Longshot U.S. Team to Seek Solutions Against Even Longer Shot Saudi Arabia

For players on the U.S. soccer team, today offers a rare opportunity to play against a team that figures to have less chance to succeed in the World Cup than they do.

In one of its final exhibitions before opening World Cup play on June 18 against Switzerland, the United States meets perhaps the longest of the longshots, Saudi Arabia, at Rutgers University.

Focusing on the World Cup, U.S. Coach Bora Milutinovic said the result of the game is of secondary importance to the ongoing search for the right players to fit into the right system. He has returned at least temporarily to a four-man defense after an experiment with a five-man defense resulted in a 3-2 loss Saturday to Bayern Munich.

“We need to find out what’s better,” he said Tuesday.

Striker Frank Klopas, who has scored six goals in six games, will try to become only the second American to score in three consecutive full international games. Forward Roy Wegerle, recovering from the third arthroscopic surgery on his right knee since January, might be used in a reserve role.