برنامج Hotspot Shield | برنامج Internet Download Manager | برنامج كاسبر سكاى | برنامج جوجل كروم | تحميل فايرفوكس

• USA face Scotland in friendly, prior to WC qualifiers
• Clint Dempsey out injured for first of run of 5 games
• Hit F5 to refresh page, or use our auto-refresh option
• Send your tweets to @KidWeil during the game
• Or email graham.parker.freelance@guardian.co.uk

Half-time: USA 2 Scotland 1 - half time thoughts in a minute...

45 +1 mins: The US still coming forward in stoppage time. To their credit Scotland still chasing down too and trying to make the most of limited opportunities, but that will be that for the half...

44 mins: Great sounding atmosphere here by the way. Scotland have a throw in the US half and try to press, but Bradley and Edu are throwing themselves about in midfield and break the move up.

43 mins: ...inswinger from Torres is headed clear, then a Donovan cross just evades Boyd at the far post. Klinsmann has put a lot of faith in the 21 year old. He's finding dangerous positions certainly.

42 mins: Boyd wriggles free on the edge of the box, turns, shoots and his shot is deflected wide. corner...

40 mins: Long ball forward for Miller, who's increasingly isolated up front for Scotland. The US retrieve it and begin moving the ball around again - tiring the Scots...

39 mins: End to end after that mini-wave of Scottish attacks as the US broke in numbers. Next goal could be crucial...

36 mins: Scotland being pinned back as the US forwards harry. Now they get the ball back and feed the ball forward, but the move breaks down in the US box. Then again - and now Howard has to punch clear... Better from Scotland, but they need more sustained periods like this...

34 mins: Scotland making really heavy going of clearing their lines there. The US are scrapping for every ball, sometimes recklessly so - another yellow comes out.

32 mins: You'll notice I didn't respond to Patrick's anthem allusion there. But it was very, very tempting. I think the international court of You Tube will probably be involved very soon....

Dangerous cross in from the right sees Boyd clash with Caldwell as they both go up for it. Scotland get the decision...

Still USA 2 Scotland 1.

30 mins: Patrick Sheehan (@Hologram_Pat) tweets what I was thinking:

"@KidWeil Wasn't expecting it to be this exciting. Torres is playing as well as I've seen him. We should botch the anthem more often."

It's still very open from both sides.

30 mins: Scotland have a free kick and Bocanegra picks up a booking for conceding it. Eventually Bannan attempts an over-ambitious chip which sails well wide.

27 mins: Arlo just mentioned Holland '78, before mentioning that Scotland "always find a way to blow it", which is just abut the full range of the Scottish footballing experience. Aimless Scottish ball forward lands with Howard and the US can attack again.

24 mins: More quick spread play from the US side ends in a goal kick for Scotland. This is all rather fun...

Milma Escalante (@MilEscal) tweets:

"@KidWeil was it just me or did some Scottish players look hungover?"

Striking a blow against stereotypes everywhere...

May be time to use the phrase "Humidity" and "Scottish players" in same sentence?

23 mins: ...CROSSBAR! Corner isn't cleared well and in the ensuing melee the US get a free kick centrally on the edge of the box. Without waiting for 10 yards, Torres sends a cheeky one pinging off the crossbar with Scotland totally off guard.

21 mins: Philips whacks one from distance, but he's offside. Now the US attack and the ball breaks to Boyd in the box. He loses all his momentum in turning onto his shot and it's deflected tamely wide for a corner...

20 mins: This is flying by - Scotland trying to play a 4-3-3 of their own and it's making for an open game...

19 mins: Just as I say that the US swarm forward again and work the ball left to Bradley who's free on the edge of the box. He can't get any power or placement on his shot though and Scotland will regroup.

17 mins: Scotland looking understandably livelier - the second US goal woke them up seemingly. Doesn't stop Marco sniffing:

"Inevitable question: is the US actually good or is Scotland just dire (they only seem able to score, so far, when the US does it for them)?"

Well that's the first goal the US have conceded tis year, which might say something. Scotland inching into this for sure...

15 mins: ...and just like that Scotland have one back. Bardsley gets going down the right and his cross finds Miller whose header is back across goal - but it immediately ricochets off the unfortunate Cameron for an own goal and it's game on!

GOAL!: Cameron (OG) USA 2 Scotland 1 What is going on?!

13 mins: Another email, from dave Konopka, in answer to Nathan Woods' earlier lamenting about lack of quality US players:

"I'm curious just what kind of player Mr. Woods considers Clint Dempsey to be. He scored 17 goals in the Premiership this season...from midfield! Is Dempsey a world-class player? No, he's not. But neither, I submit, is Rossi. If one wants a "really really good player" then there's no need to go any further than Dempsey."

Quite.

12 mins: That should revive anyone's enthusiasm... Absolutely blistering half volley from Michael Bradley from the edge of the box flies in to the net. Scotland are reeling here...

GOAL!: BRADLEY! USA 2 Scotland 0

10 mins: Arlo White and Kyle Martino discussing the comments Donovan made about questioning his motivation for the game at 30...Hang on...

9 mins: US get forward again with Donovan in acres of space on the right. He can't beat the first man with his cross though, but the movement so far is very impressive.

7 mins: Scotland need to get their foot on the ball and kill the tempo a little. The heat will do that in the later stages, but for now the US look lively.

A tweet on that US anthem performance from Richard Bald (@Baldie_3):

"@kidweil surely treasonous to sing an anthem that badly?"

It put the bagpipes into perspective, certainly.

6 mins: USA looking very lively here, with Bradley popping up all over the midfield as they swarm around the Scottish box, constantly on the move.

4 mins: What lack of hunger? Another dangerous concession from Scotland, and this time they're punished. Jones feeds Donovan, who forces his way into the box and finds the angle to fire home an early opener - what a start from the USA!

GOAL!: DONOVAN! USA 1 Scotland 0

3 mins: Scotlan concede possession in a dangerous position, but Donovan can't find Boyd in the box.

1 min: Long clearance forward from howard runs straight through. Teams feeling each other out - with the US front players playing narrow by the looks of it.

Peep!: Elmer Bonilla whistles to get us under way at Everbank field.

Time for another quick email: Nathan Woods does his bit to shore up the Union with this:

"Really, overall this group of players is on par with the squad that made it to the quarters in Korea (ahem). Which is a good thing too, considering the stunning array of talent we'll be encountering in CONCACAF qualifying. I wish we had one really really good player though. Giuseppe Rossi would have fit the bill had he not defected. Then again, what can you expect from a New Jerseyite."

Irony duly noted, Nathan, but after the Olympic qualifying, I imagine no team is being taken lightly by the US right now...

Anthems: Flower of Scotland is bagpiped through the Florida heat, to the great enjoyment of an impressive Scottish contingent. The trusty Arlo White, commentating, is straight in to mention Bannockburn.

Then it's the US anthem. Which...

Let's just say the stage monitors seemed like they weren't working. Let's just say that...

Quick ad break and we'll be back with kick off...

Obligatory Tartan Army footage: Some impressive mutton chops just shown onscreen by NBC Sports there - putting all facial hair pretenders in their place. Teams walk out - the US in their new "Where's Waldo?" kit, while a jaunty variation on "You take the high road..." is belted out for their guests.

Dempsey watch: TV cameras showing clip of the injured Dempsey signing autographs by the stands. How much will he be missed tonight? And how good has he been this season?

The ever-chipper Matthew Nelson (First Touch podcaster, occasional New York Red Bulls previewer round these parts and apparently, semi-proud Scot) puffs himself up patriotically to e-mail:

"When the Tartan Army marched on the Stadia San Nicola in 2007 they memorably taunted Italian supporters by singing "we're gonnae deep fry your pizzas!"
That chant will have less of an impact tonight as their opponents hail from a country not averse to lathering meats in batter and tossing them in vats of boiling oil.
So, with that in mind, I'm going to say that this one will end as a stalemate."

Spoken like a true marauding warrior...

Team news:

USA: Howard; Cherundolo, Cameron, Bocanegra, Johnson; Jones, Edu, Bradley; Torres, Boyd, Donovan.

SCO: McGregor, Bardsley, Caldwell, Webster, Mulgrew, Brown, Bannan, McArthur, Phillips, Maloney, Miller.

Interesting starting line up for the US - Torres is in there, as is Borussia Dortmund's young striker Terrence Boyd, alongside the experience of Donovan. 4-3-2-1? Klinsmann hinted as much over the past couple of days.

Immediately that line up is released, Daniel Joseph (@BDanielJoseph) tweets with the other most obvious thought prompted by that line up:

"@KidWeil Holy Defensive Midfielders, Batman!"

Perhaps Klinsmann has a healthy fear of Phil Bardsley's legendary long shots? The Scot will be encouraged by playing in a country large enough to accommodate his propensity to lash them into different time zones...

Previous games:

These two first met in 1949 in New York, at the Randall's Island venue that later briefly housed the New York Cosmos (and which infamously had its bare patches painted green to give the illusion of lush turf to new signing Pele, when he flew over it by helicopter). Scotland won that one 4-0 and have only lost once in five games against the US since (a 2-1 defeat in Connecticut in 1996). They last met in 2005 - playing out a 1-1 draw.

In their last couple of games since missing out on the Euros, Scotland have traveled to Cyprus (winning 2-1) and Slovenia, where they drew. If we're looking for comparative indicators (and reaching a bit), then other than the Italy game, perhaps the most impressive game of the Klinsmann era was a 3-2 win over Slovenia (another game where 4-3-3 gave way to a different formation, with positive results - the US playing a 4-3-1-2). So read into that what you will.

Craig Levein had hoped to field a strong Scotland side today, in their last game before August, but illnesses, injury and family circumstances have kept 11 expected squad members out of tonight's game, so there'll be a few lesser known faces getting a look in. Some of these players will know each other well though - with the USA's Maurice Edu and Carlos Bocanegra regularly turning out for Rangers.

US squad for World Cup qualifiers:

On Friday Klinsmann narrowed down an initial 27 man US training camp to a 23 man squad that will compete in the friendlies and then the first two World Cup qualifying games:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)

DEFENDERS (7): Carlos Bocanegra (Rangers), Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo), Edgar Castillo (Club Tijuana), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Oguchi Onyewu (Sporting CP), Michael Parkhurst (Nordsjaelland)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Chievo Verona), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04), Jose Torres (Pachuca)

FORWARDS (6): Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), Terrence Boyd (Borussia Dortmund), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Herculez Gomez (Santos Laguna), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

The four who missed the cut were pretty much as expected: Juan Agudelo, Alfredo Morales, Danny Williams and Graham Zusi. Agudelo and Zusi will have their chances in the future and with Agudelo now at Chivas USA, both will be regulars for their MLS club sides and in full view of Klinsmann's team. Williams came into the camp with a shoulder injury and noone's reading too much into the omission of the Hoffenheim man, while Morales is another one of those players with American eligibility that Klinsmann has unearthed in Germany, but who has not yet got enough minutes for Hertha Berlin to be relied on as a competitive international squad member.

Looking at the MLS connections, Beckerman is competing for the holding role he plays so well at Real Salt Lake; his team mate Nick Rimando is the number 3 keeper in a position the US are blessed in; Houston's newly converted center half Geoff Cameron is in the mix, and it's nice to see Chris Wondolowski's rich vein of predatorial form for San Jose get noticed. Be interesting, especially with the injury to Dempsey, to see how Klinsmann configures his attack today.

Anyway - here's a transcript of Klinsmann's teleconference to announce the squad and field questions yesterday.

Preamble: Welcome to the moment where US coach Jurgen Klinsmann's reign gets serious, as he makes the final refinements to his side for the start of World Cup qualifying in just under two weeks time. The might of Antigua & Barbuda and Guatemala awaits then, but first we have this evening's skirmish with Scotland, a tussle with Brazil on Wednesday night and a nice sit down with Canada on June 3rd.

Klinsmann has been cut a fair amount of slack as US coach, some would say justifiably so, given the extent of the cultural overhaul he is trying to implement. There have been definite setbacks along the way of course - the 4-3-3 he tried to implement at all national team levels to ensure continuity in style of play, has not been as productive up front as it is in the hands of deeper national squads, such as, er, Germany (to pick a random example...). And with the Under-23's, led by Klinsmann's proxy Caleb Porter, failing to qualify for the Olympic tournament recently, Klinsmann's apparent insistence on the system came under scrutiny.

But on closer look, the system is not quite as dogmatically adhered to as first glance might suggest. Klinsmann himself said this week, "If those elements (attack-mindedness, possession, distribution from back) come out of a 4-4-2, a 4-3-3, a 4-3-2-1 or whatever system you want to choose, it doesn't really matter." The eyebrow-raising win in Italy, in the national team's last outing, was achieved off a 4-4-1-1 for example - and after 9 months of experimentation, Klinsmann has been steadily adjusting the side to the strengths it has, rather than forcing them into a system that may find them wanting at the highest level. Of course, this season, with Landon Donovan in subdued form, the obvious strength goes by the name of "Clint Dempsey", currently in the form of his career. Unfortunately, Dempsey is out tonight, still recovering from the injury that forced him out of Fulham's last game, but he's expected back for the Brazil game up next, where the US will be hoping for a bit more of this...

.

In Dempsey's absence a lot of eyes are on Herculez Gomez, largely out of favor since the 2010 World Cup, but scoring goals for fun with his club side Santos Laguna, as they swept to the 2012 Mexican Clausura title last weekend, having also reached the Concacaf Champions League final, in a great season. With Gomez in such good form there has been persistent clamor for Klinsmann to recall him, and you can't imagine he'll have a better chance than this, with the spotlight for once off his more celebrated compatriots. If he gets on tonight, the main question is not so much about his goalscoring, but whether he can play his part in the build-up play Klinsmann likes.

Scotland, for their part, may be glancing wistfully at events in Europe, following their close-but-no-cigar Euro qualifying campaign. They have injury problems of their own, but still, familiar faces like Kenny Miller, Gary Caldwell and Craig Gordon (recently released by Sunderland) are here, augmented by Wigan's Shaun Maloney (whose goal against Manchester United tilted the Premier league title balance) and Dundee United striker Johnny Russell - who has earned his first call up.

I'll be back nearer kick off with more, including team news, but in the meantime send me your thoughts on this game, the US squad for this sequence of games, or just best guess as to what point the commentators first use the words "Florida", "humidity", and "these Scottish players" in the same sentence. Tweet to @KidWeil or email graham.parker.freelance@guardian.co.uk. See you shortly. Read More

هل تريد وضع المحتوى السابق فى موقعك او مدونتك مجانا؟؟
انسخ الكود التالى و ضعه فى موقعك او مدونتك.

موضوعات عشوائية

الارشيف