Venue decision near for first United States home match in final round World Cup qualifying
Jan 6, 2013, 2:25 PM EDT
U.S. Soccer will announce this week where the national team’s first home game in final round World Cup qualifying will be played, according to Grant Wahl.
The veteran soccer writer from Sports Illustrated, also working these days as part of the Fox Soccer Channel staff, said a “high-ranking U.S. Soccer source” revealed to him the venue for a March 22 contest against Costa Rica is down to three finalists.
The high-stakes match will be played in either Salt Lake City, Denver or Kansas City, according to Wahl.
That will be the United States’ first home match in final round qualifying, which begins Feb. 6 at Honduras. The contest against Costa Rica will be Match Day No. 2 in final stage CONCACAF qualifying.
The United States has enjoyed its time in Salt Lake City before, defeating Costa Rica (same country they face here in March) en route to World Cup 2006 in Germany. That was before a nice crowd of 40,586 at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Four years later Bob Bradley’s team won an important match over El Salvador at a packed Rio Tinto Stadium (pictured).
In both cases, national team players and staff talked up their regard for Salt Lake City as a venue.
The team has not been to Colorado since a 2008 win over Guatemala in semifinal round World Cup qualifying. Attendance was hardly great that day at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (9,303), but the United States had already booked passage into final round qualifying by that point, so that’s not exactly surprising.
Kansas City is a shoe-in to get at least one match, based on the big support there and the U.S. team success at Livestrong Sporting Park since it opened in suburban Kansas City about 20 months ago.
-
Getty Images
The updated ordering in ProSoccerTalk’s ranking of Major League Soccer teams following 12 rounds of play:
-
Officials from MLS, Yankees, Manchester City and NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg to speak tomorrow on expansion news
May 21, 2013, 3:15 PM EDT
Getty Images
How very convenient that Manchester City just happens to be in the States for a brief two-game tour.
-
A few implications of the ‘sister-club’ relationship between City and NYC FC
May 21, 2013, 2:05 PM EDT
Getty Images
By forming NYC FC, City and the Yankees have created a ‘sister-club’ relationship – an innovative bond between a Premiership and MLS club.
-
Notes from today’s big announcement on MLS, NYCFC the Yankees and the rest
May 21, 2013, 1:23 PM EDT
Early thoughts on the facility and the ripples of today’s big announcement on the 20th MLS franchise:
-
Cavani for Dzeko swap could be massive for Manchester City
May 21, 2013, 11:45 AM EDT
By swapping Dzeko for Cavani, City can hamstring Manchester United and Chelsea, as both are rumored to be seeking a world-class striker.
-
It’s official: Manchester City and the Yankees will own and operate Major League Soccer’s newest expansion team.
May 21, 2013, 11:16 AM EDT
The league’s 20th franchise will begin play in 2015:
-
Getty Images
During his Premiership tenure Toure has proven himself a leader, captaining both the Gunners and the Citizens, as well as Cote d’Ivoire.
-
Gareth Bale set to re-sign with Tottenham – But is it a good deal for the Welshman?
May 21, 2013, 8:37 AM EDT
Has Daniel Levy already forgotten about what happened when he tried to pin Luka Modric down with this ‘no sale’ line of bull?
-
PSG, Ancelotti, and Real Madrid: Four basic facts of Carlo’s Spanish future
May 20, 2013, 11:58 PM EDT
Expect this one to get worked out.
-
As far as transfer rumors go, Gonzalo Higuaín to Arsenal actually makes some sense
May 20, 2013, 11:23 PM EDT
Getty Images
If Real Madrid’s going to shake things up, Higuaín could do worse than land at The Emirates.
-
Reuters
Four players were on the original list. None of them may end up at Stamford Bridge.
-
Silvio Berlusconi says he hasn’t fired Maximiliano Allegri. Yet.
May 20, 2013, 5:45 PM EDT
Getty Images
For a moment, it looked like Milan had fired their coaching staff … via an open letter from a television show.






