COLUMBUS, Ohio – Jurgen Klinsmann’s U.S. Soccer team has been in Columbus for two days now, having arrived on Saturday evening, a day ahead of the reinforcements necessitated by yellow cards (phantom cards, and real ones) and Michael Bradley’s injury.
The team will hold a mid-afternoon press conference at Crew Stadium, followed by the team training (closed to fans and media), also at the stadium. The better press conference, by the way, may be the one happening at the stadium around 7 p.m., when Mexican officials and new manager Luis Fernando Tena will speak before the cameras and microphones. Recent press conference with just-dismissed Jose Manuel “Chepo” de la Torre had the combative feel of a full-on MMA brawl, so we’ll see how Mexican reporters handle the new man.
After training, members of the United States team will appear at a pep rally, which has become standard practice at these qualifiers. (And if you’re in the area, they are generally worth it, with Klinsmann and players speaking and interacting with fans in ways that highly paid professional athletes don’t always do.)
The pep rally is at the Bluestone, just outside downtown. It begins at 5 p.m., with players appearing later in the evening.
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