The U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team will use a pair of November friendlies as a bit of a tune-up for the upcoming Olympic playoff.
U.S. Soccer announced that the U-23s will take on Brazil in two November friendlies. Brazil, who are set to host the 2016 Olympics, will take on the U.S Nov. 11 at Ilha do Retiro Stadium in Recife before a rematch at Mangueirão Stadium in Belém four days later.
“For our Under-23 Olympic team it is vital now – because they face Colombia in March in the playoffs for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro – that they get games in,” said Jurgen Klinsmann. “We were able to arrange two friendly games with Brazil’s Under-23 team in the November fixture window, which is huge.
“It gives our players not only a chance to play against one of the best Under-23 teams in the world, but also to be in Brazil and get a little bit of a smell of what it could be then next summer at the Olympics. So this is a wonderful opportunity. We want to thank the Brazilian Federation for that invitation, and for Andi Herzog and his team it’s a great opportunity to measure themselves.”
The two friendlies will serve as preparation for March’s Olympic playoff with Colombia, which is set to be a home-and-home series. The playoff comes following the U.S.’s third-place finish at the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament.
What do you think of the two friendlies? What would you like to see from the U.S. in the two games?
Share your thoughts below.
No way am I ready to witness two more humiliating defeats. Good luck to the boys, but I am club > country for the foreseeable future. Keep you filthy hands off of Kellyn Acosta and Vic Ulloa.
since it’s a FIFA date, at least the ability to call up the best squad will be there. for Brooks, he isn’t getting time for his club at the moment anyway. Yedlin is a bit more tricky because we don’t really have many options. and despite the name, we need our best full USMNT roster going to T&T. that game is not going to be easy and we need to get a result there.
This is truly a tricky proposition for the coaches. You have the WC Qualifiers and these two friendlies against Brazil for the U-23’s so as some have already mentioned, do you get all of the players who you are considering for the Olympics together now and build some continuity going into the playoff or do you send the likes of Yedlin and Brooks with the senior team. I think you send them to Brazil with the 23’s if nothing else so you don’t get embarrassed and let complacency and a negative mentality creep in after a loss or two before the playoff comes around. I’m not saying that they will for sure keep brazil from going off but you’d have to think they’d limit or possibly neutralize the Brazilians a bit. You would also think that senior team could cope against the likes of T&T and Antigua w/o those two. Will we see Desevio Payne, Arriola, Tommy Thompson and Julian Green with this team?? Who knows with this management team but we need to get our best players together before we run the risk of not qualifying again
Why send yedlin and Brooks if he is fit to play in friendlies rather than WC qualifiers. Green should be there with u23s he is in good form right now with Bayern II
to build chemistry before the playoff series and hopefully ultimately Rio, but we need to qualify first or all of this prognosticating is all for nothing. It’s hard to imagine the senior team not being able to handle T&T and Antigua without Brooks and Yedlin, though i get what the reasoning would be behind bringing them to the WCQ’s because we have to start integrating more youth into the senior team but if Rio is as important as JK has stated(here we go again)then you get your more talented, age eligible players together as much as possible.
The U-23’s need to get the top 20 in camp together FINALLY! If a player is being considered for Rio they need to be in this camp. That includes Yedlin, Green, Brooks and the whole lot of the U-20’s who are projected to be at the Olympics.
all players MLS & abroad will be available. the only schedule conflicts are the senior team qualifiers vs. SVG and at TT.. very important games but I would rather see Yedlin and Brooks training with the Olympic team at this point.
two games in Brazil should be good prep for Colombia and hopefully Brazil.
I hope they know they can’t have Miazga for these games.
Considering that the Red Bulls will be knocked out of the playoffs on Sunday, there is no reason to think that Miazga won’t be available.
Are you referring to the same DC Scum *ahem*, excuse me… United team that hasn’t managed to beat them all year, whilst at the same time being out scored 8-2, and now have to over come an away goal deficit AT Red Bull Arean? THAT DC United?! I think your brain is lost in space… thank you though, I haven’t laughed like that since I was a little girl.
Thanks for the chuckle!
Even assuming RBNY are still playing after this weekend, Miazga will play in these games I think. They’re in an international window and would not require him to miss any playoffs games. Don’t get me wrong, as a RBNY fan, I’d prefer he stay here but I’m not sure the club can prevent him from going.
Guido, Arriola, Novakovich, Acosta and Scott should get a look.
This team needs all the friendliest it can get since they’re not going to the Olympics.
Will younger players like Yedlin and Brooks who also play on the national team go there or? And will Morris be available? Considering how little time a team like this gets together, I think it would be advisable to get your best team together for these friendlies and then the game vs. Columbia.