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USMNT will play World Cup qualifier in St. Louis

USMNT celebration Germany friendly

By ADAM TROXTELL

After hosting the U.S. Women’s National Team ahead of the World Cup this summer, fans in St. Louis will be getting a bit more U.S. Soccer action in the future.

Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals, will be the host of a U.S. Men’s National Team World Cup qualifier in November. A press conference for the announcement is scheduled for Monday.

It will reportedly include St. Louis University grad and USMNT player Tim Ream and USWNT player Lori Chalupny, who is a St. Louis native.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on Sunday than an announcement was imminent. One of five potential opponents will face the USMNT in its first home qualifying game there on either Nov. 13 or 17.

Before hosting a World Cup warm-up game for the USWNT earlier this year, St. Louis last hosted the U.S. men in 1997 for a friendly against Paraguay. It is the first World Cup qualifier hosted by the city since a 1989 0-0 draw against El Salvador.

On Saturday, the USMNT learned that Trinidad & Tobago will definitely be one of their three Group C opponents in the fourth round of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying. The other two will be determined after St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Aruba, and Antingua and Barbuda and Guatemala finish their third-round qualifying ties.

An official announcement is expected as early as Sunday, according to the report.

What do you think of the USMNT playing in St. Louis? Should they return to the city more frequently in the future? Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. St. Louis in November sounds like it should be just about the right temperature for any of our potential opponents, but probably not snowing. Probably.

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  2. All the friendlies and soccer matches I’ve seen……… sadly- the first thought that occurs is NO city ought to/deserves to host a match until they can guarantee to put together a professional quality soccer field. Waaaay too many throw together, frankly- embarrassing inexcusable conditions. All the griping we do about conditions in small CONCACAF nations and we often don’t do much better.

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    • HA! no other post was visible when i wrote mine-hit post and BAM- quite telling beto and ivan thought field conditions as well, eh?

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  3. Hopefully the greedy federation has learned the lesson from this past summer of playing football on artificial turf stadiums, putting grass over that, then some more turf, then grass on top of the turf, then maybe some more turf. Seattle, Atlanta, etc.: epic fail, and hopefully never again!

    All games must be played on stadiums with real grass only. Come back to Tampa-Ray Jay is a fantastic soccer venue with the grass in pristine condition.

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    • Disagree. Atmosphere was amazing in Seattle last year. Thy should should host a qualifier in each round. Field was poor but hopefully will be better next time.

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  4. Let the madness begin.

    Second qualifier will be in Yankee Stadium and then a temporary field in the middle of the Las Vegas strip.

    Seriously good to see St Louis get a big game and Busch Stadium is an all right soccer stadium.

    Reply

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