By RYAN TOLMICH
April’s clash between the U.S. Men’s National Team and Mexico is set to have a full house.
U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati announced Saturday that the friendly, scheduled on April 15 in San Antonio, Texas, has officially sold out. The expected crowd of 65,000 would be a new record for soccer in San Antonio.
We are thrilled that #USAvMEX on April 15 is officially sold out. The 65,000 fans will set an attendance record for soccer in San Antonio.
— Sunil Gulati (@sunilgulati) February 14, 2015
The two nations both advanced to the Round of 16 in last year’s World Cup and most recently faced off last April in Glendale, Arizona, for a 2-2 draw in front of 59,000 fans.
El Tri are part of the current attendance record in San Antonio, which was set at 54,313 in Mexico’s 4-0 victory over South Korea in January 2014.
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What do you thing of the expected attendance? What do you expect from April’s friendly?
Share your thoughts below.
It is disgusting that many of these fans live here, work here (some Illegally), reap all the benefits of being in the US, then go out and root against the US and for Mexico. Even throwing bottles filled with urine at the US players. If You cannot be loyal to the country that has given you so much, and you think Mexico is so great, then back down to Mexico! We don’t need your ungrateful ass here!
Time for another Prozac Don
Sad!
Are you guys saying that mexico is the home team?
yes, definitely need to have usa-mex in lots of other us citie (yeah, like portland!)… uh, when we’re supposed to be tf home side, i mean.
I would love it if people who live in this country, would support its national team.
What’s everyone’s guess on the split? I’ll go 90%mexican 10%usa fans.
I would love to see Seattle host this one. I’m a Portland guy, but they have the venue and population to get it done right, and Portland metro would chip in big time, along with the several thousand USNT fans that will travel no matter where it is. Driving up for the Panama qualifier in 2013, I saw many US scarfs, jerseys and signs in cars with plates from Oregon, but also California and Utah, and I believe that match was on a Tuesday evening.
Their venue is awful, worst pitch in the country. Watching a game on that surface is a pain on the eyes.
yay… all mexican supporters…
This doesn’t mean San Antonio deserves a MLS expansion team.
This means San Antonio deserves a MLS expansion team
i meant tickets sales, not crowd support
Awesome, playing another road game in TX against Mexico. I know ticket sales, and not venue, drive this part of the USMNT schedule but the time to stop playing the Guatemalas, Mexicos, Panamas, in cities that have that specific ethnic background (DC, TX/AZ/CA, Florida) is now. Its almost like unless its in Columbus, OH during the winter for a qualifier, the USSF WILLINGLY is trading home support for dollars. BTW, when is that friendly where the US will be the home team at Estadios Azteca or OmniLife. Oh yeah Nevuary 31.
It’s a friendly. Of course it’s about money. We have a serious home field advantage to play in Columbus, (heck, in winter anywhere, ain’t that right, Costa Rica?) why give other teams free exposure to that? Think of the boost the U.S. got from winning in azteca, why let mexico or whoever get a taste of that until it counts? They know that once every four years, they’re going to hell. Familiarity breeds contempt.
An interesting intuition, but money remains the key consideration. Our rivals in CONCACAF are getting to see more and more of our “secret stash” of soccer-specific stadiums in the middle of the country via the Gold Cup
But we’d never use a Crew Stadium, or a Dick’s, or a Sporting Park for a friendly against Mexico, because it would be throwing 30,000-50,000 of gate capacity down the toilet. The USSF just can’t afford to do that. Mexico games (except WCQ’s) exist primarily as as a cash grab, albeit a very entertaining one.
While I get where you’re coming from, the reality is that taking that approach would effectively eliminate most of the U.S.’s major metropolitan areas from consideration for hosting games. The Latino population in the U.S. is big enough that even if, for example, you avoided playing games v. Mexico in Texas on games versus Honduras in DC, as long as you played the game in a major metro area, there would probably be a sizable number of people with ties to our opponent’s country.
Given that U.S. Soccer’s goal is to grow support for our national team programs, repeatedly picking locations in order to avoid particular nationalities would be the classic case of cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face. The only way that U.S. soccer generates enough revenue and exposure to get better players into the pipeline and develop them is by taking multicultural crowds head-on, and beating opponents.
Also, I’ll be there and I would like to have the US play Mexico at some point near me.
Honestly what is better for the team? Friendly crowds? Not really.
So even it is mostly about money. Other parts of the country besides Ohio should be allowed to see the US play Mexico at some point because honestly its better for the team and better for US fans.(Like me)
When the US came here for a WCup qualifying game, poeple were coming out of the wood work to get my extra two tickets….Dont be so down Doug, there will be US fans there, and there is nothing better in soccer than US – Mexico
let the rivalry florish and dont be in a hurry.
I’ve never been in a hurry about this. I’m 35 now. I remember going to see US-Malta at the old Rutgers Football Stadium with Bruce Murray, Peter Vermes and the GOAT, Tab Ramos. Had posters of Rutgers Soccer every year until I graduated high school. That was 25-30 years ago. I know soccer in America has had a meteoric rise in the last 20 years thanks to the 1994 World Cup, explosion of cable TV sports channels, and the internet but still when it comes to certain things, US Soccer operates as if its 1987. US Soccer has cash to burn, believe me. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t play infinitely more important games in stadia with half the capacity. I wouldn’t even say Mexico is a “rival” anymore. I know they would say it as well. The last 8-10 years of US success against them doesn’t erase the 30+ years we were catching beatdowns when no American publication cared to document soccer. I’m just disappointed I have to give the same answer to my kid that my father gave to me when I asked “Why are we playing Mexico in TX or CA? I thought the home team was supposed to have the advantage” The more things change…….
Doug,
I am about your age, and have been following the game since my childhood, as well and know very well the phenomenon you are describing.
A couple of things I’d tell you:
-US Soccer does NOT have oodles of money. They have a relatively plebian operating revenue of about $75 million (vs over $400 million for England and other more established countries). These revenues must pay for everything from men’s and women’s coaches to youth development programs. Every penny counts
The only games we really have “sole discretion” over selecting venues for are WCQ’s and int’l friendlies. WCQ’s are actually quite small in number (we have only played 42 on home soil since 1990) and because the cost of non-qualification is potential disastrous, we don’t mess around. These days, it’s all about soccer-specific venues in Midwestern and other cities where we are certain to have home-field advantage.
For Int’l friendlies, we can afford to take some more liberties. However, the Mexico-US friendlies really are the only “cash cows” in the bunch (which is why we host them annually at this point). Most “top” global teams (ie Brazil/Argentina) have figured out they can demand massive gate splits on their global travels (not that they are easy to book in the first pace). Second tier powers are good competition but they don’t fill stadiums.
Then there is the Gold Cup, but we only get a split of what CONCACAF gives us (they are the official organizer). We’ll see what the Copa America holds, but probably it’ll be similar.
The USSF spends a huge amount of time and human resources trying to optimize revenues here. But it’s a challenge that will take years to solve because of the various forces as play, and the fact that gate revenues really do matter.
There’s nothing better in soccer than US – Mexico.
Yes, when it means something. This is the second year in a row US Soccer is running this cash grab, and it’s not even during a FIFA window. It’s our third team vs their third team, and it dilutes the rivalry.
I hear your point, but don’t know that it dilutes it as badly as you suggest in my consumption. For me, a WCQ in Columbus or Mexico Citywill always be special and different. A cup final in the Gold Cup (even a rubbish one like 2009) will never be mistaken for “just another game”.
These teams seem to know when they are playing for real chips and it projects on the field, in the stadium, and even through the TV.
I agree that I do not get nearly the sense of national pride when watching some of these glorified bake sales. But hey, if the US is willing to give me a game (against ANYONE and/ or their C team) on a non-FIFA date, I’ll take it.
At least they’re not disgracing the game so long as they selling out big stadiums. Lest we forget, there was a time scarcely 20 years ago when the US was playing friendlies at high schools.
I have my two tickets.