Top Stories

Report: USMNT set for summer friendlies against Venezuela, Ghana

Photo by Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today Sports

The U.S. Men’s National Team has reportedly lined up a pair of competitive friendlies for the summer.

ESPN reported Friday that the U.S. will take on Venezuela on June 3 before facing off with World Cup nemesis Ghana on July 1. The match against Venezuela, which comes five days ahead of a vital World Cup qualifier against Trinidad & Tobago, is set for Rio Tinto Stadium, home of Real Salt Lake. The Ghana match, meanwhile, will be played at Rentschler Stadium in East Hartford just before the start of the Gold Cup.

Venezuela, who was recently eliminated from World Cup 2018 contention, is currently ranked 58th in the world. The South American side hasn’t played the U.S. since 2012: a 1-0 USMNT win in Glendale, Arizona.

Ghana, meanwhile, is much more familiar. The USMNT has come up against the Black Stars in each of the last three World Cups, with the most recent meeting being a USMNT win in the group stages of the 2014 tournament. The African nation is currently ranked 45th in the FIFA rankings.

Following the June match against Venezuela, the U.S. will take on T&T before heading to Mexico for the next set of World Cup qualifiers.

Comments

  1. While these may not be top shelf friendlies they are decent opponents. At least we’re not playing Cuba, Barbados, or their like.
    The 6/3 game is basically a transition game. Giving our players a chance to gradually adjust to playing at increasing altitudes (Salt Lake, Colorado, Mexico City). It’ll allow Bruce to see and test the players he hasn’t had a chance to work with yet…Fabian, Wood, Yedlin, etc…. in order to hopefully pick up another 4 points towards qualification.
    The 7/1 game is actually a decent opponent. We rarely play African nations…and Ghana is one of that federations better sides. Considering how often we seem to draw Ghana in the WC this could be a good chance to really evaluate young players without risking qualification points.
    Hopefully Bruce will go with a young squad….Gooch, Green, Hyndman, Horvath, Miazga, etc…
    The team needs to get these guys integrated in if we’re going to move on from the average players like Zusi & Bedoy.

    Reply
    • Game one against Venezuela is right at the conclusion of the European season, and a few days before playing two qualifiers in four days. European countries aren’t going to travel to the US for a friendly at that time before their qualifiers and the US isn’t going there with there impending matches with TnT and Mexico. Its a travel and fitness thing.

      Ghana, in July the European players will be on holiday before their club teams call them back in the middle of July, any squad from Europe at this time would be fringe players. Don’t expect to see an A team from the US for this or the Gold Cup. I would doubt you will see any Euro based players for the US play both the June qualifiers and the GC, at least not all rounds of the GC.

      And Bruce always seems to prefer these matches over matches against top 15 competition.

      Reply
      • I know we went retro with hiring Bruce Arena, but I didn’t think that our fans would also revert to a retro-inferior mentality.

Leave a Comment