USA vs. Ukraine friendly cancelled

The United States men's national team will not be playing their scheduled friendly this Wednesday. Due to the ongoing protests and political unrest in Ukraine, the Ukranian national team has opted to cancel the game.

Originally, the match was scheduled to be played in Kiev, but it was moved to Cyprus after protests in the Ukranian capital turned violent. Anatoliy Konkov, president of the Ukranian FA, spoke to television outlet ICTV about the decision on Monday. English translation is via Reuters.

"We cannot hold the national championship so what kind of football can we talk of at all? If we do not have an opportunity to play on home soil, why shall we go to Cyprus in those troubled times for your country? We play for our people and country. Our team do not fly to Cyprus and stay at home."

There were grumblings that the friendly could be cancelled after a referee's car was attacked in Cyprus over the weekend, but that incident does not appear to have had any influence on the decision to not play Wednesday's game.

With so little time to schedule another game, the United States will be without an opponent during this international date. U.S. Soccer is yet to issue any statement about the friendly, but players are already in Frankfurt for the training camp that was planned ahead of the friendly and it is assumed that it will continue.