The Chinese national football (soccer) team will play the MetroStars of U.S. Major League Soccer in a friendly game at Giants Stadium near New York on September 9.
China last played in the United States on January 27, 2001, dropping a 2-1 decision to the U-S national team. The last time the Chinese men's national team played at Giants Stadium was in 1977 in an exhibition against the now defunt Cosmos franchise. The last time the MetroStars faced a national team was May 14, 1997, when they lost to Colombia, 2-0.
China qualified for the 2002 World Cup after dominating its five-team Asian qualifying group with a 6-1-1 record. The team scored 13 goals and allowed two, posting six shutouts. At the World Cup, China was drawn into a difficult group with four-time World Cup champion Brazil, third-place finisher Turkey and perennial CONCACAF power Costa Rica.
China is preparing to host the 2004 Asian Cup, which will mark the first time the tournament will be held in China.