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USA Heads to Havana for Historic Friendly against Cuba

October 7, 2016 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) News Release


CHICAGO- The U.S. Men's National Team gears up for the final round of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup with an historic friendly at Cuba on Friday at Estadio Pedro Marrero in Havana. Kicking off at 4 p.m. ET, the match can be seen live on ESPN2 and UniMas.

Having locked down a place in the Hex last month, the MNT begins its preparations with its first friendly match in Cuba since 1947, a 5-2 victory for Cuba that represents the only win for the host in the all-time series. Most recently, the USA visited Cuba in a semifinal round World Cup Qualifying match on Sept. 6, 2008, a 1-0 win also at Estadio Pedro Marrero.

The U.S. holds a 9-1-1 all-time advantage against Cuba and is currently in the midst of a nine-game winning streak against Los Leones del Caribe. Most recently, the MNT defeated Cuba 6-0 in the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup Quarterfinals on July 18, 2015 in Baltimore, Md.

COMPETITION HEATS UP AHEAD OF THE HEX

With the depth chart filling up in positions all over the field, competition will be fierce for the coveted 23 spots on the roster for the huge opening game of the Hex against rivals Mexico and the away trip to the venomous confines of Estadio Nacional in Costa Rica. While there are a host of regulars in the squad, there are a number of players looking to "make their case" for inclusion in November.

Coming off a two-and-a-half year absence from the National Team, Sacha Kljestan rose to the occasion upon his recall last month, tallying two goals and two assists in World Cup Qualifying matches vs. St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad & Tobago. MNT head coach Jurgen Klinsmann said this week he hoped some of the players recalled for this camp would follow Kljestan's example over the next two matches, while the veteran U.S. midfielder admitted he's hoping to use games against Cuba and New Zealand as an audition for a starting XI spot when the Hex opens next month.

GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY IN GOAL

Klinsmann has opened up a rare window of opportunity for the next generation of goalkeepers this week, standing down veterans Brad Guzan and Tim Howard while bringing in David Bingham, Ethan Horvath and William Yarbrough. The trio have a combined three caps to their credit, with Horvath still in search of his first appearance with the Senior Team.

"I think the goalkeeper position is unique. Obviously we have the two experienced guys with

Tim Howard and Brad Guzan. Both are in different situations right now - Tim is obviously very busy with the Colorado Rapids and Brad is not getting the opportunity to play at Middlesbrough. I think it's a perfect time to give an open window to three younger goalkeepers with William Yarbrough, Ethan Horvath and David Bingham. That's why we decided to leave the two older guys out and give these three youngsters a chance to prove their point. That kind of opportunity is very rare."

HISTORIC IN HAVANA

While the teams have played each other 11 times in their history - with the U.S. holding a record of 9-1-1 against the Cubans - visits to the island are exceedingly rare. In fact, this is only the third time they have met on Cuban soil. The first also happened to be the first game in the series and represented the lone victory in the lifetime series for the hosts, a 5-2 win on July 20, 1947, in Havana. Most recently, a 40th minute goal by Clint Dempsey proved the difference as the MNT collected a 1-0 win on Sept. 6, 2008, and its third straight road victory in the Semifinal Round of qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

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