- US have 13-4-6 all-time record against Guatemala
- Landon Donovan makes return to US national team
- Yanks Gold Cup campaign begins July 9 vs. Belize
The USA face Guatemala in San Diego on Friday night (watch live on NBC Sports Network, 11pm ET) for their only warm-up match before the 2013 Gold Cup begins.
Jurgen Klinsmann will get to have one final look at his inventive roster, as players push their cause for a starting spot before the tournament opener against Belize in Portland on Tuesday night.
Guatemala will provide a tough test, as the US square off against their familiar foe once more. The last time these two met was during the semifinal stage of World Cup qualifying, where the US defeated Los Chapines 3-1 in Kansas City last October.
Klinsi will be hoping his squad, mixed with veterans and youngsters hoping to make next summer’s World Cup squad, can make a strong start to the Gold Cup tournament with minnows Belize and Cuba the USA’s first opponents during their group games. While the final game of Group C on July 16 will provide the toughest test, as Costa Rica stand in their way.
Landon Donovan is back in the national team fold for the first time in almost a year, and the LA Galaxy star is delighted to be involved. “I am very excited to be back,” Donovan said. “It’s been a long year or so since I’ve been in. I’m in a little bit of a different place than I was before. And now, I am very much on the outside looking in. I’ve got to make my way back in, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Donovan has been handed a chance to prove his international credentials, as Klinsmann looked elsewhere while the former USMNT captain took a self-imposed break from the game during the 2013 off-season and beyond.
(MORE: Gold Cup dress rehearsal against Guatemala promises “a good test” for USMNT)
The US have a strong record against their Central American counterparts, with a 13-4-6 all-time record against Guatemala. The last time Los Chapines defeated the Yanks was way back in 1988, 19-games have passed without a US defeat since.
Tonight’s game won’t just be a friendly, as the US players will be fighting for starting spots in the Gold Cup. And Klinsmann has already said that the starting-11 this evening will be his first choice lineup for the Gold Cup. Thus raising the intrigue for US fans, and those traveling to San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium to cheer on the Nats.
DaMarcus Beasley has been named captain and will likely start at left back, but many other positions are up in the air. Real Salt Lake’s skipper Kyle Beckerman is set to occupy the hold midfield role while Stuart Holden can finally stamp his name on the team sheet after a horrendous time with injuries. Joe Corona, Mix Diskerud and Jose Torres provide plenty of midfield options while veterans Donovan and Herculez Gomez have proven quality up front or out wide. The big question marks going forward lie at the feet of Jack McInerney, the Philadelphia Union’s predatory striker who leads MLS in scoring with 10 goals.
The US are aiming for Gold Cup success, to help seal their passage to the 2017 Confederations Cup. So Klinsmann won’t look kindly on any poor performances in tonight’s friendly.
(MORE: Donovan to get chance with US national team)
As for Guatemala, they are a tough and physical outfit who often push CONCACAF’s best teams all the way during qualifying. The fell just short of making the final round of World Cup qualifying, as they lost out to Jamaica due to an inferior goal differential.
Tough to break down and solid defensively, the US national team will see a mirror image of this from plenty of teams throughout the Gold Cup next month.
“They will make it very tight, they will have all the numbers behind the ball, and we have to find ways to break them down,” Jurgen Klinsmann said. “I think they can give us a good test for what we can expect in the Gold Cup. That’s the reason why we asked them to play the friendly. It’s going to be tricky.”
Find out how tricky it will be by tuning into NBC Sports Network to watch the US face Guatemala at 11pm ET tonight.
