The U.S. Men’s National Team will open their 2019 schedule with a friendly against regional foe Panama on Sunday, Jan. 27 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The contest will also serve as new head coach Gregg Berhalter’s first game at the helm of the MNT. D.C. United USMNT prospects Paul Arriola, Russell Canouse, and Bill Hamid will be striving to earn call-ups for the first National Team competition of 2019.
USA v. Panama will be televised on ESPN2 and Univision Networks at 8 PM ET. Tickets for the match will go on sale to the public Wednesday, Dec. 19, at 10 AM MT through ussoccer.com and by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Groups of 20 or more can order directly at ussoccer.com.
With the USMNT already set to face Costa Rica on Friday, Feb. 2 at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, Calif., the Jan. 27 match will open the MNT’s two-game slate during their annual January Camp as the USA begins their preparation for the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup this summer and Concacaf Nations League play in the fall. The camp will begin Jan. 7 at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.
The match will be the MNT’s fifth at State Farm Stadium, where they hold a 2-1-1 record. The stadium has previously hosted two USA-Mexico rivalry clashes, with the MNT earning a 2-0 win against El Trí on Feb. 7, 2007, before playing to a 2-2 draw on April 2, 2014. The USA’s last appearance in the venue came against Colombia in the Third-Place Match of the Copa America Centenario when they fell 1-0 on June 25, 2016.
The match will mark the 20th meeting between the United States and Panama, with the MNT holding a healthy 12-1-6 all-time advantage in the series. In the most recent meeting, the USA defeated Los Canaleros 4-0 in Final Round World Cup Qualifying on Oct. 6, 2017 in Orlando, Fla.
