The soccer news starts with the USMNT vs Brazil friendly tonight at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey (7:30pm ET – FS1). The USMNT is once again trying to make sure young players get opportunities against another tough opponent. Brazil enters the game in 3rd-place in the FIFA Ranking with the USMNT 22nd. This is the first game for the USMNT under general manager Earnie Stewart, the person conducting the search for the next USMNT coach. SI.com’s Grant Wahl talked to Stewart about the coaching search. Yahoo Sports’ Doug McIntyre also has comments from Stewart. The NY Times’ Andrew Das on the coaching search. On the field, the USMNT faces questions over what the team would look like in a game that counts. The USMNT doesn’t play in an official competition until next summer’s Gold Cup, extending the international windows where the current and next coach can try out lineups. Tonight, that focus will be on limiting opportunities for one of the best teams in the world. The situation puts the focus on the goalkeeper and the backline. USMNT coach Dave Sarachan will choose from Toronto goalkeeper Alex Bono, Columbus’s Zach Steffen, and Club Brugge’s Ethan Horvath. There are two veteran defenders in this group. DeAndre Yedlin has 52 caps and John Brooks has 33. There’s no listed midfielder with more than 17. The forward options have Bobby Wood with 39 appearances and Gyasi Zardes with 37. What they’ll be working to stop is a Brazil squad keeping its core from the World Cup and adding the kind of players that few teams can. The old point about the truly elite in world soccer is that they could probably do well fielding a B team. What the USMNT will face on Friday night is far from that. Neymar is in this group along with fellow forwards Douglas Costa and Roberto Firmino. Frustrating the Brazil attack while creating opportunities for themselves is the goal for the USMNT tonight. Moving to the rest of the soccer news, The Guardian’s Jonathan Wilson explains the difference in Manchester United and Spain goalkeeper David de Gea’s game with club and country. BBC Sport confirms that Barcelona and Girona are the La Liga teams considering playing a league game in Miami on January 27, 2019. Goal.com’s Ryan Benson has the Spanish Federation not enthusiastic about La Liga’s USA plans. All links are provided as a courtesy. US Soccer Players nor its authors are responsible for the content of third-party links or sites. For comments, questions, and concerns please contact us at editor@usnstpa.com Photo by John Dorton – ISIPhotos.com<doc-sep>The US team will get their rebuild underway with a huge clash against Brazil, featuring an all-star lineup of the Neymar, Coutinho and Willian Brazil will clash with the US national team at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Friday, with Neymar spearheading an all-star lineup. The fixture will be the first contested by the Brazilian team following their quarter-final defeat to Belgium in the World Cup this summer, and the Selecao are heavy favourites against the USMNT – who are in the process of a rebuild. A host of MLS names have been called up to the home side, while Borussia Dortmund starlet Christian Pulisic will be unavailable due to injury. Game USMNT v Brazil Date Friday, September 7 Time 12:30am BST / 7:30pm EST TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch In the United States (US), the game will be shown live on Fox Sports 1 and livestreamed through the FOX Soccer Match Pass. US TV channel Online stream FOX Sports 1 FOX Soccer Match Pass UK TV channel Online stream N/A N/A Squads & Team News Position USMNT players Goalkeepers Bono, Horvath, Steffen Defenders Brooks, Carter-Vickers, Lichaj, Long, Miazga, Moore, Parker, Robinson, Yedlin Midfielders Acosta, Adams, Arriola, Delgado, Green, Lletget, McKennie, Roldan, Trapp, Weah Forwards Novakovich, Wood, Zardes Dortmund star Pulisic will not be in line to face the Selecao due to injury, but DeAndre Yedlin has shaken off a late scare and will be fit for the clash. Potential USMNT XI: Steffen; Brooks, Miazga, Robinson, Yedlin; Weah, McKennie, Trapp, Adams; Wood, Novakovich. Position Brazil players Goalkeepers Alisson, Hugo, Neto Defenders Sandro, Dede, Fabinho, Fagner, Felipe, Filipe Luis, Marquinhos, Silva Midfielders Pereira, Melo, Casemiro, Fred, Paqueta, Coutinho, Augusto, Willian Forwards Costa, Everton, Firmino, Neymar, Pedro Brazil will be without the likes of left-back Marcelo, right-back Fagner (who misses out due to injury), and Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus. Fabinho and Fred could start for the Selecao. Potential Brazil XI: Alisson; Luis, Silva, Marquinhos, Sandro; Casemiro, Fred, Fabinho; Neymar, Firmino, Willian. Betting & Match Odds Brazil are priced at odds of winning 3/10 according to bet 365, while a draw is available at 5/1. A win for the USMNT is up for 10/1. Click here to see all of bet 365's offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more. Match Preview The USMNT are underdogs heading into the game against Brazil, especially without the likes of Pulisic, and will be needing to rely on the services of Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams. The US team have won just once in all their meetings with Brazil, their last victory coming in 1998 in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Timothy Weah could also be used on the flank, while John Brooks and Yedlin are expected to start against the Selecao. The home side are currently in the process of a rebuild following their failure to qualify for this summer's World Cup in Russia, with caretaker U.S. coach Dave Sarachan still looking after the side while the selection process for a replacement continues. Article continues below Their latest friendly result, a 1-1 draw with eventual World Cup winners France before the start of the tournament in June, was done by means of a five-man defence and Sarachan should be trying to inject some creativity into his side. Brazil didn't exactly leave Russia as World Cup heroes after losing 2-1 to Belgium, with their star Neymar unable to make a mark on the tournament and instead departing the competition the butt of several jokes due to his infamous diving antics. Despite being without the likes of Jesus and Marcelo, Brazil coach Tite has named a very strong side to face the USMNT with Philippe Coutinho, Willian, Casemiro and Roberto Firmino all due get a run out.<doc-sep>Pre-Match: The United States men’s national team officially begins a new World Cup cycle today. Sure, we’ve seen several friendlies since the World Cup qualifying debacle, but now that the summer has passed and a champion has been crowned, the slate is wiped clean and everyone is equal once again. The USSF have set up two interesting friendlies to begin, starting with a match-up against five-time world champions, Brazil. The Samba Boys are coming off some disappointment of their own. Tabbed as pre-tournament World Cup favorites, they were ousted in the quarterfinals by Belgium in a thrilling game. Brazil have brought a star-studded roster to give the young USMNT side a stern test. Tite’s roster selections include some of the most talented players in the world and even boasts two European Cup winners in Neymar and Casemiro. Meanwhile, the U.S. look at their young midfield core of Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams as a foundation to build on for the future. How will the dynamic duo hold up against some of the best players in the sport? Many have wanted the USSF to schedule challenging opponents like this. Now it’s time to see how the youngsters handle the pressure. Note: We’re trying something new with our match threads. We’ll be updating the post with updates of goals and big moments as they happen. Check back every so often during the match for highlights and commentary. Lineups United States lineup: Brazil lineup: #SeleçaoBrasileira escalada para o jogo de daqui a pouco! Neymar Jr. vai assumir a faixa de capitao. Bola rola 21h05! #GigantesPorNatureza pic.twitter.com/N1gjc4Br4B — CBF Futebol (@CBF_Futebol) September 7, 2018 How to Watch Advertised Kickoff Time: 7:30 p.m. ET, 4:30 p.m. PT (Kickoff will reportedly come just after 8 p.m.) Venue: MetLife Stadium; East Rutherford, N.J. Available TV: FS1, Univision, Univision Deportes Available Streaming: fuboTV (Free Trial), FOX Sports Go, Univision Deportes This thread will be your match thread. We don’t have many rules here. We just ask that you don’t insult each other personally and treat each other with respect. Debates can get heated and that’s fine, but name-calling and petty insults will get you banned. If you see a comment that you feel is out of line, please report it and it will be dealt with.<doc-sep>The United States begin their Kickoff Series tomorrow at MetLife Stadium as they take on Brazil. Brazil brings several of their stars from their World Cup team, while the USMNT will once again employ a very young lineup as American interim manager Dave Sarachan continues to evaluate for the future of the team. This is only the 6th match for the USMNT in 2018, but it begins a string of 6 in a row against some very tough opposition. O Pentacampeão (“The 5-Time Champions”) will present an incredible test for Sarachan’s young squad. Recent Form USA D (1-1) - France - Friendly L (1-2) - Ireland - Friendly W (3-0) - Bolivia - Friendly W (1-0) - Paraguay - Friendly D (0-0) - Bosnia and Herzegovina- Friendly Brazil L (1-2) - Belgium - 2018 World Cup Quarterfinals W (2-0) - Mexico - 2018 World Cup Round of 16 W (2-0) - Serbia - 2018 World Cup Group E W (2-0) - Costa Rica - 2018 World Cup Group E D (1-1) - Switzerland - 2018 World Cup Group E What To Watch For Keep the stars at bay. Brazil clearly has a lot of great players that can hurt you at any point: Neymar, Roberto Firmino, Philippe Coutinho, and Willian are among them. The midfield can’t let them get out into open space, and the defense can’t let any of these guys streak past them in the final third. Brazil is a team that thrives off sending numbers forward in a flashy way and looking for the spectacular. Contain their stars, and they’ll have difficulty getting shots off. Be aggressive on offense. When the attack has opportunities to shoot, they need to take them. The youngsters have been aggressive for the most part this year when they have opportunities, and that should continue against the Brazilians. If there is a weakness on this Brazil squad, it’s on defense, and they can be taken on the dribble and when crashing the net. They’re going to get some chances. Be aggressive, and we will get chances to score. Who will rise to the challenge? Like the France and Ireland games back in June, this is a prime opportunity for players to show that they deserve to be in the lineup moving forward. All 11 spots on the field are for the taking, so let’s see which players make their mark and can add a great performance to their resume. Lineup Prediction Dave Sarachan will likely go for what he thinks is his best possible lineup, and while a couple of guys may also be in the mix to start, here’s what Sarachan might go with: In net, Zack Steffen is the best of the three goalkeepers in camp and, based on his performance against France, should be the #1. The defense will be anchored by the return of John Brooks to the lineup for the first time in 10 months. He will join Matt Miazga at center back. Antonee Robinson had a few wonderful performances against Bolivia, Ireland, and France, so he gets the nod at left back. DeAndre Yedlin holds it down on the right for the United States. In the middle, Sarachan can go a few different ways here, but in the end I think he opts to present a more defensive-minded lineup. Wil Trapp will likely be the captain for the team and be the main defensive back, while Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams will be counted on to also provide defensive cover but still have the ability to move forward in the middle. On the wings, Paul Arriola is versatile enough to provide offensive fire on the right while still tracking back on defense. He’s experimented a few times at right back for D.C. United, so expect to see him back there at times while Yedlin moves forward on a run, and vice versa. On the left, Gyasi Zardes was an option due to how hot he has played this season for Columbus Crew SC, but in the end, Sarachan likely goes with Tim Weah on the left wing. But, it could go either way. Up front, the lone striker to start is Bobby Wood, but with offensive help coming from the wings and even with McKennie or Adams pressing up behind him, Wood will hopefully have some opportunities to get some shots on net. Match Prediction Make no mistake, this is a tough test for the Americans. The kids showed well against France, who went on to win the World Cup, so that can only make the team confident they can get a similar result against Brazil. Let’s go out on a limb here: it’s a great night to get a result against Brazil. It’s another 1-1 draw and fans will rave about the performance of the defense as they keep Neymar off the scoresheet. Give us your predictions for what will happen tomorrow in the comments below.<doc-sep>
The US men’s national team is set to kick off a very exciting string of friendlies this fall, starting with O Canarinho of Brazil. This will be the 19th time the US faces off against Brazil, going 1-17-0 in previous competitions. This will also be the first match Brazil has played since they were eliminated by Belgium in the World Cup and they currently sit in 3rd amongst all footballing nations according the FIFA Men’s rankings. We are breaking down for you what you need to know about Friday’s match between powerhouse Brazil and our up and coming US team. When: This Friday, September 7th at 5:30pm MT Where: MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey How to Watch: FS1, UniMás, and UDN Why it matters: As I have discussed pretty much ad nauseam at this point these friendlies benefit the US team for two reasons. First, it continues to expose a very young national team pool to the very elite players in their sport and creates a cohesion and grit that will be needed once qualifying for World Cup 2022 starts up. Second, it allows interim head coach Dave Sarachan and GM Earnie Stewart the opportunity to evaluate the talent in our pool and start to determine who the regular contributors will be as the team moves forward towards that goal of qualification. What we are watching for on the US team: One of the fatal flaws of the US’s failed 2018 World Cup run was the lack of a tried and true center back pairing. There was a revolving door of partnerships throughout the Hexagonal that ended in the nightmare at Trinidad and Tobago. The lack of playing time and consistent partnerships was evident as the US gave up far too many goals against inferior opponents. We will be keeping a close eye on Matt Miazga and John Brooks. The two should be the top choice pairing for the US going forward and my hope is that they have 4 years to play together game in and game out to really build that unity. They will absolutely have their hands full against the likes of Neymar, Douglas Costa, and Roberto Firmino. If the US is ever going to compete at the highest levels Miazga and Brooks need opportunities to play against elite offensive teams, they certainly will have that chance on Friday. What we are watching for on the Brazilian team: When you think of Brazilian football you think of the Joga Bonito era of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Roberto Carlos. Fast and fluid football that is inventive and inspiring. Brazil has always had a flair for not only winning but capturing our imaginations in the process. Neymar, despite the public ridicule of his antics (he spent over 14 minutes of game time rolling on the ground in the World Cup) is still one of the most dynamic and gifted players in the world. He blends football acumen with guile like few others have and can tear a defense apart or bait a referee into a penalty with relative ease. Expect to see the Brazilian squad pressing high up the field and showing zero fear in getting forward often. Thirteen of the players on Brazil’s roster competed in the last World Cup, so this isn’t a B squad that we will be seeing. If the US isn’t compact and organized this game could get out of hand very quickly. That being said, this same group of youngsters went to France and drew 1-1 only weeks before the French won the World Cup. So I wouldn’t put it past this US group to not care who lines up across from them and come to compete. Our prediction: This young US team has surprised us in the past. They hail back to an era when the US said “talent be damned,” we will line up with anyone and never give up. That being said, this group is young and Brazil is stacked. We expect a 3-1 win for O Canarihno.