International Soccer Matches in USA in 2012
Mexico tops Brazil 2-0 in qualifying tune-up
ARLINGTON, Texas — Giovani Dos Santos and Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez each scored a first-half goal as Mexico beat Brazil 2-0 on Sunday in a final tune-up for the Mexicans before World Cup qualifying play.
It was the second straight game in which Mexico's top two forwards each scored a goal, indicating the Mexican attack is in top form at the right time. Mexico plays Guyana on Friday to open the semifinal round of World Cup qualifying in the CONCACAF region.
"This game served us well in our plans for qualifying," Mexico coach Jose Manuel de la Torre said through a translator. "We killed two birds with one stone in beating a strong opponent and preparing ourselves for qualifying."
Dos Santos opened the scoring in the 22nd minute on an unlikely conversion from a difficult angle near the sideline. The Tottenham forward chipped the ball from the left side of the box into the upper corner of the right side, beating goalkeeper Rafael Cabral, who was making his second start for Brazil.
Brazil coach Mano Menezes dismissed the shot as a "fortunate" strike.
"Giovani was crossing it into the box and scored," Menezes said.
Ten minutes later, Dos Santos again was in the middle of the action. Brazilian defender Juan Jesus took him down inside the box, a clumsy foul because Dos Santos' back was to the goal. On the penalty kick, Cabral guessed correctly, but Hernandez's strike found the net.
Brazil fielded a young squad of under-23 players in preparation for the upcoming Olympics in London. This particular roster was in just its third game together and found itself trailing for the first time.
"In the first half, we needed more calm," Menezes said. "When it was 0-0, we needed to slow down and show more patience. But this is normal with young players."
Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/06/03/4004513/mexico-tops-brazil-2-0-in-qualifying.html#storylink=cpy
SPANISH CHAMPIONS REAL MADRID TO PLAY ITALIAN
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The Yankees announced that current Spanish champions Real Madrid will meet storied Italian powerhouse A.C. Milan on Wednesday, August 8 at 8:00 p.m., at Yankee Stadium in a match between two of the most popular and decorated clubs in world soccer.
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Hat-trick hero Lionel Messi has expressed his delight after Argentina defeated Brazil 4-3 in a friendly match clash on Saturday night.
Messi, 24, scored three times, with the third of those strikes a stunning goal, to inspire Argentina to a memorable victory over their South American rivals Brazil.
Although it was a non-competitive fixture, Messi was keen to savour the triumph: "This kind of triumph make us stronger as a team and group and helps us to grow up even more.
"Despite being a friendly, it is always nice to defeat Brazil. I'm also very happy with my three goals, it's not common see seven goals in Argentina versus Brazil."
Argentina fielded a near full-strength side, while Brazil, whose goals came from Romulo, Oscar and Hulk, opted for a younger-looking Olympic-style squad.
"It is very nice to play with huge players like Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain," Messi said. "This result is good for and for them, for all my team-mates."
Messi also revealed he had swapped shirts with Brazil star Neymar. "He always spoke well of me," he said. "He is a great player and after the match we exchanged shirts."
Argentina boss Alejandro Sabella was pleased by the efforts of his side but understandably by Messi in particular. "Fortunately, Messi is Argentinian and we can enjoy him," he said.
"Messi is an extraordinary player and he has been for a long time. In the national team his recent performances have been good for us and today's game was great.
"We played against a team who have a great attacking power. It was a very exciting duel for the crowd."
Manchester City star Aguero was equally blown away by his strike partner's performance. The forward said: "He does not surprise me anymore. He is the world's best player, no question about it.
"He won three (FIFA) Ballon d'Or and he is competing for another one. He will be the best player in the world until he retires."
USA vs Antigua and Barbuda on June 8th
The United States will kick off the effort to qualify for its seventh consecutive FIFA World Cup when they host Antigua and Barbuda on June 8 at Raymond James Stadium, marking the first World Cup qualifier in the state of Florida since the USA defeated Mexico 2-1 on Nov. 23, 1980, in Ft. Lauderdale.
The semifinal round opener begins at 7 p.m. ET live on ESPN, ESPN3 and the Univision family of networks.
“Our focus since last summer has been to prepare this team for World Cup qualifying, and we are thrilled that we can start the process in Tampa,” said Klinsmann. “It’s critical that we start qualifying off on the right foot, so to be in a place where the team has had such great support is a huge positive for us.
The players always talk about how great the surface is at Raymond James Stadium, so overall we think it is the ideal venue.”
Fans can follow both matches live on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and via Twitter @ussoccer.
Ticket information will be announced in the near future. To find out when tickets will go on sale for both for matches, join U.S. Soccer’s ticket alert email list. For the opportunity to purchase tickets for either game before the general public, join the U.S. Soccer Supporters Club and earn priority access to the ticket presale.
The U.S. has played Scotland six times in its history, holding a lifetime record of 1-3-2 in a series dating back to 1949. The teams last met on U.S. soil in the USA’s final preparation match before the 1998 FIFA World Cup, playing to a scoreless draw on May 30, 1998, in Washington, D.C.
The Tartan Army narrowly missed out on qualifying for the 2012 European Championship from a group that included defending FIFA World Cup champion Spain. Scotland’s strike force includes Kris Boyd, the all-time leading goalscorer in the Scottish Premier League who recently signed with the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer.
Jacksonville will host a U.S. Men’s National Team for the first time since Feb. 6, 1999, when the USA recorded a massive upset of defending European Champion Germany with a 3-0 victory.
The United States has never played against Antigua and Barbuda, which qualified for the Semifinal Round of qualifying for the first time ever after winning Group F with a combined score of 25-3. Along with these two teams, Group A is comprised of Guatemala and Jamaica. Each opponent will meet twice, once at home and once away, in round robin play.
The top teams from each of three groups will advance to the Final Round of qualifying, which will take place in 2013. Three teams will automatically qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, while the fourth place team will play in a two-leg playoff against the winner of the Oceania region.
The United States will be making its seventh appearance in Tampa dating back to a 1-1 tie with Switzerland in 1985. Overall, the U.S. has a 3-2-1 record with wins against Finland (1990), Ecuador (2007) and El Salvador (2010).
The 2007 matchup is the most memorable, with 31,547 on hand at Raymond James Stadium to see a magnificent hat trick by Landon Donovan in a 3-1 victory.
In 2008, Raymond James Stadium hosted the U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team for the group phase of CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying.
The U.S. posted a 2-0-1 record against Cuba, Panama and Honduras.
