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USA face Sweden in a Friendly in Home Depot Center, Los Angeles 17:30 local time (2008-01-19).
USSOCCER.COM USSOCCER.COM:
U.S. Men's National Team
Notes from Carson, Calif.
Tuesday, January 17, 2008
CLOSING IN ON KICKOFF AGAINST SWEDEN: The 2008 campaign for the U.S. Men’s National Team is just over 48 hours from getting underway, with the match against Sweden providing the test after two weeks of concentrated preparations. With less than six months before the start of World Cup qualifying, Bob Bradley’s men will take the field for the first time in more than two months hoping to start off this all-important year on the right foot against a Swedish side with equally important matches on the horizon. Kickoff against Sweden on Jan. 19 at The Home Depot Center is set for 5:30 p.m. PT, and the match will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel. Fans can also follow the game live via ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker.
QUICK HITS
* Of the 25 players in camp, the U.S. will dress 18 players, including two goalkeepers, with a maximum of six substitutions
* Danny Califf suffered a mild hamstring strain in training last Saturday but continues to improve and his status for the match will be determined on gameday. No other injuries have been reported
* Matt Pickens and Eddie Johnson were given permission to depart camp early. Steve Cronin replaced Pickens, leaving the final training roster at 25 players
* Landon Donovan is the leading capwinner on the roster, the 25-year-old having 96 international appearances and 34 goals to his credit (more on Donovan’s records later). At the other end of the spectrum, five players on the roster are looking to get their first cap with the full team: Steve Cronin, Clarence Goodson, Will Hesmer, Eddie Robinson, and Jeremiah White. All told, there are 20 players on the U.S. roster with 10 caps or less
* The U.S. and Sweden have met only five times previously, with the Swedes holding a slight edge with a 3-2-0 record. The teams crossed paths five months ago in Göteborg, Kim Kallstrom bagging the game’s only goal. Their most recent meeting on U.S. soil came nearly 10 years ago, with the U.S. grabbing a 1-0 victory on Jan. 24, 1998, in Orlando, Fla., on the strength of a Roy Wegerle finish
* Donovan is the only U.S. holdover from the match last August
* This is the USA’s fifth trip to The Home Depot Center, and the venue has been a kind host indicated by the unbeaten 4-0-1 record in Carson. After the debut against Denmark in January of 2004, a Taylor Twellman hat trick led the charge in the USA’s 5-0 win against Norway on Jan. 29, 2006, marking the largest margin of victory for the U.S. against a European team and tying the largest margin of victory ever against a non-CONCACAF team (5-0 vs. China on April 4, 1992). The U.S. nabbed a trio of victories at the HDC last year, opening the year with a 3-1 win against Denmark before recording consecutive wins against Guatemala and Trinidad & Tobago in the first two group matches of the 2007 Gold Cup
* Two players on the roster got new addresses during the off season. Houston Dynamo goalkeeper Zach Wells packed his two MLS Cup rings and headed to four-time MLS champion D.C. United, while former FC Dallas defender Clarence Goodson was selected by the San Jose Earthquakes in the expansion draft before choosing to head overseas and sign with IK Start in Norway. Goodson will report to his new squad on Jan. 28
* All but four of the 25 players in camp are plying their trade in MLS. Along with Goodson, Aalborg BK captain Danny Califf leads the four players based in Scandinavia with the most MNT caps, the six-year international having appeared in the USA’s victories against Switzerland and South Africa earlier this year. Ramiro Corrales returns to the U.S. fold for the first time since 2004, while AGF Aarhus striker Jeremiah White gets his first-ever call-up to a senior national team camp
* MLS has 12 of 14 clubs represented on the roster. Two-time MLS Cup defending champions Houston Dynamo are one of three clubs to send a trio of players, along with MLS Cup runners up New England Revolution and Toronto FC
* The roster boasts several year-end award winners, including MLS Goalkeeper of the Year (Brad Guzan), Defender of the Year (Michael Parkhurst) and Rookie of the Year (Maurice Edu). In addition, New England Revolution forward Taylor Twellman finished third on the league goalscoring chart with 16 goals, the fourth time in his six-year career he has tallied 15 goals or more
Swedens starting eleven is as follows;
1. Rami Shaaban
2. Mikael Lustig,
3. Mattias Bjärsmyr,
4. Peter Larsson,
5. Oscar Rönningberg
6. Daniel Andersson (K)
7. Niclas Alexandersson,
8. Anders Svensson,
9. Andreas Johansson
10. Rade Prica,
11. Pontus Wernbloom
Substitutes:
12 Johan Wiland
13 Behrang Safari
14 Suleiman Sleyman
15 Fredrik Stoor
16 Louay Chanko
17 Andreas Dahl
18 Viktor Elm
19 Samuel Holmén
20 Stefan Ishizaki
21 Johan Oremo
