CHICAGO (Feb. 15, 2012) – The U.S. Men’s National Team returns to Jacksonville for the start of its critical summer campaign when they face Scotland on May 26 at EverBank Field. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET.
The match will be shown live on the NBC Sports Network in the channel’s debut broadcast of a U.S. National Team game, as well as the Univision family of networks. Fans can follow the match live on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and via Twitter @ussoccer.
Ticket information will be announced in the near future. To find out when tickets will go on sale, join U.S. Soccer’s ticket alert email list. For the opportunity to purchase tickets for the Scotland game before the general public, join the U.S. Soccer Supporters Club and earn priority access to the ticket presale.
“Jacksonville has an amazing facility and is the perfect place for us to begin our important summer schedule,” said U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann. “We are excited to bring the U.S. National Team back to a part of the country we haven’t visited in many years. It’s fantastic that we can continue to give fans in different parts of the country the chance to share in the journey.”
Jacksonville will host a U.S. Men’s National Team for the first time since Feb. 6, 1999, when the USA recorded a massive upset of defending European Champion Germany with a 3-0 victory.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for Jacksonville to host some of the world’s top athletes in a match that will attract global attention. Jacksonville has the staff, experience and facilities to make this a fun, fan-friendly, family event for people of all ages,” said Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown. “I encourage fans to fill EverBank Field and enjoy Jacksonville’s Downtown on game day.”
The U.S. has played Scotland six times in their history, holding a lifetime record of 1-3-2 in a series dating back to 1949. The teams last met on U.S. soil in the USA’s final preparation match before the 1998 FIFA World Cup, playing to a scoreless draw on May 30, 1998, in Washington, D.C. The Tartan Army narrowly missed out on qualifying for the 2012 European Championship from a group that included defending FIFA World Cup champion Spain.
Scotland’s strike force includes Kris Boyd, the all-time leading goalscorer in the Scottish Premier League who recently signed with the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer.
The United States will kick off the effort to qualify for its seventh-consecutive FIFA World Cup when they host Antigua and Barbuda on June 8 at Raymond James Stadium. The semifinal round opener begins at 7 p.m. ET live on ESPN, ESPN3 and the Univision family of networks.
Along with these two teams, Group A is comprised of Guatemala and Jamaica. The top teams from each of three groups will advance to the final round of qualifying, which will take place in 2013. Three teams will automatically qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, while the fourth place team will play in a two-leg playoff against the winner of the Oceania region.
Following the match against Scotland, the U.S. continues its competition against the world’s top teams when they host five-time World Cup champions Brazil on Wednesday, May 30 in Landover, Md. Kickoff for the USA’s first ever match at FedExField is set for 8 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2, ESPN3 and Univision. Fans can also follow the match live online via ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and Twitter @ussoccer.
For the last game before the start of World Cup qualifying, the United States will make a rare visit to Canada when it renews the rivalry June 3 at BMO Field in Toronto. Kickoff for the USA’s first match on Canadian soil since 1997 is set for 7 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network. Fans can also follow the match live online via ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and Twitter @ussoccer.
