USMNT returning to action next month with friendly against Wales
CHICAGO – The U.S. Men’s National Team will return to action when it faces Wales on Nov. 12 in Swansea. Kickoff at Liberty Stadium is set for 2:45 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on FS1, UniMás and TUDN.
Due to the current conditions related to the global pandemic, the match will be conducted under the UEFA Return to Play Protocol and be played without fans in the stadium. U.S. Soccer is continuing the effort to secure a second match in Europe during the window.
The match against Wales will be the first for the USMNT on a FIFA fixture date since Nov. 19, 2019, a 4-0 win against Cuba that lifted the USA to a first-place finish in Group A of the Concacaf Nations League and a spot in the Final Four to be played in June next year. This is only the second match for the team in 2020, following a 1-0 shutout of Costa Rica on Feb. 1 in Carson, Calif.
With the match falling on a fixture date, USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter will have the opportunity to call in players based domestically and abroad.
“First and foremost, we are looking forward to getting the group together after such a challenging year,” Berhalter said. “Wales is a quality opponent with high-level players, so it’s a good opportunity to test ourselves. We appreciate all the work by the Football Association of Wales and here at U.S. Soccer to provide this opportunity to compete.”
This will be the USA’s first visit to Wales, who are currently ranked No. 20 in the FIFA World Rankings. The Dragons will be the fourth team in the Top 20 to play the United States during Berhalter’s tenure and the 10th overall in the last two years.
Wales, coached by Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs and led by four-time UEFA Champions League winner Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey – teammate of USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie at Juventus – are currently leading Group 5 in League B of the UEFA Nations League and preparing for matches against the Republic of Ireland (Nov. 15) and Finland (Nov. 18).
The staging of the camp and the match will fall under the comprehensive U.S. Soccer Return to Play Protocols and Guidelines and in line with the UEFA Return to Play Protocols, with stringent oversight by the Football Association of Wales.
The U.S. team and staff will operate inside a controlled environment in a hotel near Cardiff. Everyone entering the controlled environment will undergo multiple COVID-19 tests in advance of traveling, and then will be tested upon arrival and at least every two days during camp. There will be no full team training until the results of all arrival tests are confirmed.
AGAINST WALES
This is only the second meeting between the nations and the first on Welsh soil. The previous encounter took place May 26, 2003, at Spartan Stadium in San Jose, Calif. Landon Donovan and Eddie Lewis put up the goals, goalkeeper Nick Rimando earned a shutout in his first start for the USMNT, and striker Brian Ching made his debut in the 2-0 win, ending a 10-match unbeaten run for the visitors.
COMPETITION COMING UP
The November window is a prelude to three significant competitions in 2020, beginning with the Concacaf Nations League final four. Winners of League A’s Group A, the USMNT takes on Honduras in one semifinal, while Mexico and Costa Rica will square off in the other, with the winners competing for the inaugural Nations League title. The matches are scheduled for the FIFA window in the first week of June, with the venues and times still to be determined.
The following month, the U.S. will compete in the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup in search of its seventh confederation championship title. The USMNT has been drawn into Group A with Canada, Martinique and a third team to be determined through a qualifying tournament. The United States last lifted the trophy in 2017, when Jordan Morris netted the game-winner against Jamaica in the 2-1 victory.
Those games serve as prelude to the start of 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying, which will feature an eight-team final round and commence in Sept. of 2021.
