By ADAM TROXTELL
The U.S. Men’s National Team now knows part of the path it will have to take in order to successfully defend its 2013 Gold Cup title.
CONCACAF released the list of group stage cities and venues for the 2015 Gold Cup on Tuesday, and the U.S. will begin its tournament with a game at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas – home of FC Dallas – on July 7.
The Americans will then travel north to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on July 10 before wrapping up group play at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas, on July 13.
The U.S., which is looking to clinch a berth to the 2017 Confederations Cup, is in Group A.
Costa Rica will begin Group B play on July 8 at the StubHub Center in Los Angeles while Group C will begin with seeded Mexico playing at Soldier Field in Chicago.
BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston and BMO Field in Toronto are the other MLS stadiums hosting group round matches. This tournament marks the first time Toronto hosts a Gold Cup game.
The knockout rounds will take place in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The complete schedule, including group-stage opponents, knockout round dates, and the location of the final, will be announced in early 2015.
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What do you think of the list of venues? Surprised by any city’s omission? Happy with the schedule the USMNT has?
Share your thoughts below.
Sadly this guy on goal.com said it best: “Was this organized by Conkaka or MLS? So bias, and obviously favoring USA by making most games on the East coast. Also, Mexico gets to play in Phoenx in July, in 120 degree heat. Nice move MLS I mean Concacaf.”
bc Univ of Phoenix stadium doesn’t have a roof or anything…
Absolute BULL %&^* venues. These match locations don’t favor ANY other teams besides the US. What are the CONCACAF American heads soo afraid of that they can’t make it at balanced venues? Or could it just be they’re trying to throw the USMNT on their back and piggy back them to the Confeds? Not to mention not 1 knock out round will be played on the west coast. Obvious much or just a coincidence?
They are trying to expand the game here. We all know Seattle and Portland are big soccer towns. Atlanta is a great spot. MLS expansion. They were smart to pave the games on the eat coast. Think about viewing hours too
Is it me or does it feel like CONCACAF is going to try carry the USMNT to the confeds? 2 games on the west coast including the knockout rounds? KMON it doesn’t get any more obvious than that. I HIGHLY DOUBT that the Semi-finals or final will be on the west coast especially if it’s going to come down to the US and Mexico.
LOL that’s been going on for a long time, as long as the Concacaf has a ExCO that is American, that will forever be the case. I can already hear Mex whining again about how little they make playing this mickey mouse tournament versus playing the copa america.
Can you really blame them? Why not host the Gold Cup in Mexico for a change?
“I HIGHLY DOUBT that the Semi-finals or final will be on the west coast especially if it’s going to come down to the US and Mexico.”
Perhaps you should read the article, in which it is made very clear that none of the knockout matches will be held west of Atlanta. But your forecast is noted, for the record.
Crap venues for knock out rounds
Not my personal picks but should make for good games. TX needed a US game. NE, KC always show well.
An alarming amount (at least half!) of turf fields (and yet not even Seattle!). Even if they put the temp grass down… Not ideal.
On a positive note I appreciate the early notice. We are scheduled into September now! Previous years we were lucky to get a couple month’s notice.
Texas got one in the last gold cup. I’m glad we will again. Now I just gotta get tickets.
Contrary to the misinformed belief grass grows really well in the Pacific Northwest. The Willamette Valley grows the most grass seed in the US for a reason. Oh yeah things grow really well in temperate climates, especially when winter is moist and not freezing. Granted there is a rainy season it is predominately November to February. In Portland annual precip is under 40 inches. Where in Boston is almost 44 inches, Baltimore 42 inches, etc…
Portland excuse is the stadium is owned by the city and seen as a multi use stadium. However, 10,000 long waiting list for season tickets and one the greatest atmospheres for a sporting event in North America will grow grass on a slightly raised field with a drainage system. Similar to what you see in UK grass surfaces
Not sure what their excuse is in the fishing village north on I-5 as too why they play in a NFL stadium with football lines painted on the pitch while the playoffs are happening? Also, ohhhh never mind…..
I am not sure anybody here is so brain-dead that they don’t believe grass grows well in the Pacific Northwest. (But it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been wrong I’ve been wrong in this estimation)
The problem involves the punishment and degredation the pitch takes during the rainy season. Seattle, of course, has an NFL team that abuses a soggy field so badly that grass is effectively impossible, unless they intend to swap turf almost constantly from Sept-Nov,
Portland’s problem is a little different. Stadium ownership is part of it (and you’re right, it’s probably a nice excuse not to make the capital investment).
But it’s about the realities of money, too. Portland does not have an EPL budget or stadium…. in all honesty it’s closer to a League 1 or (at best) lower-tier Championship club in its economic profile … if you look at the pitches of these non-Premier League teams in mid-season they are often a muddy trainwreck. Does this beat turf? Up to you… (I’d actually say yes, for the record).
I think you are confusing the MLS season with the EPL? Timbers do not play during the rainy winter season but during the dry sunny summer. Just a trace of rain from July to September. March and April would be the wettest months
The stadium will stay city owned and eventually just be reduced to Thorns and Timbers matches exclusively. You are 5 to 10 another expansion will happen increasing attendance to 35,000. By then grass will grow!
Financially the Timbers are one of the most profitable franchises in MLS. The obvious sold out games and merchandise helps. However, player performance in relation to wage is exceptional for any sports team. Also, no MLS subsidy for players wages or transfer fees!
It would really be nice to get a USMNT game in Houston where the headliner isn’t Chris Wondlowski
Stanford and Levi’s Stadium have grass, would have been nice to get a game in NorCal.
Indeed.
No RFK? Damn.
Seems like it’s either RFK or the Ravens stadium. RFK hosted two cups ago, but now Baltimore’s gotten two in a row.
Why no games in the Pacific Northwest? Seattle and Portland are the 2 biggest soccer cities in US, yet no games scheduled there. Why?
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is a Fifa Tier One event, and therefore must be played on natural grass. If this upsets you, it should. Why don’t you pressure the Sounders and Timbers to fix this absurdity? What, it doesn’t rain enough up there?
Meanwhile – I agree. No game in LA? Or Salt Lake or Colorado? All venues with approved pitches.
Group B will use Stub Hub Center in Carson. Which is basically LA.
It is indeed. But this is the first year I can recall that they have not used the Rose Bowl or LA Coliseum (much larger venues) to support U.S., Mexico, or knockout stage games.
I presume that the Rose Bowl may have been tabbed by CONMEBOL for some significant use in the CA 2016.
At any rate, I plan on loading up a U-Haul with some snow machines for that Costa Rica game at StubHub. Who’s in?
I doubt it. I really think CONCACAF didn’t want any knockout rounds being played west if Atlanta for obvious reasons(no home field advantage for the US). Even though they can attract larger venues and make more money, US will likely lose home field. If they stick to the smaller stadiums (30k and under) on the east coast, the US will have clear home field and the stadiums might actually look like sell outs.
The venues for the knockout rounds (i.e. the only games where the US might actually need a home field advantage) are not small at all. They are all NFL stadiums.
Contrary to popular belief, CONCACAF does not exist purely for the purpose of polishing US knobs. The FMF has plenty of money and power, as well. And fans of El Tri generate just as much, if not more revenue for CONCACAF than USMNT fans.
Not to mention the fact that a US-Mexico play-off for the Confed Cup would generated a nice chunk of extra revenue for the federation.
I meant “US games in LA.”
MetLife Stadium has artificial turf, though, and there’s apparently a knockout round game there.
The no artificial turf thing doesn’t hold up. Especially since most of the knockout round venues are played on turf, if not all of them. They will lay sod over the artificial turf.
I’m not even sure if that’s a rule, no turf for a FIFA tier one event. Because in Russia they’re always playing on turf.
Timbers play on natural grass,
Timbers play on field turf but it is the highest rated field turf according to FIFA
The natural grass will come to PDX!
If you want a home field advantage and the game day experience to be a big deal the PNW is the way to go!
I think you’ll see SEA (with real turf laid down) as a significant venue for Copa America. Providence is still too small for that tourney.
Timbers should really target a 45,000 seat, club-owned stadium with a proper, first-class grass pitch as part of their 5-10 year vision. Paulson has the money and resources…. I think he’ll make the plunge eventually.
Ok so I’m a little angry that the US does not play any Gold Cup games west of Houston. On the good side, looks like the US can look forward to some favorable crowd support in the latter stages.
More I think about it, it seems CONCACAF may be trying to “spread the love” a bit in anticipation of CONMEBOL’s preferred choices for the Copa America. Places like Seattle and the Rose Bowl are almost certain to host Copa America games, while some of the choices on this schedule seem like longshots.
Doesn’t look very spread out to me. Too many NE venues. No PNW, FL, etc.
http://www.sbisoccer.com/2014/12/conmebol-looking-america.html