USMNT to play Jamaica World Cup qualifier in Austin

U.S. Soccer announced this evening that the United States Men’s National Team will host Jamaica at Q2 Stadium in Austin for a World Cup qualifier on October 7th. The match at Austin FC’s new home will be the second home match in World Cup qualifying for the USMNT. Kickoff is set for 7:30pm ET and the match will be broadcast on the ESPN and Univision family of networks.

Q2 Stadium was opened back on June 16th by the USWNT, who christened the new stadium with a 2-0 victory over Nigeria. The USMNT hope to have its first match at the 20,738-seat stadium on July 29th in the Gold Cup semifinals. To do that, they will have to beat Jamaica on Sunday in the quarterfinals in Arlington, Texas.

“What’s been happening in Austin the last couple years is extraordinary,” USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter said in a statement released by U.S. Soccer. “It’s amazing the way the city has embraced the sport, the world-class facilities they have developed, and most importantly for us the atmosphere the fans create in the stadium. That’s precisely the type of environment we need for our home World Cup Qualifiers, and I know it’s something our players value and appreciate.”

The USMNT holds a 7-1-6 record against Jamaica in World Cup qualifying and a 17-3-8 overall record. The meeting will take place on the 20th anniversary of the win against the Reggae Boyz back in 2001. That World Cup qualifier was the first match for the USMNT after the attacks on 9/11, which saw the U.S. qualify for the 2002 World Cup. This time around, the Jamaica home match is the first match of 3 in the October window will will also see the U.S. travel to face Panama on the road, then return to host Costa Rica.

Hit the comments to discuss the selection of Austin to host the Jamaica home qualifier!