USA vs. Germany Preview: More International Friendly Fun
By Ty Duffy
Television: 2:30pm ET, ESPN2
State of the National Side: Dreadful. The U.S. has one win in their last six matches. They have created one goal from open play in their last three. There were questions heading into that stretch. They aren’t creating chances. They concede many of them.
Definite B-Team: Both clubs playing in the Champions League Final were German. Every Bayern Munich player was left out of the squad. Only two Dortmund players, Sven Bender and Kevin Großkreutz were selected. Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Muller, Neuer, Boateng, Gomez, Hummels, Gotze, and Reus were left home. So were Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira. This team has familiar names – Klose, Mertesacker, Podolski – but even those veterans are on the team’s fringe.
Statement Game? The USA vs. Germany friendly in 2006 was a turning point for Klinsmann after a disappointing run. He will be hoping to turn a similar trick here, or at least scrub away some of the Belgium stink.
The Heat: This game will be played in Washington D.C. The forecast is for 90 degrees with a humidity level of “oppressive.” That’s if it does not get delayed/derailed by a thunderstorm. That’s about the worst, non-blizzard conditions to run around on an open field for 90 minutes. Especially when the result has no tangible value. We may see 22 men just trying to bear this one. At the very least, there should not be too much to read into the spectacle, positively or negatively.
[Photo via Getty]