US v Sweden Preview

by Doug Washburn - January 18, 2008

 
▪ A USMNT Look Ahead

The USMNT will meet Sweden on Saturday at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles as Bob Bradley continues to build toward their upcoming World Cup qualifying phase.

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The match-up will be the team's second in less than six months as Sweden downed the Yanks in Göteborg last August 1-0.

The Americans come into Saturday’s match-up with a young domestic-based roster with 21 of 25 players plying their trade in the MLS, while the remaining four players all play in Scandinavia.

This roster is almost completely different from the team that faced off to the Swedes in Göteborg when all but two players where based out of Europe.

Landon Donovan has a chance to make history as the all-time USMNT goal scorer as he currently sits tied with Eric Wynalda at 35 goals. Donovan is also the only player on the roster who played in the USA's loss to Sweden last August.

Five players look to get their first cap with the Red, White & Blue, including Steve Cronin (Los Angeles Galaxy), Will Hesmer (Columbus Crew), Eddie Robinson (Houston Dynamo), Jeremiah White (Aarhus GF) and Clarence Goodson (IK Start). Matt Pickens (Chicago Fire) and Eddie Johnson (Kansas City Wizards) have left the team to tend to club career matters in England, with the latter apparently close to joining Fulham.

Sweden has brought a largely inexperienced squad to Los Angeles with 10 of 22 players looking to gain their first caps.

he Swedes will be without the stars such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Kim Källström as the majority of this side comes from Sweden's domestic league, the Allsvenskan. There will be a few familiar faces for the Americans as Rade Prica and Andreas Johansson hope to win bragging rights over Aalborg BK teammate Danny Califf.

Sweden’s main threats look to be Gefle IF forward Johan Oremo, who broke out for 11 goals in his first year in the Allsvenskan to pick up the Newcomer of the Year award, as well Anders Svensson of IF Elfsborg, who has notched 15 goals in 86 games with Sweden from his playmaking position in central midfield.

The USMNT has a slight historical disadvantage against Sweden, with their all-time record of 2 wins and 3 losses.

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