US vs. Egypt friendly in Cairo canceled

Sunil Gulati said he was harshly disappointed with the US World Cup snub.

The US-Egypt friendly has been officially called off.


The US Soccer Federation and Egyptian Football Association announced on Monday that the match, originally scheduled for Feb. 9 in Cairo, has been canceled due to the continuing political unrest in Egypt.


"We were excited about the opportunity to play against Egypt, but due to the current situation, all parties agreed it was best to cancel the match," USSF president Sunil Gulati said in a release announcing the news. "We appreciate the efforts of the Egyptian Football Association and the US State Department as we worked through this situation."


The American federation examined other possibilities, but ultimately "determined it will not play a match on this fixture date." The United States national team won't take the field again until March.


Bob Bradley had planned to bring a strong cadre of players to Cairo. He'll get a chance to evaluate his team when it takes on Argentina and Paraguay on March 26 and March 29, respectively. The coach will have access to his entire roster as the matches fall on a FIFA fixture date.


Noah Davis covers the United States national team for MLSsoccer.com. Follow him on Twitter at @noahedavis.