USA Vs. Egypt: February Friendly Cancelled Amidst Unrest In Egypt

The protests in Egypt have turned violent and last week it was rumored that a cancellation was possible. At that time, the United States Soccer Federation said that the match was supposed to go forward as scheduled, but that they were monitoring the situation. With the U.S. State Department having moved to charter flights to get American citizens in the country out over the weekend, it became more and more likely that the match would either be moved to a different country or canceled and today word came from the USSF that the match would be called off.

“We were excited about the opportunity to play against Egypt, but due to the current situation all parties agreed it was best to cancel the match,” said U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati. “We appreciate the efforts of the Egyptian Football Association and the U.S. State Department as we worked through this situation.”

Clark offers several alternative locations. He suggests Doha, Qatar; Turkey; Israel; Western Europe; and the United States as possible venues.

The U.S. roster will consist mostly of players based in Europe and is expected to be finalized shortly. Players are currently scheduled to arrive in Egypt on Feb. 6.

Egyptians are protesting the rule of president Hosni Mubarak, who has been in power for more than 30 years. The country has seen rampant unemployment, poverty and corruption under Mubarak’s rule. Protests have been going on for four days, but only now descended into violence.

In Egypt, Brazil, Argentina and Chile that is four teams all among FIFA’s top 16 ranked teams. Egypt, currently ranked No. 10, is the only one that did not participate in the most recent World Cup, but is the reigning Africa Cup of Nations champion.

Egypt’s the best team in Africa, a fact obscured by their inability to get through an unforgiving World Cup qualifying process. The Pharoahs have won three consecutive continental titles and feature overlooked gems (to pick a few) Ahmed Hassan, Mohamed Aboutrika, and Essam Al-Hadry.

Argentina’s name speaks for itself, completing a triad of ambitious opponents for which U.S. Soccer deserves credit, particularly if the team elects to go to Cairo. It’s one thing to accept the competition when teams are willing to come to you, but the willingness to go half-way around the world to take on a quality opponent? It will be great experience for the next generation of U.S. stars as well as a showcase match for the fans.