USA vs. Chile: International Friendly Soccer Schedule, Rosters & Preview
The United States and Chile will clash as they meet in an classic Americas version of international friendly soccer action on Wednesday afternoon in South America.
Chile and the United States don't have a huge rivalry with one another, only playing each other once in the World Cup. In the 1950 World Cup, Chile defeated the United States, 5-2. Neither Chile or the United States have successfully won the World Cup, but the future holds good things for both soccer nations.
Team USA
The United States is currently the No. 27 ranked team in the world, and the No. 3 ranked team in CONCACAF behind only Mexico and Costa Rica. Manager Jürgen Klinsmann has made quite a name for himself ever since he left Landon Donovan off the World Cup roster. As expected, Klinsmann has chosen a young roster.
Goalkeeper Tim Howard will not be playing, as he will be taking the year off from the national team.
Alex Bono, Sean Johnson, Jon Kempin and Nick Rimando are the selected goalkeepers by Klinsmann. Bono is still just 20 years old, and there's a good chance he will see action against Chile Wednesday afternoon.
Jozy Altidore and team captain Clint Dempsey lead the offensive unit along with Chris Wondolowski, Bobby Wood and Gyasi Zardes. Altidore and Dempsey are the two best offensive players for the United States National Team, and they have a lot of experience together.
Jermaine Jones leads the defensive unit with Matt Besler, Steve Birnbaum, Matt Hedges, Perry Kitchen, Shane O'Neill and DeAndre Yedlin. Jones previously scored a goal against Portugal at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Michael Bradley, Mix Diskerud, Luis Gil, Miguel Ibarra, Lee Nguyen, Dillon Serna, Brek Shea and Wil Trapp have been named as the starting middle fielders. Bradley has shown a lot of promise in the past, and will be one of the most important players in this game.
The United States will play Panama in their next match in February.
Chile
Chile is the No. 14 ranked team in the world, and No. 5 in CONMEBOL behind Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay. Manager Jorge Sampaoli led Chile to the round of 16 in the World Cup, but they were eliminated by their South American rival Brazil in a thrilling shootout.
Mark Gonzalez is one of the rising young stars in soccer, and he will be leading Chile's offense. Roberto Gutierrez, Mark Gonzalez, Andres Vílches, Angelo Sagal and Juan Delgado will be looking to score alongside Gonzalez.
Barcelona's superstar goalkeeper Claudio Bravo will not be playing. Instead, Jorge Sampaoli has named Johnny Herrera and Paulo Garces to the squad against the United States. They will have a tough task as Chile doesn't have a very experience set of middle fielders.
Jose Rojas and Gonzalo Fierro lead Chile's defense with Osvaldo Gonzalez, Cristian Suarez, Erick Pulgar, Diego Valdes, Juan Cornejo and Paulo Díaz. Playing at home may give Chile the extra spark they need.
Schedule, Where to Watch
The United States and Chile will kick off at the Estadio El Teniente in Rancagua, Chile on Wednesday, Jan. 28. The game will be televised on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 6 p.m. EST. You can view a live game stream here.
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