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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| USA v Peru: international friendly – live! | USA v Peru: international friendly – live! |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 12.53am BST00:53 | |
| 16 mins: Vargas goes sprinting down the left looking to get behind the US lines but he’s rather optimistic in thinking he’ll get to that ball over the top. Peru pressing more now after that early flurry from the USA. | |
| 12.51am BST00:51 | |
| 14 mins: Zardes does some more good work down the left as he tries to find an opening, but Orozco’s pass in support of him is cut out and the US have to defend another break. Orozco makes amends by heading the resulting cross from Advingula clear. | |
| 12.50am BST00:50 | |
| 12 mins: Of course, good starts haven’t really been the USA’s problem over the past year or so — the issue has been late collapses or at least listless second halves. It’s a trend that had improved coming into the Gold Cup, but Klinsmann will want to see some sustained intensity tonight. | |
| 12.47am BST00:47 | |
| 10 mins: Good work by Yedlin as he sprints down the right to pick up the ball, shimmy some space for himself and square back a dangerous cross that briefly looks to be causing problems in the Peru box. Still USA 0-0 Peru after the first ten minutes, but a better touch at either end and we could have had an early goal or two. It’s been lively. | |
| 12.45am BST00:45 | |
| 8 mins: Jones steps forward up the middle and tries to play the through ball for Altidore but can’t plait past the first defender and another Peruvian break is momentarily on. Game beginning to settle into a pattern of Peru looking for those fast breaks against US pressure. | |
| 12.43am BST00:43 | |
| 6 mins: Nice whipped cross from Bardes after Yedlin cut inside to set him up. Gales had to dive and push the ball clear with Altidore lurking. | |
| At the other end Farfan and Carrillo combine on the edge of the box to make space for the shot and to force a first corner for Peru. It’s cleared but almost immediately Guzan has to come out and claim a floated ball back into the box from Farfan. | |
| 12.41am BST00:41 | |
| 4 mins: Great atmosphere at RFK, with vocal contingents on both sides. USA settling the better early on and Altidore and Bardes combine down the flanks as they try to find Jones in an advanced position. It doesn’t come off but there’s some urgency about the US here. | |
| 12.39am BST00:39 | |
| 2 mins: A little scrappy battling up the middle from both teams then Jones tries to find Yedlin with a probing ball forward. He earns a throw deep in Peru territory but the move breaks down immediately. USA get it back forward again and Orozco’s teasing chip cross is flicked away for a corner with Altidore lurking. | |
| Bedoya trots across to take it but it’s gathered by Gales at the near post. | |
| 12.37am BST00:37 | |
| Peep! | |
| Peru get us underway at RFK. | |
| 12.36am BST00:36 | |
| A correction | |
| Jimmy McManners emails: | |
| “Hi, Peru’s goalkeeper is Pedro Gallese, not Callese. I only know this as I found out during the Copa America that he is my wife’s nephew.” | |
| Why, what did I say?...Oh. hopefully that’s tonight’s patent Guardianism out of the way. | |
| We’re about to kick off. | |
| 12.31am BST00:31 | |
| Teams coming out | |
| Get ready for the joy of anthems, and kickoff in a couple of minutes... | |
| 12.24am BST00:24 | |
| Tim Howard | |
| You’ll notice this liveblog is headed with a photo of Tim Howard. Well tonight the part of Tim Howard will be played by Brad Guzan. Klinsmann has made it clear that he’s not planning on making any changes in goal despite the end of Howard’s international sabbatical (Landon Donovan might have advised Howard that that would be the case...). | |
| It’s something of a luxury problem for Klinsmann amid his more legitimate headaches, to be juggling two such solid players, though on the popular front he can probably expect to deal with some clamor to start Howard against Mexico if either of the next couple of games sees anything less than top level performances from Guzan. Memories of Howard’s performance against Belgium at the World Cup will make him the casual fan’s favorite in the elimination game against the Mexicans. | |
| 12.04am BST00:04 | 12.04am BST00:04 |
| Team News | Team News |
| Still waiting for the Peru team here, which I’ll post up in this section as soon as I have it, but the USA’s is out and there are a few surprises: | Still waiting for the Peru team here, which I’ll post up in this section as soon as I have it, but the USA’s is out and there are a few surprises: |
| USA: Guzan; Orozco, Gonzalez, Brooks, Ream; Yedlin, Jones, Bedoya, Zardes; Altidore(C), Wood | USA: Guzan; Orozco, Gonzalez, Brooks, Ream; Yedlin, Jones, Bedoya, Zardes; Altidore(C), Wood |
| So no start for Geoff Cameron after all, with Michael Orozco coming in as right back, while Tim Ream gets the nod at left back. Something of a compromise at center back as well, with Gonzalez and Brooks starting alongside each other — each being one half of the two intermittently consistent center back pairings Klinsmann has switched between over the last couple of years. | So no start for Geoff Cameron after all, with Michael Orozco coming in as right back, while Tim Ream gets the nod at left back. Something of a compromise at center back as well, with Gonzalez and Brooks starting alongside each other — each being one half of the two intermittently consistent center back pairings Klinsmann has switched between over the last couple of years. |
| Sunderland’s DeAndre Yedlin gets a start in a fast looking midfield (if you don’t look to closely at Jermaine Jones whose virtues — and vices — beyond speed are pretty well documented at this point), and it’s a resounding vote of confidence for Jozy Altidore from Klinsmann — he’s named captain up front, starting alongside the hero of the Netherlands and Germany victories in spring, Bobby Wood. | Sunderland’s DeAndre Yedlin gets a start in a fast looking midfield (if you don’t look to closely at Jermaine Jones whose virtues — and vices — beyond speed are pretty well documented at this point), and it’s a resounding vote of confidence for Jozy Altidore from Klinsmann — he’s named captain up front, starting alongside the hero of the Netherlands and Germany victories in spring, Bobby Wood. |
| Hard to believe that that defense is not going to be exposed throughout this evening though. Klinsmann nothing but determined to do things his way... | Hard to believe that that defense is not going to be exposed throughout this evening though. Klinsmann nothing but determined to do things his way... |
| And the Peru line up just came in: | And the Peru line up just came in: |
| Peru: Gallese, Advincula, Zambrano, Ascues, Vargas; Carrillo, Lobaton, Ballon, Cueva, Farfan; Chavez | |
| Gallese at the back kept three clean sheets in Copa America and that’s a solid looking backbone as well with Bundesliga experience augmenting the domestic players. Daniel Chavez starts in place of Guerrero and look to Jefferson Farfan to cause problems as well, both in terms of his direct goal threat and supply. He’ll be looking at that makeshift US defense and fancying his chances of finding space against them... | |
| Updated at 12.36am BST | |
| 12.00am BST00:00 | 12.00am BST00:00 |
| Peru | Peru |
| It’s all about the attack with Peru. And with the aging Claudio Pizarro out of the squad that would normally mean a lot of focus on one man — Flamengo’s Paolo Guerrero — especially after his four goal exploits at Copa America. Guerrero is the focus of Peru’s attack, but injury will sideline him tonight, so it’s possible that whatever version of a makeshift defense Klinsmann puts out, they may be in for a slightly less torrid time of it than they might have expected. | It’s all about the attack with Peru. And with the aging Claudio Pizarro out of the squad that would normally mean a lot of focus on one man — Flamengo’s Paolo Guerrero — especially after his four goal exploits at Copa America. Guerrero is the focus of Peru’s attack, but injury will sideline him tonight, so it’s possible that whatever version of a makeshift defense Klinsmann puts out, they may be in for a slightly less torrid time of it than they might have expected. |
| Coach Ricardo Gareca may see this as the kind of moment for André Carillo to finally translate his Sporting Lisbon form to the national team. Carillo was a menace all last year in Portugal, but has yet to turn that into regular international goals. With the veteran attackers, Pizarro in particular, on the verge of being phased out, now would be the time for Carillo to really push his credentials as the future of the team. | Coach Ricardo Gareca may see this as the kind of moment for André Carillo to finally translate his Sporting Lisbon form to the national team. Carillo was a menace all last year in Portugal, but has yet to turn that into regular international goals. With the veteran attackers, Pizarro in particular, on the verge of being phased out, now would be the time for Carillo to really push his credentials as the future of the team. |
| 11.55pm BST23:55 | 11.55pm BST23:55 |
| USA | USA |
| Time was, there was a debate about whether MLS players were good enough to play for the national team, then it was whether MLS was good enough for all the European-based players flooding back into the league, and now it’s whether players can get out of MLS duty to play for the national team. Jermaine Jones is in the roster — fresh from recovering from injury to stabilize a drifting New England side, who’ll be without him this weekend. But Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley, two lightning rods in the Klinsmann-stoked discussion on whether players were selling themselves short by returning to the domestic league, will not be present tonight, as they’ll be representing Seattle and Toronto respectively in another game scheduled against international week. | Time was, there was a debate about whether MLS players were good enough to play for the national team, then it was whether MLS was good enough for all the European-based players flooding back into the league, and now it’s whether players can get out of MLS duty to play for the national team. Jermaine Jones is in the roster — fresh from recovering from injury to stabilize a drifting New England side, who’ll be without him this weekend. But Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley, two lightning rods in the Klinsmann-stoked discussion on whether players were selling themselves short by returning to the domestic league, will not be present tonight, as they’ll be representing Seattle and Toronto respectively in another game scheduled against international week. |
| They’ll be coming in to the squad for the Brazil game, but Klinsmann could probably have done with a more familiar line up for both games under the circumstances — especially with injuries to DaMarcus Beasley and Fabian Johnson at the back. | They’ll be coming in to the squad for the Brazil game, but Klinsmann could probably have done with a more familiar line up for both games under the circumstances — especially with injuries to DaMarcus Beasley and Fabian Johnson at the back. |
| Interestingly enough Jozy Altidore, Bradley’s team mate, is here — this after departing from the Gold Cup after the group stage clearly hampered by injury. He has a lot of expectation upon him. Can he deliver tonight? | Interestingly enough Jozy Altidore, Bradley’s team mate, is here — this after departing from the Gold Cup after the group stage clearly hampered by injury. He has a lot of expectation upon him. Can he deliver tonight? |
| Anyway, you want more on the US roster? Have a look at this. I’ll be here. Experimenting with schedules. | Anyway, you want more on the US roster? Have a look at this. I’ll be here. Experimenting with schedules. |
| 11.48pm BST23:48 | 11.48pm BST23:48 |
| Preamble | Preamble |
| Evening all, and welcome to the game before the game before The Game. | Evening all, and welcome to the game before the game before The Game. |
| The story so far…The USA are facing Peru in D.C. tonight, before playing Brazil next week, and then looking ahead to that CONCACAF playoff game against Mexico on October 10th, for the right to represent the Federation and all it stands for (insert Jack Warner joke here) at the Confederations Cup in 2017. | The story so far…The USA are facing Peru in D.C. tonight, before playing Brazil next week, and then looking ahead to that CONCACAF playoff game against Mexico on October 10th, for the right to represent the Federation and all it stands for (insert Jack Warner joke here) at the Confederations Cup in 2017. |
| Jürgen Klinsmann, he of the bigger picture than the rest of us could possibly see, has set a lot of store by qualifying for the Confederations Cup as the best possible preparation for the World Cup a year later, and the simplest route to doing so would have been to win the Gold Cup this summer, thus ensuring automatic progression as both 2013 and 2015 champions. | Jürgen Klinsmann, he of the bigger picture than the rest of us could possibly see, has set a lot of store by qualifying for the Confederations Cup as the best possible preparation for the World Cup a year later, and the simplest route to doing so would have been to win the Gold Cup this summer, thus ensuring automatic progression as both 2013 and 2015 champions. |
| But then Jamaica happened, or didn’t happen if you’re Klinsmann — who claimed this week that the US were playing their best game of the tournament during the inconvenient period when Jamaica scored twice against them. The U.S. crashed out at the semi-final stage, lost to Panama in the third place playoff and had to watch Mexico get some incredible refereeing breaks en route to a championship win that turned out to be only the dramatic prelude to Miguel Herrera’s “Peace. Out.” at Philadelphia airport. | But then Jamaica happened, or didn’t happen if you’re Klinsmann — who claimed this week that the US were playing their best game of the tournament during the inconvenient period when Jamaica scored twice against them. The U.S. crashed out at the semi-final stage, lost to Panama in the third place playoff and had to watch Mexico get some incredible refereeing breaks en route to a championship win that turned out to be only the dramatic prelude to Miguel Herrera’s “Peace. Out.” at Philadelphia airport. |
| So that means that instead of his usual post-tournament free form experiments (3-5-2 in C#minor with DeAndre Yedlin on flute), Klinsmann has had to select his players for this pair of games with a very definite goal in mind — and while there are some key absences that mean this isn’t an exact blueprint of what’s to come versus Mexico, it should give us some insight into Klinsmann’s thinking. | So that means that instead of his usual post-tournament free form experiments (3-5-2 in C#minor with DeAndre Yedlin on flute), Klinsmann has had to select his players for this pair of games with a very definite goal in mind — and while there are some key absences that mean this isn’t an exact blueprint of what’s to come versus Mexico, it should give us some insight into Klinsmann’s thinking. |
| And a lot of eyes will be in the defense. After Peru’s exuberant run through the Copa America earlier this summer — where a very credible third place finish was no more than they deserved after facing some dubious refereeing decisions of their own — La Blanquirroja come into tonight’s game full of confidence and knowing that their speedy attack should cause a creaking US defense a lot of problems. | And a lot of eyes will be in the defense. After Peru’s exuberant run through the Copa America earlier this summer — where a very credible third place finish was no more than they deserved after facing some dubious refereeing decisions of their own — La Blanquirroja come into tonight’s game full of confidence and knowing that their speedy attack should cause a creaking US defense a lot of problems. |
| More on that in a moment. I’ll be back with a little more build-up soon. In the meantime send me your tweets and emails to @KidWeil or graham.parker@theguardian.com and keep your eye on the prize. | More on that in a moment. I’ll be back with a little more build-up soon. In the meantime send me your tweets and emails to @KidWeil or graham.parker@theguardian.com and keep your eye on the prize. |
| 11.35pm BST23:35 | 11.35pm BST23:35 |
| Graham will be here shortly. In the meantime why not read his lookahead to tonight’s match. | Graham will be here shortly. In the meantime why not read his lookahead to tonight’s match. |
| Just don’t mention the Gold Cup. That was the spirit of Jürgen Klinsmann’s comments to the press this week, in advance of the pair of friendlies with Peru and Brazil that will lead into the Mexico game in October. | Just don’t mention the Gold Cup. That was the spirit of Jürgen Klinsmann’s comments to the press this week, in advance of the pair of friendlies with Peru and Brazil that will lead into the Mexico game in October. |
| That latter game of course, is one the USA did not want to be playing – given that a win in July’s Gold Cup would have confirmed them as Concacaf’s representatives at the Confederations Cup in Russia in 2017. Instead, their slow start in the tournament never quite ignited, Jamaica caught them flat, and Mexico got the benefit of some very dubious refereeing decisions to win the tournament and force the October playoff with 2013 champions USA. | That latter game of course, is one the USA did not want to be playing – given that a win in July’s Gold Cup would have confirmed them as Concacaf’s representatives at the Confederations Cup in Russia in 2017. Instead, their slow start in the tournament never quite ignited, Jamaica caught them flat, and Mexico got the benefit of some very dubious refereeing decisions to win the tournament and force the October playoff with 2013 champions USA. |
| So for all that a Brazil game is always intriguing and Peru’s third-place finish at the Copa America this year suggests they’ll be difficult opponents tonight, these games have been given extra edge by what the selections and performances will tell us about Klinsmann’s thinking for Mexico. | So for all that a Brazil game is always intriguing and Peru’s third-place finish at the Copa America this year suggests they’ll be difficult opponents tonight, these games have been given extra edge by what the selections and performances will tell us about Klinsmann’s thinking for Mexico. |