Photo by ISIphotos.com
It is going to be a good summer for soccer fans across the country.
CONCACAF announced a list of 13 different cities that will play host to CONCACAF Gold Cup matches this summer. Giants Stadium will host the final on July 26th while Soldier Field in Chicago will host the semifinals on July 23rd.
Groups and match schedules have yet to be released but, according to sources with knowledge of the draw, the United States will open Gold Cup play on July 4th at Qwest Field in Seattle, followed by group matches at RFK Stadium on July 8th and Gillette Stadium on July 11th. The U.S. team would then play its quarterfinal match on July 18th in Philadelphia.
Here is a rundown of all the venues, including the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium, which will have a Gold Cup match be its first sporting event:
First Round
3 July – The Home Depot Center (Los Angeles)
4 July – Qwest Field (Seattle)
5 July – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (Oakland)
7 July – Crew Stadium (Columbus, Ohio)
8 July – Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium (Washington)
9 July – Reliant Stadium (Houston)
10 July – Florida International University Stadium (Miami)
11 July – Gillette Stadium (Boston)
12 July – University of Phoenix Stadium (Phoenix)
Quarterfinals
18 July – Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)
19 July – Dallas Cowboys New Stadium (Dallas)
Semifinals
23 July – Soldier Field (Chicago)
Final
26 July – Giants Stadium (New York)
What do you think of this schedule? Will you be attending Gold Cup matches this summer? Excited to see the final back at Giants Stadium?
Share your thoughts below.
How awesome is it to kick off the tournament on Independence Day
OK, then it’s Haiti, Honduras, and El Salvador in the LA->Columbus->Miami group, then.
So how, where and when can we get tickets, for the Dallas games?
Actually, the Cowboys new stadium seats only 68,000 for football (I just bought my Cotton Bowl tickets for 2010). I assume it will be that much or a bit less for soccer. Still be tough to fill that thing.
I agree with whoever said we should be using some of the built-for-soccer stadiums here. At Pizza Hut Park, I think we’ve had one USNT team game (a friendly) and one or two other international friendlies (I saw Mexico against I think Iceland or somebody) in the five years it’s been open. It’s ridiculous. We never get anything.
Really….going to play matches on “modern synthetic surfaces”…
Nothing like american football lines on the field to make FIFA drool over our facilities…
Do the people that run all this have any clue at all?
This is surely a statement for the USA’s ability to host a WC. Well planned Gulati!
Hope to make it to the final!
Richard, you need to take a look at who’s in the Gold Cup. Guatemala, Brazil, and Cuba will not play. In fact, no South American teams were invited to this Gold Cup (like the last Gold Cup), and that’s how it should be. Guatemala sucked balls in qualification and Cuba pulled out of the tournament, probably the government’s decision so players wouldn’t defect as a few of them always do whenever they come to the US.
YESSS!!! finally some quality footy other than the usual MLS rubbish in Dallas. Thanks!
Guys, you don’t have to worry about those NFL stadiums being half-empty. It seems obvious that games in each stadium will be sold as doubleheaders where one ticket gets you both games, and that the USMNT will go Seattle-DC->Boston while Mexico will go Oakland->Houston->Phoenix, which means CONCACAF will only have to worry about filling the smaller soccer stadiums, which they may try to do by putting teams with heavy followings in SoCal and S. Florida in that group like El Salvador, Guatemala, and Brazil. Then the quarterfinals will be arranged so that Mexico will go to Dallas and the US goes to Philly unless both somehow do not finish in the top 2 in their group (which would be disastrous for CONCACAF, so they’ll make sure that won’t happen). So unless people don’t turn out for the USMNT, the only venue that may have a bunch of empty seats is Columbus . . .which means CONCACAF will try their damnest to make sure Brazil sends some warm bodies in canary shirts to the Gold Cup because it’s much easier to sell “Brazil vs. Cuba” tickets than it is to sell “El Salvador vs. Cuba” tickets in Columbus.
I hope the Nats play at Jerryland in Arlington. That’s west of Dallas for all you out of towners.
come on ESPN!!
not a lot of time between games. the team that brings a deep squad wins this.
wow, 4 west coast venues.
Hopefully this will silence all of the west coasters, for a while.
University of Phoenix is more hazardous for the tailgaters in the parking lot than the athletes on the field. The stadium is roofed, temperature controlled and grass. Unfortunately, the tailgating is not.
Thanks frank. madmax showed he knows very little about these stadiums, specifically the UOP in Phoenix.
Indoors, on grass. As long as Mexico is playing that day, it will fill out well.
if el Tri do play at Dallas stadium, i’m sure senor jones will heavily limit what can be taken in (no flag poles, or outside food, and probably no cerveza).
My work schedule has clashed with every soccer related event I want to attend. Jeebus!
How I want to be in Sams Army, when the Yanks go marchin in.
Ives, I hope your knowledgeable source is correct. It will be a great 4th in Seattle!
Thanks Nelson!
When will the games be assigned to the sites?
And seriously…they scheduled a game for Independence Day?
you can bet the the U.S. won’t be playing in Miami.
I can’t help but wonder if a reset of the Gold Cup needs to come sooner rather than later. I know money makes the world go ’round, and I know that Jack likes his cash; but the schedule congestion in ’09 is utterly ridiculous. I’m still skeptical (and maybe I missed USSF and Bradley addressing it) that the U.S. will trot out an “A” squad for this competition. Winning the Gold Cup, especially this year, does nothing for the program. A good showing in the Confed Cup on the other hand…