Photo: Otto Greule Jr., courtesy Goal.com

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Should Andy Rose have been sent off with a second yellow card in the 28th minute for tackling Freddy Adu from behind?

Featured image: Courtesy of Dan Morrison and bethlehemsteelsoccer.org

Against the expectation of many in the US, the United States Football Association's first international tour in Scandinavia in the summer of 1916 had been a great success. The cash-strapped USFA had come out of the trip in the black—the Swedish FA had paid for the tour thanks to the backing of a leading Swedish newspaper—and the team had performed well to garner a 3–1–2 record despite having been put together only days before departure to Europe without the benefit of tryouts.

As has been previously described on the PSP, the friendly has historically been an important opportunity for the transmission of new football tactics. It's also a great way for clubs and federations to make some money and for hitherto unknown players to be seen by top clubs. From the fan's perspective, the friendly is often a rare opportunity to see top flight international soccer and also serves as an important community builder, whether those communities are ethnic groups that identify with particular international clubs or the soccer community as a whole.