Americans' Game in England Set

Will Face Brits in Preperation of WC Qualifying

March 20, 2008

The Americans will travel to England for the first time since 1994 to meet the 11th ranked England National Team on May 28 in London. Kickoff at the new, 90,000-seat Wembley Stadium is set for 8 p.m. local time (3 p.m. ET), and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN Classic and Univision.

The US men's soccer team will face England and possibly David Beckham this May.(CHRIS ADUAMA/aduama.com)

The ninth meeting between the nations will serve as preparation for both teams as they gear up for the start of qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

"We have consistently said that one of our goals is to play matches against good opponents and in environments that will really challenge our team,” said U.S. head coach Bob Bradley. “In addition to the quality of the English team, the tradition and passion for the sport in that country, the media focus, and the intensity of the fans all combine to make this a fantastic opportunity for our group. We are very pleased with the schedule we have put together to help us prepare for World Cup qualifying.”

With previously announced matches against Poland on March 26 and Spain on June 4, the meeting with England will provide the U.S. with an impressive three games on European soil in preparation for World Cup qualifying.

The U.S. and England last met on British soil at the original Wembley Stadium in London on Sept. 7, 1994, with the Three Lions earning a 2-0 victory. One year before, the USA posted a matching 2-0 score at Foxboro Stadium as part of the build up to the 1994 FIFA World Cup. The most memorable meeting between the teams occurred 58 years ago at the 1950 FIFA World Cup. In that match, the United States provided one of the sport’s biggest all-time upsets with a 1-0 win in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

England holds a 6-2-0 lifetime advantage in the series that dates back to 1950. The teams last played on May 28, 2005, in Chicago where Clint Dempsey’s first international goal wasn’t enough to cancel out the pair from Kieran Richardson as England hung on for a 2-1 win before 47,637 fans at Soldier Field.