Report: US invites Iran to play soccer friendly

Third-ever match between US' and Iran's national teams slated for April before World Cup; to be held on American soil.

Soccer ball 370 (photo credit: REUTERS)
Soccer ball 370
(photo credit: REUTERS)
The US Soccer Federation has reportedly invited Iran's national soccer team to a friendly match slated to be held on American soil in April, the Iranian media reported Saturday.
The Portuguese head coach of the Iranian side, Carlos Quiroz, welcomed the prospect on Saturday of a US-Iran friendly ahead of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Iran's Tasnim News Agency reported.
The match was reportedly slated to be held in the US during the last week of April 2014, if conditions for the match were upheld.
The head of Iran's soccer federation, Ali Kaffashian, has also reportedly confirmed the proposal of a match between Iran and the US, stating that the two sides still had to configure some details before the game could become a reality on the field.
According to Kaffashian, four countries - Iran, the US, a European country and a South American country - would participate in the event comprising of a series of friendlies.
Such a match would be the third played between the Iranian and US teams. At the 1998 World Cup in France, Iran defeated the contending US team 2-1. The two teams played a draw (1-1) match in Pasadena, California in 2000.
The United States and Iran have both qualified for the 2014 World Cup.
Fans at the 1998 World Cup. (Reuters)
Fans at the 1998 World Cup. (Reuters)