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.