With May 23 friendly in Tennessee, there's no way U.S. is going to play Mexico in California. No way Arena is going to put those players through that much travel for a meaningless game before having to cross the Atlantic. I think the two subsequent friendlies will be east of Tennessee. Playing Ireland in Foxboro would make sense. It would be a good draw. Just like the Netherlands in 2002, one of the best teams not to make the final tournament.
Agreed, that would be a VERY good move. Bring on the Europeans and Africans in the "Send-Off Tour." BTW, wouldn't anybody just love to see the likes of Senegal or Nigeria or Cameroon as one of the final friendlies?
I realize that Africa has many different nations and cultures but I think Nashville has a pretty large amount of Africans. Lots of Sudanese & Ethiopians(who I also realize we will not play). What I'm trying to say is that I wouldn't be totally surprised if we played an African team there.
this is great! got a phone call this morning from a buddy in nashville (i went to college there 20 years ago), telling me he thought he'd heard something of this on the radio, but he wasn't sure. dragged myself out of bed, checked the ussf website - and nothing. so i come to bigsoccer, thinking, "if it's on, someone here will have something about it". and lo and behold ... got the phones working, and we're already up to nine for the match. numbers will increase over the next few days. it's always a pain trying to get all the guys together when i go down there, but this going to do the trick. watch the nats, then head down to the sherlock holmes pub on elliston place after for a few pints. sweet.
Isn't Ollie the only person or place that has talked about a Mexico friendly in Cali? Not that he'd totally make something out of thin air to drive up visits to his site.
I've heard the Mexico rumor from a non-Oliver source that I trust, but it was only mentioned as a "possibility", not a definite matchup. No location was discussed.
Plenty of time in the normal world and in Bruce Arena's world are completely different. I'd be stunned if it happened.
I've already scheduled to be at my company's Knoxville office that week. And I am already not feeling so good on the 23rd, so I'd better go back to my hotel a little early and get some rest! And by rest, I mean driving 2.5 hours to Nashville and going to the game! Suckers. I'm sure I'll feel better the 24th!
my guess...its just a fun guess...they will head from Nashville after spanking Egypt to RFK for a game against Venezuela, then head over to the Razor as usual for a game against a good team from Europe that didnt make the world cup, like Holland in 2002. This could be Ireland, Russia or Greece
I think the discussion point is not the time between games but how it impacts the actual training camp aspect of things. The team has already announced tha they will open camp here in Cary on May 9th. If they are playing in LA on the 12th, then why open camp here in Cary. It would make more sense to open camp at the HDC and then move here with a travel day on the 13th. That might still happen but right now everybody I talk to at SAS Soccer Park is expecting them to be here on May 9th.
If the May 26 and 28 dates are accurate, it looks like those USMNT games will not be at RFK. RFK has a "Nationals" homestand from May 19-28. Don't know what's going on at FedEx Field. Lincoln Financial Field in Philly has NCAA Men's Lacrosse on May 27-29. Not that I have any sources or reliable info, but Ohio and New England seem like possible venues following the May 23 match in Nasheville. But I suppose anything (east of the Mississippi River) seems possible in May.
I read that Turkey's National Team coach has said they are coming to the US for a tournament. I've heard that he also said the other teams involved would be Mexico and Romania.
http://sportnews.ajansspor.com/news/20060215/0000101?h=“I_HAVE_MORE_GOOD_DEEDS_THAN_BAD_ONES” See the fourth paragraph. The other reference to Turkey being in a US tournament and the teams being Mexico and Romania came from a message board and were quoted from an interview the coach gave.
Turkey and Romania would fit the mold of a good Euro team that didnt make the cup. I think that last test is vital for the USA team
Good find! From the FIFA fixture list: Mexico has a game in Paris against the French on May 27th and then the Dutch in Eindoven on June 1..... Romania is scheduled to play Croatia at an unnamed location on May 28th and then Saudia Arabia on May 31st in Leverkusen.... So I doubt Mexico and Romania will be in the US for a mini-tournament at the end of May. Turkey has nothing scheduled after March 1 against the Czechs. I would really love a Mexico game before the Cup but it is looking less and less likely
That is disappointing! I see Ireland is still unscheduled for end of May..they had been mentioned earlier on these boards as possible participants.
There are not going to be any USMNT games at RFK in it's current condition. There is no way that Bruce Arena is going to put his team on that field. Even if there was no real risk with the temporary grass over the infield, if a player did happen to get injured in that area of the field, the outcry would be all but unbearable. Plus there are countless other places the MNT can play.
There was a mention of Egypt in another thread: https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showpost.php?p=7618118&postcount=5 Egypt has nothing scheduled after a 4/19 game against Saudi Arabia.
Of the May matches, only the May 28th date is on ESPN2's advance schedule now, but these things change a lot.