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USMNT vs. El Salvador. 3:00pm CDT on Fox.
The USMNT is on national broadcast television today as they take on El Salvador in a Gold Cup quarterfinal in Baltimore. This U.S. squad is mostly young players trying to get themselves into the main national team picture, and veterans trying to get themselves back into the picture. They won all three of their group games and looked fairly stylish in doing so.
The headliner is Landon Donovan, former poster boy of U.S. Soccer, who is trying to work himself back into the squad after a self-imposed exile. At 31 years old, he's no longer the force he once was, but still possesses the pace and smarts to be part of the World Cup squad next year in Brazil. He's not the big star anymore, and has to adjust to being a squad player.
Two other players to watch are Mix Diskerud and Stuart Holden. Diskerud is a Norwegian by birth whose mother is American, making him eligible for the USMNT. It was only in the opener of the Gold Cup that Diskerud became officially cap-tied to the U.S. and is now committed for his international career.
Stuart Holden is returning from severe injuries that saw him miss significant time with club (Bolton) and country. He is a terrific talent if he can return his game to its pre-injury levels.
Both Diskerud and Holden are competing for spots in the central mid-field, a crowded position for the U.S. that also includes Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones, and recently Geoff Cameron.
You should check out Starsandstripesfc.com for more coverage.
Minnesota Lynx at Phoenix Mercury 5:00pm CDT.
The Lynx are on a five game winning streak, the last three of which have been on the road, and are being led by point guard Lindsay Whalen, who has been on fire recently. She's scored 20+ points in each of the last four games. The Lynx have already defeated Phoenix three times this season, and maintain the best record in the WNBA at 12-3.
The Mercury are coming off their biggest win of the season, handing the L.A. Sparks their first home loss, behind Diana Taurasi's 32. They are 9-7 and third in the Western Conference. They make a return trip to Target Center on Wednesday afternoon.
If you're watching either of these games, why not talk about them here?
Open a beer. It's Sunday afternoon.