06/03/09 vs. CRC - Most popular for June 2009
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ussoccer.com's Studio 90 is back with a game day episode chronicling the recent history of the USA
and Costa Rica. There are highlights dating back from 2000, a look at the USA's detour four years
ago, some players give their thoughts on playing in Saprissa, and there's a preview of tonight's
game as well.
Clint Dempsey (sporting new tattoo at left) will earn his 50th cap if he takes the field against
Costa Rica, completing a half-century of appearances in a national team career that has spanned
just over four and a half years. Before the game at Estadio Saprissa, the MNT Blog sat down with
Dempsey to discuss the path of his career:
MNT Blog: You're sitting on the cusp of 50 caps for your country.
ussoccer.com has a photo gallery from last night's game against Costa Rica. Check out all the pics
here.
There are also some video highlights of the game on ussoccer.com - we'll post them here a bit
later...
The USA-Costa Rica match is the only FIFA World Cup qualifier in the world being played on June 3.
The match originally scheduled for June 10 was moved up by FIFA due to the USA's participation in
the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. The U.S. will have one day less of rest, with just two days off
before facing Honduras on June 6 in Chicago.
We've arrived safe and sound in Costa Rica after our 150 minute flight from Miami International.
Tim Howard met us at the airport, while Eric Lihaj also made the trip with the team. The last
minute dash to the plane by Jonathan Bornstein took our traveling total up to 21 players.
Costa Rica's home stadium is one of the most menacing in CONCACAF and provides one of the most
difficult atmospheres anywhere in the world. At only 24,000 Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Ayama is just
over 1/4 the size of Wembley and holds about 80,000 less people than Azteca in Mexico City.
Saprissa is proof that the biggest stadiums don't always generate the most noise or most imposing
environments.
Here's today's Studio 90 News from Estadio Ricardo Saprissa in San José. You can also head over to
ussoccer.com to listen to a podcast with Bob Bradley, Tim Howard and Oguchi Onyewu. Listen to the
full podcast here.
Yesterday we trained in Saprissa for the final time before tonight's match. The session lasted an
hour (as per protocol) and the guys went through a warm up, before playing some possession and
finishing off with some finishing. Check out the full gallery at ussoccer.com...
After the training session the guys headed into the locker room for the passport check.
The new FIFA World Rankings are out, and the U.S. MNT has jumped up one spot to 14th in the World.
After last month's lack of movement in the top 10, this month shows a bit of shuffling. Netherlands
flip flops with Germany in the second spot, while Italy and Brazil (two oppoents for the U.S. in
the Confederations Cup also switch places).
The MNT has never won in Estadio Ricardo Saprissa, and tonight was no different. Falling to Costa
Rica 3-1, the U.S. team now heads back to the States focused on Saturday's game against Honduras in
Chicago.
Stay tuned to ussoccer.com for a full game report, pictures, reaction and highlights, and we'll be
back tomorrow for more news and updates here on the MNT Blog.
Here are a a few pictures from today's training in Estadio Ricardo Saprissa.
We arrived at the stadium at about 5 p.m. to a minor crowd of people that had gathered by the
locker room. They gave us a few spirited boos - all in good fun of course...
We waited while the Saprissa youth team vacated the field.
