Nats in Must Win Situation
Things are quiet down at the Home Depot Center this weekend. Both Chivas USA and the Galaxy have a rare, simultaneous week off from MLS action, but there is plenty of World Cup Qualifying action going on to keep soccer fans entertained.
Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan and Chivas USA defender Jonathan Bornstein joined the U.S Men's National Team earlier in the week to prepare for today's match versus El Salvador at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. The Nats are in the thick of a tight race to earn an automatic berth for World Cup 2010 in South Africa, but find themselves a bit under the gun. A loss or a draw by the U.S. would put their World Cup dreams in jeopardy, thus, the team is expected to come out and fight from beginning to end.
El Salvador has only but the slimmest of chances to earn a spot for World Cup 2010 and the odds are stacked up against them quite heavily. To keep their slim chances alive, they must first beat the U.S. and Mexico on the road -- a task that would require a miracle to complete. Despite being on the verge of elimination, El Salvador is likely to play a tough, physical match tonight.
In turn, the U.S. will be looking to get some revenge on La Selecta. The last time the two teams met down in El Salvador, the U.S. nearly came home empty handed, needing a late goal from veteran defender Frankie Hejduk to earn a draw. Overall, it was not a good performance by the Nats on that night. Add to this the Yanks' need to get things back on track after a tough loss on the road against Mexico and you've got the ingredients for what should be a very entertaining match.
Game Details
USA vs. El Salvador
When: Saturday, September 5th
Time: 5:00 PM
TV: ESPN Classic, TeleFutura