POSTED: Tuesday December 14th 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM TO FACE SEVEN-TIME AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS CHAMPION EGYPT ON FEB. 9 IN CAIRO

U.S. Makes First Visit to Egypt; Teams Meet for the First Time Since 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup

CHICAGO (Dec. 13, 2010)—The U.S. Men’s National Team will faceseven-time and current Africa Cup of Nations champion Egypt on Feb. 9at the Cairo International Stadium in Cairo. Kickoff and broadcastinformation will be announced at a later date. Fans can follow thematch live on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker or at twitter.com/ussoccer. 

“Egypt is an extremely talented and competitive team,” said U.S. headcoach Bob Bradley. “Their performances in the Confederations Cup andthe Africa Cup of Nations have demonstrated their ability to challengethe top teams in the world. To play against the champions of Africa inwhat will be a fantastic environment in Cairo is a great opportunityas we get ready for the CONCACAF Gold Cup.” 

The U.S. will face Egypt for the first time since the 2009 FIFAConfederations Cup, where it defeated the Pharaohs 3-0 with goals fromCharlie Davies, Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey.  The victoryallowed the United States to reach its first final of a major FIFAcompetition after defeating No.1-ranked and current FIFA World CupChampion Spain in the semifinal. The two teams have met twice in theirhistory, with the United States collecting victories in bothencounters.

The teams first faced each other on June 8, 1987, inSeoul, South Korea when the U.S. collected a 3-1 victory.  Currently ranked No. 10 in the world, Egypt has been one of thedominant sides on the African continent, claiming a record sevenAfrica Cup of Nations titles, including a record-setting threeconsecutive titles in 2006, 2008, and the most recent championshipfrom the tournament in Angola earlier this year. 

Going undefeatedthrough all six matches, the Egyptians piled in 16 goals, includingfive by Mohamed Nagy, also known as ‘Gedo’. Team captain Ahmed Hassan,who was named Player of the Tournament in 2010, is the third mostcapped player in world history, having compiled 175 internationalappearances for Egypt.  He is just three shy of the all-time leader,Mohammed Al Deayea from Saudi Arabia. 

Egypt barely missed out on qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup,losing in a one-game playoff to Algeria, the team that has now becomea part of U.S. Soccer history after Landon Donovan’s 91st minute goalgave the U.S. a 1-0 victory and a spot in the knockout phase. 

The U.S. Men’s National Team will play their first match of 2011 whenthey face Chile on Saturday, Jan. 22, at The Home Depot Center inCarson, Calif. Kickoff for the match is set for 6 p.m. PT, andbroadcast information will be announced in the near future.  Tickets for the game against Chile starting at $18, plus specialedition U.S. Soccer on-field seats for $150, are on sale to the publicthrough ussoccer.com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000, and at allTicketmaster ticket centers throughout Southern California (includingmany Walmart and La Curacao locations).

Fans can also buy tickets atThe Home Depot Center weekdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Groups of 20 ormore can obtain an order form at ussoccer.com or call 312-528-1290.Ultimate Fan Tickets (special VIP packages which include a premiumticket, a custom made official U.S. national team jersey with name andnumber, VIP access to the field before and after the game, and otherunique benefits), are also available exclusively through ussoccer.com. 

- ussoccer.com -

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Keywords · US · Egypt · Soccer · Bob Bradley · CONCACAF Gold Cup

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