- Spectator and PR march into Holland
The Amazing Americans take on the Dirty Dutch (sorry Joep, love your country and the team except if they are playing the US) today in a World Cup tune-up match. The US should have one of the stronger squads it has had in a while, with most European based players called up for this match, except the injured Clint Dempsey, Oguchi Onyewu and Charlie Davies.
Sam’s Army has also called up our beloved Precious Roy and Spectator to support the Red, White and Blue on the Continent. The Men of Action tour is in full effect and PR has pledged to taunt the Dutch over the speedskater that was disqualified in the Olympics last week. I fully expect him to be bludgeoned with wooden shoes. Hopefully, MOA can provide us with some in game photographs, but we won’t hold our breath and they did see the first picture at the bottom of this post before the fixtures.
Soccernet Prediction from March 1, 2010
If Soccernet is correct, Brian Ching scored for the US and Heath Pearce was booked, which is amazing considering neither were Ching was not called up for the match.
This isn’t the only fixture today, as several other World Cup qualifiers take on each other in these tune-up matches. France faces Spain, Italy challenges Cameroon, Deutschland duels with Argentina, Switzerland stands off with Uruguay, England examines Egypt, and New Zealand mixes it up with Mexico (boooooo!!!!).
Men of Action deliver: US v. Netherlands Warmup
Afternoon fixtures below.
14:00 ET – Luxembourg v. Azerbaijan
14:15 ET – Switzerland v. Uruguay
14:30 ET – Austria v. Denmark
14:30 ET – Poland v. Bulgaria
14:45 ET – Albania v. Northern Ireland
14:45 ET – Belgium v. Croatia
14:45 ET – Germany v. Argentina
14:45 ET – Italy v. Cameroon
14:45 ET – Netherlands v. USA
14:45 ET – Slovenia v. Qatar
14:45 ET – Wales v. Sweden
15:00 ET – England v. Egypt
15:00 ET – France v. Spain
15:00 ET – Scotland v. Czech Republic
15:45 ET – Portugal v. China
19:00 ET – Venezuela v. Panama
23:00 ET – El Salvador v. Guatemala
23:00 ET – New Zealand v. Mexico
The men in action have filed another picture! The moment Kuyt scored from the spot.
Dutch Dirk
Math Ranegie is my favorite Swedish player.
England: 1 Robert Green, 2 Wes Brown, 3 Leighton Baines, 4 Steven Gerrard (c), 5 Matthew Upson, 6 John Terry, 7 Theo Walcott, 8 Frank Lampard, 9 Jermain Defoe, 10 Wayne Rooney, 11 Gareth Barry
England: 1 Robert Green, 2 Wes Brown, 3 Leighton Baines, 4 Steven Gerrard (c), 5 Matthew Upson, 6 John Terry, 7 Theo Walcott, 8 Frank Lampard, 9 Jermain Defoe, 10 Wayne Rooney, 11 Gareth Barry
Substitutes: 12 David James, 13 James Milner, 14 Stephen Warnock, 15 Michael Carrick, 16 Joleon Lescott, 17 Ryan Shawcross, 18 David Beckham, 19 Shaun Wright-Phillips, 20 Peter Crouch, 21 Emile Heskey, 22 Carlton Cole, 23 Stewart Downing, 24 Joe Hart.
Let’s see how Leighton does, eh?
whoa Ryan, great minds, etc
Haha, naturally James.
Shame Joe Hart doesn’t get a start.
Lucky me, I found a reason to “work from home” for the next three hours. Flippin’ back and forth from ESPN 2 to FSP to get my footie fix.
Predictions: England 4-2 Egypt; Netherlands 3-1 U.S.
Holy crap. We’re not even to the game yet and Harkes and Lalas are saying stupid s**t.
Harkes: “Stuart Holden is having a great season, even in only two games for Bolton.”
Namibia is up 1-0 away on Bafana Bafana. This will get ugly in June.
Well done FSC. Went to your site, clicked on the link to buy the England game and……I get directed to the fox sports site. Well done–as usual, you deliver exactly whats expected.
Other teams in the England-US group:
Serbia 2-0 Algeria in the 2nd half
Slovenia to play Mighty Qatar later
@Ned I thought England was live on FSC Plus?
Lalas says Donovan coming back to MLS would be the best thing for him. He also hinted that he doesn’t think Lando will return to Everton even after the World Cup.
Mute.
@Ryan: It is on FS Plus, but it’s supposed to be available on the new foxsoccer.tv… but we know how that works out.
Dear Soccernet: The U.S. is about to kick off in one minute in their last international friendly before the Dub Cee. Put the team sheets up on Gamecast, jerks.
TSE: I hope he doesn’t go back to Everton, and Martin O’Neill can find room for him at Villa Park.
US kit doesn’t look great on TV at first glance.
@Keith: Lalas seemed to be hinting that staying in MLS would be just fine for him. What a moron. I don’t care where he goes (Villa does seem like a good fit, too) as long as he gets the shot. He’s earned it now.
And the Dutch are wearing white! WTF?
Classic first touch by the US knock it forward.. Cmon stu holden
@Ryan: It looks a little too see-through to me. A little too 1970s.
Ned, I’m impressed that you’re able to take on the U.S. by yourself.
TSE, I read that first sentence, and implicitly disagreed with it by recommending Villa Park
Netherlands going right at Bornstein from the start. Someone’s read their scouting report.
We are already using the injury excuse.. Well played lalas
@Keith: Ah, I get it. Sometimes I’m a little slow. Remember, I’m a United fan (pre-emptive slam)
BENDTNER. En fuego.
Ryan: More like, someone’s conscious. Bet van Marwijk didn’t even have to go to the training grounds to make that call, too.
@Ryan
at work
@HL–Not sure I know what you mean , sir.
WTF Bradley? Man, I wish bad things for that whole family.
@Ned the abbreviation for Netherlands on ESPN2 is NED
Whoever’s coming to our party in June will have maybe three Englishmen in attendance. We’ll be quiet when England score. I promise.
@James: I have a freebie flight on United. I’m actually considering the trip to the Big Apple just to talk trash about our moral victory of only losing 2-1.
Jeez, JT, where would the fun in that be?
TSE: it’s recommended
jjf3: you can rest assured if England win, I will most certainly not be quiet about it. Having met me in Baltimore, you know that quiet is not in my repertoire
The real usa vs netherlands event i want to see is Ryan Babel vs Deuce rap battle
Ah, I flip over to England-Egypt for a minute and get the dulcit tones of Martin Tyler. Man it’s going to be great to have him on ESPN games this summer.
Jose Torres hasn’t done a damn thing yet. Spector looks good. And the Dutch literally look like they’re just warming up.
@Ned Yeah, I don’t know how I didn’t put that together. I’m an idiot.
@HL
Ahhh – I always call em Holland.
Ryan-found summat online. If FSC don’t want my money, they shall not have it.
I’ve made my love for Nigel de Jong quite clear, but the man tackles like a young Paul Scholes sometimes (or an old Paul Scholes- there’s really no difference.
Man, Holden could be out with that De Jong tackle on Holden. Looked like his ankle rolled pretty bad.
Beasley coming in for Stu.
We have a young good playee in holden…. God damn it
That’s it for Holden in England, then.
Nice shot by JF Torres. Only a little high.
Beasley comes on, I would guess that moves Donovan to the right side?
Over on FSP, Egypt has the run of play right now. They’re threatening. Baines has made a couple of good clearances.
@Ryan: Not yet. DMB seems to be on the right, Landon still on the left.
Egypt 1, England 0
Upson falls over, Egypt’s No. 9 left wide open top of the box and puts it away.
Can anyone see what number Steven Gerrard is wearing?
@DB: 4
What a f**king stupid foul. F**king Bornstein, you f**king witless stooge.
How did Bornstein give away the penalty? Effing Kuyt.
England losing, France losing, US losing – not good times at UF.
And the dutch lead through a PK from Kuyt. Sent Howard the wrong way. F**king Bornstein.
@TSE: Sneider skinned Bornstein and broke free into the area, Bornstein grabbed his arm as he went past and spun him down. A lazy, stupid foul, born of panic. The very mark of a poorly coached team.
Get well soon, Gooch. Cause Bradley’s going to play Bornstein unless he has to play Boca at LB.
I swear to god bornstein is lucky i don’t know where he lives
Upson needs better boots!
USMNT look like Polo players in those new shirts
The shirts the Dutch and USMNT are wearing make me want to call this match the Quimbys vs the Disco Stus
Every time I flip over to the England match, Egypt has control of the midfield and looks quite good.
If only we had a Mexican-American left back playing regularly in FMF. If only…
Argentina up 1-0 at the half. German keeper pulled a Fabianski.
HAHAHAHA, France are pants.
Lalas: “Nobody calls me off.” Shut it, ginger.
Defoe hits straight to keeper, then a ball sits right in the box on a set piece and England don’t realize it.
Rooney is screaming at teammates to play better. I like leadership Shrek.
TSE: English midfield needs a little more Milner
Don’t worry NYK, I am sure France can handle being down…
@phil – Villa was offsides on the goal
TSE
Their keeper is a hero right now, 6 stops and 2 blocks from defenders. You’re turning over at the wrong time! Egypt had one shot and scored.
@AofD: Wow…
NYK: KarmaKarmaKarmaKarmaKarma Chameleooooooooooooooon
Ramos nets Spain’s second.
@Ned: Thanks. It seemed insane. That said, some of the Wembley faithful are booing as England walk off for halftime
Back to the USMNT match…
f**king Escude is useless
@NYK: I’ve been blinded by schadenfreude
Edu in for Torres at HT. Huntelaar in for the Dutch.
@TSE
Terry got boooooooed.
Brown has been poop.
Defoe and Roonet cannot play together, forces Rooney deep to create. Need Heskey on.
Oof. I had forgotten how poor Beasley is.
Ned: So he’s playing like Kuyt right now?
TIMMY
Holy crap. Bornstein lets Elia walk right in, but he makes a mess of it right into Timay.
Huntelaar should be banned forever for daring to go in hard for a ball.
/Arsene Wneger
TIMMAY!
Is michael bradley trying to get a role in the sequel to American History X?
Is it just me or does the netherlands unis look like they coudl be worn by France?
Well, the Dutch flag does look like the French flag on its side, so there’s that, AoD
Michael Bradley is completely out of control in the tackle. He is a red card waiting to happen.
Crouch and Carrick on…
Terry has been less than convincing–given the ball away. Needs to get his s**t together.
@ Ryan do you still have the same feelings about de jong
After that dive on a goal scoring oppurtunity which is as bad as a foul in that situation
@Ned: I can’t decide whether Terry is just not on his game and losing it or whether the outside stuff is really tearing him up because he hasn’t been convincing for weeks.
Kuyt reminds me of the guy at the gym who sweats profusely and doesn’t wipe down the equipment.
@TSE–Clearly affected by it all. Has 99 days to get it together.
Brown is awful tonight. AWFUL. Baines been competent. Rooney looks frustrated.
I flipped over just in time to see Crouch level it. Nice play, that.
Freaking deflected goal for the Dutch. Shit.
Off Bornstein, too. F**ker. He’s just horrible today.
Crouchaldinho! Sans robot!
1-1
Bornstein deflects into his own net. Defense just standing around now.
Crouch is a mad-man today;Just backheeled for a Gerrard shot.