Update (Aug. 17, 11:30 am ET)
US Soccer made it official on Wednesday morning, formally announcing that the USMNT will take on New Zealand in a friendly at RFK Stadium on Oct. 11.
The match will be broadcast live on ESPN networks an UniMas beginning at 8 pm ET.
Should the US successfully navigate upcoming World Cup qualifiers against St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago to advance out of CONCACAF’s semifinal round, the New Zealand match would be the team’s final match prior to the Nov. 11 start of the Hexagonal.
This will be the third time the US and New Zealand will meet, with the US having won both of the previous matchups.
Original text (Aug. 16, 8 pm ET)
The US national team have reportedly gone down under in search of their next friendly opponent.
After allegedly taking part in talks with Ghana over an October friendly, the US are now set to take on New Zealand, according to the Washington Post.
The exhibition match vs. the Kiwis will reportedly take place on Oct. 11 at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. after Ghana, US Soccer's first choice, failed to finalize an agreement with the US.
The Black Stars were unable to come to terms because they have a World Cup qualifier the week before, and are not permitted to head to the United States' capital for a friendly because that would require more than five hours of travel and include a change of two time zones.
Ghana reportedly asked for a waiver from FIFA, but the sport's governing body, which prevents teams from having such a loaded travel schedule, declined the request.
The Post reports that an official announcement for the US-New Zealand friendly is expected in the coming days. The Americans are set to play Cuba in a friendly in Havana earlier in October.
