American soccer players are objecting to the decision by the U.S. Soccer Federation to have them play Venezuela at Cincinnati's Nippert Stadium, claiming the playing surface is dangerous.

The match will serve as the U.S. team's final preparation match ahead of the 2019 Gold Cup, and will also mark the first time the U.S. has played in Cincinnati.

The U.S. National Soccer Team Players Association (USNSTPA) released a statement opposing the match, which will be played on a temporary grass field on top of the venue's artificial turf.

"The United States Soccer Federation is not advancing the interests of the sport of soccer or the interests of the players or the fans, but is solely focused on generating ever-increasing revenues and profits for the federation, its employees, its sponsors, and private businesses associated with the federation," the union said in a statement Thursday.

The union released an April 2 email it said it sent to USSF President Carlos Cordeiro in which players said the friendly "would be waste of time and resources, is a threat to player safety, and would be damaging to the effort to develop the United States men's national team and help the team achieve competitive success."

Nippert Stadium is the home of Major League Soccer's expansion Cincinnati team. The USNSTPA said "a game played on sod on top of artificial turf will be a waste of 90 minutes and also presents a substantially increased risk of player injury."

Reports have also stated that the U.S. will play Jamaica at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. four days earlier, though no official announcement has been made.

Venezuela is coming off an impressive 3-1 victory over Argentina in Madrid last month. The U.S. will begin play in the Gold Cup nine days after the Venezuela friendly, starting with a match against Guyana on Tuesday, June 18 in Saint Paul, Minn.

Following that match, the U.S. moves east to face Trinidad & Tobago on Saturday, June 22 in Cleveland before closing group play against Panama on Wednesday, June 26 in Kansas City, Kan.

The final is scheduled for Chicago's Soldier Field on July 7.

Information from ESPN FC's Jeff Carlisle and The Associated Press was used in this report.