With two victories over Guatemala, the Americans would clinch advancing to the final round of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.
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Clint Dempsey is back in the roster of US soccer since October.
The U.S. men’s national team will face a Guatemalan squad that will be without forward Carlos Ruiz on Tuesday as he is prohibited from leaving the country due to a legal dispute and will miss the World Cup qualifier in Colombia, the Guatemalan federation confirmed.
“I enjoyed playing with him”.
“With the Copa America on the horizon, which is a very, very special event, we told the players ‘listen the best way to approach 2016 and start it with these two games against Guatemala would be ideally winning both games, there’s no question about it.’ So were going to go into Guatemala City with a lot of respect for a young very hungry Guatemala team, but trying to win”.
On Friday, he’ll get his first official shot against the USMNT since joining the Guatemala global team.
The key to managing the game is for players to keep their concentration and stay away from getting carded, Dempsey stressed.
The US Men’s National Team will hit the field in the Estadio Mateo Flores in Guatemala City on Friday evening, looking to take one step closer to booking their ticket to Russian Federation in 2018. “You have to try and impose your game on the other team”. “He’s a great player and a great person”.
The role of Michael Bradley in midfield might be tweakedbut his inclusion is assured, as is probably that of Alejandro Bedoya, now in excellent form for Nantes.
FC Union Berlin striker Bobby Wood has been a revelation for the German 2.
The enigma of Jozy Altidore (coming back from a preseason hamstring injury) looms once again but with 12 goals in 28 qualifiers he’s got a good track record in these situations.
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US have won their last three meetings – all at home – against Guatemala, including a 4-0 friendly win last July, but their last away trip was a 1-1 draw in 2012 and their visit prior to that resulted in a narrow 1-0 win in 2008.
