11/17/02: USA v. Austrailia in Phoenix, AZ From the ESPN schedule 11-17-2002 03:00 pm 05:00 pm 2002 USA SOCCER MEN'S AUSTRALIA VS. USA at PHOENIX, AZ USA Description : USA SOCCER 1PM local kickoff.
Well, if Freddy Adu ain't playing, I ain't watching. I think everybody agrees that Bruce needs to stop dragging his feet and cap Freddy now!!!!!
What stadium would they use? They have a baseball park and Sun Devil Stadium, yes? I remember watching some Mexican exhibition game in Phoenix on tv recently - I'm pretty sure it was in the baseball park and the field was probably the narrowest I've ever seen. The sidelines were so close to the penalty box that throw-in's were really dangerous scoring opportunities. I haven't watched a game from Sun Devil Stadium in a while, but is that field wide enough?
Awesome- GPK do you have a link. I wonder where they will play - at the BOB? Any idea if this date is one of those FIFA friendly windows - euro players may be called in?
FIFA has fixed 11/19 or 11/20 as a date to play friendly matches. No competitive matches will be played that week, IIRC. There is a full schedule of EPL matches on 11/16 - 11/17 and 11/23 - 11/24 (the Bundesliga is playing as well). My guess would be only those that aren't getting regular time could/would be called in. I'm not saying somebody like O'Brien won't be, but he most likely will not get a call. This match will probably be used for MLS based US Nats and those in Europe not getting significant playing time (if they are still in Arena's plans - read: Lewis). I wouldn't suspect the Australian Manager calling in Viduka or Kewell as well. Both have a match that weekend and the next. The U.S. has played twice at Sun Devil Stadium; in 1993 (13,215 in attendance) and in 1994 (15,386). With the increase in popularity of the USNT since then, I would guess they can draw 20-25K for this game. If it were a more marketable opponent (or a "full" Australian side), it could probably get 30K. I think the game will be played at the BOB, with similar field dimensions as Saefco Field in Seattle.
so they are taking my suggestion and doing college campus tours? sweet get those players breeding, we need players for 2026
Re: 11/17/02: USA v. Austrailia in Phoenix, AZ Awesome. I checked this morning and got nothing past September.
Schweet!!! I went to a USWNT v Japan match at the BOB back in December 2000 and it was pretty cool albeit quiet (typical USWNT fans are that way ). IIRC --- the opposite side of the field did not have any bleacer set ups. For the USWNT match there was seating behind both goals and behind the benches. But I could be wrong.
I am afraid the huge Australian population in Arizona is going to drown out Sam's Army. I can see it now - a bunch of beach-going Crocodile Dundee wannabe's causing a riot in the streets of Tempe. Maybe I'll buy an Outback just to blend in.
freddy adu i have seen freddy play.he has a bright future with the us national team in the future.he is to young and does not have the experience just yet.twellman should be playing with the team in phoenix.the aussie's would be a good start for twellman he is a world class goal scorer.
there is no mention of this Friendly on ussoccer.com nor sams army site. Until this is confirmed by either of those 2, I wouldnt get my hopes up too much for this match...besides it would be an MLS Nats vs Australia "B" ...Kewell, Viduka, Okon and company will not be taking part in this match
I have the link at home, so I can't access it here. This is exactly how we started in 98' for Bruce's first match. I would expect that there will be an extended training camp for younger MLS US players. The ESPN schedule has been right on in the past...perhaps our friends at the Soccer House saw this thread and asked ESPN to remove the info. When I did my query I put 12-31-02 as the end date.
I hope it's true that it is in Phoenix. I'd love to drive down and watch the game. My guess is that it would be held at the Bank One Ballpark (BOB) because the AZ Cardinals use Sun Devil stadium.
Just wondering if the baseball strike is settled within a week or two, and the season is resumed from where the stoppage started, wouldn't it be possible for the Arizona baseball team to be playing on that date?
Baseball will be over by then. Unless they foolishly decide to play the entire remaining schedule after a work stoppage. Sachin
I'm pretty sure that even if the strike was resolved that they would just play the remaining schedule or maybe go right into the playoffs depending on when it would be resolved. Either way, I'm pretty sure baseball won't be going into late November and probably not November at all.
That would be great if this is legit. There is crap for soccer here in Phoenix. There's a semi pro team whose level of play isn't a whole lot higher than some of the teams in our men's league, but that's about it. The indoor teams have folded and MLS is only on once a week (I have cable not Dish). I'll buy 10 tix.
Whether they play at Sun Devil or the BOB, I just hope that the field is in good enough condition and wide enough to ensure a meaningful match. 110 x 75 or die!
From this end of the world... Just spoke to a press officer at Soccer Australia, and he said he could neither confirm nor deny that the friendly between the USA and the Socceroos is taking place at that time and city, but he'd endeavor to get back to me on that. I should know for certain by the end of the day. Now as far as what kind of a team Socceroos coach Frank Farina might bring to Arizona or wherever, after the team's Oceania Nations Cup debacle in New Zealand, he was quite adamant about bringing in the best side possible for every match that they would be playing in... (I just looked for an old link about just that on The Age's soccer section, of that Melbourne-based daily, but that has long since been taken down.) So it might be possible that we could see any of a variety of European-based players recalled to provide the opposition. Watch this space... Cheers, William