Cleaning Up Some Odds & Ends With USMNT & USWNT

I was all set to watch the U.S. men's friendly vs. Venezuela tonight (first game in 2012) until I realized it was a B-Squad operation all around.

Not only were both teams fielding rosters made up of youngsters and backups but it wasn't on TV, just ESPN3.com. After going out for the night and seeing score updates on Twitter, I decided I was best served to save my time and just watch the highlights.

Ricardo Clark (remember him?) scored the game-winner in the 97th minute as the U.S. squeaked by Venezuela 1-0 in Phoenix, Arizona. Jermaine Jones apparently had a good match and he hit the corner that Clark scored off of. The U.S. men next play at Panama City on Wednesday against Panama.

In other U.S. soccer news, the U.S. soccer foundation handed out their 2011 awards the other night. Abby Wambach was voted top women's player, for the fifth time which broke Mia Hamm's record. Clint Dempsey was the top male player, winning it for the first time since 2007 which is hard to believe.

Brek Shea (male) and Sydney Leroux (female) were also the top young athletes.

Wambach previously won in 2003, 2004, 2007 and last year. Hamm (aka Mrs. Nomar Garciaparra) won from 1994-98.

Best wishes go out to U.S. women's defender Ali Krieger, who tore her ACL and MCL last night in the U.S.' 14-0 drubbing of the Dominican Republic. It was the first match of Olympic qualifying for the U.S. ahead of this summer's 2012 games in London. Krieger is expected to miss eight months of action.

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