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USA vs. Honduras: Lineups and match thread

2013-06-19T00:08:53Z

Happy America day, America! Today, your United States men's national team take on Honduras in World Cup qualifying. The USMNT are on top of the hex and will likely be 3-4 points away from a World Cup berth if they clinch all three points on Tuesday night.

The U.S. has brought back Graham Zusi and Jermaine Jones after they sat out for the Panama game. Geoff Cameron returns to the bench. DaMarcus Beasley is suspended, so Fabian Johnson goes to left back and Eddie Johnson switches sides, becoming the left winger. Otherwise, everything is the same.

Honduras are without a bunch of their best players, though Emilio Izaguirre got fit enough to play. Their center backs are their backups, and I will be disappointed if we can't score on them.

United States lineup (4-2-3-1): Tim Howard; Fabian Johnson, Matt Besler, Omar Gonzalez, Brad Evans; Jermaine Jones, Michael Bradley; Eddie Johnson, Clint Dempsey, Graham Zusi; Jozy Altidore

Honduras lineup (4-3-3): Noel Valladares; Emilio Izaguirre, Jose Velasaquez, Juan Montes, Olin Peralta; Jorge Claros, Wilson Palacios, Roger Espinoza; Mario Martinez, Carlo Costly, Andy Najar

Kickoff is at 9 p.m. ET from Rio Tinto Stadium in Utah. You can catch the game on ESPN. This is your game thread, so chat away.

USA vs. Honduras, Beer of the Day: Stay stout, America

2013-06-18T17:00:05Z

By Dan Wiersema / Founder, Free Beer Movement

The American Outlaws' call of #WeWant9 is looking more and more likely as the United States national team faces a depleted Honduran side at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. Securing three points from this revenge match will pretty much book the Nats to Brazil as the rest of the "Hex" qualifying group slips into disarray.

Honduras is not the same side that the U.S. went up early on and then fell to the heat of San Pedro Sula. Through injury, suspension, and out-right abandonment of the team Los Catrachos may be without the services of six of their starters.

What are we recommending for this match? We stepped away from our local recommendation last time to play a little "six degrees of beer" game, but we're back to honor SLC's contribution to the craft beer world.

Before you making any snarky remarks about Utah and their beer.... check yourself. While the labyrinth of laws would make David Bowie's head spin getting a good brew in the "U" isn't impossible... it just means you just have to work a little bit harder for it.

Meet Epic Brewing Co. First off, this is Real Salt Lake and U.S. goalkeeper Nick Rimando's favorite brewery. And you trust him, right? Epic Brewing makes some of the state's finest craft beers (Unita Brewing Co. should also be on your "to-drink" list) and their "Elevation" series is impressive.

And why not? This USMNT on the last stop on their "elevation" part of the tour (Denver, Seattle, SLC) and what makes this series so interesting is that "tweeks" that the brewers work in every time they brew a new batch of one of the styles (which includes an IPA, stout, golden, and a pale ale) from this series.

"Tweeks" is the name of the game for coach Jurgen Klinsmann who's constant meddling of the USMNT lineup has re-vitalized some careers (DMB) and re-invented others (Evans, Cameron, etc) and put the team on course for qualification.

Of all the "elevation" series to choose from we're picking the "825 State" Stout which Epic describes the range of it "from dry to sweet, creamy or bitter". The "flavors Epic explores within this stout are roast chocolate, toffee, mocha, coffee, burnt marshmallow and roasted nuts or combinations there-of."

If that's not a tinker's beer for JK we don't what is. And just like this stout (and here's to hoping for another "stout" defense") the tinkering has finally paid off.

What you drinking for tonight's match?

Unless you're a hipster, you want to see soccer grow in America and what better way than the Free Beer Movement. Check it out and practice it.

USA vs. Honduras: Lineup projection

2013-06-18T15:23:49Z

For the second time in two games, Jurgen Klinsmann will be forced into making some changes to his team against his will. DaMarcus Beasley is suspended, so Klinsmann will either have to do some re-arranging against Honduras or introduce an entirely new left back.

The good news is that he gets two of his best players back for this game. Graham Zusi is back from suspension, while Jermaine Jones has passed a concussion test and will suit up on Tuesday night for the United States. With no other serious injury or suspension concerns, Klinsmann can keep his team together for the most part, but he'll be hoping the slight changes he does have to make won't have any adverse effects.

Projected United States lineup (4-2-3-1): Tim Howard; Fabian Johnson, Matt Besler, Omar Gonzalez, Brad Evans; Jermaine Jones, Michael Bradley; Eddie Johnson, Clint Dempsey, Graham Zusi; Jozy Altidore.

And now to my imaginary friend's reactions.

You're benching Cameron after that performance?

It's not that I want to bench Geoff Cameron, it's just that Jermaine Jones is really good and was one of the first names on the team sheet before he hit his head. If he's fine, he'll play now. Be happy that we have a guy like Cameron, the best 12th man that the USMNT could ever hope for.

Fabian Johnson is doing so well at left midfield

Well, I think he's done okay there, and I think that the early, deep cross he made to assist Jozy Altidore's goal was the kind of ball that we see fullbacks play more often than wingers. Edgar Castillo is good and I'd be happy to see him play instead, but I think that Klinsmann moves Fab back to left back for one game.

Wait a second, did you just say that Edgar Castillo is good? The Edgar Castillo that I know?

Yeah, that guy. I know, he's been horrible for the USMNT in the past, but he's had a couple of very good seasons in Mexico. For those who don't have the time/channels/interest to catch Tijuana on a regular basis: Edgar Castillo is good. Don't be horrified if he starts and my lineup is wrong.

Are the U.S. going to be so awesome with GAM on the left, Zusi on the right and Fab at left back that this becomes the new first choice team?

You bet they are. Count it. Kobe!

Check out the latest edition of "The Hex" from KICK TV

USA vs. Honduras match predictions: Go, go USA

2013-06-17T17:43:13Z

Remember when there was a lot of concern about the United States? Jurgen Klinsmann's plan was falling apart, the team hated him and they couldn't score goals or win matches that mattered to save their lives?

That seems like a long time ago.

Now the U.S. is flying high and Honduras, well, they're riding the unlucky train so hopes are high for the Americans. Very high.

Ryan: The U.S. is undefeated in their last 25 home World Cup qualifiers, and many of those matches came against teams better than the Honduras team that they will face at Rio Tinto Stadium. That's not to say Honduras is normally bad, but when they're hit by as many injuries and suspensions as they have been, they're pretty weak and the red hot Americans should be able to come away with a very comfortable 2-0 win just like they did against Panama.

Kevin: Honduras are a good team, but they're not a deep team. They're probably going to struggle without all of their missing players. On top of that, the U.S. is playing the best soccer they've ever played under Jurgen Klinsmann. At the risk of sounding arrogant and having it thrown back in my face, 3-0 USMNT.

Zach: Suddenly the USMNT is flying and Jurgen Klinsmann is all but launching red, white and blue fireworks out his arse while skywriting, "TAKE THAT YOU HATERS". Despite the rocky start, it appears zee Germans' plan is working and the US is on track to qualify for the World Cup next summer. A win over a depleted Honduras side would all but guarantee them a spot and there's no reason to believe they won't get it. Considering all the issues Los Catrachos have right now, anything other than a win would feel like a step backwards for the US. So let the arse-launched fireworks go and let's enjoy another US win, I'll go with 2-0. Because 'MURICA.

Phil: We don't lose qualifiers at home. Honduras is an extremely weakened side due to injuries and and suspensions, while the USA is pretty much riding high going into the match. I expect to walk the match with an easy 3-0 victory.

USA vs. Honduras, 2013 World Cup qualifying: Jermaine Jones expected to play

2013-06-16T23:47:13Z

Jermaine Jones is expected to play on Tuesday when the United States takes on Honduras in a World Cup qualifier, a USSF spokesman told Jeffrey Carlisle. Jones was concussed in the Americans' win over Jamaica on June 7 and missed last week's win over Panama, but appears on track to play against the Catrachos as the U.S. tries to make it a perfect nine points from three World Cup qualifiers this summer.

Jones will be especially useful against a Honduras team that has been ravaged by injuries and suspensions, but mainly up ront and at the back, leaving the midfield nearly at full strength. Having Jones available to combat the Catrachos in the center will be a bonus, and doubly so considering the fine form he was in before his injury that made him more than just a lively midfielder who could close opponents down, but also a tidy passer who helped open up the U.S. attack in tight spaces.

But Jones is hardly Jurgen Klinsmann's only option in the center. Geoff Cameron took Jones' place alongside Michael Bradley in the midfield against Panama and was spectacular so Jones may not walk into the starting lineup on Tuesday. Not with Cameron coming off such a fine match and not after a 10-day layoff, which may have left Jones a bit out of shape. Maybe Jones is better suited to a substitutes appearance against Honduras.

Whether he starts or not, the U.S. will be happy to have Jones available. There was some concern that his health was worse than let on when Klinsmann called Kyle Beckerman into the squad, but it appears as if that was just a way to get Beckerman some time with the U.S. team more so than needing cover for Jones. Especially with Graham Zusi back from suspension, which makes it unlikely that the Americans will need Sacha Kljestan out wide so he can be an option centrally, the U.S. has plenty of options in the middle now.

USA vs. South Korea: Final score 4-1, The past, present and future of the USWNT

2013-06-16T07:06:40Z

Kristie Mewis, Lauren Cheney, Carli Lloyd and Abby Wambach all scored for the United States and Cho Sohyun had the only goal for South Korea as the Americans rolled to a 4-1 victory.

Coming just two weeks after topping Canada in Toronto, the match against South Korea gave Tom Sermanni a chance to test some different lineups as the team continues its slow march to the 2015 World Cup. The two teams will meet again on Thursday night at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey.

Mewis, playing in just her sixth match for the senior side, wasted little time making an impact in front of her hometown crowd. The FC Kansas City midfielder, playing at outside back for the national team, needed just three minutes to give the U.S. the lead, tallying her first international goal on a ball from Sydney Leroux. Mewis, a native of nearby Hanson, Massachusetts and a former Boston College standout, found herself unmarked in front of an open Korea goal, and was able to easily redirect Leroux's low rolling cross into the net.

Mewis, just 22 years old, is widely regarded as a big part of the future for the USWNT. She's one of several players who excelled in U.S. youth programs, but struggled to gain senior experience under the ever un-evolving rosters of Pia Sundhage. Since taking over in January, Sermanni has given six players their first caps at the senior side. And one more - 20-year-old Morgan Brian - was added to that list Saturday night. The University of Virginia junior earned her first cap when she replaced Cheney in the 77th minute.

But for all the talk of youth - a Leroux/Morgan forward line with Wambach on the bench for the first 45, Mewis' third start - the story ended up being mostly about the usual suspects.

If Mewis is the future, Cheney is perhaps the best example of the USWNT's present. Cheney has been around for what seems like forever, but she's only 25. Called in to replace Abby Wambach and her broken leg on the eve of the 2008 Olympics, Cheney immediately fit with Sundhage's vision for the USWNT. And when a crop of young super-strikers sprouted - Leroux, Morgan, Christen Press - Cheney still fit, just in a different place, sliding from the forward line into the midfield. While Wambach and most of the core of the USWNT fight the inevitable march of time, Cheney still has her best years ahead.

So just as it was the future - Leroux to Mewis - that netted the first goal, it was the USWNT present that found the second. Another player who's been around a while, but not as long a while as it seems - Tobin Heath - to Cheney, doubling the U.S. lead in the seventh minute.

South Korea would get one back in the 26th minute on a long shot from Cho Sohyun that beat Nicole Barnhart. The visiting side, too, has perhaps its own story about a future. A team technical and poised, but missing that one final pass, just not quite there, yet.

On the other side of the half, present and future gave way to past, with Wambach replacing Leroux and Hope Solo coming in for Barnhart. For Solo, it was her first international action since wrist surgery in March.

And so the second half was mostly the story you know. A long-range Lloyd goal - good from well above the arc at the top of the box - made it 3-1 in the 57th. Her shot was typical Lloyd, through traffic, skipping off the turf before tucking itself just between the keeper and the post.

Then it was Wambach. Coming in to Saturday's match, the 33 year-old was just three goals away from Mia Hamm's international goalscoring record of 158. Wambach had several chances on the night, but the American striker couldn't buy a goal. And then it was stoppage time, another old USWNT trope, although this time about as inconsequential as can be.

A collision between Morgan and Korea Republic captain Shim Seoyeon in the box brought the crowd of 13,035 to their feet as referee Kari Seitz signaled for the penalty kick. The U.S. would make it 4-1 thanks to the PK, as Wambach - because of course Wambach - stepped to the spot and buried it.

Kyle Beckerman added to USA roster for World Cup qualifier vs. Honduras

2013-06-14T22:06:51Z

Jurgen Klinsmann has added Kyle Beckerman to the United States roster for the Americans' World Cup qualifier against Honduras on Tuesday. With the U.S. already in Beckerman's home of Salt Lake City, the midfielder was able to join up with the U.S. immediately and theoretically could play in front of his home crowd at Rio Tinto Stadium against the Catrachos.

At face, it would have made more sense for Klinsmann to call Beckerman in for the U.S.' match versus Panama when Jermaine Jones and Graham Zusi were both out. Now Zusi is back from suspension, Jones is expected to have be recovered from his concussion and on top of that, Geoff Cameron was sensational against the Canaleros, giving the Americans plenty of options in the midfield.

So why Beckerman now?

Either Jones' recovery isn't going as well as expected or Beckerman is an extra body. The U.S. doesn't need another midfielder for Tuesday's match if Jones can play, but Real Salt Lake doesn't play this weekend so Beckerman can stay in his home city, practice with the team and be apart of the team without missing a single club match. For a player like Beckerman, who has been a part of the U.S. team before and figures to be again in the future, keeping him around the coaches and players can only help going forward, while also providing another useful player for practice over the next few days.

So Beckerman is with the U.S. team now. He probably won't play against Honduras, but it would be great to see him in front of his home crowd and at the worst, he won't be a stranger next time Klinsmann calls him in.

Honduras may miss more than half their starting XI vs. USA due to injuries, suspensions

2013-06-14T17:55:02Z

The United States knew they would face a weakened Honduras team in Tuesday's World Cup qualifier at Rio Tinto Stadium, but nobody could imagine just how short-handed they would be. Victor Bernardez, Maynor Figueroa, Jerry Bengtson and Luis Garrido will all miss the match, while Oscar Boniek Garcia and Emilo Izaguirre may also be out, which would leave Honduras without more than half of their best XI.

Honduras' massive rash of injuries comes just a week after Panama had to take on the U.S. without their best striker, Blas Perez. While the U.S. has also had to deal with their fair share of injuries, there is no doubt that Lady Luck has found herself a comfortable home in the Americans' dressing room.

Bernardez and Garrido are out through suspension for yellow card accumulation, while Figueroa is injured. Boniek Garcia and Izaguirre both have knocks and may also be sidelined. Bengtson is another case, an odd case, though.

According to Diez, Bengtson was upset at being replaced by Roger Rojas in the starting lineup in Honduras' 2-0 win over Jamaica last Tuesday and has left the team ahead of the Catrachos' clash with the U.S. Bengtson is tops in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying with seven goals, while his two tallies in the Hex have him as the joint leader. One of those goals came back on February 6 in San Pedro Sula, when he found the net in the 79th minute to give Honduras a 2-1 lead and hand the U.S. their lone loss in the final round of qualifying.

With him out, Honduras could use the lively Boniek Garcia, who caused the Americans fits in San Pedro Sula and set up Bengtson's match-winner, but reports are not optimistic about his ability to get fit by Tuesday. The prospects appear brighter for Izaguirre, who missed the February match through injury, but he is still in doubt.

As much as the Catrachos would love to have Bengtson, Boniek Garcia and Garrido available to them, they are probably more worried about the holes left by Bernardez and Figueroa. Carlo Costly and Rojas give Honduras two solid options in the attack, while Andy Najar is also available as a wide option. In the middle, Roger Espinoza and Wilson Palacios are good enough to mitigate some of the damage done by Garrido's absence. But at center back, Honduras doesn't have many options to replace their two starters.

In an ideal world, Honduras would call upon Osman Chavez to start in either Bernardez or Figueroa's place, but he is also injured. That leaves David Velasquez and Juan Pablo Montes, both of whom have single-digit caps, as Honduras' only options in the middle of defense. There is speculation that they may call Johnny Leveron in to provide some cover, but no matter who the Catrachos turn to, there is a massive gulf in quality between them and Bernardez and Figueroa.

The U.S. were already heavy favorites to beat Honduras on Tuesday after playing their best match of the Jurgen Klinsmann era in a 2-0 win over Panama to move to the top of the Hex, but these injuries, suspensions and the missing Bengtson have it looking like the Catrachos will head to Utah for an impossible task. Honduras are going to be horribly short-handed, and the U.S. look set to extend their unbeaten streak in home World Cup qualifiers to 25 matches.