US-Ukraine soccer on March 5 moved to Cyprus

Published Feb. 25, 2014 3:22 p.m. ET

foxsports

CHICAGO (AP) The United States' exhibition game against Ukraine next week has been moved from Kharkiv to Cyprus following weeks of violence in the Eastern European nation.

The U.S. Soccer Federation announced the change in venue Tuesday. The March 5 match is the only game before the start of the Americans' pre-World Cup training camp in mid-May in which the full player pool is available.

No. 18, Ukraine is the highest-ranked team that failed to qualify for the World Cup. In three previous meetings, all in the early 1990s, Ukraine beat the U.S. twice and tied once.

The U.S., ranked 13th, hosts Mexico on April 2 at Glendale, Ariz., with a roster of players mostly from Major League Soccer. The Americans are planning home exhibitions on May 27, June 1 and June 7 before leaving for Brazil, where they play Ghana, Portugal and Germany in the first round.