USMNT to play World Cup Qualifier in Columbus vs. Guatemala in March
CHICAGO (Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Men’s National Team will return to MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, to play its second home match of 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifying on March 29 against Guatemala.
The match will be televised live on ESPN2 and UniMas.
Home of Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew SC, few venues have provided as much of a home-field advantage as MAPFRE Stadium. Since first opening in 1999, the MNT has gone 7-0-3 all-time and 6-0-2 in eight World Cup Qualifying matches at the venue. Most notably, the site has played host to four straight World Cup Qualifiers against Mexico, each finishing with the famous “Dos a Cero” score line.
The match will occur four days after the U.S. plays their third game of the Semifinal Round against Guatemala at Estadio Mateo Flores in Guatemala City. The U.S. is 15-4-6 all-time against Guatemala, with a 13-0-1 record on home soil and 7-0-5 mark against the Chapines in World Cup Qualifiers. The U.S. will enter the match with a 25-game unbeaten streak against Guatemala dating back to 1988, which is the longest run the MNT currently has against any opponent worldwide.
The U.S. began the six-match Semifinal Round of 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifying with a 6-1 victory against St. Vincent & the Grenadines on Nov. 13 in St. Louis, followed by a 0-0 draw at Trinidad & Tobago in Port of Spain on Nov. 17.
