USMNT set for World Cup qualifying tune-up in Utah vs. Venezuela
We now know the next stop for the United States on their road to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The USMNT will host a tune-up for World Cup qualifying on June 3 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah when the USMNT will face Venezuela (10 p.m. ET, FS1), U.S. Soccer announced Monday.
The match will serve as a crucial warm-up before the USMNT embarks on back-to-back World Cup qualifiers in the following week. The USMNT hosts Trinidad & Tobago in Colorado on June 8 as World Cup qualifying resumes, and then go to Mexico on June 11.
Venezuela represents an opponent that should offer a decent enough test, but still be beatable. The USMNT is 3-0-1 in the head-to-head series and being able to enter their two June qualifiers with the confidence of a win over Venezuela would be a good boost. Venezuela is ranked 58 in the world as of FIFA's latest rankings while the USMNT is ranked 23.
Real Salt Lake's home stadium has also historically been a comfortable place for the USMNT to play. They won all three of their previous matches there, including a pair of wins in World Cup qualifying.
The USMNT heads into their June qualifiers in fourth place of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying table. Trinidad & Tobago are in last place and the USMNT will be looking for three points there. El Tri sit atop the table and going to Mexico and getting points will be tough for the USMNT, but they are also still trying to rebound from their two opening losses under ousted coach Jurgen Klinsmann that put them in a hole.
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