Home Depot Center News

First Meeting Since Historic 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifier Kicks Off at 8 p.m. PT; ESPN2, ESPN3.com and TeleFutura to Broadcast Live

CHICAGO (July 5, 2011) - The U.S. Men's National Team will host regional foes Costa Rica on Sept. 2 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. Kickoff at the National Training Center is set for 8 p.m. PT, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2, ESPN3.com and Galavision. Fans can follow the match live on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker and Twitter @ussoccer.

The matchup is the first encounter since October of 2009, when a Jonathan Bornstein goal in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time earned the U.S. a 2-2 draw in the final match of 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying, ensuring that the United States finished in first place in the group while forcing Costa Rica into a qualification playoff series that they lost to Uruguay.

Tickets for USA-Costa Rica starting at $20 go on sale to the public Friday, July 15, at 10 a.m. PT through ussoccer.com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000, at all Ticketmaster ticket centers throughout the Los Angeles area (including Walmart and La Curacao stores), and at The Home Depot Center ticket office (open Monday-Friday 10 a.m. to 6 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, July 14, at 10 a.m. PT and runs until Friday, July 15, at 8 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.

The United States and Costa Rica are very familiar opponents, the regional rivals having dueled to an even 11-11-6 record dating back to 1975. Most often paired in official competitions, this will be the first friendly meeting since May 28, 1995, a 2-1 win for the Ticos in Tampa, Fla. Since that match, the teams have played 16 times, with 12 games in World Cup qualifying and four in the Gold Cup.

The U.S. Men's National Team has a nearly unblemished record at The Home Depot Center, compiling an 8-1-2 record since playing its first game in Carson in 2004. In fact, since opening with a 1-1 draw against Denmark on Jan. 18, 2004, the USA had won eight matches in a row, with 27 goals scored and only four surrendered until the 3-1 loss to Honduras in January of 2010. Eight of the games at The HDC have been international friendlies, while two games (both in 2007) have been part of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. In the lone World Cup qualifier at The Home Depot Center, the USA posted a record-tying 8-0 victory against Barbados on June 15, 2008.