Total Futbol

Who's playing at Sun Life Stadium in Gold Cup?

The CONCACAF Gold Cup schedule was released this morning. Sun Life Stadium will host two matches July 12: Haiti vs. Trinidad and Tobago, and Honduras vs. El Salvador.

The US is in a group with Belize, Cuba and Costa Rica.

Here's the full schedule...

Group A: Canada, Martinique, Mexico, Panama

Sunday, July 7: Canada vs. Martinique (5:30 p.m.) and Mexico
vs. Panama (8:00 p.m.) at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.
Thursday,
July 11: Panama vs. Martinique (8:30 p.m.) and Mexico vs. Canada (11:00
p.m.) at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Wash.
Sunday, July 14:
Martinique vs. Mexico (4:00 p.m.) and Panama vs. Canada (6:30 p.m.) at Sports
Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colo.

Group B: El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Trinidad and Tobago

Monday, July 8: El Salvador vs. Trinidad and Tobago (7:00
p.m.) and Haiti vs. Honduras (9:30 p.m.) at Red Bull Arena, Harrison,
N.J.
Friday, July 12: Trinidad and Tobago vs. Haiti (7:00
p.m.) and Honduras vs. El Salvador (9:30 p.m.) at Sun Life Stadium, Miami
Gardens, Fla.
Monday, July 15: El Salvador vs. Haiti (7:00
p.m.) and Honduras vs. Trinidad & Tobago (9:30 p.m.) at BBVA Compass
Stadium, Houston, Texas

Group C: Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, United States

Tuesday, July 9: Costa Rica vs. Cuba (8:30 p.m.) and Belize
vs. United States (11:00 p.m.) at JELD-WEN Field, Portland,
Ore.
Saturday, July 13: United States vs. Cuba (4:00 p.m.)
and Costa Rica vs. Belize (6:30 p.m.) at Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy,
Utah
Tuesday, July 16: Cuba vs. Belize (5:30 p.m.) and
United States vs. Costa RIca (8:00 p.m.) at Rentschler Field, East Hartford,
Conn.

Quarterfinals

Saturday, July 20: A2 vs. B2 (3:00 p.m.) and A1 vs. B3 or C3
(6:00 p.m.) at the Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Ga.
Sunday, July
21: B1 vs. C2 (4:00 p.m.) and C1 vs. A3 or B3 (7:00 p.m.) at M&T
Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Md.

Semifinals

Wednesday, July 24: Winner of Quarterfinal 3 vs. Winner of
Quarterfinal 4 (7:00 p.m.) and Winner of Quarterfinal 1 vs. Winner of
Quarterfinal 2 (10:00 p.m.) at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Championship Game

Sunday, July 28: Winner of Semifinal 1 vs. Winner of
Semifinal 2 (4:00 p.m.) at Soldier Field, Chicago, Ill.

US roster named for Honduras match.

Jurgen Klinsmann this morning named the US roster for Wednesday's World Cup qualifier at Honduras. The team is in Miami training for two days before heading to San Pedro Sula.

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION (World Cup qualifying Caps/Goals) –

GOALKEEPERS (3) : Brad Guzan (Aston
Villa – 5/3 SO), Tim Howard (Everton – 22/9 SO), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire –
0/0)
DEFENDERS (9) : Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas
City – 0/0), Carlos Bocanegra (Racing Santander – 31/5), Geoff Cameron (Stoke
City – 5/0), Edgar Castillo (Club Tijuana – 0/0), Timmy Chandler (Nuremberg –
0/0), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders – 0/0), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy – 0/0),
Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim – 3/0), Michael Parkhurst (Augsburg – 3/0)
MIDFIELDERS (8) : Michael Bradley (Roma – 19/5), Brad
Davis (Houston Dynamo – 0/0), Maurice Edu (Bursaspor – 9/0), Jermaine Jones
(Schalke 04 – 5/0), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht – 12/0), Jose Torres (Tigres –
9/0), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim – 4/0), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City –
3/0)
FORWARDS (4 ): Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar –
17/6), Clint Dempsey (Tottenham Hotspur – 26/10), Herculez Gomez (Santos – 6/2),
Eddie Johnson (Seattle Sounders – 11/10)

Falcao, US natl team to Miami

Big week for soccer in Miami...

The U.S. national team convenes in Miami on Sunday to spend a few days preparing for Wednesday's World Cup qualifier at Honduras. Expect Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, etc..to be on the team. No Landon Donovan. He's still on indefinite leave from soccer -- taking a break.

On Wednesday, it's Colombia vs. Guatemala at Sun Life Stadium. Colombian Federation announced that Radamel Falcao WILL  be on the team. Falcao is the third-leading scorer in Spain behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Weston's Bedoya on US roster

Back from vacation...heading to Notre Dame v Alabama national championship football game, but first...quick "futbol'' update.
US coach Jurgen Klinsmann announced a 25-man roster for camp, which begins today, and upcoming Jan. 29 friendly against Canada in Houston.
The roster includes 21 MLS players. It will be a chance for Klinsmann to evaluate MLS players before the first Hexagonal World Cup qualifier Feb. 6 at Honduras.
Among the players on the roster is Weston midfielder Alejandro Bedoya, who is currently a free agent and out of contract.
The full roster:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Tally Hall (Houston Dynamo), Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire)
 DEFENDERS (9): Steven Beitashour (San Jose Earthquakes), Tony Beltran (Real Salt Lake), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), A.J. DeLaGarza (LA Galaxy), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Connor Lade (New York Red Bulls), Alfredo Morales (Hertha Berlin), Justin Morrow (San Jose Earthquakes), Jeff Parke (Philadelphia Union)
 MIDFIELDERS (8): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (out of contract), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders), Benny Feilhaber (Sporting Kansas City), Joshua Gatt (Molde), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
 FORWARDS (5): Juan Agudelo (Chivas USA), Will Bruin (Houston Dynamo), Edson Buddle (Colorado Rapids), Eddie Johnson (Seattle Sounders), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes) 

Ticket info for USA women v. China in Boca

This just in from US Soccer! Mark your calendars for Dec. 15. USA women vs. China in Boca. Tickets on sale this weekend.

 Tickets for the U.S. Women's National Team match against China PR on Dec. 15 in Boca Raton, Fla.,go on sale to the public starting Saturday, Nov. 17, at 10 a.m. ET.

The match will be the 10th and final game of the U.S. WNT Fan Tribute Tour, presented by Panasonic, and will kick off at 7 p.m. ET at FAU Stadium, a 29,000-seat facility built for the Florida Atlantic University Owls Division I football team and opened in October 2011.

Tickets will be available through ussoccer.com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000, at all Ticketmaster ticket centers throughout South Florida (including Walmart stores) and at the Wally Sanger Owl Club Center ticket office on the Florida Atlantic University campus (open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.). [Note: Tickets will be sold at FAU Stadium only on the day of the event.]

Groups of 20 or more can obtain an order form at ussoccer.com or call 312-528-1290. Ultimate Fan Tickets (special VIP packages that include a premium ticket, a custom-made official U.S. National Team jersey with name and number, VIP access to the field before and after the game, and other unique benefits) are also available exclusively through ussoccer.com.

As a sponsor of U.S. Soccer, Visa® is pleased to offer all Visa cardholders access to an advance ticket sale for this match before the sale to the general public. This advance sale starts Friday, Nov. 16, at 10 a.m. ET and runs until Saturday, Nov. 17, at 8 a.m. ET at ussoccer.com. Visa will be the only payment method accepted through the Visa presale and is the preferred card of U.S. Soccer. Terms and conditions apply.

This will be the first visit for the U.S. Women to FAU Stadium and the clash with China will also be the first match for the U.S. WNT in South Florida in nearly 13 years. The USA's last appearance in the region came in February 2000 when the Americans faced Norway in Fort Lauderdale.

Jozy's Baaaaack!!

Jurgen Klinsmann announced his 20-man roster for the upcoming friendly at Russia, and Jozy Altidore is back in the group. News and full roster below...

CHICAGO (Nov. 12, 2012) - U.S. Men's National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has called 20 players into training camp to prepare for the final match of 2012, a friendly against No. 9-ranked Russia in Krasnodar. Kickoff at Kuban Stadium is set for 10 a.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2, ESPN3 and Univision. Fans can follow the match live on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker and via Twitter @ussoccer.

Players began reporting Sunday night into Frankfurt, Germany. The team will train twice Monday before departing Tuesday morning for Krasnodar.

"We ask for these games because they are big learning curves for us," said U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann. "We need to measure ourselves against the best teams out there and build even more confidence. We want to close the year in a very positive way and then go into a busy 2013 that includes World Cup qualifying, the Gold Cup and some exciting friendlies."

The United States concludes a successful year holding its best winning percentage in the modern era, having posted a 9-2-2 record and a (.769) winning percentage. The next best performance came in 2008 when the team earned a 9-3-2 record (.750). The U.S. is looking for its first victory against Russia, which holds a 2-0-2 advantage in the series that dates back to a 1-0 Russia win on Feb. 13, 1993, in Orlando, Fla. (USA-Russia history) The team has already collected historic wins on the road this year against Italy in Genoa and Mexico at Estadio Azteca. After winning Group A in the Semifinal Round of FIFA World Cup qualifying, the U.S. learned its schedule for the Final Round following the Official Draw on Nov. 7 in Miami. The team kicks off the Hexagonal on Feb. 6 in Honduras, and will play three of its first four matches on the road.

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION -

GOALKEEPERS (3): Tim Howard (Everton), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)

DEFENDERS (6): Carlos Bocanegra (Racing Santander), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Nuremberg), Maurice Edu (Stoke City), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Michael Bradley (Roma), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Joshua Gatt (Molde), Joe Gyau (Hoffenheim), Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim)

FORWARDS (4): Juan Agudelo (Chivas USA), Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), Terrence Boyd (Rapid Vienna), Herculez Gomez (Santos Laguna)

US gets tough draw, Miami not in mix

By Michelle Kaufman

mkaufman@MiamiHerald.com

The road to the 2014 Brazil World Cup included a brief stop on South Beach Wednesday night for a glitzy CONCACAF Hexagonal draw ceremony complete with women in gowns selecting small soccer balls from glass bowls.

Executives from the CONCACAF region – North and Central America and the Caribbean -- and representatives of the six national teams in contention gathered at the W Hotel for the event, which determined the pairings for the final round of qualifying. Matches will be held between February 6 and October 15, 2013. 

Costa Rica,Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, and the United States are the six teams that advanced to the Hexagonal. Each team will play every other team twice – once at home, once away – for a total of 10 matches. The top three finishers earn berths to the 2014 World Cup. The fourth-place team enters a two-game intercontinental playoff against the winner of the Oceania region for a final spot.

The U.S. got a tough draw, with three of its first four matches on the road. They open at Honduras Feb. 6, play Costa Rica at home March 22, on the road at Mexico’s Azteca Stadium March 26, and at Jamaica June 7.

Their other six matches are at home June 11 against Panama, at home June 18 against Honduras, at Costa Rica Sept. 6, at home against Mexico Sept. 10, at home against Jamaica Oct. 11 and at Panama Oct. 15.

“Usually a team would like to have its first game at home, but if you don’t, you make the best of it,’’ said U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann. “If you get results on the
road, you are far more confident for your home games. It’s fine with me. We’ve
just got to be really sharp and focused and get the job done on the road in
difficult environments, which is what this region is about. We are looking
forward to playing at Honduras and will take it one game at a time. We are
excited to finally have our schedule. ‘’

Added U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati: “Honduras is a tough team, but the last time we played there, we won and qualified for the World Cup, so it’s got some pretty good memories for us.’’

The U.S. has qualified for the past six World Cups since 1990.

Unlike the other five teams, which play their matches at designated national stadiums, the U.S. team must now determine sites for its five home games. Gulati said 10 to 12 venues are being considered. Stadium size, time zone, fan demographics, field surface, and weather are among the considerations for home-field advantage. Miami’s Sun Life Stadium is not expected to be a site partly due to the warm climate, and also because it tends to attract opposing fans from
Central America and the Caribbean.

Jurgen on South Beach

The CONCACAF Hexagonal draw is tonight at the W Hotel on South Beach. Leaders of all six federations (USA, Mexico, Honduras, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Panama) will be there, as will US coach Jurgen Klinsmann.

The draw determines the schedule for the final round of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup. Each team plays five home games and five road games between February and October 2013. The top 3 advance to the World Cup in Brazil. The fourth-place team enters a 2-game playoff with the winner of the Oceania region.

In other news Wednesday...

Champions League results: Barcelona LOST to Celtic 2-1 (no, that is NOT a typo), Chelsea d. Shakhtar Donetsk 3-2, Juventus beat FC Nordsjaelland 4-0, Bayern Munich crushed Lille 6-1, Valencia d. BATE Borisov 4-2, , ManU beat Braga 3-1.

In Tuesday's Champions League action, PSG d. Dinamo Zagreb 4-0, Olympiakos d. Montpellier 3-1, Arsenal and Schalke 04 tied 2-2, AC Milan tied Malaga 1-1, ManCity tied Ajax 2-2, Real Madrid tied Borussia Dortmund 2-2

Tonight, MLS confeference semifinals, second legs. Red Bulls vs. DC and San Jose vs. LA. Red Bulls and DC tied 1-1 first match, San Jose beat LA 1-0. Quakes v. Galaxy at 11 p.m. tonight on ESPN2.

2016 Copa America in US? Not so fast...

Don't mark your July 2016 calendars just yet...

A day after CONMEBOL, the South American soccer governing body, announced that a special 2016 Copa America would be held in the US with 10 South American teams, USA, Mexico and 4 other CONCACAF teams, word out of US Soccer Federation and CONMEBOL offices is that the deal is still in discussion stages.

''Even though playing the 2016 Copa America in the CONCACAF
region with our teams and those from CONMEBOL would be a wonderful experience
for all fans, we are still in the midst of talks and negotiations between all
parties involved in this decision,'' said Enrique Sanz, CONCACAF's general
secretary. ''This is an idea we are hoping to materialize,
but we are still evaluating and discussing before it becomes official, but the
intention is definitely there.''

Here's hoping the work out a deal because surely Miami's Sun Life Stadium would be in the mix and it would be fun to see so many great players and teams on American soil.

 

Will the US beat Guatemala?

The US barely squeaked by Antigua 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier Friday night, a country whose entire population fits into Sun Life Stadium. Eddie Johnson saved the day with two headers, more than justifying Jurgen Klinsmann's decision to bring him into camp after a 2-year absence. Next up: Guatemala Tuesday night in Kansas City. The US needs a win or a tie to advance for sure. They can still move on with a loss, but would need help from Jamaica.

What do you think will happen?