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USMNT to finish year with November friendly in Austria

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Photo by John Todd/ISIphotos.com

By DAN KARELL

With Austria’s elimination earlier on Friday from World Cup contention, the U.S. Men’s National Team was able to confirm the final game on their 2013 schedule.

In the second half of the USMNT’s 2-0 victory against Panama, U.S. Soccer confirmed on their official Twitter account that the USMNT will travel to face Austria in a friendly match on November 19 in Vienna. The match is the second of two European-based friendlies that head coach Jurgen Klinsmann scheduled in November, following the USMNT’s game vs. Scotland four days earlier.

The Austrian National Team is currently ranked No. 47 in FIFA’s most recent world rankings and include Bayern Munich left midfielder/defender David Alaba and FC Nurnburg defender Emmanuel Pogatetz in the squad.

The match against Austria will be the 23rd of the calendar year for the USMNT, who won their 15th out of 20 matches on Friday. The game is likely to take place at the venue for the Euro 2008 Final, the Ernst Happel Stadium, with a seating capacity of more than 50,000 fans

Austria are in Group C of UEFA World Cup qualifying, currently sitting in third place with 14 points from nine matches, behind Germany and Sweden.

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What do you think of this news? Do you believe this will be a good test for the USMNT? Do you see more European-based players being called in?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Should be decent tests and hopefully we pull out wins or at least a draw to continue our unbeaten streak in Europe which go back to Nov 2011.

    before the World Cup I wanna see 3 matches- 1 against an African side and 2 against a South American team. Perhaps Egypt, Paraguay and Peru

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  2. It is fun to blurt out the name of a country that the U.S. could play, but that doesn’t mean it will happen anytime soon. I admittedly don’t know the ins and outs of setting up international friendlies, but I am guessing a good many things have to fall in to place to get one scheduled where both nations can put out a semi-full squad at any given time. Just be happy we are not playing San Marino or Andorra, or, for that matter, having to prepare for a trip to New Zealand.

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  3. I just really hope Klinsi will schedule some friendliest against some south American sides, and in south America. Historically, cold weather teams have never done well in WC’s in a very hot south America. And so I think it would do us more good to go there.

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    • I think he stated the other day that he wants to set up a friendly in Brazil before the Cup starts. And if you are wanting to set up some kind of weather prep i.e. heat and humidity, the U.S. would likely choose to have friendlies in the American South, somewhere like Nashville or Birmingham.

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    • Hmm, well considering that 8-10 out of the 23 chosen for the WC play primarily in MLS or Liga MX during the summer months, I think the USMNT will be just fine.

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  4. Go and look at the Austrian roster. They have more guys playing in top leagues around Europe than most of the teams in CONCACAF. They played a great match yesterday against Sweden and were unfortunate to lose. Also, David Alaba their left back has more big European trophies as a teenager than our entire squad combined. Austria is a solid European squad and anyone complaining about this match knows jack about UEFA teams.

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  5. calm down people. Scotland has improved a lot since we played them. Early in the year they were trying to establish a “Scottish-style” just as the US was trying to find its playing identity. They’re very physical with a very good midfield and a suspect-but-improving defense. Austria (despite not qualifying) split their home-and-away series with Sweden (who can still qualify). They’re not push-overs. It’ll be a good test of our squad’s focus: if some players end the year with little competitive spirit and poor mental preparation, you’ll see their stock drop significantly prior to January camp. Austria will be a tricky game for a squad that has a still-rounding-into-form Dempsey and recently injured Bradley. I’m looking forward to these before we start playing friendlies against other World Cup participants in 2014.

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  6. Italy win
    Russia draw
    Bosnia win

    Scotland, Austria. I would have picked Portugal or Sweden (but since they’re in the play-offs) why not Poland. That’s a good nation and it would sell out. I really like Poland. can’t we play them again and not just in Chicago? or how about Switzerland or Greece.

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    • You forgot to mention a Slovenia and Scotland win. These two sides will bring out a hostile crowd for the US to deal with. That’s what Klinsmann is looking for.

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  7. that being said. it seems like this is a country chosen for a sorta easy US victory. Let’s see we beat Bosnia in Europe. Italy in Europe. Need to continue this winning in Europe streak that we’re on

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  8. austria? austria? austria?

    why not Ghana for christsake. or South Korea or Japan

    could have the match in London. That would be a sellout, trust me.

    Austria is a nothing. It’s barely on the footballing map. Might as well have played Estonia or Albania. At least those nations are pro-US

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  9. Given who we could arrange in the window of time available, I think it’s a more interesting match than playing Scotland again is. I really don’t get what we think we’re going to learn by playing a team we thrashed when we were NOT playing well under Klinsi.

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  10. Will a Chandler siting possibly happen? Or the mayor of Hannover, Cherundolo? Wouldn’t doubt seeing Boyd get some playing time as he plays in that league…

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  11. Better than Scotland but still not really World Cup quality. Didn’t we play England and Netherlands for these matches in the last cycle? Am I alone in thinking that we have playing down in our friendlies lately?

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    • Pretty much. Seeing we scheduled all those teams but England under Klinsi. Belgium is rated higher, Germany was as well. Same w/ Bosnia.

      The only people who still think England is a world class team are located in a 20 mile radius of London. 1966 is ancient history.

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    • Lately we have played the toughest friendlies we’ve ever played by a mile… and done well. That’s why these two are such outliers.

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