USA vs. Guatemala, 2013 international friendly: Preview and TV schedule

The U.S. takes on Guatemala with a few familiar faces back in the team.

By Ryan Rosenblatt Jul 5, 2013, 10:53am PDT

Once upon a time, there was a man named Landon Donovan. He was an excellent soccer player who burst onto the scene as a teenager, helped the United States to the World Cup quarterfinals at just 20 years old (we're still in denial, Germany sucks), died his hair bleach blonde and, for the better part of a decade, was the face of American soccer.

But that was a long, long time ago. Now he's a grizzled, gray old man.

And by grizzled, gray old man we mean he's 31 years old with the same receding hairline and has just been banished from the national team for a while, but old man Landon is back!

Donovan is hardly the only familiar face in the team, though. DaMarcus Beasley is the captain and Oguchi Onyewu are both suiting up. As are less old, but still previous cycle players like Alejandro Bedoya, Jose Torres and, the man long lost to the trainer's table, Stuart Holden.

The Gold Cup isn't especially exciting this year -- in fact it is downright meaningless, unless you believe in the magic of the Confederations Cup -- so a pre-Gold Cup friendly against a middling Central American team before 20,000 fans in a 70,000 seat stadium probably doesn't get your juices flowing, nor should it.

But America.

But Landon.

But Run DMB.

But Gooch stare.

But Stu!

But America.

Match date/time: Friday, July 5; 11 p.m. ET

Venue: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

TV: NBC Sports Network (USA English), UniMas (USA Spanish)

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