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Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium to host USMNT-Mexico November WCQ match

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FC Cincinnati has opened its new stadium to the rest of MLS this season and now TQL Stadium will play host to its first U.S. men’s national team match later this year.

U.S. Soccer announced Wednesday that TQL Stadium will host the USMNT’s November 12 World Cup Qualifying match against Mexico. It will be the first-ever WCQ match at the new stadium and it will be the USMNT’s seventh qualifying match of a new 14-match slate.

“When you talk about great rivalries in our sport, USA-Mexico is one of the best,” U.S. men’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter said. “We are fortunate to have so many great venue options in this country, and for this match Cincinnati ticks all the boxes.

“This is a special game that requires a special atmosphere, and we know it’s one that Cincinnati will provide,” Berhalter said.

The November 12 showdown will be the 15th meeting between the USMNT and Mexico in World Cup Qualifying, with the Americans holding a 15-9-6 advantage since 2000. It will continue a traditional trend between the two national teams of playing international matches in the state of Ohio.

November will see the USMNT also travel to face Jamaica on Nov. 16 before having close to two months off before its next qualifying series in late-January.

“For the Mexico game, we took a hard look at all the venues,” Berhalter said in a conference call Wednesday. “And I think one thing that was important was that we’re going to need every venue that we play in to have an absolute rocking crowd.

“We feel like we made some mistakes in the last qualifying cycle, particularly the Costa Rica game, not having a crowd that was 100% U.S., and that’s going to be extremely important.”

The USMNT will continue its involvement in the Concacaf Gold Cup on Thursday against Qatar, looking to advance to the August 1 final against Mexico or Canada.

Comments

  1. USSF thinks Natti town is going to be a safe place from El Tri fan’s showing up is comical. El tri fans live and die for this sport. The brass is going to be extremely disappointed come November 12.

    Reply
    • By picking smaller soccer specific stadiums USSF can sell a majority of tickets to supporters groups and other organizations that will help limit El Tri fan purchases but yes there will still be a large amount of Mexican fans.

      Reply
  2. USSF picks any location in the country where It makes it difficult for Mexico to have home crowd advantage, and that means far away from the coasts, especially the Southwest. Gone are the days of the matches in the Rose Bowl against Mexico with 100,000 Mexican-Americans fans screaming against the country they choose to call home.

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  3. Great Choice. The locals are going to make TQL a cauldron, and provide a killer, difficult atmosphere for our El Tri to play in.

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    • why on earth do we want the bad juju from one of the worst teams in league history. and if they were such a home advantage why does their team suck. not kind of suck. like really suck.

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      • Since no one on the NT plays for Cincinnati the MLS based players are pretty used to winning there.

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