INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY
USA vs. New Zealand
Sunday, June 8 (1 pm ET/10 am PT)
TV: live on ESPN2 and Telemundo
In its final tune-up for the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup June 18-29 in France, Bruce Arena's squad faces New Zealand, which is also France-bound, on Sunday.
The nations have met once before, a 2-1 U.S. win July 24, 1999 at the Confederations Cup in Mexico, where the USA went on to finish third. Jovan Kirosvki and Brian McBride scored for the Americans in the first-round victory.
''The last time we played them was our first game at that Confederations Cup,'' New Zealand coach Mick Waitt, then an assistant coach, told the New Zealand Herald. ''They were way too good for us for the first 20 or 30 minutes but we came back well.''
''The US will be very strong,'' said Waitt. ''A lot of people outside America don't give America's national competition, the MLS, the credit it deserves. It is a very good competition with some very, very good players. It is not the retirement home that some in Europe would have us believe.
''I look at the skill level Simon Elliott [Los Angeles], Ryan Nelsen [D.C. United] and Duncan Oughton [Columbus] bring to our side from their MLS experience to see how strong it really is.''
At this year's Confederation Cup, the USA is in Group B with Turkey, Brazil and Cameroon. New Zealand faces Group A foes France, Japan and Colombia.