Almost in the footnotes of a Scotland Herald story on Sunday came a report that Scotland head coach Gordon Strachan is “close to announcing a home friendly against USA.”
The match would reportedly take place in November, during the Nov. 15-19 FIFA calendar window for international matches. The Washington Post’s Steven Goff, who also posted the link to the Herald story, said on Twitter that the United States would likely be playing two friendlies in Europe during the window:Scotland close to announcing USA match at Hampden Park -- 1 of 2 #usmnt friendlies in Europe in that FIFA window: http://t.co/H1Flq9ok5F
— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) September 3, 2013
Scotland is a team in recent disarray, mathematically eliminated from 2014 World Cup qualification with three matches to go by way of its one win, four losses, two ties record in Group A of UEFA qualifying. However, its next chance at a major tournament has improved as Euro 2016 in France will be played with an expanded 24-team field.
Last time the U.S. played Scotland, in Jacksonville, Fla., in May 2012, Landon Donovan scored a hat trick as the U.S. pasted a 5-1 win over the Scots. In November, with World Cup qualifying complete, the U.S. would be tuning up for the tournament next summer, making a match in Europe ideal for gathering its first-choice squad for head coach Jürgen Klinsmann to begin trimming it down.
The next FIFA friendly date on the official calendar after November is on March 5.