Indeed. Let us know. I have been to over 50 USMNT games and the games are an excuse to travel. If it’s “away” in Europe I’d love to know so we can book flights.
Italy plays Argentina on March 23 and then England on March 27 so it looks like playing Italy is out of the question. https://www.manchestereveningnews.c...nel-messi-manchester-argentina-italy-14227535 "The BBC report the match is scheduled to take place at 7.45pm on Friday, March 23, just four days before England face Italy at Wembley."
Any word? Rumors other than Japan in Europe? By now, under normal circumstances, USSF would have announced the friendlies for the March window. Gulati promised a full schedule after the flame out in T&T. USSF already broke that promise by playing only one match in the first post-WCQ window in November. Seriously. What's the deal? Is USSF grappling with the fact that its MNT is not a desirable opponent with an appearance fee probably too high for the fifth best team in CONCACAF? European fans aren't going to pay good money to see a non WC qualified team that lacks technical skills and tactical awareness.
Yes, Italy is booked. Wikipedia has that one. I cannot thing of any good reason USSF is not announcing these things.
I don't accept Wikipedia as confirmation. Originally, it showed the US playing Japan in Hiroshima. I'm not saying that the game vs. Japan in Italy won't happen. However, none of the USSF, JFA or FIFA websites list it. My best guess is that promoters and associations are haggling over money. It is like when a once great headliner has to realize that he is playing the Holiday Inn cocktail lounge for drinks, tips, a much smaller fee and a cheap motel room.
Goff has a piece over at the Washington Post's website that talks about the problems we've had in scheduling March friendlies. I don't want to go to it again because they have a free article limit now.
This blows. If we got Japan in Italy on the 1st date, I looked, and I could definitely have missed some things (and I didn't check every country nearby on the globe, but I got pretty close) options are (maybe)... Denmark Turkey Ukraine Israel I couldn't confirm match for these nations. Also, I couldn't find any info on Qatar. Maybe we should go down there and start prepping.
Of course you shouldn't just accept Wikipedia. JFA does confirm they will be in Europe during the March FIFA dates. As other leg work confirms, most teams already are booked and JFA hasn't announced any opponents. Seems likely they are just waiting for whatever we are waiting for.
Denmark is playing Panama on March 21. Turkey is playing Ireland on March 22 and Montenegro on March 27. Ukraine is playing Saudi Arabia on March 22. Israel is playing Romania on March 24. In 2013, Israel came to New York City and beat Honduras 2-0. Israel also got a 1-1 draw at Portugal that October. Since then, Israel has gotten worse, and in the FIFA Rankings they're worse than every team in the Hexagonal.
Nothing concrete, but page 82 of this document outlines how the federation is looking at the 2018 schedule in terms of home and away fixtures: https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...38713332/2018+AGM+BOOK+OF+REPORTS+-+FINAL.pdf You can Control+F "Chart 6 – Men’s National Team FY’19 Event Budget" to jump straight to it.
That schedule lists no games in March, 2018 and refers to matches in the post WC FIFA windows as friendlies rather than as League of Nations matches.
BREAKING: Ireland to face the USA in an international friendly at the @AVIVAStadium on June 2 in a game that will be included in the 2017/18 FAI Season Ticket. 🇮🇪🇺🇸 Full story: https://t.co/rT26QbNAW6 #COYBIG pic.twitter.com/rSsLOvTEvH— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) February 9, 2018
Looking like it's Paraguay on March 27. Still checking on venue.— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) February 10, 2018
The Irish and French FAs have announced games and USSF still hasn't acknowledged them. The Japan game is either with a Paraguay game 4 days later or not happening. Japan is going to Europe and they don't seem to have anyone to play. They would probably play the Paraguay game at RB Arena to sell out with Paraguay fans. Was a good crowd for USA v Paraguay in Philly in Copa, Over 50,000 announced. I was there, don't remember any of the upper deck with people, so that number seems high, but a good crowd.
USSF is a little preoccupied right now. Japan did have on the wiki page they were playing us and then a week later playing Ireland but now both games have disappeared from their wiki. So it looks like no more Japan game. I was at the Gold Cup game in Philly and was sitting in the upper deck but there was 2 game there that day so maybe that's why they had the upper deck open.
https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/20...to-face-france-ireland-paraguay-in-march-june Paraguay in Cary NC @ Ireland @ France (Lyon) 6/9
I’m taking it as a personal insult that they scheduled this game for when I’m traveling to England for a week. I was on the fence about Cordeiro but now he’s lost me for good.