Philly 2018 WC Exploratory Committee :)

I thought I've read on here that the Linc isn't the appropriate size to host WC matches... I though it wasn't wide enough. Am I wrong? Or do people think it's "close enough" to warrant one of FIFA's well known exemptions?

A little credit where credit is due. Steve Goff of the Washington Post broke this story. Article, and blog.

The blog has some decent discussion about possible venues. Philadelphia seems to be fairly high on a lot of people's lists.

reference this post from some time ago by SP

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showpost.php?p=8627492&postcount=27

another post in that same topic mentioned the linc only being 68 yards wide...wide enough for FIFA sanctioned league matches but not international.

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showpost.php?p=8646558&postcount=35

dont get me wrong I would LOVE a WC game in philadelphia but I doubt they would bend their rules (albeit from 2005) so that philly could get a team over the media (NY) and political (DC) capitals of the US. were just not that big on the international map yet...

Are we skipping right past the idea that Philly may (should) already have a soccer specific stadium by well before 2018? Assuming that happens, they would be silly not to include all proper FIFA required measurements for international tournaments.

Also, the WC doesn't need to be like the Olympics and stuck to one city. We could perhaps have a tri-state thing going on where the games are played in Philly (either Linc or new ss stadium), whatever new stadium is at the Meadowlands, and potentially the Jets new home in NY, presumably west side, although that deal continually falls through. You could even include DC, and none of the games would be too far to travel to.

Now, I may have missed your point if you just wanted the finals in Philly, but I think this could work overall for the tourney and the US in general, it uses the major historical cities as well for an added bonus and boost in tourism.

But Dan Snyder may have a new monstrosity within the borders of DC by then. With any luck, that facility will still have a decent sized field for a WC.

But back to the Linc, the width is limited by the corners, right? If there's serious money at stake, couldn't those corner seats be lopped off and then replaced at a later date? Once again, this comes down to the commitment of Lurie.

well thats one event...i remember we made a bid for the olympics and failed to get our own country's comittee to back us and we had a Celtic soccer match moved to NYC IIRC because the stadium was "Too busy" with Temple. so beyond Live8 (And Geno's making the front page of bbc.co.uk because of the "speak english" sign) i can't really think of anything else. It would seriously be one of the most amazing things if Philadelphia got a WC match, unfortunately it seems as if we are the bastard middle child of the northeastern US.

there's the rub

by 2018, isnt it entirely concievable that Philadelphia might have its own MLS team and thus a stadium large enough to host a FIFA event?

I think that day may be closer then some realize

I don't see how the Linc is wide enough for WC matches. Indeed, the Linc hosted Womens World Cup matches a few years ago, but I believe FIFA is more lenient with the rules in the womens game. It's really just the four corners that cut into a FIFA regulation size pitch, but they would have to move some serious concrete in those places to make room. I don't know if that is feasible.

Financing, bureaucracy, laws of physics......these are merely words to Bryan.

Tear out some seats! Where the Eagles are headed, they won't need them.