The USMNT will play its first match of 2013 on Tuesday night, when it will take on Canada at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston (7 p.m. MT, ESPN2).
Real Salt Lake’s Kyle Beckerman and Tony Beltran are both on the U.S. roster for the match, and several outlets are predicting that both Claret-and-Cobalt players will be in manager Jurgen Klinsmann’s starting lineup.
Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl and Pro Soccer Talk’s Steve Davis both have Beckerman and Beltran pegged for the First XI. Beckerman in particular is getting a lot of press, with Fox Soccer’s Kyle McCarthy and American Soccer Now’s Josh Deaver both writing extensively about how the Claret-and-Cobalt captain has taken a leadership role in the U.S. camp.
While Beckerman is getting more publicity, Tuesday’s game is undeniably bigger for Beltran. Unlike Beckerman, who has 23 senior national team caps, Beltran has never appeared for the USMNT and will be looking for his first cap on Tuesday. A good performance against Canada could also net Beltran a spot on the roster for the U.S. Hexagonal opener at Honduras on Feb. 6, a roster that Beckerman is likely to make regardless of how he performs in Houston.
Beckerman and Beltran are both expected to return to RSL for the team’s third and final preseason leg at the FC Tucson Desert Diamond Cup from Feb. 11-24.
Make sure you watch both Kyle and Tony in action on Tuesday night.
