Philadelphia-area soccer fans are in for a treat at the end of the month.
Ghana and Chile will play an international friendly at PPL Park on Feb. 29, the Philadelphia Union announced on Friday. First kick is slated for 7 p.m.
The 29th, the same day as the U.S. men's national team friendly against Italy, is a FIFA fixture date, so all first-choice players should be made available. Rosters were not included in the announcement and no mention of the friendly is made yet on the websites of either the Ghanaian or Chilean federations.
Ghana is coming off its disappointment at the African Cup of Nations, when it was eliminated in the semifinals by eventual champion Zambia. The Black Stars are currently ranked 23rd in the world in the latest FIFA rankings, while Chile comes in at No. 12. Both made it to the group stage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and feature world-class talents along the lines of Ghana's Michael Essien and Asamoah Gyan and Chile's Alexis Sanchez and Humberto Suazo.
Excited about the friendly? Planning to attend?
Share your thoughts below.
isaf, there are many stable, safe and thriving countries on the African continent. You’ve just never heard of them because good news doesn’t sell.
Chester is reminiscent of the slums of Accra, Ghana.
do you know where philadelphia is?
Climate Change means that weather is unpredictable anywhere…even Philly.
Obviously, they cannot play on the same date, but a week after or a week before would work fine. Field the B team if it is necessary.
You want them to play these teams when? The USMNT plays the same day in Italy.
the issue isn’t exactly that we weren’t picked, it was why we weren’t picked.
Not sure how we get shafted from hosting the World Cup. We had it in 1994. There’s been four since then and 3 more sites announced. As far as I know there’s around 200 countries in the world. United States isn’t entitled just because Americans are starting to like soccer. People in many countries save many years in advance to travel to the World Cup. Americans can decide the same year and still afford to go. So don’t feel too neglected.
There’s only one rea$on.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea for the USSF to schedule friendlies against these teams since they are already here. Both are quality opponents.
I got an email from someone in Nigeria that said if I send $10,000 that they would schedule a friendly in DC.
I like that many teams are coming to play in the States as oppose to Englan, Spain etc. Shows we have good stadiums and soccer continues to grow here.
too much sex = injuries for boateng
+1 The Ghanaian national team orchestrated 9/11
National teams from all over the world come to the US to play friendlies, and yet we continually get shafted out of hosting the World Cup.
Lots of Ghanaians in the DC area. Don’t really know of too many around Philadelphia but it’s not too far to drive.
The film was made in conjunction with the U.S. Navy.
good point. considering their country is 1 of the most stable and economic and democratic places in Africa, they should play more at home
O/T but that film ACT OF VALOR, they have real Navy Seals in it right? But don’t they need govt permission for that
Does Ghana ever play friendlies at home? They seem to be neutral site kings.
it’s all about Halliburton dude which ties into global warming.
how come we can’t schedule a friendly against Ghana or Nigeria or Cameroon on the East Coast? It would be a sell out especially Ghana. They knocked us out of 2 world cups. thats called a rivalry. why not grow it?
Excited until I saw the ticket prices.
Yes he did and given his fitness issues Essien should too not that he has been called in recently right?
Didn’t Kevin-Prince Boateng already retire from playing for Ghana?
Why are they playing in Philadelphia?