USMNT TO FACE TOP-20 OPPONENTS
CHICAGO, USMNT – With the official start of the new cycle coming this fall, the U.S. Men’s National Team will face Brazil, England, Italy and Mexico as they embark on a six-match “Kickoff Series” that will provide the young side with top-level competition at the start of the four-year journey.
The Kickoff Series begins Friday, Sept. 7 with USA-Brazil, presented by Liberty Mutual Insurance, as the MNT welcomes the five-time World Cup champions to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Four days later, USA-Mexico, presented by AT&T, takes center stage at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., on Tuesday, Sept. 11.
In November, the USA heads back to Europe where it will go head-to-head with England at legendary Wembley Stadium in London on Thursday, Nov. 15. The MNT will close out its 2018 schedule on Tuesday, Nov. 20, when it takes on Italy at a location still to be determined.
The MNT will play two home matches in October, with details to be confirmed at a later date.
“We are at the beginning phase of building our identity,” U.S. Men’s National Team General Manager Earnie Stewart said. “These games are obviously huge challenges, and for young players it’s an opportunity to see the benchmark of some of the top teams in the world. We can use these experiences to learn about ourselves and take the next steps towards developing into the team we want to become.”
Combined with June’s 1-1 draw at France, the MNT will play a minimum of five matches in 2018 against the top 20 teams in the world according to the latest FIFA Rankings. The slate will mark one of the MNT’s most difficult stretch of matches in a calendar year.
The six upcoming games will be played during the FIFA fixture dates in September, October and November. FS1, ESPN, UniMas and Univision Deportes Network will carry the blockbuster action live, with additional details of the Kickoff Series to be announced in the near future.
