U.S. Men's National Soccer Team to face Columbia at PPL Park

CHICAGO (Aug. 30, 2010) - The U.S. Men's National Team will host South American rivals Colombia on Oct. 12 at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. 

Kickoff for the USA's first match on the Chester waterfront is set for 8 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and Galavision.  Fans can also follow along on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker and twitter.com/ussoccer.

Philadelphia Union season ticket holders will receive an email shortly with information about special pre-sales to be held on Wednesday, September 1 for U.S. vs. Colombia and the previously announced U.S. Women's National Team vs. China match at PPL Park on Oct. 6.

Tickets starting at $30 go on sale to the public Friday, Sept. 3, at 12 p.m. ET through ussoccer.com, by phone at 1-800-298-4200 and at the PPL Park ticket office (open Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) Groups of 20 or more can obtain an order form at ussoccer.com or call 312-528-1290. Ultimate Fan Tickets (special VIP packages which include a premium ticket, a custom made official U.S. national team jersey with name and number, VIP access to the field before and after the game, and other unique benefits) are also available exclusively through ussoccer.com.

As a sponsor of U.S. Soccer, Visa® is pleased to offer all Visa cardholders access to an advance ticket sale for this match before the sale to the general public. This advance sale starts Thursday, Sept. 2, at 12 p.m. ET and runs until Friday, Sept. 3, at 10 a.m. at ussoccer.com. Visa will be the only payment method accepted through the Visa presale and is the preferred card of U.S. Soccer. Terms and conditions apply.

"One of the important parts of developing the program is to expose the team to different experiences, and Colombia presents a difficult challenge," said U.S. head coach Bob Bradley.  "We are thrilled to be heading back to Philadelphia where we received such a great sendoff prior to the World Cup.  The new PPL Park is a fantastic facility, and we are happy to have the opportunity to play in another of the growing number of soccer specific stadiums in the United States."

The U.S. holds a 3-9-3 lifetime record against the 2001 Copa America champions.  Their most famous meeting came in group play of the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where an Earnie Stewart goal lifted the United States to a 2-1 victory that helped propel the hosts into the knockout phase.  The teams last met during the 2007 Copa America, where a young U.S. side fell 1-0 on July 5, 2007, in Barquisimeto, Venezuela.

The U.S. National Team will return to Philadelphia - one of 18 cities included in the USA's bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2018 or 2022 - for only the third time since 1990, and will play their first match at the new home of Philadelphia Union.  Most recently, the USA captured a 2-1 victory against Turkey in the final match before the team departed for South Africa and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.  More than 55,000 fans saw goals from Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey that built the momentum heading into the tournament where the U.S. finished first in group play for the first time in 80 years.

Prior to the Colombia match, the U.S. will take on Poland on Oct. 9 in Chicago. Tickets are now on sale for the match at Soldier Field that kicks off at 7 p.m. CT, with the game to be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel and Galavision.