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.

Michael Parkhurst and Nordsjaelland won the SAS-Ligaen title at Farum Park on Wednesday. Mikkel Beckmann opened the scoring in the 45th minute. Andrea Laudrup made it 2-0 in the 82nd and Andreas Bjelland finished off the 3-0 shutout in the 87th minute. Clarence Goodson's Brondby finished the season in 9th-place after a 1-0 loss to already relegated Lyngby.

Oguchi Onyewu got the start for Sporting in their 1-0 Portuguese Cup final loss to Academica. The game's only goal came in the 3rd minute when Marinho Correia headed in the winner. In Denmark, Michael Parkhurst's Nordsjaelland beat Clarence Goodson's Brondby 1-0 with Parkhurst assisting on the goal. Norway, and Ricardo Clark's Stabaek were shutout 2-0 by Haugesund.

Including today's 11 additions, the USMNT has 27 going for 23 spots in the "tourney simulation squad" starting with Saturday's Scotland friendly. I may have additional thoughts later, but for now I'm just trying to figure out why Eric Lichaj is not along (while Alfredo Morales is). And Zusi over Kljestan?

U.S. Men's National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has added 11 players to the roster, bringing the total number to 27 those who will be competing for the final 23 spots. Some notes on the new additions:

• Jozy Altidore finished his first season at AZ Alkmaar with 19 goals in all competitions, including 15 in league play and four in the Europa League.

Sky Sports understands former Denmark star Michael Laudrup is a contender for the vacant manager's job at Liverpool.
Liverpool have begun their search for a new boss following the board's decision to axe Kenny Dalglish earlier this week.
The Reds are believed to have a shortlist of up to 12 people they want to talk to about succeeding Dalglish at Anfield.

Denmark where handed a tough group for Euro 2012 In December being put in with Holland, Portugal and Germany. Preparations for Euro 12 start tomorrow for The Danes as the majority of the squad are called to train for 3 days in Elsinore Although Denmark are a footballing country on the rise and play some good football they can give anyone a game on their day with attacking options such as featured player Nicklas Bendtner also Christian Eriksen, Dennis Rommedahl and Krohn-Dehli they must be taken seriously.

Conor O'Brien and SonderjyskE continued rolling with a win over Brad Rusin and Koge, while Clarence Goodson and Brondby were unable to hold off a second-half charge by Midtjylland.

Clarence Goodson and Brondby will look to get past last weekend's disappointing loss while SonderjyskE and Koge square off, with Conor O'Brien likely to continue his starting role.

Michael Parkhurst will return to Nordsjaelland's lineup as they try to take down Conor O'Brien and red-hot SonderjyskE while Clarence Goodson and Brondby have a short trip to FC Copenhagen.

Chris Rolfe will hope to be back in Aalborg's lineup when they take on Horsens while Clarence Goodson and Brondby could feasibly move to within reach of Europa League qualification with a win over Odense.

Clarence Goodson delivered the winner for Brondby over Michael Parkhurst and Nordsjaelland who squandered a chance to move within striking distance of first place Copenhagen.

By FRANCO PANIZO

If Clarence Goodson is trying to keep himself in the conversation for a spot on the U.S. men's national team for this summer's World Cup qualifying, he did a good job of that this weekend.

Playing in his third game since Denmark's Superliga's winter break ended, Goodson scored the winner as Brondby IF knocked off FC Nordsjaelland, 2-1.

Michael Parkhurst and Nordsjaelland added yet another win to their season total at Odense while Clarence Goodson and Brondby were forced to settle for a scoreless draw against AGF Aarhus.

Cranston, R.I. native Michael Parkhurst will get another chance to try to cement a spot on the U.S. Men's National Team. (Photo by Art Donahue/artdonahue.com)

U.S. Men's National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann named a 21-man roster on Thursday for the upcoming international friendly against four-time World Champions Italy.

A few notes from around the club today, including the signing of another young talent (as seen below).

Window shopping

Mikel to be fit for Saturday, Lampard likely
• After some seven weeks on the shelf, John Obi Mikel is finally ready to resurface.

It was a quite transfer window for Liverpool by last season's standards, with Wrexham's teenage goalkeeper Danny Ward the only notable arrival. However, since the window was introduced 10 seasons ago, the Reds have made some excellent signings in what is usually a frenzied period littered with hit-or-miss transfers.

It was a quite transfer window for Liverpool by last season's standards, with Wrexham's teenage goalkeeper Danny Ward the only notable arrival. However, since the window was introduced 10 seasons ago, the Reds have made some excellent signings in what is usually a frenzied period littered with hit-or-miss transfers.

As we draw closer to the 2012 MLS Draft, Major League Soccer is moving closer and closer to trying to secure the services of the players who will make up its Generation adidas draft class, and things are still very much in flux with less than a month to go before the draft.

MLS is expected to announce the first of its signings in the coming week, and offers have already been sent out to most of the top targets.

Football Focus pundit Garth Crooks has praised the performances of Liverpool centre-half Daniel Agger this season.
The Danish international has been keeping Liverpool hero Jamie Carragher out of the side, with Kenny Dalglish persisting instead with a centre-back partnership of Martin Skrtel and Agger.

By FRANCO PANIZO

Having been beaten by Kilmarnock in shocking fashion last week, Carlos Bocanegra, Maurice Edu and Alejandro Bedoya enter their match against Dunfermline Athletic with one thing in mind: Winning.

Rangers is still four points clear of Celtic for first place in the Scottish Premier League, but the Blues need to bounce back from last weekend's defeat.

By FRANCO PANIZO

Brondby IF won its first game since early October in shocking fashion this past weekend, and it can partially thank Clarence Goodson for that.

Along with going the distance and limiting first-place FC Copenhagen to one goal, Goodson scored the opener in Brondby's 2-1 victory on Sunday.

Michael Parkhurst and Nordsjaelland continued their strong run with a victory over SonderjyskE while Clarence Goodson netted Brondby's opening goal as they surged past league leaders Copenhagen.

Clarence Goodson got an 18th-minute goal in Brondby's 2-1 win over Copenhagen, one of two Americans to score over the weekend. Robbie Findley got the other goal, with Nottingham Forest beating Ipswich Town 3-2 in England's Championship. Findley equalized in the 42nd minute, with Joel Lynch getting Forest's second equalizer in the 84th and Marcus Tudgay finding a stoppage time winner.

Michael Parkhurst and Nordsjaelland bested Koge to return to second place while Clarence Goodson and Brondby earned a tough point on their visit to Odense.

Jurgen Klinsmann continues to use his pipeline to Germany for talent with his latest roster selections for the United States games against France and Slovenia. No less than five players born in Germany are on the roster, including newcomer Alfredo Morales who received his first senior team call up.

Daniel Agger is hoping to keep his place in the Liverpool side after an injury-hit spell at Anfield.
The Dane, who has suffered from a number of injuries since joining the Reds from Brondby in 2006, has featured regularly for Kenny Dalglish's side this season and made his 100th Premier League appearance in Saturday's 2-0 win against West Brom.

Chris Rolfe continued his strong play for Aalborg with an assist on their lone goal in Sunday's draw against Brondby while Michael Parkhurst and Nordsjaelland were brought back to earth by Lyngby.

Clarence Goodson and Brondby will try to stop the bleeding during their trip to Silkeborg while Michael Parkhurst and Nordsjaelland face a tough visit to local rivals FC Copenhagen.

The Danish Cup fourth round was set on Friday, giving Michael Parkhurst and Nordsjaelland a rematch of their last two victorious finals and a tough trip to Copenhagen for Clarence Goodson and Brondby.

By Alan Duffy

Former Danish international becomes the latest victim of a relatively recent trend of assistant managers getting the boot rather the manager.

The former Arsenal midfielder thus follows Rovers' chief scout, chairman, finance director and secretary out the Ewood Park door and one wonders if Steve Kean will be next.

A rough weekend in Denmark saw no Americans register a win, with Chris Rolfe playing a sub role in an embarrassing Aalborg loss to Lyngby and Clarence Goodson and Brondby rolling over to Copenhagen.

Image Credits: BT.dk, Sporten.dk.

Rate or slate Mr Thygesen, Kickettes, using the following key points as consideration:

The Good: His shaved head, strong square jawline and chiseled abdominals. He fills our Danish quotient now that Nicklas Bendtner has slowed his role.

Michael Parkhurst and Nordsjaelland put on a strong performance to hand Chris Rolfe and Aalborg their first loss of the season while Clarence Goodson and Brondby inflicted a lopsided beating on Koge.

Goalkeepers: Tim Howard (Everton, England), Bill Hamid (DC United).Goalkeepers: Carlos Bocanegra (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Edgar Castillo (Club America, Mexico), Timmy Chandler (Nuremberg, Germany), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover, Germany), Clarence Goodson (Brondby, Denmark), Zach Loyd (Dallas), Michael Orozco Fiscal (San Luis, Mexico), Heath Pearce (Chivas USA), Tim Ream (New York)Goalkeepers:
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Denmark seem to be a footballing nation on the rise, with a stylish possesion/technique playing style, If things continue from there last two visits to away grounds at Iceland and Scotland, where in both matches they dominated long spells of the game, they could well be on their way to qualifiying for the Euro 2012 which will take part in Poland and Ukraine.

Stefán Gíslason, a new Timbers trialist

Michael Orr, of Mao's Football Show, has confirmed that Icelandic international defensive midfielder, Stefán Gíslason is on trial with the Timbers this morning.

According to his wikipedia page, the Icelander spent most of his time with Brondby of the Danish Superliga.

Michael Parkhurst and Nordsjaelland will try to momentarily forget their Europa League qualification campaign when they visit Midtjylland while Clarence Goodson and Brondby need to help their cause with a win at Aarhus.

Chris Rolfe and Aalborg have their eye on a jump into the Superliga's top two spots when they host Odense and Conor O'Brien will look to help SonderjyskE earn a result on their trip to Clarence Goodson's Brondby.

Goodson won't meet Mexico for the second time this summer
U.S. Men's National Team defender Clarence Goodson has been forced to withdraw from the U.S. roster for tomorrow's game against Mexico due to a strained left hamstring suffered in Brondby's 2-1 loss at Odense BK this past Sunday.