The U.S. men’s soccer team has scheduled three friendlies in the next four months, including a match with Paraguay that will be played in Cary.
The U.S. will host Paraguay on March 27 at 7 p.m. at WakeMed Soccer Park, the men’s national team’s first game in North Carolina since the state had its first in 2006, a 1-1 draw against Jamaica.
“North Carolina Football Club, in coordination with the Town of Cary, is excited to host the U.S. Men’s National Team vs. Paraguay game here at Sahlen’s Stadium,” said Curt Johnson, North Carolina Football Club president and general manager.
The U.S., attempting to fill in an empty schedule after they failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1986, will then head to Europe for games against Ireland in Dublin on June 2 and 1998 World Cup winners France in Lyon on June 9.
U.S. Soccer, still smarting from their failure to qualify for the finals, said they had planned their most demanding nontournament schedule ever for the team and expected to announce more “high-profile” friendlies in September, October and November.
“Serious about the ambition to field a men’s team considered among the best in the world, U.S. Soccer will continue to seek matches against world-class soccer nations and in world-class venues,” U.S. Soccer said in a statement.
Coach Bruce Arena resigned last October after they failed to qualify for the finals and new U.S. Soccer president Carlos Cordeiro, who was elected at the weekend, said a still-to-be-hired general manager would lead the search for a new coach.
The World Cup finals run from June 14-July 15.
