Two nations looking to return to form will do battle today in an international friendly between the United States and Nigeria. The World Cup tune-up scheduled for 6 p.m. ET will be held at EverBank Field in Jacksonville and can be live streamed here free. Additional TV coverage can be found on ESPN and Univision Deportes.
Don't let the results fool you, America. Your national team is as flawed as they come. Despite two victories against nations that won't be participating in Brazil, question marks still surround the U.S. men's national team. The Yanks weren't punished for their defensive lapses against weakened competition, but make no mistake, they can ill-afford to have them against the likes of Nigeria, Portugal, Ghana nor Germany.
Improvement must be made. Head coach Jurgen Klinsmann is aware of that fact.
''There's always room for improvement,'' Klinsmann said (via Fox Sports). ''When you give chances away, then you address that and you talk about it. But it's not a defensive topic; it's a whole team topic because the defense starts with the forwards up front. It starts with compactness of the whole unit. You watch it again, like we coaches do obviously, and analyze it," he added.
''That's why we need these games against very good opponents because they show you those examples and you learn from it as quickly as you can. The whole thing is a work in progress, and I think we're doing fine.''
Will the U.S. defense show better against a much tougher opponent in Nigeria? Tell us @SportsWN
Tactical Preview
Player to Watch: The battle for a starting role on the left of Jurgen Klinsmann's 4-4-2 diamond remains very much a narrative ahead of today's friendly with Nigeria. Projected to return to that role is Alejandro Bedoya. The 27-year-old made 31 appearances for French outfit Nantes last season, scoring five goals and averaging nearly one key pass per match.
USA's Projected Lineup (4-1-2-1-2): Howard; Chandler, Besler, Cameron, Johnson; Jones; Bedoya, Zusi; Bradley; Altidore, Dempsey
Nigeria's Projected Lineup (4-2-3-1): Enyeama; Echiejile, Oboabona, Omeruo, Ambrose; Mikel, Onazi; Moses, Osaze, Musa; Emenike
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