POSTED: Saturday January 15th 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
U.S. TO FACE TWO-TIME FIFA WORLD CUP CHAMPION ARGENTINA ON MARCH 26 AT NEW MEADOWLANDS STADIUM AND 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP QUARTERFINALISTS PARAGUAY ON MARCH 29 IN NASHVILLE
Argentina Game Marks Ninth Match for U.S. against a Top-Five Team in the Last Four Years; Argentina Game Will Be Broadcast Live on ESPN2 And Univision, Paraguay on ESPN Networks and TeleFutura
CHICAGO (Jan. 13, 2011) - U.S. Soccer has announced a pair of Men’s
National Team friendlies for March. The U.S. will take on two-time
FIFA World Cup Champion Argentina on March 26 in East Rutherford, N.J.
Kickoff at the New Meadowlands Stadium is set for 7 p.m. ET, and the
match will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and Univision. Three days later,
the U.S. hosts Paraguay at LP Field in Nashville. The match will be
televised live on ESPN Networks and TeleFutura beginning at 7 p.m. CT.
Fans can follow both matches live on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and
on Twitter @ussoccer.
Tickets for both games go on sale to the public Friday, Jan. 21, at 11
a.m. ET/10 a.m. CT through ussoccer.com and by phone at
1-800-745-3000. Tickets for the Argentina game are also available at
Ticketmaster outlets throughout the New York/New Jersey area, at the
New Meadowland Stadium ticket office (open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5
p.m.) and at the IZOD Center ticket office (open Monday-Saturday, 11
a.m. to 6 p.m.). For the Paraguay game, Ticketmaster outlets
throughout Central Tennessee (including Kroger stores) and the LP
Field ticket office (open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.) will
carry tickets.
Groups can obtain an order form at ussoccer.com or call 312-528-1290.
Ultimate Fan Tickets, a special VIP package which includes 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 available exclusively through ussoccer.com.
The matches fall on international fixture dates which allows the teams
the ability to select a full complement of players. The meeting
against fifth-ranked Argentina marks the ninth match in the last four
years for the United States against a team ranked in the top five in
the world. Cardenas Marketing Network, Inc., represented the Argentina
national team during the arrangement of its match.
"Argentina continues to be one of the most talented teams in the
world, and we are excited to have the opportunity to compete against
them," said U.S. head coach Bob Bradley. "When you talk about the best
players around the globe, the Argentines certainly contribute a lot of
names to that list. Paraguay showed during the World Cup that they
are a creative and organized team capable of being very dangerous in
the attack. Both of these matches give us a chance to continue to
raise the bar for our team, and it will also be a great part of our
preparation for the Gold Cup."
The U.S. has a lifetime record of 2-6-1 against Argentina. The teams
most recently met in 2008 at Giants Stadium, where Tim Howard held
Lionel Messi and friends at bay as the teams fought to a thrilling 0-0
draw in front of 78,682 rain-soaked fans (Watch Highlights | Watch
Behind-The-Scenes). The two U.S. victories include a 3-0 upset of the
defending champions in the group phase of the 1995 Copa America, and a
1-0 win in 1999 at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., when a Joe-Max
Moore goal was the difference.
The U.S. is making their second appearance at the New Meadowlands
Stadium, having played five-time FIFA World Cup Champion Brazil on
Aug. 10, 2010, in the first match following last summer’s World Cup.
Overall, the USA holds a 4-2-5 record in the State of New Jersey.
Argentina boasts some of the finest attacking talent in the world, led
by 2010 FIFA World Player of the Year Messi, who was recently awarded
the coveted Balon d’Or for the second year in a row. Manchester City
captain Carlos Tevez is among a host of players leading top clubs
across Europe, a list that also includes Argentina captain and FC
Barcelona midfielder Javier Mascherano. Having played in the last 10
consecutive FIFA World Cup tournaments, Argentina has reached the
final four times.
The U.S. holds a 2-1-2 lifetime record against Paraguay, posting three
shutouts. In addition to a 3-0 victory in the 1930 World Cup (July 17
in Montevideo, Uruguay), the USA collected a 2-0 win on July 6, 2003
in Columbus, Ohio. The teams last met at the 2007 Copa America in
Venezuela, where a young U.S. team fell 3-1 to the Paraguayans in
Barinas after entering halftime with an even scoreline.
Paraguay is coming off its fourth-consecutive appearance in a FIFA
World Cup, falling to eventual champion Spain in the quarterfinals
after finishing in first place of Group F. They arrived in South
Africa after completing their best ever performance in World Cup
qualifying, finishing in third place in CONMEBOL with 33 points and 10
victories while suffering only three defeats on the road.
The U.S. will be making their third appearance in Nashville. LP Field
hosted a final round World Cup qualifier on April 1, 2009, when Jozy
Altidore became the youngest player in U.S. history to record a hat
trick, pacing the U.S. to a 3-0 victory against Trinidad &Tobago.
In April of 2008, the venue hosted the knockout round of the CONCACAF
Olympic Qualifying tournament, where the U.S. Under-23 Men’s National
Team defeated Canada in the semifinals to become one of two teams from
the region to qualify for Beijing.
The U.S. is currently in training camp in Carson, Calif., preparing
for the first match of 2011, a friendly against fellow FIFA World Cup
finalists Chile on Jan. 22 at The Home Depot Center (tickets). Kickoff
is set for 7 p.m. PT and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN3.com
and TeleFutura. Fans can follow the game live via ussoccer.com’s
MatchTracker or on Twitter @ussoccer.
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Keywords · US · Soccer · Bob Bradley · Argentina · FIFA World Cup · Brazil
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