Portugal to play Ireland and Mexico in Northeast

• by Soccer America , Feb 14, 2014

[WORLD CUP 2014 COUNTDOWN] Portugal joins the growing list of teams that will stop off in the United States en route to Brazil. It will play games against Mexico June 6 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass., and Ireland June 10 -- Portugal Day -- at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. At least 11 teams -- more than a third of the World Cup field -- will play tune-up games in the lucrative U.S. market.

Portugal is in Group G with the USA, Germany and Ghana and doesn't open play at the World Cup until June 16, which explains its trip to the USA so close to the start of the World Cup, which kicks off on June 12.

Relevent Sports, which organizes the Guinness International Soccer Cup, will promote the Portugal matches as well as those of England, which will play two games at Miami's Sun Life Stadium.

SUM will also organize a "Road to Brazil" series of tune-up matches. Participating teams will include defending champion Spain, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Greece, Honduras, Ivory Coast and Nigeria, all World Cup finalists, as well as Bolivia and El Salvador.

The USA will be play three games before heading to Brazil.

PRE-WORLD CUP, Schedule:
May 31 in Arlington, Texas
Mexico vs. Ecuador
June 3 in Chicago
Mexico vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina
June 4 in Miami Gardens, Fla.
England-Ecuador
June 6 in Foxboro, Mass.
Portugal-Mexico
June 7 in Miami Gardens, Fla.
England-Honduras
June 10 in East Rutherford, N.J.
Portugal-Ireland