International Football Friendly Preview: USA vs. Spain
USA will take on World and European champions, Spain, in an International Friendly to be played at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough on Saturday, June 4.
The last time these two sides met was in the semi-final of the FIFA Confederations Cup two years back and the Americans won 2-0. http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Jozy-Altidore-c19634 and Clint Dempsey had scored the goals to end Spain’s unbeaten 35-game unbeaten streak.
USA
Bob Bradley’s men are currently ranked 22nd in the world and their recent form has been rather poor. The Yanks have won only one of the last five matches played, drawing three and losing one. The side’s only win came against http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/South-Africa-c757 in November
last year.
The current form is not close to the form the team had been two years back when they reached the final of the Confederations Cup but eventually lost to http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Brazil-c2858 3-2 after putting a great fight.
The Americans will be looking to improve on their performances before the start of the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Wednesday.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Spain-c3011
La Roja are the number one ranked team in the world. They are the current European and World champions. The Spaniards are coming from a 3-1 win over http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Lithuania-c2944 last week in the Euro 2012 qualifiers.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Portugal-c2984 in November last year. Spain have since won all of their three fixtures which includes a friendly against
Columbia and two European qualifiers against http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Czech-Republic-c2882 and Lithuania.
Team News
USA
Bolton Wanderer’s midfielder, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Stuart-Holden-c34260, is set to miss the clash as he is out with a long-term injury. There are no major absentees otherwise for the Yanks. Jose Altidore and Fulham’s Clint Dempsey are set to start upfront for the home side. Michael
Bradley and http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Jermaine-Jones-c18363 will start in the centre of the park for the hosts.
Spain
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Carles-Puyol-c8331, will be unavailable for the fixture. The boss has named in-form Sevilla striker, Alvaro Negredo, in the squad, which means struggling Fernando Torres will, in all probability, warm the benches.
Players to watch
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Landon-Donovan-c21646
The former Bayer Leverkusen midfielder has been sensational for his current club LA Galaxy this season. He has scored seven times in the eight games he has played this term. The player, who is now the country’s highest goal scorer, will be looking to add
to his already impressive tally of 45 goals in a http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Total-c40747 of 130 appearances.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Álvaro-Negredo-c5294
The Sevilla striker has the opportunity to prove his worth in the national side after a brilliant season with his club. The attacker scored 26 goals in 55 appearances for Sevilla and will be the man to watch out for in the absence of http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Fernando-Torres-c13707 and
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Fernando-Llorente-c13671.
Prediction
The hosts have not been in very good form off late and Spain are coming from a comprehensive win over Lithuania in the qualifiers. The Yanks will have the home advantage and will look to prepare the best they can before the Gold Cup starts. Against the World’s
best side, it will be a tough encounter and is likely to end in a 1-1 draw with both side’s sharing the spoils.
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