USA manager Jurgen Klinsmann will be looking for a much-needed victory when his team travel to face Slovenia on Tuesday.
The United States have won only one of six games played under Klinsmann’s guidance, and will be looking to boost morale before they begin their World Cup 2014 qualifying campaign.
This game is a rematch of a World Cup 2010 group stage game that finished in an entertaining 2-2 draw. Valter Birsa and Zlatan Ljubijankic put Slovenia 2-0 up during the first half in South Africa, before Landon Donovan and Michael Bradley rescued a point for the USA.
World Cup goal scorers Birsa and Ljubijankic are expected to feature for Slovenia, while Udinese shot stopper Samir Handanovic is expected to start in goal.
Bostjan Cesar and Bojan Jokic also play their club soccer in Serie A, and are teammates of USA midfielder Bradley at Chievo Verona.
Tim Howard and Carlos Bocanegra are expected to lead the defensive effort for the USA, and are the only players to have started every game the team have played under Klinsmann.
Veteran defender Bocanegra will be playing his 100th game for the stars and stripes, and could be joined in the starting lineup by Glasgow Rangers teammate Maurice Edu.
Fulham playmaker Clint Dempsey will lead the USA attack, and will be looking to add to his career tally of 23 international goals. Dempsey’s last goal was the decisive strike in Klinsmann’s only victory as USA national team manager, a 1-0 decision over Honduras.
Jose Torres and Stuart Holden are injury absentees for the Americans, while Landon Donovan is absent as he prepares to play in the MLS Cup Final for the LA Galaxy.
Slovenia will come into this game on the back of a 1-0 victory over rivals Serbia last Friday, courtesy of a Dare Vrsic strike, while the USA fell 1-0 to France in Paris on the same day.
The game will be nationally televised on ESPN2, and also screened on ESPN3.com at 12pm (Eastern Time).
This game is a rematch of a World Cup 2010 group stage game that finished in an entertaining 2-2 draw. Valter Birsa and Zlatan Ljubijankic put Slovenia 2-0 up during the first half in South Africa, before Landon Donovan and Michael Bradley rescued a point for the USA.
World Cup goal scorers Birsa and Ljubijankic are expected to feature for Slovenia, while Udinese shot stopper Samir Handanovic is expected to start in goal.
Bostjan Cesar and Bojan Jokic also play their club soccer in Serie A, and are teammates of USA midfielder Bradley at Chievo Verona.
Tim Howard and Carlos Bocanegra are expected to lead the defensive effort for the USA, and are the only players to have started every game the team have played under Klinsmann.
Veteran defender Bocanegra will be playing his 100th game for the stars and stripes, and could be joined in the starting lineup by Glasgow Rangers teammate Maurice Edu.
Fulham playmaker Clint Dempsey will lead the USA attack, and will be looking to add to his career tally of 23 international goals. Dempsey’s last goal was the decisive strike in Klinsmann’s only victory as USA national team manager, a 1-0 decision over Honduras.
Jose Torres and Stuart Holden are injury absentees for the Americans, while Landon Donovan is absent as he prepares to play in the MLS Cup Final for the LA Galaxy.
Slovenia will come into this game on the back of a 1-0 victory over rivals Serbia last Friday, courtesy of a Dare Vrsic strike, while the USA fell 1-0 to France in Paris on the same day.
The game will be nationally televised on ESPN2, and also screened on ESPN3.com at 12pm (Eastern Time).
