The United States national soccer team announced it will start its 2012 campaign with an exhibition on January 21 against Venezuela in Glendale, Arizona, then play in Panama four days later. It is part of its plans to gear up for World Cup qualifying that begins later in the year. The games announced Thursday are not on FIFA fixture dates, meaning the US will most likely field players from its domestic Major League Soccer league and Scandinavian clubs on winter break. The team will prepare with a training camp, most likely in Arizona and Carson, California. 2014 World Cup qualifying begins on June 8, and the Americans also are discussing playing a February 29 exhibition in Italy, which would be on a FIFA date, meaning they would have their full range of players to use. The United States, 2-4-1 since Jurgen Klinsmann replaced Bob Bradley – now Egypt's national team manager – as coach, is in a semifinal group with Antigua and Barbuda, Guatemala and Jamaica. The top two nations advance to the regional finals in 2013, with the ultimate hope of advancing to the 2014 finals in Brazil. The US has advanced to the last 6 finals, reaching the second round in 2010 and the quarterfinals in 2002. BM
