2017-02-04

After a cagey 0-0 draw with Serbia, Bruce Arena’s team take on Jamaica in their second winter friendly. Follow all the action live with Luis Miguel Echegaray

Email Luis or tweet him with your thoughts, notes and queries

1.42am GMT

53 mins: Campbell has gone down for Jamaica and is currently receiving treatment. They’re playing with ten men right now as he leaves the field for more attention. The Jamaican strategy has changed in the second half, knowing full well you can’t play it from the back every single time, so more direct long balls are distributed, with Williams as the lone target upfront.

1.39am GMT

49 mins: Williams steals the ball from McCarty and ends up with Grandison who takes a shot but it’s blocked. The US need to realize that they don’t have more than three seconds with the ball, as Jamaica will make them pay.

1.34am GMT

45 mins: We’re back. Bingham replaces Robles in goal for USA.

1.26am GMT

Meanwhile, during half time, let’s talk Super Bowl and Julio Jones’ cleats....

Julio Jones' #SuperBowl cleats belong in Atlanta's High Museum of Art.

: @UnderArmour pic.twitter.com/7mhxvvVbi7

1.21am GMT

True knocking...

'A little mediocre; haven't been terrible,' Donovan says about .... well, could have been everything.

1.19am GMT

It’s been aesthetically pleasing for the US but once again, scoring is an issue for Bruce Arena and his men. As for Jamaica, hats off to a team who is missing all their star players and who had one great chance of taking the lead.

1.17am GMT

45 mins +1: Lletget is fouled and we’re going to have a free-kick, 35 yards out. Its a great ball but its cleared. That’s it from the first half.

1.16am GMT

45 mins: As the first half nears to a close, the theme has once again been the inability to be more offensively aggressive. The midfield has been solid and McCarty has impressed in the first 45, but so far, nothing to show for it. Zusi with a cross from the right but its cleared...Jamaica want to play the short passing game in their own half but it doesn’t seem like a smart idea as this inexperienced team can’t quite keep the ball. But here comes Jamaica on the left again with tremendous speed, Lowe wants a long shot but nothing. Morris gets another chance as he counters all by himself but in the split of a second, he is surrounded by yellow shirts. We’re going to have one minute of injury time.

1.11am GMT

40 mins: Hand ball by Agudelo as he tries to bring the ball down from just outside the box. But Jamaica quickly lose possession again and the first Agudelo/Morris connection is seen when the former heads a great ball to Morris...who is one on one with Blake, but the keeper makes himself big enough to deflect the shot. McCarty with a great curling shot form the short corner and its just wide! Grandison is fouled by Lletget and play stops.

1.06am GMT

35 mins: Villafaña is making more of an impact on the left hand side as he is being encouraged to push forward more. Consequently, much of the play, coming from the left. Not a bad start by the US but the crowd really want a goal here. Burke, with absolute lightning speed, counters on the left hand side and steals the ball from Zusi, crosses it from the and its not dealt well enough by Zimmerman...but Williams can’t finish! Wow. On the other end, Morris gets a good chance to shoot from inside the box after a cross from the right hand side, but Jamaica are quick to pounce.

1.01am GMT

30 mins: Jamaica may be inexperienced but they are a fast, athletic team as every ball is chased at 200 mph by the Reggae Boyz. Zimmerman, under pressure, heads it back to his goalkeeper and Robles just about gets there. Meanwhile on the other side, Morris with a quintessential run drives to the box, but it’s quickly stopped by Jamaica. Agudelo wins a free kick 35 yards from goal and it’s quickly taken...but yet, again, the US can’t break through. Villafaña with a great cross from the left hand side but its too far for Pontius.

12.56am GMT

25 mins: Luis Robles with a little more to do as he picks up a loose ball from the right hand side. Jamaica are pressing at every opportunity but USA’s slick passing can handle it...there doesn’t seem, however, a lot of cohesion and understanding between Morris and Agudelo at the moment. Agudelo picks up the ball on the right hand side and distributes, it eventually falls to Lletget, who makes another dangerous cross but its cleared by Jamaica. Pontius and Burke collide and are on the ground, the latter a victim of a dead leg as he gets up and tries to walk it off.

12.51am GMT

20 mins: It’s all USA right now as the entire game is being played in Jamaica’s half..lucky for the Reggae Boyz, they just can’t get creative enough to finish off all that possession. Pontius fouls Fisher as he chases a long ball on the right wing and its a free-kick to Jamaica, but once again they lose control of the ball and the US start again. Lletget loses two defenders on the left and crosses a great low cross but Agudelo can’t get there. Great play by Lletget!

12.46am GMT

15 mins: After initial pressure in the first 15 minutes, Jamaica are slowly (and I do mean slowly) getting more possession but Robles is nothing more than a spectator at this point as nothing has threatened his goal. The US are doing a good job at pressing in the final third when they lose possession, nd once again they come forward with a counter, a long shot comes to a corner...its a short one and a dangerous ball by Feilhaber causes a lot of problems for Andre Blake but lucky for him he gets fouled in the box and it’s Jamaica’s ball.

12.42am GMT

10 mins: Arena was clearly not happy with how fast the ball was moving in possession against Serbia, and has clearly made a point about fixing that tonight. The US are playing well and looking to always keep the ball moving. Grandison fouls Lletget and gets a yellow. Free-kick will be taken by Feilhaber...who chips it in but noone can take advantage. It’s a corner but nothing happens.

12.37am GMT

5 mins: A much faster start than last Sunday against Serbia for the US. Lletget playing the Bradley role, and dropping extremely deep to start the chains moving with Morris staying upfront on the right hand side and Agudelo on the left. The US getting more possession and win their first corner. A great header by McCarty but it goes above the keeper.

12.31am GMT

1 min: And we’re off! Jamaica, in their classic yellow kit, look ready for this one. The US wearing their away gear.

12.22am GMT

The teams are stepping out for the anthems. Next time you hear from me will be at kick-off. Stay tuned!

USMNT line-up features sons of Boricua-Koreans, Colombians, Argentinians, Jews, Brazilians, Mexicans and more. GOD BLESS 'MERICA. #USAvJAM

12.15am GMT

Love this.

#USAvJAM comin' up at 7 ET.

But first, some Jamaican stunners: pic.twitter.com/37iI3hPjIj

12.13am GMT

Fernando Fiore interviewing a calm, composed Seba Lletget on FS1. Fiore predicts he’ll score tonight...
A little about Lletget. Both his parents are from Argentina but he grew up in San Francisco. As a youth player, he was spotted by West Ham scouts and ended up moving to England in 2009. He ended up signing a pro contract for the Hammers the next year but nothing more developed for him until 2014 when he made his debut for the club in January of that year in a 5-0 loss against Nottingham Forest in the third round of the FA Cup. After that, he moved to the Galaxy....which is where he built a strong bond with Arena.

11.42pm GMT

I gotta say, I’m excited about this game. Yes, we may not be getting the usual names from both sides but there is a lot of talent out there. Jordan Morris and the always-fun-to-watch Juan Agudelo could make an attractive partnership, and if Lletget can reproduce the same type of performance from last Sunday then he could give Arena a lot to think about.
In regards to Jamaica: Andre Blake is the best goalkeeper in Major League Soccer and the aforementioned Williams will cause a lot of headaches for USA’s back four.
Let’s hope there are some goals in this one.
Oh, kick-off is not scheduled until 7:30pm ET. Just FYI.

11.35pm GMT

Starting XI for Jamaica:

Andre Blake
Sergio Campbell
Damion Lowe
Alvas Powell
Oniel Fisher
Ewan Grandison
Jevaughn Watson (C)
Owayne Gordon
Michael Binns
Cory Burke
Romario Williams

11.30pm GMT

Starting XI for USMNT:

We're ready. Are you? Revealing the #USMNT Starting XI for #USAvJAM.

What to know about our lineup: https://t.co/RfBrXm3vef pic.twitter.com/ZWiZZoIPx4

5.01pm GMT

Hello everyone, and welcome to this friendly international between the US men’s national team and Jamaica at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Phew, that was a long sentence.

Continue reading...

Show more