Men have played at Giants Stadium seven times in their history, holding a 4-1-2 record. One of the most memorable matches in U.S. history occurred at the East Rutherford venue on June 11, 2000, when the U.S. defeated Mexico, 3-0, to win the 2000 Nike U.S. Cup. The emphatic victory was the beginning of the team’s current 10-game undefeated streak on home soil against their archrival. The U.S. played their last two matches at Giants Stadium during the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup, defeating Honduras, 2-1, in the semifinals and then Panama in penalty kicks to earn the title. The teams last met during the 2007 Copa America, with the Argentines outclassing a young and inexperienced U.S. team in their 4-1 win on June 28 in Maracaibo, Venezuela. Argentina advanced to the final before falling to Brazil, 3-0, to finish in second place. Argentina currently sits in second place of CONMEBOL qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, collecting three victories while suffering one defeat through four matches. Following the match against the United States, the Argentines will play qualifiers against Colombia at home on June 14 and away in Brazil three days later. The match against England on May 28 will take place at the new 90,000-seat Wembley Stadium and will kick off at 8 p.m. local (3 p.m. ET), live on ESPN Classic and Univision. The U.S. will then move to continental Europe to take on fourth-ranked Spain on June 4 at the Estadio El Sardinero in Santander. Goals by a pair of defenders and a swerving free kick from Eddie Lewis paced the U.S. to a convincing 3-0 win against Poland as the U.S. improved their lifetime record against Poland to an even 7-7-2. Landon Donovan provided both assists on the first half goals from Carlos Bocanegra and Oguchi Onyewu as the U.S. remained unbeaten in 2008, posting a 2-0-1 record. The victory marked the first time the U.S. MNT has won consecutive games on European soil. The U.S. defeated Switzerland, 1-0, in Basel on Oct. 17, 2007, in their last trip across the pond. The three-goal margin of victory was also the largest for the U.S. in Europe since a 3-0 victory against Austria in Vienna in 1998. “I thought it was a great team effort tonight,” said U.S. head coach Bob Bradley. “Obviously we took advantage of set pieces, which is always a positive. More importantly, we showed the mentality and discipline necessary to win games on the road against good opponents like Poland. I thought the crowd tonight was fantastic. It was a special atmosphere, one that our players really appreciated.” After coming off the field in Krakow, the U.S. learned their opponent for the second round of 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying, as Barbados defeated Dominica 1-0 to win the first-round series 2-1 on aggregate. The U.S. hosts their first qualifier on June 15 at The Home Depot Center, with the second leg to be played either June 20 or 21 in Barbados. In preparation for 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying, the U.S. will play a set of friendlies in Europe, facing England on May 28 in London before moving to continental Europe to play fourth-ranked Spain on June 4 at the Estadio El Sardinero in Santander. Kickoff against England at the new, 90,000-seat Wembley Stadium is set for 8 p.m. local time (3 p.m. ET), and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN Classic and Univision. Against Poland, the U.S. came out organized and disciplined from the opening whistle, and Bradley’s side dealt with the slippery conditions much better than the hosts. Time and again, the U.S. pressure led to poor passes and turnovers from Poland, and the U.S. was able to string together series of combinations to create opportunities. The U.S. snatched the lead in the 12th minute off a trademark Donovan free kick, which was earned when a charging Heath Pearce was fouled on the left flank. Set up 25 yards from goal along the sideline, he swerved an in-swinger six yards in front of the near post, where Bocanegra laid more shoulder than head to the ball, directing a shot to the lower left corner. The goal marked the ninth international strike for the U.S. captain, who was named Sierra Mist Man of the Match for also having an impressive performance with his defensive duties to help earn the shutout. Offensively, the U.S. continued to maintain pressure, while staying strong in the back. The central tandem of Bocanegra and Onyewu kept the middle clean and Steve Cherundolo and Pearce contained the runs of the Polish wingers. Another service from Donovan, who earned his 99th cap against Poland, led to the USA doubling their advantage in the 35th minute. This time it was Onyewu who was on the end of the expert service. A corner kick delivery from the right reached the head of the 6’4” defender, who got free when defender Marcin Wasilewski slipped while jostling in the area. Onyewu made no mistake, powering home a drive from seven yards to record the fourth goal of his career, and mark the first ever time scoring in back-to-back games. Despite several changes at halftime by Leo Beenhhakker, the U.S. never took their foot off the gas and nearly struck again just three minutes into the second stanza. Taking advantage of a miscue by defender Grzegorz Bronowicki, who was the last man with Poland’s entire team pushed forward, Donovan snuck behind him and stole the ball inside the midfield circle. With Bronowicki chasing, Donovan sprinted in alone on goal and tried to curl a shot to the far corner when the ‘keeper came to cut off his angle, but his attempt narrowly skimmed past the right post. A pair of second-half substitutes combined to end all hope for Poland in the 73rd minute. A foul on Josh Wolff about 20 yards from goal set the table, leaving Lewis and Clint Dempsey standing over the ball. It would be Lewis to pull the trigger, the left-footer bending a wicked strike over the Polish wall that nestled into the lower right corner. Poland’s best chance of the night was in the 30th minute when a poor clearance by Pearce allowed Poland to regain possession near the top of the penalty area. The ball was eventually played back to Dariusz Dudka and he unleashed a bullet on target, but Tim Howard was up to the challenge, diving to his left to push it wide of the post. With only three saves on the night, Howard picked up his 11th career shutout and 18th career victory. -- U.S. Men’s National Team Game Report -- Scoring Summary: Scoring: Lineups: POL: 1-Artur Boruc; 13-Marcin Wasilewski, 6-Jacek Bak, 16-Arkadiusz Radomski
(19-Michal Golinski, 63), 3-Grzegorz Bronowicki; 21-Lukasz Piszczek (17-Wojciech
Lobodzinski, 46), 18-Mariusz Lewandowski, 5-Dariusz Dudka, 8-Jacek Krzynowek
(7-Euzebiusz Smolarek, 46); 9-Maciej Zurawski (10-Lukasz Gargula, 46),
20-Pawel Brozek (11-Radolsaw Matusiak, 46) Stats Summary: Misconduct Summary: Officials: Sierra Mist Man of the Match: Carlos Bocanegra Bradley Names Roster For Poland Friendly U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bob Bradley has named 18 players to the roster that will face Poland on Wednesday, March 26 in Krakow. Kickoff at Wisla Stadium is set for 8:30 p.m. local time (3:30 p.m. ET), and the match will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel. Fans can also follow the match live on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker. The match in Poland represents the first of three friendlies the U.S. will play on European soil prior to the start of qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The U.S. begins the quest to qualify for their sixth-consecutive World Cup finals when they take on the winner of the first round series between Barbados and Dominica. The Caribbean nations drew 1-1 in the first leg on Feb. 6 in Dominica, with Barbados hosting the return leg on March 26 in Bridgetown. The U.S. will host their first qualifier on June 15 at The Home Depot Center, with the second leg to be played between June 18-21 on the road. The U.S. Men will travel to England for the first time since 1994 to meet the #11 ranked England National Team on May 28 in London. Kickoff at the new, 90,000-seat Wembley Stadium is set for 8 p.m. local time (3 p.m. ET), and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN Classic and Univision. The ninth meeting between the nations will serve as preparation for both teams as they gear up for the start of qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. A week after taking on England, the team will head to continental Europe to face Spain at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 4, at Estadio El Sardinero in Santander. U.S. MNT Roster Vs. Poland It’s Official! The U.S. Men’s National Team
will travel to England for the first time since 1994 to meet the 11th
ranked England National Team on May 28 in London. The ninth meeting between the nations will serve as preparation for both teams as they gear up for the start of qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Ticket information for U.S. fans wanting to travel to the England match will be announced shortly. "We have consistently said that one of our goals is to play matches
against good opponents and in environments that will really challenge
our team,” said U.S. head coach Bob Bradley. With previously announced matches against Poland on March 26 and Spain on June 4, the meeting with England will provide the U.S. with an impressive three games on European soil in preparation for World Cup qualifying. The U.S. will face Poland in Krakow at 3:30 ET (live on Fox Soccer Channel) and Spain at Estadio El Sardinero in Santander at 4 p.m. ET. The U.S. begins the quest to qualify for their sixth-consecutive World
Cup finals when they take on the winner of the first round series between
Barbados and Dominica. The U.S. and England last met on British soil at the original Wembley Stadium in London on Sept. 7, 1994, with the Three Lions earning a 2-0 victory. One year before, the USA posted a matching 2-0 scoreline at Foxboro Stadium as part of the build up to the 1994 FIFA World Cup. The most memorable meeting between the teams occurred 58 years ago at the 1950 FIFA World Cup. In that match, the United States provided one of the sport’s biggest all-time upsets with a 1-0 win in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. England holds a 6-2-0 lifetime advantage in the series that dates back to 1950. The teams last played on May 28, 2005, in Chicago where Clint Dempsey’s first international goal wasn’t enough to cancel out the pair from Kieran Richardson as England hung on for a 2-1 win before 47,637 fans at Soldier Field. (Watch the highlights here) England has been drawn into Group 6 of UEFA qualifying for the 2010 FIFA
World Cup, headlining a group that includes Croatia, the third place team
in the 1998 World Cup. The English open qualifying action with a pair
of away matches, traveling to face Andorra on Sept. 6, before meeting
Croatia in Zagreb four days later. Dorrance, Perez Elected To National Soccer HOF Legendary University of North Carolina Women’s Soccer Coach Anson Dorrance and highly respected U.S. National Team Veteran Hugo Perez have been elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame President Steve Baumann announced today. Unfortunately, in the 2008 Player election no individual exceeded the required 75% of ballots cast to gain entrance into the Hall of Fame. Top players were Preki Radosavljevic with 67.97% and Joy Fawcett with 67.19% of the vote. This is the first time this has happened since a voting change was made in 2004. “We are excited to reveal such a prestigious 2008 Hall of Fame
Class,” he said. “Anson Dorrance has set an unbelievable standard
for American soccer coaches. His success at UNC is staggering and his
World Championship with the U.S. Women’s National Team has inspired
coaches to higher levels of excellence. Induction into the National Soccer
Hall of Fame is a natural outgrowth of his exemplary and continuing career.” The U.S. Men’s National Team continued their dominating undefeated streak at home against Mexico this evening with an exciting 2-2 draw in front of 70,103 fans at Reliant Stadium in Houston. The match was a high-paced affair, with the U.S. jumping out to a 2-1 lead at halftime, only to surrender the tying goal just two minutes into the second half to Mexico’s Jonny Magallón, who had both goals for the Tri-Colores. The U.S. goals came from defender Oguchi Onyewu and 18-year-old Jozy Altidore, making his first start for the United States. “There were some good things that you need to see in a tough environment and in a tough game,” said U.S. head coach Bob Bradley, whose U.S. record now stands at 13-5-2, “and there were some things that you see that you still need to improve on. These kind of games are what the players look forward to and as coaches, we understand that we need this kind of games in order to look hard at our players and our team to find things that we need to improve.” The U.S. is now undefeated in its last 10 home games against Mexico, compiling an impressive 8-0-2 record since 2000. The U.S. has outscored Mexico 17-3 in that stretch, including Wednesday’s match, which was the highest scoring game in the series in almost 11 years (dating back to a 2-2 draw on April 20, 1997, a span of 17 games). The opening goal of the game came in the 29th minute after the USA’s first sustained pressure of the match, with Onyewu finishing a towering, precise header from eight yards out that left Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa helpless. Onyewu began the sequence with a long throw-in from the left sideline that the Mexican defense failed to clear, allowing Landon Donovan to alertly lift the ball back into the area from the right side of the penalty area and allow the hulking defender to expertly head home off the right post. Mexico tied the match in the 35th minute on a close-range strike from Jonny Magallón, after a brilliantly played free kick from Pavel Pardo on the right flank eluded the U.S. defense and slid dangerously to the back post. Magallón eluded Drew Moor to slam his shot from four yards out into the upper left corner of the goal. Mexico’s second goal also came on a close-range back-post strike from Magallón, who again beat Moor to the spot, this time finishing a deflected corner from Carlos Vela (by defender Carlos Salcido at the near post) just two minutes into the second half to even the score. Magallón’s two goals were sandwiched around a stunning header from the young Altidore (18 years, 92 days), making his first start for the United States. Altidore’s 40th minute strike was slammed home from nine yards out after Moor had gotten forward on the right flank to hit a pinpoint cross into the area. The goal was the result of a strong U.S. counterattack led by Bobby Convey, who eventually fed Clint Dempsey, who in turn fed Michael Bradley to create the space for Moor. With the goal, Altidore became the youngest player to score for the United States in the modern era. Just two minutes after the USA’s second goal, Dempsey thought he had a goal of his own, hitting a 22-yard turnaround laser into the lower right corner of the goal. However, in controlling the ball off his chest on a long pass from Onyewu, the Texas native was whistled for offside. Despite watching the U.S. surrender two goals to Mexico at home for the first time in 11 years, goalkeeper Tim Howard was exceptional in the net for the United States, making a number of strong saves, and more importantly securely controlling every ball he was able to get his hands on. The Everton goalkeeper finished the match with six saves. Overall, the testy match between the two old rivals featured six yellow cards, including four against the United States. Through 54 all-time meetings with Mexico, the U.S. has a lifetime record of 14-29-11 in a series that dates to 1934. However, the United States owns a dominating 12-6-9 advantage in home matches since 1957. Additionally, since the rivalry between these two teams began in earnest in 1990, the sides have played 27 times, with the U.S. holding a 12-7-8 advantage. The 70,103 fans marked the fourth largest attendance for a USA-Mexico match in the United States (and the largest outside the state of California). It was also the second largest soccer crowd in Texas history. The U.S. wore their new home white Nike uniforms for the first time, and the match also featured the debut of the team's new game ball (the Total 90 Omni). Next up for the United States is an away match on March 26 against Poland in a city to be determined. The U.S. last faced Poland on March 1, 2006 in Kaiserslautern, Germany, where a lone goal from Clint Dempsey provided a 1-0 victory in a match that included a heavy snowfall during the second half. In June, the U.S. will travel to face fourth-ranked Spain as both teams prepare for major international events in the summer, the United States getting ready for their first World Cup qualifier on June 15 in Carson, Calif., while Spain gets ready for the 2008 European Championship. CHICAGO (January 24, 2008) — U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bob Bradley has recalled 21 players to the U.S. Soccer’s National Training Center in Carson, CA, to begin preparations for the match against Mexico. More than 43,000 tickets have been sold for the showdown with the USA’s regional rivals on Feb. 6 in Houston. Kickoff at Reliant Stadium is set for 8 p.m. CT, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and Univision, as well as on 75 affiliates of the Fútbol de Primera Radio Network. Fans can also follow the game live via ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker. All 21 players on the Carson roster were part of the group that began training in early January and finished with a 2-0 win against Sweden on Jan. 19 at the HDC. Missing are four members of the Under-23 Men’s National Team – Jozy Altidore, Maurice Edu, Sacha Kljestan and Marvell Wynne – who will participate in the U-23 camp being held from Jan. 24-Feb.3 in Bradenton, Fla. "We are very pleased with the work we put in so far this year, and are looking forward to the next challenge against Mexico,” said Bradley. “We will continue to build on the concepts that we have established during the last year, and we are clearly progressing as a team as we move forward in preparing for the start of World Cup qualifying this summer.” Fourteen of the players saw action in the Sweden match, with three players earning their first international appearance. Houston Dynamo defender Eddie Robinson bagged his first goal in addition to his first cap, slamming home a rebound off a Pat Noonan shot to tally the game-winner. In the USA’s 500th international match, Landon Donovan made another U.S. scoring record all his own, converting a penalty for his 35th career goal, making him No. 1 on the USA’s all-time scoring list. Brad Guzan got credit for his first shutout in five internationals played, after having split time in three previous U.S. shutouts in which he appeared. The 21-man training camp roster remains a largely domestic-based group, holding 16 players who ply their trade in the United States. The MLS teams are well represented, with 11 of 14 clubs contributing players to the Carson camp. The roster boasts several year-end award winners, including MLS Goalkeeper of the Year (Brad Guzan) and Defender of the Year (Michael Parkhurst). In addition, New England Revolution forward Taylor Twellman finished third on the leaguegoalscoring chart with 16 goals, the fourth time in his six-year career he has tallied 15 goals or more. The list of Scandinavian-based players on the roster has grown to five, with Clarence Goodson (IK Start) and Noonan (Aalesund FK) both signing contracts to head to Norway at the conclusion of their service. They join Aalborg BK captain Dan Califf, Ramiro Corrales and Jeremiah White, who collected his first cap when he replaced Donovan in the second half of the Sweden match. The team will train in Carson until Feb. 3 before leaving for Houston. The final roster for the Mexico match, which may include more European-based players, will be finalized prior to the team’s departure from Carson. After the Sweden match, the U.S. will compete in a series of friendlies before beginning the attempt to qualify for their sixth-consecutive World Cup finals when they take on the winner of the first round series between Barbados and Dominica. The U.S. will host their first qualifier on June 15, with the second leg to be played between June 18-21 on the road. U.S. Men's National Team Training Camp Roster Johnson Is Fifth American On Fulham United States striker Eddie Johnson has became the fifth American player to sign with Fulham of the English Premier League. He has received an English work permit and was immediately signed by Fulham to a contract running through the summer of 2011. Johnson, a Florida native who has 11 goals in 31 matches with the U.S. men, is likely to join Fulham within the week and he could make his EPL debut within days of arriving in England. Johnson’s initial application for a work permit was denied because he was one match short of playing for the necessary 75 percent of U.S. national team “official matches” over the past two years. His 72 percent was sufficient upon appeal. The deal between Johnson, who has been playing for the Kansas City Wizards, and Major League Soccer has been negotiated with the London club for transfer for several weeks. As is its policy, MLS did not disclose the amout, but it is reported that the transfer fee for Johnson is the largest MLS has ever received for a player. Johnson signed a new contract with MLS last season and it reportedly contained a buyout clause valued at $4 million. Johnson becomes the fifth U.S. player on Fulham. “I have made no secret of the fact that I believe the squad lacks a certain balance in specific areas of the team and following the loss of (American forward) Brian McBride to injury, this is true of our strike force,” Fulham manager Roy Hodgson said “At six-foot, one-inches tall, Eddie has the presence that will complement the other forwards within our squad and he has the ability to offer us another dimension to our attacking play.” The other Americans on Fulham are McBride, who is about to return to action after dislocating his left kneecap in the season-opener, soon after he was named team captain; defender Carlos Bocanegra, midfielder-striker Clint Dempsey and goalkeeper Kasey Keller. Johnson, 23, played seven seasons in MLS, the first five for FC Dallas (nee Dallas Burn) and the last two in Kansas City. In 127 regular-season matches, he scored 41 goals and added 13 assists. He had one assist in six playoff games. McBride has returned to training, but no date has been set for his return to the lineup. Fulham is in 19th place at 2-12-9 with 15 points, five points from escaping the drop zone with 15 games left. Robinson, Donovan Lead U.S. Men Over Sweden Landon Donovan became the all-time leading scorer for the U.S. Men’s National Team after scoring from the penalty spot in the second half to help defeat Sweden, 2-0, at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. For Donovan, his penalty kick in the 48th minute was his 35th goal in international play, pushing him past Eric Wynalda for the all-time lead in his 97th appearance. “I wouldn’t classify it as important but it’s something that I’m very proud of,” said Donovan of the record. “More so than scoring goals, being part of the team for a long time it’s something I’m proud of. For me, the most important part of any game is helping the team get a victory.” Donovan wasn’t the only one who made history on the night as defender Eddie Robinson’s opening strike put him into the history books as well, although not as exclusive. By burying his one-timer off deflected save in the 15th minute, Robinson became just the 44th player in U.S. history to score a goal in his first appearance – something Donovan, still just 25 years old, had done himself back in 2000. The victory was the 10th straight time the U.S. has either tied or won their opening game of the year, with the U.S. also defeating Sweden to start the streak, 1-0, in 1998. “For us it’s a good way to start the year. This camp is always a challenge because guys have been off for a while, but we felt throughout the camp that things we worked on throughout last year were coming back, especially working as a team. Our fitness levels came along quickly, and tonight we played against a team who is always a good match for us. The game had tempo. It was physically challenging. I think to come out of it with a good result was important.” The U.S. started the game brightly and created the first real chance of the game in the seventh minute. Left back Ramiro Corrales, making his first international appearance since 2004, lifted the ball towards Taylor Twellman near the edge of the area. The New England forward cleverly flicked the ball behind him to Revolution teammate Pat Noonan, who dropped the ball back to midfielder Ricardo Clark just outside the area. Clark’s stinging one-timer was saved well by Rami Shaaban, who parried the ball away. Brad Davis, starting on the left flank for the U.S., took the majority of the free kicks and his deliveries were dangerous all night. In the 12th minute, his well-placed free kick just missed an onrushing Twellman at the edge of the six yard box. The U.S. was getting the better of their opponents, and in the 15th minute Robinson gave them the deserved lead. Davis whipped in an enticing corner, and Noonan’s flicked header caught the Sweden goalkeeper Rami Shaaban by surprise, but he was still able to punch it off the line. The ball deflected inside the area and Robinson pounced on the rebound, slamming the ball into the roof of the net from seven yards out. The goal was the wakeup call Lars Lagerbäck’s side needed, and Sweden began to come back into the game. Brad Guzan was forced into action in the 30th minute after a Sweden free kick fell invitingly for forward Pontus Wernbloom. Guzan was quick to react, however, and he made himself big to deny Wernbloom from close range. Three minutes later, Guzan was called upon again and denied Wernbloom for the second time. A mixup between Robinson and defender Jimmy Conrad gifted Wernbloom the ball in the box. But Guzan flew off his line and smothered the shot to deny Sweden its best chance of the match. The U.S. carried its one goal advantage into the break, and made three changes to start the second half. One of those subs, forward Jozy Altidore, stamped his authority on the game almost instantly, as he was brought down in the box in the 48th minute. A good combination from Donovan and right-back Drew Moor lead to a low cross into the area. Noonan controlled well, and found Altidore streaking to the edge of the six yard box. The New York Red Bulls forward wound up to shoot, but was impeded by Sweden’s Mattias Bjärsmyr. Donovan took it upon himself to dispatch the spot kick and came through for the U.S. as he has done so many times before. The weight of history seemed to have no effect on the California native, but he clearly knew what his achievement meant to U.S. soccer history, grabbing the ball immediately after the goal and taking it to the sidelines to be saved. Now up 2-0, the U.S. began to stroke the ball around with confidence. Altidore was causing all sorts of problems for the Swedish backline, who had to resort to physical play in order to stop the athletic 18-year old. In addition to Robinson, Bob Bradley handed debut caps to defender Clarence Goodson and midfielder Jeremiah White. The young U.S. internationals were unfazed by the bright lights and the team closed out the final whistle without ever really being threatened in the second half. The U.S. Men’s National Team will next play host to CONCACAF rival Mexico on Feb. 6 in Houston. Kickoff at Reliant Stadium is set for 8 p.m. CT, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and Univision. Fans can also follow the match live online via ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker. -- U.S. Men’s National Team Game Report -- Match-up: USA vs. Sweden Scoring Summary: USA – Eddie Robinson (Pat Noonan) 15th minute Lineups: SWE: 1 Rami Shaaban; 2-Mikael Lustig, 3-Mattias Bjärsmyr, 4-Peter
Larsson, 5-Oscar Rönningberg (15-Behrang Safari, 61), 6-Daniel Andersson
(capt.); 7-Niclas Alexandersson (18-Viktor Elm, 46), 8-Anders Svensson,
9-Andreas Johansson (16-Samuel Holmen, 61); 10-Rade Prica (20-Johan Oremo,
61), 11-Pontus Wernbloom (19-Andreas Dahl, 78). Stats Summary: USA / SWE Misconduct Summary: Officials: Sierra Mist Man of the Match: Landon Donovan U.S.-Cuba showdown looming in World Cup The United States will open qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in June against the tiny Caribbean nations of Barbados or Dominica and is likely to wind up in a politically charged semifinal group with Cuba. ''The opportunity to play in Cuba will be significant,'' U.S. coach Bob Bradley said after goalie Kasey Keller set the matchup by plucking a blue ball from a bowl during the World Cup draw Sunday in Durban, South Africa. ''I think the players will look forward to it.'' The U.S. team, which will be trying to reach its sixth consecutive World Cup, has a first-round bye. After advancing to the quarterfinals in 2002, it was eliminated in the first round in 2006. ''We're pretty excited to get the process started,'' U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra said. ''Playing in Cuba would be a new experience. As we know from previous qualifying campaigns, it's tough to play in hostile environments like the ones we find in Guatemala and [Trinidad & Tobago]. From difficult conditions to hostile fans, you can't take any of these games for granted.'' The U.S. team is 5-1-1 against Cuba but never has traveled to the island nation. The teams have not met in a World Cup qualifier since 1949, when they played twice in Mexico City. The teams tied in their first matchup, and the United States won the second 5-2 to reach the 1950 tournament. The United States has maintained sanctions against Cuban leader Fidel Castro's government since 1962. Cuba has come to this country to play in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, but the teams have not met since the United States earned a 4-1 victory in the 2005 Gold Cup in Seattle. ''We've got an opponent in June, and if we're successful with that, we'll look at the semifinals,'' U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati said. ''We played all three teams previously, but we haven't played Cuba away. That would pose some new challenges. But they are soccer challenges, and we'll deal with all those other issues at the time.'' U.S.
Tops South Africa 1-0 In their final match of 2007, the United States men defeated
South Africa During training, the U.S. had some difficulty acclimating to Johannesburg's Much to the obvious dismay of South Africa's well traveled coach, Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira, the host did not push the issue very hard during the opening 45 minutes. The result was much of the action was confined to the midfield with neither side doing much pressuring. South Africa giving the U.S. plenty of space, but the Americans failed to take full advantage. Still, the U.S. took a 1-0 lead into intermission when defender Steve Things changed a bit in the second half. Both Carlos Bocanegra
and Yet, South Africa was not able to create much in the way of quality chances and the Americans were able to protect their advantage without a great deal of difficulty. As has been the case in recent matches, the U.S. showed almost no offense. With a pair of natural midfielders -- Clint Dempsey and Freddy Adu -- on top, the Americans were outshot 12-3 and managed only two shots on goal. Cherundolo's goal was one of few times the U.S. created danger for the South African back-line. U.S. coach Bob Bradley did not have his full complement
of players Without Twellman, Adu started and showed improvement in his play. Edu has looked good in his first two starts. Otherwise, the squad was about what Bradley has started recently. South Africa is building toward the African Nations Cup, which starts
in However, for whatever reason, the team is not playing as a unit. McCarthy, supposedly the best South African, had an off-day against the U.S. and was seldom a factor. Parreira has his work cut out if his team is to have much of a showing as the World Cup host in 2010. The U.S. is now off until it meets Sweden January 19 at The Home Depot Starters Goalkeeper Tim Howard - 6: Did not have much to do. Controlled his box well and stopped the only decent South African shot of the day. Defender Steve Cherundolo - 6: A solid game on the right side of the Defender Oguchi Onyewu - 5.5: Played well for the entire 90 minutes,
but Defender Carlos Bocanegra - 6.5: Is the heart of the U.S. defense. That was never more apparent then when he was not there in the second half. Defender Heath Pearce - 5.5: Went the distance and while he did little Midfielder Benny Feilhaber - 5: He has not been getting playing minutes
in Midfielder Maurice Edu - 5.5: The Major League Soccer "Rookie of the Year" shows a big upside. Played solidly today and at times better than that. Midfielder Michael Bradley - 5.5: At times today was very good, making
one good defensive play after another, but did little to help the attack
and Midfielder DaMarcus Beasley - 5: Given the amount of room in which he had to work, he might have been expected to do more. Not a big game. Forward Freddy Adu - 5.5: Is showing development since he signed in Forward Clint Dempsey - 5: Didn't get much service so his offensive role Reserves Defender Dan Califf (46th minute for Cherundolo ) - 4.5: Made several good recoveries and clearances, but clearly was struggling at times and not of the quality of player he replaced. Defender Jonathan Spector (46th minute for Bocanegra) - 5: Likewise,
he did not do nearly as well as Bocanegra, especially when he was put
under Goalkeeper Brad Guzan (46th minute for Howard) - 5.5: Did fine, though he was not really called on to do much. Forward Josmer Altidore (65th minute for Dempsey) - 4.5: This could have been a big chance for him to show what he can do, but he displayed almost no offensive instincts and essentially became another defensive midfielder helping to kill off the match Midfielder Sacha Kljestan (74th minute for Adu) - 5: Made no impression on the match Defender Jonathan Bornstein (86th minute for Feilhaber) - no rating: A few minutes to earn a cap and a match check after a long trip. SoccerTimes U.S. Player of the Match: Carlos Bocanegra. Hackworth Moves To Assistant MNT Coach Longtime U.S. Soccer Youth National Team coach John Hackworth has been named as an assistant coach Bob Bradley and the U.S. Men’s National Team. The move comes one month before the USA’s final game of 2007 on Nov. 17 against South Africa in Johannesberg (live on Fox Soccer Channel and Galavision at 9 a.m. ET), and seven months before the team’s road to the 2010 FIFA World Cup officially begins next June. “John is a great addition to our coaching staff,” said Bradley. “He’s had a tremendous amount of success helping to create a framework for the player development initiatives within all of our national teams, and now that vision is being executed within the Development Academy. Having him on our staff, while also working directly with the technical aspects of the Academy program, is going to help us forge a very strong connection between those youth clubs all the way through the elite national team level.” In addition to joining Bradley’s national team staff, Hackworth will also serve as the Development Academy Director in U.S. Soccer’s new player development initiative that launched earlier this year. The program which launched this fall is designed to improve the environment for elite players throughout the country, in many ways emulating the successful U.S. Soccer Under-17 Residency Program in Bradenton, Fla., which Hackworth has been a part of since 2002. “Joining Bob Bradley’s staff as that team gets focused on World Cup qualifying in 2008 is a great next step as a coach,” said Hackworth. “I’ve known Bob for many years and we have a great connection in terms of how we see the game, both technically on the field and in the ways you can help prepare a team off the field. I’m greatly looking forward to being a part of his staff on the road to South Africa.” In his additional role with the Development Academy, Hackworth will be the primary liaison to Academy clubs on all technical issues. That duty will include a focus on ensuring technical compliance within each of the 64 clubs in the system, as well as communicating policy decisions, training guidelines and, ultimately, connecting the clubs to the National Team program. “It has been very rewarding for me to see the Development Academy take shape over the past eighteen months,” said Hackworth. “The program provides the elite player with the proper environment for their development. In the past month, we have already identified a number of players for the National Team program and we expect that the opportunity for players to train more and play in a highly competitive environment will pay dividends in the future.” The Development Academy was created to provide players with the best possible opportunity to develop and was initiated by U.S. Soccer after a comprehensive review of player development systems in the United States and around the world. Hackworth took over the reigns of the U-17 National Team in November of 2004, after joining U.S. Soccer in early 2002 and serving as an assistant under John Ellinger for more than two years. As a head coach, he led the team through two FIFA Under-17 World Cup cycles, twice advancing the team into the tournament’s second round. In 2005 in Peru, Hackworth’s squad took the top spot in their group to advance to the quarterfinals and eventually finish in fifth place. Two years later in a newly-expanded 24-team World Cup, the U.S. advanced to the Round of 16 with a second-place group finish before falling to Germany. The U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team is the only team in the world to have qualified for every World Cup at that age level, earning one fourth-place and two fifth-place finishes in five World Cup cycles since the launch of the U-17 Residency Program in 1999. Since the establishment of U-17 Residency almost nine years ago, the program has seen remarkable success in connecting players through U.S. Soccer’s National Team program and on to the full team. Of the 60 players capped by Bradley in 2007, 12 have been a part of the Under-17 Residency Program, a strong reflection of the programs development. Five players from the U-17 Residency Program (Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, Oguchi Onyewu, Bobby Convey and Eddie Johnson) participated in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. A replacement for Hackworth as the U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team head coach will be named in the near future. Kasey Keller Out 3-4 Month With Injury American Kasey Keller, who had established himself as Fulham's starting goalkeeper in recent weeks, admitted to being "devastated" after finding out he would miss at least three, and possibly as much as four months of the English Premier League season with an arm injury. Keller, 37, damaged his left biceps in a Friday training session and it is being determined whether he will require surgery. "I feel absolutely destroyed, devastated," Keller told the Daily Mirror. "It's hugely disappointing because things were going so well and then this comes along and now I have to start all over again. I just wanted to make my name here and I was doing that until I suffered this cruel injury." Keller returned to the Premier League after spending the last two seasons with Borussia Mönchengladbach in the German Bundesliga when he signed with Fulham August 23. Brought in ostensibly as the backup for Tony Warner when the normal #1 keeper Antti Niemi began the season injured, Keller was starting in goal by the first game after his signing. After Niemi returned, Keller went to the bench briefly, but then earned the starting job. He was in net for the last four matches, three Premier League outings and one in the Carling Cup. Keller has played abroad longer than any other American, first joining Millwall in England in 1992. He also played for three other English clubs, as well as working in Spain and Germany. Keller is one of four Americans on the Fulham roster and joins his former U.S. teammate Brian McBride on the sideline for an extended period of time. McBride is expected to be out until after Christmas after undergoing knee surgery. In a freak occurrence, McBride dislocated his left patella while scoring Fulham's opening goal in a 2-1 loss August 18 to Middlesbrough. After being named the Cottagers' "Most Valuable Player" for the 2006-07 season, McBride was made captain. After his injury, fellow American defender Carlos Bocanegra was given that honor. The last member of the U.S. contingent is midfielder Clint Dempsey, who has excelled in his first full season in the EPL. At 1-4-5, Fulham is tied for 13th place, one of five EPL teams with eight points and only one point above the relegation zone. (From www.soccertimes.com) U.S. Beat Swiss 1-0 On Bradley Goal The U.S. Men’s National Team defeated Switzerland 1-0 behind a late goal from midfielder Michael Bradley on a rainy evening in front of 16,500 fans at St. Jakob Park in Basel, Switzerland. The victory was the first for the U.S. in Europe in six games, improving the team’s record to 3-5-2 in their last 10 matches on European soil. The victory also ended the team’s five-game losing streak. “It was a typical game in Europe,” said U.S. head coach Bob
Bradley, who improved his overall record with the team to 11-5-1.
“Both teams made it hard for the other team. For us, it is important
to understand the mentality of being in these games and still finding
ways to win. It is still an important step for us. It's a game where credit
goes to the team for sticking together, being organized and not giving
too much away. And finding a way to win at the end.” Switzerland’s starting line-up featured eight players from the team’s strong 2006 FIFA World Cup team and nine who were on the field just four days earlier in an impressive 3-1 win over Austria. The match was mostly an even affair, played in a steady rain that created some treacherous footing for both teams. It was the U.S. that finally broke through in the last five minutes, though. Moments after Bradley’s goal, Dempsey was at it again, this time turning on a ball and sending Freddy Adu into the area on a breakaway that he did well to touch with the outside of his left foot to try and lift over the goalkeeper and into the corner of the goal, but it sailed just over the bar. In addition to first-ever appearances for Edu and Szetela, the match also marked the first ever appearance for Real Salt Lake forward Robbie Findley, and just second appearance for Adu. The game was also the third for goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who played the final 45 minutes and earned credit for the win in relief of Marcus Hahnemann. Just three minutes before Bradley’s strike, Guzan was called upon to make an important save on a free kick by Hakan Yakin from exactly 18 yards out. The attempt was set-up when Guzan handled a tricky ball just outside the penalty area. The U.S. will make their first-ever trip to South Africa when they take
on the 2010 FIFA World Cup hosts on Saturday, Nov. 17, in Johannesburg
as part of the Nelson Mandela Challenge Cup. Kickoff at Ellis Park Stadium,
which will host one World Cup semifinal match in 2010, is set for 4 p.m.
local time (9 a.m. ET) live on Fox Soccer Channel. Fans can follow the
match live on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker. Match-up: USA vs. Switzerland Scoring Summary: 1 2 F Scoring: Lineups: SUI: 1-Pascal Zuberbühler; 2-Johan Djourou (25-Steve Von Bergen,
17), 3-Ludovic Magnin (Capt.), 5-Xavier Margairaz (22-Hakan Yakin, 46);
11-Marco Streller (31-Blaise Nkufo, 46), 13-Stephane Grichting, 14-David
Degen, 16-Tranquillo Barnetta (17-Christoph Spycher, 75), 27-Gokhan Inler,
29-Stephan Lichtsteiner, 35-Fabio Celestini (33-Gelson Fernandes, 46) Stats Summary: USA SUI Misconduct Summary: U.S. Game With Catalonia Cancelled The U.S. Men’s National Team’s friendly against Catalonia has been cancelled after the Royal Spanish Football Federation voted not to approve the application to play the match. The teams were to have met on Oct. 14 in Barcelona. No replacement match will be scheduled, and the U.S. will face 2008 European Championship co-host Switzerland on Oct. 17 in Basel. Kickoff at St. Jakob Park is set for 8:30 p.m. local time (2:30 p.m. ET), and the match will be broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel and Galavision. U.S. Soccer spent two weeks negotiating with the Catalonian Federation and the RFEF trying to reach a positive resolution. The Spanish Federation, who has authority for sanctioning any match played in Spain, ultimately chose not to allow the match to take place. "We are disappointed that the match will not be played, since we believe playing Catalonia would be an excellent experience for our players,” said U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati. “Nonetheless, we respect the decision of the Spanish Federation.” With the limited time frame, no replacement match will be scheduled and the U.S. will now focus on playing Switzerland on Oct. 17 in Basel. Switzerland finished in first place in Group G of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, ahead of eventual runners up France. Falling to Ukraine in the Round of 16 in penalties after a 0-0 draw in regulation time, the Swiss became the first team in World Cup history to be eliminated from the tournament without surrendering a single goal. As co-hosts, Switzerland is automatically entered into Euro 2008, which will take place from June 7-29 across eight venues in Austria and Switzerland. In November, the U.S. Men’s National Team will make their first-ever trip to South Africa when they take on the 2010 FIFA World Cup hosts on Nov. 17 in Johannesburg as part of the Nelson Mandela Challenge Cup. Kick off at Ellis Park Stadium, which will host one World Cup semifinal match in 2010, is set for 4 p.m. local time (10 a.m. ET). Fans can follow the math live on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker. Bradley Pulls Players From Europe For Brazil CHICAGO (September 3, 2007) -- United States men's coach Bob Bradley has chosen 19 players for Sunday's match against Brazil, the top-ranked team in the world, a 4 p.m. (ET) game that will be broadcast by ESPN and Spanish-language Univision. Fourteen of the U.S. team members play professionally overseas as Bradley and Brazil coach Dunga both try to field the strongest side possible for this friendly. The U.S. holds a No. 17 international ranking. Soldier Field has a capacity of 61,500 and ticket sales have surpassed 28,000 as of today, the U.S. Soccer Federation reported. This unique game pits the U.S., champion of CONCACAF, the region of North America, Central America and the Caribbean, against Brazil, which won the title of CONMEBOL, the South American federation, by capturing Copa América. There were 60,000 at a sold-out Soldier Field June 24 when the U.S. came from behind to defeat Mexico 2-1 in the Gold Cup final. Donovan netted the equalizer and midfielder Benny Feilhaber's thunderous strike became the game-winner as the U.S. extended its unbeaten streak against Mexico on home soil to nine matches over eight years. In July, Brazil dominated favored Argentina 3-0 in the title match to collect its eighth Copa América crown. "The schedule this year has included some great challenges and playing against Brazil is another outstanding opportunity for this group," Bradley said in a USSF press release. "We have a good mix of players in camp and are excited about the chance to play against one of the best teams in the world." The U.S. is 10-4-1 since Bradley took over for 2007, but the Americans have dropped their last four outings. The U.S. won twice at Soldier Field in June, defeating Canada 2-1 June 21 in the Gold Cup semifinals before downing Mexico three days later in the championship game. Since that, the Americans are 0-4, most recently falling 1-0 to host Sweden on August 22. Thirteen of the players Bradley chose participated in the Gold Cup, led by striker Landon Donovan, who had a team-best four goals in the tournament and has nine goals in 11 outings with his national team in 2007. With 34 goals, Donovan is tied with Brian McBride for the most career tallies in U.S. men's history and the Los Angeles Galaxy star is one of five players from Major League Soccer. In 2007, Feilhaber became the seventh player in U.S. history to appear in 10 or more matches in his first calendar year with the full team. U.S. players come from five countries (Belgium, England, Germany, the Netherlands and Scotland) with England's Fulham sending two players in defender Carlos Bocanegra, who recently was named captain to replace the injured McBride, and midfielder Clint Dempsey. Bocanegra earned his 50th cap against Sweden last month. Tim Howard, who plays in England for Everton, was in net for the Gold Cup final against Mexico and has 10 shutouts in 23 career games for the U.S. Glasgow Rangers midfielder DaMarcus Beasley has three goals and three assists for the U.S. in 2007. Josh Wolff of 1860 Munich is the only of the four front-liners to be foreign-based. Wolff, Beasley and Bocanegra are all alumni of MLS's Chicago Fire and were part of Bradley's 2000 Fire that captured the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title. Bradley's top assistant, Peter Nowak, also played for that team which edged MLS rival, the Miami Fusion, 2-1 in the final October 21 at Soldier Field. Two other American players on this roster hold ties to the Chicago area. Defender Jonathan Spector, who is part of England's West Ham United, comes from suburban Arlington Heights, Ill., while Jay DeMerit, a defender for Watford in England, played his college ball for the University of Illinois at Chicago. While club teams around the world stand down this coming weekend for an international play date, MLS will hold a full schedule. However, the Kansas City Wizards are not in action again until September 15, so Bradley has summoned two of the team's best players. Striker Eddie Johnson, who has 11 goals in 30 international appearances, is tied for the MLS lead with 14 goals and will be joined by fellow attacker Davy Arnaud. Arnaud and reserve keeper Chris Seitz of MLS's Real Salt Lake are the two members of the U.S. roster yet to earn a cap. Seitz was strong for the U.S. in the recent Under-20 World Cup in Canada until he was hampered by injury. Dunga has called on a full-strength side, led by two-time FIFA "World Player of the Year" Ronaldinho, a midfielder for Spanish power Barcelona. In Brazil's last outing, he had a goal and an assist in a 2-0 decision over Algeria. Ronaldinho has 40 goals for Barcelona during the last two seasons and scored twice for Brazil when it won the 2002 World Cup. A.C. Milan midfielder Kaká, who led all scorers in the 2007 European Champions League with 10 goals in helping his Italian club to its seventh championship, is regarded as one of the best passers in the world. Robinho scored 14 goals while helping Real Madrid to capture the 2006-07 Spanish La Liga title and ended as the leading scorer in the 2007 Copa América with six goals. His fellow Real Madrid striker, Julio Baptista, and defender Daniel Alves of Spain's Sevilla scored two of the three goals in the 3-0 Copa América championship win over Argentina. After the Brazil clash, the U.S. is off until a trip to Europe for an
October 14 date against Catalonia at the Nou Camp in Barcelona before
facing Switzerland October 17 in Basel. Both October matches will be televised
on Fox Soccer Channel and Spanish-language Galavision. United States Goalkeepers (2): Tim Howard (Everton FC, England), Chris Seitz (Real Salt Lake, Major League Soccer). Defenders (7): Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham FC, England), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96, Germany), Jay DeMerit (Watford FC, England), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liège, Belgium), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock, Germany), Frank Simek (Sheffield Wednesday, England), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United, England). Midfielders (6): DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen, Netherlands), Bobby Convey (Reading FC, England), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC, England), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County, England), Kerry Zavagnin (Kansas City, MLS). Forwards (4): Davy Arnaud (Kansas City Wizards, MLS), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy, MLS), Eddie Johnson (Kansas City, MLS), Josh Wolff (1860 Munich). Brazil Goalkeepers (2): Doni (Roma, Italy), Julio Cesar (Inter Milan, Italy). Defenders (8): Maicon (Inter Milan, Italy), Daniel Alves (Sevilla, Spain), Alex Silva (São Paulo, Brazil), Lúcio (Bayern Munich, Germany), Juan (Roma, Italy), Alex (Chelsea, England), Kleber (Santos, Brazil), Gilberto (Hertha Berlin, Germany). Midfielders (8): Gilberto Silva (Arsenal, England), Mineiro (Hertha Berlin, Germany), Josué (VfL Wolfsburg, Germany), Fernando (Bordeaux, France), Elano (Manchester City, England), Kaká (AC Milan, Italy), Julio Baptista (Real Madrid, Spain), Diego (Werder Bremen, Germany). Forwards (4): Ronaldinho (Barcelona, Spain), Robinho (Real Madrid, Spain), Vagner Love (CSKA Moscow, Russia), Afonso (SC Heerenveen, Netherlands). U.S. To Play Brazil In Chicago CHICAGO (August 13, 2007) — US Soccer has replaced Mexico with #1 ranked Brazil for its September 9 international friendly. The game will be played in Chicago at Soldier Field. Billed as “The Clash Of Champions” both the U.S. and Brazil recently won their regional championships, with the U.S. beating Mexico for the CONCACAF Gold Cup title, and Brazil winning Copa America for the CONMEBOL South America championship. The game is set for 4 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and Univision. Fans can also follow the match live online via ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker. Fans can find out the latest ticket information at ussoccer.com. The original match between the U.S. and Mexico was canceled due to contractual and financial considerations. Brazil will be making a rare trip to the United States with their full roster as they begin preparations for the start of South American World Cup qualifying in October. Led by two-time FIFA World Player of the Year and Barcelona midfielder Ronaldinho, Brazil can deploy some of the finest attacking talent in the world. The midfield magician has scored 40 goals for Barcelona during the last two seasons, and scored two goals as part of Brazil’s 2002 World Cup winning side. Kaká is regarded as one of the most superb passers in the world. Real Madrid striker Robinho scored 14 goals in helping his side capture the 2006-07 Spanish league title, and ended as the leading scorer in the 2007 Copa America with six goals. Former Brazilian international midfielder Dunga took the reigns following the 2006 World Cup, and has amassed an 11-2-3 record since then, including a pair of 3-0 victories against archrivals and No. 2 ranked Argentina. This unique game pits the champions of CONCACAF against the champions of CONMEBOL after both teams captured their confederation championships earlier this summer. In Maracaibo, Venezuela, in July, Brazil dominated in a comprehensive 3-0 victory against Argentina in the final to collect their eighth Copa America crown. Goals by Julio Baptista and Daniel Alves paced the Seleção, the victory elevating Brazil back to the #1 position in the FIFA World Rankings. With 60,000 fans on hand at a sold-out Soldier Field in Chicago, the United States defeated Mexico 2-1 in the final to secure their second-consecutive Gold Cup title. Landon Donovan netted the equalizer and Benny Feilhaber’s thunderous strike became the game-winner as the U.S. extended their unbeaten home streak against Mexico to nine matches over eight years. "It is a very exciting opportunity for our players to get to play perhaps the most storied team in the world,” said U.S. head coach Bob Bradley. “We have developed a tremendous schedule for 2007, and adding Brazil is another important piece of the puzzle as we continue to build our team towards World Cup qualifying next year. I have told our players many times that these are special games, and we need to take advantage of the opportunity. We are very much looking forward to the challenge.” Under the leadership of Bradley, the United States has posted an impressive 10-3-1 record in 2007. Bradley, who took the reigns in December of 2006, became the first coach in U.S. history to record victories in his first three games with wins against Denmark, Mexico and Ecuador. Leading the charge on the field has been two-time U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year Landon Donovan, who has already amassed nine goals in 10 games this year. With his strike in the Gold Cup final, the 25-year-old moved into a tie for first place on the USA’s all-time leading goal-scoring chart with 34 goals. The U.S. has only one victory in the lifetime series against Brazil, holding a 1-11-0 record overall in meetings dating back to 1930. The lone win came on Feb. 10, 1998, in Los Angeles during the Gold Cup, with Preki Radosavljevic tallying the game-winner and Kasey Keller turning in a magical performance which Brazilian legend Romario described as “the greatest performance I have ever seen from a goalkeeper.” The teams last met in the 2003 edition of the Gold Cup, goals by Diego and AC Milan midfielder Kaka delivering Brazil a thrilling 2-1 golden goal victory in overtime in the tournament semifinals. By virtue of their respective titles, both the USA and Brazil will compete in the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa, a tournament which is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships (CAF, CONMEBOL, UEFA, AFC, OFC, CONCACAF), along with the FIFA World Cup champion (Italy) and the host country (South Africa). Next up on the U.S. schedule is the team’s first trip to Europe under Bradley, a match-up against 11-time World Cup finalist Sweden on Aug. 22 in Goteberg, Sweden. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. ET, and the match will be shown live on Fox Soccer Channel and Galavision. After the Brazil clash, the U.S. then takes advantage of a double FIFA
date in October, first facing Catalonia on Oct. 14 at the Nou Camp in
Barcelona, Spain, and then traveling to face Switzerland on Oct. 17 in
Basel. Both October matches will also be televised on Fox Soccer Channel
and Galavision. Date Match Venue Kickoff ^ CONCACAF Gold Cup U.S. vs. Mexico At Estadio Azteca on Sept. 9 CHICAGO (August 1, 2007) — The U.S. Men’s National Team will continue their long rivalry against Mexico when their third meeting of the year takes place Sept. 9 at the famed Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Kickoff for the teams’ first friendly on Mexican soil since 1984 is set for 3 p.m. CT, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and Univision. Fans can also follow the match live online via ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker. "Playing a match at the Estadio Azteca is one of the truly special qualities of the U.S.-Mexico rivalry," said U.S. head coach Bob Bradley, who is 2-0-0 in first two games against Mexico. "Along with the history and passion of the series, the distinctive challenges of playing away against Mexico present another valuable opportunity to advance our program.” The U.S. has dominated the series of late, collecting an 8-0-1 home record against Mexico since 2000. In the team’s last meeting, the U.S. engineered their first-ever come-from-behind victory against El Tri to complete a 2-1 victory and collect the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup title their fourth regional championship trophy (watch celebration on YouTube). In the other contest this year, goals from Jimmy Conrad and Landon Donovan elevated the U.S. to a 2-0 win on Feb. 7, 2007, before a sold-out crowd of 62,462 in Glendale, Ariz. The USA has never won a match on Mexican soil, holding a lifetime record of 0-22-1. Their last friendly in Mexico resulted in a 1-2 loss on Oct. 17, 1984, in Mexico City. The teams have played south of the border five times since, the USA’s lone goal during that span coming in the 2-1 loss in 2006 World Cup qualifying on March 27, 2005. Despite the loss, the Eddie Lewis strike in the 59th minute proved to be decisive in the final standings, giving the U.S. a one-goal advantage in goal differential and a first-place finish in the group. The U.S. has a lifetime record of 14-29-10 against Mexico in a series that dates to 1934. Since the rivalry between these two teams began in earnest in 1990, the sides have played 26 times, with the U.S. holding a 12-7-7 advantage. In the teams’ most significant matchup, the United States defeated Mexico, 2-0, in the Round of 16 of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, advancing the U.S. to the quarterfinals of the tournament for the first time in 72 years. Next up on the U.S. schedule is the first trip to Europe of the year, a matchup against 11-time World Cup finalist Sweden on Aug. 22 in Goteberg, Sweden. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. ET, and the match will be shown live on Fox Soccer Channel and Galavision. After the Mexico clash, the U.S. then takes advantage of a double FIFA date in October, first facing Catalonia on Oct. 14 at the Nou Camp in Barcelona, Spain, and then traveling to face Switzerland on Oct. 17 in Basel. Both October matches will also be televised on Fox Soccer Channel and Galavision. U.S. MNT 2007 Schedule ^ CONCACAF Gold Cup U.S. Three-And-Out In Copa America BARQUISIMETO, Venezuela (July 5, 2007) — With six players getting their first starts of Copa America, the U.S. fell to Colombia, 1-0, in the final match for the two teams that had both been previously eliminated from advancing to the second round of the 2007 tournament. Only two players in the U.S. starting lineup – Eddie Johnson (29) and Dan Califf (15) – came into the match with double-digit caps, and six of the first XI for the U.S. had three or fewer caps. Goalkeeper Brad Guzan, defenders Drew Moor and Bobby Boswell, midfielders Kyle Beckerman and Sacha Kljestan and forward Herculez Gomez came into the match with a combined 10 caps. Despite a heroic penalty kick save by Guzan in the first half and a late red card to the Colombian goalkeeper, the U.S. wasn’t able to overcome a 15th minute goal by Jaime Castrillon. "In all three games, I think we had moments when we played well,” said U.S. head coach Bob Bradley. “We still must be more consistent over 90 minutes in order to move to the next level. As we have said over the last few weeks, it is a great challenge to play in back-to-back tournaments. You run into situations with the various clubs, and as a result we brought a younger team here.” “This is an excellent tournament. The atmosphere in the stadiums, the passion, is something that is very special. We greatly appreciate the opportunity to have played in the 2007 Copa America." The first-ever match at the newly minted Estadio Metropolitan saw both teams with several free kicks in dangerous areas in the first half, but neither side was able to convert. Gomez put a shot wide in the fifth minute, and Kljestan fired right at the keeper in the 22nd minute for the most dangerous efforts for the U.S. Colombia got on the board first in 14th minute on a goal by Castrillon. After Boswell cleared out a long ball, Camilo Zuniga received a throw in and was able to send an uncontested cross in to Castrillon, who made a perfect run, beat Moor to the ball and headed it down inside the far post to a helpless Guzan, who, making his first start of 2007, had no chance. After a turnover in the U.S. half in the 35th minute Colombia quickly countered, slotting a ball between the U.S. back line to the on-rushing Hugo Rodallega who was in alone when Guzan came off his line and took him down as Rodallega tried to take a touch around the U.S. goalkeeper. Rodallega stepped up to take the spot kick, and his effort was denied by Guzan, who dove to his right to make the save. At halftime, Eddie Gaven made his second appearance of the tournament and the fifth of his career, as the former Under-17 and Under-20 National Team star replaced Gomez. The change combined with the halftime break sparked life into the U.S., who at times had the better of play in the second half. Gaven put a shot over the cross bar after Justin Mapp served in a cross from the left in the 53rd minute, and later in the 70th minute the U.S. put together on of it’s best chances. Second-half substitute Charlie Davies, making his Copa America debut, muscled off a defender in the area after Kljestan played one-touch chip over the Colombia back line. Davies dribbled out the left side of the area, Colombia goalkeeper Robinson Zapata in tow, before dropping the ball off to Eddie Johnson. Johnson took a touch inside before curling his shot toward the far post as Zapata scrambled back into his goalmouth. After a Kljestan header went over the goal in the 79th minute, the Colombians had the next chance in the 83rd minute. Andres Chitiva started the counter-attack after the U.S. had pushed forward, rushing up the right side and drawing Guzan off his line. Chitiva then touched a square ball to Rodallega in the center of the area looking at an open goal, but Lee Nguyen ran the full length of the field to touch the ball out for a corner at the last moment to keep the U.S. hopes for a result alive. A bizarre sequence in the 86th and 87th minutes saw a U.S. goal by Kyle Beckerman called back correctly for offside just prior to Zapata, the Colombian goalkeeper, being shown a red card after receiving his second yellow card, both of which were for delay. Off a corner kick, the ball bounced into the area for Boswell and Davies, who each tried to take a shot from near the penalty spot. It was Boswell who finally connected, but his effort bounced to the right post where Beckerman hammered it into the net from five yards out. The assistant referee's flag, however, went up immediately as Beckerman was clearly behind the Colombian back line. On the restart, Venezuelan referee Manuel Andarcia determined that Zapata was, again, taking too long as he took off his gloves to adjust his shoelaces. Andarcia wasted no time and showed the goalkeeper his second caution of the night. The game eventually resumed in the 90th minute as a 10-man Colombian team put Rodallega, who had earlier missed from the penalty spot, in the net as they had already made their three allotted substitutions. In four minutes of stoppage time, the U.S. only managed to one opportunity as a more experienced Colombian team was determined to kill what little time remained on the clock. The U.S. returns from Copa America having given 11 players their first taste of a tournament with the full national team, as Beckerman, Boswell, Davies, Gaven, Gomez, Guzan, Kljestan, Moor, Nguyen, Heath Pearce and Marvell Wynne had never before appeared in a FIFA World Cup qualifying or CONCACAF Gold Cup match. For Gomez, Moor and Wynne, it was their first-ever national team caps. After a 10-0-1 start under Bradley that included winning the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the USA’s home confederation’s tournament, the U.S. traveled to Venezuela with a youthful team and has lost three consecutive games for the first time since a trio of World Cup qualifiers between July 1 and Sept. 5, 2001. Next up on the U.S. schedule are three friendlies in Europe, beginning on Aug. 22 vs. Sweden in Goteberg, Sweden at 2:30 p.m. ET live on Fox Soccer Channel and Galavision. The U.S. then takes advantage of a double FIFA date in October, first facing Catalonia on Oct. 14 at the Nou Camp in Barcelona, Spain, and then traveling to face Switzerland on Oct. 17. Both October matches will also be televised on Fox Soccer Channel and Galavision. -- U.S. Men’s National Team Game Report -- Match-up: USA vs. Colombia Scoring Summary: 1 2 F COL – 17-Jaime Castrillón 14th minute Lineups: COL: 12-Robinson Zapata, 22-Camilo Zuñiga, 14-Luis Perea, 3-Mario
Yépez, 5-Javier Arizala; 17-Jaime Castrillón, 21-Jorge Banguero,
15-John Viáfara (13-Vladimir Marín, 55), 20-Macnelly Torres
(8-David Ferreira, 85); 19-César Valoyes (10-Andrés Chitiva,
78), 11-Hugo Rodallega Stats Summary: USA COL Misconduct Summary: Officials: |
