[USA-BRAZIL] Four years ago, the USA didn't play a game the rest of the year after the World Cup.

In 1998 and 2002, it went more than four months before playing a friendly after the World Cup.

This year, the Americans will be back in action less than a month after the final in South Africa, and the game will be a biggie ...

The U.S. national team play will play its first game at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Aug. 10 when its hosts five-time world champion Brazil.

A sellout crowd is expected for Brazil's first appearance in the New York area in 14 years.

The high-visibility game is of importance to U.S. Soccer since less than four months later FIFA will decide the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

The USA is a leading candidate to host the 2022 World Cup.

The U.S. national team didn't play a game in 2006 after the World Cup finals because it did not have a head coach. Bruce Arena's contract was not renewed, and a replacement -- Bob Bradley as interim coach -- was not found until late in the year after Juergen Klinsmann turned down the job.