USA to host Poland in October friendly

CHICAGO (AFP) – The United States will play host to Poland on October 9 at Chicago in an international football friendly as the European side prepares for its co-hosting of the 2012 European Championships.

The Americans are 7-7 with two drawn against Poland in a rivalry dating back to 1924, with their last clash a 3-0 triumph in 2008 at Krakow. The Poles, 4-2 with a draw on US soil, drew 1-1 in their last US match in 2004.

Poland, who are co-hosting Euro 2012 with Ukraine, figures to draw strong support from a large Polish community in the “Windy City” of the American Midwest.

“These fixture dates are a fantastic opportunity to have the group together for an extended period and then put the work to the test with a difficult match,” US coach Bob Bradley said.

“We know this is an important opportunity for Poland as they prepare for the 2012 European Championship, so we expect a challenging game.”

The match will come during a busy late-season weekend for Major League Soccer as well as being well into the start of the European campaigns.