March 14th, 2013 
Matt Thacker The long-rumored friendly against Belgium in Cleveland, Ohio, has finally been confirmed today by U.S. Soccer.
The match will take place May 29 at 8 p.m. ET at FirstEnergy Stadium on ESPN2. There have also been reports that the U.S. will face Germany on June 2 in Washington, D.C., but that match has not been confirmed.
“Belgium is definitely a team on the rise,” U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann said in a team statement. “If you look at their roster, they have quality players from top to bottom who are on some of the biggest clubs in Europe.”
The U.S. played Belgium in Brussels in 2011 and lost 1-0. The Americans were outplayed but nearly leveled the match when Maurice Edu had a goal called back in the 86th minute.
Belgium, ranked No. 19 in the world, is widely considered an emerging force in soccer and a potential dark horse for the 2014 World Cup. The national team features key starters for Manchester City, Chelsea and Everton.
The U.S. has a busy summer ahead with World Cup qualification and the Gold Cup. Three qualifiers will take place in June: Jamaica (June 7), Panama (June 11) and Honduras (June 18).
The Gold Cup – which runs from July 7 through July 28 – will likely feature a different set of players than those competing in World Cup qualifiers. It is believed that the U.S. is trying to schedule a third friendly to help the team prepare for the Gold Cup.
The Football Association of Thailand previously said the U.S. expressed interest in a summer friendly to celebrate 180 years of international relations.
