An unidentified drone was observed flying over the U.S. Men`s National Team (USMNT) training session in St. Louis on Tuesday. The team was preparing for their Concacaf Gold Cup semifinal against Guatemala scheduled for Wednesday.
U.S. Soccer staff are reportedly working to identify the drone, according to ESPN. The USMNT already utilized three of their own drones for recording, so this fourth, unexpected drone drew attention. It eventually landed outside the secured area, close to a broadcast facility near the training grounds.
This wasn`t the only interruption during Tuesday`s practice. Separately, a group was reportedly seen filming the team and asked to cease. It remains uncertain whether these two events are connected.
The USMNT is set to play Guatemala in the Gold Cup semifinal at Energizer Park in St. Louis on Wednesday. They aim to reach the final for the first time since their victory in 2021. Guatemala, on the other hand, is participating in their first Gold Cup semifinal since 1996 and is hoping to make a historic first appearance in the final.
Drones and Past Incidents in Concacaf
While teams now commonly use drones for recording their own training sessions, reports have surfaced of North American teams using them for opponent surveillance.
A prominent instance of this occurred during the 2024 Olympics involving Canada, leading to a scandal. FIFA subsequently penalized the women`s national team by deducting six points, and then-head coach Bev Priestman was dismissed. Reports indicate the team had used drones to observe opponents` training for years, a practice reportedly initiated by John Herdman, who coached both the Canadian women`s and men`s teams from 2011 to 2018. TSN reported hearing Herdman discuss this method as early as 2016 during the Concacaf U-17 Women`s Championship.
Following a disciplinary hearing before an independent commission in May, Herdman received a written reprimand.
