U.S. Soccer announced the three venues that will host home matches in the semifinal round of World Cup qualifying on Wednesday. Chicago, Washington D.C. and Commerce City, Colorado were chosen for the three home games in the semifinal round, which the United States can qualify for by beating Barbados in the home-and-home series in June.
Here is the schedule (all times Eastern):
- Sept. 10 (8pm)– vs. Trinidad & Tobago/Bermuda, Toyota Park, Bridgeview, Illinois.
- Oct. 11 (4pm)– vs. Cuba/Antigua & Barbuda, RFK Stadium, Washington D.C.
- Nov. 19- (10pm)– vs. Guatemala/St. Lucia, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, Colorado
The U.S. national team’s World Cup Qualifying campaign kicks off at Home Depot Center on June 15 when it faces Barbados.
What do you think of the venues chosen for the semifinal round? Share your thoughts below.
ricecloudnine- they do it to attempt to avoid conflict with club schedules?? doesnt really help as the players will be tired for their clubs’ games that weekend anyhow
Send your frustration about midweek games to FIFA. They set the match dates, not US Soccer.
When the hell does the roster come out for the England game?
Seattle!!!!!
@ patrick. Nice reference to pre-renovation Met Oval. I still have scars on my knees from playing on that combo of sand and rocks as a kid.
I agree with an early poster, I am happy these games are being played in MLS SSS stadiums and not some giant empty abyss. It is a great way of rewarding teams/ownership groups that are building these fields that if you build it, USA will come.I wouldn’t have minded seeing the Nov. game @ RSL’s new digs, but Denver works too.
love the locations as well, but as some people have mentioned, im disappointed in the mid-week games…. that truely prevents me from making the 3 hr trip north to chicago… but if it were on the weekend i would definately be able to make it….
The one thing we notice about these three locations picked for the games is that the USSF wants to be sure the the american fans outnumber the cuba fans or trinidad fans or guatamalean fans. If it was in Los Angeles, or Miami, or New York or Texas, even if they made alot of money, it wouldnt really be home field. This is about USA getting into the world cup! Lets go USA!!!
I like the choice of Colorado and Chicago as venues, but the dates make me mad. These two games are definitely close enough for me to go. But midweek games to travel by train, bus, or car is just too hard on a college class schedule.
Venues, two thumbs up. 🙂
Dates, two thumbs down. 🙁
we (USA) always complain about how tough it is too play in Central America. I’m pretty sure the Guatemalans won’t be happy to play USA at altitude in cold Denver. Good venues for us.
It will nice to see the US play at home in Chicago and not have the opposing fans outnumber the home ones for a change…
at least I hope…
There isnt a T&T population hidden in Chicago is there?
I love seeing the new SSS’s finally getting Nats games. They should be able to create good environments with smaller crowds that you wouldn’t be able to get at say Giants Stadium.
Love the Denver match in November. It’s a great field with lots of room for the US to operate and use its speed. DSG is a cool stadium and it should be a terrific atmosphere for a meaningful qualifier. Need to remind myself to pick up the Onyewu jersey before I head to this one. Boo yah.
Qwest does have a field turf surface which the Sounders will use next year. For international club (i.e. Man U vs Celtic) games they put in grass temporarily. I’ve heard that the temporary grass isn’t as good as a permanant field (slippery?) but I think at that point we’re splitting hairs, especially for an early WCQ game.
It is as fact that the VAST majority of soccer players in the US and in the world will tell you that they prefer playing on grass to FieldTurf.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FieldTurf#Criticism
I have a feeling we have an executive from the FieldTurf compnay on our message board.
1. JB, you’re nuts. An unusual surface is a big advantage to a home team that’s used to playing on it.
2. Eric, I’m with you. Though the score in our first round home-and-away in the last cycle (against Grenada, I think) ended up being pretty one sided on aggregate, I remember it taking a long time for us to break them down in the first leg. Like 50 minutes, or something. Any English guys decide to play for Barbados? What about that beast who plays for Aston Villa? UEFA teams don’t have to deal with this bs (a knock out tie before the group stages) do they? Playing on a water-logged polo ground, getting doused in urine and pelted with batteries, could make for a tough game if we need a result…kind of ridiculous.
Fact: the face of MLS does not care to play on turf
1. JB, you’re nuts. An unusual surface is a big advantage to a home team that’s used to playing on it.
2. Eric, I’m with you. Though the score in our first round home-and-away in the last cycle (against Grenada, I think) ended up being pretty one sided on aggregate, I remember it taking a long time for us to break them down in the first leg. Like 50 minutes, or something. Any English guys decide to play for Barbados? What about that beast who plays for Aston Villa? UEFA teams don’t have to deal with this bs (a knock out tie before the group stages) do they? Playing on a water-logged polo ground, getting doused in urine and pelted with batteries, could make for a tough game if we need a result…kind of ridiculous.
I like that the SSS are being rewarded with some additional games that’ll bring in revenue for concessions, parking, etc. Giants Stadium is going to make their money with Giants/Jets games, Soldier Field with Bears games. It’s nice to give the SSS some of the ‘smaller’ qualifiers that will sell out and help bring revenue into those facilities. Every bit helps
Will U.S. fans be able to legally travel to Cuba for the return leg?
JB, I beg to differ. I’ve had the experience of playing in a lot of places on a variety of surfaces (met oval PRE renovation comes to mind) and I have to tell you, while it is much better than the old astroturf, it changes the game. THe ball moves infinitely faster on the fake stuff, an the ball bounces unlike it would on real grass. NOw, that being said, there are places, and arenas where i not feasible ot hav grass, in which case the fake stuff is a nice idea. SHould we be holding WCQ matches on it? no, i dont think so.
Eric…. The answer to your question above is: NO!
The whole field turf bias is such a dated argument. Its the soccer equivalent of the designated hitter rule in baseball, or wearing helmets in hockey, or the forward pass in football. Today’s field turf isn’t the astro turf of the 1970’s. And the bias against it in soccer is just nonsense without any real basis in fact.
We play them in the altitude in Denver because it’s going to be 25 degrees in Denver in November. And sadly for Guatemala, that’s Fahrenheit, not Celsius.
Why play Guatemala at altitude? Our guys will be worse off in the thin air than the Guatemalans (who live their whole life at altitude).
WCQ @ Dicks against Guatemala(likely) in Nov! Awesome.
Oh, sweet, so the MNT is playing in Giants Stadium while I’m in DC and then playing in RFK after I move back to NY/NJ. SUPER.
Seattle would be a good venue for the WCQ game with Mexico.
if seattle has grass then I apologize in advance (i’m under the impression they have fieldturf)
As long as Seattle has turf… and anywhere for that matter has turf the USSF should not even consider those venues for WCQ’ers.
And i can’t wait for the Cuba game… def making the trek down from CT.
I’d really like to see the USMNT play in Seattle as well. Yes of course I’m biased being from WA, but there is a lot of soccer excitment in the town right now with the new franchise. Mexico vs. China was huge at Qwest Field and I’m guessing Brazil vs Canada will come close to a sell out.
Joe, do you know when tickets go on sale?
I am definitely going to that DC one. If it is against Cuba, that place will be rocking.
I am bummed one of them wasn’t Seattle, but it makes since, because the Euorpeon season will have started and it is a long way up here to Alaska. 🙂 I hope we can get a match in the final round IF they get there I would be willing to bet there would be 40K plus for a decent opponent. I have seen this town draw 25K for the women’s gold Cup so a big crowd for a men’s game is realistic.
as long as we schedule our match with mexico for columbus — in winter — then i’m happy. can you say “la guerra fria”?
Peter –
CONCACAF lists that match @ Barbados as being on either June 21/22 with a start time TBD.
Toyota Park is perfect for this match. Aside from Mexico, none of the other WCQ we’re playing in will sell out or come close to it at Soldier Field. Toyota Park will be perfect and a sell out for this match. Matter of fact the MLS stadia are generally great for our WCQ matches. True they’re not 40K-65K but again aside from Mexico, no other team in CONCACAF will sell out such a large stadium. Toyota Park sucks only from a public transportation perspective and the fact it’s a Wednesday night but it’s not even a final round qualifier and assuming this will sell out, it should set us up for a Final Round Qualifier match and we truly want that action – especially on a Saturday evening.
U.S. National Soccer Team vs. Barbados
The Home Depot Center, Carson, CA
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 02:00 PM
tickets:
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/090040A7D867622F?artistid=821723&majorcatid=10004&minorcatid=11
I know we should not be worried…but anyone a little uncomfortable with them picking venues before we’ve actually qualified for that round?
As a Chicago native, I found it odd that they chose Toyota Park instead of Soldier Field. They could sell a lot more tickets if it were at Soldier. The game is on a Wednesday and the Bears don’t have a home game until 9/21. Nevertheless, Chi-town was an excellent choice! 🙂
Any info on the game at Barbados anyone?
I want to go but can’t find ticket info or even a solid game date and time!
Any info on the Barbados home game anyone?
I want to go but can’t find ticket info or even a solid game date and time!
No Giants Stadium?
Nov in Colorado vs Guatemala….nice