U.S. Men’s National Team set for match against Scotland on Saturday in Jacksonville, Fla.
The U.S. Men’s National Team starts its busiest stretch of the year with an international friendly against Scotland at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 26, at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Fla. The USA will play three friendlies and two World Cup qualifiers in an 18-day stretch, and head coach Jurgen Klinsmann is treating the series of matches like a five-game tournament.
The U.S.-Scotland match will be shown live on the NBC Sports Network in the channel’s debut broadcast of a U.S. National Team game, as well as Galavision.
U.S. MNT 2012 Schedule
Date | Opponent | Result/Time (ET) | U.S. goalscorers/TV | Venue |
Jan. 21 | Venezuela | 1-0 W | Ricardo Clark | Univ. of Phoenix Stadium; Glendale, Ariz. |
Jan. 25 | Panama | 1-0 W | Graham Zusi | Estadio Rommel Fernandez; Panama City, Panama |
Feb. 29 | Italy | 1-0 W | Clint Dempsey | Stadio Luigi Ferraris; Genoa |
May 26 | Scotland | 8 p.m. | NBC Sports Network/Galavision | EverBank Field; Jacksonville, Fla. |
May 30 | Brazil | 8 p.m. | ESPN2/ESPN3/TeleFutura | FedExField; Landover, Md. |
June 3 | Canada | 7 p.m. | NBC Sports Network/Univision | BMO Field; Toronto, Canada |
June 8 | Antigua & Barbuda* | 7 p.m. | ESPN/ESPN3/Galavision | Raymond James Stadium; Tampa, Fla. |
June 12 | Guatemala* | 10 p.m. | Pay-Per-View/ustream.tv | Estadio Nacional Mateo Flores; Guatemala City |
Sept. 7 | Jamaica* | TBD | ||
Sept. 11 | Jamaica* | 8 p.m. | ESPN2/ESPN3 | Columbus Crew Stadium; Columbus, Ohio |
Oct. 12 | Antigua & Barbuda* | TBD | ||
Oct. 16 | Guatemala* | TBD |
*2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying
U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION (MAY TRAINING CAMP) – DETAILED ROSTER
GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (8): Carlos Bocanegra (Rangers), Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo), Edgar Castillo (Club Tijuana), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Alfredo Morales (Hertha Berlin), Oguchi Onyewu (Sporting Lisbon), Michael Parkhurst (Nordsjaelland)
MIDFIELDERS (9): 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), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
FORWARDS (7): Juan Agudelo (Chivas USA), Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), Terrence Boyd (Borussia Dortmund), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Herculez Gomez (Santos), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
ROSTER NOTES
- The U.S. has collected four consecutive victories dating back to last year, including three straight shutout wins against Venezuela, Panama and Italy for the 2012 campaign.
- Clint Dempsey is coming off a record-setting season for a U.S. international in England, recording his 50th English Premier League goal and setting a single-season mark for league goals scored (17) and goals in all competitions (23). Dempsey scored the lone goal for the USA during its 1-0 win against Italy on Feb. 29 in Genoa.
- Midfielder Jermaine Jones helped Schalke 04 to a third-place finish in the German Bundesliga and a spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League.
- Michael Bradley played in a career-high 34 league games in his first season at Chievo Verona in Italy’s Serie A. Chievo finished in 10th place in the league table – the team’s best finish since it rejoined the top flight in 2008-09.
- Landon Donovan returns to the National Team for the first time since September of 2011.
- Jose Torres returns to the U.S. MNT for the first time since last September, missing all of the subsequent camps because of foot and leg injuries.
- Jozy Altidore finished his first season at AZ Alkmaar with 19 goals in all competitions, 15 in league play and four in the Europa League.
- Herculez Gomez became the first U.S. player to win both an MLS Cup title and Mexican League title as Santos defeated Monterrey in the Liguilla final. Gomez has 19 goals in all competitions for Santos this past season.
- Joe Corona is the only player making his first appearance on the MNT roster. The midfielder and Development Academy product scored four goals for the U.S. U-23 MNT in the 2012 CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying tournament earlier this year.
- U.S. defender Carlos Bocanegra and forward Maurice Edu are familiar with Scotland’s roster. The duo plays for Rangers alongside Scotland defenders Lee Wallace and Steven Whittaker and goalkeeper Allan McGregor. Bocanegra wore the captain’s armband for Rangers.
- Bocanegra is one of five players on the roster who serve as captain of their club. Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Clarence Goodson (Brondby) also sport the armband.
- Cherundolo led Hannover to a second-consecutive qualification for the Europa League, the side reaching the quarterfinals in this year’s tournament.
- Terrence Boyd had 20 goals for Borussia Dortmund’s second team, scoring a goal in the final to help the team gain promotion to the Third Division.
- Juan Agudelo, the first product of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, was traded from the New York Red Bulls to Chivas USA on May 17. Two days later, Agudelo started for Chivas during the Goats’ 1-0 victory against defending MLS champion LA Galaxy.
- Chris Wondolowski leads all MLS goalscorers with 11 goals in 12 games for the San Jose Earthquakes this season.
- Oguchi Onyewu completed a fantastic season with Sporting Lisbon by competing in the Portuguese Cup final, where they fell 1-0 to Academica.
- Michael Parkhurst and FC Nordsjaelland clinched the team’s first Danish Superliga crown on Wednesday with a 3-0 victory against Horsens. Parkhurst started and played the full 90 minutes at right back.
USA VS. SCOTLAND SERIES
- The U.S. is 1-3-2 all-time against Scotland, with the series starting on June 19, 1949, at Randalls Island, N.Y. Scotland won the match 4-0.
- The Scottish Football Association actually does not credit the 1949 match as the first “A” international between Scotland and the USA. The SFA did not issue its players with caps and the game does not appear in its official records. The U.S., however, does classify this as an international match. That means Scotland officially recognizes its 6-0 victory against the U.S. on April 30, 1952, in Glasgow, Scotland, as the first “A” international matchup between the two teams.
- After enduring three shutout losses in the series, the USA earned a 2-1 victory against Scotland on May 26, 1996, in New Britain, Conn. Eric Wynalda and Cobi Jones tallied goals for the U.S.
- The last time the U.S. and Scotland squared off, the USA capped off 2005 with a 1-1 draw on Nov. 12 at Hampden Park in Glasgow. DaMarcus Beasley was taken down in the penalty area and Josh Wolff netted a ninth-minute penalty kick for the team’s lone goal.
- That 2005 victory was the team’s 13th win of the year, setting an all-time high that was later equaled in 2009.
FRIENDLIES AGAINST BRAZIL, CANADA ON HORIZON: The U.S. Men host five-time World Cup champion Brazil at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday, May 30, at FedExField in Landover, Md. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN2, ESPN3 and TeleFutura. Then in their final tune-up match before 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying, the U.S. Men take on Canada at 7 p.m. ET June 3 at BMO Field in Toronto (NBC Sports Network, Galavision). It will mark the USA’s first meeting on Canadian soil since Nov. 9, 1997, when the U.S. blanked Canada 3-0 in Vancouver to clinch a spot in the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
IN THE RECORD BOOKS
- Landon Donovan is currently tied with Jeff Agoos for the most starts in U.S. history with 124. The 125th start would put Donovan alone at the top.
- Carlos Bocanegra’s next cap (102) would tie him for eighth all-time with former U.S. MNT goalkeeper Kasey Keller. Bocanegra currently is tied for ninth in international appearances with Earnie Stewart (101).
- Bocanegra’s next start would tie him for sixth all-time with former goalkeeper and 2012 National Soccer Hall of Fame inductee Tony Meola (97 starts).
- The USA has opened the year with three wins in three games – a feat that previously was accomplished in 2007. The one and only time the United States has opened the year with four victories in four matches was in 1998. The fourth game featured the USA’s 1-0 victory against FIFA’s top-ranked Brazil in the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals on Feb. 10. Preki had the lone U.S. goal and goalkeeper Kasey Keller kept Brazil off the scoreboard with an incredible 10-save performance.
- The USA’s three shutouts to open 2012 also are a rare occurrence, as the MNT has begun a year in that fashion only once before in 1984. That year the U.S. posted scoreless draws against Italy and Netherlands Antilles, followed by a 4-0 win against Netherlands Antilles.
- The team’s three consecutive wins outside the USA, dating back to the Nov. 15, 2011, Slovenia win, matches two other stretches (Oct. 17, 2007-March 26, 2008; June 22, 2008-Sept. 6, 2008). A USA win against Canada on June 3 at BMO Field would set a new record.
BY THE NUMBERS:
- 0: Goals allowed by the U.S. in three games this year
- 3: Times the U.S. MNT has started a year with three straight wins (1998, 2007, 2012)
- 13: Goals allowed to Scotland in six previous appearances
- 19: Goals by Jozy Altidore and Herculez Gomez with their club teams in all competitions this past season
- 35: World Cup qualifying appearances for Landon Donovan
- 124: Starts for Landon Donovan, who is tied with Jeff Agoos for the most-ever
JURGEN KLINSMANN FACT FILE: Head coach Jurgen Klinsmann is in the midst of his second year and first full calendar year in charge of the U.S. Men’s National Team. Below are some of his past accomplishments as a player and coach.
- Klinsmann was named the U.S. Men’s National Team head coach on July 29, 2011, making him the 35th coach in the history of the program.
- Klinsmann’s record as head coach of the Men’s National Team is 5-4-1, including four straight wins against Slovenia (Nov. 15, 2011), Venezuela (Jan. 21, 2012), Panama (Jan. 25, 2012) and Italy (Feb. 29, 2012).
- Klinsmann’s U.S. coaching debut was a 1-1 draw against Mexico on Aug. 10, 2011, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. During Klinsmann’s abbreviated 2011 tenure, opponents outscored the USA by a 7-5 margin. The U.S.’s two victories during the Klinsmann era in 2011 include a 1-0 win against Honduras (Oct. 8) and a 3-2 victory against Slovenia (Nov. 15).
- Klinsmann was named the Germany National Team manager in 2004 and guided Germany to a 20-6-8 record and a third-place finish in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He earned Coach of the Year honors in Germany, and two years later he took over the head coaching position at Bayern Munich.
- As a player, Klinsmann played 17 club seasons from 1981 to 1998 with the following teams: Stuttgarter Kickers (1981-84), VfB Stuttgart (1984-89), Internazionale (1989-92), Monaco (1992-94), Tottenham Hotspur (1994-95, 97-98), Bayern Munich (1995-97) and Sampdoria (1997-98). During that time, he scored 226 goals in 506 appearances. He was named German Player of the Year in 1988 and 1994 and FWA Footballer of the Year in 1995.
- Klinsmann earned 108 caps with the German National Team, scoring 47 goals. He participated in three World Cups (1990, 1994 and 1998) and won the 1990 World Cup.
- Klinsmann was born on July 30, 1964, in Goppingen, Germany.
IN FOCUS: SCOTLAND
Scottish Football Association
Founded: 1873 (Joined FIFA in 1910)
Head Coach: Craig Levein
SCOTLAND UPDATE
- Forward Kenny Miller is the most experienced player within Scotland’s current roster. The 32-year-old has 61 international caps and 16 goals to lead the team in both categories.
- Defender Gary Caldwell has 47 appearances and starting goalkeeper Craig Gordon has 40 games and 15 career shutouts. Every other player on Scotland’s roster has appeared in fewer than 30 matches.
- Nine Scotland players competed in the English Premier League, while seven are with Scottish Premier League teams. However, defender Christophe Berra (Wolverhampton Wanderers) and forward David Goodwille (Blackburn Rovers) both played for 2011-12 EPL sides that have been relegated to the League Championship.
SCOTLAND ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (3): Matt Gilks (Blackpool), Craig Gordon (Sunderland), Allan McGregor (Rangers)
DEFENDERS (8): Phil Bardsley (Sunderland), Christophe Berra (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Gary Caldwell (Wigan Athletic), Russell Martin (Norwich City), Charlie Mulgrew (Celtic), Lee Wallace (Rangers), Andy Webster (Heart of Midlothian), Steven Whittaker (Rangers)
MIDFIELDERS (5): Barry Bannan (Aston Villa), Scott Brown (Celtic), Craig Bryson (Derby County), Don Cowie (Cardiff City), James McArthur (Wigan Athletic)
FORWARDS (6): David Goodwillie (Blackburn Rovers), Craig Mackail-Smith (Brighton and Hove Albion), Shaun Maloney (Wigan Athletic), Kenny Miller (Cardiff City), Matt Phillips (Blackpool), Johnny Russell (Dundee United)
LAST TIME
On the field for USA:
Feb. 29, 2012 – Stadio Luigi Ferraris – Genoa, Italy – International Friendly
USA 1 Clint Dempsey 55
Italy 0
USA : 1-Tim Howard; 2-Steve Cherundolo, 4-Clarence Goodson, 5-Carlos Bocanegra (capt.), 3-Fabian Johnson (13-Jonathan Spector, 77); 6-Michael Bradley, 8-Maurice Edu; 7-Danny Williams,10-Clint Dempsey (17-Edson Buddle, 90), 11-Brek Shea (16-Sacha Kljestan, 73); 9-Jozy Altidore (18-Terrence Boyd, 79)
Subs not used: 12-Nick Rimando, 14-Michael Parkhurst, 15-Geoff Cameron
Head coach: Jurgen Klinsmann
ITA : 1-Gianluigi Buffon (capt.); 2-Christian Maggio (5-Daniel De Rossi, 71), 15-Andrea Barzagli, 20-Angelo Obinze Ogbonna, 4-Domenico Criscito (3-Giorgio Chiellini, 46); 13-Thiago Motta (7-Gianpaolo Pazzini, 59), 21-Andrea Pirlo, 8-Claudio Marchisio (11-Ignazio Abate, 71), 23-Antonio Nocerino (18-Riccardo Montolivo, 46); 9-Alessandro Matri (22-Fabio Borini, 59), 10-Sebastian Giovinco
Subs not used: 6-Federico Balzaretti, 14-Davide Astori, 16-Salvatore Sirigu, 17-Emiliano Viviano, 19-Leonardo Bonucci, 24-Morgan De Sanctis
Head coach: Cesare Prandelli
vs. Scotland:
November 12, 2005 – Hampden Park – Glasgow, Scotland –International Friendly
USA 1 Josh Wolff 9
SCO 1 Andy Webster 37
USA : 18-Kasey Keller (capt.); 6-Steve Cherundolo, 4-Carlos Bocanegra (12-Jimmy Conrad, 80), 3-Gregg Berhalter, 2-Jonathan Spector; 5-Brian Carroll, 25-Kerry Zavagnin (15-Ben Olsen, 46), 24-Eddie Gaven (23-Santino Quaranta, 46), 17-DaMarcus Beasley (19-Heath Pearce, 77); 16-Josh Wolff (11-Chris Rolfe, 58), 9-Brian Ching
Subs not used: 1-Tim Howard, 13-Benny Feilhaber
Head Coach: Bruce Arena
SCO : 1-Craig Gordon; 2-Christian Dailly (capt.), 3-Graham Alexander, 6-David Weir (15-Gary Caldwell, 46), 4-Steven Pressley (14-Steven Caldwell, 46), 5-Andy Webster; 8-Paul Hartley, 10-Nigel Quashie (20-Scott Brown, 74), 7-Darren Fletcher; 9-Garry O’Connor (17-Shaun Maloney, 74), 11-Neil McCann (16-James McFadden, 64)
Subs not used: 12-Rab Douglas, 13-Russell Anderson, 18-Jamie Smith, 19-Derek Riordan, 21-Ryan Esson, 22-Ian Murray
Head Coach: Walter Smith