The United States will start its World Cup send-off tour by playing
the Czech Republic at Rentschler Field in East Hartford,
Connecticut, on May 25.
The site of the match was announced Wednesday by U.S. Soccer
Federation. The U.S. has played at Rentschler Field twice
previously, defeating Trinidad and Tobago 1-0 in a World Cup
qualifier in August 2005 and beating Latvia 1-0 in its final warmup
before the 2006 World Cup.
The Americans play Turkey at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial
Field on May 29 before leaving for South Africa. They also might
play fellow World Cup qualifier Australia in a friendly on June 5
in Johannesburg.
Making its sixth straight World Cup appearance, the U.S.
opens June 12 against England, plays Slovenia six days later and
completes the first round against Algeria on June 23.
In addition to playing the U.S., the Czechs meet Turkey on
May 22 in the first match between national teams at Red Bull Arena
in Harrison, New Jersey.
At the 2006 World Cup in Germany, the Czechs outplayed the
Americans in the tournament opener for both teams, winning 3-0. In
1990, Czechoslovakia routed the U.S. 5-1 in the Americans' return
to the World Cup following a 40-year absence.
The Czech Republic failed to advance to the 32-nation field
for this year's World Cup in South Africa, finishing behind
Slovakia and Slovenia in its European qualifying group.
