TAMPA — The U.S. Men's National Soccer team takes the field at Raymond James Stadium Tuesday for an international friendly against Uruguay. The game is a tune-up for next summer's World Cup. It's the first time since 2018 that the U.S.A. squad will play in Tampa.
Former U.S. men's national team defender and current Vice President of Sporting Oguchi Onyewu is excited to bring another major sporting event to the Tampa Bay region.
"So many soccer teams, hockey teams, football teams, baseball teams. There’s a plethora of sports in this city," Onyewu said this week. "There’s no city better to highlight what we want to bring to the country next summer than right here in Tampa Bay."
The game is technically a friendly, and the U.S. already qualifies for the World Cup field because it's a host country. But Onyewu says the goals for this team are constant: play well and earn a win on home turf.
"Our objective is to play top-quality teams in the lead-up to the 2026 World Cup," he added. "So this is going to be an unbelievable opportunity for us to highlight our talent and fine-tune everything before next summer."
Defender Alex Freeman made a couple of stops in Tampa ahead of Tuesday's game. He got to do a jersey-swap with Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman and former Buccaneers lineman Ali Marpet.
"It felt good, I can’t lie," Freeman laughed when talking about getting the chance to go to a Bolts game and a Bucs game in the same week. "It felt good, to experience that kind of atmosphere. Being able to go to a Bucs game against a very good opponent. It was very good. Both atmospheres were very good, and it was good to get that kind of treatment."
At 21 years young, Freeman is fighting for a spot on the final World Cup roster, and he knows he can't skip any steps between now and next summer.
"It’s simple. You’ve got to impress, every camp. You don’t know when the moment can get away from you," he said frankly. "It’s best to be able to go 100% in these camps and be able to know you can fight for this team and give 100% and be able to just stand your ground, you know."
Kickoff for Tuesday's game is set for 7 p.m.
The Match Day Fan Zone will run from 3-7 on Tampa Bay Blvd. It's free for all ticket holders. The event will include representatives from the Buccaneers, Rowdies and Tampa Bay Sun F.C. It will feature player meet and greets, live music, games, custom shirt stations, product samples and giveaways.
Uruguay comes in at 15th in the latest FIFA world rankings, one spot ahead of the U.S.
Share Your Story with Kevin
Tampa Bay 28 Sports Anchor Kevin Lewis knows what happens on the field ties us together. From parents coaching kids to young athletes achieving life-long dreams, Kevin shares stories we can all celebrate. Reach out to him below.
.
Florida beekeeper loses livelihood after neighbor has 20 beehives removed from his property
An 84-year-old Citrus County beekeeper is fighting to recover 20 active beehives that were taken from his property months ago, leaving him without his main source of income and removing up to 2 million bees from the local ecosystem.
