USMNT to face Costa Rica in February

The United States Men’s National Team will head to a familiar city to face a familiar opponent. U.S. Soccer announced today that the USMNT will face Costa Rica on February 2nd at Avaya Stadium in San Jose. It will be the second of 2 matches in their annual January Camp, which sees the USMNT bring together mostly MLS-based players. Since the match will occur outside a FIFA international window with most of Europe in season, club teams are not required to release their players for this match.

The USMNT returns to the home of the San Jose Earthquakes for just the second time. The first was a 6-0 victory over Honduras in a World Cup qualifier held back in March 2017. They returned to the Bay Area later that summer as they defeated Jamaica 2-1 in the 2017 Gold Cup final to win their 6th regional title.

This match is also expected to be the 2nd match under the tenure of the new USMNT, who has yet to be named. The January Camp will serve as the new coach’s first chance to evaluate players who could factor into the player pool in 2019, which will see the team try to defend its Gold Cup title. Many players have elevated to regular starters on the national team by making the most of their opportunity in January Camp.

The kickoff time for this match will be set at a later date, as will the announcement of the first January Camp match. What are your thoughts on the USMNT facing Costa Rica in February in the Bay Area?