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USMNT announces Costa Rica and Belgium friendlies

 Costa Rica - SBI Belgium - SBI

By CALEB SONNELAND

The U.S. Soccer Federation has officially announced two upcoming friendlies against Belgium and Costa Rica in early September.

The United States Men's National Team will play host to the Costa Ricans at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California on Sept. 2, shortly before making the trip to Brussels to take on Belgium on Sept. 6.

Set for a 11pm ET kickoff, the Costa Rica game will be broadcast live on ESPN2, ESPN3.com and Galavision.

Tickets for the Costa Rica go on sale (starting at $20) to the public Friday, July 15, at 2pm ET.

Only four days later, the USMNT will clash Belgium on September 6th for the first time since 1998 and only the fourth time in its history.

The United States is very familiar with Costa Rica, having accumulated an even 11-11-6 record starting back in 1975, the last of which saw Jonathon Bornstein become the hero for the USMNT while condemning Costa Rica to a World Cup playoff with Uruguay, which it lost.  

The USA-Belgium friendly  is slated for a 2:30pm ET kick off, the match will be shown on ESPN Classic and ESPN3.com.

Belgium is boasting one of its best crop of players in years with the likes of Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, Steven Defour and captain Thomas Vermaelen (among others) all having been called up in the past.  Tim Howard could also be tested by Everton teammate Marouane Fellaini.

What do you think of these friendlies? Excited to see the U.S. team get back on the field? Who are you hoping to see get called up?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Fully expect to see new faces at both of these. Yelldell should get a call since he was recently snatched up by a first division team. I think it would be good for him. Chandler, Diskerud, Parkhurst just a few for Belgium. Davies for CR. Time to get this engine roaring!

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  2. Agree re: CR game; waste of time. What don’t we already know about them, and we will be playing them 2x in the qualifiers. Should be playing team like Colombia than CR.

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  3. Good setup by the USSF with equal opposition for both games:

    The Costa Rica game will most likely feature a USMNT composed of MLS & Mexico-based players exclusively, which matches up well against a decent Costa Rican squad.

    Belgium will play against our full squad, with the European-based players including possibly Donovan and Charlie Davies from MLS. This will be a good match-up for our “A” team. Much better than playing Spain or Argentina where we defend for our lives, then break for a counter attack or two.

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  4. Yeah, I think you’re right. I just read the post at ussoccer.com about the 2 friendlies;

    “The matches against Costa Rica and Belgium represent another great opportunity to continue the building process as we move towards the start of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying,” said U.S. head coach Bob Bradley. “We will have the chance to look at a variety of players and at the same time challenge ourselves against two very different opponents.”

    Sure sounds like BB expects to be coach for those two matches… I’ve been a player & diehard fan since the late 70’s. Over 3 decades of the same ole, same ole is getting tiring and my enthusiasm is waning. Even though talent pool is much deeper, I don’t think we’re much better team now if at all than we were in 94.

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  5. Personally, I don’t really care who we see on the pitch for these two matches but I would like to see a new coach on the side lines. These are two good matches though for a new coach to have a look at both domestic and foreign based players.

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  6. Hopefully Holden will be getting back to fitness by then, and we can play w/ our full attacking arsenal. And maybe Charlie Davies will continue to improve

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  7. Sheanon Williams, Shea, Gonzo, Ream, Loyd, Dax, maybe Alexander, CJ Sapong, Zusi, Balchan? , Pontius, Kitchen? White? maybe Mcdonald/Opara( hopefully Opara)

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  8. Too small of a sample size. John is very good, no doubt, and should get some looks. But I’d still take Ream over him. Here’s to both of them developing into starting CB’s for the nats!

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  9. Look, he may be solid, and he may have an upside, and who knows, maybe he’ll be better than Ream in 2014. Should he get a look now? definitely! I don’t see why not. But he’s hardly our “greatest talent” and is no lock to start. Neither is Ream, honestly. Just a little reality check.

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  10. John and Omar Gonzalez definitely need call ups for the CR match. Ream will be there too, and should be. A lot of players have runs of poor form like he is currently experiencing. Sure, he has a lot of developing to do, but he has some very promising qualities as well.

    Now we just need to work on the left back situation. Too bad M.A. Ponce is currently in Argentina playing for Mexico.

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  11. Meanwhile Bradley continues to be the coach…way to go US Soccer press in making the majority be felt and pressure the USSF…we will continue being number 2…

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  12. Well, that particular game won’t cap tie him anyway, but IF he plays well and they decide to cap him in September during Euro qualifying, he’s gone, yes.

    Unlikely scenario.

    He’s really, really good and as far as we know Ream is ahead of him because John couldn’t play in camp cupcake last year (injury) and Ream could. As far as we know, of course.

    I am an FCD homer, but he is legit. I don’t know about best since Rossi, but I don’t think that’s the criteria to start as a CB for us right now. More like best since Sub…

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  13. How’d Ream fare in his return to lowly mls play last game?…

    John excelled!…again.

    But its still not clicking is it? -sigh-

    Goodnight good Sirs

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