United States vs Germany
Football: International Friendly
Match date: 2 June 2013 - Kick Off Time: 20:30 CET
Stadium: RFK Memorial (Washington / USA)
Match date: 2 June 2013 - Kick Off Time: 20:30 CET
Stadium: RFK Memorial (Washington / USA)
Germany managed to score after just six seconds in their midweek
game against Ecuador, with Lukas Podolski quick to pressurise the
Ecuadorian defence, force an error and finish. The game ultimately
finished 4-2 but ultimately that scoreline flattered the South Americans
with Die Mannschaft dominant, perhaps unsurprisingly given the strength
of German football at the moment - the all-German Champions League
final took place just days before. They'll find tougher opposition in
the United States national team, with Jürgen Klinsmann no doubt out to
prove a point against the nation of his birth.
USA go into the game on the back of a hammering by up
and coming Belgium. The rising starts of the Benelux tore apart a
hapless US team trying a few new ideas. A fledgling central defensive
partnership of Goodison and Gonzalez was very suspect, with the players
in different zip codes several times. Belgium ran riot and there must be
massive worries of a NFL score here, even for a “2nd string
Germany” USA will not want to overcommit themselves as they do have
three massive World Cup qualifiers coming up in the next fortnight so
expect a few fringe players to start and most of the 1st
eleven will not be going 100% into challenges for sure. US have been
very busy and since the start of 2012 have managed 10 wins, 5 draws and 4
defeats. The Concacaf region is not the most challenging to be honest
and only wins of note were away in Mexico and away in Italy. Expect to
see the likes of Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey start here with
Hector Gomez up top with most likely Jozy Altidore.
After finishing third three times in their last four major tournaments
and second in another, it's perhaps if rather than when this German side
lift a trophy. Stars from Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are
absent after the Champions League final, with the exception of Sven
Bender, who played the full 90 minutes in that game before turning in an
excellent performance and scoring twice against Ecuador.