11 Obscure Facts to Prep You For The USMNT-Italy Friendly

With the USMNT's friendly against Italy almost upon us, I thought it'd be a good idea to re-post an updated version of this trivia-heavy piece to prime you for the match.

Read up, and impress your friends with trivia when game day rolls around:

1. The USMNT has never beaten Italy: The two teams first met back at the 1934 World Cup and have played eight matches in total, but the US is still searching for its first victory after losing five times and drawing three times. The Yanks have run into the Azzurri at the World Cup, Summer Olympics (1934), Confederations Cup, and even the old US Cup, not to mention in friendlies. In those matches, the US has a goal differential of -11.

The US has played two friendlies against Italy, but was shut out in both matches.

2. The USMNT has played more World Cup matches against Italy than it has against any other national team: Of the 29 World Cup matches in USMNT history, three have been against Italy. No other opponent has played the US more than twice on the big stage (with England, Germany, and Ghana being the only teams to have even done it two times).

3. Neither the USMNT nor Italy have ever played on Leap Day: The friendly will mark the first time that either side has played a match on February 29th.

4. The USMNT has never played in Genova: The Yanks have played on Italian soil six times, but never in the port city of Genova on the Ligurian coast. Of those six matches, three took place in Rome, two took place in Firenze (Florence), and one took place in Catania.

5. Klinsmann returns to Genova: Jurgen Klinsmann's illustrious playing career included a brief stop at Stadio Luigi Ferraris, where he played for Sampdoria for half a season in 1997.

6. Five USMNTers from the last USA-Italy friendly are still playing: The US and Italy last played in a friendly in 2002, a 1-0 loss for the US in Sicily. Of those in Bruce Arena's match day squad, six are still active: Landon Donovan, Josh Wolff, Brad Friedel, Pablo Mastroeni, and current free agent Frankie Hejduk. Unsurprisingly, Donovan is the only one of the bunch that is under 30 years old.

The lone goalscorer on that day? Alessandro Del Piero, who is still in the rotation with Juventus at 37 years old:



7. No American has ever scored twice against Italy: In eight matches, the US has managed to score just four goals, with no player finding the back of the net more than once. If Landon Donovan (who scored against Italy from the penalty spot in the '09 Confederations Cup) is able to score a goal (assuming he's called up) or if another Yank is able to bag a brace, it will be a first.

8. Of the matches the USMNT has played in Italy, half have come against teams other than Italy: As I mentioned earlier, the Yanks have played in Italy six times. Included in that is a friendly (2002), World Cup group stage match (1990), and World Cup knockout match (1934) against the Azzurri, as well as World Cup group stage matches against Austria and Czechoslovakia (1990) and a World Cup qualifier against Mexico (1934).

Speaking of Mexico...

9. The first USMNT v. Mexico match took place in Italy: Yes, the rivalry traces its origins to Rome, where the two played each other for the first time in a qualifier for the 1934 World Cup. Thanks to a 4-2 win, the US qualified for the World Cup and got the early upper hand in a rivalry that has become one of the best in all of soccer. It was short-lived, though: it wasn't until 1980 that the US beat Mexico again, losing 21 of 24 meetings in between.

10. Since their last meeting with Italy, the USMNT is unbeaten in competitive matches against UEFA opponents: After losing 3-1 to Marcello Lippi and company in South Africa, the Yanks have managed to beat Spain and draw England and Slovenia. Okay, so it's only a three match unbeaten run, but when you consider the caliber of opponents and the stages that those matches were played on, it's nothing to scoff at.

11. Since debuting for Chievo Verona on September 18th, Michael Bradley has missed just 33 minutes of Serie A play: Bradley featured as a 71st minute substitute in his debut against Parma, and since then has made 22 consecutive starts with the Flying Donkeys in league play, 20 of which have lasted for the full 90 minutes. Up until a January 29th loss against Lazio, he had never been taken off the field by his manager- just another indication of the kind of solid performance that has been earning Bradley praise and respect in Italy.

In that time, Bradley has helped Chievo rise to 11th in Serie A table (tied on points with 10th place Catania), with big results including wins over Napoli, Genoa (twice), and Fiorentina, and draws against Lazio and title contenders Juventus.

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Well, that's enough for now. Read up to impress your friends or simply to prime yourself for another high profile USMNT friendly as the first FIFA match day of 2012 approaches.

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USMNT-Italy Roster Analysis: On Boyd, Kljestan, & More

Jurgen Klinsmann announced his 21-man roster for the Italy friendly today. Let's dive right into some analysis.

Goalkeepers (3): Tim Howard (Everton), Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)

The players chosen don't come as much surprise. Guzan showed well during his brief starting stint with Aston Villa while Shay Given was injured and is a talented, more experienced option in the pool, so it's good to see him brought back into the mix. Rimando, meanwhile, had some bright moments against Panama last month, and with Bill Hamid and Sean Johnson away on U-23 duty, he's a logical third choice.

I am a little surprised, though, that three keepers were brought in for an international break that includes just one friendly. In the past, even for two-match breaks, Klinsmann has only brought in two keepers.

Perhaps one explanation is that Klinsmann and his staff are trying to sort out their depth chart ahead of World Cup qualification, with the two veterans being prime candidates for a back-up role behind Tim Howard.


Defenders (7): Carlos Bocanegra (Rangers), Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo), Timmy Chandler (Nürnberg), Steve Cherundolo (Hanover), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Michael Parkhurst (Nordsjaelland), Jonathan Spector (Birmingham City)

There aren't really any surprises here. While I picked Tim Ream in my roster prediction, it's not shocking to see him excluded given he is still settling into things at Bolton. Michael Parkhurst and Geoff Cameron now have an opportunity to impress and rise up the pecking order heading into the summer, particularly as players who fit the mold of the possession-oriented center back that Klinsmann has sought.


Midfielders (6): Michael Bradley (Chievo), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Jermaine Jones (Schalke), Jose Torres (Pachuca), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim)

This group went, for the most part, as expected, with a healthy Jose Torres (a player Klinsmann seems to like a good deal) returning to the national team set up alongside the recent regulars.

What's gotten attention once again, though, is the omission of Sacha Kljestan, who has played very well with Anderlecht (a team leading the Belgian Pro League and making noise in Europe) this season in a starting role. Ultimately, Klinsmann may just not think Kljestan fits into his system, or that another central midfielder would be superfluous considering the other selections. I do believe there would have been some value in bringing Kljestan into camp, even if he never saw the field (it never hurts to get more observations for evaluation), and he would absolutely merit a call. Alas, Klinsi sees differently.

The legend that is "are you even watching?" lives on for another couple of months.


Forwards(5): Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), Terrence Boyd (Borussia Dortmund), Edson Buddle (L.A. Galaxy), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Landon Donovan (L.A. Galaxy)

Only one name in this group sticks out: Terrence Boyd. The selection of the 21-year old came as a huge surprise, particularly considering Boyd was recently included in Caleb Porter's roster for the U-23 camp and friendly against Mexico this month.

Boyd has impressed a great deal with Borussia Dortmund's U-23 reserve squad, as well as the US U-23s, and certainly is one of the more promising forward prospects in the pool, so it's good to see him get his feet wet with the senior side. Bizarrely enough, Boyd may very well earn his first USMNT cap before making a single first team appearance at the club level. To date, the closest he has come was being named to the match day squad with Borussia Dortmund.

It's likely been a long time since a player has made a USMNT appearance before making a first team appearance at the club level. I'll have to do some digging to find the last person to do so, but I suspect we would have to go back to the pre-MLS days, when top college players often signed directly with US Soccer. For instance, guys like Cobi Jones, Joe-Max Moore, and Claudio Reyna all earned their first USMNT caps before making a first team appearance at the club level. Boyd will be looking to join that club, albeit during a much different era; the years prior to MLS were certainly a very different time in the USMNT landscape.

Make no mistake: Boyd's selection is not unreasonable. He is, after all, making a name for himself at the reigning Bundesliga champs. If anything, this just presents the potential for a quirky fact, as it's rare nowadays for a player's first cap to come prior to their first appearance at the club level.

In the end, this gives Boyd a chance to get his first senior team camp experience under his belt (and perhaps more), an always valuable opportunity for a young, talented player that should help him integrate into the squad more fully in the future.

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As far as tactics go, it's hard to say what exactly we'll see, as Klinsmann has changed formations pretty frequently.

Something to consider is that Fabian Johnson has recently played well at left back for Hoffenheim, while Timmy Chandler has shown well with Nurnberg as a right midfielder. Might that mean we see Chandler in the midfield with Johnson at left back and Steve Cherundolo at right back? (Assuming, that is, that Cherundolo is fully fit, having missed Hannover's last two matches with a minor calf injury.)

The center mid tandem could also go a number of ways, depending on whether Klinsmann wants a more attacking or defensive setup. With Oguchi Onyewu out, Klinsmann may prefer to add some defensive bite in front of the center backs, which might lead to a Jones-Bradley pairing. Jose Torres, meanwhile, would add more going forward if Klinsmann is looking to go on the front foot in Genova.

One possible starting XI would be the following:



Another possible look would be:



With the outside backs adding width in the attack.

We'll have to wait and see if Klinsmann, in his search for a center back with good technical ability, opts to give Michael Parkhurst or Geoff Cameron a shot against gli Azzurri at some point, despite their comparative lack of experience.

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All in all, this a good group of players that will (hopefully) give Italy a game next Wednesday. It will also mark the first time that Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey play together during the Klinsmann era, and the first time that Donovan has suited up for the Red, White, and Blue since the Costa Rica friendly last September. That in and of itself could help the Yanks produce the kind of soccer that we'd been hoping to see last year, only to suffer through plenty of sputtering performances. Both are in great form and will add some teeth to the US attack at Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

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USSD will have a couple of pieces leading up to the match in the next couple of days. Be sure to come by and give it a read.

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USMNT Roster for Italy Announced

Here's Jurgen Klinsmann's 21-man roster for the Italy friendly:

Goalkeepers (3): Tim Howard (Everton), Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake).

Defenders (7): Carlos Bocanegra (Rangers), Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo), Timmy Chandler (Nürnberg), Steve Cherundolo (Hanover), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Michael Parkhurst (Nordsjaelland), Jonathan Spector (Birmingham City).

Midfielders (6): Michael Bradley (Chievo), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Jermaine Jones (Schalke), Jose Torres (Pachuca), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim).

Forwards(5): Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), Terrence Boyd (Borussia Dortmund), Edson Buddle (L.A. Galaxy), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Landon Donovan (L.A. Galaxy).


As usual, there are some surprising inclusions and omissions. Full roster analysis coming early this afternoon.

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USMNT-Italy Roster Prediction

With the USMNT roster for the Italy friendly due out any day now, how about a quick prediction about the group that Jurgen Klinsmann calls in?

Check it out below; feel free to voice your opinions in the comments section or on Twitter.

Goalkeepers (2): Tim Howard, Brad Guzan

Guzan gets recalled after a brief but solid spell with Aston Villa, while MLS keepers are left with their respective clubs for preseason.


Defenders (7): Carlos Bocanegra, Clarence Goodson, Geoff Cameron, Tim Ream, Timmy Chandler, Steve Cherundolo, Jonathan Spector

Oguchi Onyewu's injury means Tim Ream slides in. Spector gets the nod as well thanks to a solid run with Birmingham City.


Midfielders (9): Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones, Sacha Kljestan, Maurice Edu, Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, Fabian Johnson, Jose Torres, Danny Williams

Kljestan finally gets an affirmative answer to his now-infamous "are you even watching?" tweet, while a healthy Jose Torres returns to the mix. Johnson adds depth at outside back, having recently played at left back with Hoffenheim, while Williams adds emergency cover at center back, having suited up there a couple of times with Hoffenheim in the new year.

Though this group is center mid-heavy, Klinsmann has used guys like Bradley and Williams in wider roles before, as well as a five man midfield that would help get more of these players on the field at the same time.


Forwards (3): Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey, Edson Buddle

No real surprises here. Buddle gets the nod after a strong showing v. Slovenia, with Juan Agudelo playing with the U-23s and Herculez Gomez still fighting for minutes with Santos.

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Once the roster is officially announced, USSD will post it, so keep an eye out for that tomorrow.

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