One of the biggest games ever between the US national team and Mexico will have to wait one more day.
On Friday, CONCACAF announced that the playoff match between the US and Mexico for a berth in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup has been moved from October 9 to October 10. The game will take place at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.
The new Saturday date will allow attending fans to enjoy a full day of festivities, including Futbol Fiesta, a free, interactive fan zone outside the Rose Bowl.
As 2013 Gold Cup champions, the USA would have received an automatic berth to the Confederations Cup had they won the 2015 edition of the tournament. Their semifinal elimination meant the Americans will have to face El Tri, the 2015 champions, for the CONCACAF region's lone berth in the 2017 Confederations Cup.
Confederations Cup is a tournament held every four years among the reigning regional champions across the world, including the CONCACAF region. It's hosted by the nation that will host the World Cup the following year, and is widely regarded as a World Cup tune-up for the host country as well as for the participating teams.
The last time the USA qualified for the Confederations Cup was in South Africa in 2009, when they advanced all the way to the final, and even took a 2-0 lead against Brazil before dropping a 3-2 result and finishing in second place.
Mexico were eliminated in the group stage of the 2013 tounament in their last appearance. They won the Confederations Cup when they hosted it back in 1999, before the switch to the current hosting format. Mexico beat the US 1-0 in the 1999 semifinals, thanks to a golden goal from Cuauhtemoc Blanco, before going on to top Brazil in the final.
