From everyone at VAVEL USA we like to Thank you for joining us for this friendly game between the United States and Canada on this crisp and cool Friday night at the StubHub Center, this is Jorge Belon signing off.
FINAL 1-0 USA: Thanks to Altidore last minute goal the Yanks end the January camp with a 2-0 record. The USMNT offense was relentless in the game as they kept on creating chances left and right. At the end they produced 17 shots but the Canadian goalie and the defense had the performance of a life time against the American by making stopping 12 chances. However, in the end the country that was dominate from the very start of the game won.
'90 The United States almost allows Canada to tie the match when they fail to clear a loose ball from the box. The ball bounced around the box ricocheting off bodies. Luckily for the USMNT, Canada's does not take advantage of the opportunity and sends the ball up and over to cross bar (1-0 USA)
'89 USA's substitution: Perry Kitchen replaces Jozy Alitdore
'88 GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Altidore heads in the potential winning goal to give the United States the 1-0 lead late in the match. Ethan Finlay crossed in the ball from the left hand side after eluding one defender, and Alitdore then finished the play (1-0).
'87 USA's substitution: Ethan Finlay replaces Jordan Morris
'87 Vincent active shift continues as he attempts to cross the ball from the left hand side into the box, but he misfires it and the ball goes out for goal kick.
'85 The Yanks are still running at full speed and working hard to take the lead, but Crepeau has made 12 saves to keep the score 0-0
'82 Altidore is fed a high ball into the box. The striker wastes and attempts to chip the ball into the goal. Once again Crepeau bails out Canada as he makes another save (0-0)
'79 He shoots the ball just wide of the left hand post score still remains 0-0
'79 Atidore lines up for the free kick right out side the top of the box.
'79 Canada's Henry is shown a yellow card after fouling Altidore
'77 Canada's substitution: Samuel Adekugbe replaces Cyle Larin
7'7 USA's substitution: Will Trapp replaces Mix Diskerud
'74 The Canadians offense has hit snooze. Their midfield show glimpses of life but they tend to lose the ball pretty quickly.
'71 Canada's substitution: Iain Hume replaces Tesho Akindele
'70 Morris receives the ball inside the box, and instead of pulling up for a shot he dishes the ball out to a running Vincent on the left. The speedy full back takes a low hard shot but the keeper smothers the shot (0-0)
'67 Nagbe and Kiessewetter have brought more pace to the U.S. offense.
'65 Altidore receives a clean cross from the right hand side. He soars in the air for the ball but fails to head the ball on target (0-0).
'62 Nagbe gets involved in the game right away. As he makes a run with the ball towards the box from the left hand side, he takes one move to right and blasts the ball towards the net. However, his thunderous shot gets deflected from a Canadian defender and then by U.S. full back Vincent for a Canadian goal kick (0-0)
'60 USA substitutions: Jerome Kiessewetter replaces Gyasi Zardes and Darlington Nagbe replaces Lee Nguyen.
'59 The USMNT offense is flying but still no goals come. Klinsmann might be looking to make a change soon.
'57 Bradley takes a corner and attempts to score, but the Canadian keeper comes up big again and makes the save (0-0)
'55 Diskerud and Canadian player exchange words as the U.S. midfielder was fouled.
'54 Alitdore takes a powerful shot in the box, but the keeper makes the save to keep the score 0-0
'53 The United States nearly broke the dead lock with two chances. First Bradley crossed the ball into the box, Morris attempted to go for the ball but the keeper stopped. Then a few minutes later Diskerud crossed the ball into the box and Altidore's header just bounced wide of the left hand post (0-0)
'52 The USMNT are settling the tempo down with their ball movement around the pitch
'51 The game has taken off as both countries are pushing each other with more their offense being more aggressive.
'45 USA's substitution: Brandon Vincent replaces Kellyn Accosta
'45 Canada's substitutions: Doneil Henry replaces Nik Ledgerwood. Issey Nakajima-Farran replaces Kianz Froese and Kyle Bekker replaces Adam Straith
2nd half (45 mins) Canada kicks off the half.
Halftime: The United States created more chances but their final touches in the final third has been lacking a clinical touch to it. In result, only three of their seven shots have been on target. Canada has been picking when to attack, their midfield has been overwhelmed by the energy of the Americans midfield. Look for both coaches to make subs in the second half since this is a friendly game. For Klinsmann he might put in Kiesewetter since he showed more of a clean and technical touch against Iceland on Sunday. It was his run in the late stages of the game that set up the game winner from Birnbaum (0-0).
'45 The game is starting to get physical as more tackles are being deliver from both sides.
'41 Besler picks up a yellow card after fouling Larin near the top of the box.
'39 Bradley makes a parallel run to the center of the box. He fired a hard and low shot towards the goal, but the keeper stopped the powerful shot (0-0)
'38 Morris receives a beautiful through ball into the box, he attempts to chip the ball into the right hand side of the net. But the ball sailed over the goal for a goal kick (0-0)
'36 Canadian attacker was nearly off for the races as he managed to storm by a falling Accosta. However, the ref blew the play dead as a foul on the Canadian.
'34 After Altidore was fouled near the top of the penalty box, the USMNT once again failed to deliver a dangerous pass into the box as the play ends within a blink of an eye (0-0)
'33 The Canucks six man offense is starting to dictate the tempo of the game.
'30 Canada nearly scores as a ball gets crossed from left hand side into the heart of the box. However, the pass just missed a running Akindele (0-0).
'29 A poor first touch from Altidore ruins an one on one opportunity from the striker (0-0)
'28 Canada's start to press the ball higher, making the U.S. move the ball around near their own box.
'26 Altidore gets whistled for a foul in the box, as he went up to challenge the keeper for the ball. The crowd does not agree with call as "boos" begin to be heard around the stadium.
'25 Bradley swings in the ball from a corner kick, Diskerud made a clean header with the ball, but the keeper saved it on the goal line. (0-0)
'24 The USMNT midfield is building up their attack slowly since the Canadians have bunkered in.
'22 The crowd begins to chant "USA..USA...USA" before a set piece near the left hand side of the box. However, nothing comes from it and the score remains 0-0.
'20 Morris feeds Zardes a through ball to the right hand side of the box. The LA Galaxy man then blasts a shot to the left hand corner but the keeper makes the save (0-0)
'16 Altidore has close range shot bang of the right hand post to just roll out for a goal kick. The USMNT are getting close but their touch is still letting them down (0-0)
'15 Sloppy touches inside the heart of the box from Zardes and Morris ended an attack for the Americans (0-0)
'12 Just like the Americans, Canada has not bee able to take advantage of their chances. They had a good set piece near the box but the delivery did not cause too much trouble. They still earned a corner but once again nothing came from it. The play ended with the U.S. getting a free kick.
'10 Similar to the game against Iceland the United States touch in the final third is lacking a clinical touch. They have managed to get the ball into the box a few times but nothing has come from it as the score is still 0-0.
'8 The U.S. has regain possession but they are struggling to get it out of the midfield.
'5 The U.S. defense is showing some nerves moments early in the game. Bingham and the defense fell asleep and Canada almost had an open net in front of them. But in the last second Jones was able to get the ball out of the box.
'3 Akindele is showing that he is going to problem for the U.S. defense in the game, by already earning a corner kick after making a run into the box.
'2 The USMNT offense has come out aggressive with early runs and through balls to the box. Morris nearly broke away for a one on one with the keeper, but the referee blew the play dead with an offside call.
'1 Nothing comes from the corner kick as Canada was able to clear it from the penalty box (0-0)
'1 The USMNT has already earned a corner kick, due to a run down the right hand flank from Zardes.
1st half (45 minutes) and the game kicks of with the USMNT in possession of the ball first.
The national anthems have been sang and now the game is just seconds away from starting.
The players are walking on to the field and the crowd begins to cheer.
The goal for Canada is to test U.S. goalie Bingham. The San Jose Earthquakes goalkeeper is earning his first cap for the national team tonight and if the Les Rouges offense can score early goal that might shake the 26-year-olds confidence.
Akindele will need to relieve the pressure for the Canadians in the midfield with his speed and creativity. The minute the 23-year-old winger gets the ball he needs to take off and attempt to connect with Larin up top.
For the two experienced Canadian midfielder De Guzman, De Jong and Johnson, they will have the fun task of attempting to slow down the American offense. The two of them will need to make sure that Nguyen or Bradley do not pick rhythm in this match. The strikers up front for the USMNT can easily put this match away early if they receive good service. For the Canucks to snap their 31-year winless streak against the United States tonight the three of them will need to be on point in their defensive assignments.
For Americans fans it will be an opportunity to see the young and exciting Morris and the experienced Altidore partner up with each other. It will be interesting to see how that unfolds.
It is clear that Nguyen has impressed Klinsmann in this camp, since this is his second straight start for the national team in the midfield. Plus with Jones in the defense and only Bradley as the only potential number six in this starting line up, look for the New England Revolution play maker to take control of the Yanks offense tonight.
U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann is still pushing for the Jones experiment in the defense to work. He gives the 34-year-old center midfielder another chance in the back line for this match. He has had troubles before when he has played as a center back, most of the time his lack of speed gets exposed. Against a speedster like Larin the veteran midfielder might be in store for a rough game against the Canucks.
Referee's: Marlon Mejia (El Salvador, Referee), Geovany Garcia (El Salvador, Linesman), Douglas Bermudez (El Salvador, Linesman) and Jair Marrufo (USA, Fourth Official)
Substitutes for Canada: Tyson Farago (GK), Callum Irving (GK), Samuel Adekugbe (D), Doneil Henry (D), Iain Hume (M), Kyle Bekker (M), Issey Nakajima-Farran (M), Jamar Dixon (M), Marco Bustos (M), Caleb Clarke (F), Karl Ouimette (D) and Mallan Roberts (D)
Canada's starting XI: GK: Maxime Crepeau. DEF: Nik Ledgerwood, Wandrille Lefevre and Steven Vitoria. MID: Adam Straith, captain Julian de Guzman, Will Johnson, Kianz Froese, Marcel De Jong and Tesho Akindele. FWD: Cyle Larin
Substitutes for the United States: Sean Johnson (GK), Eric Miller (D), Darlington Nagbe (M), Ethan Finlay (F), Khiry Shelton (F), Jerome Kiesewetter (F), Will Trapp (M), Brandon Vincent (D), Perry Kitchen (M), Matt Polster (M), Tony Tchani (M) and Tim Parker (D)
United States's starting XI: GK: David Bingham. DEF: Matt Besler, Jermaine Jones, Kellyn Acosta and Steve Birnbaum. MID: Gyasi Zardes, Mix Diskerud, Lee Nguyen and captain Michael Bradley. FWD: Jordan Morris and Jozy Altidore
The players on both national teams know each other very well since 32 players from the two combined rosters currently play in Major League Soccer. Plus Ethan Finlay from the U.S. and Tesho Akindele from Canada, had a chance to represent either national team. Add all that up and this match has the perfect recipe for a physical derby game.
Hello ladies and gentleman this is Jorge Belon, and we are live from the StubHub Center on this cool Friday night. We are in store to watch the United States and Canada clash for the 35th time.
Another crucial element for the USMNT is scoring first in the match. The Canadians have proven that their defense is stubborn and can keep the other nation frustrated and scoreless. However, if Canada falls behind then they will have to chase the game. As a result, gaps will appear in their defense and the U.S. has more than enough offensive weapons to take advantage of that.
Captain Michael Bradley, Lee Nguyen, Darlington Nagbe and Jermaine Jones will most likely be starting against the Canadians. The four of them must be active and keep possession of the ball. If they lose the ball, then the Canucks can expose the defense and once again the United States well fall behind in a match. That being said, the midfielders cannot just play smart, they also need to push Les Rouges back in the midfield and feed Jozy Altidore and whoever else will be playing up front with him
This is where Canada has to expose the Yanks on Friday if they want to get a victory. Strikers Cyle Larin, Caleb Clarke and Tesho Akindele must attack the inexperienced back line and hope to create chaos and mistakes within the defense. However, for them to get their opportunities the midfield must win the battle against the talented and experienced American midfield. Will Johnson and captain Julian de Guzman will have that task of attempting to slow down the Yanks; if they fail, the game might turn ugly for the Canucks.
Now, there are only 33 caps between the seven defenders still in camp, and thirty of them belong to Matt Besler. Four out of the other six have never represented the U.S. at the senior level before. That doesn't even begin to mention that the goalkeepers in camp only have seven caps between the three of them. Sean Johnson leads the way with five and Luis Robles is next with two, while David Bingham has none.
Canada will want to end their 31 year winless streak against the United States. As for the Yanks, they will want to continue it on Friday. For the USMNTm it gets a littler interesting since their back line just got depleted of experience, as Brad Evans and Michael Orozco were sent back to their club teams after the match against Iceland.
The importance of this game for the USMNT is similar to the importance for Canada. This is the final warm-up game before the hectic schedule of 2016 begins for the Yanks. Just like the Canucks, they will want to to begin this year the best way possible. However, most coaches will say that in a friendly match the result does not matter. That all changes when the game is against a rival-neither side usually never wants to lose.
However, unlike Floro, Klinsmann also has to worry about the Copa America Centenario that will take place in June. The USMNT will be facing all of the South American nations and six CONCACAF countries in the tournament that will take place in the States. As the host nation, the U.S. is expected to at least advance to the knockout stage. As hosts, they find themselves in Group A, but must wait to see who will be the other three nations in their group. The draw will take place this month on the 21st in New York City.
The USMNT are currently in first place in their group with four points and positive five goal differential in two matches. A landslide 6-1 victory over St. Vincent and The Grenadines on November the 13th at Busch Stadium. After that, the United States traveled to the Caribbean to earn a scoreless draw against Trinidad and Tobago at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on November the 17th.
For the United States, this match is another step towards erasing the horror show that was 2015 and building momentum for 2016. Like Canada, WCQ lies ahead with two games in March against Guatemala. The first match will be in Guatemala on March 25th at the Estadio Mateo Flores, while the second will be back in the States at MAPFRE Stadium four days later. The USMNT are expected to get the six potential points against the Chapines next month. If they do, then they should be able to qualify for the Hex comfortably.
Now the reason why this game against the Yanks is so vital for Canada is because this is the only tune up match they have before two big WCQ matches against Mexico in March. The first match will be on March 25th at BC Place, and the second will be at the Estadio Azteca on March 29th. If the Canadians can leave the month of March with at least three points, then they will be in good shape to qualify for the Hex. For the Canucks to advance to the elusive fifth round, they need to finish in the top two of their group.
During these World Cup Qualifiers (WCQ), Canada has played in six matches and has yet to lose. They have won four and tied two of them, outscoring their opponents 11-1. The Canucks are currently in the fourth round of qualifications, and sit in second place after two games with four points. A 1-0 home victory against Honduras started the round on November the 13th at BC Place. Then they earned a road point against El Salvador on November the 17th at the Estadio Cuscatlán.
However, under manager Benito Floro, the Canadians are dreaming of making the Hex again and possibly the World Cup. In 2015, they experienced one of their best calendar years a long time. They played a total of 12 games and only lost once, with their only defeat coming against Jamaica in the Gold Cup. Les Rouges won six of those matches and tied the other five. While also scoring 16 goals and only conceding three in the process.
However, Les Rouges started the Hex on the wrong foot as they lost their first two games by a combined score of 7-0. After five games, it was clear that they were not going to make the World Cup in France. They only had five points out of a possible 15, and went on to finish in last place with just six points and a -15 goal differential. Since then, Canada has never made it to the Hex again; they've always been eliminated either in the third or fourth round.
The Canadians competed in the 1986 World Cup, but have not been in one since then. The reason for that is simple: Canadian soccer has hit a wall when it comes to development. They have been close a few times, specifically in 1994 when the Maple Leafs lost to Australia in a playoff series in heart breaking fashion. After two matches they were tied in aggregate 3-3 before The Socceroos eliminated the Canucks 4-1 on penalties. Four years later Canada nearly qualified again as they reached the final round of qualifications in CONCACAF, advancing all the way to the Hex.
During the last 30 or so years, the two countries were going separate ways when it came to soccer. The United States was starting its modern era of soccer, and with that came success. Although the USMNT missed out on qualifying for the 1986 World Cup, they have appeared in the last seven in a row.
The last time Canada defeated the Yanks was the same year Back To The Future came out in theaters: 1985. On that occasion, the CMNT won the match 2-0 at BC Place. Since then, the Yanks have won nine game and drawn seven of them. Their defense has only allowed four goals during that time and the U.S. has scored 23 times in the process. The United States' defense was also able to shutout the Canadians 13 times.
Tonight, the United States will be facing Canada for the 35th time in their history at the StubHub Center. The Yanks are coming off a 3-2 comeback victory against Iceland on Sunday at the StubHub Center. USMNT manager Jurgen Klinsmann has now been preparing to face the Canucks for the third time in his tenure. He has yet to defeat the Canadians, as both previous matches ended in scoreless draws. The German coach can also extend the Americans' 16 games unbeaten streak they enjoy against the Les Rouges.
Welcome to VAVEL USA's LIVE coverage of this evening's friendly match between the USMNT and Canada. I'm Jorge Belon, and I'll be providing minute-to-minute updates, commentary and the result of the match. The game starts 10:15 P.M. ET, and there will be coverage pregame, mid-game, and post game.