Photo by ISIPhotos.com
Several reports earlier this month suggested that a USA-Argentina friendly in Seattle next March was in the works, and now a fresh report has emerged suggesting the match is a done deal.
ESPN Deportes is quoting an organizer of Argentine national team friendlies, who reportedly confirmed that Argentina will play the United States in Seattle on March 26th.
ESPN Deportes doesn't exactly have the best track record with reporting U.S. national team-related information, but the fact that Costa Rica announced a friendly with Argentina for March 29th on Wednesday, a match that will commemorate the opening of Costa Rica's new national stadium, it does seem as though Argentina is closing in on finalizing its plans for the March FIFA window.
If the United does face Argentina, it will mark their first meeting since a memorable scoreless draw in June of 2008 in New Jersey.
The USA-Argentina friendly was added to list of matches on FIFA's website, but the FIFA website calendar is not official and is put together, in part, with the help of media reports.
One interesting question now is, if the USA is playing Argentina, who will the Americans play on March 29th/30th? Mexico was trying to secure a match with Argentina in Los Angeles for that time. Could the United States take on Mexico in a mid-week tilt, or will they choose to wait until next summer's CONCACAF Gold Cup to renew their rivalry?
U.S. Soccer has yet to confirm the finalization of any March friendlies.
If the USA-Argentina match is, in fact, a done deal, will you be making the trip to the Pacific Northwest?
Share your thoughts below.
Can’t wait. Assuming that would be an A team call-up.
Ever heard of the airline Polar route? No need to go to NYC to get to Europe
1 SSFC season ticket holder that’s gonna do some scalping
Enjoy the cold weather in March everyone. I will in Miami enjoying the perfect weather and wishing the game was here…
Let me put it this way, amongst the available or soon to be available midfielders there isn’t anyone who is close to being the kind of creative, attacking player the USMNT needs, players “like ” the guys I mentioned. Diskerud or this Lletget kid (who I have yet to see) may have the potential, but they have a ways to go.
If Del Bosque had another Xavi, that guy would probably sit and provide depth. There is usually only room for one guy like that in a lineup like Spain’s.
Argentina probably could have found someone to play that role but,for reasons best known to him, Maradona decided to play street ball instead.
I will be there!!!!!!!
Salumi’s has better sandwiches.
“We need attacking players, midfielders or forwards like Forlan, Xavi, Sneljder or Robben…”
Besides Uruguay, Spain & Netherlands, what national team doesn’t need a world class attacker??
Suggesting what Bradley needs is one of the best players on the planet does not need to be said. Every team a Xavi & if you asked del Bosque, he would tell you Spain could use another.
My Point? I thought Argentina was a center mid away from having the best team on the planet. They have freaking Maxi Rodruigez center, Messi withdrawn & in front of Higuan & Tevez. All of that with Mascherano holding for all of them!
I am so happy this game is local. Hopefully they bring their top team. If not I suppose I can settle for Diego Milito up top…
Too Strong Jones and Lady Jones will most certainly be in attendance. We’ve been waiting for this. I can’t wait.
Eddie Johnson is a proven goal scorer against Argentina 😉
bizzy,
“In other words is saying if you field the same limit VETS time and time again your gonna get the same thing…..”
I disagree with your conclusions but I know what you are getting at. However,
if that is what you meant to say then you should write that. What you originally wrote is not the same thing.
You’re nitpicking because the balance of what you wrote was inaccurate and my response is mostly accurate.
Our gaggle of holding midfielders does not give us the creative, attacking midfield threat this team lacks. Nor does it give us the left back, the dangerous winger, the goalscoring striker the team also lacks.
Play whatever eligible players you dig up, play any formation you want, bring in whichever manager you like, it doesn’t alter that.
Considering Oregon is the world’s largest producer of grass seed, it’s safe to say it may be ‘local.’
wow, Are you serious??….you write and dont even remember…lol, OMG THAT IS RANTING!!!!. TEX Had to put you straight…
you said(copy and paste):
“There is still no proven left back”
and
” our center back situation, while promising, still needs to be sorted out” then you try to argue that????…..Depth means the degree of intensity!!!!!! So why are you arguing?? wow
“then you say we dont have any depth in the back,”
Nope, I said the centerback situation stil needs sorting out; that’s not the same thing.
“then make a totally wrong statement saying all our midfielders have the same style of play (but TEX put it straight), then agree that we need something different from what we have (“different” is the opposite of same ol’ same ol’, which BB is all about)”
No, I said that even though the various holding midfielders do have different qualities at the end of the day none of them are creative attacking players on a consistent basis at the international level.
” then my favorite….I’m ranting…lol, and you write a novel…..”
I takes a bit or writing to sort through all the inaccuracies you put out. I could have just written ” bizzy, you’re full of it” and leave it at that.
“(“different” is the opposite of same ol’ same ol’, which BB is all about), ”
The best national teams have usually have something like consistent lineup over a few years. If the US player pool were as deep and talented as Brazil’s, Argentina’s or Holland’s you could afford to field a completely new 11 every other game or so but that isn’t the case.
GW my statement “….another fielding “the same starting 11” expecting “different results”…..In other words is saying if you field the same limit VETS time and time again your gonna get the same thing…..then you oppose me then contradict yourself by saying “You can put lipstick on a pig but it’s still a pig”……look before you leap
Sometimes I wonder, first you respond blindly and think you have a point, then you say we dont have any depth in the back, then make a totally wrong statement saying all our midfielders have the same style of play (but TEX put it straight), then agree that we need something different from what we have (“different” is the opposite of same ol’ same ol’, which BB is all about), then my favorite….I’m ranting…lol, and you write a novel…..
“So please don’t try to tell me that the parts are all there….”
lol, where did you get that from my post??
I’m going. I’m thinking a sandwich at Paseo first, then bus it downtown for a beer or three pre-match.
When we had exhibition games here in Seattle before, they put down some grass. They don’t do it all the time but it is possible they will for this match.
Texas,
Re the midfield thing, yes there are a lot of possibilites amongst our gaggle of holding midfielders, but there is a limit to those possibilities. You can put lipstick on a pig but it’s still a pig.
None of them are really good at being dynamic,creative attacking players, at least not at the international level. To expect any of them to play that way consistently is foolish.
Let me put it another way, Argentina might be saying ” We have to watch out for Dempsey and/or Donovan” but I’d be surprised if they singled out any of our other players for special attention. “Holden, Sacha, Benny, Torres” – I’d be very surprised if Argentina are overly worried about the offensive abilities of these guys nor should they.
We need attacking players, midfielders or forwards like Forlan, Xavi, Sneljder or Robben in the last Wordl Cup and we don’t have anyone like them. Even our dynamic duo aren’t in their class. Donovan is the closest thing we have to an offensive “generator” and even he isn’t really that kind of player.
A player(s) like that would instantly make our workmanlike USMNT much more credible. Great managers tend to have one thing in common, lots of really good and one or two great players.
Robben said it best, the US isn’t a very talented team but they are hard to play against.
D’oh. Woops.
They have a national team?
Glad to hear that’s the case.
from one irrational rant … to the next.
GW,
to say that all those mids are “mostly variations on the same guy” is grossly inaccurate.
Bradley, Clark, Jones, Edu – If you were to say that these mids are quite similar, I would agree with you. But even among these three there is variation in style of play and ability. Any combo of these mids would comprise our most physical central tandem. You couldn’t say that of any of the others.
Holden, Sacha, Benny, Torres – These guys are likely to be our best dribblers and creators. You would not put that description on any of the above players except for possibly Jones. And you would not want these guys deployed as a the deep lying play maker or as a buffer to the back line.
Regarding the new kids, Daniel Williams seems to be in the mold of a Jones. Who knows about Huzeler and Hoyos?
Beckerman, McCarty and the like are certainly Defensive/Holding Mids but they should not be on the bench until they do something of note.
In all there are lots of variations in ability, style and instincts in this group. The variations provide lots of possibilites in our midfield. I think that most people see this and that’s probably why we have so many arguments on these boards about what combos are deployed.
Regarding the LB spot you are dead on. No disagreement whatsoever. Castillo? No. Spector? Not on form. Bornstein? I just threw up in my mouth. I hold out hope for Pearce, but not a lot.
You can count me as one of the folks who are disappointed that Bob is back. In my view he has shown that he can not “assemble” the parts into a winning side. His player selection is OK. His game day line ups and substitutions are my biggest gripe. We still do not have a defined style or system other than patching holes and putting out fires. I have no doubt he is a good coach but I have little faith in him as a manager.
Dang that was long
no, it is real turf, trust me
I wouldn’t mind seeing US v Germany in Austin or San Antonio. That would be nice. Of course closer to home in TX stadium would be nice as well.
It’s in South Carolina. Lovely little town.
“Its so hard being a diehard USMNT fan. Its so tough believing in the coaching staff;
Another day, another game, another disappointment…another heartburn seeing Findley, Bornstein and Spector….another fielding “the same starting 11” expecting “different results” scheme….another come from behind after a weak first half and then substituting the right players to prove the right spark…..”
Your rant is inaccurate and somewhat irrational. Of course, that is to be expected with a rant.
The USMNT hasn’t fielded the same starting 11 for two games in a row in 2010. Look it up. That probably goes back even further into 2009 but you get the point.
They are in an experimental phase right now so,if it so hard on you, perhaps you should just not watch the games until the Gold Cup starts.
As for this expecting “different results” even though you are fielding the same players, it is a little tiring having everyone always adapting the line about “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results” to a soccer game.
The fact is there is no such thing as an identical lineup, an identical game. Every game is different and unique. Even if you play the exact same opponent, the exact same lineup a week later ( that doesn’t happen as far as I can tell) it’s a different circumstance altogether. The same players are either better or worse. Either they’ve figured out the opponent better or their opponent has figures them out better. Or maybe they’ve developed an injury along the way. There are literally hundreds of things tangible and intagible that could be different enough to affect the result.
BB is known for casting a much wider net for players than any of his predecessors but the fact remains that,even though the US player pool is much better,wider and deeper than it has been, it’s still pretty thin and limited. And our opponents have kept pace so it’s almost a wash.
The US suddenly has lots of midfield prospects but they are mostly variations on the same guy. Bradley, Jones, Holden, Edu, Sacha, Clark, Benny, Torres and for the newer possibles Daniel williams, Huzeler,Hoyos, MCcarty, etc. are all variations on the holding midfielder theme.
There is still no proven left back, no proven,creative, centrally oriented attacking midfielder, no proven winger, no proven goal scoring striker and our center back situation, while promising, still needs to be sorted out. Most worrisome of all,there are no proven alternatives to Dempsey and Donovan.
So please don’t try to tell me that the parts are all there and all it requires is someone to come and assemble it correctly and we’ll win the World Cup. The USMNT is a flawed team, a second or third tier team with a number of serious questions that need answers.
The South Africa game provided us with some hope in terms of the young guys but there is a long way to go.
lol
At this point I would rather put dempsey up front as a lone striker in a 4-5-1. We have plenty of midfielders. In fact I rather take my chances with agudelo and dempsey up front.
Will be a fantastic match. We could win. Argentina is easily a top5 team. We need to play like GODS in this match. Higuain, Tevez, Messi, Aguero. whoa
I just hope that they don’t wear matching uniforms again.
Haha we wouldn’t get spanked if we brought our A-squad, I’d actually be surprised if we lost by more than a goal.
Please confirm USA v Russia at Craven Cottage Feb 9th!!! I fly to London that week to see Deuce and the Whites take on Chelsea already!
Fake turf game?
¿donde ‘sta Columbia?
Its so hard being a diehard USMNT fan. Its so tough believing in the coaching staff;
Another day, another game, another disappointment…another heartburn seeing Findley, Bornstein and Spector….another fielding “the same starting 11” expecting “different results” scheme….another come from behind after a weak first half and then substituting the right players to prove the right spark…..
Although I dislike BB, Please, please, please prove me wrong on this one….
Fantastic news. We best bring our A team for a match of this caliber.
Best believe sistagurl Dempsey will be bringing his A game and looking to score.
now just to confirm the friendly against Spain for May or June. please say Texas
who invited “debbie Jake Oliver downer”?
don’t like … don’t watch
Doubt we get spanked. If we bring something close to our top team, they should stay organized enough to make it very tough on Argentina. We actually do well against the less physical Central and South American sides.
Our C/B team only got spanked in Copa after they ran out of gas 60 minutes in, otherwise they contained them well.
Hopefully Dempsey adds Argenina to the impressive list of opponenets he’s scored against.
no Jozy? oh you want a proven scorer against Argentina like Eddie Johnson eh?
I don’t think playing a friendly on the West Coast during the European season is the best idea in the world…
Somewhere in the Pacific Northwest, a sod farmer is happy.
Will we bring the “A” team or field a team on newbies? Either way we get spanked. Hope Bornstein is available lol
Brazil, Columbia, Chile, Argentina… Are we making a play for an invite to Copa America 2012?
I’ll definitely fly home to Seattle for that one. My girlfriend is from Argentina so she’ll be totally into it.
happy thanksgiving folks!
id like to fly up from california if dempsey and donovan will play. our offense is so dull when they dont participate. (jozy doesnt need to come).
GO USA!
We need to get Americans fillin up that stadium now and fast. everybody, bring at least 3-5 friends lol.
heck yes! great to see some high caliber opponents for our boys! I’m guessing we’d be able to call in most if not all of our first team along with some fresh faces