By IVES GALARCEP
The U.S. Men’s National Team kept holding out hope against the seemingly inevitable, but the political strife in Ukraine has apparently proved too much to overcome in the U.S. team’s quest to play Wednesday’s scheduled friendly against Ukraine.
The friendly has been canceled, according to reports citing comments from Ukrainian Federation president Anatoliy Konkov.
“We cannot hold the national championship so what kind of football can we talk of at all,” Konkov told a local TV station in Ukraine. “If we do not have an opportunity to play on home soil, why shall we go to Cyprus in those troubled times for your country? We play for our people and country. Our team do not fly to Cyprus and stay at home.”
U.S. Soccer issued the following statement on Monday evening:
“The Football Federation of Ukraine confirmed that their team will travel to Cyprus and the match will proceed as scheduled.”
U.S. Soccer has yet to confirm the reports. If true, the USMNT will be hard-pressed to find a new opponent on two day’s notice. The best bet at this point, if the Ukraine match is indeed canceled, will likely be to try and schedule a scrimmage against a European club team. At worst, the U.S. team could stay together through Wednesday and hold an extra day of training sessions.
What do you think of this development? Think a cancellation was inevitable? What would you do at this point if you were Klinsmann?
Share your thoughts below.