Five Matches against Teams Ranked in Top 20 Highlight MNT Campaign Prior to 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup
CHICAGO (Dec. 9, 2014) – The U.S. Men’s National Team will embark on arguably its most challenging schedule of friendly matches in team history with seven top quality friendlies in the first half of 2015, highlighted by a string of three matches against regional rival Mexico, 2014 FIFA World Cup champion Germany and fifth-ranked Netherlands.
The United States will face five teams ranked in the top 20 in the world and compete on three continents in advance of the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup that will take place from July 7-26 in the United States. Additional friendlies will be announced in the near future.
The U.S. will open at Chile on Jan. 28 before facing Panama in its first home match a little more than a week later on Feb. 8 at StubHub Center in Carson, California (TICKETS). After two away matches during the international window in March against Denmark and Switzerland, the concentration will turn to one of the biggest rivalries in international soccer when the U.S. faces Mexico, Presented by AT&T, on April 15 at a location still to be announced.
In final preparations for the Gold Cup, the U.S. will face two of the top three finishers of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. On June 5, the U.S. will travel to face third-place finisher Netherlands before heading to Cologne, Germany, to face the world champion at Rhein Energie Stadion.
U.S. Soccer’s new partnership agreements with ESPN, FOX and Univision begin in 2015, providing unprecedented coverage of the National Teams. Every match will be broadcast by either ESPN or FOX Sports, as well as simulcast on UniMas and Univision Deportes Network.
“We want to consistently benchmark ourselves against the top teams in the world, and to give new and different challenges to our players. Competition gives your team an opportunity to grow, and this schedule allows us to do that,” said U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann. “At the same time, our most important goal for the senior National Team in 2015 is to win the Gold Cup and qualify for the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2017, and these games will be excellent preparation.”
Date | Opponent | Venue | Television |
Jan. 28 | Chile | Away (TBD) | FOX Sports 2, UniMas, UDN |
Feb. 8 | Panama | StubHub Center; Carson, California | ESPN Network, UniMas, UDN |
March 25 | Denmark | Away (TBD) | ESPN Network, UniMas, UDN |
March 31 | Switzerland | Stadion Letzigrund; Zurich, Switzerland | FOX Sports 1, UniMas, UDN |
April 15 | Mexico | Home (TBD) | FOX Sports 1, UniMas, UDN |
June 5 | Netherlands | Away (TBD) | ESPN Network, UniMas, UDN |
June 10 | Germany | Rhein Energie Stadion; Cologne, Germany | FOX Sports 1, UniMas, UDN |
Tickets for USA-Panama on Feb. 8 go on sale to the general public Monday, Dec. 15, at 10 a.m. PT through ussoccer.com, by calling 1-888-929-7849, and at the StubHub Center ticket office (open Monday-Friday, 12-6 p.m.).
Groups of 20 or more can obtain an order form at ussoccer.com or call 312-528-1290. Ultimate Fan Tickets (special VIP packages that include a premium ticket, a custom-made official U.S. National Team jersey with name and number, VIP access to the field before and after the game, and other unique benefits) are also available exclusively through ussoccer.com.
As a sponsor of U.S. Soccer, Visa is pleased to offer all Visa cardholders access to an advance ticket sale for this match before the sale to the general public. This advance sale starts Friday, Dec. 12, and runs from 10 a.m. until 11:59 p.m. PT at ussoccer.com. Visa will be the only payment method accepted through the Visa presale and is the preferred card of U.S. Soccer. Terms and conditions apply.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Netherlands earned a third-place finish in the 2014 FIFA World Cup after a comprehensive 3-0 shutout against Brazil.
- Chile advanced out of one of the most difficult groups in Brazil, defeating Spain and Australia before losing to Brazil in penalties in the Round of 16. This will be the USA’s first friendly on South American soil since its last visit to Chile in 2000.
- Switzerland was one of seven seeded teams in the 2014 FIFA World Cup
- The USA-Mexico match, presented by AT&T, comes off two historic results for the U.S. against El Tri during the Final Round of World Cup Qualifying in 2013, including earning its first road point from Mexico since 1997.
- Denmark is currently in first place of Group I ahead of Portugal in qualifying for the 2016 European Championship.
- Goals from Graham Zusi and Aron Johannsson in second-half stoppage time snatched a spot in the World Cup away from Panama and gave the U.S. a first-place finish in CONCACAF qualifying for Brazil.
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