Question: Stoke are playing at Columbus, Orlando, and KC...just like NUFC did last year. Any reason behind this?
I'd assume the front offices are working together on scheduling. We'll see if the trend continues next year.
A little birdy tweeted that we'd be lucky to have 5,000 people show up. Knowing how the Crew FO loves to text updates, we'll probably get something...about two hours before kickoff, like that wonderful text I got telling me about the Kansas City game about 5;30 PM on gameday. (In other words, text messages should go out about 5:30 PM on Thursday for a Saturday game.)
I expect it'll be more than 5,000. Way more than an Open Cup match. Though it'll probably be well under 10,000.
There is a scarf. http://www.thecrew.com/stokecity $20 on the 24th in the Crew Gear Store, $15 for CSN members.
it will be a full squad with some youth/reserve/academy players mixed in. in the friendlies it will be more about the team getting fit than winning, so we will probably play a different 11 players in each half, the first team players mixed in with academy/reserve/youth players either half. this will probably be the 23 man squad: (depending on one or two players) Asmir Begovic, Carlo Nash, Thomas Sorensen; Andy Wilkinson, Ryan Shotton, Ryan Shawcross, Robert Huth, Matthew Upson, Danny Higginbotham, Marc Wilson; Jermaine Pennant, Wilson Palacios, Diego Arismendi, Rory Delap, Dean Whitehead, Glenn Whelan, Jamie Ness, Matthew Etherington; Peter Crouch, Cameron Jerome, Kenwyne Jones, Mamady Sidibe, Jon Walters.
So I guess we go with... -------------Lampson-------------- Miranda-Gherig-James-Vukovic -------------O'Rourke--------------- Finlay----------------------Grossman ---------------Milo------------------- -------Renteria-------Vargas------- bench: Gnbm, Tchani, George, Horton, Urso, Speas depending on injuries....i dunno, whatever. prob end up looking foolish, but hopefully don't go down a man early like we did vs. newcastle last year. I'm bringing a friend that is a fan of the epl but talks ish about the mls. would be nice if the result would be one in which I could deliver a crotch chop at the end of the match.
Last year RW did half starters and half first time. That line seems a lot more blurred this year but I think the same will occur. I am curious if Pullis and RW talked. I would rather go first team vs. first team in the first half but this is my guess. First half -------------Andy-------------- Miranda-Marshall-James-Vukovic -------------George--------------- Speas----------------------Gaven -----------Milo/Tchani------------ ----Renteria----Schoenfeld------- Second half -------------Lampson-------------- Finlay-Gehrig-Mendes-Williams ----------D'Or/Birchall---------- Meram----------------------Duka -----------Grossman------------ ------Arrieta-----Vargas-------
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jul/23/the-fiver-gareth-bale-michael-owen Ha! But can they do it, on a hot Tuesday night in Columbus?
My prediction: Horton bags a hat trick and Stoke buy him for a cool 1 mil. We keep a large chunk because he's our first homegrown, and everyone looks like a genius (except Tony Pulis).
one of our wingers (and best players) Jermaine pennant has apparently not travelled to the US because of his criminal record shame really. he's a very good player.