McBride Is Back to Business for U.S. Men
Brian McBride returns from his Caribbean honeymoon to lead the United States against Honduras today as the U.S. men’s national soccer team continues its preparation for the 2002 World Cup.
The 1 p.m. game at Safeco Field in Seattle will be televised live by ESPN and Telemundo.
McBride, whose four-goal performance led the U.S. to the CONCACAF Gold Cup last month, missed the team’s subsequent 1-0 loss to Italy in Sicily because he was getting married.
The Columbus Crew striker has scored 18 goals for the U.S. team, fourth-highest behind Eric Wynalda, Joe-Max Moore and Bruce Murray. Today, he spearheads an attack that also includes Landon Donovan, Clint Mathis and the Galaxy’s Cobi Jones.
Honduras, which barely failed to reach the World Cup when it lost its final qualifying game to Mexico, should not be taken lightly by the U.S. The teams split their qualifying series, with the U.S. winning, 2-1, in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and Honduras winning, 3-2, in Washington, D.C.
Since then, Coach Ernesto Luzardo’s side was named FIFA’s team of the year for 2001 after finishing a surprising third in the Copa America tournament in Colombia. It won the Carlsberg Cup in Hong Kong last month, routing World Cup-bound Slovenia, 5-1, in the process.
The team’s newest standout is striker Saul Martinez, who plays for Nacional in Uruguay and who has scored seven goals in 14 games for his country. The U.S. team, which has a 3-2-3 all-time record against Honduras, has not played in Seattle since it earned a 1-1 tie against Russia at the Kingdome before the 1994 World Cup.
Another game was added to the Americans’ pre-World Cup itinerary Friday when it was announced that the U.S. will play Mexico on April 3 at Invesco Field in Denver as the second half of a doubleheader that also features a Major League Soccer game between the Colorado Rapids and D.C. United.
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In Alburfeira, Portugal, the U.S. women’s national team earned a 1-1 tie with Sweden on Friday in the opening game of the ninth Algarve Cup.
Forward Shannon MacMillan of the San Diego Spirit put the U.S. team ahead in the 31st minute, taking a square pass from Tiffeny Milbrett and blasting a shot past Swedish goalkeeper Caroline Jonsson.
The Swedes controlled the second half, however, and secured the tie because of miscommunication between U.S. defender Joy Fawcett and goalkeeper LaKeysia Beene, each of whom thought the other was going for a loose ball. Sweden’s Victoria Svensson stole it and drove it into the empty net from long range.
“We did enough to win the game,” U.S. Coach April Heinrichs said. “But we always take a tie as a loss. That’s what separates us from the rest of the world; our standards are higher.”
The level of play will have to be higher, too, against England on Sunday if the U.S. is to have a chance of winning the 12-nation tournament.
Olympic gold medalist Norway, the U.S. opponent on Tuesday, defeated England, 3-1, Friday and leads Group B.
In other games, European champion Germany blanked Denmark, 3-0, and China routed Finland, 4-1, in Group A. In Group C, Canada defeated Scotland, 3-0, and Wales won its first-ever Algarve Cup match, beating host Portugal, 1-0.
