Can you honestly say you expected the Yanks to win this one? Well, after the 5-1 hammering dealt to Scotland perhaps US fans had good reason to. Reality check friends...Brazil is way better than Scotland. Let us mow through some random thoughts together about the team and the game!

Defense: Timid on the ball, dynamic outside

Oguchi Onyewu's size may no longer offset his liability.

Article by Luke Lohr
The United States Men's National team was fresh off their 5-1 win against Scotland when they were humbled by a feisty Brazilian squad. The match at FedEx field held over 39,000 fans and they were witness to an American side of split-personalities.

Mano Menezes

Brazil take on the USA in Washington tomorrow evening. The South Americans are fresh from a 3-1 win over Denmark in Germany. But the home nation will prove more of a threat after dispatching Scotland 5-1 on Sunday. Brazil coach Mano Menezes has made changes as he prepares his side for the London Olympics.

Kickoff is looming, so we have the starters and a starter, the snazzy new Behind The Crest clip. As for the line-up... well well, Torres on left wing - and I thought that was only the notion of a madman. Ha! Howard; Cherundolo, Cameron, Bocanegra, Johnson, Edu, Bradley, Jones, Donovan, Torres, Boyd Bench: Guzan, Onyewu, Beckerman, Castillo, Corona, Gomez, Wondolowski - Greg

The U.S. set to take on Scotland in front of a record-setting crowd at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Fla. As usual, ussoccer.com has provided all the news and notes you need to get primed for the match. Here's some of the highlights:

• The U.S. has collected four consecutive victories dating back to last year, including three straight shutout wins against Venezuela, Panama and Italy for the 2012 campaign.

As we stand two months away from the start of the U.S. Men's national team's World Cup qualifying process, it is about that time to start considering just what sort of team we can expect to take the field for the United States in June.

Jurgen Klinsmann has never coached a World Cup qualifier before (Germany didn't have to qualify as World Cup 2006 hosts), but that doesn't mean he doesn't have some idea of what lies ahead in venues like Guatemala and Jamaica.

Rangers vs Celtic 3-2 Highlights 2012 Old Firm Aluko Little Wallace Rogne Goals Cha Du-Ri Wanyama Bocanegra Red Cards Video March is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter

Rangers vs Celtic 3-2 Highlights 2012 Old Firm Aluko Little Wallace Rogne Goals Cha Du-Ri Wanyama Bocanegra Red Cards Video March is a post from Soccer Blogger.

The United States earned their first ever win over Italy in Genoa with an early second half goal from in-form Clint Dempsey.
USMNT's Setup
Jurgen Klinsmann selected to his seemingly favorite 4-2-3-1 formation. With the absences of Landon Donovan, Tim Chandler, Oguchi Onyewu, Jose Torres and Jermaine Jones, the Yank's squad depth was tested.

If you think of Italy as the overrated team that failed in the last World Cup you would be out of date. Sure, Italy is not as grand as it once was. But currently residing in a range with France, Russia, Bosnia and the Czech Republic, Italy is actually a team with offense. In their last 10 they have 7 wins, 2 losses and a draw with a +10 goal difference.

The USA' starting lineup against Italy:
1-Howard
2-Cherundolo 4-Goodson 5-Bocanegra (capt.) 3-Johnson
6-Bradley 8-Edu
7-Williams 10-Dempsey 11-Shea
9-Altidore
Subs12-Rimando13-Spector14-Parkhurst15-Cameron16-Kljestan17-Buddle18-Boyd
Roster notes:

• Brek Shea makes his 10th consecutive appearance, remaining the only U.

A rash of injuries and illness have left U.S. men's national team manager Jurgen Klinsmann with a weakened roster ahead of Wednesday's match against Italy, making his decisions on a starting lineup that much tougher.

The loss of Landon Donovan, Timmy Chandler and Jose Torres, coming on the heels of losing Oguchi Onyewu has left Klinsmann with a group that won't quite look like the nearly full-strength side he looked like he would have available in Genoa on Wednesday.

Miguel Angel Ponce and Marco Fabian are among the 20 players called in by Mexico Under-23 coach Luis Fernando Tena for Wednesday's friendly against the United States U-23 national team at FC Dallas Stadium.

Ponce, a Mexican-American left back, and Fabian, his club teammate and a star attacker for Chivas de Guadalajara, highlight the roster, which does not include Olympic-eligible players such as Giovani dos Santos, Jonathan dos Santos or Carlos Vela.

La Dirección General de Selecciones Nacionales da a conocer la convocatoria de la Selección Nacional Preolímpica que enfrentará en partido de preparación su similar de Estados Unidos, en juego a efectuarse el miércoles 29 de febrero en Dallas Stadium de Frisco, Texas.
La concentración iniciará el domingo 26 de febrero a las 20:00 hrs.

Alan Pulido es la principal novedad de la lista de 21 jugadores que el técnico Luis Fernando Tena presentó el jueves de la preselección mexicana que buscará en marzo un boleto al torneo de fútbol de los Juegos Olímpicos de Londres.
Es la segunda lista de jugadores dada a conocer por Tena para enfrentar el torneo preolímpico de la CONCACAF, que se realizará en marzo en Estados Unidos.

La Dirección General de Selecciones Nacionales da a conocer la convocatoria de jugadores de la Selección Nacional Preolímpica para la concentración del 12 al 15 de febrero. La cita para iniciar la concentración será el domingo 12 de febrero a las 20:00 hrs. en el Centro de Alto Rendimiento y la atención a prensa se realizará el lunes 13 de febrero a las 11:45 hrs.

Fútbol México - Fútbol MéxicoFútbol México -

Los rojinegros del Atlas cierran el año derrotando a las Chivas en el Omnilife para coronarse campeón de la copa Asia Jalisco, sin duda el pedigrí de la copa no es algo para presumir pero por lo menos le da ilusión a un plantel que tiene un año muy complicado por delante.

The U.S. Men's National Team has completed the 2011 campaign, finishing on a high note with an entertaining 3-2 victory against Slovenia in Ljubljana. Along with the introduction of Jurgen Klinsmann as head coach, there were a few key highlights:

• Clint Dempsey finished with a team-high five goals
• Carlos Bocanegra and Tim Howard finished with team-high 15 starts, the most appearances in a year in each of their careers
• Bocanegra became the 12th player in U.

The U.S. Men's National Team has completed the 2011 campaign, finishing on a high note with an entertaining 3-2 victory against Slovenia in Ljubljana. Along with the introduction of Jurgen Klinsmann as head coach, there were a few key highlights:

• Clint Dempsey finished with a team-high five goals
• Carlos Bocanegra and Tim Howard finished with team-high 15 starts, the most appearances in a year in each of their careers
• Bocanegra became the 12th player in U.

Here is tonight's lineup for the USA's final match of 2011:
1-Howard
2-Cherundolo 3-Goodson 5-Bocanegra (capt.) 3-Chandler
6-Beckerman
7-Bradley 8-Johnson
10-Dempsey
11-Buddle 9-Altidore
Reserves:
12-Bill Hamid
13-Michael Orozco
14-Danny Williams1
15-Maurice Edu
16-Jermaine Jones
17-Robbie Rogers
18-Brek Shea
Lineup notes:

• Three changes to the lineup that faced France In are Bradley, Buddle and Johnson; out are Edu, Shea and Williams
• Carlos Bocanegra earns his 100th cap for the United States
• Fabian Johnson makes his first start for the United States

Photo by ISIPhotos.com

The U.S. men's national team faces its first World Cup 2010 rematch on Tuesday against the same Slovenia side the Americans earned a dramatic 2-2 draw against in World Cup group play.

Jurgen Klinsmann will look to find the right combination of players to help a sagging offense that has managed just two goals in six matches since he took over as head coach.

Tough one.

Can't call them "snap judgments" because they took way too long. TSG's Tuesday will be along shortly with the official review.

Here are some thoughts that I want to spill out on the screen. We'll give it the "Good, Bad, Ugly" treatment because it works well here.

Gloves?

Con goleada de 5-2 sobre Uruguay, la selección mexicana se reivindicó de esos desiguales funcionamientos y falta de contundencia que tuvo en los dos anteriores encuentros, para clasificar en primer lugar del Grupo A a las semifinales del torneo de futbol de los Juegos Panamericanos Guadalajara 2011.

Here is your somewhat frustrating USMNT line-up:Howard; Cherundolo, Onyewu, Bocanegra, Chandler; Beckerman; Williams, Edu, Shea; Dempsey, AltidoreHere is my Top 5 Debunked 4-3-3 Misconceptions list (even if ol' boy has momentarily sailed off in a slightly different direction).And here is the preview reel.

Photo by ISIPhotos.com

The U.S. men's national team's 1-0 victory against Honduras had its share of bright spots, but also some question marks, making Tuesday's friendly against Ecuador a good chance for some players to redeem themselves, and for some to show their stuff after seeing only limited time on Saturday.

The U.S. men's national team will field as close to a full strength squad as it has had since Jurgen Klinsmann took over, leaving what should be some easy decisions when it comes time for him to pick a lineup for Saturday's match vs. Honduras.

Landon Donovan is the lone regular starter not to make the trip to South Florida, and now Klinsmann will have some good options as he tries to put together a team to deliver his first win as U.

Here's all the news and notes to get you prepped and ready for the USA-Honduras match. Some highlights:
Jozy Altidore hails from Boca Raton, Fla.

• Jurgen Klinsmann has called nineteen of the players on the squad into at least one MNT camp. The neophytes: Oguchi Onyewu, Nick Rimando and Danny Williams.

Convocatoria de la Selección Varonil Mexicana
1. José de Jesús Corona - Cruz Azul
2. Antonio Rodríguez - Veracruz
3. César Ibañez - Santos
4. Ricardo Hiram Mier - Monterrey
5. Nestor Araujo - Cruz Azul.
6.

Carlos Bocanegra and Onyewu are the only players on the current U.S. roster with goals against Honduras, and both were important game-winners. In Chicago, Bocanegra's header handed the U.S. a 2-1 win on June 6, 2009 in a final round qualifying match for the 2010 World Cup. Four years earlier, Onyewu made his first goal for the United States count as he scored in the 92nd minute to lift the U.

There was a decidedly American flavor to Glasgow Rangers' 4-0 rout of Motherwell on Saturday, as U.S. teammates Carlos Bocanegra and Maurice Edu both scored goals for the Scottish champions.

Bocanegra opened the scoring in the ninth minute on a powerful header, while Edu blasted a long-range left-footed shot in the 17th minute.

Are they the best?

In his last post, Jacques posed an interesting question:

Is it acceptable/effective to select experienced players with incomplete skill sets and little tactical malleability? Or, is the system Klinsmann seeks to implement better served by selecting players with less pedigree but with skill sets better suited to succeed in a possession based system?

This is a guest post by Jacques Pelham.

Predictably, there are still many outstanding questions regarding Juergen Klinsmann and the US national team after Klinsmann's second and third games as US coach. On Tuesday, the US demonstrated sustained effort for 90 minutes and crafted occasional quality sequences against a Belgium team that effectively pressed the US without the ball and featured dangerous attacking talents.

Each Sides' Setup
Juergen Klinsmann made three changes from the side that lost to Costa Rica on Friday. Steve Cherundolo slotted in at right back and Timmy Chandler auditioned at the problem position of left back. Clint Dempsey came in for Landon Donovan in attacking midfield and Clarence Goodson came in centrally to replace Michael Orozco Fiscal.

USA Setup: Jurgen Klinsmann set up the USA in a 4-3-3. Castillo was back at left back, and Timmy Chandler was in at right back, making his second appearance for the USA. Orozco and Bocanegra partnered in the center. Castillo looked better than the Mexico match for sure, but his slight build continues to show a cause for concern, as he was troubled with the bigger and stronger Costa Rica players.

What: The United States Men's National Team (USMNT) is hosting the Costa Rican National Team at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles, California tonight in an international friendly.

When/Where: 11 pm on ESPN 2. Andy Roddick and some guy with the last name of "Sock" are currently playing in the second set of their tennis match on ESPN 2.

1. With a new coach in place, there's an awful lot of uncertainty about what's to come. I think it's best if we just get the obvious, can't-miss prediction out of the way: Our coach will wear slacks for the first time in nearly five years.

Slacks it was. Klinsmann elected to go with the business-casual, polo-and-slacks combo.

1. With a new coach in place, there's an awful lot of uncertainty about what's to come. I think it's best if we just get the obvious, can't-miss prediction out of the way: Our coach will wear slacks for the first time in nearly five years.

Slacks it was. Klinsmann elected to go with the business-casual, polo-and-slacks combo.

Glasgow Rangers has grabbed the unofficial title of Team America on Wednesday after making U.S. national team captain the second American to sign with the Scottish club champions on Wednesday.

Bocanegra joins Rangers via transfer from St. Etientte, and could be in action as soon as Thursday.

USA Setup: USA Coach Jurgen Klinnsman set up in a 4-2-3-1 with Michael Bradley as the #10 behind lone striker Edson Buddle. Bradley was not close enough to Buddle, and therefore Edson was isolated up top. He did however hold up the ball well when given the opportunity, it was just that his opportunities were few and far between.

US

Check out PSP photographer Daniel Gajdamowicz's pre-game and match photo essays.

Tim Howard said before Wednesday night's friendly between the USA and Mexico, "It's going to take all hands on deck." He wasn't wrong. And after a shaky first half, the defense's confidence grew and the offense started creating real chances in what was, in the end, a great effort from the US against an objectively superior Mexican team.

United States vs. Mexico Gamethread

United States starting XI: Howard; Cherundolo, Orozco Fiscal, Bocanegra, Castillo; Jones, Beckerman; Donovan, Bradley, Torres; Buddle

United States bench: Hamid, Loyd, Pearce, Clark, Rogers, Shea, Agudelo.

Mexico starting XI: Ochoa; Juárez, Márquez, Moreno, Salcido; Barrera, Torrado, Castro, Guardado; Naelson, Peralta.