A U.S.-Saudi Arabia exhibition soccer game is still on for Sunday despite a recent terrorist attack that killed 19 Americans at a U.S. military base overseas.
Officials said security will be stepped up for the game between two Olympic teams that was scheduled long before Tuesday's bombing of an American military barracks in Dharan, Saudi Arabia.The game is being played in conjunction with induction ceremonies at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, about 68 miles west of Albany.
"We have taken the proper security precautions," said Gil Mattice, spokesperson for the Hall of Fame. "Let's just say everything has been taken care of."
Officials at the Oneonta Police Department and Hartwick College, where the game will be played, also say there will be more than normal precautions.
"We are doing everything we can to ensure the safety of the teams and the fans attending the game," said Bill Dorritie, chief of security at Hartwick.
Phone messages to the Saudi team and Saudi government for comment were not returned.
It will be one of the final tuneups for the U.S. team before the Atlanta Games.