Top Stories

Report: USMNT lining up September friendly vs. Colombia in San Antonio

Clint Dempsey

Photo by ISIPhotos.com

By DAN KARELL

The U.S. Men’s National Team could be playing their first home game following the World Cup against one of the tournament’s most exciting teams.

According to a report in San Antonio, the USMNT are set to face Colombia in a friendly match on Sept. 9 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The match, which falls on an official FIFA date, would be the USMNT’s second since the World Cup following an already announced friendly match at the Czech Republic on Sept. 3, but first match at home since June.

If true, stars such as James Rodriguez for Colombia and Nacogdoches, Texas native Clint Dempsey could grace the field against one another in the 65,000 seat-capacity Alamodome. U.S. Soccer has yet to issue a formal announcement about the friendly match but the report states that one is expected on Thursday.

The stadium hosted a San Antonio-record crowd of 54,313 for Mexico’s 4-0 friendly win over South Korea.

Colombia, ranked fourth in FIFA’s World Rankings, became the neutral’s favorites during their impressive five-match run to the quarterfinals, the farthest they’ve ever gone in their World Cup history. In addition to Rodriguez, Colombia features Juan Cuadrado, Fredy Guarin, and still recovering forward Radamel Falcao.

Prior reports has the U.S. working on a friendly match against Ecuador in October and another match against the Republic of Ireland in November, though neither friendly has been officially confirmed by U.S. Soccer.

——

What do you think of this report? Would you like to see the U.S. face Colombia? Think that the U.S. can defeat them at full strength?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. The Alamodome has just told me that the game has been confirmed for Sep 9th, But they’re waiting on the Promotions department for ticket sales. So mark your calendars! and get you’re colors ready!

    Reply
  2. There will be plenty of empty seats. The USA is no Mexico when it comes to drawing large crowds. No more than 20,000. They need to start selling tickets ASAP!

    Reply
    • SA had 20k fans for the USA’s women’s team vs Australia! The men’s squad should double that easily…even on a Tuesday, and vs Colombia?? Could be a huge turnout and I disagree that there are enough Colombians here to outnumber the US. 23k made it to Brasil, myself included. I’m there. Only 30 miles away!!

      Reply
  3. Being a Colombian native and living in San Antonio, I can guarantee that the Alamodome will be sold out within a week if this match is officially confirmed. I can also guarantee that more than half of the fans in attendance will be Colombians!!

    Reply
    • I didn’t know San Antonio – a great city to visit – had a large Colombian population. That is good news for the USSF coffers and for a large turnout.

      Reply
      • Not just San Antonio, but the greater masses from Houston and Dallas will pack the place. Believe me if word gets out that this game is official the Alamodome will not be red,white and blue(with all due respect)…it will be yellow, blue and red!!!

  4. This is a good friendly match based on the World Cup. A good challenge against a currently better ranked squad who went out at the same level as the US. This is the caliber of friendly game I would like to see for a couple years, then once WC qualifying starts, schedule some minnows to get some confidence heading into the Hex! On to Moscow! or St. Petersburg! or

    Reply
  5. so happy… more more games.. bring in a majority under 23 team for all 4 friendlies… or at least make sure Alejandro bedoya never ever puts on a us uniform ever again.

    Reply
  6. this would be awesome! would have top consider flying down there to see James play in person if he is included on their team

    Reply
    • I can’t see Colombia bringing its big guns to friendly in the US in September following the World Cup. I imagine that Real Madrid will nicely ask to leave James out of the squad.

      Reply
      • If it’s an official FIFA date (which this game falls on) the club team has no choice but to let player go for the game, only the player can opt out of the friendly match.

      • sure – but how often does Gareth Bale get injured before an international friendly . . perhaps a poor example, but similar to my chain of thought

    • I agree, seeing James play live has become a dream of mine.”Laid” is timeless although I have no idea what it is about

      Reply
      • haha, I see what you did there. one can only hope the teams dress up in women’s clothes/mess around with gender roles

  7. So let’s say 7,000 from the Dfw area, 5,000 from Austin, 5,000 from Houston, 1,000 from El Paso, 1,000 Colombians , 14, 000 from San Antonio .
    That equals, about 37,000 fans.
    I say they get 40 thousand max. They should have made this game at Austin and it would have been crazy atmosphere.

    Reply
      • the sad part it won’t be a pro usa crowd, it will be a colombian crowd 🙁
        i also forgot a lot of colombians live in houston, dfw.

      • I disagree. There are a lot of Colombian’s in SA too, as you can see their NT jerseys everywhere at Scorpions games. However, so soon after the World Cup, and with all the traction the USMNT team is gaining, I could see this game being similar to the Mexico friendly in terms of attendance, with slightly more USMNT fans. I think their could fairly easily be 30k US fans, if they do a good marketing job.

  8. If its MLS/Liga MX heavy, maybe Donavan gets a call?? lol

    Gotta think Colombia likewise brings their domestic players to Texas.

    Reply
  9. No a fan of the split squad, two continent in a week idea but i am a fan of the USMNT playing Colombia! Game in San Antonio is cool too!

    Reply
  10. Im assuming this will be a turf game, does anyone how the field was for mexico game? This could make for a festive atmosphere on the river walk.

    Reply
    • Grass 🙂
      I predict 35,000 heads. If San Anton wants MLS, get 40 thousand in the dome.
      As a matter of fact, why didn’t scorpions make a soccer stadium downtown. I heard they want a baseball stadium downtown like El Paso now.
      Heck, if Austin and elpaso get a soccer stadium downtown, that would suck for San Anton.
      Hopefully the national teams of Mexico and USA could come to El Paso one day, Mexico team is a big thing here in El Paso and USA wouldn’t fall that behind.

      Reply
  11. Wow that’s sporting playing in Eastern Europe and then returning to play Columbia in the USA within a week period….two tough matches….

    Hopefully we see the start of the youth movement in these games….no point in putting it off…..

    Reply
    • I would bet that we see two almost completely different squads for
      each match, with a couple possible holdovers.

      Euro based for Czechs and an MLS heavy/exclusive roster for Colombia.
      Too taxing to bring any European based players for one friendly at the beginning of their seasons, and same MLS based players to go over for one game at height of their season.

      Reply

Leave a Comment