A drone controlled by an unidentified operator flew over the U.S. men’s national team training practice in St. Louis on Tuesday as they prepared for a Concacaf Gold Cup semifinal against Guatemala scheduled for Wednesday.

U.S. Soccer staff are currently identifying the drone, as reported by ESPN. While the USMNT possessed three drones for their training, the fourth drone’s appearance was unexpected. It eventually landed outside the designated training area near a broadcast compound.

This incident wasn’t the only one during the session, as a group of individuals was also caught filming the team before being instructed to stop. There is no current confirmation if these two occurrences are connected.

The USMNT aims for their first final appearance since winning the Gold Cup in 2021, while Guatemala looks to reach the final of the tournament for the first time in history, having not made it this far since 1996.

Drones: An Unexpected Theme in Concacaf

While it’s becoming more common for teams to utilize drones for documenting their training, there have been past reports of teams from North America employing drones to observe their rivals, including the infamous Canada drone scandal during the 2024 Olympics that led to significant penalties for the women’s national team. As per TSN, John Herdman, Canada’s former head coach for both men’s and women’s teams, had been heard discussing drone use back in 2016.

Herdman had received a written caution in May for his involvement in the drone issue.