The USA/Italy match is finally here (2:25pm, ESPN) and we should have a great match today.

No real surprises in the lineups as both Italy and the USA field their strongest lineups.

I will be providing commentary throughout the match so please feel free to follow along here, and as always, share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action.

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FINAL– That's all for me folks. I know Rossi's performance, as well as the USA loss, have put a terrible taste in the mouths of U.S. fans, but there were some very good performances today by American players that shouldn't be overlooked. The result wasn't positive but the performance had more positives than negatives. This tournament was always about testing the U.S. team and seeing where it stood. I saw a team that is stronger than most folks would have thought two weeks ago after that loss to Costa Rica.

Feel free to share your post-game thoughts below (at least until a new post is up).

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FINAL– Gutsy performance by the United States today. They stood toe-to-toe with Italy when it was 11v11, then the referee lost his mind and gave an awful red card. The Americans responded very well, but ultimately it was Italy's class, and the finishing ability of American born and raised Giuseppe Rossi that proved too much against a short-handed U.S. team.

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FINAL– We didn't see it on the screen but we need to know if any American players took Rossi's jersey. He seemed more interested in celebrating with his teammates than shaking hands though so maybe nobody got it. 

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FINAL– Italy 3, USA 1.

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93rd Minute- GOAL ITALY!!!! And yeah, it was Rossi again. a beautiful volley finish off a great Pirlo move. Beats DeMerit and lofts one to a wide-open Rossi.

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92nd Minute– SAVE HOWARD!!! Stops Toni from point-blank range. Take that Italy.

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90th Minute– Davies with a free header but he mistimes his header and sends it over.

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89th Minute– USA with a corner. They need to at least get a shot on goal.

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88th Minute– Wow, Kljestan with a shot for the far corner, he nearly curled it in. That shot is in his repertoire.

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87th Minute– Toni with a free header but sends it right at Howard. Can the Americans respond?

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84th Minute– Sacha Kljestan is set to come in. He comes in for Bornstein.

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83rd Minute– The Americans have seven minutes to make something happen, but Italy continues to press forward.

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79th Minute– Do the Americans have anything left?

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76th Minute– I know I don't have to address this until the next European season but I'll say it now. I will get rid of the American-born players playing for other countries section of Americans Abroad. I won't subject U.S. fans to seeing Rossi's name anymore.

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75th Minute– The Americans look pretty lost right now. An equalizer doesn't seem likely right now. Italy has a lead and a man advantage and will be able to knock it around.

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73rd Minute– The two most hated players on the Italian team for U.S. fans score both goals. What a nightmare. Italy 2, USA 1.

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72nd Minute- GOAL ITALY!!!! And it's DeRossi. WOW. what a finish.

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71st Minute– Beasley is set to come into this match.

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70th Minute– Luca Toni is in the game now and set pieces will get a lot more interesting for Italy.

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68th Minute– Italy keeps applying pressure as Pirlo sends a blast at Howard that Howard slaps away.

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66th Minute– Davies is better at closing people down defensively as well as providing a speed option for U.S. passers to look to spring.

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65th Minute– Here comes Charlie Davies in for Jozy Altidore. Davies has more speed and Altidore has to be worn down after a great first half.

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64th Minute– Okay folks, this game isn't over yet. The Americans need a point from this game and right now still have that point. They can't let the wheels fall off. Not sure who the next sub would be though.

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62nd Minute– You know, for some reason, I actually thought Rossi wouldn't celebrate a goal against the USA. Not sure why. Can't blame him for celebrating, but anybody who thinks he has any more feelings toward the United States is kidding themselves.

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61st Minute– No, Rossi never attended Clifton High School. He left for Italy just before high school.

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60th Minute– Rossi strips Feilhaber in midfield, races down and buries a 28-yard blast past Howard. WOW, what a finish. And yes USA fans, you can feel free to curse Rossi.

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59th Minute- GOAL ITALY. And yes, it was Rossi with a blast and yes, he celebrated. WOW, what a goal.

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57th Minute– If you're asking yourself "When was Rossi in the Red Bulls Academy?" The answer is never.

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57th Minute– Yes folks, Giuseppe Rossi is in the match for Gattuso, Montolivo for Camoranesi.

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56th Minute– Italy with another corner, but it's headed wide.

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55th Minute– Ricardo Montolivo is set to come into this match. Camoranesi and Iaquinta have been largely ineffective today so one of them should come out.

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54th Minute– You have to think Villarreal's new manager is watching this game and thinking he can find some playing time for Altidore.

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53rd Minute– Yes, that's Camoranesi fouling Bornstein out of frustration. You read that right.

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51st Minute– Dempsey with some good movement on the ball, but he held on to it a touch too long.

Feilhaber has done very well with some these long passes. He's got great vision to pick out teammates from distance.

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50th Minute– Spector has done very well to keep Grosso quiet on the overlap and has forced Iaquinta to float centrally to find some space to operate.

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49th Minute– Feilhaber gets stripped but the US defense covers well for him.

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48th Minute– DeMerit with a classy move to step in and strip Iaquinta in the box. Clutch play.

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47th Minute– Spector blocks a Gross cross and concedes a corner. It's played short and blocked for another corner.

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46th Minute– We're back. No changes.

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HALFTIME– Don't be surprised to see some halftime subs from Italy to add more punch to the attack. As for the U.S. team? I think you keep it the same starting out the second half, though adding some defensive bite later will be needed. What the Americans must do though is be sure not to shrink into a defensive shell. They looked willing to attack despite being a man down and that looked to keep Italy on its heels. Things won't be as easy in the second half, but the U.S. team must keep Italy honest.

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HALFTIME– USA 1, Italy 0. Yes, that score is right. The U.S. team is a man down but still leading the world champions on a Donovan penalty kick. The Americans have been solid in the back and have kept Italy's defense honest thanks to an inspired Altidore, who has been a handful.

The question now is what will Marcelo Lippi do at halftime to adjust. Italy is a man up and should start sending extra men forward to take advantage of that.

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45th Minute– Onyewu has been a force today, anchoring things and winning everything in the air.

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45th Minute– The U.S. back-line has been rock solid today.

Italy corner kick.

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45th Minute– One minute of stoppage.

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44th Minute– Pirlo and Bradley stare each other down. They're locked in a very good battle.

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43rd Minute– Bornstein is holding his own against Camoranesi today.

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43rd Minute– Bradley with a blistering shot that forces a save from Buffon, who could only slap it down. Nice attempt.

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41st Minute– Back to the PK. Altidore with a great move to cut inside on Chiellini and force a foul from the Juventus centerback. He complained about no card for Chiellini, but Altidore should be happy he got that call. We have a game now. USA needs to make sure not to sit back now because Italy will pick them apart.

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41st Minute- GOAL DONOVAN!!!!!!!!!!!!! He converts the PK. USA 1, Italy 0.

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39th Minute– Wow, USA caught a break. Bornstein re-directed one past Tim Howard for an own goal, but the linesman had ruled Italy offside. Wow.

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37th Minute– It's just so disappointed to see such a good game ruined. This was going to provide a good measuring stick of where the U.S. team is, but now the Americans have to play a man down for two thirds of the game, which will skew what we can take from this contest.

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37th Minute– Donovan sends the free kick high, over the bar. Another wasted one.

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36th Minute– Donovan earns a free kick after getting hit in the face by Grosso (who got a yellow card). They need to make something out of this.

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33rd Minute– Clark gets red-carded for a challenge on Gattuso. VERY questionable red card there.

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32nd Minute– Pirlo with a long-range free kick that dips in front of Howard, who can only deflect it out for a corner. Italy fouls on the corner.

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31st Minute– Onyewu halts an Italy break with a timely tackle in the area after Bradley was stripped, leading to a counter.

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30th Minute– Bradley with a great tackle to start another USA sequence, Donovan springs Altidore, but he can't get a pass off. He needs to take the left-footed shot there.

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29th Minute– Italy with a short corner, and a header, but Howard gets to it in time.

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27th Minute– Some good stuff from the Americans. They've been very steady. Anybody thinking they would be intimidated has been disappointed.

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24th Minute– Italy's defense is just so tough to crack, with DeRossi sitting in front of the defense and Gattuso roaming, there isn't a lot of time on the ball for the U.S. midfielders.

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20th Minute– Bornstein gets the yellow card for tugging down Camoranesi. Not sure about that one.

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19th Minute– No fear from the Americans early on, but also no creativity. Donovan and Feilhaber need to start creating.

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19th Minute– Clark with a very tough tackle, then wins another ball. Nice sequence.

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18th Minute– Bradley does very well to strip Camoranesi as Italy had numbers going forward.

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17th Minute– Italy threatens on a dangerous run from Camoranesi from the midfield, but no real threat on the shot. Clark needs to keep his head up.

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16th Minute– Still waiting for some creativity from the U.S. midfield.

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15th Minute– Loving the Altidore-Chiellini match-up. Fun one to watch.

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14th Minute– Grosso looks dangerous in his first run forward, but Spector recovers and does well to squash the danger.

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13th Minute– Gilardino tries from distance but it never troubles Howard.

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12th Minute– Bradley looking sharp early on. Still waiting for Feilhaber to make an impact.

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11th Minute– This is a big game for everybody on the U.S. team, but Onyewu and Altidore have extra incentive. Onyewu is a free agent and Altidore is looking for a loan destination if he doesn't stay at Villarreal. Both could draw serious interest with good games today.

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10th Minute– Donovan got wiped out on a pass but no call. Altidore is moving very well today. He looks very good early on.

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9th Minute– Donovan lays it off to Dempsey, who shanks his shot wide.

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8th Minute– Donovan can't afford to waste any free kicks today.

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8th Minute– Altidore draws a foul from Gattuso for a good free kick for the USA.

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5th Minute– DeMerit does well to pick off a through-pass. Italy is pressing but the U.S. defense holds up well.

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4th Minute– Altidore with a nice move to get by Chiellini but he gets closed down pretty quickly.

Iaquinta is going to keep Spector busy all day long.

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2nd Minute– Pirlo will be floating quite a bit. Bradley and Clark have to be aware of where he is at all times.

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1st Minute– We're under way

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PRE GAME– Here are the lineups for today:

———————-HOWARD———————–

———–DEMERIT———–ONYEWU————-

=================Gilardino===================

SPECTOR———————————BORNSTEIN

=====Iaquinta===============Camoranesi====

————–BRADLEY——-CLARK——————

==================Pirlo===================

FEILHABER———————————-DEMPSEY

=========DeRossi========Gattuso===========

———–DONOVAN———-ALTIDORE————-

Grosso====Chiellini===LeGrottaigle====Zambrotta

===============Buffon=====================