9/10 or 10/11. We'll get one of them. I'm hoping for Mexico on 9/10 of course, but 10/11 vs. Jamaica is not out of the question either.
My predictions: 3/22 vs. Costa Rica: Home Depot Center 6/11 vs. Panama: BBVA Compass Stadium 6/18 vs. Honduras: Red Bull Arena 9/10 vs. Mexico: Livestrong Sporting Park 10/11 vs. Jamaica: Jen-Weld Field
There is no way, in no how that US Soccer will play ANY WCQ match on astroturf like they have in Jeld Wen.
Respect your opinions b/c of who you are and how well I know you, but I'm really looking forward to the day I come back to this post to show you scored 20% on your predictions. U.S. Soccer is not going west twice. Columbus will get a game, I can guarantee you that. I also struggle to believe neither our nation's capital nor the home of U.S. Soccer will get one.
I really like that CR at HDC to start. I don't like Honduras in NJ. I think Honduras goes to KC and Mexico goes to CCS. Three tougher opponents in the hex in three US friendly environments.
I can't see us playing any game that matters against a Latin American team in Houston. That would be idiocy. I also think the likelihood of either Livestrong or CCS being left out of hosting is zero point zero. The home field is worth too much. I personally think we get 9/10 given our track record and the quality of our pitch. Jurgen gushed about our crowd and how much of an advantage our playing surface gives to the style of play he wants.
I'll find out and then argue with a RSL guy who say's hes going to quit BS if I'm right and then renig...
I don't think they ever can install grass, a spring or stream runs under the field, so the water table is too high. When will SanJose's new Stadium be done?
While I'm still in favor of CCS getting a game - I would not put it as a 100% lock as I would have in years past. I'm pretty sure some things outside the "environment" happened pre/during/post the Jamaica game earlier this year that is going to give US Soccer a second thought about coming back here. I'd put it at 60/40 right now...
Fid, I'd be interested in hearing about that. Unless of course, it's something pretty sensitive that you can't shore. Of course, I'd STILL be probably even more interested in hearing about that too!
I just heard rumblings from some folk who work around the US Soccer community that they weren't all that pleased with some of the stuff pre/during/post event. I'm not going to get in to specifics but these folks are certainly connected to know... And listen, I'm not saying that stuff happened that unequivocally prevents us from getting a game in the Hex, I'm just saying that it won't be the cakewalk it has been in the past. In the past it was a foregone conclusion Columbus got a game. This time it's likely, just not a given in my mind...
I would easily put it over 60% on coming to Columbus. And this is based on player response to the environment. I didn't see quite the same amount of love on Tweeter, Vicebook and other press sources for SKC as I did for Columbus. That is not to say there wasn't any, but the immediate aftermath love fest from the players for our homely stadium was awesome. Shit, guys like Fabian Johnson coming out and saying that our 20k+ sounded like 50k is an epic testament to what we bring. And that kind of comment will not go unnoticed by the brass. The other thing that it our performance as fans did against Jamaica was that it served notice to every other potential host city. I'd go as far to say that we put pressure on SKC to put on as good an environment as they did because we clearly upped our game. After they announced us hosting Jamaica, our thread was split between people saying 10k in attendance to 15k. Few were saying sell out. After all, it was only Jamaica. Then we sold it out, expanded it and sold it out again.
I realize you can't go into specifics, but I just hope it was nothing on the fans part. A lot of people worked super hard to pull off a heck of a day. If it was a situation where the fans did something to sour USSF on Columbus, especially after all the work that was done, I'd say there's case for disappointment.
BigSoccer's Crew Forum = Where we have to deal with Canadian AND Mexican trolls. Call us the "crossroads of North America." And they say Ohio is boring! Then again, the thread doesn't have the typical "Crew forum" disclaimer in the title, making it a little misleading on the home page.