By IVES GALARCEP
CLEVELAND — The U.S. Men’s National Team kicks off a run of five matches culminating in three key World Cup qualifiers tonight against Belgium in a friendly at FirstEnergy Stadium (8pm, ESPN).
The Americans will be without some key first-team players who are out due to club commitments and injuries, including Michael Bradley, Fabian Johnson, Timmy Chandler and Maurice Edu. The rest of the U.S. team’s key players will be on the field tonight to face a stacked Belgium side that will be trotting out a strong team in preparation for a key World Cup qualifier against Serbia on June 7th.
Tonight will mark DaMarcus Beasley’s 100th appearance for the U.S. national team, making him the 13th player to earn the distinction.
Jurgen Klinsmann will be looking to test his defense against the dangerous Belgian attack, which will feature the likes of Christian Benteke, Romelu Lukaku and Marouane Fellaini.
SBI will be providing full coverage from tonight’s match, including tonight’s SBI Live Commentary, so please feel free to join us and follow all the action here. As always, you are welcome to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action (Tonight’s SBI Live Commentary is after the jump):
Lahm was right.
The U.S. is a very very good nation at playing basketball. Nearly the whole world looks at soccer and plays soccer similar to street basketball. When I play soccer I have the mentality of a basketball player. I am either walking, jogging, or sprinting the ENTIRE game..never stop moving..I am like 7 Eleven..always open. Pick your worst 11 and put them out against Germany…Klinnsman would do it. Klinnsman is embarrassing the team and the country…we should embarrass him and buy him out of his contract.
OMG when will Klinsmann and USMNT fans realize that Jozy Altidore does not have either the heart, the desire or the skill to be a starter for this team.
Herculez Gomez, Edddie Johnson and Terrence Boyd should be our strikers. period.
OMG
when you Klinsmann and USMNT
This was our suck line-up against a full Belgium squad you idiots!!!!!!!!!. Kind of like Panizo sucks!!!!!
I think one of the most under rated players on the team is J. Jones. What the commentators said is spot on, not only what he does with the ball but what he does without the ball is class, somethig we need more of on the team. Take away the silly fouls here and there and he is one of if not the most complete player on the team. I’m glad Guzan is now the starter at Villa. He is undoubtedly stepping in for Howard as the starter after the World Cup next year. Also, glad we’ll have Bradley back for the next match. Now if we could get Juergen to stop playing people out of position and get a set back line to get cohesion and understanding with one another.
Belgium was a good team, much better than us… Not too bad, but the backline needs to get it together!
Great: N/A
Good: Zusi, EJ, Dempsey, Howard, DMB
Okay/NA: Jones, Besler, Holden, Guzan, Goodson, Boyd
Bad: Cameron, Gonzalez, Evans, Kljestan, Davis, Altidore
Hopefully FJ, MB and el Homie can be what this team needs
LOL..how about a more tactically sound minded coach? Lahm was right!!!
How was Davis bad? He provided several good services and kept good possession when he had the ball. As sooon as he was subbed out we went down 4-1.
We’d have won 8-nil if Mikey was playing, jeez
Germany is going to mop the floor with us come Sunday. Why does the squad always look out of sync/confused on the field? Perhaps too many players getting played out of position. It’s true Donovan would take the spot Zusi has been playing but I’ll take it. The chances he creates and experience/leadership/tenacity he brings to the squad is unparalleled.
You have to swap him for Zusi, and anyone, even my grandmother, for Davis. I don’t have any big problem with Zusi, but he is too small and too slow for major competition; maybe he is ok in CONCACAF.
Would rather have Zusi out there who tracks back, versus a forward like EJ or Gomez who doesn’t. I would be happy with Zusi or LD on the right and LD or Fabian on the left myself.
Completely untrue, Gomez works extremely hard, runs hard all game long and tracks back like a beast.
Not until Klinnsman says so…LOL
Wow, is this what we got rid of Double B for?
Sheesh.
Also, if you’re going to play EJ on the wing wouldn’t it be good to keep Jozy on?
Once again lanky Kljestan doesnt do a thing to impress. Just jogs around back passes, gives the ball away, please go away. Jurgen you suck too. Getting scored on I’m cool with this game means nothing, but having ZERO offense is inexcusable. Bring him back you stubborn mule.
Belgium’s quality a league higher than the US.
Beasley is the man!
—jozy — Dempsey
ld- jones- MB – Beas
defense = ya got me
—howard/Guzan
People are going to say a few big mistakes were the problem. But, there wasn’t much understanding between players either. Beasley may have been the best guy for the US.