USA vs. Venezuela: Date, Time, Live Stream and TV Schedule for 2017 Friendly
The United States men's national team will continue their preparations for FIFA World Cup qualifying with a friendly match against Venezuela at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, on Saturday.
For manager Bruce Arena, the match will be a chance to run the rule over his 27-man squad ahead of a pair of vital matches in the CONCACAF Hexagonal. The USMNT host Trinidad and Tobago on June 8 before a massive showdown with rivals Mexico in Mexico City on June 11.
The clash with the South American outfit with give players called up a chance to stake their claim for a starting spot. After all, Venezuela have been in rotten form as of late, sitting at the bottom of their CONMEBOL qualifying group.
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Here are the key details on where to catch the action and a look forward to what will be an important runout for the USMNT players ahead of two crucial matches.
Date: Saturday, June 3
Time: 10 p.m. (BST), 3 a.m. (ET, June 4)
TV Info: Fox Sports (U.S.)
Live Stream Info: Fox Soccer 2GO (U.S.)
Preview
After a torrid beginning to their Hexagonal qualifying—including a desperate 4-0 loss to Costa Rica—the United States have rediscovered some form as of late under Arena.
A 6-0 win over Honduras in March was enough to lift spirits, before the USMNT earned a creditable draw away at Panama. However, they still sit in fourth spot in the table, and that'd only be good enough for a playoff place, not automatic qualification.
The upcoming matches will provide a clear insight into just how far this team has come under Arena. Although the manager himself was keen to stress he's still in the infancy of his tenure when the squad was announced.
"I'm still in the early goings with this team, and I haven't seen all of our players, so this camp gives me the opportunity to see six new faces we haven't had in with the team yet, which is valuable," he told the team's official website. "It's also great that we're able to bring back 21 players that have been in with our program already in 2017."
One of the players Arena will be banking on to help the USMNT qualify for next year's showpiece in Russia will be Christian Pulisic.
As we can see here courtesy of ESPN's Paul Carr, the Borussia Dortmund man has enjoyed quite the campaign:
Despite his tender years, the 18-year-old is already so important to the way the United States operate.
In the matches against Honduras and Panama, he sought to get the team playing in the final third. Pulisic is so intelligent in finding space, has wonderful balance on the ball and is becoming more at ease with the pressure of being the team's star man.
All eyes will be on centre-back John Brooks, too, as he recently became the costliest American player in history, completing a €20 million (£17.5 million) move from Hertha Berlin to Wolfsburg,
Per OptaFranz, the centre-back has been a consistent operator at the base of the Hertha and United States sides down the years:
It's unlikely Arena will play his full-strength XI in this one, especially with the team set to play three games in the space of a week. It means there will be a chance for some fringe players to impress before the matches with Trinidad and Tobago and Mexico.
The opportunity is one they should cherish, as Venezuela have not been in particularly strong form as of late, winning just one of their last 10 games. With some of the Vinotinto's young stars also away at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup, it's tough to see them improving that miserable run here.
Prediction: United States 2-0 Venezuela
