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To devoted USMNT follower,

It's been a good run on Blogger, but it's time to move on to bigger and better things. So US Futblog decided to team up with Bloguin to produce a new, user friendly, beautiful site that will bring you USMNT news in an innovative and exciting way. The new site can be found at the same domain name, www.usfutblog.com, so don't worry and continue to follow the USMNT.

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Matthew Spitz
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USfutblog.com LLC

US Fall to Paraguay- Match Highlights

Here are the match highlights from last night's 1-0 friendly loss to Paraguay....

Quick Recap- US Lose 1-0 to Paraguay

In a disappointing result, the US fell to Paraguay 1-0 in tonight's friendly. The US dominated play for most of the match, but they were never able to breakthrough and score that elusive goal. Individually many US players played well, but as a group it took almost the full 90 minutes for the US to work as a team. For most of the match the US could not link 3 or 4 passes together in order to create real goal scoring chances and were very deliberate in their attentions. However, late in the second half the US looked more dynamic and showed signs of quality.

Here were my in-game notes spiced with some post-game analysis:

1st Half

- Bradley starts with a 4-4-2 formation
Agudelo and Jozy up front
Chandler at RB, Ream at center back
Edu-Bradley in the middle
I was pretty pleased with Bradley's line-up choices, except for the inclusion of Bornstein at left back. 

- Great opening pass by Ream to Dempsey from the back
It was evident that Ream's ability to pass out of the back greatly helps the US team.


- Bornstein fails to mark up in the 4th minute, free header for Paraguay from 8 yards out
Bornstein was once again awful tonight. He has a horrible touch and can't play defense. If he plays during the Gold Cup it will be a disgrace. 


- Very creative turn from Agudelo in the early minutes
Agudelo was slicing and dicing defenders all night. He is just so quick and elusive that it's tough for one defender to stay with him. Not only that but he has a great soccer mind and knows where to go with the ball.


- Bornstein shanks the cross on a goal scoring opportunity set up by Donovan
This was a great goal scoring chance the US had early, but Bornstein completely ruined it.


- I have really liked Dempsey’s creativeness in the midfield so far, looks like his old Fulham self (15th minute)
Dempsey was impressive for most of the match. He was all over the place, making moves and creating chances. 

- 18th minute goal from Paraguay, sloppy box play from the US after a corner….DeMerit falls down trying to clear it, as the ball ricochets to a Paraguayan attacker (Cardozo), who buries the ball from 6 yards …Ream fell down earlier and allowed his man to have the free opportunity
Upon replay it looked like Ream got taken down and if not, he would have been there to prevent the goal. Either way it was horrible, sloppy defending by the US. This goal should have never happened. 

- US created a good chance in the 20th minute…Chandler cross to Dempsey's head which goes over the net…good little flick back by Donovan to set up the play
- Great speed by Chandler in the 24th minute leads to a free kick…nothing comes of it
Chandler was threatening Paraguay's defense all night with his lethal speed. You just can't teach that. 

- Dempsey unleashes a ball from 35 yards out…the ball had some nice dip action and was on target, but it was an easy save
It was a great effort by Dempsey, but if he picked up his head he would of saw that the US had numbers going forward. 

- Agudelo creating havoc, drawing fouls….Jozy not doing much
The Altidore-Agudelo forward tandem did not work today, mainly because Altidore had an awful game. Jozy was nowhere to be seen in the US attack. 


- Paraguay can’t get out of their own end…33rd minute
Paraguay barely created chances all night. 

- Bornstein actually swings in a good cross, Bradley ended up with it and laid it to Dempsey but his shot was way off
- Agudelo draws a foul in a dangerous area in the 41st minute…great step over, deception
- DeMerit comes out hurt in the 42nd, Bocanegra on
DeMerit left the game with a strained right groin 

- 2 long range shots from Paraguay saved by Hahnemann, who has been barely tested so far

- Half: Paraguay up 1-0
US dominated the half, but lacked team collectiveness and the final pass/touch to score and at the same time were a little sloppy in the box leading to Paraguay’s one goal, Paraguay has done little but still have the lead. 

2nd Half

- 2nd half Subs:

    Jermaine Jones on for Edu

    Yelldell on for Hahnemann

I like the move to take out Edu. He looked a little sloppy and it was time to test out Jones with Bradley to see if that was a better combination.

- Woow…unreal touch by Agudelo, gets taken down in the box but no call, Agudelo is so sneaky with the ball at his feet and started the whole play by coming back to collect the ball.

This should have been a penalty kick for the US in my opinion.

- US putting on the pressure early…Donovan cross leads to a corner

Donovan has looked rusty so far in 2011 for both club and country. He had a lot of set piece opportunities tonight and none of them seemed to fall just right .

- Chandler with a great move, flicks the ball by the defender, and cross…leads to a corner

He was doing this all night.

- Nobody helps Dempsey out when the US had runners forward, where are you Jozy to help out???…54th minute

It just seemed like each player was playing on an island at this point in the match. Nobody was helping out.

- Lichaj in for Altidore…Dempsey pushes up top….Chandler steps up into the midfield on the right

This was a bad game for Jozy. He looked to be out of form and thus didn’t work well with Agudelo.

- Unreal speed by Chandler down the wing, leads to a Dempsey outside shot that goes wide left

How many times have I said this.

- Great run by Chandler, who passes the ball to Agudelo who springs Lichaj down the wing, which results in a great cross. However, Dempsey's shot rockets over the net

This was the best chance of the night for the US up until this point.

- Paraguay haven’t created many chances in the 2nd half

- 73rd minute….another Donovan cross goes nowhere, flies over everybody’s head

- Donovan misses a sitter, blasted the ball from 5 yards out and it hits the side of goal…the ball just fell to him after a Lichaj long throw-in

This was another example of Donovan's rustiness. 

- Kljestan comes in for Bornstein

Bornstein was just awful once again. Will Bradley finally get the hint? 

- Unreal long-range strike from a Paraguayan attacker that hits off the right post, Yelldell was beaten on the play

- Chandler out Spector in…80th minute

Man of the Match honors??

- What a shot from 25 yards out by Bradley, destined for goal, but a diving save prevents the US from tying the game in the 86th min

This was a beautiful rip. Bradley blasted a bouncing ball into the top corner, but the Paraguayan keeper rose to the occasion. 

- Great one touch possession late from US

The US finally got their act together in the final 10 to 15 minutes, but it was too little to late.

- Jermaine Jones unleashes a screamer in the dying moments from the 18 yard box, but it was another great save by the keeper that kept the US off the board

Jones hit this ball with perfect technique, but somehow it found the goalie's hands through traffic. I think Jones worked much better with Bradley than Edu did. The whole team looked a little crisper with Jones on the field. 

- US Lose 1-0

The US deserved the draw, but it just shows you how much better this team still needs to get. There is no question in my mind that the US should have beaten this Paraguayan team 2 or 3 nothing. The US let in a goal that should have never happened and failed to convert on countless opportunities late in the match after failing to be creative going forward earlier in the match. It's the same story with this team no matter what players are playing. Things aren't as peachy as everyone is making them out to be. Hopefully they improve or Mexico will dominate them in the Gold Cup, mark my words. 

Man of the Match: tie between Chandler and Agudelo
- Chandler was just flying down that wing whether it was at right back or right midfield. He was very impressive and his ability to cross and create chances for the US is vital
- Agudelo was dangerous all night. He checked to the ball well and showed his ability to hold the ball up in possession. Agudelo is also so skillful with the ball at his feet that he constantly keeps defenders off balance.

Behind the Scenes- US vs. Argentina

Here's a behind the scenes look, put together by US Soccer of the 1-1 draw vs. Argentina on Saturday.....

Create New Motto for USMNT Jersey

US Soccer is giving the fans a chance to create the new motto that will appear on the US Men's National Team's red jerseys. The US will wear these jerseys for the March 26th friendly vs. Argentina. Just tweet your motto to @ussoccer with the hash tag #redallover. Fans have until March 23rd to send in their mottos and there is no limit to the number of mottos a fan can send. The best motto will be featured on the new jersey.

Entrants must be US residents, who are 13 years or older.

Rumors: US vs. Spain Friendly in Boston

The Boston Globe is reporting a potential friendly between the US and Spain in early June at Gillette Stadium. The friendly will take place as a final preparation match before the Gold Cup tournament.

This friendly would be the first match between the two countries since the US shockingly defeated Spain 2-0 in the semi-finals of the 2009 Confederations Cup.

The US Soccer Federation is really stepping up their game. Argentina, Paraguay, then Spain is a ridiculous line-up; you cannot get much better than that. A friendly against Spain would also be a perfect final match before a very important Gold Cup, which the US needs to win in order to make the 2013 Confederations Cup. 

Europa League Quarterfinals Draw Announced- Onyewu/Twente to Play Villarreal

After defeating Zenit St. Petersburg 3-2 on aggregate goals, FC Twente and Oguchi Onyewu advanced into the quarterfinals of the Europa League. Today the club found out that they would be playing Spanish giants, Villarreal.

Here are all the quarterfinal match-ups, which will take place on April 7th and April 14th...

FC Porto (Portugal) vs. Spartak Moscow (Russia)
Benfica (Portugal) vs. PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)
Villarreal (Spain) vs. FC Twente (Netherlands)
FC Braga (Portugal) vs. Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine)


Also, the quarterfinal match-ups for the Champions League were announced...

Real Madrid (Spain) vs. Tottenham Hotspur (England)
Chelsea (England) vs. Manchester United (England)
Barcelona (Spain) vs. Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine)
Inter Milan (Italy) vs. Schalke 04 (Germany)

U-20 Roster Announced for WC Qualifiers

Gale Agbossoumonde

The US has announced their roster for the CONCACAF U-20 Championship, which serves as the qualifying tournament for the U-20 World Cup for the North American and Central American nations.

The 20 man U-20 roster will travel to Dallas for a week of training, beginning on March 20th. They will then leave for Guatemala City, Guatemala on March 25th for the tournament.

U-20 Schedule (Group B)
US vs. Suriname- March 29th at 8pm EST (ESPN Deportes/ESPN3.com)
US vs. Panama- April 2nd at 6pm EST (ESPN Deportes/ESPN3.com)

In order to qualify for this summer's (July 29th-August 20th) U-20 World Cup in Colombia, the US will need to come in either first or second in Group B, which will advance them into the quarterfinals of the tournament. If they then win the quarterfinal match-up, the U-20 squad will secure a place in the World Cup.

Here is the roster:


GOALKEEPERS (2): Zac MacMath (Philadelphia Union; St. Petersburg, Fla.), Cody Cropper (Ipswich Town; Athens, Ga.)

DEFENDERS (8): Gale Agbossoumonde (Djurgårdens IF; Syracuse, N.Y.), Greg Garza (G.D. Estoril Praia; Grapevine, Texas), Moises Hernandez (FC Dallas; Dallas, Texas), Sacir Hot (New York Red Bulls; Fair Lawn, N.J.), Sebastien Ibeagha (Duke; Missouri City, Texas), Perry Kitchen (D.C. United; Indianapolis, Ind.), Zarek Valentin (Chivas USA; Lancaster, Pa.), Korey Veeder (Columbus Crew; St. Petersburg, Fla.)

MIDFIELDERS (5): Sebastian Lletget (West Ham United; San Francisco, Calif.), Amobi Okugo (Philadelphia Union; Sacramento, Calif.), Moises Orozco (UANL Tigres; Oxnard, Calif.), Dillon Powers (Notre Dame; Plano, Texas), Kelyn Rowe (UCLA; Newport Beach, Calif.)

FORWARDS (5): Eder Arreola (UCLA; Chino Hills, Calif.), Conor Doyle (Derby County FC; McKinney, Texas), Joe Gyau (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim; Silver Spring, Md.), Omar Salgado (Vancouver Whitecaps FC; El Paso, Texas),
Bobby Wood (TSV 1860 München; Irvine, Calif.)

Notes-
1. Agbossoumonde, who has received a senior national team cap, leads this squad with 26 U-20 caps
2. 8 players from this roster play in the MLS, highlighted by rookies Perry Kitchen, Omar Salgado and Zarek Valentin
3. 8 players from this roster play abroad in 5 different countries

Europa League Recap- Onyewu and Twente Advance to Quarters

FC Twente had a 3-0 aggregate advantage entering the 2nd leg of their Europa League match vs. Zenit St. Petersburg. They barely held on to this lead, losing 2-0 yesterday on the road, but that was enough to advance Twente into the Europa League quarterfinals.

Oguchi Onyewu started at center-back and played 90 minutes for Twente. However, he was mainly responsible for Zenit St. Petersburg's first goal, as the attacker blew right by him.

Here are the match highlights...


Meanwhile, Rangers were eliminated from the Europa League after losing 1-0 to Dutch champions, PSV Eindhoven, in the 2nd leg. One goal was all that PSV Eindhoven needed after a 0-0 draw in the first leg. Maruice Edu started for Rangers and played 90 minutes in the devastating loss.

Here are the match highlights....

Bob Bradley Releases US Roster for Upcoming Friendlies

Bob Bradley has released the US roster for the upcoming National Team friendlies against Argentina (March 26th) and Paraguay (March 29th). The 23-man squad will begin gathering on March 20th in Cary, North Carolina, where they will train before the Argentina match.

Here's the roster:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Tim Howard (Everton), David Yelldell (MSV Duisburg)

DEFENDERS (9): Carlos Bocanegra (Saint-Etienne), Jonathan Bornstein (UANL Tigres), Timothy Chandler (FC Nürnberg), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jay DeMerit (Vancouver Whitecaps), Oguchi Onyewu (FC Twente), Tim Ream (New York Red Bulls), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United), Zak Whitbread (Norwich City)

MIDFIELDERS (9): Michael Bradley (Aston Villa), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Mikkel Diskeruud (Stabaek), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Benny Feilhaber (AGF Aarhus), Stuart Holden (Bolton Wanderers), Jermaine Jones (Blackburn Rovers), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht)

FORWARDS (3): Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls), Jozy Altidore (Bursaspor), Edson Buddle (FC Ingolstadt)


I love this roster. Bradley brought in the usuals, but at the same time he was a little adventurous and called-up some youngsters like Agudelo and Ream. Not only that, but Bradley was able to deepen the pool by brining in some newbies, such as Timothy Chandler and Zak Whitbread. Overall, I am very impressed with these selections. Bradley definitely does not look like a stale 2nd cycle international manager to me. 

Favorite Move(s): Agudelo and Ream
It's so important to start grooming the young studs early and that's exactly what Bradley is doing with these 2 call-ups. I don't want to get caught up in all the Agudelo hoopla and anoint him the savior of the US forward position, but it's vital that he becomes acclimated to the international culture early. The same thing can be said about Ream in his role as Bocanegra's future replacement at center-back. I just wanted to point out that Bradley is being proactive here with the prospects.


Worst Move: Bornstein 
I know I'm beating a dead horse, but Bornstein is the worst player on this roster. Yes, he is seeing some minutes in Mexico with Tigres, but he's been playing midfield. How is Bronstein ever going to improve his defending if he's playing midfield at club level? I'm sick and tired of hearing that he's the best of the worst at the left back position for the US. There has to be some American somewhere that can play a better left back than Bornstein. I just hope Bradley doesn't play him.


Surprise Move: Sacha Kljestan
Kljestan took the risk and jumped from Chivas USA to Belgium giants, Anderlecht over the summer and since arriving in Belgium, Kljestan has definitely upped his game, scoring some big goals earlier in the year. However, as time has gone on his playing time has diminished. With the lack of playing time and depth at the midfield position, I'm a little surprised Bradley called him in. Even though I'm surprised, I believe Kljestan deserves a shot, even if it's only a small one. With Donovan, Dempsey, Edu, Jones, Holden, Bradley, and Feilhaber all locks in the midfield for the Gold Cup this summer and for future World Cup qualifying match-ups, Kljestan has little room for error.