Costa Rica, US to meet in football friendly in Feb

Costa Rica and the United States will begin their preparations for the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals with a friendly in February, the Central American country's football federation said on Monday.

The clash will be played at Dignity Health Sports Park, home of the LA Galaxy, on February 1. It will feature locally based players only because the date has not been sanctioned by the FIFA, reports Xinhua news agency.

"We have accepted this game because it is an important opportunity to see players from our (local) league and to have the majority of those who play in the MLS," Costa Rica head coach Ronald Gonzalez said. "It will be a year of great importance and therefore we cannot pass up this invitation."

Costa Rica will meet Mexico and the US will face Honduras in the semifinals of the Nations League in June.