Portugal Soccer schedule

By IVES GALARCEP

If you were hoping for a close-up look at the Portuguese National Team before the World Cup, you will have your chance (assuming you live on the East Coast, or don’t mind traveling).

Portugal will face Mexico and Ireland in a pair of pre-World Cup friendlies on American soil. The Portuguese will take on Mexico at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. on June 6, then Ireland at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. on June 10.

The matches will be Portugal’s prep matches prior to the World Cup, which Portugal will kick off on June 16 against Germany before facing the U.S. team on June 22 in Manaus.

Portugal becomes the latest team to schedule a pre-World Cup friendly against Mexico as a form of preparation for a match against the United States. The idea makes sense if you only consider confederations, but given the general lack of similarities in style between Mexico and the U.S. and perhaps we see why the Portuguese also scheduled a match against the Irish.