Soccer with Chris

U.S. Men Head to Florida as Scotland Comes to Jacksonville and Antigua & Barbuda Visits Tampa

SoccerChris — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 03:00:30 +0000

The U.S. Men’s National Team announced Wednesday that it is headed to Florida for two matches this May and June, hosting Scotland on May 26 at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Fla., and opening FIFA World Cup Qualifying on June 8 in Tampa, Fla. The USA has a bit of history with Scotland, but it has yet to face Antigua and Barbuda – a team that the U.S. will face twice during FIFA World Cup Qualifying.

Feb. 15, 2012

IN THE IMAGE: The last time the U.S. played a country for the first time, Landon Donovan netted a dramatic stoppage-time goal against Algeria on June 23, 2010, in the FIFA World Cup.

The U.S. Men’s National Team announced Wednesday it is headed to Florida for two matches this May and June, hosting Scotland on May 26 at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Fla., and opening 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying on June 8 in Tampa, Fla. The USA has a bit of history with Scotland, but it has yet to face Antigua and Barbuda – a team that the U.S. will face twice during FIFA World Cup Qualifying.

The U.S. Men’s National Team will host a new opponent when it takes on Antigua and Barbuda on June 8 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. The two sides will square off as part of the Semifinal Round of FIFA World Cup Qualifying.

Antigua and Barbuda will be the 91st country the U.S. Men will face in the history of the program.

The last time the U.S. played a country for the first time was back on June 23, 2010, when it defeated Algeria 1-0 during the FIFA World Cup to win Group C on Landon Donovan’s dramatic stoppage-time goal. That game was preceded by the USA’s first match against Slovenia on June 18, 2010, a 2-2 draw in the second group game.

While Antigua and Barbuda is months away from announcing its roster heading into the match, it is clear that much of the team’s attacking goes through Antiguan forward Peter Byers. Byers, who has eight goals in qualifying (the most goals among active players in qualifying), plays for the Los Angeles Blues in the USL PRO. He first debuted for Antigua and Barbuda’s national team in 2004. Last year, the 27-year-old Byers had two hat tricks in World Cup Qualifying victories against the U.S. Virgin Islands on Sept. 6 and Oct. 11.

With Antigua Barracuda FC joining the USL PRO for the 2011 season, naturally the majority of Antigua and Barbuda national team flocked to this franchise and spent the year playing among the league’s various U.S.-based teams.

Antigua and Barbuda captain and defender George Dublin, midfielder Tamorley “Ziggy” Thomas and forward Randolph Burton are among a group of 18 capped players who have recent ties to Antigua Barracuda, which finished its first USL PRO season with a 9-13-2 record.

The U.S. will visit Antigua and Barbuda for the first time on Oct. 12 as part of CONCACAF semifinal-round qualification for the 2014 World Cup.

U.S. Turnaround Against Scotland: The first three times the U.S. faced Scotland, it lost all three matches by a combined 11-0 margin. But the series has turned around since that opening, with the United States earning a victory and two draws. The USA (1-3-2 in the head-to-head series) first met Scotland on June 19, 1949, dropping a 4-0 decision at Randall’s Island, N.Y.

Scotland netted a 6-0 win against the U.S. on April 30, 1952, in Glasgow, Scotland, followed by a 1-0 victory on May 17, 1992, in Denver, Colo.

The U.S. garnered its first win against Scotland on May 26, 1996, with Eric Wynalda and Cobi Jones tallying goals en route to a 2-1 victory in New Britain, Conn. The two teams played to a scoreless draw on May 30, 1998, at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.

Most recently, the U.S. and Scotland played to a 1-1 draw on Nov. 12, 2005, in Glasgow. Josh Wolff converted a penalty kick in the ninth minute, but Scotland responded later in the first half. The USA dominated the match but could not find the game-winner.

Article source: http://www.ussoccer.com/News/Mens-National-Team/2012/02/US-Men-Host-Antigua-and-Barbuda-for-First-Time.aspx

A Look Back: U.S. Men’s National Team Returns to Florida for Key Matches in Jacksonville and Tampa

SoccerChris — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 02:00:26 +0000

The U.S. Men’s National Team returns to Florida for two critical matches this summer as part of a five-match stretch that includes the start of qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Feb. 15, 2012

IN THE IMAGE: Landon Donovan scored a hat trick against Ecuador when the teams faced off in Tampa on March 25, 2007.

CHICAGO (Feb. 15, 2012) – The U.S. Men’s National Team returns to Florida for two critical matches heading into this summer as part of a five-match stretch that includes the start of qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

The U.S. will face Scotland on May 26 in Jacksonville, Fla. Kickoff at EverBank Field is set for 8 p.m. ET, and the match will be shown live on the NBC Sports Network in the channel’s debut broadcast of a Men’s National Team game, as well as the Univision family of networks.

History vs. Scotland and Antigua Barbuda | Highlights: 1996 | 1998 | 2005

“Jacksonville has an amazing facility and is the perfect place for us to begin our important summer schedule,” said U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann. “We are excited to bring the U.S. National Team back to a part of the country we haven’t visited in many years. It’s fantastic that we can continue to give fans in different parts of the country the chance to share in the journey.”

The United States will kick off the effort to qualify for its seventh consecutive FIFA World Cup when they host Antigua and Barbuda on June 8 at Raymond James Stadium, marking the first World Cup qualifier in the state of Florida since the USA defeated Mexico 2-1 on Nov. 23, 1980, in Ft. Lauderdale. The semifinal round opener begins at 7 p.m. ET live on ESPN, ESPN3 and the Univision family of networks.

“Our focus since last summer has been to prepare this team for World Cup qualifying, and we are thrilled that we can start the process in Tampa,” said Klinsmann. “It’s critical that we start qualifying off on the right foot, so to be in a place where the team has had such great support is a huge positive for us. The players always talk about how great the surface is at Raymond James Stadium, so overall we think it is the ideal venue.”

Fans can follow both matches live on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and via Twitter @ussoccer.

Ticket information will be announced in the near future. To find out when tickets will go on sale for both for matches, join U.S. Soccer’s ticket alert email list. For the opportunity to purchase tickets for either game before the general public, join the U.S. Soccer Supporters Club and earn priority access to the ticket presale.

The U.S. has played Scotland six times in its history, holding a lifetime record of 1-3-2 in a series dating back to 1949. The teams last met on U.S. soil in the USA’s final preparation match before the 1998 FIFA World Cup, playing to a scoreless draw on May 30, 1998, in Washington, D.C. The Tartan Army narrowly missed out on qualifying for the 2012 European Championship from a group that included defending FIFA World Cup champion Spain. Scotland’s strike force includes Kris Boyd, the all-time leading goalscorer in the Scottish Premier League who recently signed with the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer.

Jacksonville will host a U.S. Men’s National Team for the first time since Feb. 6, 1999, when the USA recorded a massive upset of defending European Champion Germany with a 3-0 victory.

The United States has never played against Antigua and Barbuda, which qualified for the Semifinal Round of qualifying for the first time ever after winning Group F with a combined score of 25-3. Along with these two teams, Group A is comprised of Guatemala and Jamaica. Each opponent will meet twice, once at home and once away, in round robin play. The top teams from each of three groups will advance to the Final Round of qualifying, which will take place in 2013. Three teams will automatically qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, while the fourth place team will play in a two-leg playoff against the winner of the Oceania region.

The United States will be making its seventh appearance in Tampa dating back to a 1-1 tie with Switzerland in 1985. Overall, the U.S. has a 3-2-1 record with wins against Finland (1990), Ecuador (2007) and El Salvador (2010). The 2007 matchup is the most memorable, with 31,547 on hand at Raymond James Stadium to see a magnificent hat trick by Landon Donovan in a 3-1 victory. In 2008, Raymond James Stadium hosted the U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team for the group phase of CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying. The U.S. posted a 2-0-1 record against Cuba, Panama and Honduras.

Following the match against Scotland, the U.S. continues its competition against the world’s top teams when they host five-time World Cup champion Brazil on Wednesday, May 30 in Landover, Md. Kickoff for the USA’s first-ever match at FedExField is set for 8 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2, ESPN3 and Univision. Fans can also follow the match live online via ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and Twitter @ussoccer.

For the last game before the start of World Cup qualifying, the United States will make a rare visit to Canada when it renews the rivalry June 3 at BMO Field in Toronto. Kickoff for the USA’s first match on Canadian soil since 1997 is set for 7 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network. Fans can also follow the match live online via ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and Twitter @ussoccer.

Article source: http://www.ussoccer.com/News/Mens-National-Team/2012/02/US-MNT-Returns-to-Florida.aspx

U.S. Soccer Supports Development of Player ‘Intangibles’

SoccerChris — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:57:38 +0000

EXACT Sports will monitor and train the psychological readiness of Development Academy players.

Feb. 21, 2012

In an effort to continue to provide the elite youth soccer players in the Development Academy with unique opportunities to improve their development, U.S. Soccer has partnered with EXACT Sports, an expert in behavioral assessments and sport psychology tools.

During 2012, Exact Sports will monitor and train the more than 4,000 players and coaches across the 78 Development Academy clubs using the Mental Achievement Program (MAP). The MAP tool will provide a detailed behavioral profile to every athlete in the Academy and provide them with the tools to increase characteristics such as motivation, confidence, competitiveness, leadership and mental toughness.

“The MAP has been successfully utilized by our National Teams and will be another exclusive opportunity for the players in the Development Academy to improve their overall development,” said U.S. Development Academy Director of Scouting Tony Lepore. “Along with the physical and technical tools, mental preparation is an essential component for success in soccer. The MAP should help players better understand the mental attributes required of them to maximize performance on and off-field.”

EXACT’s Mental Achievement Program was developed by a team of scientists that have expertise in the monitoring of athlete development. Development Academy clubs join over 60 professional teams such as the Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Penguins, and New York Red Bull, and more than 100 NCAA soccer teams including University of North Carolina, Wake Forest University, and Indiana University, in using the MAP to aid coaching staff and elevate player performance. “There are many elements within soccer that are mental, such as managing adversity during a corner kick, being confident in goal, showing leadership on the field and interacting with coaches and teammates,” said Executive Director of EXACT Sports Barry Tarter.

Each Academy player will have the ability to annually update his MAP behavioral profile. The program will be utilized by his club coaches to assist in Academy training and preparation.

“Development Academy clubs will get unrestricted access to EXACT’s team of mental experts,” said Tarter. Our priority is to assist each club’s coaching staff in better preparing their team and players for success at the highest level.”

West Ham United Midfielder Sebastian Lletget Added to U.S. U-23 MNT Camp Roster

SoccerChris — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 23:57:37 +0000

U.S. U-23 Men’s National Team head coach Caleb Porter has added Sebastian Lletget to the roster for the training camp in Frisco, Texas.

Feb. 21, 2012

U.S. U-23 Men’s National Team head coach Caleb Porter has added Sebastian Lletget to the roster for the training camp in Frisco, Texas. The West Ham United midfielder will join the group Feb. 25 in advance of the friendly against Mexico on Wed., Feb. 29 at FC Dallas Stadium (TICKETS). Kickoff for the Olympic Qualifying tune-up is set for 9 p.m. CT, and the match will be broadcast live on Univision. Fans can also follow along on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and Twitter @ussoccer.

The U-23s began gathering Feb. 19 in Frisco for a 10-game camp that serves as the final evaluation before the start of CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying.

CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying begins on March 22, with Group A games being played at LP Field in Nashville and Group B games at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The USA was drawn into Group A with Canada, Cuba and El Salvador, while Group B is composed of Mexico, Honduras, Panama and Trinidad Tobago.

The semifinal and final matches will be played at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan., on March 31 and April 2, respectively. Individual tickets are on sale for the games in Nashville and Carson, and series tickets are available for the knockout phase in Kansas City.

U.S. U-23 MNT Roster By Position

GOALKEEPERS (2): Bill Hamid (D.C. United; Annandale, Va.), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire; Lilburn, Ga.)
DEFENDERS (7): Greg Garza (Club Tijuana; Grapevine, Texas), Perry Kitchen (D.C. United; Indianapolis, Ind.), Alfredo Morales (Hertha Berlin; Berlin, Germany), Ike Opara (San Jose Earthquakes; Durham, N.C.), Kofi Sarkodie (Houston Dynamo; Huber Heights, Ohio), Zarek Valentin (Montreal Impact; Lancaster, Pa.), Jorge Villafaña (Chivas USA; Anaheim, Calif.)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Joe Corona (Club Tijuana; Chula Vista, Calif.), Mix Diskerud (Gent; Oslo, Norway), Dilly Duka (Columbus Crew; Montville, N.J.), Jared Jeffrey (Mainz; Richardson, Texas), Sebastian Lletget (West Ham United; San Francisco, Calif), Amobi Okugo (Philadelphia Union; Sacramento, Calif.), Michael Stephens (LA Galaxy; Naperville, Ill.)
FORWARDS (8): Freddy Adu (Philadelphia Union; Potomac, Md.), Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls; Barnegat, N.J.), Terrence Boyd (Borussia Dortmund; Berlin, Germany), Teal Bunbury (Sporting Kansas City; Prior Lake, Minn.), Joe Gyau (Hoffenheim: Silver Spring, Md.), Jack McInerney (Philadelphia Union; Alpharetta, Ga.), Brek Shea (FC Dallas; Bryan, Texas), Tony Taylor (Estoril Praia; Jacksonville, Fla.)

Article source: http://www.ussoccer.com/News/U-23-MNT/2012/02/Lletget-Added-to-U23-MNT-Roster.aspx

U-23 WNT Heads to La Manga, Spain for First Matches of the Year

SoccerChris — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:56:27 +0000

The U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team will travel to La Manga, Spain, from Feb. 20-March 2 to compete in the Four Nations Tournament that also features the U-23 sides from Sweden, England and Norway.

Feb. 19, 2012

The U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team will travel to La Manga, Spain, from Feb. 20-March 2 to compete in the Four Nations Tournament that also features the U-23 sides from Sweden, England and Norway. U.S. head coach Randy Waldrum has named a team for his first international matches at the helm of the USA’s oldest youth national team that features four players with experience playing in WPS and an additional five players who were high draft picks this past January. The roster is rounded out with some of the top collegiate players in the country.

The USA opens the tournament on Feb. 26 against Sweden, will face England on Feb. 28 and finishes the competition against Norway on March 1. The full U.S. Women’s National Team will be competing in neighboring Portugal in the Algarve Cup during that time. Almost all of the players on U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage’s Algarve Cup roster have participated with the U.S. U-21/U-23 Women’s National Team at some point in their youth careers.

U.S. U-23 WNT Roster By Position:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Adrianna Franch (Oklahoma State; Salina, Kan.), Bianca Henninger (unattached; Los Gatos, Calif.)
DEFENDERS (7): Natasha Anasi (Duke; Arlington, Texas), Lauren Barnes (out of contract; Upland, Calif.), Jazmine Hall (Notre Dame; Highland Village, Texas), Camille Levin (unattached; Newport Coast, Calif.), Toni Pressley (unattached; Melbourne, Fla.), Elli Reed (out of contract; Park City, Utah), Kika Toulouse (Virginia; Arlington, Va.)
MIDFIELDERS (5): Amber Brooks (North Carolina; New Hope, Pa.), Zakiya Bywaters (UCLA; Las Vegas, Nev.), Bianca D’Agostino (out of contract; Longmeadow, Mass.), Sinead Farrelly (out of contract; Havertown, Pa.), Taylor Lytle (Texas Tech; Las Cruces, N.M.),
FORWARDS (4): Vicki DiMartino (Boston College; Massapequa, N.Y.), Stephanie Ochs (unattached; San Diego, Calif.), Morgan Marlborough (Santa Clara; Lee’s Summit, Mo.), Lindsay Taylor (unattached; Los Altos, Calif.)

Article source: http://www.ussoccer.com/News/U-23-WNT/2012/02/U23-WNT-Heads-to-La-Manga-for-First-Matches-of-2012.aspx

Swanson Names 20-Player U.S. Roster for 2012 CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship in Panama

SoccerChris — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:56:26 +0000

USA Will Face Guatemala, Cuba and Panama in Quest for Berth to 2012 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Japan

Feb. 21, 2012

IN THE IMAGE: Defender Mollie Pathman is one of four players on the current roster who participated at the 2010 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Germany.

CHICAGO (Feb. 21, 2012) – U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team head coach Steve Swanson has named the 20-player roster for the 2012 CONCACAF U-20 Women’s Championship to be held in Panama City, Panama, from March 1-11.

The U.S. will kick off Group B play against Guatemala at 5 p.m. ET on Friday, March 2. The USA will then face Cuba at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 4, and wrap up group play against host Panama at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 6. The winner of Group A will meet the Group B runner-up, and vice versa, in the semifinal matches on Friday, March 9.

The finalists and the winner of the third-place game qualify for the 2012 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Japan. The third-place game and title games will take place on Sunday, March 11 with the championship kicking off at 9 p.m. ET. All matches will be played at the Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City, Panama.

Group A, which consists of Mexico, Haiti, Canada and Jamaica, will kick off the tournament on Thursday, March 1.

“We are excited about the challenge that the qualifying tournament presents for us at this point in time,” said Swanson. “We have prepared extremely hard these past two camps in order to be ready for what we know will be a strong field and a difficult environment in Panama.”

The U.S. team is coming off an impressive sweep of three matches at the Four Nations Tournament in La Manga, Spain, where it defeated the U-20 sides of Switzerland (10-0), Germany (1-0) and Norway (2-0).

Swanson, who became head coach of this age group last August, will be coaching in his first qualifying tournament and has chosen a roster chock full of collegiate stars, as well as some of the top high school-aged players in the country. Fifteen players on the roster have at least one college season on their resumes while the remaining five are high school seniors.

“This qualifying roster is a testament to all the coaches at every level who have helped develop these players over the years,” said Swanson. “We feel strongly in the ability of all these players technically, tactically, physically and mentally but what makes this group really special is how well they can play together.”

Leading the way are four members of the U.S. team that participated in the 2010 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Germany. North Carolina defender Crystal Dunn, who also started for the USA in the 2008 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in New Zealand, is joined by three other youth World Cup veterans in Penn State forward Maya Hayes, UCLA midfielder Sam Mewis and Duke defender Mollie Pathman, who has been captaining the team. Mewis, the younger sister of U.S. Women’s National Team player Kristie Mewis, also started for the USA in New Zealand.

Six players on the roster were key members of the U.S. U-17 team that failed to qualify for the 2010 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup despite out-scoring its opposition 38-0 during the qualifying tournament in Costa Rica. A dominant U.S. team fell in penalty kicks in the semifinal to Canada, giving those half dozen players an even bigger chip on their shoulders heading to Panama. Two of the players who were in Costa Rica are goalkeepers: Bryane Heaberlin, who has enrolled early at North Carolina, and Abby Smith, who plays for the Dallas Texans.

Rounding out the group of defenders are the versatile Stephanie Amack, the youngest player on the team, who plays for Mustang Blast in Northern California, Florida State center back Kassey Kallman, who has been anchoring the defense, Olivia Brannon, an excellent individual defender from Virginia and high school senior Cari Roccaro. Brannon and Roccaro were also on that U-17 qualifying team.

The U.S. midfield is a talented one, featuring Morgan Brian, who was the Soccer America Freshman of the Year for Virginia and also the Gatorade Female High School Athlete of the Year as a senior, as well as the youngest member of the U.S. U-17 Women’s World Cup Team in New Zealand. Vanessa DiBernardo, who had a fine season for Illinois this past fall while scoring 17 goals, is the daughter of former U.S. international Angelo DiBernardo, who earned 20 caps from 1979-1985.

Julie Johnston is a two-way defensive midfielder from Santa Clara, while Sarah Killion was perhaps UCLA’s best freshman this past season. Mandy Laddish, another veteran of the USA’s 2008 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Team, has showed her skills and attacking ability for Notre Dame the past two seasons.

The U.S. team will bring speed and strength in its group of forwards. The attacking corps features the savvy Micaela Capelle of Portland, Hayes (who scored an astounding 31 goals last season for the Nittany Lions), Lindsey Horan, the USA’s leading scorer for the U-17s two years ago and perhaps the nation’s top high-school aged striker, the blazing Kealia Ohai, who scored six goals with six assists for UNC this past season, the powerful and skillful Katie Stengel, who scored 19 times for Wake Forest and dynamic dribbler Chi Ubogagu, who scored 10 goals with 10 assists in helping Stanford to the NCAA title.

“We are coming off some quality performances in Spain against three teams that have already qualified for the Finals in Japan, which has given us some confidence,” said Swanson. “We still have some fine tuning to do, but at this point in time the team has worked very hard to understand their roles and the way we want to play on both sides of the ball.”

U.S. U-20 Women’s National Team Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Bryane Heaberlin (North Carolina; St. Petersburg, Fla.), Abby Smith (Dallas Texans; Dallas, Texas)
DEFENDERS (6): Stephanie Amack (Mustang Blast; Pleasanton, Calif.), Olivia Brannon (Virginia; Troy, Mich.) Crystal Dunn (North Carolina; Rockville Centre, N.Y.), Kassey Kallman (Florida State; Woodbury, Minn.), Mollie Pathman (Duke; Durham, N.C.), Cari Roccaro (Albertson Fury; East Islip, N.Y.)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Morgan Brian (Virginia; St. Simmons Island, Ga.), Vanessa DiBernardo (Illinois; Naperville, Ill.), Julie Johnston (Santa Clara; Mesa, Ariz.), Sarah Killion (UCLA; Fort Wayne, Ind.), Mandy Laddish (Notre Dame; Lee’s Summit, Mo.), Sam Mewis (UCLA; Hanson, Mass.)
FORWARDS (6): Micaela Capelle (Portland; Gresham, Ore.), Maya Hayes (Penn State; West Orange, N.J.), Lindsey Horan (Colorado Rush; Golden, Colo.), Kealia Ohai (North Carolina; Draper, Utah), Katie Stengel (Wake Forest; Melbourne, Fla.), Chi Ubogagu (Stanford; Coppell, Texas)

Article source: http://www.ussoccer.com/News/U-20-WNT/2012/02/Swanson-Names-20-Player-Roster-for-Qualifying.aspx

U.S. Men Host First-Time Opponent Antigua & Barbuda in June

SoccerChris — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:49:16 +0000

The U.S. Men’s National Team announced Wednesday that it is headed to Florida for two matches this May and June, hosting Scotland on May 26 at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Fla., and opening FIFA World Cup Qualifying on June 8 in Tampa, Fla. The USA has a bit of history with Scotland, but it has yet to face Antigua and Barbuda – a team that the U.S. will face twice during FIFA World Cup Qualifying.

Feb. 15, 2012

IN THE IMAGE: The last time the U.S. played a country for the first time, Landon Donovan netted a dramatic stoppage-time goal against Algeria on June 23, 2010, in the FIFA World Cup.

Antigua and Barbuda will be the 91st country the U.S. Men will face in the history of the program.

The U.S. will visit Antigua and Barbuda for the first time on Oct. 12 as part of CONCACAF semifinal-round qualification for the 2014 World Cup.

Scotland netted a 6-0 win against the U.S. on April 30, 1952, in Glasgow, Scotland, followed by a 1-0 victory on May 17, 1992, in Denver, Colo.

Article source: http://www.ussoccer.com/News/Mens-National-Team/2012/02/US-Men-Host-Antigua-and-Barbuda-for-First-Time.aspx

Torre Replaces Cunningham on U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team Training Camp in Florida

SoccerChris — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 21:27:03 +0000

U.S. U-20 MNT Will Play Two Matches at Disney Wide World of Sports

Feb. 19, 2012 – © U.S. Soccer

CHICAGO (Feb. 19, 2012) – U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team head coach Tab Ramos has added defender Javan Torre to the roster for a domestic training camp from Feb. 20-March 1 in Clermont, Fla.

Torre, a Development Academy player from the LA Galaxy replaces defender Sean Cunnigham of Mode FK in Norway. Cunningham has withdrawn from camp due to injury and upcoming club commitments.

As part of the camp, the U.S. U-20 MNT will face the reserve teams from FC Dallas on Sunday, Feb. 26, at 4 p.m. ET and Montreal Impact on Wednesday, Feb. 29, at 10:30 a.m. ET. Both matches will take place at the Disney Wide World of Sports complex.

Torre is the fifth Development Academy player on the training camp roster, joining Daniel Garcia, Alfred Koroma, Collin Martin and Andrew Oliver.

U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team Roster By Position:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Tomas Gomez (Georgetown; Webster Groves, Mo.), Jesus Guzman (Santos Laguna; San Jose, Calif.), Kamil Kaminski (Legia Warszawa; Berlin, Conn.)

DEFENDERS (8): AJ Cochran (Wisconsin; St. Louis, Mo.), Christian Dean (California; East Palo Alto, Calif.), Mobi Fehr (Unattached; Tokyo, Japan), Eric Miller (Creighton; Woodbury, Minn.), Juan Pablo Ocegueda (UANL Tigres; Riverside, Calif.), Boyd Okwuonu (North Carolina; Edmund, Okla.), Javan Torre (LA Galaxy Academy; Santa Monica, Calif.) Walker Zimmerman (Furman; Lawrenceville, Ga.).

MIDFIELDERS (10): Seth Casiple (California; Rocklin, Calif.), Daniel Cuevas (Santos Laguna; Sacramento, Calif.), Matt Dunn (OFK Beograd; Dallas, Texas), Daniel Garcia (FC Dallas Academy; Dallas, Texas), Alejandro Guido (Unattached; Chula Vista, Calif.), Benji Joya (Santos Laguna; San Jose, Calif.), Mikey Lopez (North Carolina; Mission, Texas), Collin Martin (D.C. United Academy; Chevy Chase, Md.), Daniel Metzger (Maryland; Staten Island, N.Y.), Victor Pineda (Chicago Fire; Bollingbrook, Ill.)

FORWARDS (5): Villyan Bijev (Fortuna Düsseldorf; Fresno, Calif.), Alfred Koroma (Solar Chelsea SC; Southlake, Texas), Sean Okoli (Wake Forest; Federal Way, Wash.), Andrew Oliver (Chicago Fire Academy; Indianapolis, Ind.), Omar Salgado (Vancouver Whitecaps; El Paso, Texas)

Article source: http://www.ussoccer.com/News/U-20-MNT/2012/02/U20-MNT-Roster-Addition.aspx

USA vs Brazil TICKETS ON SALE – U.S. Will Host Five-Time FIFA World Cup Champion Brazil on May 30 at FedExField in Landover, Maryland

SoccerChris — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 19:10:27 +0000

ESPN2, ESPN3 and Univision to Broadcast Fourth Meeting in Four Years Live at 8 p.m. ET

IN THE IMAGE: The U.S. prepares to duel against Brazil again, this time May 30 at FedExField.

CHICAGO (Feb. 9, 2012) – The U.S. Men’s National Team continues its competition against the world’s top teams when they host five-time World Cup champions Brazil on Wednesday, May 30 in Landover, Md. Kickoff for the USA’s first ever match at FedExField is set for 8 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2, ESPN3 and Univision. Fans can purchase TICKETS HERE or follow the match live online via ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and Twitter @ussoccer.

The match against global powerhouse Brazil will be the second of the year for the United States against teams ranked in the top 10, following the Feb. 29 game against Italy in Genoa (TICKETS). The U.S. will be playing a series of friendlies in advance of the start of their 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, including a June 3 match against Canada in Toronto. The venue for a third friendly and the opening match of World Cup qualifying on June 8 against Antigua and Barbuda will be announced next week. This match will be Brazil’s first in the United States since 2010.

Tickets go on sale to the public Friday, Feb. 17, at 10 a.m. ET through ussoccer.com, through Ticketmaster Phone Charge at 800-745-300 and at all Ticketmaster ticket centers throughout the Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia region. Groups of 30 or more can begin placing orders on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 10 a.m. ET through ussoccer.com or the FedExField Ticket Office at 301-276-6050.

History vs. Brazil | Blog: U.S. Victory vs. Brazil
Past Highlights: 2010 | 2007 | 2003 | 2001 | 1998

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“When you talk about Brazil, you are speaking of one of the most gifted football playing nations in the world,” said U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann. “It is our goal to be able to match up against teams like Brazil on a consistent basis, so this is an amazing opportunity. FedExField is an awesome facility for soccer as we have seen from the games they have hosted, so we are excited to play our first game in the stadium.”

This will be the fourth meeting in as many years between the United States and Brazil, the most recent a 2-0 win for the Seleção on Aug. 10, 2010, in front of more than 77,000 fans at the New Meadowlands Stadium. The teams have played 16 times in their history, with the U.S. going 1-15-0 in a series that dates to 1930. The U.S. and Brazil squared off in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup final, the USA’s first championship match in a major FIFA competition. After defeating No.1-ranked Spain in the semifinal, the U.S. jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals by Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan before Brazil rallied for a 3-2 victory.

While Brazil is in the midst of preparing to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the U.S. has played nine matches under Jurgen Klinsmann since last August, riding a three-match winning streak to a 4-4-1 record.

The U.S. Men will play only their third match in Maryland in team history, and the first since 1997 when they fell 1-0 to Ecuador on Aug. 7 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. FedExField has hosted numerous soccer events, including six matches in the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup as well as the highest-attended soccer game ever in the D.C. area when 81,807 fans watched Manchester United capture a 2-1 win against Barcelona on July 31, 2011, in the World Football Challenge.

The U.S. Men’s National Team will begin their journey towards the 2014 FIFA World Cup this June when they begin play in Group A of CONCACAF Semifinal Round qualifying. Along with the U.S., Group A is comprised of Antigua and Barbuda, Guatemala and Jamaica. Each opponent will meet twice, once at home and once away, in round robin play. The USA’s opening match in group play will take place June 8 at home against first-time semifinalists Antigua and Barbuda. Four days later, the U.S. will play away against Guatemala.

Article source: http://www.ussoccer.com/News/Mens-National-Team/2012/02/US-to-Host-Five-Time-FIFA-World-Cup-Champion-Brazil-on-May-30.aspx

Alexi Lalas, a rock n’ roll star

SoccerChris — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 17:34:38 +0000

"World Cup changed my life" - said Alexi Lalas. PHOTO Chris Reiko

By FIFA.com

“It’s just perfect for my family here,” a smiling, baseball-capped Alexi Lalas told FIFA.com as he arrived for an exclusive interview not 50 metres from Manhattan Beach, in the south of Los Angeles.

The ginger-haired, guitar-playing former centre-half, who made his name at the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA™, has called this part of the world home for the last few years. Following a spell as general manager of Los Angeles Galaxy, which ended in August 2008, the dedicated family man now spends his time championing the domestic game and offering his views as a star pundit for ESPN.

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The MLS’s most staunch advocate, having passionately supported its development since its inaugural season in 1996, Lalas has packed a lot into his eventful career, one that took off when the greatest footballing show on Earth came to the States two years prior to that landmark date.

Thanks for the memories
“I’m living proof of the impact the World Cup can have on someone. It changed my life,” said the self-styled showman, who, with his flowing locks and rock-star beard, epitomised the carefree attitude of a spirited side that held its own against the world’s best, despite the USA’s lack of a professional domestic league.

“If it hadn’t have been for that summer, I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you now,” added Lalas, who started all four of the host nation’s games that summer. “It opened a whole lot of doors for me. It showed me that if you can get your timing right and take the opportunities that come your way, then you can achieve big things, even if you’re not the most talented of players.”

One door that opened up for Lalas after USA 1994 was Serie A. In signing on the dotted line for Padova later that year, he became the first American footballer to play in Italy and went on to make 33 appearances in his first spell with the club, scoring three goals in all, one of them against Inter Milan.

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“Along with the World Cup, that’s the highlight of my footballing career,” said the man who was named US Soccer Athlete of the Year in 1995. “I was proud to be the first. I opened the way and when I see Michael Bradley at Chievo today, nearly 20 years later, I say to myself that I achieved something pretty amazing. More than anything, I became a better person there, and that’s what really counts for me.”

After just nine months in calcio the pioneering central defender embarked on an exciting new challenge at New England Revolution in the recently founded MLS. Teething problems delayed the start of the new league by a year, giving Lalas time to make a brief return on loan to Padova before MLS finally roared into action in 1996. A decade and a half on, he has fond memories of his involvement in its early days: “Coming back for the start of the new league was a big risk, but I’m very proud I did it.”

After turning out for a number of clubs in the years that followed and making the USA squad for France 1998, where he sat the tournament out on the bench, Lalas took a two-year sabbatical before ending his playing career at Los Angeles Galaxy.

A move into general management then followed, with Lalas taking charge at San Jose Earthquakes, then Red Bull New York and finally the Galaxy. Since his association with the LA outfit came to an end, however, he has remained out of the game.

“I’ve no regrets and I had some fantastic experiences,” he said reflecting on those four incident-packed years, in which he dealt with takeovers and witnessed the David Beckham phenomenon at first hand. “I made some mistakes and I learned a lot, and it taught me to have a different perspective on things. In my job as a commentator it’s helped understand decisions that maybe the fans can’t.

“I’m proud of what I did when I was president,” he added, reflecting on his role upstairs with the Galaxy. “The club’s DNA needed changing and it needed a new identity after Beckham’s arrival, a process that I worked on. The Galaxy had to change the way it was seen by the people of America and the world too.”

Behind the mic
An MLS Cup winner with the Los Angeles side in 2002, Lalas is enjoying life as a football pundit, offering his expert views on MLS and football around the world: “I love the opportunity it gives me to have fun and express myself. I take it seriously but I enjoy it too. It’s a job I love doing.”

Though he spends three weeks a month at ESPN’s studios in Connecticut, on the other side of the country, Lalas is content with his work-life balance: “This new job is less stressful for my family and I get to spend more time with them now.”

A former singer and guitarist with the rock band Gypsies, he also has more time to devote to music, his other great passion and a constant in his life: “I did tours and recorded albums, and they were huge opportunities for me. But even though that’s all behind me now, I still play and record stuff at home. Music’s in me. I was born with it.”

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Article source: http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/stories/doyouremember/news/newsid=1585611.html?cid=rssfeed&att=