The U.S. National Team has taken on some of the top teams in Europe already this year with matches against Denmark, Switzerland and Netherlands already on its resume. After posting a 1-1-1 record in those three matches that included a come-from-behind 4-3 victory over the Dutch last week, the U.S. will face its toughest task yet at 12:45 p.m. MT when it meets top-ranked Germany in Cologne in the last friendly on the schedule before the U.S. kicks off the CONCACAF Gold Cup in July.
Real Salt Lake midfielder Kyle Beckerman has served as a key component for Jurgen Klinsmann’s team on the current European trip. In addition to playing 62 minutes in the win over the Netherlands, Beckerman has acted as a mentor for a young squad, according to Greg Seltzer’s story on MLSsoccer.com.
Write’s Seltzer, “The 33-year-old is in a peculiar position on a Nats squad teeming with young defensive midfielders vying to knock the World Cup 2014 starter out of the lineup. Beckerman knows he must perform a balancing act between competing for his spot and acting as a leader to the up-and-comers, especially on a two-game swing against world powers such as the Netherlands and Germany. Unsurprisingly, he is perfectly fine with that.”
“It's just being a good teammate, that's all it is,” Beckerman told media. “If it's helping a guy be ready for the game, then that's what I have to do. If it's to start, then I have to show by example for when the younger guys get a chance.”
The U.S. is 3-7-0 all-time against Germany, including a loss in the Group Stage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, where the Germans went on to lift the coveted trophy. However, all three wins have come on North American soil. This will be the fifth match of 2015 against a team ranked in the top 20 in the world. Including a 2-0 win over Mexico, the U.S. has gone 2-1-1 in those matches.
The team hopes to rekindle some of the late magic that saw it storm back with three goals in 20 minutes to get the win in Amsterdam.
“We're going to try with everything we've got,” Beckerman said in the article. “This is a chance you don't get too often, to play the No. 1 team in the world, in Germany. This is fun. This is why you put in all the hard work. Anything is possible once you get inside the lines.”
The match will be televised nationally on Fox Sports 1. To read the full story on MLSsoccer.com, click here.
