The U.S. men's national team returns to action later today in Paris, where the Americans will take on France (2:55 p.m., ESPN2).
Jurgen Klinsmann will look to help the U.S. team post its first win in Europe since March of 2008 (against Poland) by beating a young French team that is expected to field an experimental squad against the United States.
Here is my Fox Soccer preview on the match, which focuses on Michael Orozco Fiscal and Kyle Beckerman, who could both be in the starting lineup. For a look at the match from the French team's perspective, here is a Sports Illustrated feature on French players to watch.
SBi will be providing live commentary during the USA-France match this afternoon, but until then, make this your place to discuss the match. Which lineup would you like to see Klinsmann go with? Do you think the United States can beat France? Who do you see having a big game today?
Share your thoughts below.
that crest is inspiring to say the least. i feel we need to petition the USSF to look into new ideas on redesign…who’s with me?
Sigh… Edu and Beckerman again in the middle…
On the contrary. I predict them to make some bad defensive mistakes and concede a couple of goals, move the ball pretty well offensively without creating any scoring chances, take very few shots on goal, and Klinsmann to be fairly pleased with the performance and movement.
Just like the last five games.
…… Why does it matter? It’s a flip of the channel….
Except lately it is very easy to predict that they will score 1 or less goals.
How about this one?
http://www.kckrs.com/this-guy-has-designed-a-new-crest-he-want-the-ussf-to-use/
That’s why he had a renaissance for Rangers playing on the right flank, right?
#Wrong.
BTW, Erik Soler is officially bats#@t crazy:
“I don’t think we made any mistakes with the De Rosario trade,” Soler said… We needed more power in the midfield, and we did a trade and were happy with the trade. The trade helped us get into the playoffs. D.C. did not get into the playoffs.”
Think of all the different crazy rationalizations that go into that statement and the obvious refutations for each of them. NYRB is being run by a madman who is incapable of perceiving the most obvious mistakes even when they walk right up to him and slap him in the face. NYRB is doomed.
Thanks NE Matt. Settled in at Portsmouth Brewery.
Agree with you MOF would not even start for the Union this year.
espn3.com
live stream?
The only thing you could predict is not being able to predict the US team. They’re very unpredictable.
It also doesn’t wash as their are more than 2 CBs on a roster. Why can’t they compete for 3 through 6?
It all begins with Beckerman, though. If it doesn’t get through him, the attack never gets started and, all too frequently, the ball doesn’t get through Kyle Beckerman.
“Nice preview article of today’s match. But I think Beckerman has already proved in his outings under Klinsmann that he can play the lone holding midfield position quite well in the Klinsmann system.”
until he makes a pass. Beckerman is playing really well, but his passing is not international calibar.
Oh man, I’d better run to the L before match time!
it’s very common for CBs to be paired a la Pinky and the Brain. Gooch and Goodson make a great 1 & 2 on th ebruiser side. Gonzalez makes an easy 3 and he will climb the depth chart once he’s gone to Europe, but the pressing issue is finding a #2 for Boca. Right now there isn’t one. It’s the one area in the back 4 where we literally have no depth. This is why Ream and Fiscal are enjoying a longer thether. if either of them were playing other positions they’d be tossed back in the lake for another day.
The other option is to have two or three gaint cenbterbacks with respectable ball skills and a picket of 2 really mobile and tireless fullbacks and 2 defenive mids with three attacking players that see the fullbacks jump in. I actually think this would be a better way for us to go given our plethora of midefileders, but most folks think I’m nuts for suggesting such an idea.