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Global Mar 31, 2015

Reminder: USMNT facing Switzerland today at 12 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1, UniMás, univisiondeportes.com

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(Via U.S. Soccer) – After a tough loss in Denmark, the U.S. Men’s National Team will face off against Switzerland in Zurich, for the second leg of its European training. Kickoff at Stadion Letzigrund is set for Tuesday, March 31 at 12 p.m. ET, and the game will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1, UniMás and univisiondeportes.com.

The Americans are coming off a 3-2 loss to Denmark on March 25 after Niklas Bendter completed a hat trick with a game-winning goal in stoppage time. Switzerland, ranked No. 12 in the world, was one of the eight seeded teams in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and will provide another test for the U.S. MNT in a year of challenging matches, which include facing CONCACAF rival Mexico on April 15, meeting No. 5-ranked Netherlands in Amsterdam on June 5, and a matchup against 2014 FIFA World Cup champion Germany in Cologne on June 10.

Klinsmann has 22 players in Zurich, including nine players from the 2014 FIFA World Cup Roster. U.S. team captain Clint Dempseysuffered a right hamstring strain in training on Monday, March 23 and was ruled out for both matches. Fellow striker Aron Johannsson is undergoing treatment for a toe infection and will also be out against Switzerland. Klinsmann added U-23 MNT forward Jordan Morristo the roster on March 29.

Tuesday’s game marks just the second time in the last 20 years the USA has met Switzerland. In their previous meeting on Oct. 17, 2007, Michael Bradley scored the only goal of the match – his first international tally – to give the USA the 1-0 shutout victory in Basel. Overall, the U.S. is 1-3-3 all-time against Switzerland, and unbeaten in its last three.

In the meantime, the Under-23 Men’s National Team defeated Bosnia-Herzegovina 5-2 on March 27 in Tuzla, earning Andi Herzog a win in his first game as head coach, as the team continues preparations for Olympic qualifying this October. The U-23s kick off the second match of their European training camp against Denmark tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET.

U.S. Men’s National Team by Position – Detailed Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3) : Cody Cropper (Southampton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake), William Yarbrough (Club León)
DEFENDERS (8) : Ventura Alvarado (Club America), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Greg Garza (Club Tijuana), Michael Orozco (Puebla), Tim Ream (Bolton Wanderers), Brek Shea (Orlando City SC), DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham Hotspur)
MIDFIELDERS (8) : Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Julian Green (Hamburg), Miguel Ibarra (Minnesota United FC), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt), Danny Williams (Reading), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy)
FORWARDS (3) : Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Jordan Morris (Stanford), Rubio Rubin (Utrecht)

2015 U.S. MNT SCHEDULE:

Date Opponent Result/Time (ET) U.S. Goal Scorers/TV Venue
Jan. 28 Chile 2-3 L Shea, Altidore Estadio El Teniente; Rancagua, Chile
Feb. 8 Panama 2-0 W Bradley, Dempsey StubHub Center; Carson, Calif.
March 25 Denmark 2-3 L Altidore, Johannsson NRGi Park; Aarhus, Denmark
March 31 Switzerland 12 p.m. FOX Sports 1, UniMás,univisiondeportes.com Stadion Letzigrund; Zurich, Switzerland
April 15 Mexico 8:30 p.m. FOX Sports 1, UniMás,univisiondeportes.com Alamodome; San Antonio, Texas
June 5 Netherlands 2:30 p.m. ESPN2, WatchESPN, UniMás,univisiondeportes.com Amsterdam Arena; Amsterdam, Netherlands
June 10 Germany 2:45 p.m. FOX Sports 1, UniMás,univisiondeportes.com Rhein Energie Stadion; Cologne, Germany
July 7 Honduras 9:30 p.m. FOX Sports 1, UniMás Toyota Stadium; Frisco, Texas
July 10 Haiti 8:30 p.m. FOX Sports 1, UniMás Gillette Stadium; Foxborough, Mass.
July 13 Panama 9:30 p.m. FOX Sports 1, UniMás Sporting Park; Kansas City, Kan.

USA VS. SWITZERLAND:

  • The United States is 1-3-3 all-time against Switzerland and undefeated in the last three matches between the two teams. In seven games, the pair has combined to score 13 goals, with five coming from the U.S. and the other eight from the Swiss.
  • The most recent encounter between the two was the USA’s 1-0 victory on Oct. 17, 2007, at St. Jakob Park in Basel, Switzerland. On a rainy night, Michael Bradley broke a scoreless tie in the 86th minute to give the U.S. its first win against the Swiss.
  • The U.S. and Switzerland met twice in 1994. In January, they played to a 1-1 draw in Fullerton, California in a World Cup warm-up. They faced off again in June at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where they again drew 1-1 in front of 77,000 fans in the Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan.
  • U.S. defender John Brooks and Switzerland’s Fabian Lustenberger and Valentin Stocker all play for Bundesliga club team Hertha Berlin. Midfielder Julian Green is teammates with Johan Djourou and Valon Behrami at Hamburg. Defender Timmy Chandler plays with Haris Seferovic at Frankfurt, while midfielder Fabian Johnson is teammates with Switzerland’s Yann Zommer and Granit Xhaka at Borussia Monchengladbach.

U.S. ROSTER NOTES:

  • Two firsts occurred for the USA in its last game against Denmark: defender Timmy Chandler earned his first point with the MNT with an assist on Jozy Altidore’s goal, and Ventura Alvarado earned his first international cap for the U.S. when he entered in the 80th minute, replacing fellow Liga MX defender Michael Orozco.
  • A total of nine players in the squad were members of the 2014 FIFA World Cup roster that traveled to Brazil and helped the USA advance out of the “Group of Death,” including two goalscorers (John Brooks and Julian Green).
  • Michael Bradley was the only player who started in all four matches for the USA during the World Cup.
  • Bradley is the leading cap-winner on the roster with 94, and is in line to reach the century mark soon.
  • Seven countries and nine leagues are represented on the roster: Canada, England, France, Germany, Mexico, Netherlands, and the United States.
  • Altidore has two goals in three matches to start 2015 for the MNT, while Bradley and Brek Shea are the other goal scorers on the roster. At the club level, Altidore netted a pair of goals in his debut match for Toronto FC to start the 2015 MLS season.
  • Goalkeeper Nick Rimando boasts an impressive 11-2-2 career record with four shutouts. He got his first start and appearance on European soil in the match against Denmark.
  • Greg Garza played in the last five games of 2014 and started three following the World Cup. The Club Tijuana left back has been a part of every level of U.S. National Team programming, beginning with the U-14’s.
  • Miguel Ibarra, who earned his first cap for the U.S. in 2014, is the reigning MVP of the NASL.
  • Danny Williams has the opportunity to get his first action since March 5, 2014, when he appeared against Ukraine in Cyprus.
  • Rubio Rubin, who earned his first MNT cap and start on Nov. 14, 2014, against No. 3-ranked Colombia, spent the weekend with the U-20 MNT and captained the team in its friendly against England on March 29. At 19 years old, Rubin is age-eligible for this summer’s FIFA U-20 World Cup.
  • William Yarbrough was born and raised in Mexico to two American parents. He marshaled the backline for Club Leon to the 2013 Apertura and 2014 Clausura titles. This is Yarbrough’s first call up to the U.S. Men’s National Team.

IN THE RECORD BOOKS:

  • Jozy Altidore is fifth on the MNT’s all-time goal scoring list with 27 goals, adding two in three games so far this year. Altidore is now three goals behind fourth-place Brian McBride (30 goals from 1993-2006).
  • Midfielder Michael Bradley is inching closer to the century cap mark with 94 appearances since debuting for the MNT in 2006. He is 18th on the MNT all-time list, one appearance behind McBride.
  • Bradley ranks 13th on the all-time goals scored list with 13 goals, and is tied with Marcelo Balboa and Hugo Perez.
  • Nick Rimando ranks fifth on the all-time wins list with 11. The Real Salt Lake man is 11-2-2 all-time with the USA.
  • U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann (34-17-11) ranks third among the USA’s all-time winningest coaches. Ahead of Klinsmann are National Soccer Hall of Famers, Bruce Arena (71) and Bob Bradley (43).

BY THE NUMBERS:
2                Players on the U.S. MNT seeking their first international cap
4                Players on the U.S. MNT roster playing in Mexico’s Liga MX
12              Switzerland’s current FIFA ranking
27              Career goals by Altidore, which is fifth on the USA’s all-time scoring list
32              USA’s current FIFA ranking
34              Victories under head coach Jurgen Klinsmann

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