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USA at Ukraine (friendly); Wed 5 Mar 14; Kharkiv, Ukraine
Topic Started: Feb 2 2014, 04:40 PM (978 Views)
vince stravino
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Time is yet to be announced and as is TV feed. With the political unrest, I hope they can still play this one. Wonder what Plan B will be if the match falls thru?

Apparently, this one and a proposed Mexico match in the US are the only two remaining matches before Klinsmann picks the Final 23 for Brazil. After that, there will be three warm up matches before the World Cup as send offs.

Can't make this one as it is a Wednesday and I have to be at the salt mines.

It sure looked liked Ukraine was in the WC after their initial 2-0 defeat of France in the play-off. They faltered in the second leg and lost out 2-3 on goal differential, amazingly.
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libero
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I am curious to see how many of the non regulars for the January training camp (excluding regulars like Donovan, E. Johnson, Gonzalez, Besler, Beckerman and Goodson) will be considered for this Ukraine matchup?

By the way I was reading the US will lay a 3 match send off in late May/early June in the US. Game 1 vs TBA at Palo Alto, game 2 vs TBA at Harrison, Nj and game 3 at a site somewhere in Florida vs Nigeria. The latter a good approximation of Ghana, maybe the other two opponents can be Austria or Poland for Germany and Croatia or Serbia for Portugal?
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shelsoccer
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I agree with Merengue that no one likely played their way onto or off the Brazil roster.
I thought an interesting point was made on the telecast. In the last couple of years, we've seen players come out of January camps to become fixtures (e.g., Besler and Zusi).

Doing that in a WC year may be a different matter; JK may have things pretty much set. Having said that, we've seen a player like Mastroeni (2002) come out of nowhere to land a spot in the final four months before a WC. I have no idea if JK whether will be as open to that as Arena was with Mastroeni or Bradley with Gomez, Findlay and Buddle.

In watching my recording, I learned -- maybe I missed it earlier -- that the Ukraine friendly will be played in Khakhiv (Kharkov). That's in northeastern Ukraine, solid pro-Russian area of the country where I don't believe there has been a lot of unrest. Even though I raised the possibility of Ukraine's political unrest as being a potential factor, the location of this game makes that less likely. Playing in Kiev would have been a different story.

I don't have anything further to add on player performance vs. S. Korea. Others have noted those who played well and those that didn't.

Finally, I don't think there's any doubt, libero, that the US will try to replicate group opponents with those friendlies beginning in late May. That's been the blueprint for some time now.

As for libero's other point, the Ukraine roster will be almost entirely made up of European-based players. That's probably the final opportunity for marginal players like Boyd, Brooks and Shea to make an impression.
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Martin
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Klinsmann commenting about roster spots still being open but regular playing time is a must plus confirming what we already knew, the Ukraine roster will primarily be European based players.

“We just want them to be on the field and build their case. We communicate with them, players like Oguchi Onyewu, Tim Ream, and Danny Williams. You have Brek Shea, who went down into the Championship from Stoke to play games and is now playing 90 minutes almost every week. You have Timmy Chandler at Nurnberg, who for six months has been doing a very consistent, good job. Jermaine Jones goes to Besiktas and will pick up the rhythm of playing games again.

“We follow the players that have injury problems like Steve Cherundolo, who is still having issues, and John Anthony Brooks with Hertha Berlin who is hopefully back next week. Same with Fabian Johnson who broke his arm and is hopefully back next week as well. Being in February and a few months prior to the World Cup, you want to see them all play. You have to give them a clear message that only if you pick up a rhythm and play week-in, week-out, will you complete one of the big keys in order to make the World Cup roster. That’s why we are really happy some of them now are starting to get their rhythm. This all plays a vital role in evaluating them, and then we have to make the vital calls in May.”
Club Sportivo Desamparados
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americafutbol10
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Based on the possible roster, here's my best guess XI:

--------------------Howard----------------
Cameron-----Gooch-----Ream----Lichaj
-----------Diskerud-----Jones------------
--Gatt------------Dempsey--------Shea--
--------------Altidore----------------------

Subs: Guzan, Kljestan, Williams, Johannsson, Agudelo
US Soccer...Don't Thread On Me!

Michigan Football...Harbaugh Effect (GO BLUE!)

LA Galaxy...5-time MLS Cup Champions!

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Johnbuildr
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Two things;

Af10, I'd hope Johannsson will start.

Per Martin's report (thanks Martin), Chandler is very much on JK's radar screen, so he isn't being ignored nor is too far into JK's doghouse....
Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum



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Yogi
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I think it is a pretty safe bet that any European based player not called in for this Ukraine match is really on the outside looking in (unless it is a regular who is injured) at making the Brazil roster.

Speaking of injuries, I see af10 mentioned Josh Gatt as a possible starter vs Ukraine. Has Gatt recovered? i guess there is no way to know yet since his Norwegian club Molde is still in its preseason.
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Johnbuildr
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In an ASN article in early January Gatt was suppsoedly shooting for late January return to full training. Haven't seen anything more recent.

If you are including Chandler Yogi, I can not understand JK very recently naming the guy and saying what a fine job he has been doing if he has no chance to make the roster.
But then managers do and say a lot of things I don't understand at all. :blink:
But again, Klinsmann is normally more forthcoming than most.
Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum



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garbaggio
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I wonder if we can still get another opponent. Haven't heard anything official but anyone watching news should know about the now violent turmoil in Ukraine.

Don't know if the chaos affects Kharkov where the game is supposed to be played.
But going to play soccer given the current strife would be wrong.
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raconteur
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I was reading Kharkov/Kharkiv where the game is set to be played is over 300 miles away from the bloodshed in Kiev and is in a pro-Russian portion of Ukraine so there are no protests going on there.

In Kiev the situation obviously is much different. Tomorrow's Dynamo Kiev Europa League match against Valencia, however, has just been moved to neutral ground in Cyprus.
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Johnbuildr
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raconteur,Feb 19 2014
12:45 PM
I was reading Kharkov/Kharkiv where the game is set to be played is over 300 miles away from the bloodshed in Kiev and is in a pro-Russian portion of Ukraine so there are no protests going on there.

In Kiev the situation obviously is much different. Tomorrow's Dynamo Kiev Europa League match against Valencia, however, has just been moved to neutral ground in Cyprus.

Well, 300 miles away or not, I'd still be surprised if the State Department doesn't ixnay this friendly.
Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum



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americafutbol10
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If this wasn't a World Cup year, this friendly is probably nixed already. I wonder how long the USSF & State Department will wait before pulling the plug and, if it is nixed, what will the USMNT do for a possible replacement opponent?
US Soccer...Don't Thread On Me!

Michigan Football...Harbaugh Effect (GO BLUE!)

LA Galaxy...5-time MLS Cup Champions!

Colombia...VIVA, Cafeteros!
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Johnbuildr
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How about Russia? :rolleyes:
Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum



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vince stravino
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I recall in early 2002, we had a match scheduled versus Japan in Seattle for friendly. Two weeks prior, Japan pulled out as the war in Afghanistan took full flight. We secured a second team (Venezuela) and were able to have a go. Little different surroundings and circumstances, but I suspect A match of some sort will happen with someone somewhere. Klinsmann has connections and USSF must have been contemplating a Plan B all along.
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shelsoccer
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As others have pointed out, there's almost no chance of disturbances in Khakov/Kharkiv. Almost all the problems are centered in Kiev.

Unless the US quickly enacts some sort of sanctions against Ukraine, I seriously doubt this game won't go off. After today's events in Kiev (reportedly 70 dead), that's a possibilty but the sanctions I've heard being bandied about have nothing to do with sport or even much in the way of severe economic penalties.

I do wonder about the Ukrainian team. I have no idea of individual player's politics, wheather any given player might be pro-Western or pro-Russian, but I could see a political statement made by a player or two.
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