United’s 20,000-seat stadium was the popular venue for the primary match, which can be carried by Fox’s nationwide TV community. But in accordance to folks shut to the scenario, the perimeters couldn’t agree on monetary phrases.
With the sport dates approaching, the USSF turned to a dependable companion, Columbus, a metropolis the place many males’s and girls’s matches have been staged during the last 20 years.
Neither the USSF nor United needed to touch upon the talks.
The U.S. ladies’s squad has but to seem at Audi Field, which opened in July 2018, and hasn’t performed in Washington since March 2017 in opposition to France at RFK Stadium.
The males’s crew has performed there twice: a pleasant in June 2019 in opposition to Jamaica and a Nations League recreation in October 2019 in opposition to Cuba.
The ladies’s matches in April are a part of preparations for the Concacaf W Championship in July in Monterrey, Mexico, an eight-team match that may resolve berths within the 2023 World Cup and 2024 Olympics.
Uzbekistan does not present a lot competitors, however as a result of many international locations are locked into World Cup qualifiers in the course of the April window, the USSF did not have a number of choices.
A great Asian crew made a tentative dedication to play, then withdrew from consideration due to pandemic journey points, two folks conversant in the talks stated.
Uzbekistan has by no means certified for the World Cup or Olympics and hasn’t performed within the Asian Cup since 2003. Last month at the Turkish Women’s Cup, it defeated No. 102 Lithuania, 1-0, misplaced to No. 35 Ukraine, 2-0, and tied No. 52 Venezuela, 0-0.
The video games in opposition to Uzbekistan proceed a pattern of unfancied U.S. opponents. At the SheBelieves Cup final month, the United States settled for a 0-0 draw with No. 24 Czech Republic, earlier than routing No. 22 New Zealand and No. 16 Iceland, each 5-0.
Since the Olympics, the Americans may have performed solely two of 11 matches in opposition to a significant opponent (Australia twice in November). They’ve by no means earlier than confronted Uzbekistan.
The USSF is within the means of lining up two house friendlies within the June 20-28 FIFA window, the ultimate exams earlier than the W Championship.