Studio 90 News Update

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Studio 90 News Update

Travel Day

The team complete a regen session at Arsenal's training ground today, and everybody is now back at the hotel packing frantically before our departure to Spain. We fly into Bibao before making the 45 minute drive to Santander. As such, the blog will be out of commission for a few hours...we'll check back when we've arrived in Spain!

England v USA: Live at Wembley

7:50 pm - That wraps it up from us here - Coverage is about to start on ESPN Classic and ESPN360.com, so flip there to catch the pregame. If you're at work - follow along with matchtracker at ussoccer.com!

7:48 pm - Teams are off the field now - only minutes until kickoff...

7:42 pm - The England has enough people on the field to play about 3 games. Their squad contains 29 people and those who aren't starting - all 18 of them - are all lining up on the subs ench... They're all in their half of the field right now. Things are quite crowded...

7:40 pm - The MNT Blog thoroughly enjoyed its trip to the Press Box today, or as its called here - Press Lounge. The buffet was tremendous, and we sampled some wild mushroom stroganoff along with rice and sweet potatoes. For dessert we had chocolate mousse with raspberries...

7:33 pm - I wonder how England's kit men did with the uniforms today...

7:30 pm - Thirty minutes to kickoff now, and the stadium is filling up quickly now...

7:28 pm - Here's your England starting lineup.. in a 4-4-2: James, Brown, Terry (c), Ferdinand, Cole, Beckham, Lampard, Hargreaves, Gerrard, Defoe, Rooney...

7:24 pm - We've been training with the matchballs all week, but tonight's set is a limited edition. Check out these... only 20 made!
7:20 pm - And the U.S. team is out on the field now, greeted by a chorus of halfhearted boos...

7:18 pm - Also when we were outside of the stadium we caught up with a few fans who made the journey to Wembley... wooo scarves!

7:14 pm - Yes Tommy, unfortunately this does mean what you think it does. Nice pickup though. Keepers are out warming up! Timmy Howard and Brad Guzan wave to the crowd as they trot onto the field...

7:13 pm - We’ll give you a sneak peek at the USA’s Starting XI:

Howard

Cherundolo – Onyewu – Bocanegra – Pearce

Dempsey – Clark – Bradley – Beasley

Johnson - Wolff

And some notes:

-Four players on the roster won’t be dressing tonight: Landon Donovan, Jay DeMerit, Jonathon Spector and Dominic Cervi.

-LD is nursing a slight groin injury, and will be rested for tonight’s match. Jonathon Spector is also unable to go, still receiving treatment for irritation in his hip.

-Nine out of the 11 starters also started in the USA’s 3-0 win in Poland two months ago, including the entire back four and goalkeeper.

-Midfielder Ricardo Clark will become the only player to have started all four games for the U.S. so far this year.

-Defender Oguchi Onyewu is the second-leading scorer for the U.S. on the year, having scored in back-to-back games against Mexico and Poland.

7:10 pm - Statue of Bobby Moore outside the stadium - Don't know who that person is in front of the statue, but they get a shout out from the blog I suppose...


7:02 pm - Want to see what's going on before kickoff here?


7:00 pm - You may have read about us meeting John Motson the other day. Well, we had the opportunity to sit Mr. Motson down for an interview the other day. Definitely a great watch...


6: 55 pm - Brett - the forecast for the game is light rain, although right now its stopped. Our weather says its 16 C right now, but that's colder than the forecast says. Hopefully the temperature doesn't drop any more...

6:50 pm - Setting up the locker rooms is quite the process, and its most of the reason that we get here early...
The locker rooms at Wembley are excellent, as you might expect. One great addition was the private coaches changing room (complete with plush leather couch!). As you can see we're wearing our anthracite kits tonight, with one addition - A small crest on the number...That's Carlos' jersey...

6:45 pm - The MNT blog went wandering about outside of Wembley a few minutes ago, and took a few pictures...
The new Wembley opened in 2007 and has hosted a few England games, most notably the defeat against Croatia that knocked them out of Euro 2008. Most significant for the press following the game here is that this is Fabio Capello's second home game in charge (he won the first)...

6:43 pm - The team arrived about 10 minutes ago, but we've been here scrambling around for a little while. The stadium is beautiful and, if you didn't know, its huge! The gates opened at 6:05 pm and people are starting to trickle in now...especially the U.S. fans who already packing into their section pitchside...

6:42 pm - Alright we're here and settled in at Wembley, we'll be here blogging until gametime ...

A Little Something To Show Our Support For Your Support

The more than 1,300 fans traveling to England to sit in the U.S. Supporters Section at Wembley received a little surprise when they opened the package from U.S. Soccer. Along with each match ticket came a specially designed scarf commemorating the occasion, giving our fans the opportunity to give the England supporters a run for their money (click here for a little theatrical inspiration). Thanks to everyone who was able to make the trip over. We'll be looking for you and your scarves!

Wembley Awaits

Much of the talk this week has focused on the excitement of playing at Wembley Stadium, one of the world's truly historic venues. Beginning with its first FA Cup Final on April 28, 1923, in which an estimated 200,000 fans packed the original Wembley, the stadium has hosted some of the more magical moments in the history of English and world football, highlighted by England's 4-2 victory against West Germany in the 1966 FIFA World Cup final. England captured its only world championship to date on that day, becoming the first host nation to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.

The "new" Wembley opened in 2007, and with a capacity of 90,000 seats it is the largest in the world with every seat under cover. The roof covers an area of over 11 acres, four acres of which are movable. With a span of 1040 feet, the arch is the longest single span roof structure in the world and is designed not to cast a shadow on the field.

OK, enough of the building stats (which are partially cool, we think). To read through the history of the stadium and some of its greatest moments, start here:

Reading Material

As you can imagine, there's been plenty of words in print over here about tonight's match, so we figured you would want some reading material with your morning coffee. Most of the talk has focused on John Terry being named captain for the match, partially because that's the only real news that has come out of the England camp. As you know, the Chelsea centerback missed the PK that would have clinched the Champions League final against Manchester United last Wednesday. Below is a sample of what they are saying on this side of the pond, starting with a cool photo gallery that documents all of the previous meetings between the United States and England. Have at it ...

The Independent on England's 1950 defeat to the USA

Jason Burt and Sam Wallace of The Independent on John Terry being named captain for the game

Soccernet with an article about Bob Bradley's expectations for the game


Setanta's Gareth Mayer with 11 U.S. players that could surprise England

Sporting Life's Mike McGrath on Tim Howard's expectations for England captain John Terry

Setanta's Joseph Caron Dawe with a piece about the U.S.' preparations for England

Daily Mail's Neil Ashton on the fight for the England captaincy

The Guardian's Dominic Fifield on captain John Terry

The Independent's Sam Wallace on Capello getting the best out of Wayne Rooney

The FA.com writes about Bob Bradley's admiration for the England team

Donovan a Question Mark for England Game

Landon's entry into the 100 cap club may have to wait for another day. The USA's all-time leading scorer is experiencing tightness in his groin that began to surface in the Galaxy's 3-1 win against Kansas City on Saturday night. Donovan will receive treatment tonight and be evaluated in the morning to determine his availability for tomorrow night's match. Also on the injury watch is Jonathan Spector, who has been ruled out with irritation in his hip. Spector will continue to receive treatment with an eye towards the upcoming matches against Spain and Argentina.

From the Desk of Bob Bradley

Two days prior to the start of the USA's summer campaign, we sat down with Bob Bradley to get his insights on the 31-man player pool for the trio of friendlies, his scouting report on each of the three upcoming opponents, the return of DaMarcus Beasley, and just about anything else we could think of. Listen in on this extensive two-part podcast with the USA's man in charge.

England v. USA: Viewing Parties

There are at least 1,300 U.S. supporters coming to Wembley for tomorrow night's USA - England game - we know that because we sold them the tickets! - but if you couldn't make the trip over, you can still support the team with loads of your fellow supporters and watch the game in an atmosphere that is pretty loud and rowdy. Four U.S. Soccer Bars are holding viewing parties for the game tomorrow, which kicks off at 2:50 p.m. ET. Show up early though - you need that crucial seat that's both close to the bar and close to a tv...

Small Bar, Chicago, IL.

The Globe Pub, Chicago, IL.

Nevada Smiths, New York, NY.

Summers, Washington D.C.

Random Facts that Didn't Make the Game Notes

We know you all are pouring through the game notes published on ussoccer.com, but here's some facts that hit the cutting room floor. You can decide if they deserved to ...

• Only three sets of teammates on the rosters from each teams: Landon Donovan and David Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy); Tim Howard and Phil Jagielka (Everton); Jonathan Spector and Dean Ashton (West Ham United).
• When the U.S. beat England in the 1950 FIFA World Cup, it was the first time that England had faced a CONCACAF opponent. In fact, it was only the seconnd team outside of Europe that they had played. (Chile was the first in the match before. The USA match marked the 256th international for England
• Bob Bradley's international record breakdown:
  
  14-5-2 overall
  4-1-0 vs UEFA
  7-0-2 vs CONCACAF
  1-4-0 vs CONMEBOL
  1-0-0 vs AFC
  1-0-0 vs CAF
  
  Bradley is 8-0-1 all-time when the U.S. is leading at the half

DeMerit on the Welcoming Committee

Watford defender Jay DeMerit has rolled out the welcome mat for his teammates, having a been a resident of the USA's temporary home for nearly four years. From a kid with a backpack to a man who could step on the pitch at Wembley tomorrow, Jay has certainly gained a lot of perspective. In this podcast with ussoccer.com, DeMerit talks about his time at Watford and what it would mean if he got to play at England's soccer cathedral.

An Inside Tip on England - Mum's the Word

We've been told by various journalists here that one of the changes installed by Fabio Capello since he took over the England job is the policy of not revealing the starting lineup until two hours before kickoff - TO ANYONE. While you can debate the pros and cons of not telling the players, one group that finds the practice particularly frustrating are the equipment managers. You see, England has a long tradition of putting their starting team in numbers 1-11 in accordance with their position on the field, a practice begun in club football as early as 1908 (at least according to wikipedia - and who doesn't trust that?). Since Capello refuses to tell anyone who is starting, the equipment guys literally have to print jerseys right up until near kickoff. Guess that might be easier at home, but how about in Trinidad? We hope they bring enough jerseys, just in case ...

TT Answered - Closest to the Pin

It comes as no surprise to us that many of you nailed the first part of the question on Landon's jersey number when he scored his first goal. For the record, he did indeed wear #13 in the USA's 2-0 victory against Mexico on Oct. 25, 2000 in Los Angeles.

You also had many good reasons for the significance of the #13. Yes, it was his first cap. Yes, it was the game-winner. And of course we like that it was against Mexico. But it was Sean who got closest when he correctly said that Cobi Jones used to wear that number and Cobi has the most caps for the U.S. national team. Cobi did sport the #13, and not only does he have the most caps for the U.S., but his 164 appearances still ranks fourth all-time in the world.

However, what the judges were looking for was the in addition to Cobi wearing that number, he is also the player that Landon is about to surpass as the youngest U.S. player in history to reach 100 caps. In fact, Landon would become the fourth youngest player of all time to reach the century club.

Must say, we're a little bit proud of ourselves for getting that one past you. See what happens when you keep the faith! Now on to more trivia questions that you will probably correctly answer in eight minutes or less ...

Guests at Training

While in England, the MNT Blog is diligently working on its British restraint. It is going well, thank you. However, any soccer fan would forgive the Blog for the geek out moment it experienced this morning when both John Motson and Martin Tyler turned up at training.

If you've watched any soccer in the past quarter century, odds are you've heard the voices of these two commentators. And if you're trolling around youtube looking at soccer highlights, their calls are all over some of the most memorable instances in the sport. Indeed, their voices have become nearly as iconic as the images and events themselves.

Like this one (Tyler):


And this one (Motson).


And this one (Tyler).


That search took about five minutes.

Like any good pros, Mr. Motson and Mr. Tyler were at training putting in some research ahead of Wednesday's game, and the Blog was eager to help identify players. The commentators even braved the bitter cold and rain weather that in any other situation would have made training miserable for us onlookers. Their visit made for a great conversation and some good anecdotes too:

Martin Tyler said that he remembers Steve Cherundolo's strike against Germany in 2006 as one of the most bizarre goals he's ever seen. If you can recall, Cherundolo hoofed a ball forward towards Eddie Johnson up front for the U.S. German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn came out, collided with Eddie Johnson and ball bounced away into the net with Chernudolo getting credit for the goal. Mr. Tyler said that he and his commentary team had no idea that the ref was giving a goal, or that the ball had even gone in. When the confusion subsided and the ref finally did give a goal, they had no idea who even scored it. The solution? A quick visit to ussoccer.com by the Sky Sports producer. Big props to Matchtracker!

We also spoke about David Beckham's goal this past weekend. If you remember, he scored a similar goal (albeit with a goalie in the net) and Mr. Motson commented that the goalie on that day, Neil Sullivan, was part of Doncaster Rovers successful Championship promotion bid yesterday. Here's Beckham's goal from 1996 (guess who was calling it):

Rochdale for Promotion

The hotel that we are staying in on the outskirts of London is well-known destination for soccer teams who visit England's capital. In fact, one of the prominent halls on the grounds here is lined with memorabilia from the teams who have boarded here (more on that later).

Tonight we've been joined by another team in the hotel, Rochdale A.F.C., who tomorrow will play a match against Stockport County for promotion to League One. The game is a massive one, to say the least, as a win will take Rochdale out of the bottom division of the Football League for the first time in 34 years.

The club's usually small following has inflated significantly as the club has made a run in the playoffs, and about 18,000 people are expected at Wembley tomorrow (that's nearly 10 times their normal gate for a home game).

So here is hoping that our hotel mates can get the job done!

TT

(That's code for trivia time. We're trying to sneak it past the MNT Blogger Sleuths that roam our posts continuously looking to pounce on any trivia ideas we might have...).

In anticipation of Landon Donovan reaching 100 caps SOMETIME this summer, we've been doing our homework on his career. As you already know, LD is the USA's all-time leading goalscorer with 35 goals. We won't even insult you by asking when he got his first cap and against whom; however, something did catch our eye. Having worn the #10 since Claudio Reyna retired after the 2006 World Cup, Landon spent most of his international career wearing the #21 shirt. But not on the day he scored his first goal.

Jersey number and significance, por favor... (hint - there's a theme involved)

Tea Time

Following the 'when in Rome ...' philosophy, while the team completed their afternoon workout, the MNT bloggers decided to poke our heads in on the traditional English ritual of 'afternoon tea'. Both a formal and a social occasion typically served between 3-5 p.m., the light meal hosted in the hotel library consists of the following:

• A selection of sandwiches filled with cucumber, cream cheese and chives, egg, mayonnaise and smoked Scottish salmon
• Freshly baked scones served with Devonshire clotted cream and strawberry preserve
• A selection of afternoon tea pastries

Turns out it's not as stuffy as it sounds, and we have a new fondness for fruitcake and scones. Oh, almost forgot. They served tea, too!

Wet One at Watford

Finally experienced some 'traditional' English weather today as heavy rains turned part of the training pitch into a swamp. While it doesn't make for the greatest soccer, the boys looked like they were having a ball on the 'slip-and-slide'. At least for a little while. The coaching staff quickly adjusted and found drier turf, conducting a session that involved a four corners possession game before going 7 v. 7 to big goals. Several of the English press braved the rain, despite the PGA tour event going on down the road and tomorrow being a bank holiday in England (the fact that it falls on Memorial Day in the U.S. is a coincidence). Ricardo Clark took part in his first session since arriving yesterday, and despite the conditions there were some very sharp combinations and a few fantastic strikes on goal. The only downside is that the rain wrecked one of our cameras ... just kidding, boss!



The team hits the gym this afternoon, which is thankfully indoors.

Hejduk Summoned

Columbus Crew midfielder Frankie Hejduk has been summoned by U.S. head coach Bob Bradley to bolster the squad in advance of Wednesday's match against England, and will arrive into London along with the remaining MLS contingent on Monday. The two-time World Cup veteran has 75 caps to his credit, and will be making his first appearance of 2008 in a national team camp. West Ham defender Jonathan Spector has been experiencing hip joint irritation, and his availability for Wednesday remains in question.

Feilhaber Sidelined

U.S. midfielder Benny Feilhaber has been diagnosed with torn meniscus in his right knee that will require surgery. Feilhaber suffered the injury in the 67th minute of the U-23 MNT's 3-2 loss to Turkey on May 21 at the Toulon International in France. He traveled to Los Angeles this morning to be treated by U.S. team doctor Bert Mandelbaum. Following the procedure, Feilhaber is expected to be sidelined from 4-6 weeks.