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USMNT schedules February friendly vs. Jamaica in Chattanooga

Photo by Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports
Photo by Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports

The U.S. Men’s National Team’s first camp of 2017 will end with an unprecedented visit to a city in the south.

U.S. Soccer announced on Tuesday that the U.S. will host Jamaica on Feb. 3 in a friendly at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The match between the two CONCACAF sides will mark the first game that the USMNT has ever played in Chattanooga, and a sell-out crowd of 20,000 fans is expected.

The decision to host this affair against the Reggae Boyz on the artificial turf field in eastern Tennessee comes after NPSL club Chattanooga FC had a record turnout of 18,277 supporters in a championship game in 2015. The U.S. Women’s National Team played Costa Rica at Finley Stadium shortly after that match two years ago in front of a capacity crowd.

“It’s important that fans across the country have an opportunity to see the national team, and we are always looking for places that have shown great support for the sport,” said U.S. head coach Bruce Arena in a statement released by U.S. Soccer. “From what we have seen, everything that’s happened in Chattanooga is remarkable. We’re looking forward to a fantastic atmosphere.”

The Americans will gear up for the next round of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers in March with its first camp under the recently-appointed Arena, who replaced Jurgen Klinsmann in late November. The annual winter camp also includes a friendly against Serbia at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, on Jan. 29.

Arena will announce the full roster for the camp later this week.

Comments

  1. I am from and live in Chattanooga. I will be attending. Glad we fiannly got a match. Wonder if it will be mostly Ms players or a mix of all three euro mls and mex.

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    • It will be all MLS as it is not in an international window and Euro clubs and Liga Mx are in season. Gatt might be available since Molde doesn’t start league season until April, but I believe they start club preseason at the end of January so probably not. Lower euro division guys might be available, but it doesn’t sound like Arena has much interest in them. Enjoy the match it should be a good one.

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  2. Like the opponents we picked out for these games, a european opponent for the first time in awhile and then a concacaf opponent to get us ready for the rest of the hex. Maybe could have been tougher opponents but I’m good with them

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    • Keep in mind most of Serbia’s regulars won’t be there because its not an international window. It will be mostly from their domestic league which will be on break. Jamaica should have most of their regulars minus Wes Morgan and a couple others who play in England.

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      • Yeah but that would be the same story if we played iceland, norway, sweden, etc.. just nice playing the european teams 3 or 4 times a year to kinda get away from the latin or Caribbean teams we play constantly

      • Yes, playing different styles is certainly a good thing. We haven’t played S.Korea or Japan for awhile, feels like we used to play them somewhat regularly, but maybe I have a bad memory.

  3. Thought it would be Iceland since they are in Vegas that week to play Mexico. Not many national teams available at that time of year as most leagues are playing. Even if it had been Iceland again it would have been their domestic league players.

    I’m ok for turf for a friendly, according to wikipedia they put down new turf in 2015 so it should be in good shape and it doesn’t have permanent football lines so it should look fine as well

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    • Told you it wasn’t the norm around this time if year but it could be done. If the country wants to play that’s all that matters.

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      • Reread my comments it has to be someone who is on break. The JPL ends the weekend before and since most of its NT play in MLS or Jamaica they are available. You were calling for friendlies with England or Italy.

      • No, go over your post again. You were arguing about the international window and the end of the top leagues overseas, I was talking about playing friendlies against better opposition before our next meaningful competition.

      • Here’s part of your comment

        “So, February / March would definitely be a good time for friendlies (if Ecuador and Peru can’t make it or are not available, then we “walk into the valley of the shadow of death” with a fine tuned England or Italy lol), and no, they will not be bringing their B or C teams because some of these countries are putting together their National teams also for major competition”

        Yes, the game with Jamaica is in February as it is the end of the week of Jan. 29th (the end of camp). The Jamaican League ends on Saturday the 28th so their league is on break making those players and their MLS players available, hence they can send an A squad. Ecuador, Peru, Italy and England would not be able to send an A squad on Feb. 3 or any other date in February or March because those club teams would not release their players, Italy and England wouldn’t even be able to field a D or E squad, they would have to field a team of nationals playing in the US and I’m not sure they’d have enough for a squad. Spurs isn’t going to release Harry Kane for a friendly match against the US when they don’t have to. For that matter MLS preseason friendlies begin starting Feb.3 so the US wouldn’t be able to field a team either.

        You had called for friendlies against Top 15 Ranked opponents, Jamaica is ranked 77th.

        http://sbisoccer.com/2016/12/usmnt-set-to-open-2017-slate-with-friendly-against-serbia

  4. Count me as someone who was relieved that Arena was brought in as a steady hand to (hopefully) get USMNT through WC qualifying. But these 2 opponents are pretty weak. And now we’re finding out that they will be playing this game on turf…? Pretty disappointing.

    Reply

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