Preview: Ukrainian players will have a lot on their mind
Wednesday’s match will be a stern test for the Ukrainian players. With all that is happening off the field, the sound of their national anthem will provide a very emotional moment for some.
The protests in Crimea have forced officials to move the match from Ukraine to Cyprus. Originally the president of Ukraine’s Football Federation was not interested in taking part in the match, but he quickly changed his mind.
"After announcing our intention to cancel the flight to Cyprus for a friendly against the U.S. soccer team and with regard to the military aggression of Russian Federation in Ukraine's autonomous region of Crimea, I received numerous phone calls from public and football representatives who expressed various views on this decision," Konkov said, according to Reuters.
"As a result we arrived on a common idea we should play the scheduled friendly with U.S. soccer team as they represent the country that stood up to defend our national interests and territorial integrity of Ukraine.”
This match will be a decent test for the USMNT, against a Ukrainian side that let a two goal lead slip away against France.
Guarding Yevhen Konplyanka and Andriy Yarmolenko will be no easy task, but it will give the Americans a glimpse of what to expect in Brazil. Konoplyanka could be the biggest asset to this Ukrainian side, given his pace and ability to cut in and strike the ball.
US coach Jurgen Klinsmann will be aware of his opponent’s strengths, but whether they are in the right state of mind remains to be seen. But despite all the negative attention Ukraine is on the radar for at the moment, the USMNT should not overlook the highest ranked nation that is not going to be in Brazil (18th In FIFA Rankings).
Winless in their previous three meetings with Ukraine, the Americans will want to change that bad streak on Wednesday. Their last meeting came in 1993, where the European side came away with a 1-0 victory.
Klinsmann will use this match to make a final decision on who he will take to Brazil.
Tim Howard, Jermaine Jones, Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore are all part of the squad, with Michael Bradley withdrawing at the weekend. A few players who will be trying to convince the manager will be Brek Shea, John Brooks, and Danny Williams.
Where to watch this match - live stream, start time, TV channels, live scores
Watch Ukraine vs USA live on Wednesday, March 5, 2014:
In the USA at 14:00 ET on: Watch ESPN, ESPN Deportes Radio, Univision Deportes, ESPN2, UniMás, ESPN3
For viewers in Ukraine, you can watch this International Friendly on Inter. If you are outside these viewing areas, be sure to visit the Ukraine vs USA match page for full TV listings.
