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USA-Argentina officially set for June 8 at Giants Stadium

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U.S. Soccer (finally) made the official announcement that the U.S. men’s national team will face Argentina at Giants Stadium on June 8. As SBI reported on March 5, the two sides have agreed to a rematch of last summer’s Copa America match (which Argentina won, 4-1, against what amounted to a U.S. B team). Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and the match will be aired on ESPN Classic and Galavision.

The friendly will come just 11 days after the USA faces England at Wembley Stadium, just four days after the United States is set to face Spain in Santander on June 4,  and a week before the U.S. team’s World Cup qualifier against Barbados at Home Depot Center on June 15.

The match will be the first played by the U.S. team against Argentina on American soil since Argentina beat the Americans, 1-0, in Miami on Feb. 8, 2003. The U.S. team lost to Argentina, 4-1, in last summer’s Copa America in Venezuela.

Argentina is 6-2 against the Americans, though the teams have split the past four meetings. The U.S. team last beat the South Americans in 1999, when Joe-Max Moore scored an 88th-minute goal to help the Americans post a 1-0 victory at RFK Stadium. Before that, the United States beat Argentina in the 1995 Copa America, 3-0.

One difference between the June match and previous installments of the series is the likelihood that both teams will be featuring full-strength squads. Argentina is set to face Ecuador in World Cup qualifying on June 14, with a showdown against Brazil on June 18. The Americans will also have a World Cup qualifying match a week later so it should also field its first-choice starting lineup.

The match is the latest for the U.S. national team against top competition. It will actually be the fifth match by the U.S. national team against a Top 10 team since 2007 (Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Spain).

What do you think of the match-up? Are you excited to see the Americans put its first team against a top squad like Argentina? Are you happy to see the U.S. national team return to Giants Stadium against such a tough opponent? Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I am happy to finally have the USMNT playing in a stadium that is accessible to me! (Phila) … against some very high quality opposition, no less… Hopefully we Americans will numbr more than 12

    Reply

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