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Sources: Chicago’s Soldier Field to host 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final

By IVES GALARCEP

Just two days after CONCACAF announced that the 2013 Gold Cup would open at the Rose Bowl with the Mexican National Team, sources have confirmed to SBI that the 2013 Gold Cup Final will take place at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Soldier Field hosted the 2007 Gold Cup Final won by the United States (which defeated Mexico thanks to Benny Feilhaber’s memorable game-winning goal).

A total of 13 venues across the country have been chosen to serve has host venues for Gold Cup matches, and with the Rose Bowl being ruled out of hosting the final for a second straight Gold Cup by being chosen for the opening match, Chicago beat out Miami and Dallas for the chance to host the final.

Dallas and Miami are believed to be in the running to host the Gold Cup semifinals, though it should be noted that Soldier Field hosted the semifinals and final in the 2007 Gold Cup.

What do you think of this development? Plan on going to Chicago for the Final? Think the Final should be hosted somewhere else?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Only if the gorgeous chicago dowtown had a SSS- it would be another seattle, samething with boston, los angeles, dallas bcus dallas downtown has nothing busy and denver as well.

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    • Poor planning by Mayor Daley bad timing for Fire.

      Had Daley had the foresight that he was going to bid for the Olympics he would have seen the logic o allowing the Fire to build a soccer specific stadium to be built downtown. Had the Fire waited a few more years they would have had the leverage of an Olympic bid.

      Reply
      • Exactly, I always thought teams like chicago, dallas, even colorado took whatever they gave them as in SSS plans and the league said yes like a kid in a candy store. Only if those teams would have step up and denied the locations for a better one, but again is soccer and back then soccer had less power than now. Basically chicago,denver,dallas, would have crazy awesome atmospheres downtown like seattle and portland. Therefore new england should try their best to get closer to boston, whitecaps should have a gorgeous ocean front SSS downtown, Los Angeles galaxy should remodel their old school home depot center or play at the new NFL donwtown stadium or even make a new one bcus galaxy should resemble the LA fancy structures, dc stay in the district, columbus can be the new SKC and maybe philly can put a fancy roof top. Crazy question, can stadiums be relocate In terms of unsembling a stadium a d taking it somewhere, like downtown 🙂

      • The proposed stadium in downtown LA is being specifically designed with international and club soccer in mind. Lieweike/AEG is the group developing Farmer’s field as well as own Home depot and the Galaxy, so it is a fair bet they’d move there. Sure make going to a game much more an all day, fun event as the area is littered with bars, restaurants and entertainment.

      • But what home depot center is taken to skc level or like bayerns stadium. Will that new stadium have grass? But I think galaxy need their own modern stadium, home depot is Mls 1.0 and galazy deserve so much more. New york and LA should have the best socccer stadium but kansas has it, funny fact. So if orland, Dc, new england, ny2 make a skc stadium for their team, galaxy will have a below average stadium in Los Angeles, sad stadium future for galaxy and if u add the college hours rule. It would be funny if chivas usa gets a downtown stadium before galaxy or better locatioj or better looking stadium inside n out.

      • no way is farmers feild being built with soccer in mind. the only way it will be built is if l.a. gets an nfl franchise

  2. Was at the 2007 game and it was amazing. Missed the second goal because the stadium people were getting the Mexico fans to quit jamming the aisles. The edition that doesn’t count for the Confed Cup is just a money grab. I can’t get that excited w WC qualifying going on this year.

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    • indeed, if they want to do the Copa America gigante they should do it in the year before the world cup and cancel the second gold cup.. that said im excited for another game in Chicago.

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      • I want to see another stadium in another city get the final besides Soldier Field or Rose Bowl. Preferably Seattle or Denver, that would be a nice spot. Your crazy if you think the Gold Cup Final would ever be held in Columbus (or Ohio for that matter), the Crew stadium has only a 20,000 seat capacity. The only other considerable stadium would be the Ohio State Stadium. CONCACAF has to have a big stadium for its biggest event so they can get the turnout needed to generate the kind of money that they want.

      • or cleveland they have held the usmnt team there and are haveing a game this summer and ohio stadium cannnot host soccer the field is too small

    • Yea I don’t think so, but this tourney is somewhat meaningless; however, its all about pride and being powerful in the region. Mexico is stacked with good youngsters. Oh and the US best guys are not getting any younger.

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  3. Went to the Soldier Field Final in 2007. It was great. The mexican team fans near us were loud but not abusive. They got very quiet after the winning goal, but remained civil. It was a great match in a great stadium on a great day with a great outcome. i can’t wait for 2013 final.

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    • Yeah, I don’t see what all the complaining was about. I had Mex fans asking to exchange jerseys with me after the game, and the atmosphere out in Grant Park after the game was civil if not celebratory from both sets of fans. There was a lot of flying $7 beer at the game, but I’m pretty sure the most showered I’ve ever been with beer was during Beasley’s goal in 05 in columbus right smack in the middle of Sam’s Army. No problems at the 09 Gold Cup final either.

      To be honest, the anti-hispanic/anti-mexican slurs and “mow my lawn” chants thrown about in Columbus when I went were far worse than anything coming from the other side in either of the other USA/Mex games I’ve attended.

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  4. Went to the Soldier Field final in 2007. Mexico scored and the Mexican fans poured beer on me. USA scored and the Mexican fans poured beer on me. Benny hit the winner and the Mexican fans were out of beer. Great match. I didn’t get beer poured on me by the Mexican fans in the Rose Bowl until Mexico scored their 4th goal.

    Reply
    • LOL, one of these days i am a going to have a full glass of beer and pour it all on the punk that i see throw any beer. It will be well worth the eight bucks.

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    • Come on, it wasn’t THAT bad, was it? I was there too, in the little group of Outlaws and supporters right above the tunnel.

      It was a game of extreme emotions.

      The elation when Bradley headed in and Donovan followed it up with a goal of his own, followed by the brilliant chicken dance. The chanting for Freddy Adu was something I never expected before I walked into that stadium, but he thoroughly earned it.

      The bewilderment at the insertion of a certain LB for an injured Cherundolo, causing Lichaj to switch from LB where he had played almost the whole tournament. Especially when we had a perfectly adequate RB (Spector) available.

      The sheer awe of hearing ~90,000 fans raining expletives onto Tim Howard as he took goal kicks.

      The sinking feeling in my stomach as Mexico leveled by half, and took the lead early in the second half.

      The disappointment of Dempsey hitting the bar at 2-3, the supremely difficult (and lucky) chip from dos Santos, just over a leaping Lichaj. Bradley going inches wide on a volley.

      The bitter pill of watching Mexico celebrate their victory. Seeing the defeated Yanks trudge off the field, through the tunnel, with Bob Bradley (unbeknownst to any of us, coaching his final game for the national team) as the only one that looked up and applauded the remaining US supporters in our section.

      Sorry, got a little carried away waxing nostalgic there. It’s just that attending the 2011 Gold Cup final was the most memorable (and cruelest) experience I have had at a USMNT match.

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    • Yeah it was pretty disgusting. Mexican fans need to realize there’s not more American fans is because American fans don’t want to be around mexicans. Bunch of broke mexicans sneaking in alcohol through the gated fences and not enough security.

      The funny thing is Im a football player and I came with all my football teammates. We WEREN’T looking for trouble but we were the biggest people by far in that stadium and not one mexican said anything to us nor did they want to for their safety.

      Reply
      • Perspective is everything Mr Weak.

        In addition to being the biggest dudes in the house…. seems you and your buddies were maybe the most miserable?

        No doubt, it’s definitely a touch assignment to be a US supporter in that stadium. But I guarantee you… the obnoxious cries of the opposite side would sound much sweeter and sympathetic and spilled beers seem more like a party if they were from hysterical fans clad in stars and stripes. Be damn fun to go to a match with the US getting that kind of support. Even in US stadiums packed w/ US fans, it is often pretty timid…. akin to a low level baseball team… aside from supporter groups, the fans are sitiing munching food with their hands in their laps. As a football fan, you have to agree that the Mexican supporters aren’t any different than rampant US football fans, yeah? Lets just say that many/most Football stadiums are not family friendly.

        So I have to wonder… is the problem that Mexico has zero problem drawing a passionate, rampant fan-base most anywhere in the states or that the US does… that we have to strategically plan in order to have a majority show up to support our own side? Instead of being bitter about Mexicans over the top love for the game and their team, I’d be more concerned with American apathy and the fact that the sport is very much a niche, mostly ignored sub-culture.

        It is a complex issue, but for starters, I would say US Soccer does a horrific job of promoting itself and pretty much nothing to attract new fans. If I want to know when a US match is played or televised, I have to actively seek it out, and even then it is difficult. There is next to nothing to be found in the mainstream media. Prior to that Gold Cup match here in SoCal, every spanish language channel on the TV and radio was littered with commercials promoting the game and El Tri. Never heard a single commercial promoting it from US Soccer.

      • Though that isn’t a nice thing to say, there are a hell of a lot of people who avoid these types of matches because of the complete lack of class shown by opposing fans. It’s not worth it. It’s bad enough in domestic matches, but anyone who thinks this isn’t an issue has never been to an away match.

        Some cities aren’t as bad. I am a hardcore fan. However, i live LA…and there is zero chance im showing up to watch a local game with a jersey on vs mexico, el salvador, guatemala…

    • As much as I agree about the location, playing at Soldier Field would be a step back. SF management didn’t give a rats @$$ about the Fire. The field was typically dirt/sand painted green.

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      • It is too bad they were so indifferent to soccer, just brought it up as the few folks I knew in Chicago stopped buying tickets after the Fire moved out by Midway. Too long of a round trip. Very glad to see the “build it and the soccer mom’s will come” era of MLS was over before expansion came to the PNW.

      • What are you talking about? Seattle & Vancouver play in NFL/CFL stadiums. Portland plays in an old minor league baseball stadium. I see nothing there to woof about at all. LOL.

      • So is Sporting Park and that place is packed. Problem isn’t the stadium location. The issue is the “supporters” who can’t be bothered to go support the local MLS club.

      • Well, I can admit that unless I’m getting drinks at The Globe, here in Chicago, and taking the shuttle out to Toyota Park…the drive is overly congested and the stadium is in Bumble-F**k.

        However, as a native of Independence, MO, the drive from the old residence down I-70 to LSP is far, far easier.

        I’m not discounting that “where there’s a will, there’s way” but you also shouldn’t discount how backwards and ignorant it was for these clubs to build cheaper stadiums, well outside the boundaries of a major city.

      • Drew11 – ave you ever tried to drive from anywhere on the north/northwest side of Chicago to Bridgeview? They put the stadium (which I love) in the most inaccessible spot possible because of tax incentives. They had the opportunity to build a multi-use/shared facility at UIC and passed it up because of short term incentives. I tried – I was a season ticket holder but can no longer take the stress of the traffic (not to mention the $20 parking – really?). The problem isn’t that they put the stadium in the suburbs, but that they put it in that particular suburb. One day they will get smart and move the Fire to a location that make sense, but probably not until we get an owner that is willing to make the right moves.

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